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CO
P3/A
TO THE
Right Worfhipful and Well-bdoved, :? THE
PARISHIONERS
O F
S'CLEMENTS
EAST-CHEAP.
Mercy unto you^ and Peace, and Love be mnltipliedi
F I iliould be at any time unmind- ful of your commands^ you might well efteem me unworthy of your continued Favours; and there is fome reafon to fufped 1 have in- curred the interpretation of for- I c^^^^rn-^'^^'^^^^i^th^^c, gg|-jpy]j^g(5 _^ having been fo back- ward in the performance of my Promifes. Some years have pafled fince J preached unto you upon fuch i Texts of Scripture as were on purpofc feleded in re- lation to the Creed, and was moved by you to make thofe Meditations publick. But you were plea- fed then to grant what my inclinations rather led me to, that they might be turned into an Expofition of the Creed it Ick : which pardy by the diliiculcy of the W ork undertaken, pardy by the intervention of fome other imployments, harh taken me up thus long,
A for
(^
The Efiflle dedicatory.
for which 1 defire your pardon. And yet an happy excufc may be pleaded for my delay, meeting with a very great felicity , that as Faith triumpheth in good works, io my Expofition of the Creed iliould be con- temporary with the re-edifying of your Church. For though I can have little temptation to believe that my Book fliould lafl: fo long as that Fabrick ; yet 1 am exceedingly pleafcd that they fliould begin toi^ether , that the publifliing of the one fliould fo agree with the opening of the other. This 1 hope may perlvvade you to forget my flacknefs , confidering ye were not ready to your own expedation , your expe- rience tells you the excufe of Church-iopor^ will be ac- cepted in building , 1 befeech you let it not be denied in printing.
That blefled Saint , by whofe name your Parifh is known, was a fellow-labourer with St. 5^ W, and a fucceffour of St. Teter ; he had the honour to be num- bred in the Scripture with them wbofe names are written in the bool^ of life , and when he had fealed the Gofpel with his Blood, he was one of the firft whofe memory was perpetuated by the building a Church to bear his name. Thus was S Clement's Church fimous in Rome , when Rome was famous for the faitb ffoh^n of throughout the whole world. He wrote an ipiftle to the Corinthidns , infcfled with a Schilm, in imitation of St. Faul ^ which obtained io great authority in the Primitive times, that it w^as frequently read in their publick Congregations ,• and yet had for many hundred years been loft, till it was at lafi: fet forth out of the Library of the late King.
Now as by the Providence of God, the memory of that Primitive Saint hath been reftore^ in our age,
fo
The Epjile Dedicatory,
{o my dcfign aimeth at nothing elfe but that the Pri- mitive Faith may be revived. And therefore in this Edition of the Creed I fliall ipeak to you but what S. Jude hath already Ipoken to the whole Churchy Beloved , when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common falvation , it mas needful for me to write unto you , that ye fhould earneflly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints, Jf it were {o needful for him then to write and for them to whom he wrote to contend for the firft Faith, it will appear as needful for me now to follow his waiting, and for you to imitate' their earneftnefs , becaufe the reafon which he renders, as the caufe of that neceffity, is now more prevalent than it was at that time, or ever fince. For^ faith he, there are certain men crept in unawares^ who ivere before of old ordained lo this condemnation , ungodly men^ turning the grace of God into lafcivioufnefs ^ denying the only Lord God^ and our Lord Jejus Chriji, The Principles of Chriftianity are now as freely quefti- oned as the moft doubtful and controverted points ; the grounds of Faith are as (afcly denied, as the mod unneceflary (uperftrudions ,• that Religion hath the greatefl: advantage which appeareth in the neweft dreis, as if we looked for another Faith to he deliver- ed to the Saints. Whereas in Chriftianity there can be no concerning truth which is not antient j and whatfocver is truly new is certainly falfc. Look then for purity in the Fountain, and ftrive to embrace the firft Faith, to which you cannot have a more proba- ble guide than the Creed, received in all Ages of the Church 5 and to this 1 refer you, as it leads you to the Scriptures, from whence it was at firft deduced, that while thofe which are unsh^lful and mijiable^ wrefi the words of God himiclf unto their own damnation, ye
A 3 may
Jhe Epifile Dedicatory,
may receive fo much inftrudion as may fet you be- yond the imputation of unskilfulnefs , and lo much of confirmation as may place you out of the danger of inftability ; which as it hath been the conftant en- deavour, fo fhall it ever be the Prayer of him , who after fo many encouragements of his labours amongft you, doth ftiJl defire to be known as
ToHr moft faithful
Servant in the Lord
John Pearson.
TO
TO THE
READER.
IHiil'c in this 'Book undertaken an Expojition of the Creed, and think it necejfary in this Preface to give a brief Account of the Work : left any Jhould either expeSl to find that here ivhich Tb^ never intended^ or conceive that which they meet with fuch as they ezpetied not. The Creed fvithout controVerfie is a brief comprehenfmi of the objcfls of our Chrijiian Faith, and is generally taken to co7itam all things neceffary to he believed. Now ivhether all things necejfary be contained there, concerneth not an Expojitor to difpute , mho ts obliged to t^ke notice of what is in it, hut not to mqmre into what is not : fi/hether all truths comprehended in the fame be of equal and abjolute necejpty, we are no "^ ay forced to declare j it being fufficient y as to the dejign of an Ezpofition, to interpret the tpords, and Jo deliver thefenfe, to demonjirate the truth ofthejenje delivered, and to manifej} the proper neceffity of each truthy holp far^ and in what degree^ and to what purpofes it is necejfary.
This therefore is the Method ivhich I propofed to my felf, and haVe profe- cuted in every Article. Ftrjl, to fettle the words of each Article according to their Antiquity and Generality of reception in the Creed. Secondly^ to expli- cate and unfold the Terms, and to endeavour a right notion and conception of them 06 they are to be underflood in the fame. Ihirdly, to Jl?cw iphat are thoje truths ivhich are naturally contained in thofe terms fo explicated, and to make it appear that they are truths indeed, by fuch arguments and reajons as are refpeclively proper to evidence the verity of them. Fourthly, to declare what is the Tslecejfity of believing thofe truths , what efficacy and influence they have in the J out, and upon the life of a 'Believer. Lajlly, by a recolleBion of all, briefly to deliver the fumm of every particular truth, jo that every one when he promunceth the Creed, may knoiv what he ought to intend, and what he is underflood to p^'ofefs^ when he fo pronounceth it.
In the prof edition of the Wholcy according to this Method 1 have confidcy ed, that a Work of fo general a concernment mufl be expofvd to two kinds of ^adcrs, which though they may agree in judgment, yet mufl differ much in their capacities. Some there are who underjland the Originjl Languages of the Holy Scripture, the Vijcour/ef and Tractates of the ancient Fathers, the determinations of the Councils, and Hi/hry of the CImrch of God, the con- flant profefjion of felled truths, the rife and mcreafe of Schifms and Here* fies. Others there are unacqminted with fuch conceptims, and uncapable of
fuch
To the Reader.
[uih injlrticlms : tvho unJcrJliVhi the Scriptures as they are tranjlated : ip.'.o arc capab'e of the knowkJ^e of (he truths tlemfelvciy and of the proofs drawn from thence : who can apprehend the nature of theihrifiian faith, with tJ-e power and efficacy of the Jatne^ when it is deliycred unto the??! out oj thr M'ordofGod, and in the language which they know. When imake this dif- ference ^and diftinction of Readers : 1 do not intend thereby that , hecaufe one of theje IS Learnedj the other is ignorant ; for he which hath no skill of the learned Languages , may notwithftandin^ he Very knowing m the Principles ofChrifltan l{eligiQn, and the reafon and efficacy of them.
According to this diflinclion 1 haVe contrived my E^pofition., fo that the ^ody of it containeth fully what can be delivered and made intelligible in the linglifh Tongue, Tiithout mjerting the leafl fentence or phraje oj any learn- ed Language.^ by ivhich he which is wjt acquainted with itj might he diflur* bed in his readin<r., or interrupted in his undcrfl anding. Kot that 1 haVe fcleBed only fuch notions as arc common, cafe, and famiii.tr of themjelvesjjut have endi'aV tired to ddiVer tie moft material conceptions m the mofi plain and perfpicuows vunner ', as defirous to compri:^ the ivhole frength of the U'ork, 06 far as it is poffble^ in the Body of it. The other Tart 1 have pla- ced in the Margin , {but Jo as oftentimes it taketh up more room, and yet is never mimled or confounded with the reji,) in which is contained ivhatfoeVcr is necefjary for the illufhation of any part of the Creed, as to them ivhich have any kyio'^kdge of the Latinc, Greek, and Original Langiuges, of the Writings of the ancient Fathers, the Doctrines of the Jovs, ayidthe Hiflory of the Church, thofe great advantages to')Vard a right perception of the Chri- fi.m ^ligion.
No'W being the Creed comprchendeth the Trinciples of ow ^ligton, it mufi contain thofe truths which belong unto it as it is a Religion, and thojc which concern it as it is ours, jis it is a %eligion, it dcliVcrcth fuch Principles as are to be acknoivkdged m ]>latural Theology, fuch as no man which l\:>orf}np- peth a God can deny, and therefore in the proof of thefe 1 have made ufe of fuch arguments and reajons as are mofi proper to oppofe the Atheifs, who dc* ny there is a Cjod to be worj]?ipped, a ^ligion to be profeljed. As it is our Q{eligion , it is Chriflian and Catholick: a6 Chriflian, it containeth fuch truths as were delivered by Chriji and his Apoflles, and thofe efpecially con- cerning Chrifl himjclf, which I haVe projecuted conftantly with an Eye to the Jews, who obfinately deny them, e.rpefling flill another Mejfas to come ; wherefore I jlew out of the Law and the Trophets "ivhich they ackno'^ledge, Iphdt was foretold in every particular concernm'^ the SlAeffhs, and proVe all thofe to be completed by that Chrift in whom we believe. As our ^ligion is Catholick, it holdeth fafl that faith which was once delivered to the Saints, and fmce preJtrVed in the Church, and therefore I c.rpoundfuch Verities in oppoftion to the Hereticks arifing in all Ages, efpecially againjl
the
To the Reader.
the T^hotinianSj who of all the reft haVe moji pen>erted the Articles of our Creed, and found out followers in thefe Utter ages, who have ereSled a new (Body of Divinity in oi>pofition to the Catholick Theology. J^ainji thefe I proceed uponfuch 'Principles as they themfebcs allow, that is, upon the Word of God delivered in the Old and ]S[ew Tejlament, alkdged according to the truefenfe; and applied by right re afon : not urging the Authority of the Church which they rejeH, hut only giving in the Margin thefenfe of the Tri- mitive Fathers, for the Jatisfadm of Jtich as have any refpecl left for Antiquity, and are perfwaded that Chriji had a true Church on the earth be'' fore thejc times.
In that part which after the demonfiration of each Truth teacheth the ne- cefpty of the believing it, and the peculicir efficacy lohtch it hath upon the life of a Chrtflian : J have not thought fit to expatiate or inlarge my felf, but only to mention fuch effeHs as flow naturally and immediately f om the Dq" Brine, efpecially fuch as are delivered in the Scriptures j ivhich 1 haVe en" deavoured to fet forth with all pojfible plainnefs and perfpicuity. And in- deed in the whole 11/ork) as 1 have laid the foundation upon the written iVord gfGody jo 1 have with much diligence colleBed fuch places of Scrip ure as are pertinent to each Voclrme, and with great faith j nine fs delivered them as they lye in the Writing! ofthofe holyTen-nifn ; not i cf erring the ^ader to places nmed in the Margin, {which too of len I find in many 'Bouks multiplied to little purpofe) but producing and interweaving the Jentences of Scripture intci the body of my Expofition, fo that the \eadcr may underfland the Jinn^th of all my reafon without any further inquiry or conjultation. For ifthofe words which I have produced, proVe not what I have intended, I dejlre not any to think there is more in the places named to maintain it.
At the Conclufon of every dijlincl and feVcral Notion, I haVe rccolleEled briefly and plainly the fumm of^vhat hath been delivered in the explication of it, and put it, as it were, into the mouth of every Chriftian, thereby to ex» prefs more fully his faith, and to declare his profeffwn. So that if the Reader pleafe to put thofe ColleFiions together, he may at once fee and per* ceive what he is in the ^vhole obliged to believe, and what he is by the Qhiirch of(jod underflood to profefs, when he maketh this publick, ancient and Or" thodox Confejfion of Faith.
I have nothing more to add ; but only to pray that the Lord would give you and me a good underfianding in all things.
T HE
THE
CREED.
I25rlicl)c in OoD tljc 5fatt)cr :^lniigt)ti% mmt of ^ta^ \)m ant) €artl) ; ant) m girdis C^ift, l)is onlp ^on our ^020, M)\i\) Ibas concf il^cD tiv tl)e !^olv (3l)oft, boni of tt)c Virgin i^arp, fuffetcD uuocr ^ontius ^ilate, H)as crucifico, tican auD DurieD, Ijc ucfc mncD mto J^cii, tijc tt)iri) Dap i)c rofc again ftom t^c ncao, t)e afcmnru into i^cabm, ano Ottctl) at tl)c ri5t)t Dano of oot) ttje 5?att)ct :5Cluiigl)ti> : from tljcnce \)t (Ijall conic to jutigc tl)e Quicfe ano tljc ocao* 3 25clict)c m tl)c i^olp 0t)oft, tljc J^}olp Ca^ tt)oitcK Ctjurct), tljc communion of faints?, tl)c fc^giuc^ nets: of Cms, tl)c Bcfurrcction of tt)c boop, anO tljc life ci^erlaftmg.
AN
A N
EXPOSITION
O F T H E
CREED.
ARTICLE I.
gi btlicbe in (Bon tlje Sfatljer :^linisl)tp> ^ma
r S the firft word Cre^o, 1 kiiezie, giveth, a denomination to the whole Confeflion of Faith, from thence commonly cali'd the CREED ; ib is the fame word to be imagin'd not to {land only where it is expreflcd, but to be carried through the whole Body of the Confeflion. For although it be but twice aftually rehearfed, yet muft we conceive it virtually prefix'd to the Head of every Article : tiiat as we fay, / he- Ikve in God the Father Almighty y fb we are alio underltood to fay, 1 be- lieve in Jepis Chrifi his only Son, our Lord ; as , / believe in the Holy Ghojlj fb alfb, I believe the C^tholick Church. Neither is it to be joyned with every compkat Article only ; but where any Article is not a fingle verity) but com- prchenfive, there it is to be look'd upon as affix'd to every part, or (ingle truth, contained in that Article : as, for example, in the firfl, / believe in God^ 1 believe thzi God to h& the Father,! believe that Father to be Almighty, I be- lieve that Father Almighty to be the Maker of Heaven and Earth. So that this Credo I believe rightly confidcred, multiplieth it felf to no Icfs than a dou- ble number of the Articles, and will be found at leaif twenty four times con- tained in the ^R EED. Wherefore being a word ib pregnant and diifu- five, fo ncceflary and clfentiai to every part of our ConlelBon of Faith, that without it we can neitlvjr have ^/<ii£D nor Confeflion, it will rc- tjuire a more exa£lconfideration, and more ample explication, and that in luch a Notion as is properly applicable to lb many andfb various Truths. Now by this previous exprelFion, / believe y thus confidcred, every parti-
B cular
ARTICLE I.
culiar Chriftian is firft taught, and then imagined, to make confefTion of his Faith : and conlequently this wordjfo ufcd, admits a threefold ccnlideration, Firft, as it liippoleth BcUef, or Faith, which is confelled. Secondly as it is a ConfelTion, or external expreffion ol that Faith lb fiippofed. l'hirdly,as both the Faith and ConfefTion are of neceflary and particular obligation. When therefore we fhall have clearly delivered, Firft, what is the true na- ture and notion of Belief; Secondly, what the duty of conl'cffing of our Faith; Thirdly, what obligation lyes upon every particular perfon to be- lieve and confefs; then may we be conceived to have fufficicntly explicated the firft word otthe C R EE D, then may every one undcrftand what it is he fays, and upon what ground he proceeds, when he profeflfcth, I believe.
For the right undcrftanding of the true nature of Chriftian Faith, it will be no lefs than neceffary to begin with the general notion of Belief; which being Hrft truly ftatcd and defined, then by degrees deduced into its feveral kinds, will at lalf make the nature of Chriftian Faith intelligibk: a defign, if I miftake not, not fb ordinary and ufual, as ufcful and neceffary.
Btlief in general I define to be an Jjfent to that which is Credible, at Credible. .By the word * Affent is exprefTed that A£l or Habit of the Underftanding, iii^r^ til- by which it receiveth,acknowledgeth and embraceth any thing as a Truth ; Aw4/{ i'KiciU it being the !| nature of the Soul fo to embrace whatfoeverappeareth true unto ^L' c'*M- ^^■f ^"'^ ^° ^^^ ^^ '^ ^° appeareth. Now this Ajfent^ or Judgment of any thing ^^l7l!. to be true, being a general AQ: of the Underftanding, and fo applicable to Strom, lib. 2. .|. other Habits thereof as well as to Faith, muft be fpecificd by its proper nis7< 'iS tv Objeft, and fo limited and determined to its proper Aft, which is the other ^ (\jyKt.ja.- part left to compleat the Definition.
T©* ^^''Im- '^'^^^ Objeft of Faith is firft expreft by that which is Credible ; for every one SixAav at who believeth any thing, doth thereby without queftion affent unto it as to -jhn^ttcela.^ that which is Credible, and therefore all belief whatfbcver is fuch a kind of tnfvxtiv'':ay Aifcnt. But tliough all belief be an Affent to that which is Credible, yet every &iZ y<^7/, fuch Affent may not be properly Faith ; and therefore thofe words make not vi^Bafiikiians 'hc definition compleat. For he which fees an aQion done, knows it to be 'OelCot^Liytl done, and therefore affents unto the Truth of the performance of it becaufe eJ ira BioiAH YiQ fees it : but another perfon to whom he relates it, may affent unto the 4v Jh< c'vy- performance of the lame aftion, not becaufe himfelf fees it, but becaufe the KXTcihajv Other relates it ; in vvhicli cafe that which ii Credible is the Objeft of Faith in T.-;( 7-/ -??/ p evident knowlcdse in the other. To make the definition therefore
aTc^itni- s-il full, bcfidcs the material Objefl: or thing believed, we have added the formal ^^ ri' "^if' ^bjeft, or that whereby it is properly believed, exprcifed in the laft term, as lib.' 2. ' ' ' Credible ; which being taken in, it then appears tiiat, Firft, whofbever behe- T,)eodout. d( veth any thing, alfenteth to fomething which is to him credible, and that as ^J^^^'l'^-^'"'^i^ 'tis credible ; and again, whofoever affenteth to any thing which is credible iv/iTi.^.i- ^3- as 'tis credible, believeth fomething by fo affenting : which is fufficient to yii, rtj^i ijjV f}je^y ^^ definition compleat.
■J'l'X''* {j)yv.*ji.^ii%i. And yet he nlfi afterwards aclipcwledgcth they had that definition from the Greel^s. TW /J^ j8 Tt^t xj etOniTifji 9iK'offotoi eieiimf'loTi) iitKxtnt* 'f 4"X^'f C^yi'-*Td.'^*7i»- Crcdcrc v{l cum MVt:n(ucog\tire, S. Auiiiji. Et de Sp. (fyr Lit. cap. C(uid eft credere, nifi confcntire vcrum c(lc quod dicitur ? S) 1 tal^' the Qvyx.iT»SiJi( ufed by the Greeks father s to fi^mfie adcnfum or anenllonem, as A. Gcllius tranflatcth the Stately, QyyKaju.ri'iiTaj, fua ancnfionc approbar, /. i p. I. andbepie him Cicero, Nunc deancnfione acq; approUacionc, quam Gr-tci ryyutiTdiiffiy vocant, pauca dicanius,Hi /«- cuUo. So dwiiiti and (\iyKa.Tii9*<rif ire oppofed by the Orecl^i. A; Scxcus Empiricus fpcaljn^ (i/'Admccus feeing Alccftis bi ought />jfti> Hercules /rom Hades, 'i.mtiyAvToi'ni'n on Ti^vrnt. 'OtHcmtiTO twH li Sii.'oia.i^ <} QvyKaTtt^'i<nu<, iLj ■ti'fjt i-ui^Ktv XnKiti, Pyrrh. Hipot. I. 13.3. \\ibih*Ki\%< li ^it/;t'' «V^»iT« xj^ to ■UvS'Q- dytyouitif </>j1i9-<&5,rt W.a xj' 9tvl¥ a'MljJt rrxyjut K) dt9i){. Simplic. in 5. Ariji. de Anim. CI. Alex. I. 2 Strom. Kof ti( TaAiiSef o'xotm , (i'f i'lff" t iv^faiKit Cil7« J)jCtC>^nui¥tv AiV ■rtt}< Tny tS ■i'dJJ^Hf QvyKariiiicny, 'i^ovjd. jj ^'to^/jof -j^t rricir T«tAn9» * ^s Qvynnrei'lta'K the Oreel^aord kfed for thn a^nt is appliedto other alls of the miderllanding as well as that of Belief. 5oClcmcns Alexandrinus, fpenkjniofthedetinitionofhailh, 'AMoi J^' cit<tv»c>rf7yuctT& iraliKbji Qvytajk^ttiy d-riJ^^Ktiy fDrtjji rrigtr, oicmit df/LiKu -i^ 'imS'f^jy eiyvoKuif^v 1^ T p<iyijj£\f^ f<xvtfi}y QuyK^riiiJiVi ^trom. I- 2 and a^ain, n«eB «"► Ji^a. ij xtimf 1^ \!o'oM Ik o1< ai/^ K, lymtd/^ cut* -nS yirti r^ eLy^^vtav, Qyyx.a.r(lAnni thv n J'' iJiv aMo » Tilpi ftf «■» ' n T» «T/f7«, i.TvrJnnt van i «inv(, J'vMxJUjiJ'tiKvvtn "f QjyKnTxhm tj )Cj m\'^r. But
1 Believe, ^c.
But for the explication of the iame, farther obfervation will be neceffarj'. For if that which we believe be fomething which is credible, and the notion under which we believe be the Credibility of it, then muft we firft declare what it is to be Credible^ and in what Credibtltty doth confift, before we can undcrftand what is the nature of Belief.
Now that is properly Credible which is not apparent of it lelf, nor certain- ly to be colleftcdj either antecedently by its caufe,or reverfely by its eftefl:, and yet, though by none of thefe ways hath the atteftation of a truth. For thofe tilings which are apparent of themfelves, are either {o inrefpe6l of our Senfe, as that Snow is white, and Fire is hot ; or in refpe£t of our Under- ftanding, as that the whole of any thing is greater than any one part of the whole, that every thing imaginable, either is, or is not. The firft kind of which being propounded to our lenfe, one to the fight, the other to the touch, appear of themfelves immediat:;ly true, and therefore are not termed Credible, but evident to fenfe ; as the latter kind, propounded to the under- ftanding, are immediately embraced and acknowledged as truths apparent in themfelves, and therefore are not called Credible, but evident to the un- derflanding. And fb thofe things which are ^ apparent, are not laid proper- * Apparemiu ly to be believed, but to be known. SemSagnt
Again, other things, though not immediately apparent in themfelves, may tionem.Greg.^. yet appear mofl; certain and evidently true, by an immediate and necellary '^'f^ "-?•,''• connexion with fomething formerly known. For being every natural caule cuios fuos "ui- aftually applied doth necelfarily produce its own natural effeCt, and every na- bus quodam- tural effed wholly dependeth upon, and abfblutely prefuppofeth, its own j^m'^fequod proper caule j therefore there muft be an immediate connexion between the nondum videt, caufe and its etTefl;. From whence it follows that, if the connexion be once & 5"!''"^ FJ""- clearly perceived, the effeft will be known in the caule, and the caufe by the nondum fe vi- effe£l. And by thefe ways, proceeding from principles evidently know n by derequodcre- confequences certainly concluding, we come to the knowledge of propofi- '^^' ^^^''^^ tions in Mathematicks, and conclufions in other Sciences : which propofiti- ons and conclufions are not faid to be Credible , but Scientifcal ; and the comprehenfion of them is not Faith, but Science.
Befides,fbme things there are,which, though not evident of themfelves, nor leen by any necelTary connexion to their caufes or effefts, notwithftanding appear to moft as true by fbme external relations to other truths ; but )'ct ib, as the appearing truth ftill leaves a poflibility of falfhood with it, and therefore doth but incline to an Ajjent. In which caufe whatfbever is thus apprehended, if it depend upon real Arguments, is not yet calPd Credible,hut Probable : and an Aflent to fuch aTruth is not properly Faith, hut Opinion.
But when any thing propounded to us is neither apparent to our fenfe, nor evident to our underftanding, in and of itfelf, neither certainly to be coUeftedi from any clear and neceffary connexion with the caufe from which it pro- ceedeth,or the cflTeds which it naturally pioduceth,nor is taken up upon any real Arguments or reference to other acknowledged Truths, and yet not- withftanding appeareth to us true, not by a manitcftation, but atteftation of the truth, and fo moveth us to alfent not of it felf, but by virtue of the Te- ftimony given to it ; this is faid IJ properly to be Credible ; and an AJJent unto W^'ifiot.ProbL this, upon flich Credibility, is in the proper notion Faith or Belief. \^ ^ V^^fl"'"'*
Having thus defined and ilkirtratcd tlic nature of Faith in general, fb far as pf'/ij/ ■vhm- it agreeth to all kinds of belief whatfbever; our method will lead us on to defccnd by wayof divifion,to the fcveral kindsthcreof,tillat laft we come to tiie propernotion of Faith in the Chriftians Conftffion, the defign of our pre- fent difquifition. And being we have placed the formality of theObjedl of all
B a belief'
ARTICLE !.
belief in Credibility, it will clearly follow, that diverfity of Credibility in the Objc6l will proportionably caufca cliftinQion o^Jjjent in the Underftanding, and conlequently a Icveral kind oi faith, ^\•hich we have fuppofcd to be no- thing elle but fuch an Affent.
Now the Credibility of Objefts, by which they appear fit to be believed, is diftinguifhable according to the divcrfities of its foundation, that is, according to the different Authority of the Teftitnony on which it depends. For we ha- ving no other certain means of alluring our felves of the truth, and confe- quently no other motives of our Ajfent in matters of mere Beliefs than the Tt- ftimony upon which we believe ; if there be any fundarnental diftinftion in the Authority of the Te/limony, it will caufe the like difference in the Ajfenty which muft needs bear a proportion to the Authority of the Tejiimo/iy, as be- ing originally and effentially founded upon it. It is therefore neceflary next to confider, in what the Authority oi a Teflimony confifteth, and fo to defccnd ^ . „ ^ , to the leveral kinds oiTeJlimomes founded upon feveral ^Authorities. tII tJylsil, The ftrength and validity of every Teftmony muft bear proportion with Tiv AiyofT* the ^Authority of the Tejlifier ; and the Authority of the Tefiifier is founded ""^P^l % "P^" '^'^ Ability and Integrity : his Ability in the knowledge of that which he 1^9 f fi *. delivereth and alTerteth; his Integrity in delivering and afferting according to Tcu, n <i't«< n i^is knowledge. For two feveral ways he which relateth or teftifieth any %j.M.'i:b.\.^'' thing may deceive us; one, by being ignorant of the truth, and fb upon cap. 8. that ignorance miftaking, he may think that to be true which is nor fo, and
li ^*^^y^°fu^t confequently deliver that for truth, which in it felf is falle, and io deceive geiwra ? Divi- iiimfelf and us; or if he be not ignorant, yet if he be difhoneft or unfaith- num & huma- fuJ^that which lic kuows to be falfe he may propound and aflert to be a truth, ut'oracuia" m and lb though himfelf be not deceived, he may deceive us. And by each aufpicu,utva- of thcle ways, for want cither of (Ability or Integrity in the Tejli/ier, whofb ref'^nirracc^ grounds his ^Affe^t unto any thing as a truth, upon the teftimony of ano- tiotum, arufpi- ther , may equally be deceived.
cum.conjeao- guf whoioevcr is fo able as certainly to know the truth of that which he «um,quod^e- delivcrcth, and ib faithful as to deliver nothing but what and as he knoweth, itatu'r ex au- he, as he is not deceived, fb deceiveth no man. So far therefore as any per- v"?u'"atc^ & ^°" teftifying appeareth to be knowing of the thing heteftifies, and to be cNorationeaut faithful in the relation of what he knows, fo far his teftimony is accepta- libcra aut ex- ^Iq^ fg far that wliich he teftifieth is properly Credible. And thus the Autho- fniUm ' fcHpta! ''^"' of cvery Tefiifier or Relater is grounded upon thele two foundations, his paftj, promif- Ability and Integrity.
fita" cTtT^T- Now there is in this cafe, fb far as it concerns our prefent defign, jj a dou- rat.panit. ble Teftimony : the Teflimony of man to man, relying upon humane Autho- * Non dicant ^ity, and the TcFiimony of God to man, founded upon Divine Authority : qub non vidi- whlch two kiuds of Tesitmnny are refpeftive grounds of two kinds of Cre- mus ; quoniam dibilityy Humane and Diziine ; and conft;qucntly there is a two-fold Faith cogumuf f«e: diftinguifh'd by this double Objea, a Humane and a Divine Faith. ri inccrtos fibi Humane Faith is an A(fent unto any thing Credible merely upon the Teftimony f*^*^ T)"^r'^ "-^ "''^"' ^^""'^ ^^ ^^^^ belief we liavc of the words and affeftions one of ano- mm invifib. a- ther. And upon this kind of Faith we proceed in the ordinary affairs of our mmi\ the life; according to tlicopinionwc liavcof thc ability and fidelity of him which Ai'icililL.^""' •'^■^'"^'^5 O"" ^'Tcrts any thing wc believe or disbclie\ e. By this a friend alTuretli AoTic >*f i- iiiiTirelf of the aftcftion of his friend .-by this the * Son acknowledgeth liisFa- j»<5t cT/t Ti t|,cr, and upon this is his obedience wrought. By virtue of this Htmane Faith ■a».''j 'o'l;- Jt is that we doubt not at all of thofe things which wc never faw, by reafbn M^fj -rdflu, n of their diftance from us, either by time or place. Who doubts whetherthere V^M^r and ^^ ^"^'^ ^ Country as Italy., or fuch a City as Confiantinople, though he never ^f>b. pafb'd
1 B E L I E V E , ^C,
pafsM any of our four Seas ? Who queftions now whether there were fuch a Man as Alexander in the Eaft, or C^far in the Weft ? and yet the lateft of thefe hath been beyond the polTibility of the knowledge of rnanthefefixteen hundred years. There is no * Science taught without original belief, there * ,^-^^^i^&^ are no || Letters learnt without preceding faith. There is no Juftice executed, '^ul^^ti^X no commerce maintained, no bufinefs profecuted without this; * allfecular /^"'w »'5»<- affairs are tranla£led, all great atchievements are attempted, all hopes, de- J'T'^^^'^'^' fires and inclinations are prelervedby this Humane Faith grounded upon the || ou^' jS ri Teftimony of man. ■^f-T^so/-
In which cafe we all by eafie experience may obferve the nature, genera- }liv^tlT-TtS tion and progrefs of Belief. For in any thing which belongeth to more than vejiw/uaT/s-ii ordinaryJ<nowledge, we believe not him whom we think tob^ ignorant, nor ^tid!"^ '''"'"
do we alTent the more for hisaffertion, though never fo confidently delivered : * riaVr* t*" but if we have a ftrong opinion of the knowledge and skill of any perfon, ^ /^^ "''^f'?. whatheaffirmeth within the compafsof his knowledge,tiiat wereadily alTent lT/r'i%!^
unto; and while we have no other ground but his affirmation, this J[]'entis a^^o'?eii'l'THc properly Belief. Whereas if it be any matter of concernment in which the !X-^'^tS'L. intereft of him that relateth or af " • meth any thing tousis confiderable, there cnU. c'atech. ' it is not the skill or knowledge of the Relater which will fatisfie us, except ^:?/'^'?-f' we have as ftrong an opinion of his tiJelity and integrity : but if we think Euf.'de vr^p.' him fb juft and honeft, that he hath no defign upon us, nor will affirm any ^^""^^ >• '• thing contrary to his knowledge for :'.ny u;ain or advantage, then we readily ^r^,;^^ ^^^j^. affent unto his affirmations; and this Jffent xsour Belief. Seeing then our/?e- oentj. 2. lief relies upon the ability and integrity of the Relater, and being the know- 1,^^^"*" ^* ^' ledge of all men is imperfefl, and the hearts of all men are deceitful, and fb quam^indig- their integrity to be fufpeded, there can be no infallible univerfa' irround of nuiii,uchuma-
TT vr J lis teitimoniis
Humane taith. _ _ de alio creda-
Rut what fatisfaftion we cannot find in the teftimony of man, we may mus, Dei ora-
receive in the teftimony of God. 11 Iftve receive the witmfs of man. the wit- cui'jdefenon
r r /^ \ \r i /^ i i i , r t^- credamus ! 5.
mjs of Uod a greater, lea, let Lrod be trtte^ the ground of our Divme^ and -imbrif. i. de every man a Itar^ the ground of our Humane Faith. Ab^ilumc. 3.
As for the other Member of the Divifion, we may now plainly perceive \l'^lfciT%jr, that it is thus to be defined ; Divine Faith is an Affent unto (omething as Credi- virrm ^ He upon the lefiimony of God. This Affent \s the higheft kind oiFaith^ becaufe '^',^v^^'y'* ^ theobje£l hath the higheft Credibility^ becaufe grounded upon the Tefiimony ^„y i^^. 0?God, which is infallible. Baalam could tell Balak thus much, * God u not a i"'' ^-i'Mo^ many that hefhouldlie ; and a better Prophet confirmed the fame truth toSa.i^^ 1'^r"orb' ad. The frength of Jfrael will not lie ; and becaufe he will not, becaule he cannot, celf.l. i. he is the ftrcngth of Ifrael, even my God, my flrength, inwhomi will 'rnfl. ' Nmb.2^.
For firft, God is of infinite knowledge and wifdom, as Hannah hath taught i sam. 15.
us, '' the Lord is a Godofknovkdgr, or rather, if our language w ill bear it, of ^9-
knowledges, which are fo plural, or rather infinite in their plurality, that the ^ t's^am.^2. ^
V^z\m\^\\zXhiz\6,'^ Of his under (landing there is no number. Heknoweth there- myi 7N
fore all things, neither can any truth be hid from his knowledge, who is effen- ^^ ©,3^^'"^^
tially truth and effentially knowledge, and, as lb, the caufc of all other truth yvr^n -v kJ-
and knowledge. Thus the underftanding of God is infinite in rcfped of f ^Z, ,
* comprehenfion, and not fb only, but of certainty alio and evidence. Some ^, ,nthe n'eb.
things we are laid to know which arebutobfcurely known, wefeethem but _^'^J:"n7
as in a Glafs, or through a Cloud : But ^ God is light, and in him ii Kodar',:nefs , (;u,^°£3j(.n.
At all : he feeth without any obfcurity, and whatlbever is propounded to his tia fi-,piiciter
underftanding is moft clear and evident; ' neither is there any Creature that is '""'"pIcm & ° ' ■' uniforguKr
multiformis, incomprehenfibili comprchenfione omnia incomprchcnfibilia comprehendit. 3. Miujhnus dc Civir, D?f,
lib. 1 2. CO}. 1 8. I I Job. I. 5. « Heb, 4. 1 3.
not
ARTICLE I.
»ot want fe ft in his fight ; but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have todo. Wherefore being all things are within the corapafs of his knowledge,beingall things which are fo, are molt clear and evident un- to iiim, being the knowledge he hath of them is moft certain and infallible, it inevitably foUoweth that he cannot be dcceiv'd in any thing.
Secondly, the luftice of God is equal to his knowledge, nor is his holinefs inferiour to his wifdom : a God of truth, H faith Mofes, and tvitbottt tmcfutty^jull and right is he. From which internal, elTential and infinite rectitude, gocd- ncfs and holinefs, followcthan impofTibility to declare or deliver that for truth which he knoweth not to be true. For if it be again (1 that finite purity and integrity which is required ofman,to lie, and therefore finful, then mult we conceive it abfolutcly inconfiltent with that tranfcendent purity and infi- nite integrity which is elTential unto God. Although therefore the power of God be infinite, though he can do all things; yet we may fafely lay, without any * preiudice to his Omnipotency, that he i| cannot fpeak that for truth which he knoweth to be otherwife. For the pertedtions of his will are as ne- celTarily in Hnicc as tiiofe of his underftanding ; neither can he be unholy or un- j uft more than he can be ignorant or unwife. * If ive believe not, yet he abideth
'• faithful, he cannot deny htmfelf. Which words of the Apoftle, though proper- ly belonging to the promifesof God, yet are as true in refpeft of his alTerti- ons; neither fhould he more a/ew^/'/w/e/)^ in violating his fidelity, than in con- tradicting his veracity. 'Tis true, that '' God willing more almndantly tofhew
. unto tht Heirs ofpromfe the immutability of his counfel, confrmed it by an oath ; that by uvo immutable things, in which it was impoffible for God to lie, we might have aftrong conf elation : but 'tis as true, that all this confirmation is only for our conlblation; otherwife it is as impoffible for God to lie, without an oath, as with one; for being he can ^ fwear by no greater, he fweareth only^^ himfelf, and fo the ftrength even of the Oath of God relieth upon the Veracity of God. Wherefore being God as God is of infinite rectitude, goodncfsand ho- linefs, being it is manifeftly repugnant to his purity, and inconfiltent with his integrity, to deliverany thing contrary to his knowledge, it clearly fol- loweth that he cannot deceive any man.
It is therefore moft infallibly certain, that God being infinitely wife, can-
' not "^ be deceived ; being infinitely good, cannot f| deceive: and upon thele two immoveable pillars Itandeth the Authority of the Tefiimony of God. For fince we cannot doubt ofthewitnelsof any one, but by queltioning his abili- ty, as one who maybe ignorantofthat wiiich he afRrmcth, and fbdeceived ; or by excepting againlt his integrity, as one who may affirm that which he knoweth to be fallc, and ib have a purpofe to deceive us : where there is no place for either of thefe exceptions, there can be no doubt of the truth of the 'i'ellimony. But where there is an intrinfecal * repugnancy of being decei- ved in the under Itanding, and of deceiving in tiic Will, as there certainly is in the underftanding and will of God, there can be noplace for eitlierof thofe exceptions, and confcquently there can be nodoubt of the truth ofthatwhich Godteflifieth. And wlioibever thinketh any thing comes from him, and al- fenteth not unto it, muft nctclTarily deny him to be wile or holy: ^ Hethatbe- lievtih not God, faid the Apoltle, hath madehim a liar. That truth then which is teflificd by God, hath a Divine Credibility : and an Jjjent unto it as fb credi- I'le, is Divine Faith. In which the material Obieft is the Dodrine which God delivcreth, the formal Obje£t is that Credibility founded on the [| Authority ot the deliverer. And this I conceive the true nature o( Divine Faith in general.
voluntatis intrinfcce S: necelliriorcai, poterit explicari, Francifc.de Ovted. Trail. d( Fide Conn, 2. fun. a. '' i Joh. 5. 10. liDiviiucftAuiftoritascuicrcdirauE ; divinaeftdoftrinaquarafcquimur. Leo,S(rm, ■]. in Nativ.
Now
||D(rttf.?2.4.
aTif J'uuai-
ic] gvfif fP),
Orii. contra Celfum. 11 Si vciint in- vcnirc quod onir.ipotcns noil potcft, habcnt pror- I'us, ego di- cani, nicntiii non potcfl. S. Au^uft. dc Civ.Dei, I. c. 25. ' 2 lim. 2.
17,18.
' Heb.6. 13.
* Ut fie om- nium po- tciis, mori Bonpoicft, falliiion po- tcft, mcntiri Don potcfl. Augitfi. dc Sjmb. adCii- tecliHm. II Dcui facere iraudcm ne- fcic, pati non potcll. Cb)- fol. Serin. 6i.
* Authoritas Dciconfifiic in intrinfcca rcpugnantia dcccptionis feu falfitatis giiam liabec divinuni ju- dicium, & in intrinfcca rc- pugnantia aftiis volun- tatis impc- rantis tefli- monium c\- trinfccum non confcn- ticns iudicio intcrno } quapcrter- inincspoLti- vosa(lii. in- tcllci'.usin- faliibiiKcr vni, be aOus
I Believe, d>^.
Now being the Credibility of all which we believe is founded upon the Te- fiimony of God, we can never be fufficiently inftrucled in the notion of Vaith^ till we firfl: under (land how this teftimony is given to thofe truths which we now believe. To which end it will be neceffary to give notice that the Tcjii- ^ mony of God is not given unto truths before queftioned or debated ; nor are eft'audku^'fc they fuch things as are firft propounded and doubted of by man, and then iocutio,rciiicet refblved and confirm'd by interpofing the authority of God : but heis then faid corporaHs ^' & to witnefs when he doth propound, and his tefiimony is given by way of Re- interior a'c fpi- veUtion^ which is nothing elfe but the delivery or fpeech of God unto his "flails; itadu- Creatures. And therefore upon a diverfity of delivery mull follow a diffe- unrquseorimr rence, though not of Vaith it felf, yet of the means and manner of A^ent, '" cordibus fi-
Wherefore it will be farther neceffary to obferve, that Divine Revelation is dkuText"!"'- of two kinds, either Immediate, or Mediate. An Immediate Revelation is that rem, cum fdl. by which God delivereth himfelf to manbyhimfelf without the intervention ^^"^ P'^'' .^''" of man. A Mediate Revelation is the conveyance of the counicl of God unto aMh creSa man by man. By the firft hefpake unto the Prophets; by the fecond in the propcnic ; & Prophets, and by them unto us. Being then there is this difference between ^^.j nobis^S the revealing of God unto the Prophets and to others, being the Faith both communi fta- of Prophets and others relieth wholly upon Divine Revelation^ the * diffe- "" fi'^'^''""^ rence of the manner of Aj[ent in thefe feveral kinds of Believers will be very quod adWre" obfervable for the explanation of the nature of our Faith. mus reveiacio-
nibus Prophe- tis & Apoftolis faftis : alia eft qui oritur in aliquibus per fpiritualem locutionem, qua Deus aliquibus per incernam infpi- rationetn crcdenda revelat, nullo hominis miniftcrio utens ; ficut efl fides Apoftolorum & Proplietarurrij qui ab ipfo Deo per intrinfccam illuminationem func dc credendis inftrufti. Francifc. Feirarienfis in Thorn, com. Gent, cap, 40,
Thofe then to whom God did immediately fpeak himfelf, or by an Angel reprefentingGod, and lb being in his flead, and bearing his name, (of which I fhall need here to make no diftinftion) thofe perfbns, I fay, to whom God did fb reveal himfelf,did by virtue of the fame Revelation perceive,know,and affure themfelves that he which fpake to them was God ; fb that at the fame ^ ^^^ time they clearly underftood both what was delivered, and by whom: other- *r,iT»^^„2^. wife we cannot imagine that Abraham would have flain his Son, or have been ^"^"f. ^hhh commended for fuch a refolution, had he not been moft affured that it was X' ^od^ilu'" God who by an immediate KeW4^/o« of hiswillclearly commanded it. Thus ;^*'a', afp-o- ^ by faith Noah being warned of God of things not feen as yet, moved with fear, pre- t^''"f/ ^^ '^' pared an Ark, to the faving of his houfe : which * warning ofCJod was a clear rack\or Anftoer i^£i/e/4//ci«ofGod'sdetermination to drown the world, ofhis will to fa ve him &'^enfy God, j and his Family, and ofhis command for that end to build an Ark. And this -^ ///.^'^ Noah fb received from God, as that he knew it to be an Oracle of God, and ixtvTiUiTau, was as well affured of the Author as informed of the Command, Thus the '^'"fi""?"''**-
Ifilf, 22. Ill,
judgments hanging over Judah were revealed in the ears of ^ Jfaiah by the ' i s.xm 321.' LordofHoJls. TThus '^ the Lord revealed himfelf to Samuel in Shiloh: at firff in- ■* ' •^•""- 3- 7- deed he knew him not ; that is, when the Lord fpake,he knew it not to be the ^^ f-)** voice of God, ^ Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of , 7Sipty the Lord ytt revealed unto him ; but after that he knew him, and was affuied JJ^"„^, ^l^f. that it was He which fpake unto him, the Scripture teaching us that the t ears Aav Sa^.w., of Sa>nttel were revealed, and the * word of God revealed, and f God himfelf ' ^"""^^l^l reveakdtohim. By all which we can underftand no lefs, than that. V<iw//f/ was r-?s r^^r fo illuminated in his Prophecies, that he fully underftood the words or things ^'"J^'^p'^^^Jl themfelves which were delivered, and as ccrtainlv knew that the Deliverer Mt^i;^^ <w- was God : fo Samuel the Seer, fb the reft of thofe Prophets believed thofe -^^J p^V* xuei* truths revealed to them by fuch a Faith as was a firm Alfent unto an objeft ' "'^Ijj'^ credible upon the immediate Teftimony of God. "^TiPail;
* But
8 ARTICLE I.
But thofe faithful people to whom the Prophets fpake, btlicved the i'aiivz truth, and upon the teftimony of the fame God, delivered unro them not by God, but by thole Prophets, whole words they tlicreforc allcnted unto as certain truths, becauic they wercalTured that what the Prophets fpake was immediately revealed to them by God himfelf, without which alTurance no faith could be expeftcd from them. When God appeared unto Mafcs in a. Exid. 3. 2. p^g ^fjij.^. ^n( ^^fij^ jffi^ji cfa, Bufb, and there immediately revealed to him firft himfelf, faying, / am the God of thy Fathers., the Godof Jbrahar?!^ the God oflfju, andthe Godof'']acob^ and then his will to bring the children oHfrad out of the Land of Hg//'/, Mo/e^ clearly believed God both in the Revelation of himfelf and of his will, and was fully fatisfied that the Ifraelitus fhouldbe delivered, becaufehe wasalTuredit was God who promifed their deliverance: yet notwithllanding Hill he doubted whether the Ifr.telites would believe the fame truth, when "it (hould be delivered to them, not immediately by God, ^''•l' 4- I- jjm- by Mofts, And Mofes anfvered and faid^ Bra behold they will net believe me^ nor hearken unto my voice ; [or they nill Jay, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee. Which words of his firlT: fuppofe, that if they fiad heard the voice of God, as he had, they would have affented to the truth upon a teftimony Di- vine ; and then as rationally aiRrm, that it was improbable rhcy fhould believe, except they were allured it was God who promifed, or think that God had promifed by Mofcs, only bccaufe Mofes faid fb. Which rational objection was clearly taken away when God endued Mofes with power of evident and undoubted miracles ; for then the Rod which he carried in his hand was as infallible a fign to the Ifraelites that God had appeared unto him, as the fla- ming Bufli was to himfelf; and therefore they which fiiw in his hand God's Omnipotency, could not fufpeft in his tongue God's Veracity; infbmuch as Exol 4. \6. when Aaron became to Mofes inflead of a Month, and Mofes to i^aron injlead £W.4.3o,5i. q^Qq^^ Aaron fpake all the words which the Lord h.xd fpoken unto J^I(fcs, and did the (igns in thefght of the people, and the people believed. For being perfwadcd by a lively andaftiv^eprefence of Omnipotency that God had appeared unto Mofesy and what was delivered to them by him came to him from God, and being fufficiently allured out of the very Icnfe and notion of a Deiry, that whatfbever God fliould fpcak, mull of neceillcy be true, they prefently af- Lxod. 14, 31. icntcd, and believed the Lord, and his Servant xMc/is ; Mofes, as the immediate Propounder, God, as the original Revealer: they believed Mofes tha.t God had revealed it, and they beheved the promife becaule God had revealed it. So that the Faiih both of Mofes znd the Ifraelites was grounded upon the fame tellimony or revelation of God, and differed only in the propofitioa or ap- plication of the telHmony ; Mo/ei receiving it immediately Irom God himfelf, the Ifraelites mediately by the minillry of Mofes.
In the like manner the liicceeding Prophetswere theinftruments of Divine
Revelation, which they Hrll believed as revealed to them, and then the
people as revealed by them : for what they delivered was not the tellimony
of man, but the teftimony of God delivered by man. It was he who fpake by
Lul^t I. 70. tl,g mouth of his holy Prophets which have been (i//ce the world began : the mouth,
the inflrumcnt, the articulation was theirs ; but the words were God's. The
a Sm. 23. :. Spirit of the Lord fpi'<e by me, faith David, and his word was in my tongue. It
iKillil \l. ^^'^^ ^'^'^ woxd of the Lord, which he fpake by the hand of Mo fa, and by the
hand of his Servant Ahijah the Prophet. The hand the general inlh ument of
man, the «.w///nhc particular inlirument of fpeech, both attributed to the
Prophets as merely infirumental in their prophecies. The words which Bx-
A«/«j.2i: :8. Uatn's Afs fpake were as much the Als's words, as thofe u hich Balaam fpake
*^ ■ ^^' '■ were his ; for the Lord opened the mouth of the Afs^ and tb^. Lord put a word
in
I Believe, &^c.
in Balaam's mouth ; and not only fo, but a bridle with that word, only the a*«*- 22 3$-' nwd that I (hall [peak unto thee, that thott fljalt [peak. The Prophets, as they did not frame the notions or conceptions themlelvcs of thofe truths which they delivered from God, fb did they not looien their own tongues of their own inltinft, or upon their own motion, but as moved, impelled, and aded by God. So we may in correfpondence to the antecedent and fiibiLquent words interpret thofe words of S. Peter, that »o Prophecy of the Scripture is of 2 pct. i. 20. aajf * private interpretation : that is, that no Prophecy which is written did "^ 'i^'H *3"-w- lb proceed from the Prophet which fpake or wrote it, that he of himfelf or '^"^' by his own inftinft did open his mouth to prophefie; but that all Propheti- cal Revelations came from God alone, and that whofbever firft delivered them was antecedently iiifpired by him, as it followeth, for the Prophecy came not in old time hy the will of man, but holy men of God fpake m they were moved hy the Holy Ghoft. That therefore which they delivered was the word, the Revelation of God ; which they alfented unto as to a certain and infal- lible truth, credible upon the immediate teftimony of God, and to which the reft of the Believers alTented upon the fame teftimony of God mediate- ly delivered by the hands of the Prophets.
Thus G'>d, irho atfundry times and in divers manners fpahfi in times ptfl unto Heb. i. i. the Fathers hy the Prophets, and by fo (peaking propounded the Obn.£f of Faith both to the Prophets and the Fathers, hath tn thefe lafl days fpoken unto Verf. 2. us by his Son, and by lb I'peaking hath enlarged the Objeft of Faith to us by him, by which means it comes tohtth^ t ait h ofjefm. Thus the only-btgotten R^v. 14. 12. Son, who was in the bofom of the Father ^ the exprefs image of his per f on, he in ^''" '* '^* whom it pleafedthe Father that all fulmfs fhould dwell, he in whom dwelleth all Cnl. L' 19. thef'tlnefs of the Godhead bodily, revealed the will of God to the Apoftles who ^"^^ =• ?• being affured that he knetg all things, and convinced that he came forth from John 16. 30, God, gave a full and clear aflent unto thofe things which he delivered, and grounded their Faith upon his words as upon the immediate teftimony of God. 1 have given unto them, faith Chrift unto his Father, the words which thou John 17. 8. gave(l me, and they have received them, and have known furely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didji fend me. Befidesthis delivery of thefe words by Chrift to the Apoftles. they received the Promife of the Spirit John 16. 13. of truth, which fhould guide them into all truth, and teach them all things, ^"'"^ ^4- *^' and bring all things into their remembrance whatfoevtr Chrifl had f aid unto them. Soclearly,fb fully, fb con ftantly were they furnifhed with Divine Illuminati- ons and Revelations from God, upon which they grounded their own Faith ; that each of them might well make that profeffion of S Paul, I know whom I 2 Tim. 1. 12. have believed. Thus the Faith of the Apoftles, as of Mofes and the Prophets, was grounded upon the immediate Revelations of God.
But thole Believers to whom the Apoftles preached, and whom they con- verted to the Faith, believed the fame truths which were revealed to t!ie Apoftles, though they were not fb revealed to them as they were unto the Apoftles, that is, immediately from God. But as the I/raelites believed thofe truths which Mofes fpake, to come from God, being convinced by the con- ftant fupply of miracles wrought by the Rod which he carried in his hand : lb the blelTcd Apoftles, being fo plentifully endued from above with the power of Miracles, gave fufficient teftimony that it was God which fpake by tlieir mouths, who fo evidently wrought by their hands. They which heard S. Pe- ter call a lame man unto his legs, fpeak a dead man alive, and ftrike a living man to death with his tongue, as he did ^/z.j«/.« and i'^/'/'/'/M, might eafily be perfwaded that it w as God who fpake by hi'imouth,andconchidethat\vhi;re they found him in his Omnipotency, they might well expeQ him in his Ve-
C racity.
lo
ARTICLE I.
racity. Thefe were the perfons for whom our Saviour next to the Apoftle? prayed, bccaufe by a way next to that of the Apoftlcsthey beUeved. Neither
Jikn 1 7. JO. pray I for thtfe aloae, faith Clirifl-, but for thtm alfo rvho/baH believe on pk through their nor A. Thus tlie Apoltles beUcved ou Chrill through his own word, and tlie primitive Chriflians beUeved on the fame Chrift thorough the Apoftles word : and this diftinftion our Saviour himfelf hath clearly made; not that the word of the Apoiiles was really dilf inft from the word of Chrift, but on- ly it was called theirs, becaufe delivered by their Miniftry,othcrwile,it was the fame word which they had heard from him, and upon which they them-
T John 1. 1, 5. lelves believed. Ihat which was from the begintfing^ iaith S. JoA/;, which we hxvt heard, whtch we have [ten with our eyes, which we have looked upon^ and our hands have handled of the word of life^ That whtch we have fee n and heard, dec/are we unto you. And this was the true foundation of Faith in all them which belie- ved, that they took not the words which they heard from the Apoftles to be the words of the men which fpake them, no more than they did the power of healing the fick, or raifing the dead, and the reft of the miracles, to be the power of them that wrought them ; but as they attributed thofe miraculous works to God working by him, ib did they alfb that laving word to the
A!fi 13. 44. fame God fpcaking by them. When S. Paul preached at A»twch, almojl the whole City c.tme together to hear the word of God; fo they efteemed it, though they knew him a man whom they came to hear fpeak it. This the A poitle com-
\ Thejf. 2, 13. mendeth in the Thejjalonians, that when they received the vPordofGod, which they heard of him, they received it not as the word of man, but {as it is in truth,) the word of God ; and receiving it fb, they embraced it as coming from him who could neither deceive nor be deceived, and conftquently as infallibly true ; and by fo embracing it they affented unto it, by fo aflenting to it they believed it, ultimately upon the teftimony of God, immediately upon the te-
a ihtff. I. 10. llimony of S. Paul, as he fpeaks himfelf, becaufe our tefiimony among you was believed. Thus the Faith of thof: which were converted by the Apoftles was an a{fent unto the word as credible upon the ttsiimony of God, delivered to them by a Tefiimony Apoftolical. Which being thus clearly ftated, we may at laft defcend into our own condition, and fb defcribe the nature of our own Faith, that every one may know what it is to Belttve.
Although Mofts was endued with the Power of Miracles, and converfed with God in the Mount, and fpake with him face to face at the door of the Tabernacle : although upon thefe grounds the Ifratlites believed what he de- livered to them as the word of God ; yet neither the Miracles nor Mofes did forever continue with them ; and notwithftanding his death, they and their Pofterity to all Generations were obliged to believe the fame truths. Where-
A^s 7. 53. fore it is obfervable which S. Stephen faith, he received the lively Oracles to give unto them ; the Decalogue he received from the hand of God, written with the finger of God, the reft of the Divine patefaftions he wrote himfelf, and fb
x«;** (StTit. delivered them not a mortal word to die with him, but living Oracles, to be in force when he was dead, and oblige the People to a belief, when his Rod had ceafed to broach the Rocks and divide the Seas. Neither did he only tie them to a belief of what he wrote himlelf, but by foretelling and defcribing the Prophets which fhould be railed in future Ages, he put a farther obliga- tion upon them to believe their Prophecies as the Revelations of the fame God. Thus all the Ifraelites in all Ages believed Mofes, while he lived, by belie-
J)'r.'. ^<,47. ving his words ; after his death, by believing his writings. Had ye believed Mofes, faith our Saviour, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how fljall ye believe my words? Wherefore the fiith of the Ifraelites in the land of Canaan was an A(fent unto the truths of the
Law
1 B E L I E V E J &'C. I I
Lav as credible upon the tejlitmny of God, delivered unto them in the Writings of - Mofes and the Prophets.
In the like manner is it now with us. For although Chrift firft publifhed the Gofpel to thole rvho beheld his glory , the glory as of the only begotten Son of j^f^ j^ ; the Father; although the Apoflles firft converted thofe unto the Faith who heard them fpeak with Tongues they never learn "d, they never heard before, and difcover the thoughts of men they never faw before, who faw the lame to walk, the blind to lee, the dead to revive, and the living to expire at their command : yet did not thele Apoftles prolong their lives by virtue of that power which gave fuch teftimony to their Doftrine, but rather fhortned them by their conftant atteftation to the truth of thatDoftrine firther confirmed by their death. Nor did that power of frequent and ordinary miraculous ope- rations long iurvive them ; and yet they left as great an obligation upon the Church in all fuccecding Ages to believe all the truths which they delivered, as they had put upon thole perlbns who heard their words and faw their works; becaule they wrote the fame truths wich they rpake,aflriH:ed in wri- ting by the fame Spirit by which they fpake, and therefore require the fame readinefs of alTent 16 long as the fame truths fliall be prelerved by thofe Wri- tings. While Mofes lived and fpake as a Mediator between God and the If raelites, they believed his words, and lb the Prophets while they preached. When Mofes was gone up to Mount Nebo, and there died, when the reft of the. Prophets were gathered to their Fathers, they believed their Writings, and the whole objeft of their Faith was contained in them. When the Son of God came into the World to reveal the will of his Father, when he made known unto the Apoftles, as bis friends^ all things that he had heard of the. Fa- John 15. i§. ther, then did the Apoftles believe the Writings of Mofes and the Prophets, and the words of Chrift, and in thefe taken together was contained the en- tire obje£l of their Faith, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which John 2. 12. Jefus h4dfaid. Wlien Chrift was afcended up into Heaven , and the Holy Ghoft came down, when the words which Chrift had taught the Apoftles were preached by them, and many thouland Souls converted to the Faith, they believed the Writings of the Prophets and the Words of the Apoftles ; and in thefe two was comprifed the oompleat objeQ: of their Faith. When the Apoftles themfelvcs departed out of this life, and confirmed the truth of the Goipel preached by the laft of fuflerings, their death, they left the fumm of \\ : .it they had received, in writing, for the continuation of the Faith in thcT .hurches which they had planted, and the propagation thereof in other > jgij„ ,0, oj'. place., by thofe which fucceeded them in their ordinary fun6Hon, but were " £;*• 3. 20. not to come near them in their extraordinary gifts. * Thefe tffings were writ- l!i^ff^]"^f^ ^' ten, faith S. John, the longeft Liver, and thelatell: Writer, that ye might be- quos omnium lievc, that lifiu is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have t^ccieiiarum
,./■ ', //. ' -^ ' .S.' & (undjmcntalo-
l>fe through his name, cintur. s. Hie-
Thofe Chriftians then which have lived fince the Apoftles death and ne- nn.in pfti. in. ver obrain'd the wifli of S' Jugufiine,to fee eitherChrift upon earth or S' Paul JridSur in the Pulpit, have believed the writings of Alofes and the Prophets, of the Orhistcrrarum Apoftles and Evancelifts, in which together is fully coniprehended wliatfb- crcdcnsniDo- ever may properly be termed matter ot Divme Faith; and lo ^ the honjboldof *dii,.v,/.l ,. God is built upon the foundation of the JpofHes and Prophets, who are continued f(/^ 2^. q. i. unto us only in their Writings, and by them alone convey unto us the truths h.,bJH,s'qHoaf, which they received from God, upon whole teftimony we believe. And there- (huimus diftis fore he which put their Writings into the definition of Faith, cohfidering ^"^tripcur-t pro- Faith as now it ftands with us, is none of the fhialleft 0^ the * Schoolmen. Jjccm Dd'Tf" From whence we may at laft conclude, that the true nature of tiic I^'aith of a vci^jmis.
C 2 ('hriftiaUj
,2 ARTICLE I.
Chriftian, as the ftate of ChrilVs Church now ftands and fhall continue to the end of the world, confifts in this, that it is an Jjfe»t unto truths crtdtble upon the tejiimony of God delivered unto us in the ]Vrttings of the Apojlles and Prophets.
To believe therefore as the word ftands in the Front of tlie C RE ED, and not only fo, but is dit^bfed through every Article and Propofition of ir, is to aflent to the whole and every part of it, as toacertain and infallible truth re- vealed by God, (who by reafon of his infinite knowledge cannot be deceived, and by reafon of his tranfcendent holincfs cannot deceive) and delivered un- to us in the Writings of thebiciTed Apoftlcs and Prophets immediately infpi- red, moved and afted by God, out of whole Writings this brief lijnim of ne- ceflary points of Faith was firfl; * collefted. And as this is properly toMieve, l!^i*fliit] which was our firrt confideration ; fo to fay I believe, is to make a conleflion owjCiIbI -tl-t or external expreflion of the Faith, which is the fecond Confideration pro- 7'"'*' •^' pounded.
*S«^^*xL«-' • Faith is an habit of the intelle£tual part of man, and therefore of it felf in- <iT:nt n,K- virible;andtobelieveisafpiritualacl,and conlequently immanent andinter- ^i^9i»i«^i*^ nal, and known to no man but him who believeth : ' For what man knoweth -f .Invr <fl- the things of A mtn, fave the (pirit of a mdnwhich is in hint? WhereforeChrift jnTK<tK\tt_ being not only the great Apoltle lent to deliver thefc revealed truths , and Ecdefiatum fo the Autliourof our Faith, but alfo the Head of the Church, whole Body Patrcs dc po- confifteth of faithful Members, and fo the Authour of union andcommuni- foiiciTex'dT- °"' which principally hath relation to the unity of Faith, he muft needs be verfis 'voiami- imagin'd to have appointed fome external expreflion and communication of nibus Scriptu- jf . efpecially confidcring that the found of the ApolHeswas to go forth unto rum'^ccftirao- the ends of the World, and all Nations to be called to theprofeflion of the Go- niadivinisgra- fpel, and gathered into the Church of Chrill: ; which cannot be performed tis^&<y'e"cS! without an acknowledgment of the truth, and a profeflion of Faith, with- in .y)^. out which no entrance into the Church, no admittance to Baptifm. ^ What I ^Pq'^' "• doth hinder me to be baptized? faith the Eunuch. And Philip faid. If thott be- 37. ' lievefi rvith all thine heart, thou mayefl. And he anfrvered and fatd, I believe that 'Ram. 10. 10. Jefus Chrifi U the Son of God. So believing with all his heart, as Philip re- undc^'creTre laired, and making profeflion of that Faith, he was admitted. " For with dcbcas, corde the heart man believeth unto righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confeffion is made ^iftr'^^^°h'' ""to falvation. The belief of the heart is the internal habit refiding in the bcsundcdcbci Soul, and a£l of Faith proceeding from ir, but terminated in the fame ; the as confitcri, o- confejfion of the mouth is an external fignification of the inward habit or acl of ad'^Qkl^^.''^ Faith, by words exprefling an acknowledgment of thofe truths which we chrjf.serm ^6. bclievc Or aflcut to in our Souls. || The ear receiveth the word, faith cometh amfi™° "d" h^'^'*^*"K '■> ^hc ear conveyeth it to the heart, which being opened receiveth fu5concipit fi- it> receiving believeth it ; and then •* out of the abundance of the heart the dcm,crcJuiita- mouth fpeaketh. In the heart Faith is feated ; with the tongue confeflion is d«',''con'fe'i;^ made ; between thcfe two Salvation is * complcated. ' If thou (halt conffs nem crcduli- with thy mouth the Lord 'Jefus, and /halt believe in thine heart that God hath fcfTw^^r "^°"' riz/e^ him from the dead, thou jhalt befaved. This Faith of the heart every One amdacCiJutcm ought, and is prcfum'd to have; this confeflion of the mouth every one chrjhi. Sirm. is kuowu to make, when he pronounceth thefe words of the C REE D, I be- 'Mjt. 12 ^4. '^^'^^ ' ^"^^ '^ uut, he may with comfort fay, ^ the word of Faith is nigh we, * Magnum fill- even in my mouth and in my heart : firft in my heart really aflenting,then in my dei'Sotvl' ^^^^^ clearly and fincerely profefling with the Prophet Dtvtd, e / have be-
demus cfle compendium, quando inter cor & linguam cotum falutis humane verfatur & gcritur 5jf ramentum. Chryfol. ^erm. $6. Quod j tc & pro tc repof icur, intra tc eft, i.e. oris famulatus & cordis effcftus. Bufih. Gall. ' Rom. lo. 9. ' Rom. 108 Dc hoc fine dubiolcgiraus per I'rophaam, propc eft, inquic, in ore cuo, & in cordc tuo. Bufeb. GMl « Ffal. 1 1^. 10.
Itevedj
1 Bel I EVE, &-€.
n
ikved, therefore have Ifpoken. Thus briefly from the fecond Conficleratidn concerning Confeflion implied in the firft words Ibelie-ve, we fhail pafs unto rhe'third Confideration, of the necefTity and particular obligation to fuch a ConfeflTion. , ,:, it^-... a . .tu<vi^:.
If there were no other Argument, yet being tHeObjeO: of Faith isfuppbred infallibly true, and acknowledged to be foby every one thatbelieveth, beihg it is the nature of Truth not to hide it (elf, but rather to defirethe hght that it might appear ; this were fufficient to move us to zConfeJfion of our Fxith. But befides the nature of the thing, we fliall find many Arguments obliging, prerting, urging us to fuch a profeflion. For firft, from the fameGod,and by the fame means by which we have received the Objeft of our Faith, by wkich .R.n
we came under a poflibihty of Faith, we have alio received an exprefs com- mand to make a Cofjfeffion of the fame : ^ Be ready, faith S' Peter ^always to give ' ' ^"- ?• 's- an anfrver to every man that asketh yon a reafon of the hope that u in yon\ and there can be no rex(on of hope but what is grounded on Faith, nor can there be an Anfwer given unto that without an acknowledgement of this. Secondly,'tis true indeed that the great promifes of the Gofpel are made unto Faith, and glorious things are fpoken of it ; but the fame promifes are made to the Con- fefflon of Faith ^ together with it ; ^nd we know who it is hath laid, ' tVhofo- ^ Rom. lo. lo- everfhall confefs me before men, himwill I confefs alfo heforcmy Father which h in ' ^'"' 'o- ?*• Heaven. Befides, the profeflion of the Faith of one Chriftianconfirmeth and edifieth another in his,and the mutual benefit of alllayeth an obligation upon ^ "
every particular. Again, the matters of Faith contain fo much purity of Do- ^cine, perfwade fuch holinefs of life, defcribe God fb infinitely glorious, fb tranlcendently gracious, fb loving in himfelf, fb merciful in his Son, ib won- derful in all his works, that the fole confeflion of it glorifietb God ; and how can we expeft to enter into that glory which isnone of ours, if wedeny God that glory which is his ? Laftly , the concealing thofe truths which he hath re- vealed, the not acknowledging that Faith which we ai^ thought to believe, is fb far from giving God that glory which is due unto him, that it difhonour- eth the Faith which it refufeth or neglefteth toprofefs, and cafl:eth a kind of contumely upon the Authour of it, as if God had revealed that which man fhould be afhamed to acknowledge. Wherefore he that came to fave us hath alfb faidunto us, ^Whofoever fhall be ajhamedofme andofmy rpords, ofhimfha// * Luke 9. i5w the Son of man be afhamed, when he fhall come in his own glory., and in his Fa- \ 9 ^J^f''** ther's, and of the holy Angels. Such a neceflity there is of Confeflion of Faith, kuv'^ ^\^'- in refpeft of God, who commanded it, and is glorified in it ; in refpeft of our J^ *«7Jx*i' felves, who fhall be rewarded forit ; and in refpecl of our Brethren, who are v);f^^7f/|.* edified and confirmed by it. Which neceffity the wifdom of our Church in M^t.iren.i. i. former Ages hath thought a fufficient ground tp command the recitation of the ^^^j^; (-y,, ^^jj^^^ CREED at the * firfi: initiation into the Church by Baprifm, (for which pur- sTnaciofidei pofe it was tauglit and expounded to thofe which were to be baptized imme- ^ •P°'!^° 'J'"-
^ • tis pignorcn-
tur, ncccdarioacljicitur Ecclefiac mentio, quoniam ubi crcs, id eft, t'atcr, Filius, & Spiritus San^Sus, ibi Ecclc(ia,qu.rtrium corpuscft Tatul. de Baptif. In quem tingcre? in pa-niccntiani ? quo ergo illi pricurforem? in pcccatorum rcniinioncm quam vcrlxidabat ? in femctipfum, quern humilicare celabat > in Spiritum Sanduni qui nondum i Parrc dcfandcrat ? in Ec- clcfiam, quam nondum Aportoli ftruxcrant ? W. Deiiinc tcr intrgimur, amplius aliquid re pondcntcs quJm Dominus in E- vangclio detcrminavic. W. dc Cor. Militis. Sed Sc ipfa intcrrogatio qua; fit in Baptifmo tcHis eft vcritatis, nam cum dicimus, Credit in ytiam xtern.im,!^ remiffinnem peccatnum per (anil am Ecdcfiam^ intclligimus remidioncm peccatorum non nifi in Ec- clcfiadari. S.Ciprianus^Ep. adjamarium, &c. Quod fi aliquis illud opponit, ut dicatcandcm Novatianum l.cgrni tcncre quam Catliolica Ecclefia tentat,codem Symbolo quo & nos baptizarc,cundciii nftire Dcum Pacrcm,eundcm Fiiium Cliriftum, eundcm Spiritum Sanftum.ac propterea ufurparecum potcftatcm baptizandi po(re,quod vidcatur in intcrrogationc B.iptifnii a nobis non difcrcparc : iLiat quifquis hoc opponendura putat,non cfle unam nobis & Schifniaticis Symboli Legem ,ncq; candcm interrogutioncm. Nam cum dicunt, Credit remijjionem peccatorum, (fy" vitain Mernamper Sjn'fam Eccefiam ' mcntiuntur in in- ^rrogatione, quando non liabcant Ecclcfiam. Hum, r.pij}. ad Magnum. Mos ibi (/i efl, Roms) fervatur antiquum cos qui gratiani Bapcidiii lulccpturi funr, publice i.e. fidelium populo audience, Symbolum rcdderc. Ruffin. in S)mb. '>oIciinc eft in lavacrc, poftTrinicatrsconfeflTionem interrogarc, Crcrfw inSanllam Ecrlefiam? credit remijfmcm pcccatorum f S. Hieron.contra Lu ifcr. Mens Haretica relirruit Doftorcm i quo fidcm Ecclefia; didiccrat, oblita eft pafti Dei fui, hoc cft,fidci iplusDon.iniciqii^ein S} mbolo continecurj quam fe die Mptifmatis fervaturum c(lc promifcrac. Id. Com. in Prov. Intcrrogatus cs, Crcdii 7/1 Deum
Fainm
14 ARTICLE I.
Patrem ommpiticiem .' dixirti, tVfife.ii: nierfifti, lioc tft.repultusts. Itcrum interrogatus cs, CieJn in Somirmm mjlrum Jc- fi>m Chrijhm, ir in crucem cm y dixilli, Credo, & nierfitli , iileo fe Chrifto es confcpulcus. Tcrrio interrogatus, Credit in Spi,-.- tum S.miium > dixifti. Credo ; terd6 mcHifti : ut multiplicfni lapfum luperioris aTacis aMolvcrct trina confeflio. Ambroj. de S.i- ei.m.l.i.c.-. i.m fpeah rhw of Lutychfi in hit tpij:lciil-h\'unu-., (^am tniratruditioncin dcfacriiNovi Si Vctctis Tt- ftamcmi paginis jcquifivir,qui ne ipriusquidem Symboli initia compr.chendit ? . & quod per tecum mundum omnium regcnc- randorum voce dcpnimitur, iiUus adliuc icnis cordc non capitur. And in r/.v 12. Book dc Tnnir.ue r formerly Mnibutedto Atba- nafiKt, but mve frobM nTW thought to hehng to Vigiliiti Tapfcnjis,') Ncc non ic ilia magna 8c bcata Conttflio i idei, imo ipfa h ides San<ftorum, ii Tc(lamcntum quod difpofuimus ad Patrem, Filium & Spiritum Sanftum, ad facrum lavacrum regeneracionis vcnicntcs, Cre.i> in DtHm P.itrem omnipolentem, i/t in Jefum Chrtftum f ilium em umgcnitKnu & '" Spiritum SmHum, K«9(J{ 'wa.ftKeiCoijAfi rrnea ■Sfl' 'mgi iuSy UtTKoirair'tr tt Tr tjoItii (talnX"*'**. J^ 5^8 to \t}^yt k^tfj-CdifOicdlJ Eufeb. of the Con- f-jfm ofFMih nkiTh hi exhibited to the Council of Sice. Socr. /. t . c.S. Tlieodor. /. i . i. i :. Abrcnuntio,inquis,Diabolo,pompis, rpcftaculi5, ii^ opcribus ejus -, & qnid poftea ;■ Credo, rnquis, in Dcum P.irrem 0*nnipncmem. Salvianus de Ouber. Dei, lib. 6. And when thu Creed mai enLvgedbithe C oHn :i I nf Nice, and.ifier that by others, Epiphaniut commends it to the Catechumcni, to be repe.ited.ii their B.iplifm ; » t«»« tx^^-fi iV *«. i>'/.»u^-->i> tV nt)*Jiv]fJ tw iyu Ai<]f « f/cjfityau, » ftorsK 6'»»f><W>*<i' ofMAe- Ti ri Tig^CMf 7o7( tajurii uol< if x.\jtM tin.i, Kj JiMtKHv frfluf, u< TaVlr.T « au/T« u>:7»f ufMoynt <! nu-Tf, ri }\yuy, ni»«u«/:t^»<<SM 0tiv,icc.Epiph.in Annr.iti. "And when be had yet farihei enlarged it hreafrnof fime new emergent Hertfies, /v commends it,n^i^ Tcif t&( aijia Wilfj rgfniait, ir« «V«ef}tV.««" x} fi-yfi" »TtK. lb. Thejirfi Council of Conftantinople confirms theUlccne Coifeffionas TfiisCuroiTlM ti i<m.v ly */.oA¥9i)r thS fix-/'li<7n:t1i. Theodor. lib. <,. c.ip. 9. AndiheCoui-.cilpf Chalcedon ofthe fime,\lu, (U xo/cor i^ «>ia>c dwj'innit., to7» ixv»l^oi( t^;; tW 'f qoSitWctf •ri.fij',uu!fj.%: a.ffpx^Hxv. Parte terti't. Tne S)n\i>it |erufalcm, 73 ij/sr QuaC>\*p «? • iCi-rji^niu.^ Kf B<t'rli(,»/J^- The Syndat Tyre, i# buJt&I fiifrjlJ^'itltf
I. 5. c.ip. 4, .W7. and the Edii'l of the, EinperoHT juilmun, Anathema'tizaverunt COS qui aliam definitionem fidci, five Syrabo- bolum, five Mathema, tradunc acccdentibus ad lanttum bapcilma.
» 'Ot/ /«;»•( diatdy * before the great Solemnit}' oi'Eafler') and to require a particular *wV;'^/lf- '' repetition of itpobiickly as often as the Sacrament of theEucharill vvasad- wi«tiarnv, ^ minillrcd,ahd a conftant and perpetual inculcation ofthefameby the^Cler- J" ''-""^^ f gy to the people.
ir«-)";>A«k4^ And us this nccefTity is great, as the praftice ufeful and advantageous; fbis e%-/to-f.. H the obligation of believing and confeiting particular, binding ever}' finglc rllw/fTr^fa/. Chriftian, obfervable in the number and perlbn exprelTed, / believe. As if LaodicXan.46. Chrift did quellion every one in particular, ashedidhim who Wiis born blind, ^bfer^edihar '^^^^^ ^^ ^ rcftored him his fight, (and we are all in his condition) ' Dojt Tis7f is ta{en thoii believe on the Son of God ? every fingle Chriftian is taught to make the s'-'^'w^r'^'"' ^°^^ Anfwer whicl»he made. Lord, I believe. As if the Son of God did pro- dcT, a^rwls "^''^ to every oneof them which are gathered together in his name, what he fjtntnjlatedan- promifcd tO '' Qne of the multitude rvhofe Son had a drtmb fpirit. If thou canft be- 't'e,nelh% "t^- ^^^^i' '^i^ ^^''»g^ ^^^ foffibl^ to htm that helieveth; each one for himielf returneth Canon prejerved his Aufwcr, Lord, 1 believe ; Lord, help my unbelief. Not that it is unlawful or 'Lw' iT" ""fit^ to ufe another number, and inftead of /, to fay, Wlf^e//ex/e.- for taking in dred' ih'ut, Ba of Others, we exclude not our felves ; and addition of charity can be no dif^ ptizandos o- patagemcnt toconfeflion of Faith.S.Pc/f ranfweredfor the twelve,"^ IVebelievCy %mholumdi'i: ^"^ -^^'^ f'^>'^ ^^^^^ tf^ou art th.it.ChnJl, the Son of the living God. For though cere, & quinci Chrjll immediately replied that o»e of them had a Dtvtl, yet is not St. Peter pt^ma"nl'velE ^'^'^''^' "^^'^^ knew it HOt. But cvcry One is taught to exprefshisown Faith, piibipo^^vd becaufe by that he is to ftand or fall. "^The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous I'rcsbyteris m.tfj xvailethmtich for the benefit of his Brother, but his Faith availcth nothing ^r'^iechifiJ^l *°'' ^'"^ )urtiHcation of another. And it is otherwife very fit that our Faith "P- 58. Sym- fhould be manitelled by a particular confefTioo, becaufe it is effeftual by par-
bolum ctiam
, „ -, ,c^<i6.c\\, Credom heum Patrem Omnipotenlem,{yi-
cialitcr doccantur. Cmcil. Erachar. 2. cap. i , The Canon of the Laodicean Council, already mentioned, is verbatim rehearfedin the filth Council in TTn\\i,C4n.', 9. ft appe.ireth ihenfore a general command of the Chunk, that thofe who were to be bapti^ea, JhouU ha\r a certain time atttihd for tlx learning and rekearfing of the Creed. And in cafe of Kecejily if any were baptised, they were 1 1 le.trn the Creed^ imnicdiuiely after their Bapiifm, on /«! Tni", "s it m in the Edition c/Einius, fc/A//i thu Canon and tn the prmt-r,moft abjurdly,lri i m)^i( (X- y'oiici Tm^^Miji.Cirtl'latripurifijLat, ^ i^TO. i,yaia.tliu, i^pcavS-tiwi- Tni' aijvr, ^ ytia/jKHtoTi iHV J^fiSf Ktln^iu'iimr. 'c:nc Ijiod.Can.^-;. \\ As appears intl.e ancient Greek. Liturgies and the Decree of the /*;»■/ Cwna/i/Toicdo.uton.nilaLrintiuciiipore ante communicnem corporis Clu-ifti&fanguinis, juxca Oricntaliumpartium morcm, unanimitcT clar J voce facratifllnium lidei receiifcant Svrabolum. Which Cujhm as they callit of the Oriental p.irts, ufaid tiifl to be introduced by Fctm; Mongus at Alt>;aiidnj, and afur by Timotlii us at Conftantinople, as appears out of the fragments of Theodorus Lcftor. ♦Co*://. Mogunt. cj/. 45. Symbolum quod eft fignaculum fidei, & Oracioncm Dominicam difcere fcmper admontantfacerdotespopulum Chriftianunu ' Job.^.'i^^ii.^ Mar.^.i-j.z^,!^.' Jok.6.6^.^ Jam.t,.\6. ticubr
IBelieveInGod. i<-
ticular application ; therefore mull: it needs be proper for me to fay Ibelkve^ and to make profeflion of my faith in the $on of God, who loved me, and gave himfelffor we.
Being then I have delcribed the true nature and notion of Belief the duty oUonfeffing our Faith, and the obligation of every particular Chriftian to believe and toconffs ; being in thefe three explications all which can be ima- ginably contained in the firfl: word of the CREED muft neceOarily be in- cluded ; it will now beeafiefor me to deliver, and for every particular per- Ion to underftand what it is he fays, and upon what ground he proceeds, when he begins his Confefjion with thele words, I believe, which I conceive may in this manner be fitly expreffed.
Although thofe things which I am ready to affirm be not apparent to my fenfe, fo that I cannot fay I fee them; although they be not evident to my under (landing of themfelves, nor appear unto me true by the virtue of any natural and neceffary caufe, fo that I cannot fay I have any proper know- ledge or fcience of them: yet being they are certainly contained in the Scri- ptures, the writings of the bleffed Apoflles and Prophets; being thofe Apo- Itles and Prophets were endued with miraculous power from above, and im- mediately infpired with the Holy Ghoft, and confequently what they deli- vered was not the word of man, but of God himlelf; being God is of that univerfal knowledge and infinite wifdom, that it is inipoffible he fhould be deceived ; of that indefeftible holineft and tranfcendent reftitude, that it is not imaginable he fliould intend to deceive any man, and confequently vvhat- Ibever he hath delivered for a truth muft be neceffarily and infallibly true ; I readily and ftedfaftly aflent unto them as moft certain truths, and am as fully and abfolutely, and more concerningly perfwaded of them, than of any thing I fee or know. And becaufe that God who hath revealed them hath done it not for my benefit only, but for the advantage of others, nor for that alone, but alfo for the manifeftation of his own glory ; being for thofe ends he hath commanded me to profefs them, and hath promiled an eternal reward upon my profeffion of them ; being every particular perfbn is to expe£l the juftification of himfelf, and the Salvation of his Soul, upon the condition of his own Faith : as with a certain and full perfwafion I affent unto them, fb with a fixed and undaunted refblution I will profefs them ; and with this faith in my heart, and confeffion in my mouth, in refpeQ: of the whole body of the C REtD, and every Article and particle in it, I fincerely, readily, refolvedly fay, / believe.
3 beliebe in (^tm,
HAving delivered the Natnreof E*/V^, and theafl: o[ Belief common toall the Articles of the Creed, that we may underftand what it is to believe; we fliall proceed to the explication of the Articles themfelves, as the moft ne- ceffary objei^sofour Faith,that we may know what is chiefly to be believed- Where immediately we meet with another word as general as the former, and as univcrfiilly concerned in every Article, which is GOD; fov ii' to belitve be to alTent upon the teftimony of God, as we have before declared, then wherefbcvcr belief is expreffed or implied, there is alio the name of God un- der ftood, upon whofe teftimony we believe. He therefore whole authority is the ground and foundation of the whole, his exiftence begins theCVee^, as the foundation of that authority. For if there can be no divine Faith without the attcftation of Gcj^, by which alone it becomes divine, and there can be no fuch atttftation, except there were an exiftence of the tcftifier, then muft it needs
be
GaI.
•II
16 ARTICLE J.
be proper to begin the Co»fe/^o/t of our Faith with the agnition of our God.
* e>il', diic If his "^ name were thought fit to be exprelTed in the front of every attion
'£9&;iii''c;t« ^ j.j^g heathen, becaufe they thout'ht no a6\ion profperedbut by hisap-
T«©-, itU probation ; much more ought we to hxir betorc our icnfef/iofi, btcaulewith-
''^7' lT'"" ^""^ '^'"^ ^^ beheve as we profefs, is no Icfs than a contradiction.
"ejjXicx!' Now tliefe words, Ihtlieve tn God, will require a double confideration ;
one, of the phrale or manner of ipetch ; another, of the thing or nature of
the truth in that manner exprclfed. For to Mnve with an addition of the
prcpofition/>J, isaphiale or exprelfion ordinarily conceived fitto be given to
none but to God himlelf, asaUays implying, befide a bare aft of Faith, an
addition of hope, love, and affiance. An oblervation, asl conceive, prevail-
^ ing specially in the Latin Church, grounded principally upon the authority
i^^ch ^u V'" o^ !i S- Jugiipne. Whereas among tiie Greeks, in whole Language the New
ike Creed, ir? Tcflament waspcuii'd, I perceive no fuchconftintdiflinftif^n in their delive-
Nt''dkZ£. ries of the Creed ; and in the * Hcbnw Language of the Old,from which the
Jo ueumj vcl Jcwifh and ChrilHan Greeks rcceived that phrale of ^t//. x'//;^ /;?, it hath no
'''^"'V &T' ^"^'^ pecuhar and accumulative figmhcatit n. For it is Ibmetimesattributed
?a"H ncccifa- toGod,the author and original caufe, fometimes to the Prophets, theimme-
riaiint. Aiiud diatc rcvealcrs, of the Faith; fometimis it is (poken of Miracles, the motives
derdinfaHu'd to believe ; fometimes of the L^w of GoH, thcmaterial Objedof our Faith.
crcdtrc'iiium, Amongall wliich varictiesof that phrale of fpeech, it is fufficiently apparent,
aimd crcdcrc jji^f jj^ ^[^[^ CoiifclTion of Faith it is moft proper to admit it inthelaft accepti-
in ilium. Ore- '^ ' '
dcre illi, ert credere vera elTe qui loquitur -, Credere ilium, credere quia ipfe tft Deus ; Credere in illuni, diligerc ilium.
^nd thwc^h rl:.u coilc^ion of Serimnt de tempore under the tmrne ofS. AuguiUne be n <t ail hif, (Jners if them beir.^ Tratijlations oftkeGreel^H~ini!ie!.))etti:Kdil]m!}hnma> be ciUe lied out ofttherfaiis of his norh. Forpiji, he diftingai/hithter) clearl/ and feriokj) /"ivn'ffn credere Dto, <ini/ crcdcrc in Deuiii. Nunquam aliquis Apollolorum diccre audcrct. Qui credit in me. Crcdinius Apoftolo, fed non rredimusin Apollolum. Trail. 54. in Ppilm. And again Credimus I'aulo, fed uon crcdimus in Paulum j credimus Pttro, xd nc^n credimus in Petrum. Second!), '.e dijiin^mp.-eth bcitreen credere Dtuin, and crcdcrc in Dcum. Mulmm intcrcft urrumquiscrcdatipfumelTeChriflum,S: utrum crcdac in Chriftum. Ille credit inChridum qui & fperat inCiiriflum, ScdiligirChrirtiun. De i erbu Dom. Snm. 6 1 . And, trhirb if the fnm of all, he futi a h:gh value ufm the frepifiinn, as if by -oirtue cfthe addifon in, the phrafe did profeil\ ftgnifi: fi great an accejion unto faiih, (^d eft credere in Dcum ? crcdcndo amare, crcdcndo diligcre, crcdcndo in cum ire, & ejus mcmbris incorporari. Tail^. in Job, Which do- iliine ofS AiiguftinV, being tahn notice of bj Peter Lombard, h.ith fince been continued by the Schoolmen; and Aquinas, Sum. 2. 21. ■^. 2.§. 2. ad frimuniyhnnginiti-l tiree under one all of Faith, hath been contnaJilledb) Durand.Jn ?.5njf, d:f, 25. 7.7. §5. credere in Dcum i.oi.eft pi<ecise aftus tidci fed hdti& charitatis. fmiul -, & funtetiain plurts, & non unus aclustantuiii : b) wtnfe fkbtile, but }et clear. determination fas man) ofhtf are bejondthe rell of the Schiol!) tvhatfoever is added by the prefKifition to believe, appcart not to he apnitoj Bdief, but an all fuper added to the all ofhaitb. * for [.. \Mt fmetimes ')onedmth "-;, fometimes with D; when with -<, it anfwcis proper 1)1 i ■Ti';Xni-n^ dea, credere Deo, (^1 beingnotkingelfe but afi^ntjicaicrof the caje ;) when with Q it coirefpondsto tc iHt^j ti< r 5ih, crcdtr^ in Dcum, ("3 being a prcp^fitnn oj the fame nature reitbtior in._) Butjtt there is fo little, crrat-ernodiffaece intbe ffebrett;that in the prj} place where itHu(ed,and th.it of the father of the faithful, even for the a:iof ^uflifing faith, HIHO jC>- H" Oen. 1 5. 6. tt is tranfliued by the lXX. k, S^raiaiv hC^j/. TaT ^;», not Hf
^ii:-, and tb.u ttanjlation tsairantedb) S. Paul, Rom. 4. 9. Oal. 5. 6. and S. James 2. 25. In the fame m.wner 2 Kings 1 7. i±. QTIT'S r~l\~l^D IJ'CKH N*^ "1.1, S istran:l.uedbt tlje LXX. (as that franjlation is prefned in the Alexandrian ani Compiutcnfian Cif/ej) t] iKifkirdftv Kvtiv ^iuaxirV' Befides, the fame phrafe is ufedinihe fame place both to God and to man as Exod. 14. 31. 1"i:iy i~'.l,7_;31 nliTi 'IMN'1 and tlicy believed in God and in his fervant Mofcs, which the Chaidee Par.ifhrafeexplaineththm V^HiZ mN'TIjni ^"ISlQ'QQ IJ'J'HI and tlicy believed in tie word of God,and in the prophecy ctMoa-shii fervant. /I1V IJQND"* DD^T•^< mnU IJ'O^'n ; Chron.i^. 20. "in^'-'Sni VS^jJn tJ'CNn Believe in the Lord your God, fofliall yebccftablifhed \ believe in his Prophets, fo fhaltyeprolpcr. for alikmghtheyiil- gar Latin, which our TranjLtioufoilon elh, hath made that dijlinliion which the Hebrew makcth not, Crcdite in Doniinu Leo veflro, & fccuri crisis ■, crcdite Prophetis ejus, & cunila evenicnt prolpera ; )et the Septuagint acl^wledgeth no necetjtt) of)ecediiig, from the original phrafe, 'twjiT^mi a» Kve'u)) tJ di^J tJ'v'^", *; iixTt^viioiri^i ' iix-ri^iumi iv t^ ^.'iT«uf an n<, jtl iua- J^9':n&i ^'or IS It only attrruled to Moils as mnedwith God, andfuakcnas it were mf the fame phrafe. bit feparate!) by himfelf, as £io</, I p. 9. The Lord laid unto Mofis, Lo I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when 1 fpcak with thee, D'7iy'7 UDti' 13 CDJI and belie-ve in thee for ever. And therefre when ^ tt was objelled to S. Bafil, ih.it ti?ey didbclieie inVioks, as well as that they were baptized into Mofcs, and generally, n tis;« a>iit,K'<iy» ,0/ hifx lyMs rn^i «tf9j»T»< y^-f/'*^ '''■ Father d)lh not deny the Umgtiage. but interjretsit, n tis iur cr-ri^c tyiri ^ 'Ctiov dm^ifilyj. De Sp.S. c. 14. h'eitheris inisonlyfpil^nof^.Hofesand the Prpkets,that the Ifaelites belinedin tk:m,but "fDaiidnot os a Piophft b.it at abare relator 'f his in-na^inm, 1 Sam. 27. 12. HH^ "vI^'DS iOK''1 k, (J^yi.'fln 'A;^?? kv itw.f, l^'u/g. Et crcdidit Achis in David. Eft ergo tiJcs noftra primb quidem omnium in Dominum nolUum Jcfum Chriftum, confequcmcr vero ctiam in omncsfan5tosPatrJarchas,vcl Propheta=,vil ApollolosClirifti.(9n^.;n/Jpo/.r<"npfc//.roi:ow/j?</f//7/^i'nfrn/;>('r/jyf5y"helievingin, isoriijnallyattributedfomeiimeno ikejupreme author if our P ait h, astoGod; fometimes to the interxenient mejfen^ers, as the Pro- phets; fometimes lithe motnei of our taiij, Pfal. 78.512. VPN^tJH IJ^QSH K7'' Lxx. Kiisk ShfiLmv it Tti< dtw/jici.' eitis flui n<, and tb.cv believed not for hib wondrous works ; fometimes lotbeobjeH of it, or th.it which is beliexed, as Pial. 1 1^.66. TQ- NH "I'n^'iOi I lave believed in thy Commandments, as Mar. 1 . 1 5. -rudJiT: i* V ev^vAMV
on,
IBELIEVEiNGoD. \n
on, by wliich it is atrributed to the material objefl of belief. For the Creed. being nothing elfc but a brief ccnipreiiendon of the mod- neceflary matters of faith, whatfbever is contained in it befidc the firlf word Ibditvc^ by which we make confeffion of our Faith, can be nothing elfe but part of thole veri- ties to be believed, and the aft of belief in relpeft of them nothing but an aG- lentunto them as divinely credible and infallible truths. Neither can vvc con- ceive that the ancient Greek Fathers of the Church could have any firther meaning in it, who make the whole body of the Creed to be of the lame na- ture, as fo many truths to be believed, acknowledged and confeiTcd ; info- much as fometimes they ule not * btlkving in., neither for the Father,Son, nor h-s gafi] Holy Ghoft ; fometimes ufing it as to them, they 1| continue the lame to the r<i'o/xV 't^ ^u following Articles of, the Catholick Church., the communion of Saints., &c. and °''<"'fy^f^i- * generally fpeakof the Creed as of nothing but mere matter of Faith, with- IVC'^I, 7^'- out any intimation of hope, !| Love, or any ILich notion included in it. So ,?=' ©^^c >^ that belitying tn, by vertue of the phraie or manner of fpeech, whether we W^^-'^'l"'^'-^ look upon the original ufeof it in tlie Hebrew, or the derivative in the Greek, %uj-''><'<'v^^vJs- or the fenfe of it in the firil Chriftians mtheLatinc Church, can be of no y-<^»y'"'- farther real importance in the Creed in refpecl of God, who immediately fol- }[ Arius rf«iEu- lows, than to acknou'ledge and alTert his being or exiifence. Nor ought this c'mfejjim 'dell to be imagin'da (lender notion or fmall part of the firft Article of our Faith, '^'"•'■'i '" Con- when it really is the foundation of this and all the reft; that as the C^eed is.l'XX«f'?»I' fundamental in refpeft of other truths, this is the '^' foundation even of the ®-\v -ncn'tf^, Fundamentals , ^ tor he that cometh to God mafi believe that he is. And this "-^ "* -'1* "J'^r I take for a liifficient explication of the phralc, I believe in God., that is, / be- t3 lyZ'^vT- iieve thitt God is. f^« <) ^( m^-
/o< *.'a,-a»i!'
i^ «{ I'.' ■Tti-JiJi.cr. iy^v, TiT-.-v 6JC«s5» li) K. \ii!rA^x.(Hv m-. <iioy!i( ■ li^nifymg ti.tt eiery p.titioiilar n'hich be h.xd lebectrjcd he believed to be. And th.tt wat all in the Confcffion intended. Alexander B'iflnp 0/ Alexandria, after a long decLirati n of the firmer Article' concerning the Father and the Son, draws to a conclufson on the Utter Articles, thw ; Of (,'$ 3 th ivjiCeict.(l.'cunCtt)rtwr» «6< '7r<t\e)< }L) lii tft'^ii .. \y •xvivncL ^ji^y ouo\cyt/x1fJ-.. /uisi/ yj i^iirbtJ ku^oMk' r t 'A7!»it)KiH.i:v ly.K^ii-.iy.. ,«j; t^tcJ- (\<el T«T») Ix. vm^m d.vii'^inv o'ljk/j^. Theodor. Hijl. Eccl. I. i.e. 4. So Terrul. de Frsfcr. adv. H^et. Rfgiilu eft' fidei ilia qua crcdicur Unum omnino Dcum clVe : and adv. Vraxeam, cap. 2. rvhere lie nul^s annher rehearful of hit Creed, he begins with Unicum quidem Dcum crcdimus. |jNon ell amor DciArticulus, ncq; etijiii aiiioi proKiiiii ; quia ctiamri fmc pracepta gc- neralij aftiva, tamen cum aftio contineatur, non oportec cum confliruerc ariimlum: fed i(ta func fidei dogmata qu.i- futic column* & t'undamenca kgis divina;. Jf. Abr.ivanel dc Cap. Fidei, c.ii. Primus ell Deoruni cidcus, Deos credere ^iv;. ■*■ i/.i/-
mnides de F.mdam. Legis, t4K02 7D N^jica Nim pWNi ^^XQ iZD^; \D^v yT''? moDnn moyi m rD^■^ -JID^
the f'undati'm ofjoHudationsandfillarofrvifdimsistoknorv that the firjl Being is, and that it giveth cxijlence to every tiling which if. ' Heb, 11.6.
As for the matter or truth contained in thefe words fo explained, it admits athreefold confidcration, firft of the Notion oi'God, what is here underltood by that name; fecondly, of the exiifence of Go^, how we know or believe that he is; thirdly, the Unity oiGod in that, though There be Gods m.tnyand i Cir. 8. 3; Lords nnny., yet in our Creed we mention him as but one. When tJKrelbre we (hall have clearly delivered what is the true notion o'lGod in whom we believe, how and by what means we come to allure our (elves of the exillence of fijch a Deity, and upon what grounds we apprehend him of (iich a tran- Icendcnt nature that he can admit nocompetitour ; then may wc be concci- ved to have (iifliiciently explicated the former partof tlie fail: ^iiicle ; then may every one underlfand what he lays, and upon what ground he proceeds, when he profeifeth, / believe in God,
The name of Go^ is attributed unto many, but here is to be underitocdof him who by way of eminency and excellency bears that name, and therefore
D is
i8 ARTICLE 1.
'ikut. 10. 17. is flylcd ' God of gods ; 7 /^e Lord cur God is Godofgods^ and I ord of lords : and vfn. i?!?^ ^" •^'^'^ ^^"^^ reljjed is called '' the mofl high Gort'/othcrs being but inferiour,or aniw. 5<j under liim,^ and God " oz'cror shove ^tl. This eminency and excellency, by 'Cen 14 18, ^yiiicJi thcle titles become proper unto bimand incon.municabietoany other, 'Am^p.^^j. is grounded upon the divine nature or effence, m hichallotlier who are called £;«<•/ 4. 6 gods have not, and tl;erefore arc not by nature gcds. ^Ihen when yc l:new cdfe"crt con- «o'Goi/, faith S. Paul^ye did fervicetotbimnhichhy r,aure are KotGcds. There ccdjtii cm- is then a GoJ by nature, and others u hich are called gods, but by nature are miorcm Dcurn "*^' ^'^'- '^'' ^'^'^^r they ha ve no power at all, bccauie nobeirrg, but only in & manripcm t!ic lalfc opinions of dcccivcd men, as the gods of the Heathen ; or iFtliey quendsm uivi- i^ayg gpy re^^i poucr or authority, from w hence lome are * called gods in the hominiUisD'i.''- Scripcurc, yet have they it not from themielves or of their own nature, but osfcc.rir. 7a- jrom Ilim who only hath immortality, and confcquently only Divinity, and ^"cw/''^"!"" therefore is the o»Iy true God. So that the Notion of a Deity doth at laft *£io*^m, ' exprcfly figniHeaBeingor nature of |1 infinite perfeftion ; andchein^nite per- pii tins; fed fedjon of Nature or Being confifteth in this, that it beabfblutely and ef^ in CO inthiiti ^gpjjjiiy iieceflrary, an aftual being of it felf ; and potential or caufative of
nominis
fifitio cfl: s: all Beings befideit (clr", independent from any other, upon w hich all things ^o^ji'uio^uJi ^'^^ depend, and by wliich all thingselfe are governed. ' f is true indeed, that ti>. crt potfc to give a perfe£t definition of God u impolfible, neither can our finite realbn (irmo qujii {^qIj .|,iy proportion with infinity : but yet a flnfeof this Divinity we have, 'xiU."de'riin. ^nd tlie firll and common Notion of it co.ifirtsin thele three particulars, that /. 7- it is a Being of it itlf, and independent from any other ; th it it is that upon
ac^cnclfdr ^'hichall things which are madei!epend ; that it governs all things. And this vinitaiiicano- Iconccive liifficient as to the firft confideration, in reference to the Notion of
men. //il.u. de ^ Q^^^
iJcus fubilan- ^s for the cxiftcnce of fuch a Being, how it comes to be known unto us,or t « ipiius no- by what means we are allured of it, is not fo unanimoudy agreed upon, as mciMdcftDi- jj^^(. -J. j^_ pyj. although, fome have imagined that the knowledge of a Deity t.d..^dv.jjcrm- Js Connatural to the Soul of man, lb that every man hath a com-.ate inbred notion of a God; yet I rather conceive the Soul of man to have no connatu- ral knoM le(!ge at all, no particular notion of any tl inginitfrom the begin- ning; but being we can have noalTuianceot its precxilience, we may more rationally judge it to receive the firft apprehenlions of things by fenfe, and by them to make all rational coUeftions. I! then the Soul of man be at the firft like a fair fmooth Table w ithout any aflual charafters of knowledge im- printed in it; if all the knowledge which we have comes fuccelTively by fen- iaiion, inftruflion. and rational culleftion ; then mult we not refer the appre, henfion of a Deity to any connate notion or inbred opinion ; at leaft we are afliircdGod neverchargcth us with the know ledgcof him upon that account. Again, although others do affirm, tliat theexiftence olGcdis a truth evi- dent of it lelf, lb as wholbever hears but thele terms once named, that Godisy cannot chule but acknowledge it for a certain and infallible truth upon the iirft apprehenfion ; that as no man can deny that the whole is greater than any part, who knowcth only what is meant by nVWe, and what by part ; fb no man can pofilbly deny or doubt of the exiltencc of God^ who knows but what is meant by God, and what it is to be ; Yet can we not ground our knowledge of God's cxiftence upon any fuch clear and immediate evidence : nor were it (ale to lay it upon fuch aground, becaufe wholbever fhould deny it, could not by this means be convinced; it being a very irrational way of inftruclion to tell a man that doubts of this truth, that he muft believe it be- caulc'fis evident unto him, when he knows that he therefore only doubts of it, bccauie it is not evident unto him.
Although
i Believe In God.
19
Aithougli therefore that, Go.i is, be of it Iclf an immediate, certain, necisf- fary truth, yet mult it be ^evidenced and made apparent unto us. by its con- nexion unto other truths; fb that the being of theCreatour may appear unto. '<■ Hic propo- us by liis Creature, and the dependency of inferiour Entities lead us to a clear ^^"'"' ^^us^U acknowledgement of the fupreme and independent Being. The Wifdon) of cfi^pe"r'a- 'c^if the Jews thought this method proper ; ^ for by the grtatnefs and beauty of the fft,' quia pra;i creatures, proportiOKAbly the r/t.xker cfthtm is fien : and not only theV-,but S"^ Paul ';"^*'"™ ^^'^. j- hath taught us, that " the wvijible things oJKjod front the treat ion of the World cto, Dcuseniin are clearly feen , being under fiood by the things that art made , even his eter/tal '■.'"' ^"""} «^k-.- Power and Godhead. For if j| P/Wi.zf could fb contrive a piece of his own noniumus*de work, as in it to prelerve the memory of himfelt^ never to be obliterated ^^o quid eft, without the deftruQion of the work ; \vell may we read the great Artificer perfc'^ot""f'i of the World in the Works of his own. hands, and by the exUf ence of any indigcc de-. thing demon ftrate the firft Caufe of all things. monftraii p<;rj
'-' ^ '^ • ea qua.' fuut,
magis nota quoad nos, & minus nota quoad nSturam, (cilicec per eftcftus. Aqu'in. i.p.q. 2. an. i. 'V/ifii- of Sol, 13. 5^' '' Rom. I. 20. This f Lice mull be vindicated from tbefdfe Gbfs of Socinus, b-Zw contends that it cannot be proved from the Creatmi- that there ii aGid, and therefore to this place ofS. Paul anfivers thus : Sciendum eft verba a creatione mundi deberc conjungi cuiji* Verbo Invifibilia — Ait igicur eo in loco Apoftolus, Mernam divinitiitem Dei, i. id quod nos Dcus pcrpetud facere vulc, (dJ- vinitrts enim hocfenfu alibi quoque apud ipfuin enunciacur, uc Col. 2. 9.) ttern.vnr,potentiain, i. promilSpnes quxnunquam inccrcidcnc,(quofenfupau'olUperiusdixerac£i/»«n|eiW'flfjfJe'f9fc7ifMOTDei^hx'c,inquam,qu.cnunquira poftquam mr.ndus crcr atus cfl ab lioniinibus vifa fueranc, i. non fucranc eis cognita, per opera, hoc efi:,pcr mirabile ipllus Dei & divinorum hominum'^ prxfertim v. Chrifli & Apoftolorum eius,operationes,confpefta fuilTe. In which explication there is nithinj, which is not forced and diilorted : fir though his firfl obfervationfeem pltmfible, yet there is no validity in it. Hebrinieth on/y /or fioj/Mac. 1.5.55 «ex.fi>/i.«V*. &5 K^liCohn! Kciff/xK, fvhich proves not at all thafini yCl'm-.'f has the fame ferfe : and it is more probable that it hath not, becaufe that is t'fually etpreffed by J^-n' ^pj^Sf itjimaf, Mar.io. 6. W 13.19. 2 Pec 5.4. nexet by)im x'iloirvf. Befides,the KiK(vtJi.u)fiit. in 5'. Matdiew bears not that Analogy with io^ctwhich Socmuipretenis fignifyin^ not things mfe(n or unknown till then, but only objcmefajings or parables ■■, for which purpofe thofe words were produced out ofthq Pfalmsby the Evangelifi, to prove that the Aleffhts, was to fpeali in parables, in the Original D"lp"''JQ n^n, LXX. -nr fjiGiKw.a'la. aV*f jij, i wi{e , ancient fafmgi , which were. not. nnfeen and mkrnwn.for it immediately followeth, which M,e have heard and known, and our Fathers have cold us, I'fal. 78.3. And though he would mal^e out this Interpretation, by accufmg other Interpreters of unfaithfulnefs, i'lcriq; inter'prcccs ex pripofitionc.* ex feceruut, contra ipforuni Grxcorum Codicum fideni, qui non i«, k['i na( fed &rf Kl'mui lubenc -.'yet there is no griundfir fitch a calumny, becaufe "im may be, and is often, rendred e or ex as well as i*, as Matt. 3. 4. Sot Tfei);^«i' KctfAhi, e pi'is ciiiicli- nis. 7. 4. W ifk o%^siK\j.K di, ex oculo tuo, 10. iiro xit.cti'flwi', ex (pinis ; and even in the fenfe which Socinus contend! fr. Matt. 17. i3. ini -f «/«« ia-Hi'iK, V.T. ex illaliora, «; Tully,e\ eo die, and yirgil. Ex iI!oCof>iion,Corydon c(i tcii.porc nobis, <»«(/. Tc.npore jam ex i!!o cafusniihicognitusurbis Trajana;. .^0 the Greek. ^ luffBcf/.'c Latins render ex parte, iro Us 'itut CK JCquo : of which examples are innumerable. There ism unfaithfulnefs then imputable to the Interpreters : nir can fuch pitiful Cri- ticifmsgice any advant.tJC to thefirjl part cj SjcinusV Expofitim.lhwfexcr the Catholick.inteipretaiion depends not on thoie words 5iro '^tTim;, luton the confubrationofthe perj'on<,thai is the Gentiles, and the other wiids, -rroifiaan vaii^a, wiiich he farther perverts, rendrhi^ them the miraculous Operations of Chrijl and his Apoflles, or, as one of our Learned Men, their doings, milLtkjn^ 7r»i»ij.a.. which is from the Pajjive TnrT(>'t»u^-,for 7roina-i<,frjm the Allive eToiMcw •/'■"' ^w'n^a is properly the thing made or crea- ted, not the operation or doing 0/ if ; as K]itn is fomenmes taken for theCr^imic fmdimes for th^: Creiuoi\,but KjjjjLuis the Creature 5n/)'..^; therefore we read, iTim. 4.4. •woiv Kl't^iJ-ct. ©£? ita\o)/. i'liEpii. 2. lo.ouiri yd^ ituSiJ to'ihi/.- . In this fenfe [pake Thales properly, Xl^itr&uTa.Twi^'oi^m' ®ii(, dyivvmov ja'f * »«?A/wc )ioa-/i/©-,xaiiv.ta yi &i7. Laerc. Ti:e other Inter- pretations, which he was forced to, are yet more extravagant : us when he renders the eternal Godliead, that which God would ahvays have us do, or, his cvcrlafting will, and proves that rendition by another place of S. Paul, Col. 2. 9. For in liimdwelieth all tlic tulnefi of the Godhead bodily, that is, fap he, all the will of God ; fwhereas it is moft certain, that where the God- liead IS, efpecially where the fulnefs, even all tlic t'ulnefs of the Godhead is, there muji be all the Attributes as well as the Will of 0)d:) and when he interprets t/)e eternal Power fo beihc promifcs which (hall never fail ; and thinks he has fufficiently proved it, becaufe the Came Apoifle calls the Gfpel the power of God. For by this way oj Interpretation no fentence of Scripture can have any certain fenfe. \\Inihe jJneldof VAUs. Arii'i. demundo.
We find by the experience of our felvcs , that Ibmc things in this World Iiave a beginning before which they were not; the account of the years of our Agefufticiently infer our Nativities, and they our Conceptions, belbrc which we had no Being. Now if there be any thing which had a beginning, there mufl: necelfarily be fomcthing \vhicli had no beginning, becaufe no- thing can be a beginning to it felf. Whatfbever is, mulf of ncceflity either have been made,or not made ; and fomething there mult needs be which was never made, becaufe all things cannot be made. For wliatfbever is made, is made by another, neither can any thing produce it felf; otherwLfe it would follow, that the fame thing is and is not at the fame inltant in the lame re- ject : it is, becaufe a producer ; it is not, becaufe to be produced : ii is there- fore in being,and is not in being ; which is a manifeft contradiction. If then all thin.gs which arc made were made by fbme othcr.that other which produ-
D 2 Ctrr.i
20 ARTICLE J.
ced them cither was it felf produced, or was not: and if not, then have we already an Independent Being ; if it were, we mull at laft come to Ibme- thing which was never made, or elle admit either a circle of produftions, in » •aw.t' ^'-c vvhich the effeft (hall make its owncaulc, or an * infinite lucceflion in caiu- S7,>^r?tr 2_^ alities, by which nothing will be made; both which are equally impofliblc. ilngtr'^'^- Something then we mull: confeis was never made, fomething which never TKt^'for^f.r, iijjjj beginning. And although thclo ertefts or dependent Beings fingly con- )J:cr%T^iutT' fidered by themfelves, do not infer one fupreme Caulc and Maker of them if/©-, J^Kov. ail, yet the admirable order and '| connexion of things fliew as much ; and this Anft.^ ^^•ff.ir*. oneCupremeCauleisGW.Forali things which we ice or know have their Ex- jEain,i?.^,uH iftcnce for Ibme end, which no man who confidereth the ufes and utilities of ^'J^7''^l' every Species can deny. Now whatlbever is and hath its being for Ibme end, "^^ iJiTsb. of that the end for which it is murt be thought the Caufe ; and a finalCaule
T/«l'
lliufl;;' j^^ov is no otherwife the caule of any thing than as it moves the efficient Caufe ^r,TJ-^<lv ^° work: from whence we cannot but colle£l a prime efficient Cauie of Zrl6i7<n!'ijT- all things, indued with infinite Wifdom, who having a full comprehenfi- ''* Z' ^,'^?' on of the ends of all, defigned, produced, and difpofed all things to thofe Qiijifi.fy Reff. ends.
nd Grscos. Again, as all things have their Exiftence, fo have they alfo their operations
*'Ev?7,t<Ti- for fbme * end ; and whatfoevcr worketh fo, muft needs be directed to it.
A©-7iS?i,T«- Although then thofe creatures which are indued with reafbn can thereby ap-
I'lZ^rT^^- prehend the goodnefs of the end for which they work, and make choice of
tV-: c K, t3 ~i- liich means as are proportionable and proper for the obtaining of it, and fo by
(p=f«.»vj;'«< jj^gif Q^j^ counfel direO: themfelves unto it : yet can we not conceive that
rf^i^sju^'-xi other natural Agents, whole operations flow from a bare Inftincf, can be di-
•< Ti^u/jcrtc refted in their attions by any counfel of their own. The lione doth not deli-
tt'lT^r^'- derate whether it fhall defcend, nor doth the wheat take counfel whether it
liToji IZ^,. fhall grow or no. Even men in natural aftions ufe no a6t of deliberation : we
rrc^-rJiTOA, -^ Jq notadvife how our heart fhall beat, though without that pulfe we cannot
!!j"*, J'^^J live ; when we have provided nutriment for our ftomach, we take no coun-
TijH hix.i. fclhow it fhall be digefted there, or how the chyle dillributed to every Part
M^. ph)f. 1.2. ^Qj. ji^g reparation of the whole ; the Mother which conceives taketh no care
how that conceptus fhall be framed, how all the parts fhall be diftinguifhed,
and by what means or ways the Child fhall grow within her womb : and yet
li xatottoi- ri all thefe operations are diretled to their proper ends, and that with a greater
n'y^'SjuX- l^t;afbn, and tlicrefore by a greater Wifdom, than what proceeds from any
At iii lA)^ thing of humane undcrf^anding. What then can be more clear, than that
I-ubw'iA/ .- ' ^^''^^^ natural Agents which work conftantly for thofe ends which they them-
XII 701 '^ n fclves cannot perceive, muft be dire^led by fomc high and over-ruling Wif-
rUvn n e»^ (jom ? and who can be their dircftour in allthcir operations tending to thofe
w ^iJjiJ^-^i ends, but he w hich gave them their being for thofe ends ? and who is that, but
-uAr^ « i-ai/TM- the great Artificer who works in all of them P For Art is fo far the imitation
^r*!!; »lw'- °^ Nature, that if it were not in the Artificer, but ji in the thing it felf which
To'iM.Ariji ib. by Art is framed, the works of Art and Nature would be the fame. Were
t K*9»'^»J# that which frames a Watch witiiin it^and all thole curious wheels wrought
TirZ', i^ if- '^''tliout the hand of man, it would feem to grow into that form ; nor would
lixTi ni»- _ there be any diftin£lionbetweenthe making of that Watch, and the growing
,y9-^ « x«f^ of a Plant. Now what the Artificer is to works of Art, who orders and dif-
o» ToAH j yi pofcs them to other ends than by nature they w ere made, that is the Maker
»x9-,i» r^e^lo- of all things to all natural Agents, direfling all their operations to ends which
1iIy"nro^i t''<^y cannot apprehend ; and thus appears the Maker to be the Ruler of the
iiivKitfjUf,. Woi^Id, * the fteerer of this great Ship, the law of this univerfal Common-
A.;/i. JeM.ni ^^,£,^1^1,^ tlic General of all the holb of Heaven and Earth. By thefc ways, as
by
IBelieveInGod. 21
by the * tedimonyof the Creature, we come to find an eternal and indepen- '^.Habet Do- denc Being, upon which all things elfedepend.and by which all things elfe arc ni'""/ "^^^ocum governed ; and this we have before flippoled to be the firil: notion oi God. hoc quod fu- Neither is this any private collection or particular ratiocination, but the '""-' ^^ '" qu.> publick and univerfal reaibnot'the world. || No Age fo diftant, noCountrey pAfxI^Tnt lb remote, no people fo barbarous, but gives a fufficient tellimony of this '^''yi^ >y i- truth. When the Romm Eagle flew over moft parts of the habitable world, ^' '■^^t.'^*" they met with Atheifm no-where, but rather by their milcellany Deities at % in. SQ''"^ Rome, which grew together with their vittorics, they fhewed no Nation was '^''i^*', i ^* without its God. And lince the later Art of Navigation improved hath difco- Q^{^^!1 a- vered another part of the world, with which no tormcr commerce hath been "i^ di Mmda. known, although the Cuftoms of the people be much different, and their manner of Religion hold fmall correfpondency with any in thefe parts of the world profeffed, yet in this all agree, that Ibme religious obfervances they retain, and a Divinity they acknowledge. Or if any Nation be difcovered which makcthno profellion of Piety, and exercilethno religious oblervances, it foUoweth not from thence that they acknowledge no God : for they may only deny his Providence, as the Epicureans did ; or if any go farther, their numbers are lb few, that they mull; be inconfiderable in refpeft of mankind. And therefore fb much of the Cf^ed hath been the general Qonftjfion of* all * Nulla gens Nations, / believe in God. Which were it not a moft certain truth grounded "'q"-'™ <^'t a- upon principles obvious unto all, what reafon could be given of fo univerfal g^ mor^fque a conlent ? or how can it be imagined, that all men fhould || confpire to de- projefta , uc ceive themfelves and their poftericy ? _ ^"'^^ 'JX!
Nor is the reafon only general, and the confent unto it univerfal, but God Sen. hath flill preferved and quickened the worfhip due unto his Name, by the | ^^"^ '" '^""'^ patefa£lion of himfelf. Things which are to come are f o beyond our know- nes morcaks ledge, that the wifeft man can but conjecture : and being we are alTured of confcnfiffcnc the contingency of future things, and our ignorance of the concurrence of da°numba'^ feveral free caufcs to the produftion of an etFeft, we may be f Lire that certain inefficaces De- and- infallible prediclions are clear divine patefadions. For none but he who °^' '^^''• made all things, and gave them power to work, none but he who ruleth all things, and ordereth anddireflieth all their operations to their ends, none but he upon whofe will the adions of all things depend, can poffibly be imagined to forefee the eftecls depending merely on thofe caules. And therefore by what means we may be aflfured of a Prophecy, by the fame we may befecu- red of a Divinity. Except then all the Annals of the world were forgeries, and all remarks of Hiftory defigned to put a cheat upon pofterity, we can have no pretence to lufpeft God's exiltencc, having fb ample teftimonies of his influence.
The works of nature appear by obfervation uniform, and there is a cer- tain f'phcre of every body's power and activity. If then any aftion be per- formed which is not within the compafs of the power of any natural agent, if any thing be wrought by the intervention of a body which beareth no pro- portion to it, or hath no natural aptitude fb to work; itmufl:beafcribcdtoa Caufctranlccnding all natural caufes, and difpofing all their operations. Thus every Miracle proves its authour, and every a6tof omnipotency is a fuffici- ent demonftration of a Deity. And that man muft be polTelVed with a flrange opinion of the weaknefs of our Fathers, and the teffimony of all former Ages, who Jhall deny that ever any Miracle was wrought. We have beard mth our ^. ears, 0 Gnd, our Fathers have told f*s what works thou didji in their days, itt the times of old. Blejfed be the Lord God, rvho only doth rvondrotts vforks. 7^- ' *•
Nor are we only informed by the necelTary dependency of all things on
God,
23 ARTICLE J.
Kcm. 2. 15.
God, as crt'cQs upon their univerCil cauf^, or his external patefa£Vions unta others, and the conlentient acknowledgement of mankind ; but every parti- cular perlbn hath a particular Remembrancer in himlelf, as afufficient tefti- mony of hisCreatour, Lord, and Judge. We know there is a great force of Confcicnce in all men, by which their thoughts are ever acaifmg, or txcufmg them ; they feel a comfort in thofe vertuous aclions which they find them- fclves to have wrought according to their Ru!e,a llingandfecret romorfcfor all viciousadsandimpiousmachmations. Nay thole who Itrive mofttodcny a God, and to obliterate all fenfe of Divinity out of their own Souls, have not been leaft fenfible of this Remembrancer in their Breafts. 'Tis true indeed, that a falfe opinion of God, and af'uperftitious perfwafion which hath nothing ofthe true God in it, may breed a rcmorle of Conlcience in thofe who think it true; and therefore lome may hence colleft that the force of Conlcience is only grounded upon an opinion of a Deity, and that opinion may be falle. But if it be a truth as the teftimonies of the wifcfl Writers of moil diHerent perfuafions, and experience ofallfoitsof perlbnsof moil; various inclinations, do agree, that the remorfe of Conlcience can never be obliterated, then it ra- ther proveththan fuppoieth an opinion of a Divinity ; and tliat man which mofl peremptorily dcnieth God's cxiftence is the greateft argument himlelf that there is a God. Let C4%«/4 profels himfeli'an Atheiil:,and with thatpro- feffion hide his head, or run under his bed, when the thunder ftrikes his ears, and lightning fiafhes in his eyes ; thofe terrible works of nature put him in mind ofthe power,and his own guiltof the juflice, of God; whom while in his wilful opinion he weaJily denieth, in his involuntary atlion he ilrongly alTerteth. So that a Deity will either be granted or extorted, and where it is not acknowledged it will be manifefted. Only unhappy is that man who de- *Hfc eft nieshimtohimlelf,and proves himtoothers; whowiilnot*acknowledgehis nonr^agnoVcc- cxiiience, of whole power he cannot be ignorant. " God is not far from every re queni igno- one of ui. The proper dilcourfe of S. Pant to the Philofophers o^ Athens was, rarenonporns. j-jj^j. ^^^ mhht feel after him and fnd him. Some Children have been lb un- Km. gracious as to retuie to give the honour due unto their rarent,but never any
* M. 17. 27. lo irrational as to deny they had a Father. As for thofe who have dilhonour- td God, it may ftand moil with their intercil, and therefore they may wifh there were none ; but cannot confift with their reafbn to alTert there is none, \Aa. 17. 28. wiicn even the very Poets of the Heathen have taught us '' that we are his off-fpring.
It is necelTary thus to believe there is a God, Firfl:, becaule there can be no Divine Faith without his belief. For all Faith is therefore only Divine be- caufe it relieth upon the authority of God giving teftimony to the objeft of it ; but that which hath no being can have no Authority, can give no Te- flimony. The ground of his Authority is his Veracity, the foundations of his Veracity are his Omnilcicnce and Sandity, both which llippole his el- fence and exiftcnce, becaule what is not is neither knowing nor holy.
Secondly, it is neccffary to believe a Deity, that thereby we may acknow- ledge fuch a nature extant as is worthy of, and may juftly challenge from us, the higheft worfhip and adoration. For it were vain to be religious and to exercile devotion, except there were a Being to which all luch holy appli- cations were moftjuilly due. Adoration implies lubmilTion and dejeclion,(b that while wc worfliipwecaftdown ourfelvcs: there mull be therefore Ibme great eminence in the ob)eft u or{hipped,or elle we fhould difhonour our own nature in the worfhip of it. But when a Being is prelented of that intrinlecal and necelTary perfe£l:ion,that it depends on nothing, and all things elfe depend on that, and are wholly governed anddilpoled by it, this worthily calls us to
our
IBelieveInGod. 23
our kn?es, and (hews the humblefl: of our devotions to be but jull and loyal retributions.
This necefTary truth hath been Co univerfally received, that we fhall al- ways find all nations of the World more prone untoldolatry than to Acheifm, and readier to multiply than deny the Deity. But our Faith teacheth us equal- ly to deny them both,and each of them are renounced inthefe words, I believe in God. Firll:, in Go^ affirmatively, 1 bdieve he is, againfl: Atheifm. Second- um°c^i(^^"as Jy, in God cxclufively, not in Gods, againlT: Polytheilni and Idolatry. Altho' cuem tJiiium therefore the Exiftence and Vfiity of God be two diftinft truths, yet are they •^'-""L """^j' of fo necelfary dependence and intimate coherence, that both may be exprel- rjim Anims, led bv * one word, and included in one !| Article. c. 2.
■' . . When Leo Bi-
fjop c/Rome in an SpifHe to Flavianns hadvcrhten thefe »Wr,Fidelium univerfitas proficetur credere k in Deum Pacrem omtri- pocci.ccni,S: in Jtlum -hriftuiii H ilium ejus; oneofrheEucfc'.hnsobjenedtvitbthifqiidlhn, Cur non dixevic lu iwum Dcam Pacrem, Si \.,un<m Jcfum juxcaNicani DecretumConcilii? 7o«v/;;c/; Vigilius Bijliop of Trent, or rather of Tapm. gives tbu an- fwer, S^d RomA & antequam sicana S> nodus convcniret, a temporibus Apoftoloruni ufque ad ru:.c, irafidtlibusSvmbolum tradicur,n<,cp Ajudicaric verba ubiftnfus incoluniis permanet: magis enim cum D.J. Chrifii fenn-ncia haec fidei profcrtia facie dicencis, oi'ditis in eum 'ir in "ic credite : nee dixie in unum Deum Patrera, & in unum nicip um C^iiis enim ncfciat unum cfle Deura,& unum J .Chrirtum filium ejus ? Vigil. I. 4. contr. Ent\th. \\ Rab.Chafdai in Or. Adon'at. R. j ojepb albo in ail^^irim.
And that the Unity oftheGodheadisconcluded in this Article is apparent, not only becaule the Nicene Council fo exprelTed it by way of cxpofition,bnt alfo becaule this Creed in the * Churches of the Ealf, before the Council of foricntalcs Nice, had that addition in it, I believe in one God. We begin our CV^Wthen Ecciefic om- as II PLito did his chief and prime Epiifles, who gave this diilinftion to his 2"^^' cndlhi friends, that the Name of Gr?^ was prefixed before thofe that were more fe- mi Deo pme rious and remarkablcbutofGo^j, in the plural, to fuch as were more vulgar ''^"T\^^"\t, and trivial. ^ Vnto thee it rvas fbetved, faith Mofes to Ifrael^ that thou might eft b ne hxc om- knorv that the Lord he is God, there is none elf a bcfide him. And as the Law, (o "*-• poarunc the Gofpcl tCdcheth us the fame, ^ We know that an Idol is nothing in the World., ^^^^^ p, rcTnc- and there is none other God but one. This Unity of the Godhead will cafily re,quiatairave- appear as necelTary as the exiftence, fo that itmuftbeas impofTible there [""^ p^^^- lljould be more Gods than one, as that tliere Ihould be none : which will tcrdixerit du- clearly be demonftrated, firft, out of the Nature of God, to which multipli- "-^ ^'-0^' cum cation is repugnant; and, fecondly, from the Govcrnmeijt as he is Lord, in opt.it."T 1!^ which we mulf not admit Contufion. Nps cniiu &
fcimus, &Iegi- mus, & credimus, & tcnemus, unum effe Deum, qui fecit ccclum paricer ac terram, quoniam ncc altcrum novimus, ncc nolle, cilm nullusiit, aliquando poterinius. Novatianus dc Trinit, c. 50. Andbefrealltbcje Irarxui, citing under the tit/e of Scripture, a pttffage out oftbe bool^of HcrmiS called ?a!\or. Bene ergo Scriptura dicit,prim6 omnium crcdc quoniam unus eft Dcus, qui omnia confticuit S: confummavi[,& fecit ex co quod nonerat,ut eir.nc omnia, omnium capax, & qui a ricminc capiatur, /. 4. C.57. \\ Eufeb. m prsp. Evang. the paffage is yet extant in the Epiftle^ of \!h'i.o. ^ Deut, ^. 55. '■ i Cor. 8. 4.
Forfirfi',the nature of God confifts inthis, thathcisthc prime and original cau(e of all things, as an independent Being upon which all things elle depend, and likewilethe ultimate end or final caufe of all; but in this fcnletwo prime caufcsarc inimagi; able, and for all things to depend of one, and to be more in- dependent beings tlian one, is a clear contradiftion. This primity God re- quires to be attributed tohimfelf; Hearken unto me.,0 J acob.^and Ifrac I my called^ ifai. 48. u. I am he, 1 am the firjl, I alfo am the la(t. And from this primity he challeng- eth his Unity ; Thus faith the Lord the Kjng of Ifrael, and his licdeemer the ^.j.,?.
Lord of Hojls, 1 am the firfl, and J am the lajl., and befide me there is no God.
Again, if there were more Gods than one, then were notallperfedionsin one, neither formally, by reafbn of their diitinftion, nor eminently and vir- tually, for then one ihould liave power to produce the other, and rhat nature which is producible is not divine. But a!l acknowledge God to be al)(oIutely and infinitely pcrfcft, in whom all perfections imaginable which arc fimply fuch
mull
24 ARTICLE I.
mull: be contained formally, and all others which imply any mixture of im- perfcdion, virtually.
But were noargumcnts brought from the infinite pcrfcftions of the Divine nature able to convince us, yet were theconfidcration of hlsiupremc Domi- nion fufficientto perfwade us. The will of God is infinitely irec, and by that freedom doth he govern and difpole of all things. ^ He doth according to his *Dm. 4. 3';. *^''l^ '» ^^J^ -^^^y c/ heii'tn., and nmong the t/jh.tbitants of the earth, f^iid JSlebuchad- nezz^ir out of iiis experience ; and S. P/tw/expreilethhim zstvorking all things after the coiinfel of hti own rvill. If then there were more f'uprcme Governours of the World than one, each of them ablblute and free, tlxy might have con- trary determinations concerning the lame thing, than which nothing can be more pre)udicial unto Government. God ib a God of order, not confufion ; and therefore of unity, not admitting multiplication. If it bebetter ihatthe liTaS^lctb/S.'- ;, Univcrfe fliould be governed by one than many, we may be iilTurcd that it ■U' 5r "°^~ • ^^^°' becaufc nothing mull: be conceived of God but what is belh He there- oj-t ^^^T^r fore who made all tlnngs, by that right is Lord ot all, and becaule all * power »»M/-.<)/f«iiif, is his, he alone ruleth over all.
^ri/.°fe'#' ^'^''^ ^°^ ^^ """^ °"'y ^"^' ^^""^ '^^"^'^ ^" '^'''^y " peculiar to himfelf by
/. 12 cult, which he is the 0«/y God ; and that not oal) by way of aftuality, but alio
of pofTibility. Every individual man is one, but lb as there is a fccond and a
third, and confequently every one is part of a number, and concurring to a
multitude. The Sun indeed is one ; fb as tliere is neither third nor fecond
Sun, at lead within the lame Vortex .• but though there be liOt, yet there
* Unus omni- iniglu have been ; neither in the Unity of the Solar nature is there any rc-
cft Dali™nc- pugnancy to plurality ; for that God which made this woild, and in this the
que c! in iiii Sn,i to rule the d.ty, mighthave made another world by the fame fecundity of
'c'a'Tab ^^' hisoninipotency, and another Sun to rule in that. Whereas in the Divine
conforrcni Nature there is anintrinfecal and elTential fingularity, becaufe no other Be-
ciim io!a om- ipg Can have any cxiftence but from that; and whatlbever clTence hath its
^allan^\^.°' exiflc-nce from another is not God. ^ 1 am the Lord, faith he, and there is none
Cypr. ds Lhl. tlfe, thtrt is nc Godbiftdes me : that they may know front the rifmg of the Stm, ani
'''jZj'l'j^^Mj, i| from the /Ff/?, that there is none htfides me, I am the Lord and there is none elfe.
l•<^'\ nns He who hatliinfinire knowledge knoweth no other God befide himlelf. *^ Is
^7 "'^/^^ then a God befid-.s me? yea there is no God, I know not any. And we whobe-
''J..y -,p^, lieve in him, and defire to enjoy him, need for that end to Icnow no other
K*7ND\"!J God but him : *' for this is life eternal ^ that they might know thee the only true
''^1^^,3,7,5 ^'"'^'^ * ^^ certainly One, as God.
-inv ><-'i — a~n anns -;^-d i^i'nj ;'d3 "ns i'^'? :i:r>yji a'^'icjn annxn :a -tr«
on;, nif firj, or mire than two, but only One : rvhifeZ^niiy m mr lit^- to th.tt of the Individtmls of thit world, neither is he one by irjf of Species omprehendin^ m.tny Indhiduals, neither one inm.tnner of .i bidy which it divifible into parts and extremes : but he if fj one, asrnVnii} m^hi< ti to befokndin theii'orld. Afifcs M.iim. de t'lind-tm. le,iu. Quod auccm diximus, Orictitis Ec- clcfias cradcrcunuiii ratrcm Omnipotcnteni, & iinum Domiiium, lioc modo intcliigcnJum eft, unum non numcrodici, fed univcrlitatt : vcrbi grati,i,ri quisdicacuniim honiincm,aur unumcquuni, hie unum pronumcro pofuit, poccfl tnim & alius Iiomo tdc, & tcrtius, vd equus. U'li auccm ftcundus & tcrtius non pocefl junpi, unus fi dicarur, non numeri, led univerfitatis cftnomcn. tit fi exempli cju^a dicanms unum Solem, hie unus ita dicitur uc alius vcl ccrtius addi non poflit ; multo magis Deus cum unus dicicur, unus non numeri, led univcrlicatis vocabulo nuncuparur, id cil,qui proprerea unusdicacur, quod alius ron fit. Riiffin.ir. <\inb. *" Ifa. 4^.^,6.Deiit.^.7;i.and ^z.^i.Pj.il. 18. 51. ' (/.i. 45.18, :i,22.rtn.y 44.8. "^ John 17. 5. * Veritas Chriftian.i dircftc pror.unciavit, Dcus (i nun unus c(t, non crt, quia digniuscrcdimus non elle, quodcunque non ita fueric ut clfe deSf'.it. Teiiul. adv. Mncnn. I. 1 . c. 2. Dcus ciim liimnium magnum fit, rcfte Veritas noftra proniuiciavit, Deus ft noti unus ell, non eft, Non quad duUitemus cir. Dcum, diccndo, fi non unus, non eft Dcus-, led quia, quern conhdimus cife, idcjn dehnia:)iusillc,qu.')il li non eft Deus, non eft, I'unuiium feilicet mapnum. Porro fummum magnum nniium <it nc- ctif.: eft, cr,;") S; Dcus unicus crit non aliter Dews nili fummum magnum, nee alicer fummum ni.igi;uni iiifi parem n-jn habtns, nrcalitcr parcm non ha'.xns nili unicus tucrit. Ibid.
It is necefliry thus to believe tlic Unity ofthe Godhead, that being afTurcd there is a nature worthy of our devotions, and challenging our religious fiib-
)e6lion,
IBelieveInGod. ^5
jeftiou, v\e may learn to know \vho(e that nature is to which we owe our adorations, leil our minds fliould wander and liuftuatein our worfnip about various and uncertain objcfts. If we fiiould apprehend more Gods than one, I knov/ not what could determinate us in any inlhmt to the aftual adoration of any one: for where no dilierence doch appear, (as, if there were many, and all by nature Gods, there could be none) what inclination could we have, what reafon could we imagine, to prefer or elett any one before the reft for the obietl of our devotions ? Thus is it necellary to believe the Uni- ty of God in rc^lpcQ: of us who are obliged to worlhip him.
Secondly, It is necelfary to believe the Unity of God in refpeftof him who is to be worfhipped. Without this acknowledgment we cannot give untoGod the things which are God's, it being part of the worOiip and honour due untoGod, to accept of no compartner with him. When the Law was given, in the obfervance whereof the Religion of the Ifraelites confilfed , the firft precept was this prohibition,T'/^o//yZ7^/f h.ive no other gods before me ; and who- ^w^-ao.j. ibever violateth this, denieth the foundation on which all the relt depend, as the * j^ejvj oblerve. This is the true reafon of that ftrift precept by which all "i-Mofes mu are commanded to give divine worfhip to God. only , ^ Thoujbalt tvor[Jjip the """!• '^^ ^i""^ Lcrd thy Grid, and him only jjj nit thou ferve ; becaufe he alone is God : him -^^i^tt 1' lo only thalt thou fccsr, becaufe he alone hath infinite power ; in him only flialt thou truil, becaule he only ii our rock and our Jahation ; to him alone Hialt ^Mi52. 2. thou dw'tjd: thy devotions, becaufe he only knomth the hearts of the children of 2 C-h'm. 6. 30. mtn. Upon this foundation the whole heart of man is intirely required of him, and engaged to him. He.ir^O Ifrael, the Lord our God is one God: And D:w.^. 4,5. (or rather. Therefore^ thou jjjalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart., and with all thy foul, and with all thy might. Whofoever were truly and by nature God, could not chule but challenge our love upon the ground of an infinite excellency, and tranfcendent beauty of holinefs : and therefore if there were more Gods than one, our love muil neceffarily be terminated unto !| more II Numerus di- than one, and conlequently divided between them ; and as our love, fo alfb mrrado'^'r"' the proper elfed thereof, our chearful and ready obedience, which, like the conaarc de- Child propounded to the judgment oi Sofomjn ^ as fbon as ''tis divided, is '^f^.^eiquo- deftroyed. '' No man can ferve twomajters : for either he will hate the oncj and ejus in anceps
love the other : or elfe he will hold to the one., and defpife the other. dcduceremr.
Ecce cnim, duos intucns Deos tarn pares qukni duo fumma magna, quid facerem fi ambos colerem ? verercr ne abundantia officii fu- perftitio potiijs quani religio ciedcrctur ; quia duos cam pares & in alcero amhos pofTcm in iino demercri : hoc ipfo cc- flimoni'',m prasflans parilirati & unitati eorum, diim alcenim inaltero vcnerarer, dum in uno mihi duo func, Tertid. adxi, Mircnn. / i. c. 5. '' Mattb. 6. 14.
Having thus defcribed the firft notion of a Go^, having demonftrated the Exigence and Vnity of that God., and having in thefe three particulars com- priled all which can be contained in this part of the Article, wc may now clearly deliver, and every particular Chriftian underftand, what it is he fays when he makes his Confeffon in thele words, I believe in God ; which in cor- refpondencc with the precedent uifcourfe may be thus expreffcd :
Foraflnuch as by all things created is made known the eternal poorer and GodhcaJ,:ind tlic dependency of all limited Beings infers an infinite and inde- pendent elTence ; whereas all things are for fomc end, and all their operati- ons direcled to it, although they cannot apprehend that end for which they are, and in prolecution of which they work, and therefore muft be guided by fbme univerfal and over-ruling wifdom ; being this coUeftion is fo evident, that all the Nations of the earth have made it; being God hatli not only written himfelf in the lively charaftefs of his Creatures, but hath alfo made frequent i^atcfadions of his Deity by moft infallible prediftions and fuper-
E natura!
26 ARTICLE I.
natural operations ; therefore I fully alTcnt unto, freely acknowledge, and clearly profels this truth, that there is a God.
Again, being a prime and independent Being fuppofeth all other to de- pend, and confequently no other to be God ; being the intire fountain of all perfeftions is incapable of a double Head, and the moft perfedl govern- ment of the Univerle I'peaks the lupreme dominion of one abfolute Lord ; hence do I acknowledge tliat God to be but one, and in this Unity or rather fingularity of the Godhead, excluding allaftual or poffible multiplication of a Deity, / believe in God.
3 I3cliei3r in ooti tije 5ratl)ct,
AFter the Confeflion of a Deity, and alTertion of the Divine Vnityy the next Confideration is concerning God's Paternity ; for that one God is I tor. 8. 0. fj(/jer of all, and to us there is but one God, the Father.
Now, although thcChrirtian notion of the divine Paternity be Ibme way » omnem Dc- peculiar to the Evangelical patefatlion ; yet * wherefoever God hath been mTnecofiw'" acknowledged, he hath been underftood and worfhipped as a Father : the ncain.- L{\ in- Very Heathen l| Poets fo dclcribe tlieir Gods, and tlieir vulgar names did tirfoiciincs ri- carry father * in them, as the moll: popular and univerfal notion.
iu»& prccatic- ■' ^
lies P.itrem nuncupari ; non tantiim lionoris gratia , fed & racionis , & quod antiquior cfl honiinc, & quod vitam, falu- tem, viiftum pr.illac ut pacer. Itaquc & Jupiter a prccantibus i'^ifa vocatur, & Sacurnus, & Janus, & Liber, & ca:tcri de- inccps. LiiUiW. dc \ cr. iap. I. 4. c. 5. || That fojrcqucni in Homer, Tct.iif iyJ'iuy t5 diav tj • eundemque apptUans dicic Ennius, Divi<in<jiie hmnnHtnjucp.iter rex. ^er. de L. L. l.^. at Senm observes of yirgil, a Pocta pcnc omnibus Diis noraen pjtcrnuin additur, uc fiantvcncrabiliorcs : and before him Lucil'tM,
lit nemo fit noftrum quin pater optima' Divum, Ut Ncptunu' pater, Liber, Saturnu' pater, Mars, Janu\ C^irinu' pacer nomen dicacur ad uiiura. Ltinan ib,
*i4f Jupiter, which U |ovis pater, or ZdjTirr.'f, orif iwije Diefpater, or ^'iiToiraf' and Marrpiter, 0/ wAom Sertw apud Pontmces Marlpiter dicicur, /ijieid.1.^. So Semipater /w Semo, and Saj/oTttTw? /sr Sardus//;f proper Deity of Sardmia. I'tolem.
This name of Father is a Relative ; and the proper foundation of Pater- nity, as of a Relation, is Generation. As therefore the phrafe of genera- ting is diverfly attributed unto feveral a£ls of the fame nature with Gene- ration properly taken , or by confcquence attending on it : fb the title of Father is given unto divers perfbns or things, and for leveral reafbns unto Gf«. 2.4. tlie fame God. Thefe are the generations of the heavens and the earth , when they n-ere created , in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, faith Mofes. So that the creation or produdion of any thing by which it is, and before was not, is a kind of generation , and confequently the 79*38 :8. Creator or Producer of it a kind of Father. Hath the rain a Father? or nlo hath btgoitcn the drops of dew ? By wliich words 'Job fignifics , that as there is no other caufc alTignable of the Rain but God, fb may he as the *'ET?f«<^*f caufe be called tlic Father of it, though not in tlic mofl: proper fenfe, * as ""^I'ltl^in ^^^ ^^ ^^^'^ Father of his Son : and fb the 1| Piiilofbphers of old, who thought x) •Tif-.,< qV. ' tliat God did make tlic World, called himexprefly, as the Maker, io tlie
frlutar'" if' ^"^^^^'^ 0^^^' -^"^ ^'^^^ ' ^^ "^ ^^^^^^ " ^"^ °"^ ^^^' '^^ Father, of whom are aO, riaio^ZiHirg things ; to which the words following in tlie Creed may fccm to have rela- C}dTa.iigr. tion, the father '^hnighty, maker of heaven and earth. But in tliis mafs of ^*HT'iif,/'Of, ^r^'iturcsand body of theUnivcrfe, fome works of tlie Creation more pro- rAUiT!>i(Oii pcrly call him Father as being more riglitly fbns : fijch are all the rational yjy^^/ and intellectual cff-fpring of the Deity. Of merely natural Beings and irra-
■r)t jr/o;- ~:C,'-(^ jj »',?//« icUadcs. FlMon, iiuifi. AndAlcimus, Ta]iip /i £?i 7^ iu7l(^ IT) wcifTar. \ 1 Cor. 8. 6.
tional
1 Believe In God The Father. 27
tional agents he is * the Creatour,of rational,as fb, the Father alio; they are * •S'? Plutarch his Creatures, thefe his Sons. Hence he is ftiled the * Fatber of Spirits, and "^j'-^n % the blelTed Angels , when he laid the foundatioas of the Earth, his Sons ; viatoterZ'^ ^ When the tmrni-/!g-ft.i.rs fang together, and, all the fom of Godfljoitted for joy : '^"^ 'he A:aker hence Man, whom he created after his own image, is called his " off-ffrmg^ ai/thingT and Adam, the immediate work of his hands, ^ the [on of God : hence may ""^^ y^^i' we all cry out with the Ifraelites taught by the Prophet fb to fpeak, "^ Have ^^ W^^. we not all one Father ? hath not one God created us ? Thus the firil and moft ^^i^uv ^ajiif univerfal Notion of God's Paternity in a borrowed or metaphorical fenie is ^'T'C""" \ founded rather upon Creation than Procreation. i.-\tx^"\^.
tlier of Gods and men, Mxkerjf things inanimate and irrational. « jS yoeig (pyin XpvWT®- TctHea Ka\fiQ^ toc mie^^i/ja. to carifun, Kal^^ hn, Tx atrff^ittji'^ •vs")/0)'ot'>. Non cnim agri pacer, fi Chryfippo crediraus , h dicitur qui cum confevir quan- guam e leniine deinde truges nalcautur : as the Lutine Tranjlation moft abfurdly. For there is neither corn nor field' mr any feed belonging to them in the mrds a/Plutarcli.- But ^oeiov (not yauw) n the Secunda, the coat (or rather coat's, in the accepiton o/Chryfippus and the language of thofe times') in which the boetus k involved in tbemother^s womb. Tliough therefore both the Secunda and the hoecus be made of the feed of the male in the Phikjophy q/ Chryfippus, )et he « not called the Father of the after-birth, but of the child; the one being endued with life and reafon, and the other not. ^ Heb. 12. 9. ^ Jobzi, 7. ' Alts 17.23. ^1*^^^3.38. ' Aialach. 2. 10. ' y i •/• .
Unto this a£l of Creation is anriexed that of Confervation, by which God doth uphold and prelerve in being that which at firfb he made, and to which he gave its Being. As therefore it is the Duty of the Parent to educate and prelerve the Child, as that which had its Being from him ; fb this paternal education doth give the name of *f4/^er unto Man, and Confervation gives *-^'Eurtati,iu5
^1 r ^ J " cbferves out of
the fame to God. _ _ an ingenious e-
Again,Redemption from a ftate of mifery,by which a people hath become 'ymohzift .- worfe than nothing, unto a happy condition, is a kind of Ge»er/ifw», which ^^XVilz joined with love,care,and indulgence in the Redeemer, is fufficient to found 7nf'a^-^V9p« a new Paternity, and give him another title of a Father. Well might Mofs '^^ '^ "' "^y tell the people oflfrael^no-w broughtout ofthelandof f^/// from their brick J/"^^^^' '^"i"^' and ftraw,unto theirQuails andManna,unto their Milk and Honey, ^ Is not he '^'^"t- 32- <*• thy Father that hath bought thee ? hath he not made thee, and ejlall/jhed thee ? Well might God fpeak unto tlie fame peopleas to '' hiiSon, evenhisf.rft horn, ^Exod.^.23. ' Thus [aith the Lord thy Redeemer , and he that formed thee from the xvomh ; '/p. ..,2. Hearken unto me, 0 houfe of Jacob, and all the remnant of the houfe oflfrael, tvhich 40- 3- are born by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb. And juft is the acknowledgment made by that people igftrufted by the Prophet, ^ Doubtlefs ^ift. 5j. ks. thou art our Father, though ^^braham be ignorant of ui,and Ifrael acknowledge us not ; thou, 0 Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, from tverlafting is thy Name. And thus another kind of paternal Relation of God unto thefbns of men is founded on a Reftitution or temporal Redeniption.
Befides, if to be born caufeth Relation to rather , then to be born again maketh an addition of another : and if to generate foundeth, then to regene- rate addeth a Paternity. Now though we cannot enter thefecond time into our mothers womb, nor pafs through the fame door into the Scene of life again; yet we believe and are perfuaded, that * except a man be born again, he cannot *Joh. 5. j; fee the Kjngdom of God. A double birth there is, and the [| world confifls of || Tomm ho- two, the firll and the fecond man. And though the incorruptible feed be the "™jam^f,T Word ol God, and the dif penfers of it in fbme fenfe may fay>as S. PWfpake (imc homrncs* unto thcCorinthians, ^ 1 have begotten you through theGo/pel : yet he is the true ''"o- primuik Father, whofe Word it is, and that is God, even b the Father of lights, who of ^y^.^^^^'' his own will begat us with the word of truth. Thus '' ivhofvtver believtth that Jc- ' i o. 4. 15. fits is theChriJt^is bornofGod; which Regeneration is as it were a fecondCre- 'J"'"* '•''» ation : ' for we are God's workmanffjip , created in Chriji fefits unto good works. » ijoh. 5. 1. And he alone who did create us out of nothing>can beget us again.and make ' ^M- 2. i^
£ 2 us
28 ARTICLE I.
? Geiuio. I, ;. us of the new Creation. When Rachel cAkd to Jacoh, ^Give me children or clfe I die; he anfweredher fufficiently with this queftion,^/» linGod'sjlead? *0y -^ d/ll And if he only openeth the womb, who elfe can make the * Soul to bear ? ■1-' p'"ryi,^'. Hence hath he tlie name of Father, and they of Sons who are born of him ; "XTa! ^iJ- and ih from that mternal aO: of fpiritual Regeneration anotlier title of pater- XVI' ^>iJfa< nity redoundeth unto the Divinity.
'^'^^^fZif Nor is this the only fecond birth or fole Regeneration in a Chriftian dvlc[i( <ljilci<, {cnfe ; the Soul, which after its natural Being requires a birth into the life of )^ Ttiiiv t>- Grace,is alio after that born again into a life of Glory. Our Saviour puts us 71^04 T* Kct- in mind of ^^e Regeneration, '' rvhen the Son of man (hall fit in the throne of hit Ki- Fhik di gig^y^ ji^g Rcfurreftion of our bodies is a kind of coming out of the womb ^MM. 19.28. oftheearth, andentring upon immortality, a nativity into another life. For ' Luke 20. c they which /ball be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the refttrreFlion ^Rom^s 17. from the dead, arethefo»sofGvd,beingthefonsoftherefurreclion; and then as *Col.\ 24.' Tons, ^ they become heirs , coheirs with Chrifi , * receiving the fromife and re- Heb.9. 1 5. „^j.j^ of eternal inheritance. ^ Beloved, norv ive are the fans ofGod^ faitii S. 'John, '^Il'a !?«('£- even in this life by Regeneration, and it doth not yet appear , or, // hath not f »^«- beeri yet made mantfeft, what we {ball be ; but we know, that if he appear, ive
/hall be like him : the manifeflation of the Father being a fufficient declara- tion of the condition of theSons,when the Sonfhip it felf confilkth in a fimi- [ 1 Pet. 1. 3,4. litude of the Father. And ^ ble/Jed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrifi , which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten m again unto a lively hope, by the RefurreElion ofJefmChriH from the dead ; to an inheritance incor^ ruptible and andefiled, and that /adeth not away, referved in heaven for w. Why may not then a fecond kind o{ Regeneration be thought a fit addition of this paternal relation ?
Neither is there only a natural, but alfo a voluntary and civil, foundation of Paternity : for thcLaws have found a way by which a man may become a II Can injl. i. Father without procreation : and this imitation of Ij nature is called Adopti- Adopno"natu- on, taken in the general * fignification. Although therefore many ways God rx fimiiitudo be a Father, yet left any way might feem to exclude us from being his Sons, fiiium'hab^c' he hath made us fo alfo by Adoption. Others are wont to fly to this, as to a pofi'ic, qucm comfort of their fblitary condition, when either || Nature hath denied them, "^nR^ncravic. or death bereft them of their off-fpring. Whereas God doth it not for his ^'a w.^zimm' ow"» but for our fakes ; nor is the advantage his, but ours, b Behold what <oe^zi< uinv- manner of Love the Father hath be/lowed upon us , that we /hould be called the. '^'"t^^JsT f^"^ of God ; that we, the Tons of difobedient and condemned Jdam by na- ■nu(fi^v^isv tural generation, fhould be trandated into the glorious liberty of the fbns of ^nvnM,\. God by Adoption ; that we, who were aliens, ftrangers and encmieSjfliould /. 1 1. ' ' be affumed '' unto the Father of our Lordjefm Chrifi, on whom all the * family ^'HtfoSsCTi of heaven and earth is named, and be made partakersof ' the riches of the glory vt''>:X^rJ7- 9ff"^'"fjeritance in the Saints. For as in the legal Adoption, tiie Father hath ^{•TliaV ouJth as II full and abfblute pov^er over his adopted fon as over his own ilTue ; fb in «»» i^iy.iv the fpiritual, the adopted fbns have a clear and undoubted right of inhcri-
ovty.a, nf </tia • * "
ifivffiTau, «< afgiyajiiva, )c, tW ln'oivutv Aj^o-rjiU'it. Theoph. ibid. ^C.iii Infi- 2. f/f. 5.§. 4. Spadones aiitcm, <]ui gencrare non pofTunt, adoptare jpoflunt ; & licet filios gencrarc non pofllnt,quos adopcavcrunt filios habere po(runt,'L'/;>, lit. §. 6. Hi qui gencrarc non polTunc, velut fpado, utroque modo polTunt adoptare. Idem juris ell in coelibc, Theoph. tit, II. 7vyjv ttK 'i-)(Ci Ti< rrauSdi Sia. tI (jlyi tKif-v iH yd.iJ.ov, 3 «a9s7c f^\ p.)) i'ejStmti7\acu J) n fro/ef OTs/JJ^ai fiiv, "imCdiMd^ 3 t«t»{, ri mc <# f,'j<n<i'( «AaT7t'jua » to (\nj.Ca.v /vru'^ii/i/a /Sb'ac/mV®" ^K.*^\fsJ ., tKadv ti{ t^Aaiuf ri»ci.^ Uonii Nn/el 27. 7oT{ ei7vy7j7V d-TriuSiav t^uttv (IvKm^Q- ii Jv^ytitjut >itx& n'tSsleTi&J o-ifsaarw, Z) yvijAn iiLiiya K]S,5^y 0 ij.h d^-jogjv ha.Ciiv Tragji <? tpvcnaf. • I John j. i, •■ Eph ?. 15. * In alicnam familiam tranfitus, if the dcfi:riptim in A^ellius, l.$. 19. Ci»m in alienani familiam inque liberorum locum c>:tranti funiuotur, auc per pr*torem fit, aut per populum : quod per pritorem fit, adoptiodicitur; quod per populum, arrogatio, /*. ' Eph. j. 18. II Ai appcArs out if the fyim ofRog.uion yet extant in thit wanner : Velitis, jiA)eatis, C^irites, uti Lucius Valerius Lucio Titio ram jure legcque Kilius fibi fiet, quam fi tx eo patre matrequc faniilias ejus natos effet, utiquc ci vie* nccifquc in eo potirrta* fiet, uti pacri endo filio eft ? lb.
tancc.
i Believe in God The Father.
29
tance. He then who hath ^ predefiinated m unto the adoption of Children byje- ' ^/''-- •• 5- fui Chrifi to himfelf\ hath thereby another kind of paternal relation, and ^o we receive the '' Sprit of adoption whereby we cry^ Abba, Father. •• Rom-.irtf.
The aeceflity of this faith tn (jod as in our Father appearcth, firft,in that it is the ground of all our filial k^r, honour and obedience due unto him upon this relation. '^ Honour thy Father is tht first Commandment with promife, writ- ' Epb.6, \i 2. ten in tables of ftonc with the finger of God ; and, children obey your parents in the Lord , is an Evangelical precept, but founded upon principles of reafon and juftice ; for this ii right, iaith S. Paul. And if there be llich a ratio- nal and legal obligation of honour and obedience to the fathers of our fiejby how much more muft we think our felves obliged to hirti whom we believe to be our heavenly and everlaUing Father ? ^ Afon hononreth his father., and a \MaUL\,6, fervant his majler. If then I be a fat her, where is my honour ? and if I be a ma- fter, where is my fear ? faith the Lord of hojls. If we be heirs, we mull; be co- heirs withChrid ; if Ions, we muft be brethren to the only.- begotten : but being he came not to do his own will, but the will of him that lent liim, he acknowledgeth no fraternity but with fuch as do the lame ; as he hath faid,
' Whofoever fhall do the will of my bather which is in heaven , the fame is my "Man, 12. brother. If it be required ot a Bilhop in the Church of God, to be ^ one that e i^"',* '' '
so.
rnleth well his own Houfe , having his Children in fubje^lion with all gravity ; i- AAiff. a.'a.' what obedience mull be due, what fiibieftion muft be paid, unto the Father ' ^^•'"•7. .
of the family? ...... . 2.r°'^4W.
The fame Relation in the Objedl: ot our Faith is the lite of our devotions, (rx,5fTior -ra- the expeftation of all our petitions. Chrift, who taught his difciples,and us ^T'* ^f^ in them, how to pray, propounded not the knowledge of God, though Itvcud,!'^^ without that he could not hear us ; neither reprefented he his power,though Bif^riivuy. without that he cannot help us ; but comprehended all in thisRelation, ^ When ^^™ '^-^ ,^j ^^. ye pray, fay, Our Father. This prevents all vain repetitions of our moft earneft ^^ yK^'TtU? defires, and gives us fuUfccurity to cut off all tautology ; for '' Our Fatijer ^f^'- knnweth what things we have need of before we ask him. This creates a clear '•■Meb.
12.
alTurance of a grant without miftake of our petition : ' What man is there of 9> jo. ^ us, who ifhisfon ask bread, will give him a flone ? or if he ask {ifb,will give him .^^^ ^onnj,]j^ afnptni P If we then who are evil know how to give good gifts unto our children ; crcdimusincu- ho.v much more [ball our Father which is in heaven give good things to them that "' 5"',^'§" ask him ? quam Domino
Again, this paternity is the proper foundation of our Chriftian patience, priht-amus ? fweetning all affliQions with the name and nature of fatherly corredions. gi^,tuiiri"&" '' We have had fathers of our flejh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence : sauderc nos fhall we not much rather be in fubjelJion to the father of Spirits, and live ? efpe- ^^^^^ ^}^'^' cially confidering that they chajlened us after their ownpleaftrc ; but He for our catligationis. profit, that we might be partakers of his holinefs : they, as an argument of their £6", j"q»it, authority ; He,as an alTurance of his love ; they, that we might acknowledge )/"''(,. o'fcrv"m them to be our Parents ; He, that he may perfuadc us that vvc are his Sons : ilium beatum For whom the Lord loveth he chafleneth, and fcotirceth every [on whom he recti- f."^".^ cnienda- veth.And what greater mcitement unto thecxercileol patience is imaginable inibt, mi di- unto a fuffering foul, than to fee in every ftroak the hand of a Father, in e- K'latur irafci, very afflidion a dcmonftrationof his love? Or how canft thou repine, or be ^"ndi diifimu- guilty of the leaft degree of impaticncy, even in the fliarpeft correftions, if lationcnondc- * ihoitfhalt know with thine heart, that as a man chafleneth his f on, fo the Lord thy \l^pl^ '^"'"'' God chafleneth thee ? How canft thou not be comforted, and even rejoice in 'Dm.'s.i. the midft of thy greateftrufflTings,whenthouknoweft that he which ftrikcth pitietli,hc which afflicleth is as it were afflifted with it? ""for like as a father '"''Mio? ij. pitieth his children^ fo the Lord pitieth thtm that fear him.
Laftlv,
30 ARTICLE I.
LaiHy, the fame Relation iirongly inierreth an abibkite neanTity of our imitation ; it being clearly vain to ailume the title of Son without any fimili- * UM-ti -y tude of the Father. What is the '<■ general notion of Generation but the pro- itw" W~* duclion of the like ; Nature, ambitious of perpetuity, driving to preferve the 'Epip!i.hlr*^6. /pedes in the multiplication and fucceflionof individuals? And this flmilitude •*• confiftcth partly in elTentials, or the likenefs of nature ; partly in accidentals
or the likenels in '' figure, *or afleftions. * Mam hegat a fan i» bis cmi like- ^ JJ^*'^ j^ nefs, after his image : and can we imagine thofe the Tons of God wiiich are no fji;'<am^ Tci waylikchim? A fimilitudeofnaturewemull not, of figure we cannot pre- '^'VAr'iiht^de ^^'1^ ""f° •■ ^^ reiTiains then only that we bear fome likenefs in our aclions c7nerM. Ani-^ and atfeclions. ^ Be ye therefore followers, faith the Apofi;Ie,or rather imitatorsy mai.i. i.f.p. ofQo^^ as dear children. What he hath revealed of himfelf, that we muft ex- anmTfor^ib^ prefs within our feh. es. Thus God fpake unto the Children of //r/ie/ whom he & bonis. Eft in ftylcd his Son, "Tefljallbeholy.forlamholy. And the Apolile upon the fame cq^'uTpatrum" ground fpeaketh unto us, as to obedient children, ^ As he that hath called you \ ircu5,ner im- is holy^fo be ye holy in all >nanner ofconverfation. It is part of the general bene- beiium feroccs f^^ence and univerfal goodnefs of our God, that " he maketh his fun to rife on qu?la'"oiuni- the evil and on the good, and fndeth rain on the juji and on the unjufi. Thefe him. Hw.oii. impartial beams and undillinguifh.ing fhowrs are but to fhew us what we '"^spixf.l^. ought to do , and to make us fruitful in the works of God ; for no other fi/^)i1si. Fiiii reatbn Chrifi hath given us this command, ^ love your enemies, blefs ther»that hominum funt, ^uyf^ jo-f^ do good to them that hate you, that ye may be the children of your Father ticilm°;quan- tvhich IS in heaven. No Other command did he give upon this ground, bur, do bene, filii /^g yt therefore merciful, as your Father is merciful.
Dei. 6. AMi.m ^ * J ■> /
I'fjl. 5a. ' Lev. n. 44 and 19. 2. /flii 20. 7. * 1 Pet. I i^. ' -Waff. 5. 44, .jj. yide S. Au^. in Pfitl. ico, 'JLulyd. p. Si.TiJIitudincm pjcris aftus indicenc foSolisi fimilitudo opcrk finiilicudinan indicct generis: aftus nomcn conlirmet, uc nomcn genus dcmonllret. Ax^tle Temp. Serm. 'j6.
So neceflary is this faith in God as in our Father, both for direftion to the bell of a£lions, and for coniblarion in the worfl of conditions.
But although this be very neceflary, yet is it not the princij:)3l or moft pro- per explication ofGod's Paternity. For as we find one perfbn in a more pecu- liar manner the Son ofGod; fo muft we look upon God as in a more peculiar '7?*. ic. 17. manner the Father of that Son. * I afcend unto my Father, and your Father^ cia/3«/V» jajj}^ Qur Saviour ; the fame of both but in a different manner, denoted by ^.,)«;xVt- f ^""^ Article prefixed before the one, and not the other : which diftinftion in (f Cfiuv. //.tJ the original we may preferve by this tranflation, / afcend unto the Father of Jifcetl^ its^ zwf, and Father of you ; firif f/we, and then of you : not therefore his, becaufe article, there ours ; but therefore ours, becaufe his. Sofar we arc the fbns of God, as we leemi^fa ^^^ likcunto him ; and our fimilitude unto God confifleth in our conformity then: had the to the likcncls of his Son. ** For rvhom he did foreknmv, he alfo did predeflinate tntide beenpi. (g y^ conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firjl'born among ma- '/Js'!i7etlSd "^^''^f^^''^"- He the firft-born, and we fons, as brethren unto him: he*^-i;«- *j-.< fc:med pointed heir of all things, and we heirs of God,as joint-heirs rtith him. Thus God cMYs-Lt" '^ fi»( forth his Son, that tre might receive the adoption of Sons. And becaufe rve bi:n;prejJx:dto are Sons, God hath fcnt forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, lifJs^cTtilt ^^'^^'^''- % liis miffionare we adopted, and by his Spirit call we God our Fa-
i:d
/iun/»7 7i iin>}.a.')f/.:Ytv. S.Chr\foft. ad locum. ° Rom. 8. 29. ' f/eb. 1. 2. '' Cd/ 4 4, 5, 6. Hoc facie Deus cx filii* Jioniinura filics Dei, quia ex filio t>ci Iccit Deus fUiurn hominii. S. /iK^. in Pfal. 51.
ther
1 Believe In God The Father. 51
ther. So are we no longer ^ [trvants, but now fans 5 and. iffons, thin htirs of ' '^•'-''"- 4- 7- God^ but ftill through Cbrifl. 'Tis true indeed, that ^ both he that fancfifieth, "'Vrf.s. n. that is, Chrifi, and they ivho are fancfiftd, tliat is, iliithful Chriflians, cr? ^//(,/' o»e, the fame Father, the lame God ; for which canfe he is not ajb.imed to c^i'.l them brethren: yet are they '^ not all oniim after the fame manner, not the linjcHtdlife" ^ many Sons like the Captain of their Salvation : but Chrifi tlie beloved, the aiictriiliusDci, firll-born, the only-begotten, the Son after a more peculiar and more excel- %J''ff'-" lent manner; the reft with relation unto and dependence on his Sonfliip ; as toUuu I ^fi.- givenunto him, "^ Behold 1, and the children which God hath given me ; as be- " «'^i^>' !<*/■■«• ing fo by faith in him , ^ For n-e are all the children of God by faith in Chrtsl Hf^'l^il"! ■'^ Jejm ; as receiving the right of Sonfliip from him. ^ For as many m nc-^ived y>.\i^ ^-Jy^ j^ him^ to them gave he power to become the fons of God. \\ Among all the foPiS *^5f<a,T8f*e- of God there is none like to that one Son of God. And if there be fb great ^s. cynLfiienf. a difparity in the Filiation, we mull make as great a difference in the corre- ^■'"■'''^•i- Ipondent relation. There is one degree of Sonfhip founded on Creation, and ^ ijki'. s'. ts'. tliat is theloweft-, as belonging unto all,both good and bad : another degree ^^i>- 2. 13' above that there is grounded upon Regeneration, or Adoption, belonging I'i^/;,^^^^^' only to the truly faithful in this life : and a third above the reit founded on liErgonemoin the Refurreftion, or Collation of the eternal inhcritanccjand the Similitude ^.'"^ Dcyimi- of God, appertaining to the Saintsalone in the world to come : For s we are oei^Tipfe'di- now the fons ofGod,and it doth not yet appear what ire jhall be ; but we knorv that fi"? <•(! filius when he ihall appear , we (hall be like him. And there is yet anot!ier decree S-'r '^^ "°^-''
PT--I- .■'',''•'. , ,-,-p ■' . . ^ (ti luiiius nlii
or Filiation, or a greater cmmency and adinerent nature, appertaining pro- Dei: Stdquis perly to none of thefe, but to the true Son of God alone, who amongli all "l"^ '"■liiisDo- his brethren hath only received the title of his * own Son, and a fingular tc- Del ? I'l'ie uni- ftimony from Heaven, '' This is my beloved Son., even in the prefence of fchn cus, nos nmiii. the Baptilf,even in the midft oiMofes and Elias,(\v{\o arc certainly the fons of in''iiio'un"ra God by all the other three degrees of Filiation) and therefore hath called God iiie naais, nos after a peculiar way ' his own Father. And fb at laft we come unto the moft ''^°P""- '!'<: fingular and eminent paternal relation, '' tmto the God and Father of our Lord unigcnicus' per Jefiis Chrtfl., n>hich is bleffed for evermore; the Father of bim, and of us, but "■""'"•"'i' nos a not the Father of us as || of him. Chrijl hath taught us to fay. Our Father : pc"' g°a7ia'm 5 a form of fpeech which he never ufed himfelf : fbmetimeshe calls him the Aii^.Ffri.ss.' Father, fbmetimes ?w7 Father, fbmetimes /car, but never w/r; he makes no ^'/"'"l'^* fuch conjun£lion of us to himfelf, as to make no dilfinftion between us and Ut mTgniriarn.- himfelf ; fb conjoining us as to diflinguifh, though fb diltinguifhing as not t'J i^ei diie- to feparate us. aionisexcom-
r paracionis ge-
ncre nofccrecur, non pepercidc Pacrem proprio filio fuo docuic. Nee utiqiic proadoprandis adoptaco, neque pro creatis creaturjc: fed pro alienis fuo, pro connuncupandis proprio. Hilar.l. 6. dcTrin- '' yJ//ir. 5. 17. andi-j.'^. Anne ibi in eo quod dicitur. Hie eft, non hoc fignificarc videtur, Alios quideni cognominatosabco filios, fed IiIl filius mcus eft ; Donavi adopcionis pluriniis nomcn,fcd iftc milii filius eft ? Id. ' "J^bn 5. i8 Tra.Tifa. Ifiev "ihiyi r ■5-i'ov. "t t<.')'n 8.32-5< y. -rs itfti* Ci» ini'T.timlo. ' 2 Cor. II. 31. II Non ficut Clirifti pater, ita & noftri pjcer Nunquamcnini Ciiriftiis ita nos conjunxir, ut nullum diflinftionem facerec inter nos & fe. 111c enim filius aqualis pucri, ille artrnuscuni patrc, patricjuc coxtcrnus : Nos autem fa<fli per filium, adoptati per unicum. Proindc nunqnam auditum eft do ore Domini noftri Jelu Chiifti, cum ad difcipulos loqueretur, dixillc ilium de Deo fummo patrc fuo, Pater nofter; fed aut Pater incus dixit, aut Pattr vefter; ufqucadeo uc quodam loco poneret hac duo, Vado ad Veum meum, inquic, fy Deum \eftnim. (^ujrc non dixit Deum no- ftrum ? & patrem meum dixit, & patreni veftrum ; non dixit noftrum ? Sic jungit nc diftinguat, lie diftinguit ut non fe- jungat. llnum nos vulc efle in fe, unnm autem patrem & ic. S. Aug, in Joan.Tiait, 21.
Indeed I conceive this, as the moft eminent notion ofGod's Paternity, fo the original and proper explication of this Article of the Creed .- and that not only bccaufe the ancient Fathers deliver no other cxpofition of it; but allb hecaufethat which I conceive to be the firfl: occafion,riie,and original of the Creed it fclf, requireth this as the proper interpretation. Immediately before the afcenfionof our Saviour, he laid unto his Apoliles , All power is given -w^f. 28. i3, tfnto me in heaven and in earth. Go yt therefore and teach all nations, baptizing ^'
thtm
^2 ARTICLE 1.
tkm in the mme of the Futhtr^ and of the Sc», and. of the holy Ghoft. From tliis » Anitt .wJEii- lacred Ibrm oF Baptifin did the Cliurch derive the * Rule of Faith, requiring cr'^.ddlrnacd t'l^ protefiioii of belief in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, before they could toCo>>ihmwt\- be baptised in their Name. When the Eunuch asked Phi/ipy ^ [Vh.it doth hin- TdfcTlui *-7i'- ^^^ ^,,g ^g he baptized ? Philip f^id. If thou believeji with all thine heart, thou 9Ll'^u%' f»\yffi •• And when the l-Ainuch replied, J klieve that'JefusChnfi is the Son dyc^v i-jx-)r.- of God ; he l/.tptizid him. And before that, the Samxritans., '' when they be- J, ^ 7©''tVxi;'I;» li^i^td Philip preaching the thiKgs concerning the kingdom of God, and the name ■ 7.7< tau/T? ofjefus Chrijl, mere baptized, both men and tvomen. For as in the Acts of the MdWoit.no- _^\poI^lcs there is no more expreiTed than that they baptized "^ in the name of e«1eS ***' !/f/«-f ^l^xfi • lo is no more exprelTed of the Faith required in them who were rriylt Tu «9- jq be baptizcd, than to believe in the fame Name. But being the Father and S dui'^'ir ^'^<^ Holy Gholl were likcwife mentioned in the firft Inllitution, being the B?o/!^T-r1*- exprclTir.fj; of one dotli not exclude the other, being it is certain that from the T^tV, jt;?t'f, y\pc]ilcstimestlK names of all three wereufed; hence upon thcfameground '^:Ii-3'^. was required Faith, and a profelTion of belief in the Fatlier, the Son, and the .-.xV./.I.V.ii. [loly Ghoft. Again, as the Eunuch faid not fimply.I believe in the Son, bur, ^xthTn' rhk ^ beliez-c that 'Jijus Christ is the Son of God, as a brief explication of that part cii-fjnn of cf the Inllicuiicn u liich lie had learned before of Phi/ip : lb they wlio were ^//' '^^'T" converted unto Chriftianity were firft taught not the barenames.but the ex- cimL'lJ'of plications ar.d de!criptioriS of them in a brief, eade and familiar way ; w!)icli the Church bj wlicn they had rcndi cd, acknowledged, and profefled, they were baptized %Tm.f4m. '" ^^^Q^' And thefe being regularly and conllantly uled, made up the Rule //2.C.27. of Faith, that is, the C/efi^. The truth of which may fufficiently be made ap- jn the fime parent toanv who lliall ierioufly confider the conlfantpraQiceof theChurch,
manner Eue- r , ^ A . 1 • i- 1- i i- • i ti 1 ■■ t- • 1 1 r-
biiu ddixend Irom tliC fir ll Age unto tins prelent, ot dehvenng rlie Rule ot taith to thole hk Creed unto vviiich uetc to be baptized, and fo requiring of themfelves, or their Sureties, t-ue!Zd[dU ancxprefs recitation, profeiTion, or acknowledgment of the Creed. From and'dcduang't u'hcncc thisoblervatiou is propcrly dcduccablc ; That in what fenle the name £ '^'JT - of Fathtr is taken in the Form of Baptifm, in the fime it alio ought to be ta- « lSj&- 1 ** ken in this Article. And being nothing can be more clear than that, when it uy,-i.n'^.}>.-iv is faid. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, the notion of Father hath in JIi'"/4l^T«' this particular no other relation but to that Son whole name is joined with /tia9„7iv, «Ti, !iis ; and as we are baptized into no other Son of that Father, but that only- "Xl!u'llr ^^go'ittnChriji Jefus, ib into no Other Father, but the Father of that only- &c. jwr.Z'i. begotten : it foUoweth, that the proper explication ol the firft words of the c. 8. ne}d:r. />ef^ Js this, / belifve in God the Father cfChrifl lefi/s.
I. I.e. 13.
The fame k alf^ attedged by the Council of Antioch, under the Emperour Conjlantiw and Pope Julius. Socrat. I. 2. c 10. Ude S. /iihan.tj. in Epijh ad ubi^ue Crthid. Crat. contra Cregales SabeUii, ^ contra Ari.mos, ex Deo Dew. I'lde Bajll. de Spirit. S. Si HiiUMT.ql'erfisDial. I. 1. m-iteV^JriiM and Aih.wafmi ]ointty fpe.ili_thefe vwds : Credimus in Dciim Patrem Onmipo- tcntcm, & in Jcf.'.ni C!iri(K;ni hiliiim ejus, Dominuin noftrum, & in Spiririim S. Hxc eft fidei noftri Rcgula, quam coc- Icfti magillciioDominuitradidit Apoftolij, diccns, Itc, Bap:izacc,Zirc-. ^A7.3. 56,37. "Verfc 12. ' A7. 2. 7,i. and 8. 16. and ic. 48. and 1^. 5.
In vain then is that vulgar diftinftion applied unto the explication of the Cretd, whereby the Father is confidered both perfbnally, and clTentially : perfcnally,as the firfl in the glorious Trinity, with relation and oppofition to the Son ; elTentiallv,as comprehending the whole Trinity, Father, Son, and Hcly Ghcli. For tliat the Son is not here comprehendcfl m tlie Father is evi- dent, not only out of the original, or occafion, but alio from the very letter of the CV(e<^,vvh;ch teachcth us to belitve in God the Father, and in his Son; for if the Sc n were included in the Father, then were tlie Son tlie Fatlicr of him- Idf. As therefore when I fay, / believe in Jefus Chrifl his Son, I mull: necelTa- rily underftand the Son of that Father whom I mentioned in the firll: Article;
fo
1 Believe In God The Father.
59
fb wlien I laid, I believe in God the * ¥.ither, I mull: as neceflarily ba under- ^p^crchmia- Itood of the Father of him whom I call hh Son in the fecond Article. '^'^^ F-iii intei-
Novv as ic cannot be denied that God may feveral ways be faid to be the pius^^fupTadi' Fatlicr oi'O^r^jf ; firft, as he was begotten by the ^ Holy Ghoft of the Virgin fti- fie Imigo Mary; fecondlv, as he was fentby him with fpecial authority, as ^ the King ^,^|J^-'"f' on'fr.tel; thirdly, as he was "^ railed from the dead, out of the womb of the 'Li(e"i/"'i. earth unto immortal life, and made heir of all things in his Father's houle : fb " 7-'>'-"' i°« 3<?.. muft we not doubt but, befides all theIe,God is the Father of that Son in a more f^// 1^' , , cmincntand peculiar manner,asheisandeverwas'*wiihGod,andGod:which 55. fliall be demonftrated fully in the fecond Article, when we come to fhe w how l-^^*" ^'}'n. Chrifr is the only-bcgottcn Son. And according unto this Paternity by way Qit/'^^A of Generation totally Divine, in which he who begetteth is God, and he i-^tTii?- i-^.v- which is begotten the fiime God, do we believe in God, as the eternal Father "ff",^''^,,!' of an eternal Son. Which Relation is co-xval with his Effence : fb that we riui '-^vmny- are not to imagine one without the other; but as we profefs him always f^^ °'^* ^"^ God, fo muft we acknowledge him || always Father, and that in a far more l^^l "^^'^"i- * proper manner than the fame title can be given to any Creature. Such is ^Q-.^-Oi-z/. the f^uftunnt condition of humane generation, and of thofa relations which fi'^i/'T™-^' arile horn thence, that he which is this day a fon, the next may prove a fa- ■)))?, i^ in^il ther, and within the fpace of one day more, without any real alteration in '^^^o< ^"v \x- himlclF, become neither fbn nor father, lofing one Relation by the death of ,^7,',?. fl-z^l! him that beaot him, and the other by the departure of him that was begotten Hiicf.62. by him. But in the Godhead theie Relations are more |i proper, becaufe fii™Deu's" lixed, the Father having never been a Son, the Son never becoming Father, iw nunqua fu- in reference to the fame kind of generation. icnon Pater, a
° cjuotiliasnatus.
Oennad. de Ecclef. dogm c. i. Credimus in Deum , cundem conficemur Patrera, ut eundcm femper liabiiilTe filiuin nos crc- daraus Chrjfol. Serm. ^^. Inert Deo piecas, eft in Deo femper affeftio , pacernicas permanec apud ilium ; femper ergo filfum fuille credas, nc pacrem femper non fuifle blafphemes. Id Serm.62. Advertice, quod cum Dei patris nomtn in Con- fell loiic ronjungit. ofttndit quod non ante Dtus efle ca-peric 8: poftea pater, fed fine ullo initio & Deus fcnipcr & pater eft.
10 i!|3{ *« ifos V4). S. Athatiaf Vijp contvaAridms. \\ 'Etj juocik -f ■SioTtf]©- to Tftliif iC, to i|J< iaiici 1^ 'i^v a-fi- r^ p: )i ccv^s^i-TTyv ei irnLTiif h'yilcil Tif, dW iTtfu yiymv v3f> j^ •< iio* hkytltu-, a/A* iti^v hiy^cu Toji'if d'^E W div%fci>- •xay (ji» oa^eSj x.vtia( to Tajg^f iCj ui ofoja*. S Athanaf. Tom. i. fl^Tilf xweiaf, ot< nn xj ^H. acar-f Kj i^Jj Kvcicif, on fj.ii >^ TKt'liif. TO. y^ ii^»T££jt i KveJui, ort 1^ eiy-ptt. Greg Na^. Oral. 55.
A farther rcafon of the propriety of God's Paternity appears from this, that he hath begotten a Son of thefame nature and elTence with himfelf, not only fptciHcally, but individually, as I fliall alfo demonftrate in the expofition of the fecond Article. For Generation being the produ£fion of the like, and that likenefs being the fimilitude of * fubftance ; where is the nearefl identity * Etiamfi fiiius of nature, there mull be alfb the moft proper Generation, and conlequently in°"quiburdam ])e which gcnerareth, the moll proper Father. If tliereforeman, who by the fimiiis, in qui- benediftion of God given unto him at his firft creation in thefe words, ' Be |^^"jj^j|^" ''^^'^'.'; fruitful^ andmultiply, and repknijh the earth, begetteh a Son ^ in his own lil{e- umcn quia e- ntfs, afttr his image, that is, of the fame humane nature, of the fame fubftance '"'l^*-'" '"i^ftan- with him, ^whichif he did not, he fhould not according to the benedi6fion verusfi'i ills noil multiply himfelf or man atall,j with which fimilitude of nature many acci- potcft, &quii dental difparities may confift, if by this a£lof Generation lieobtaincth the )Icg"rj^eiufdem name of Father, becaufe, and in regard, of the fimilitude of his nature fu'jiijmix non in the Son ; how much more properly mull that name belong untoGod him- v°^^^^ ^ ^"&- Iclf, who hath begotten a Son of a nature and elfencc fb totally like, fb to- c. '1*5?" tally the lame, that no accidental difparity can imaginably confifl with that i^tdcUo. sum.
i.J-rrirv? M.-^/wf?. ?^
^^^1'"'^} ■ m.2.adqi,.r,t.
[Gen. I. 23. ''Crn. 5.3.
P That
3 +
ARTICLE 1.
f
That God is the proper and eternal Father of his own eternal Son is no^v A > . . declared : what is the eminency or cxcelicncy-of this Relation iblloweth to
nVTi 70 0- - 1 1 T /- r 1 I !• 1 • I -It
vixt n "a- beconfidered.Ingeneral then we may lately obkrve, that in tlie very ^ name Vf f^^C'^^^ of Father there is Ibmcthing of eminence w hich is not in that of Son ; and ^c!*77W./.". fomc kind of priority we mult afcribeunto him whom we call the ind; in c. 8. infciiaiiir rclpcQ of him \v horn we term the fecond Perfon : and as we cannot but S'riraVinfi''" aictibc it, 16 mull we endeavour to 1| prelerve it.
lio nativitas.s. Now that priviledge or "* priority confifteth not in this, that the eflence or nfi"''^' ■ iu ' ^ft' '^"•'t'^s of the one are greater than theelTcnce or attributes of the otiier ; lift-r^SuK^' (for we fhall hereafter dcmonllrate them to be the fame in both) but only Of tt?ia/n=t f u- in this, that the Father hath that elTence of hirafclf, theSonby communica- vl'^'fiWal'^ ^''^" ^°"^ ^^^^ Father. From whence he acknowledgeth that he is "from him, ■r auTiov A4- that he '' /i'Veth by him, that the "^ Father gave htm to have life in himfelf, and ^"'Jth ^'r' g<-'n^'"a"y icferreth all things to him, as received from him. Whereforein this Tuc.l^ ^^' lenle fomc of the Ancients have notffuck to interpret thofe words, '^ the fa.;- **H^»;< -5 K->.- ther is greater than I, of Chriflas the Sonof God, as the fecond Perfon in the L*T^ ''^rr^< l^l^i^^d Trinity ; but ftill with reference not unto his ElTence, but his Gene- ra jf oji^ ration, by which he is underftood to have his Being from the Father, who Sftw, T.:V only ]iaj-ii it; of himfelf, and is the original of all power and effcnce in the
"^^rtJt'^^^l- Son. ' Jean of mint own felf do nothing, faith our Saviour, || becaufejie is not /4o\ )(Po T«( of himfelf; and whofbever receives his Being, mufl; receive his power from 'TiictT/*^v 'Another, cipccially where the elTence and the power are undeniably the fame, Bafil.nm.En- as in God they are. ^ The Son then can do nothing of himfelf but xvhathe fteththe mw./. u J^ W;er ^y, becaufe he hath no* power of himfelf, but what the Father gave:
"John 6. $7. ' John 5. 26. '' John 1 4. 28. fj-tilav, MWti', i fxiyi^H rni iji ;^6»w , «M* </)tt Tiiy i^tuJH n rra^if ©- yit- I KjTf. S. Alhaiiif. contra Arianos, I. 2. ht^-Jilaj 7»i»tu) xj" t thj aiTia< K'oyov ai]aZ9ct to nHl^av Asjti^ , kiinJ^ ^ &» rx •Kctlf^ii II i-tX" '^ ^?) yS* ''^To f/f<^<vi' '. Tjt^Hf , aJf tun®- 19 *PVij- Hi 'lyo Kvti !?- « wec/O varnf fj.v /i/»!^<iir |uk S2i k«9o Tcniif /oAovcT/ • Ti 'j TaTTif Ti £>Ko Qiffxwn, » k'x' '■o '"■'■let il) ly a'f X" ^ '5 'UJ'''' ';^jynQ'it]&' i S- Bafil. cont. Eunom. 1. 1. And the ftme S.BiM doth not only aclyowkdge this to be true inreffell of the Dhine Nature of Chrij}, but thinl^th the Divinity ej'the Son ma) be proved from hence. '£•)« '^ ^ i^. ravrttt t« ^iictif, to ouoirtw V^ t vJc to Tojet <AiA.«o5j ■Ti-jU<djK:f.. ral yi Qvyye'ffns tlJir- xi/e'&'f "sSj rf^ 7V( ajJTnf jt/jKjf j/i'ouVa<' afyif^oy ^ dfyiw Atj^ioV nf^C"''*' '9 (ti'^pwTOc dvQfarts tf)K<i'i,Ti(:v, «, TJiiKiv t]hi'S TttyuTiffy. H Toil luj aJ QvyKexaHf i^ ^ oij.onJSv jitovjyj, ixti^oi' j xj' Qjyy.ei(ni' ttfnjaj 0 Tij/iV ''^ u<i ofidiffi'S' T7.) Tttlei !. i/of. Ad Cijiirienfes EpiJ}. 141. ToiufJ^of^ S?t T«f air'tat, re 'j lavy r^f fj(na><. Mar. Oral. 5s. Z7 (7r(tf. 4>?^ » vj" tmh ^usne tJ //«^o:', ;^ tW cuTi'«ti' /e. K/«'t' £/;/■/; /n yJ/irur. c 17. h •;} At'yo/ T/f /xw^oca Ij) r Tttltf » K^Sa (UTi^ T i|<, i/i 7-.-7o d/JifS/jii/J- S. Chr\f. Homil. in Joan.",'^. ]ff^ Ttiyo-tSy r(f} ^ rm iaiat h'oye* lireifyuy
Fatri, cxccpco co qi;6d illc iiipaiiu:s eft, S: iftc gcnitus. De Trinit. I. 1 1. Idco totum quod habec, quod poteft, iion tribuic Tilii, fed ratri, quia non eft a icipfo, (cd a Patre. Aiqualis eft enim Pacri, fed hoc quoque acccpic a Patrc. S. Aug. Epifi. 66. Nccellccftquodammodo prior lit, qua I'ater (It; quoniam antcrcdat ncceirccft cumq liliabctorigincm, illequi oiigincm iitfcit. Siniul ut hie minor fir, dum in illo cllc fc fcit, habcns origincm, quia nafcitur. Novatianw. Major itaq; Pater filio eft, & plane iiiajor, ciii tantum donat clTc quantus ipfc eft, cui innafcibihtatis ettc inugincin facramento nativitatis impcrtit, qucm ex (c in forma fua gtnerat. S. Mil.ir. ae Trin. I. 9. Non praftantcm quenquam cuiquam generc fubftanti*, fed fubjcftum .ilcerum alteri iiativitatc natiira- : Patrcm in eo majorem cfle quod Pater eft, bilium in co non minorem clfc quod filius fit. Id. de .V>H f ,;;(/<i Aiianis, Quis Patrcm non potiorem confitebitur ut iiigenitum .1 genito , ut Pattern i filio, ut Cum qui mi- Icrit ab to qui milfus eft, ut volcntcm ah ipfo qui obediac? fe ipfe nobis tcftis eft, Pater ma]ot me cii. Id. dc Trin. /. 5. In CO ouod in fcfc fiint Dei , ts Deo Diviiiitatcm cognolcc ; in co vcro quod Pater major ej}, eonlcd'ioncm paterni authoritatis intcIHgc. Id. An. And before all thefe Alexander Biflnp o/Alexandria ; To 3 <t>^u'i'ii]oi' -t&5 ■Trd.'i&i ix-'vot )cA'«//« -xi^nteu <A'- VA^ofls*, a.Ti p lif aZn za.VKo\]& ri o^t^(& , 'O Tttjiif ixk ijieiC,av //» ajj. Theodor. H:l}. I. \.c. 4. Laflly, rve have the te- Jtimon; oj Ihotiu;, that man) of the ancient Fathers fi expounded it: Tlui'O -jrali'if fm (/»i^\»' /xv <>?7, ri iijify^Kiii p'vlui, lAxfifac ci -ra'n^u iiu?/ 'ocf^^'t'fir ■ cl /5' yl( toLin -ni cuTro fjifi^orei Hf7\^. Epiji. 175. yKqiialis I'atri ; fed major Patcr,quod ipfc dedit ipfi omnia, & caiifa eft ipfi ^ilio ut (it, ut ifto modo fit. I'lilor.Afr. I. i. Pater, inquit, ma]or meed; mcrito major, quia folus hie aurtor line aurtorc eft. ;'/;jp/W/m. ' John 5. 50. 19. ||C^icquid filius liabctuttaciat, il Parre iia- bct ut Ijciat. t^uarc lu'.Kt a Patrc ut faciat ? quia a Patrc habet ut I- ilius ("it ; quia a Patrc habet ut poflit ; quia a Patre habct ut (it. A. Aug. Trail. 20 m Joan * Non alia potentia eft in Filio, & alia fubftantia -, fed ipfa eft potcntia qua: fubfbntia ; fub- ilantia ut t:t, potcntia ut pclTit. Ergo quia b ilius dc Patre eft, idco dixit, Konpotcfi Pilius afefacere ijuicquam: quia non eft filius il fc, idco non potcft a fc lb. Totum quod eft, dc Patrc eft ; totum quod potcft, dc Patrc eft ; quoniam q nod pottft & eft, dc Patrc totum eft. Ih. Non potcft Filius i fc faccrc quicquam, nifi quod vidcrit Patrcm facicnani : quia de Patrc eft to- rus Filiuf, & tora fubftantia & potcntia ejus ex illo eft qui gcnuit eum. Id. Trail, 2 1. Et primiim (• ilium cognofcc,cuni dicitur, Kcjipoteji hiliM ,i Je Jacere -juicjuam, iiiji 'jiiodviderit P.itremf.icicntcm. Habes nativitatem Filii, qua;ab fc nihil potcft faccrc nifi vidcac. In Co autcm quoil ii fc nihil potcft, innafcibilitatis adimit crrorcm. Abfe cnim non potcft polfc nacivitas. .i. Ni- l.ir. dilrin. 1. 7. Dum non ii fc facit, ad id quod agit fecundum nativitatem (ibi Pater autor eft. td.l 11. Autorem dilcrcvic, c^mm, tionpate^ a fe facere : Obcdicntiani (ignificat, cuni addit, Nifi quod xidcnt P.urem fidemem. Id. de Sjii.
and
1 Believe In GodTheFathePi.
35
and being he gave him all the power, as communicating his entire and undi- vided Ellcnce, therefore rvhat things foLverhe doth^ thtjt aljo doth the SonUke-, wifty by the fame power by which the Father worketh, becaule he had re- ceived tiie fame Godnead in which the Father fubfiiteth. There is nothing more intimate and elTential to any thing than the lite thereof, and that in no- thing fb confpicuous as in the Godhead, where hie and truth are fb inlepara- ble, that there can be no living God but the true, no true God but the li- ving. ^ Iht Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everUJUng K^'no, '7^f- lo. lo. laith the Prophet jeremy; and S. Paul puttetli the TheJJalonians in mind, how » jj^'^ j/.* they ^ turned from idols, to (erve the living and true God. Now life is other- Sicuc habec Pa- wile in God than in the Creatures : in him originally, in them derivatively ; meT"T"d^' in him as in the fountain of ablblute perfcdion, in them by way ofdepen- die & HibvU tlence and participation ; our life is in him, but his is in himfelf; and ^ as the "'" ^^?^"^ '» Father hath life in himfelf, fo hath he given to the Son to have life in himfelf: hoTlolh^m in- II both the fame life, both in themfelves, both in the fame degree, 4/ the one, terfic inter Pa- yi>the other; but only with this difference, the Father givethit.and the Son qu™ pffcr"™'- receiveth it. From whence he profeffeth of himfelf, that the living Father fent betvitam infe-
him, and that he liveth ^ by the Father. metipfo quam
nemo ei dcdic. Filius autcmliabccviramin femetipfo quam Pater dedit. S. Aug. TraS. ii^.injoh. Incommutabilis efi vita Filii ficut & Pa- triSjSi: taraen de Patre ert :& inkparabilisefi: optratio Patris& Ulii; fed tamenitacperari liliodeilloeft dequoipfeeft, id eft, de Patre. Id. dc Trin. I. 2. c. 1. ||Sicuthabct, dcdit ; qualcni habet ded't; quantam habec, tantam dedit. Li. contra Jitaxim.l.^.c. 14. Ergo quod dicitura'tVir ji/w, tale eO aclidiceretur, genuic filium ; gcnerandocnim dedic. Qiiomodo enim dcdit lit edet, He dedit ut vita eirtc,S: fie dedit ut in lemctipfo vita cHer. Id.Traii. 22-inJv]. Tali coiiftflTione ori- gitiii lux indifcrctA'iiatura; perfefta nativitas eft:- C^uod enim in utroque vita eft, id inutrcque lignificatureftentia; & vita qui:generatut ex vita, id eft, clfentia qux> de cflcntia nafcitur, dum non didimiiis naftiiur,rcilicct quia vitacx vica eft, tenet in fe indifliiiiilcm naturam originis fui', quia & nati' & gignenciselfentia, id eft, vitSE qux habc;ur & data eft, limilitudo non difcrepet. S. Hilar, de. Spwd. adverf. Ariams. C>uia ergo apparec vita Patris hoc efle quod ipfe eft ; firut iiahet vitam in fe^ fie dedic ; fic dedit bilio liaberc virana, id eft, ftc eft elTe bilii, ficut effc Patris. Vigil. Ajric.tmts Difpm. In vita naturi' & eflenti.v fignificatio eft, qisx ficut habetur, ita data efle docetur ad habendum. S. H:lar. rb. * Propter Pattern vivat Filius, quod ex Patre Filius eft : propter Patrem, quod eruftacuni eft verbum ex Patris corde, quod a Patre procclfit, quod ex pa- terno generatus eft utcro, quod fens Pater Filii eft, quod radix Pater Filii eft. S- Ambroj. de Fide, 1. 4. c. 5.
We muft not therefore fb far endeavour to involve our felves in the dark- nefs of this myfl;ery, as to deny that glory which is clearly due unto the Fa- ther jwhofe preeminence undeniably confiffeth in this, that he is God not ofany other, but of himfelf, and that there is no other perfbn who is God, but is God of himfelf. It is no diminution to the Son, to fay he is from ano- ther, for his very name imports as much ; but it were a diminution to the Father to fpeak u) of him.* and there muft be fome preeminence, where there ^ is place for derogation. * What the Father is, he is from none ; what the lo patre, Fililis Son is, he is from him: what the firft is, hegiveth; what the fecond is, he ''e Deo Patre : receivcth. The firft is a Father indeed by reafon of his Son, but he is not ^''7,[i?io"'e'(f ■ God by reafbn of him ; whereas the Son is not fb only in regard of the Fa- quodauccmPa- ther, but alfb God by reafon of the fame. '".^'^'P'PP"^.'"
' ■' Filium eft. Fi-
lius vero& quod filius eft, propter Pacrem eft, & quod eft, a Patre eft. S. Aug. Irtiif. i^.injoh. Filiuro dicimusDeum de Deo, Patrem autcm Dcum tantiiiii, non de Deo, Unde nianitcftum eft quod Filius habet alium dc quo fit, & cui filius eft; Pater autem non filiumdc quo fit habcat, fed cui Pater fic. Omnis cnim filius de patre eft quod eft, *: patri filius eft : nullus autem pater dcfilio eft quod eft /./. dcTrin. I. 1. c. i. Filius non hoc tantiiin habet nafcendo, ut Filius fit, fed omnino uc fic. lb, I. 5 c. 14. Filius non cantiim ut fic Filius quod relative dicitur, fed omnino ut fit, ipfam fubftaiitiaiii nafcendo habet. lbid.c.i<,. Pater non habet pattern dc quo fit, Filius autem dc Patre eft ut fit, acquc ut illi cc-i'ternus fic. Ibid. I 6.c.-io. Ab ipfo, inquh, fiim; quia Filius de Pacrc , & quicquid eft filius , de illo eft cujus eft Filius. Ideo Dominum Jedim diciinus Deum de Deo, Patrem non dicimus Dcum de Deo : &. dicimus Dominum Jefum lumen de lumiiic, Pai rem non dicimus lumen deluminc, fed tantiiin lumen. Ad iioc ergo pertinct quod dixie , >li tpfo fiim. Id T>,t!L in Job. 51. Pacer non eft fi non habeat Filium, & I'ilius non eft fi non habcat Patrem : fed tanicn Filius Dcus de Patre, Pater autem Dcus, fed non dc Filio : Pater Filii, non Dcus dc Filio ; illc autem Filius Patris, & Deus dc Patre. /./. Tr.ill. 30. in Job. Hoc tamen inter Patrem & Filium intcreft, quia Pater a nullo hoc aeccpit, Filius autcm per gencrationem omnii Patris acccpit. Ambr.inEpift.adFfh.cj, Eft ergo Dcus Pater omnium , iimitutor & creator, folus originemncfciens. Kiviit. de Trinit c.^i. vphereas he [peak? oftef 'he Son , Eft ergo Deus , fed in hoc ipfura gcnicus, ut clTec Dcus. Pacer eft Dins dc quo Filius eft Dcus, de quo autem Pater nullus eft Dcus. S. Ah^. Epift. 66.
F 2 Upon'
36
ARTICLE J.
Upon this preeminence (as I conceive) may fafely be grounded the con-
gruity of the Divine MilTion. We often read that Chrilt was lent, from
/'f>. ?. I. whence he bears the name of an Jpoftle himfelf, as well as thofe whom he
John 20. 21. therefore named lb, becaufeas the Father fent himjoftnt he them : The Holy
Ghoft is alfo laid to be lent, Ibmetimes by the Father, fometimes by the Son :
* Pater cnim But we * ncvcr read that the Father was fent at all, there being an || authori- [cSurmiifuT ^y ^" ^'^^^ Name which feemsinconfiftent with this MilTion. In the Parable, J'. Aug. I. 2.de ^ a certain honjJjolder which planted a vineyard fir ft fent his fervants to the hitf- Jnn. f 5. bandman, and again other ftrvants, but laft of all he Jent unto them his Son :\t non legicur had bccn inconliftcnt even with the literal fenfe of an hiliorical Parable, as not miiTus, quufo- at aH confonant to the rational cuftoms of men, to have faid, that laft of all autho°rcm''i^^ the Son fent his Father to them. So God, placing man in the Vineyard of his quo genitus fir, Cliutch, firft fcnt his lervants the Prophets, by whom he ^ fpake at fundry times vcl Jquo pro- ^,^^ ^^^ diver s manners; but in the lajl days he fent his Son: And it were as non"'proptcr'^° * incongruous and inconfiffent with the Divine Generation, that the Son luturcdivcrH- fliould icnd the Father into the world. ' As the living Father hath fent me^ and puT"Vp'fanf au- ^ ^'^'^ h ^^'^ Father^ faith our Saviour ; intimating, that by whom he lived, by thorincciii, fo- him he was fent, and therefore fent by him becaufe he lived by him, laying Iu5 I'atcr non |^j Generation as the proper ground of his MilTion. Thus he which beoetteth
ilicitur millus: ^ , , , , 1 • f • .i 1 ■ r a r 1 r 1 ■ 11 1 1
non enim fendeth, and he which is |1 begotten is lent. '^ ror I am from him, and he hath ipicndor auc J^fjt rne, faith the Son : from whom I received my Effenceby communication, fcd'ignis mitlit ^^om him alfo received I this Commiffion. As therefore it is more worthy to live fpicndo- give than to recei ve,to fend than to be fent ; lb in refpeft of the Sonfhip there is rem ''^^^^'^rvo J^j^^ priority in the Divine Paternity : from whence divers of the '^ Ancients Serm. cmr. A- read that place of S. 'John with this addition, * The Father (which fent me) is >/<w. C.4. c^ui grtdter than I. He then is that ^ God who fent forth his Son made of a. woman, that tcm 'Vua°m in ^c^ who hath fent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father^ to qucd mic So that the authority offending is in the Father : which therefore ought to ^s^Hdll'^T^l' ^^ acknowledged, becaufe upon this Miflion is founded the highelf telHmony 'Atof. 21. 33', of his love to man; for herein is love^ faith S. John, not that «e loved God^ but ^'■- , that he loved us, and fent his Son to be the propitiation for our (ins.
^ Heb. I. I, 2. ' -^ ' '^ •* ^
* Si voluidcc Dcus Pacer per fubjcLUm creaturam vifibilitcr apparerc, abfurdinfimc tamen aut a Filio,. queni genuit, ant \ Spiriru Sanfto, qui dc illo procedir, midus dicerctur. S. Augujl. di Irinit. lib 4. c.i;> nit. ' John 6. 57. |j Filius eft igicur i I'atre miffus, non Pater a liiio; quia Filius eft i Patre natus, non Pater a Filio. Fulgent. I, 8. contrtt Fabia- num , in CotUH. Thodul- de S. S. Quis autcm ChrifUanus ignorac quod Pater miferit , miiriifque fit Filius? Ncn cnim genitorcm ab co quern genuit, fed genitum a genitolrc mitti oportebac S. AugHjiin. contra Alaximin- lib 5. f. 14. Ubi audis, Iffe we mifit , noli intdligere nature dilTimilitudincm, fed generantis authoritatem. Idem Trait, 31. in Job. 'Eyiajj'ia. sy a 4rer6iAc« x) 0 '^irwfD^'ofjSfJ^, Ira Ai^if tV Ttttlay ayaiSy lAav ^ ■f 'T})ym; Tis7ifj t Il<tT4f^- Epiph. Hsrtf. 6f. 54. Hence thi language of the Schools, Miflfio importac procefliontm originis, as Thvn. A^uin. 10. q. 43. art. i. adprimum; oc authoritatem priocipii, as Durand, I. i.difl. lyq. i. ^ Johni. 29- * Ai>«fj j^tf 7i fmiyfi Eua-jj-sAlii Kaxat ifutivJiii'lif, oTi i iirrwAa^ ^t irctrrt ^'i^mf fu 5}i, Jaith Epiphanius of the Arians ; and anlwcring.,gi-ants in tnefe words which folhw, t^ rrfSriy fJ/i i ^r^?^at fit tcitm^, ipdfKM, K^i^i >C\'\ira( )xt. Hirtf. 69. $J. To the fame purpol'e Athanaf. de Hum. A'.if . fufc. is; Cyril. Theftur. I. 11. read it, 0 ««ju4<« M« -Tra/rnf. and S. Bafil mal^s Eunomius read it fo, in his firjl Bn\^ ag.tinil him, and with that addition anfwers it. So the fccond Confeffion of the Council of Sirmiuni, botb in the iMiHc O'iginal, and Crr f ^ Tranjlation. S. Hilar, de S)n. S. Athanaf ix Socr. /. 2. c. 3. • Job. 14. 28. ' Col. 4. 4.
Again, the dignity of the Father will farther yet appear from the order of
the Perfbns in the bleffed Trinity, of which he is undoubtedly the firll. For
although in fome palfages of the Apoffolical difcourfes the Son may firft be
iCur. 13. 14. named, (as in that of S. Paul^ The grace of our Lord Jeftts Chrifi, and the love
ofGod,and the communion of the holy Ghoji be with you 4//,the latter part of which
is nothing but an addition unto his conftant Benediftion ;) and in others the
1 C;». 12.4, 5, Holy Ghofl precedes the Son (^s,Now there are diverfities of gifts, but the fame
^' Spirit ) and there are differences of adminifl rat ions, hut the fame Lord ; and there
are diver f ties of operations , but it is the fame God which worketh all in all : )
yet where the three Pcrfonsare barely enumerated, and delivered unto us as
the
1 Believe In God The Father.
37
the ''^ Rule of Faith, there that order is obferved which is proper to them ; * nn.^^-DJ'if witneli. the form of Baptifm w the name of the Father, and of the So/j, and of ' ^""^'^ T'^ the Holy Ghoji ; wliich order hath been perpetuated in all ConfelTions of tJ< (j.a.',n-i<ij- l^aith, and is for ever 'J inviolably to be oblcrved. For that which is not in- <i4>/'<;/(-T^''Ao; ftituted or invented by the will or defign of man, but * founded in the nature ]l''^c!$^^. of things themfelves, is not to be altered at the pieafure of man. Now this ►*»/" ri priority doth properly and naturally relult from the Divine Paternity ; fo that '^^^'^'■'^, ''g^l the Son muft neceflarily be ]| fecond unto the Father, from whom he receiveth £/.//"?. go. hisori2;ination,andthe Holy Ghoft unto the Son. Neither can we be thought irA<;t()7»('_ )^
to want a fufficient foundation for this priority of thefirrtPerfbn of the Tri- nity, if we look upon the numerous teftimonies of the ancient Doftors of the ^<y<T^Vf< Tto> Church, who have not ftuck to call the Father the * origin, 11 the caufe, f^"'^"*,'*" ^
contr.i Eimvn. 1.7,. Si unum Deum fingulariter nominamus, excludentes vocabulum fecundsE peribna', turorem ejus hircfis ap- probamiis qui ipfum alTeric Pacreni pafTim. Phxbnd. contra Arian. Illi ciii eft in Hlio fecunda perrona,cft & tertia in Spiricu Sanfto. U. Sic alius j tilio Spiritus, ficuc a Fatrc bilius : fic tercia in Spiritu, uc in Filio fecunda perfoiia. Ibid. O-iine quod prodic ex aliquo, fccundum fit ejus necelFe eft de quo prodit, non camen eft feparatum. Secundus autcm ubi eft, duo (unc ; &tcrtius ubi eft, tics func : terciusenim eft Spiritus aDeo& Filio. Tertnl. adverf. Praxeam, c. 8. Sicaiium a fc Paracietum quoinodo &nosa I'atre alium Filium : ut tcrtiumgradumoftcnderet inParacleto,ficucnosfecundum in tilio. 7iii/. c. o. Hie interim acceptum a Patre munus effudit Spiritum Sandum, tcrtium numen divinitatis, & tertium nomen Majeftatis. C,rp. 20. *0 J^iuJiny^iPvofUiUt /tfVsf ©- «" Sfii' i)o« Kit3i^Ki, mt£ji rk -rttlg); i^ri Vi) <,To7o< /i 17) wAiijrJf. Enft'b. Dcm. Ei.w, /.4.C.5. Ec quidem confeflione comniuni fecunda quidem ab aucore nativitas eft, quia ex Deo eft •, non tamen leparabilisab au- tore,quia in quantum fenfus nofter intelligcntiam tencabit excedere,in tantum necefle eft etiam generatio cxccdac. S. fJiU,-. di' Trinit. 1. 1 2. Tua enim res eft, & unigenitus tuus eft filius, ex te Deo Patre Deus verus, & a ce in nature tux veritatc genitus port te ita confitendus, ut tecum, quia iternSE originis fuse es author sternus. Nam dum ex te eft, fecundus a te eft. Id. Tb^ b) the Schools is cdled ordo nature, ordo originis, ordo nacuralis prifuppofitionis. Which being fo generally acl(notvledged by the fathers, when we read in the Athanafian Creed, In this Trinity none is afore or after other, rve mufi underfiand it of the priority ofpnfe^ion,ortime. * UiKfay y6ivtin ly dLva-^iav if}(^i fxt>}^ov j ixiKf~< t» tyivx^itK, |U» ■9-toT»7-3" ac df/ri 1^ dyt.'ih- TnlQ- 'f u ij'i <J Tf^/xa-Ti ^iaf\s/Jpn{. Naz^. Orat. 1. CT 29. Hu^oviKh *f x"'' '^ M" »£a7^<^"?it riyof \ijfilrji , ci.}^^
a-yfovov dfX** '>**'""'■- TToJe^^t* *f5c'' j^Si/Ja^^^ocQ-, a.VaT<t\«Tj3-. S.Cyril. Hier.Catecb. 1 1. 'Af^^i; u1vr^c„( iJ\y.\a.,itx^\'i t'i iJ?o Tuliif. S.BafiLcontra Eunom. I. 1. ^iay{\<u KofTrlv 0 (/«**£<©- Evx.yyt\i^( C'^tk^ecy iuiy Ipuh- yj,vy TO '? if/iK ovo!xu..KfiyyaftT*(fV,a( HiiU,^f df)(lu» nyai ptim ri auiiv t rictjifix, «j' i j^ i I^Sv 'iK^ijL-\.i Aov®-. xaSx'a^ '<J^ fih'm ri ^a(. vK*ya.iX^ -mf Tiw flo'Ti'if ; S. Cyril Alex. Tliefaur.c. 32. Ciim dixilfet, quern mittet Pater, addidit, in nomine meo : non tamen dixit,7«cm mittet Paler a me, quemadmodum dixie, quem ego miitam vobit a Patre ; vix. oftendens quod totius Divinitatis, ve!, fi melius dicitur, Deitatis, principium Pater eft, S. Aug. de Trin. I. 4. c. 20. Unum principium ad creaturam dicitur Deus, non duo vcl tria principia. Ad fe autem invicem in Trinitate, fi gignens ad id quod gignitur principium eft, Pater ad Filium principium eft, quia gignit eum. S. Aug.de Trin.l.'^.c.i^.. I'atcr ergo principium Dei- tatis, Gennad.de Ecclef.Dogmat. c. i, Inthiffenfe the Greek^Fathers ufedaiydifx'^^ asproperto the Father, (inthefime mtionrvitly d-^uynrQ- ^ with relation to the ^■smd^\\im^roA\x6tiOTiii,) and denied it to the Son: 'O ;J 4^<' iiv ft at alriov rovw/Jif>gi ?^iit.u.Cdvif<,vx.iyufx&'d.fX'' ><^m'» o^<tl«ia(curi@- ' ieiy 3 tIu> W ;^oct( >'oit< .*?>■•''')<< «t'af5t®''^'»^.0>-.if. 20. Ei ti( di{'hnri>ti <!, iyu-f^oy KXyti r q o», of <PlJ» itAfX''-^ % <^' d-^ytiTA f,i-)aY, ^ JVo ^oiar iti<, dydQifxa. f s& Synod. Sirm. Conf.frim!i,tbiii firjl tranjlttedimo Latin ; Siquis innafcibilem & fine initio dicat Filium, tanquam duo fine principio, &(iuo innafcibilia, Sidio innatadicens, duos faciet duos,Anathema fit. S. Hilar, de Synod. In which fenf; the Plutonifts didunderli.ind d'^'JvrdS- of God,"Sl^ h'k dy.^iyT>i ^iyniVMUM ri KOffixHSft,, fit^ i'^ytd©- in m) ^ ^iyt /j.oy»y, i}f,i )u ri &b cuTiav, Kitf 0 Qw.'xjy'ofjifjov >C, Toy d^ioy d-^ynrty >\y/^. Hierocles de Frovid. And the Latins attributing the term princi- pium to the Son, do it with the addition ofdcor ex principio. Pater principium non de principio, Filius principium dc principio. 3. Aug. contra Maxim. /. g. c. 1 7 . Principium ex principio fe unum eft,& initio caret. Fautim Rheg. Epifi. 1 6. Ex orc,inquir, Altinimi providi. Hac eft enim nativitas perfeitaSermonis, hoc eft principium fine principio; hie eft ortus habcnsinitiuni in nativit.itc, inftatu non habcns. Phjebad. contra Arian. Sicutincreaturisinveniturprmcipium prin)um& principium fccun- dum ; ita in perfonis divinis invcnitur principium non de principio, quod Pater eft,& principium j principio, quod eft !■ ilius. Tho.Ajuin. 1 . </. 5 5 <J<'f . 4. Andtothit all the Schoolmenwritingon hU Summes agiee, as all the Sentences, i.liij\.2<). HAiri* SJiV H t5 558 n/'mj, ^19 7» ii~, ;^ tS ct'jiK TkEii/ual©-, >h •? K\'i<!\t< irdan<> S. Alhanaf Dijfert. Orthod. iy Anom. 'A AXa m JJf iui>i.[i.iid-jjjvnra:i K, (ti'ctf-/«« JesgsjTO, >7th SJiV ajTlA »? aTai'7a»i' oi'liif aJria*- oK yaf nTitJf^t 0 i^if, cAJ T4Ttt;1«. S. Bafd, E/I//K 45. "And upon that place,t\\\i(.i3y have I begotten thee; 'Ay^iro p., j4-)^uVi))i*. tmc aljla.y dip m( 'ixi tAf d^yhurk t|) ffufjii ItH- Id. iOntra Eimom.1.2. nS( iJ\iAa.y ftaipoc^y x.a1aA.»JT«, n'JV Tnp tn/ajTioK ""(^^fTdiy^ajJT^ im- id^X\!aa.v\ Id. I. I. \\(}( t3, ot/ syi iiA,9oc o» ttJ iyofjiuJiri'Tralt^if (/.«, liSiviu y^>\, St( afy^t iaxiiy ic, cLnia.ythyf!>ti'f ikV^"'^ :j-^.7«faTaiir4At>(;.W.£;>//f.64. i^ntftpj.yi^ <»o<;a nay w> n'oyajf Teu(Tex<iir (<A67it»i, Tii dicuTio i^mletK^tU euTixT.i tll''x)i,;tj T7tajTiA}',i >C) inTOfiujii, i^yyeiffno/uSfJ, Damafc.l.A^^.ToyTitl'iesf''^ ^'"y* *W (^o$ia<, j^TefCoKkara Tcsw/it)*^ ■rit d-)iii, ^TTfUTlw aJniai' x] df/^JJ (pdtA> 'f ^i'orn]Q- e^. Zachar. Mitylen. And although ThomasAquinas, and Eugchi.ii Btfliof 0/ Rome in the definition of the Councilofl-lotcBcc, have obfcned that the Greel^s in thif cafe do ufe the term of raufa, but the Latins only principium ; yet the very Latin Fathers in the 2$.SeJJion of the fame Council have thefe words, iAay ■j'.yatKtiJ^Th "ituri^ouTlay, j^ pl^atK, ;|^ Tt)>W t«( •^sctf??®- ' W»'f /wveif/in- c/ffi/Viftorinus AfcrjW/M/rfj/, Pater
cauHr
5i'reo
38
ARTICLE J.
caufj eft ipfi filio uc (it. So S. HUjt). Dcura nafci, non eft aliud qium in ca natura cffc qua Deus eft, quia nafci ciim caufara nacivicatisoftcndJt,noncJ;fproncic tamen ingcnercautoriscxfiftcre. D.Tun. I. ii. ExSpiriru enim lpiriti;5r.ai(:(.rs, Jicec dc proprictace Spiricus.pcr quaniS: ipfe Spiritus cftjnafcanir, non taTivrnalia ei pnetcrquam pcrtertarum arquc indcmurabi- fiunicaufarumadiilquodnafcicurcaulaeft, & ex caufa, iict-c pcrtcfta arque indemutabili nafcens, neceire eft ex caula in caufi ipfiusproprictacc nafcarur. /./. /. 12. Qui ex eo qui eft nacuscft, incelliginon potcft ex eo quod non fuit nacusclTe, quia ejus qui eft ad id quod cftcaufjcft,nonctia.-n id quod non eft origonafccndi eft. 7};V, Dcus omnium qu,i luntcaufa eih Qiiod auctmrerum omnium caufaeft, ctiam laprcntii- furciufa eft, ncc unquam Deus fine fapicncia fua. Igitur fempitcms fxu fipientif cjtvU eft fcmpLccrna. S. Au^. I. i^.^Hiii. \6. AnJafiintcaHeUthit'.vhertki ciHje efihi S<m,J'a tkiy accwntedit tke pro[rien of the Father n be n-ni'.ut a caufe ; m ail^ars out o/Altxander the Bijlnp 3/" AlexandriaV Epijl. before froduced.
* K'f kaie ci- * the authour, the !1 root, the ^ fountain, and the i! head of the Son, or the
ted PI abadius u 1 t-\ • •
fr^.tt:ns f, be- whole Divinity.
fore; to which For by thelc titles it appeareth clearly, firft, that they made a confidera- si^ nhT'uur ^^^ ditfcrcncc between the perlbn oftiie Father, of whom are all things, and adhuc & dc A- the pjrfon of the Son, by whom are all things. Secondly, that the dirterence poftolo rcqui- confifteth properly in this, That as the branch is from the root, and river ftatun™™'^cft, from the fountain, and by their origination from them receive that being iinguiaris lu'^v which they have ; whereas the root rcceivcth nothing from the branch, or im^'qif 'per f'ii^iit^aii ^'oni ^^^^ '"'^'S'" • ^^ ^'^ Son is from the Father, receiving his fubfi- natnram auco- ftence by generation from him; the Father is not from the Son.as being what rifuon.>igicur: he IS from nonc.
A!ii:d eft line auto eclTe Temper aternum,3liud quod patri, id eft, autori, eft cairernum. Ubi enim pater aucor, ibi S: ujciviiaseft. At vtrj ubi aucor .ncrnus eft, i'>^i & nativitas xcerna eft: quia licut nativitas ab autorc eft, ica ab icerno autorc nativitas eft. Id. I. 1 2. (^od vero ex xcccno natum eft, id ft non atcmuni nacum eft, jam non crit &. pater autor acerr.us. Si quid igitur ci qui ab icerno pjtrc nacus eft ex ^ernitacc deftierit, idipfum autori non eft arnbiguutn dcfuilTc. id. Natum non poft aliquid, fed ante omnia, uc nativitas tantura teftetur aucorem, non prxpoftcrum aliquid in Ic aucore llgniSctc lb. Natus aucem ica, uc nihil aliud quam te fibi figniricet autorem. !!>. Ipfius tamen auror eft Pacer generando line iniiio. Ruff, in S)m!). Si propcerca Dcum Patrem Deo hilio dicis autorem, quia ille genuit, genitus eft ille, quia illc deilloeft, non illcdc ifto; faccor S.: concedo. S.Aug.cmtra M.ixim. I. 3. c. 14. I'Nec dubitaverim Filium dicerc & radicistruticem, 8c toncis rl'jvium, S: Solis radium. Tcrtul.adv. Ptaxeim^c. 8. Nee frucex came n a radice, nee fluvius a loiice, ncc radiusaSoledifcernicur; JxatnecaDcc fcrmo. htd. 'E-;j ^ y6 0 -zxl^ f Ti>^no:' 'ix"'-' to 17) <)<'!'5''<ft«> fi^a. «; Tti>ii 7^ ijf *S iS a[)ix TKA'/xarS-. S. BjJIL H^mil. 26. Dominus Pacer, quia radix cl\ Filii. S. Ambrof. in Luc. I, 10. c. \.ut fy' d; hjde, I. 4. c. s. S. Cyril, of Alexahdrin. Jpe.if;ing of the Baftifmul inflitution, Ttu? /*' jap dymraiTo i^i/^cLy,
i< i-rill.ttVXTO QjfJiT:lviI\V., tlKO.lS'Hf TOV I'eLTl^ ' Toy A Jt "f ttVUTtlJU pi^Mf iKTJIUKiTct )^ yt-yfJiniJ^Oy Vtl£jf/i^l1
Tinjli'. DcS.T'in.Diiil 2. .'''''Aj'af ^J^ 0 -rarrf -rn-yn t5 -r cftx.ai»7uju«c Tiil«/t>i«, n fxe/fi^'i 0 iat.Ti\f. Cnil. /ficrof. Cuiech. II. In hacergbnacurafiliuscft, S: in hoc originis fontc fubftftens procellic ex fapiencc fapientia, cs torti virtus, ex lumine fplen Jor. Vi^'l. Difp, 'il( ird^nn •5i« j^ 5^ ajjik Tit\ftl<, cutiov outJc i^j:; d< Tnyiuu luun, r.dKC^^iv TDja^oi'. Bafil. Himil. 23. t^'-'ii «ei T» m'Tm 3ria yc^z«y ^M:n, eiicii'.i*'' oui.-jfj Ui ts]«/ix:< MfLn'nf, iKT0fit/i|<Jii/3" •Tmaokot* If. i ei\ti9e{ •tiiv''< ■>"''< ^''mj- Tiit ri ■rctTg/< diWn'Q . AH. Loncil. Nic. I. 2. c. 22. And St. Ciril. ofAlexiindrij., vh) often ujerb this exprcffion, gives in the full fgnifcarim of it in tbefe words, upn 1 of S. John: 'AJ)kiuh 3 oKa( vjiy t3, i-J< it irn'yJ, ttJ ffa^e' rir tj3r vsrsf -/wf ivraHf ' ix'ivoy yif t3 (^ «" t3 riif td^m* c* tWok ocopca nuslyM. Patrem quiJcm non gcnitum, non creatum, fed ingcnicum proficemur ; ipfc enim a nullo origincm ducic, ex quo & Filius nativi- utciTi, He Spiritus Sanftua proctfl'ioncm acctpit. Pons ergo ipie & origo eft cotius divinitatis. Circil. Tofet. an- 1 1 . Quanto magis Dei voccm credcndum eft & manere in sternum, & icniu ac virtucccomitari, quam dc Deo Patrc tanquam rivus dc fonte craduxit ? I all.tn. defalja S^p. /. 4. c. 8 . ir rurfm c, 1 9. Cilm igitur & Pacer filium t'aciac, S: Filius Patrem, uni utriq j mens, unus fpiritus, unafubftancia eft ; fed illc qual'i exuberans fons eft, hie tanquam deriuens ex co rivus ; ille tanquani Sol, hie tanquam radiui i Sole porrcftus. |! Caput, quod eft principiuin omnium, Filius-, capuc aucem, quod eft princi- pium Chriftx^tjus. Concil. S'rrm. accepted and expyunded at Oiihidox by S. Hilary. Caput enim omnium Filius, fed capuc Filii Dcu!. .V. ///.'. ie Sin. Ciim ipfc fit omnium capuc, ipfius camcn capuc eft Pacer. Rjiff. in Symb. Tu capitis capuc, & primi tu tontis origo. //iLr. ad Uin m. Out. J)>o ^^r i'y,iu, ctT^i Kit-jKn Ti ti? 0 Tajwf, ^1* » i^yju Onl. H:si fC.itich.\ i. Capuc Filii Pater eft, S,: capuc Spiritus Sanrti Filius, quia de ipfo accepit. S. A^^. Siusfi. yet. Tejl. 9. S. Chrffjlome if fi tlearh afll.\' opinion that 1 C:r. 11. i< ro be underjiood ifChril} as God, that fnm tiicnce he prnes him to have the fame Ejfence aithOid: Ei^cif JtcCiXi'i yuaurtif 0 cicwfi oficnn®' 'j 1! x;;**.)) tt.I cauaTi ' xsioAb o i) < 0 djJf, o//c»'»i©- 0 iJ5t -TrS-wxrei. Sol.l:ca:feThcodotC( up^m the fame place: "H ■^ ^ujjA i tttnu-i ■ftnivS'^t, a>x' ck. rnttiiifTi dvJ'eJt ' e'c/isS ;j3< <tf« "oiiVJ.t'fi&i^, «?>.' ckth^bctk t» d«»- SoS.Cyil. KtpxKi ts Xtif* 0 &ii(> an i^axiji yj' s\iav • jt'^^oinToi )ap G Aiyir w<. ii ^i* «j ■xi.T^f. Ad Re^in. Ep. 1.
"* taftan. I. 1. Somc iudccd of the Ancients may feem to have made yet a farther dif- \.^'i,^' zLk.' ^'^•"ti'i'^c bctvscen the perfons of the Father and the Son, laying upon that M)t',ien. Rclarion terms of greater oppofition. As if, bccaule the Son hath not
K^J""'. '^ his ElTcnce from himlclf, * the Father had ; becaufe he was not begotten *-s. Hu,7n.n of himfclf, the ;; Father had been lb ; becaulc he is not the caufe of himfelf, 6* i. .,j Efh. * theFatlier were. Whereas, if we fpeak properly, God the Father hath
* neither
1 Believe In God The Father.
39
"^ neither his Being from another, nor from himfclf : not from another, that *''^''^?>c®; were repugnant to his Paternity ; not from himfelf, that were a contradiction t^fi^fj^^!/ in it fclf. And thereiorc thole exprefTions arc not to be underftood pofitively ajjTT.'^,i ji^tf' andaffirmatively, but || negatively and excluGvcly, that he hath his Effcnce ^^g^f' ^' from none, that he.is not begotten of any, nor hath he any caufe of his exi- o a^w?>- »* ftence. So that the proper notion of the Father in whom we believe is this, ^fi'"'^'^ 'X that he is a Ferfbn fubfifting eternally in the one infinite Elfence of the God- ^^' |^!^.' '* head • which eflence or fubfiflence he hath received from no other perfbn, s.Man. but hath communicated the fame clTencc, in which himfelf fiibfifteth by Ge- f f^^etT^o'fi^ neration to another perfbn, who by that Generation is the Son. accipias, nemo
fibi ipic & inu- neracor & munus eft. S. Hilar, de Tr'm. I. 2. Qui putant Deum ejus potentia; efle ut feipfum ipfc gcnucric, c6 plus errant, quod non foliim Deu5 icanoneft, fed ncquecorporalis ncquel'piricualiscrcatura. Nulla enim omninorcscft qua'fcipfamgignatun fit. Et idco non eft crcdendum, vtl dicendum, qucd Deus genuit I'e. S Aug. \\ TbU afpearethhy thofi expofitims which have been given "f fitch woviis iis feem to bear the affirnuuion ■■, ai cWTif^ii^h^,ajuTtifvh,<wr'oy»vS , iWTo-^i)(t &c. 'AuToil/ufif, aATo-'JI,-Jii\&-, ix. iK riv^ i{'jfii/j^&. f/efych. And, AuVo^oj^dl-T©-, .^jJs rt'^iJukoT©-, twTii-^vnr& , Id. And after him Suidat ; AUToAo^fuT'r , a"TO')ljoV»)T©-, 0 ^iiiotL-^uvrtTQ-. And if auTi-fptin©- be not auio^iv •j^utn'Jof ' m more if euyTo9ii5^ tobetal^nfor (tjj7'oiiv,or'c^iajJT6, ^■.''.<- EufcbiusHWjw Panegyrical Oration gives thi< title to the Son OIolthm.-
Swj'J./AOV ic twTol^vltM >tj ■ixiTotTot'tAV- contra Anathem quartum Cyr. S. Bafil. iw7o?^a,lw, in Pfal. 48. <fy de Spiritu Sanifo, c. 8. MdajJToi)>iM'>3w>'-'Jj. Epijl. 141. J.Cliryfoft. owToiiflaccffTSK, auT(>iJia.x.Aei'oT\(l-j..S. /^than. gives him them and many more to the jii/ne purpojlr And before all rhefe Ong.''Oti p^ voij.i^aiu}/j ly -rtTWiTAtsflci af^JiSsi' t?) 0ior i^iih (-'>i2, cii.ro ojuToKiy©- J>?i ;^ M ai'Vocroif ia, )i]i a.vToa.hiiina.. And again. 'Xi(fjLai>^ov -flnvv^^X^f^ x.ttK wj^'TAiij7«< xfKoMiila/ ttJ Kuei'w.Tii auT)hiya,K] aOrofot'ia,, ^ at/TooiKuWct,;^ nMToflKOUoffuuri I. 6. EiKiii/ (a t» ^ii 0 '7rfv']'oTOK& rreiaitf icj'mat SciK 0 avTO- ^'cyQ-, >y 1; auTe» All •)«:£, 'in ■S >^ >' a.vromt'iA.Ib. And certainty inthe fame fenfe that «uto< is pined tvitb one attribute, it may be joinedn-ith.my other, and with the Godhead : becaufe all the attributesof Oodare aire ays the fame, not only rviththemfehes, but with the ejlcr.i e. But in rvhatfenfe it ought to be underftood, when thus ufed by the Fathers, it will be neceffary to enquire, left it befo attributed to the Son as it froie derogator, tothet'ather. V. Bafil, Iconfefs,may feemfotofpea\j,as iftheSon rfcre therefore ciuro^oriy becaufe he hath life of himfelf, not from the Fathef,(<^ confequently he may be tertneda.vr'oQi'Q-, as Godofhimfelfnotfrom the Father)
contra Eunoni. ing to the fame ,
fi.9j, l^aluj ovo(/.a^n' -ttav yi to <f) ni._ v ^uv auto^'-'K f?) i S'uudlat. To which teftimonics I anfwer, prft,that thnfe words of hif,a( oiij.ai,(ii I think) fhewthatbe 'ioth not abfol itely deny thefe words of Chrift to be underftoodof hii Divinity, of whichthe reft of the Fathers quoted before did underft^nd it; and not only they but S.BifW himfelf, in his Bool^de Spiritu San{h,c. 8. hath deltxered aclear refolution of this point according to that interpretation, wholly confonant to his doilrine of the Trinity in other pans ofhifworl;:, "O/xv! /u^-roil.a. ij.h to/s ox, '--t fJtiyiiiK ^ i^ifyv/j^aiv ':^<met&a/j^ ti( to ^dvlet^tlfcu aiBif, ov'fT) ^ kv- etot, 71 fHOTf li auTc^-.n. 'E^a ^'^ </>* r 'Ttt]^^a. ' ^ )i 7a ^-S cTuuscf/./s ; OOJ'wjcilcu 0 iiof -roiuy da i<w:>, iJif ' sd i ttuToJiKiK an fin; 'EyjoKlpj t>^a,Cov ri s'l-ra K.ri h<ih.\\Ta> ; Chrift therefore as aVTo^an fpal:^e thoje words, I live by the Fa- ther, and by them fl:etred hii origination from him, from whom he received his life, power and wifdom, at receiving his effence, which is the fame with them. Wherefore thife former pajja/^es are to be looked upon, asif itiroi in compofition did mtdeny origina- tion,but participation, or receiving by way of affeiHon. And that he underftood itio, appears out of the places themfelves-: for in the prft, after 0 ef) '4Cf(»;v i^ai' (t.vToC.c<n {5) i J'lu'icflaj, immediatel}foUoweth,i "j jS 0 xji X*^'' Ayt^ ouJto«,j<©- • andinthefe- cond, after nrdLVTo StlTcgfv l^Siv auraCm f7) « J'wktja,', foUoweth likmife, d< » Ji ri vp'trk^v ^i^/jLctyiiii' djjT<iB;(ntn>i(ti). Vie meaning then "f S. Bafil muft be tbu , that be ivhich receiveth lijefom another merely as a grace or favour, as the Saints receive theit SanHity, cannot properly be termed ojj ' o^wh no more than they cwr 0*7/0; " or 1) he receive it by derivation or participation, as water nceiveih beat from fre, hedeferxeth the fame name no mve than water heatedto be called ouiTo^SfjuoTHf. And this is fully confonant ti the expreffivis of the reft of the Ancients : as particularly Athanafius ;• OJ j^ri ui]oylui toZtcl iV, «'/i 'i^a^iv, Sh- jtpof^av riray (writi >(p 78\t ajJn /ut€Tt;^fli»)tt{, ^ (7x>»/{owV«f JV cwn, 1^ S'uua.TiS'i, j^ Aoj/xk? it axiW y4voidfi«( • ctM.' a/iTeOTji*, aiiT>Koy(^,fjjjTofuuy.ui( 1^^ tx Totlf-.'i SJji' ajjj 09ci( ) aZ i ov x{]^fi'j..,rijjT» <f)y.ciJO<snjiit,cwToc>fi'ii.inpne I'roirept,. And to the fame purpofe,"07 1 k ixiBucll/ji %xi ^ Ji^^'av^ajy ewTo-rnyi xj ouJropp/^* -ra.t]av 'SH •r^ Hya^'v, cwTo^ah >t^ au- •rozw(. Kj <iZTiia.K\.^tt!/.. in the MS. Catena in the K.ofVrmcc bis Library. I'ctav de Trm. 1.6 c. 11. All therejore which the^e compofiiions fi;,nife, k either a negation of a derivative participation, or an affirmation of areality and identity of fubftance, as yet farther appears by S.^^\^\xmK.s, aj^remnJ. SJ1V0 $ii( TaJ.fp xi ' t|3<, ;^ t3 i}<QV rrvd^/jLet, x) « )^ iT-ivaia. and Oi\gei\ him- }e fuponS. John, 1' ajjToJ)Kauofui}tt » inei<fyi< Xc.?d< 8Jt, as alfo 11 ojuToaAii9«a w vtn'iJ'xf, k- h srr.f ti^o, Tf«/|oTi/T©" •f t» V KiyKoit ■^ij-)(aii( a.hi\'''i'iiti. T> conclude, there is aCatbiiickfenfe in which the Son is termed MiT'od'.@^ , aiiTimtii, &c. by the ancient Fathers ; and another fenfe there is in which thefe terms are fo prop, r and peculiar to the Father, that they a> e denied to the Son. Indeed cwTcQi©-, in the bigbeft jenfe, ap iaufi d«3<, pofitixely taken, belongeth neither to the Son mr to the Father, Its implying a miinifefl conir.tdi'lion ; becaufe nothing can have its being aHiutJIy from :t felj, as communicated to it felf, and that by itjelf: but in a negative wav of Interpretation, hynhicbthatisfiidtobeofitfelfwhibisandyei h not of or from another auj- ■Tofls!? belongs properly to the Father, neither generated by, nor proceeding from another; and in that Jenfe it if denied to the Son, becaufe he is generated bs the Father, as m 3-s» 3«Jf, In nfi avji'ia., Ik ho-ytKv Koy'^ , x^ In, t*/; .\ i\h<,jaith S Athanafiu^ com. Ar. Or. 5. from whence be thus proceeds, l/^io( n //.t) u.y t/< mto/ ajWootupiav ff) «] ajjToK'j'^y ^ d^.h', o(X\' « t«to «ii ay ajhoi icwrs ■nalnf iC) ii'o<- and again u /' rj/jjempa. 0 ^ii<, x.) t3 in tbtb cctotop eJfn?*/ rrtv^ S«C«M.iw. Lallly, in iuiother fenji, in which oLnif in compofition is taken n t inobliquo, iwf in Tc£to,aijT''Jli@-, th.it is,iw7i( 0 .Jio<,God liini(llt",dm/ ajjio^aii, cotA m ^wh, life it fcliifo all thefe terms are attributed to the Son as truly, re.illy and ejjential/y, as to the Father. Andthjt the F.ithen took^it ji appears, becaufe they did fometimes refohe the compofition : as when Eufcbiiis calletb Chi ill «u/to9:o», in the Panegynclibejoie cited prefently after be Ipeaki'ththus; Ti yj f^J/ixsM* t» irniJiCixnKiaf <^ Tani>*,uor©- xJou/'tb Si» Koy* c»MJ«(&^ Ttfi TTvd^iJitli ; where aj^ji @u is the fame with mk^^'u, HoW fo-
40 ARTICLE J.
Howfoex'er, it is moCt rcafonable to alTert that there is but one Pcrfon who is from none; and the very generation of the Son and proceflion of the Holy Ghoft undeniably prove, that neither of thofe two can be that Perfbn. For whofoever is generated is from him wiiich is the Genitor, and whofbever proceedcth is from him from whom he proceedcth, whatfoever the nature of the generation or procelTion be. It iollowetli therefore that this Perfbn is the Father, which name fpeaks nothing of dependence, nor ^'ohfti^ti- ^uppofech any kind of priority in another.
sr\e/, ly T£<7tt From hence it is obferved that tiie name of Go^, taken * abfblutcly,is often 9c*'^\ li ttV« in the Scriptures fpoken of the Father : as when we read of God fending his w^r'o' &iU, ^'^'" '^'^^ y ^^ ^ the grace of our Lord 'Jefus Chrift, and the love of God ; and ge- Sjok ^ku- ncrally wherefoeverChrift: is called the Son of God, or the Word of God,the "^oeiLl^iZ name of God is to be taken particularly for the Father, becaufe he is no Son «i.rar CiuJ but of tlic Father. From hence he is ftyled ^ one God, " the true God, ^ the ^t^ttf,, xj X"- on/y true God, ' the ll God and Father of our Lord lefus ChrifL
\5»osa1/«i T a:t1{£5t /'AoT. TheoJ.Miic.vaOfufc. ^2. ^ i Cor. 13. 14. •" i Cor. 8. 6. £/>';. 4. 6. ' 1 Thej]'. 1.^. "^ Job.i-j.^. •: Cor. 1.5. F.fh. I. :j. ||Unxic tc Dens, Dcuscuus. Id cnimquodaic, tum, adnacivitatcm rcfcrtur; cf tcrum non peri- niic nactirain. £c idcirco Dcus ejus eft, qui ex Deo natus in Dcum eft. Non tamcn per idqi:6J PaterDcuscfl, nonfc FiliasDciiscrt. Unxit inimtcDcus, Dcus tuus ; dcfignaca videlicet & authorisfui & ex cogcniti fignificacione, uno co- dcnique diifto utruiiiqucilluin innituri'cjufdctn& digniiatisnuncupationeconftiti'.ir. S.Hilar.l.^. Dcocnimes quo omnia fiint Dens nulluseft qui fine iiiitiosnernus eft. Kilio autcm Deus I'acer eft, cs eo enim Dcus natus eft. Li. fauh p.ff. Cilni aiitcm ex Deo Deus eft, per id Dcus Pater Deo Kilio & naiiviratis ejus Dcus eft, & natura: Fatcr, quia Dei nativiras & ex Deo eft, & in CO Rcneris eft natura qua Dcus eft. U. /. 1 1 . So S. Cyril, of Jeruf.ilem, Catech. j i. ©eJj 0 "ffjfimi-, ■Scot 0 -^tn-
Which, as it is moft true, and fo fit to be believed, isalfo a moft neceflary »m;im«i<«*ii- truth, and therefore to be acknowledged, for the avoiding * multiplication Tf, .A/'j >J5«'< and plurality of Gods. For if there were more than one which v\'ere from Inar'L'uy-' noue, it could not be denied but there were more Gods than one. Wherefore jiw.«, »■ J^'s this i! origination in the Divine Paternity hath anciently been looked upon as ^T^Il! ^<!i *^''^ aifertion of the Unity : and therefore the Son and Holy Ghoft hath been Ac'if>-i<«ra- believed to be but one God with the Father, becaufe both from the Father, ytvJ^Jt,^) who is one, and fo the * union of them.
x»if:.r»< dfKf
S. B.^fil. Humil. 26. In duobus ingenicis divcrfa Divinitas invenitur, in uno autem gcnito ex uno ingcnico naturalis unitas de- monftratur. Fulgen.Rifp.corav.Arian.ad Ohj.^. Si quis innalcibilem & fine initio dicac Filium, tanquam duo fine principio,& duo innafcibilia, & duo innata diccns, duos faciat Deos, Anatiiema lit, Comil. Sirmi. Dcus utic^ue procedcns ex Deo fecun- dam pcrfonam erficicns, fed non eripicns illud Patri quod unus cil Dcus. Si enim natus non tuilFet, innatus comparatus cum CO qui clTct innatus, a;quationc in ucrcq uc oftcnsa, duos lacerct innatos,& ideo duos faceret Dcos. Si non genitus eirec,colla- tujcum eo qui genitus non elllt aqualesinventiduos Deosmeritoreddidillentnongeniti: atque ideo duos Dcos reddidit' let Chriftus, fi fine origincellet uc Pater inventus i & ipfe principium omnium ut Pater, duo tacicns principia, duos oftcn- diffet nobis confequcnterS: Decs, &c. Sovatian.de Trin.c. 31. Ii'nozrif 3 f/i*rtVx"' ^K? t^"^" "* ■?''>'• ■S.Athan.Orat. 5. Tii£j7to u , af I «iy3( Aoy^, n< /t* ■^l.<, »i< 'iv tuTlit ifc i('» Kj iyiv rTudtfAal^^ araptc^wV^f • S.Oregor.Ka^.Or.U.2^. "Oth y6u'\3./* njLf-yji. iv ■jji k^aurm., lyXt (j. li d^yiTu-zov, ^I'a '5 M»ijt«K, 0 -f WoTnl^ hiy^s J)eLtdeipi7aj. S. Bafil /{mil. 25. Patri f.io originem fuam dcbens,difcordiain Divinitatis dc numero diiorum Dcorum facere non potuit, qui ex illo qui eft unus Deus originem nafccndo concraxit. Nnat.c.^i, Conlitcmur hon Decs duos, fed Deum unum, neque per id non & Deum Dei r ilium, eft cniiucx Deo Dcus; non innafcibiles duos, quia authoritatcinnafcibilicatis Deus unus eft. S. Hi- l.ir.de S}nod.wh)fi ajjittunii, Unum Dcuni cllc ex quo omnia, unam vircutem innalcibilem, S: unam banc die fine initio poteftatein: vbich uoids belong unto ik- Fiither, and ilKn it fjlloweihoftki Son y Non enim Patri adiaiitur quod Dcus unus eft, quia & Kilius Dais eft. Eft enim Dcus ex Deo, unus ex uno. Ob id unus Deus, quiaex fc Dcus. Contra vcro non minus jjcr id Filius Deus,quia Pacer Dcus unus fit. Eft enim unigenitus Filius Dei non inna(cibilis, ut Patri adimat quod Dcus unus lit. D; Tiin, i. 4. ♦ fJmt 3 rt7< retjt lA^t deoj • iyatu ■^ 0 Taji'f, «:; »^ xj ^f •*< '<'f a.va.%k\cu t« i;iis. Oic^. Sa\.0rat.'^2. Vntotvhichn.'oiditlwfcofl'kcod.Abucai.tb.ivciflatiyn; &io( ^i^cuf'iTaf f^iyiJajti-jtiSu ulratif, Tixw a.V*T'Ji/r/« ^ Met.- xf ;«Axi«J7if, i itii.i'Q- 0 Trail; f Sity, if «T=r 0 fc)e«Ai>0-.^ Ofufc. 42.
Secondly, It is necelTary thus to believe in the Father, becaufe our Salva- tion is propounded to us by an accefs unto the Father. We are all gone a- way and fallen from God, and we muft b^- brought to him again. There is no other notion under which we can be brought to God as to be faved, but the notion of the Father ; and there is no otiier perfbn can bring us to tlie Ephf.i. i2. pather, but theSon of that Father : For, as the Apoftle teacherh Us, through hifit ivc have an accefs by one Spirit unto the Father.
Having
HE Father Almighty.
4«
Having thus deicribed the true nature and notion of the Divine Paternity, in all the ieveral degrees and eminencies belonging to it, I may now clearly deliver, and every particular Chriftian underftand, what it is he fpeaks, when he makes his Coniedion in thefe words, Ibdieve in God the Father : by which I conceive him to exprefs thus much.
As i am allured that there is an infinite and Independent Being, which we call A God, and that it is impoHible there (hould be more Infinities than one ; fb I aflure my lelf that this one God is the Father of all things, efpecially of all men and Angels, lb far as the mere aft of creation may be if y led generation; that he istarther yet, and in a more peculiar manner, the Father of all thole whom he regetierateth by his Spirit, whom he adopteth in his Son, as heirs and co-heirs with him, whom he crowneth with the reward of an eternal inheri- tance in the heavens. But beyond and far above all this, befides his general off-fpring, and peculiar people, to whom he hath given power to become the [on s of God; I believe him the Father, in a more eminent and tranfcendent man- ner, of one fingular and proper Son, his own, his beloved, his only-begotten Son : whom he hath not only begotten of the bleffed Virgin , by the coming of