A Vindication, Argument 6
Arg. 6. That Doctrine which tends to overturn and deſtroy the myſtery of godlineſs, tends alſo to overturn and deſtroy the Goſpel and Scripture.
But this Doctrine of his ſerves to overturn and deſtroy the myſtery of godlineſs:
Therefore, it deſtroys the Goſpel and Scripture.
The Major Propoſition he will not have the boldneſs to make queſtion of.
The Minor Propoſition I prove from 1 Tim. 3. 16. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God manifeſt in the fleſh, juſtified in the ſpirit, ſeen of Angels, preached to the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Thus the words run in all the Original Copies, unleſs one, in which the word God is left out (as is conceived) expunged by the Arrians; but the ſence of all comes to be ſubverted by it.
I ſhall give the ſence of the words, and then deduct the conſequence from it: and ſhall begin with the ſubject that is ſpoken of, and then ſpeak of the predicate of that which is aſſerted.
God manifeſt in the fleſh] The Son of God, or God in the perſon of the Son appearing in fleſh, by aſſuming fleſh, and uniting it to his own perſon.
Juſtified in the Spirit] Juſtified by the Godhead to be God; that is, by the rays and beams that ſparkled out▪ and ſhined forth in the fleſh, ſutable to the expreſſions of the Apoſtle, Joh. 1. 14. The Word was made fleſh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onelyonly begotten Son of God▪ &c.
Seen of angels] Attended by Angels in his incarnation▪ miniſtery, ſufferings, riſing, aſcending, as the ſtory of the Goſpel ſhews, which gave witneſs to this myſtery of God in fleſh.
Preached to the Gentiles] Preached in this myſtery of the incarnation to be God over all, bleſſed for ever.
Believed on in the world] Received as God in our nature, as the Immanuel, as very God, as the moſt high God, by faith; as Thomas did receive him, ſo all Saints ought: My Lord (ſaith he) and my God.
Received up into glory] Taken up to heaven to receive the glory; not that which was of new given to him as a reward of his ſufferings, but the glory which he had before the world was; which Divine glory was made more apparent in fleſh, which was obſcured before very much, and veiled in it.
That which is predicated or declared of this ſubject, is that it is a myſtery of godlineſs.
Great is the myſtery] It is one of the great depths of God; it is the depth of depths, the head and height of all myſteries; which eye hath not ſeen, and ear hath not heard, and which hath not entred into the heart of man to conceive; which fleſh and blood hath not revealed, but the Father that is in heaven by the Spirit; viz. that God in the perſon of the Son, was ſent by the Father, and by conſent with the Father, gave himſelf to a ſtate of debaſement, humbled himſelf, and appeared in the faſhion of a man by taking fleſh of the Virgin, and becoming together with it one perſon, viz. foreign, God-man; God in the perſon of the Son, and the Son of man, making one Chriſt.
This truth was witneſſed by the Spirit, viz. by the Divinity of the ſecond perſon made fleſh, by ſome glory of the Godhead of the Son, which in fleſh appeared, and declared him to be what he was; and teſtified by the attendance of Angels, and preached, and believed by all ſorts of men whom God hath ordained to life and ſealed to the ſatisfaction of all that might doubt, by his aſſumption into glory; Jehovah the Father therein ſpeaking to Jehovah the Son, Sit thou at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy foot ſtool. Some ſuch enemies were thoſe which contradicted him, and called it blaſphemy, when he ſaid that he was the Son of God, or God in the perſon of the Son; which is all one. This (ſaith the Apoſtle) is the great myſtery which is tranſcendent above all reaſon in the ſons of men.
Of godlineſs] This is that truth, in the acknowledgement of which, and in the aſſent to which, all godlineſs is founded and bottomed: For it is the Goſpel in the grand myſtery of it, the Son in fleſh, that being preached to the world, and received by faith, becomes the ſeed of all piety and godlineſs, by which we are begotten to God, and are made partakers of the Divine nature. This myſtery of Chriſt revealed, forms Chriſt in the hearts of thoſe to whom it is revealed. This Doctrine known and believed, changeth men into the ſame image; that as the eternal Son of God in fleſh is become man-like, ſo they (after they have acknowledged it by faith) are made God-like: for therein is the rich grace and glorious mercy of the Lord revealed. The love of the Father is tranſcendent in glory, in giving ſuch a Son, who is the expreſs image of himſelf, and the ſame God eſſentially with himſelf: And the love of the Son is ſuperlative, and above all the conceptions of the ſons of men, in giving himſelf, when it is rightly underſtood that this Self whom he gives is God bleſſed for ever.
This truth believed, works aſtoniſhment, and the ſoul is raviſhed with the thoughts of it. But the other, viz. God's giving a Creature for us, and a Creature's giving it ſelf for us, is a lowe buſineſs, in compariſon of this: nor can the heart be ſo confirmed, in apprehenſion of the love of God, nor can it be ſo inflamed with love to God; but this myſtery (as the Apoſtle lays it down) quickens faith & love, and heightens them; which graces are the chariots to carry the ſoul out to all godlineſs and honeſty.
The conſequence of which is, Whoever denies this myſtery, denies and deſtroys godlineſs, and, in ſo doing, denies and deſtroys the Goſpel, which is called by the Apoſtle, doctrine which is after godlineſs, 1 Tim. 6. 3. Tit. 1. 1.
And this is of weighty conſideration to all thoſe that acknowledge Chriſt to be God, and yet hold it not very dreadful in thoſe that do gainſay it, but account them Saints and godly perſons: which they cannot groundedly do, while the evidence of this text is againſt them, which ſaith. Great is the myſtery of godlineſs, God manifeſt in the fleſh. And if they acknowledge the truth of this text, then this text will ſtare them in the face, while they cry up the godlineſs of ſuch who do oppoſe it. Where is their godlineſs, if this myſterie (which they acknowledge not) be the myſterie of godlineſs? If godlineſs be the fruit of this doctrine, rightly underſtood & received; if it grow upon the tree of this truth, and they hew down this tree, deſtroy this truth in the opinion which they hold; doth not the fruit fall with it? Godlineſs is cut down with the tree out of which it grows; it is plucked up with the root that bears it. What can be ſaid againſt this? Me thinks every tongue ſhould be ſilent hence-forward, that ſubſcribes to this text, Great is the myſtery of golineſs, God manifeſt in the fleſh, &c.
But enough hath been ſpoken of this, to convince any one that loves the Truth, and will open his eyes to receive it.
I ſhall now undertake the maintaining of ſuch Arguments or Inſtances (as he calls them) which I produced to ſhew the repugnancie of his Doctrine to the Goſpel, and to the Scripture, and diſcover the weakneſs and unſoundneſs of the Anſwers that he gives.
The firſt Argument or Inſtance, was: