A Vindication, Instance 10
Inſt. 10. If Chriſt be a meer creature, then how can he protect, and defend▪ and ſave, and direct, and rule, and govern his Church in all the world, in every condition, and againſt all enemies, he being at ſuch a diſtance and remoteneſs from the Church? and yet it is ſaid of him, that he is able to ſave to the utmoſt thoſe that come to God by him, Heb. 1. 25. and that he is with them to the end of the world. And Chriſt ſtood by Paul and ſtrengthned him in ſuffering, Acts 23. 11. And Chriſt ſaith Rev. 3. 10. Becauſe thou haſt kept the word of my patience, I will alſo keep thee from the hour of Temptation. So that it is Chriſt now in heaven, that keeps the ſaints on earth, which being a meer creature he cannot do.
The Reader may eaſily obſerve that the force of this Inſtance lies in two particulars eſpecially; 1. If he be a meer creature, how will he be able, how can he have power to perform ſuch acts as thoſe are that are mentioned, conducing to the ſafety and welfare of his Church, having ſuch enemies to conflict with, and ſuch evils to ſave from? 2. How can he do it at ſuch diſtance? How can he do it he being in heaven, and they being on earth? What vertue is that that is in Chriſt as meer man, that reacheth the Saints in all places, and is ſufficient to preſerve, and keep, and rule, and govern them? He may alſo caſt his eye upon the Scriptures which I quote, of which Matth. 28. 20. is but one, to which he refers me; and the reſt he paſſeth over in ſilence, as if they were all of them anſwered in his anſwer to Matth. 28. 20. but let his anſwer to that text be ſurveyed, and it will appear to be otherwiſe; I ſhall re-mind the Reader of the ſum of it.
Theſe works of inſtructing, comforting strengthning, he doth in his abſence by his Spirit, whom the Father hath ſent in his Name, for the Spirit which came in Chriſts name, was the inſtrument by which Jeſus Chriſt did the work.
Doth this anſwer of his ſatisfie in reference to that Text in Heb. 7. 2. He is able to ſave to the utmoſt thoſe that come to God by him? Is this the meaning of it, he is not able by himſelf to ſave to the utmoſt, but by the Spirit, who is his Inſtrument he is able? If it be, then Chriſt alone is not a ſufficient Saviour, but Chriſt and the Spirit together; or rather, Chriſt is inſufficient, but the Spirit is ſufficient, and yet but a creature, and inferiour to Chriſt, and his Inſtrument. But the Apoſtles deſigne is to ſet out, not the Spirits ſufficiency, but Chriſts ſufficiency. Much leſs is ſatisfaction given by this anſwer of his to Acts 23. 11. where it is ſaid, that the Lord ſtood by Paul, and ſaid, be of good cheer Paul, for as thou hast teſtified of me at Jeruſalem, ſo must thou bear witneſs of me at Rome. Suppoſe this were done in a Viſion, yet the Viſion is of Chriſt, not of the Spirit, I have not ſaid that the Spirit ſtood by the Lord, and it is the preſence of Chriſt himſelf, and the conſolation of Chriſt himſelf that Paul in this Viſion is inſtructed of, though neither the Father nor the holy Ghoſt is to be excluded; for Father, Son, and holy Ghoſt are all of them preſent with all ſaints alwaies, and do all of them work the ſame work, the order ſtill obſerved: So that when it is ſaid that the Father and the Son do inſtruct or protect by the Spirit, it muſt not be underſtood that they are cauſa adjuvantes, cauſes helping one another; for all of them are allſufficient, and all of them do effect the whole work in ſuch an order of working: much leſs that the Spirit is only operative, and the Father and Son are inactive in the work, and are onelyonly authorative in it, and do imploy the Spirit, as their inſtrument; as the lord of the houſe doth act things by his ſervants, whom he imploys as meſſengers to effect ſuch things, or whom he appoints or deſigns for ſuch undertakings; for ſo would he have us to conceive of Chriſt, that he doth nothing himſelf, but is contained in heaven, and is neither preſent, nor acts any thing on earth, but ſends the Spirit to effect all for him, and this Spirit is preſent, and doth all that is done, and Chriſt himſelf doth nothing: For this is confuted in this Viſion, where the Lord ſhew, himſelf preſent, and he himſelf gives out the word of good cheer, and effects it alſo by his own power.
The next Inſtance or Argument in order which he gives anſwer to, I ſhall paſs over reſerving it to the laſt place, and ſhall vindicate the Inſtance that follows, as is laſt in the paper from that unkind dealing which it meets with from him. The Argument is this.