A Vindication, Instance 12
Inſt. 12. If Chriſt be a meer creature, then a meere creature is the Judge of the world, which is againſt the ſcripture for the Judge of the world is God, before whom Abraham ſtood Gen. 18. 25. when he pleaded for Sodom, Rom. 1. 5, 6. the day of Judgements is called the day of revelation of the righteous Judgement of God, ſo who will render to every one according to his workes.
He attemps according to his manner, to put this argument into forme, but fouly miſtakes himſelf therein, for it comes miſhapen from him, he cannot reduce it to moode and figure; either he was never Maſter of that Art, and ſo attempts things out of his Element, or elſe he hath greatly forgot himſelf, for it is no Syllogiſme as he hath ſhapen it. I ſhall firſt preſent it to the Reader, and then ſhew how it ought to have been formed.
That Doctrine which makes a meer creature the Judge of the world, is againſt the Scripture, Gen. 18. 15. Rom. 2. 5, 6.
But Chriſt is the Judge of the world, Therefore
That Doctrine that makes Chriſt a meer creature is againſt the ſcripture, Thus he.
That this argument is beſide rule, appeares by this; becauſe every regular Sylogiſme hath but three terms in it, viz. the Subject, the Predicate, and the Medium, but this Sylogiſme of his, hath 4 termes in it.
1. There is the Subiect, viz, that Doctrine that makes Chriſt a meer creature.
2. There is the Predicate, viz. is againſt the Scripture.
3. There is the Medium, viz. that Doctrine which makes a meer creature the judge of the world.
4. There is an another terme, which is more then regular, viz. Chriſt is the Judge of the world.
Therefore it is plaine that the Sylogiſme is falſe, and it ought to have been thus formed,
That Doctrine which makes a meer creature the judge of the world, is againſt the Scripture,
But that Doctrine which makes Chriſt a meer creature, is a Doctrine that makes a meer creature the judge of the world, Therefore,
That Doctrine that makes Chriſt a meer creature is againſt the Scripture.
I thought good to preſent this errour of his to the Readers view, becauſe my paper being never intended for him, was in a plaine facile way penned, that it might be the better conceived of by ſuch to whom I preſented it, who underſtood not rules of diſputing; but he puts all into a ſcholaſtique forme, and would not incounter with me in that plain way of arguing, with this deſigne (as he pretended) to make my weakneſs the more obvious, but ſure I am whether my weakneſs be obvious or not, his over ſight (that I ſay no worſe) is obvious in tranſgreſſing the rules of arguing which yet himſelf chuſeth, as pretending to have skill in them.
And whereas he anſwers to both propoſitions, his labour might have been ſpared, in reference to the Minor propoſition, which is undoubtedly true, as appears from the ſyllogiſme rightly framed; for who can deny but that doctrine which makes Chriſt a meer creature, makes a meer creature judge of the world?
The Major Propoſition can therefore only be denyed by him, and indeed he doth deny it. 1. By propoſing of examples of creatures who ſhall judge the world. 2. By diſtinguiſhing betwixt the ſupreme judge of the worrd, and a delegate Judge; and grants the propoſition to be true, only in reference to the principal or ſupreme Judge, but aſſerts it to be falſe of the delegate Judge. And this he doth with a great deal of confuſion, for I rather repreſent what he would ſay, then what he doth ſay.
Firſt he tels us of the Apoſtles. That they ſhall ſit upon twelve Thrones, judging tbe twelve Tribes of Iſrael, Mat. 19. 28. and then he tells us of the ſaints, that they ſhall judge the world, 1 Cor. 6. 2, 3. and then tells me, that doubtleſs I had not this text of Corinths when I brought this Argument in my thoughts.
Repl. Whether I had this text of the Corinths in my mind in that very moment when I penned down this Argument, I am not able to ſay; but I would not have him to be conceited as if he had brought ſome new and ſtrange thing to my knowledge, which before I underſtood not, as his words do import, which are theſe; What will you ſay if I ſhall ſhew you from the Word that the Apoſtles ſhall be Judges at the laſt day, and that the Saints ſhall judg the World? Alas, alas, that man that ſhall be non-pluſs'd with the ſhewing of ſuch a thing as this, is but poorly learned in Chriſtianity.
It is eaſily anſwered, that though the Apoſtles and Saints ſhall judg the world, &c. yet they are no where called the Judges of the World: And their judging is Catacherſtically, and very improperly ſo called. The Apoſtles more eſpecially are ſaid to judg the twelve Tribes, or the World, becauſe as Paul ſpeaks, all ſhall be judged according to their Goſpel, Rom. 2. 16. and both Apoſtles and Angels do judg the World, as Aſſeſſores, as Peter Martyr ſaith, Chriſtus Apoſtolos & Sanctos omnes cooptavit aſſeſſores; They ſit after the manner of Juſtices of the Peace upon the Bench, and hear all, and allow of all, and approve of all, and allow of all, and conſent to all, and are Witneſſes of Chriſts righteous proceedings, and in no other ſence can they be ſaid to judg; and what hath he gained by this? and what doth his new diſcovery, which he thought I never thought of, amount to?
His diſtinction is to better purpoſe which he brings afterward, of principal Judg, and Deligate or Deputy Judg; and yet it will not mar my Market, as he imagines; his words are.
In a ſence it is true, no creature can be Judg but God, that is principal in Government, God being both the Alpha and Omega of it, deriving his power from none, being the Original of all power.
And afterward he lays down two Propoſitions.
1. That the moſt high God, who is the Worlds principal Judg, will not immediately, but by a Delegate, judg the World, Acts 17. 31. John 5. 22. 1 Cor. 15. 28.
2. That Jeſus Chriſt is ſubordinate Judg, in reference unto God the ſupream Judg, but ſuperintendent in reference to the Saints, Act. 10. 42. & 3. 20. Mat. 16. 27. Joh. 5. 27.
Rep. One diſtinction which hath been often given, and is ordinary and familiar with Chriſtians, of no vaſt knowledg, will ſatisfie the Propoſitions, and anſwer all the Scriptures, and reconcile all ſeeming differences. The moſt high God, who as Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, in each perſon, is the Worlds principal Judg, and every perſon not excluding the other is ſo. And Chriſt, as he is the ſecond Perſon in the Godhead, as he is the Son, and as he is equal with the Father, is the Worlds principal Judg, conſidered a part from the fleſh, which he hath now aſſumed, the Father and the Holy Ghoſt not excluded. And this I prove from Scripture, Gen. 18. 26. The Perſon before whom Abraham ſtood was Chriſt, the ſecon… Perſon in the Trinity, not incarnate at that time; and he is calle… Iehovah, and Abraham calls him the Iudg of all the Earth: And in Gen. 19. 24. he acted as a Judg; he Jehovah the Son, rained fire and brimſtone upon Sodom from Jehovah his Father. And in Iſai. 45. 22, 23. Chriſt calls himſelf God, and ſaith, there is none elſe; and ſaith, that every knee ſhall bow to him, that is, in the day of Judgment, as the Apoſtle (an Expoſitor without exception) holds forth in Rom. 14. 10, 11. But Chriſt as conſidered in fleſh, being found in faſhion as a man, as he is Mediator betwixt God and man, being both God and man in one Perſon, is deſigned and ordained by the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt to judg the world in righteouſneſs, as from Act. 17. 31. he proves. And ſo the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt judg no man, but have committed all Judgment to the Son in fleſh, Ioh. 5. 22. and in the Son in fleſh they judg, and this Power and Honour hath he received as Mediator in fleſh; but when all enemies are ſubdued and judged, then he ſhall deliver up this Kingdom and Power, and Glory to the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, the one true God, who ſhall be all in all, and the Son himſelf according to the fleſh ſhall be ſubject. And in this ſence as Mediator in fleſh, he may be called a delegate Judg; for that the humane Nature of Chriſt ſhould be taken up into the fellowſhip of this Glory with the eternal Son, this was by ordination. As the Son in fleſh had been humbled, ſo the fleſh with the Son muſt be exalted to this Glory, Phil. 2. 9, 10. And the Glory which Chriſt hath as Mediator, is founded upon Chriſts ſonſhip in this reſpect as Judg, as in all other reſpects, & indeed in any other reſpect but as the Son, he is not capable of being Judg; for though whole Chriſt be Judg, yet the natural right to it, and ability to perform it, is as he is the Son; and that the whole in both Natures is Judg, is of grace, And can any rational man think, that Chriſt a meer man ſhould be able to judg the ſecrets of men, if he were not God as wel as man; ſo that that honor to judg as Mediator, is given to him in fleſh, as declarative of that eſſential Power and Glory which he had as Son with the Father and Spirit from Eternity, that all might honour the Son with the equal honour as the Father is honoured.
And whereas he ſaith, That the Father is principal in Judgment, and is the Alpha and Omega of it, alluding to the place where the Father is ſo called, why ſhould not the Son be principal in Judgment with the Father, being the Alpha and Omega of it, ſeeing he alſo is ſo called in Scripture.
Thus I have followed him in all his Evaſions and ſhifts, and have unmasked his Anſwers, and plucked off the fair Vizard that he had put upon them, and have diſcovered the deceit, and found fraud, and falſhood that was hid under them. And I have vindicated the reſt of the Scriptures that I alledged from his corrupt Interpretations that he put upon them, and have confirmed the Arguments which I produced, and they now abide in their ſtrength, and have removed and taken out of the way that which troubled their Teſtimony, which they brought to the Godhead of Chriſt, that they could not be heard, by reaſon of the noiſe that his Anſwers made in mens ears.
Let it be conſidered from firſt to laſt, what a poor, weak feeble, baſe, mean, contemptible, diſpiſeable Chriſt, Saviour, Mediator, Interceſſor he makes this great God and our Lord Jeſus to be; and what a penurious, defective lame, and beggerly righteouſneſs and ſatisfaction he brings unto us for our ſupport and how ſhamefully and reproachfully he ſtrips him, robs him of the Honour and Glory in all things that is due unto him: The worſhip which he muſt have, can but amount to Reverence, which is only due to one, that hath the meer honour to come in the name of another, which is all he grants to Chriſt; for he denies him to be the ultimate object of worſhip, and there is no intermediate object of worſhip which is not founded in the ultimate or laſt object: and all that come in Gods name, Moſes and all the Prophets ſhare with him upon that account in this reverence. And he cannot be the object of faith at all, according to him, but a medium or mean by which we come to believe …n him who is the object or end; and ſuch is the wtitten Word of God and all the publiſhers of it, mediums or means by which we come to believe on God; and herein Chriſt is become like one of them. This is an humbling of him with a witneſs: and he is but an inſtrumental Saviour whoſe vertue is in an other according to him, as there have bin many ſince the beginning of the world, and ſtill are; the beaſts which were ſacrificed, and the Prieſts who ſacrificed them, were inſtrumental ſaviours; and now the Goſpel, and the Preachers thereof are inſtrumental ſaviours, and Gods appointment and aſſiſtance (which he ſaith Chriſt had) might have made them (as he muſt needs grant) as effectual as he; thus he levels Chriſt & brings him down from his height to be like to other things, which are fellow inſtruments with him. And ſo he makes Chriſt to be a meer mediator by aſſiſtance, but impotent in himſelf; for ſaith he, what work ſoever you can inſtance in belonging to Chriſts mediatorſhip of himſelf he was not able to perform it, unleſs by the aſſiſtance of another and ſo he was a compleat Mediator; and ſo might Moſes or any other man be: and thus he is made weak and feeble like one of us, not having the leaſt ſufficiency of himſelf, but a capacity to partake of Gods ſufficiency, which alſo may be predicated of any other perſon, they may not ſay they are able to do all things that God will call them forth to, through Gods ſtrengthning them; and he makes Chriſt to be but an inſtrumental Agent in that righteouſneſs by which believers are juſtified: an inſtrumental Agent alſo in forgiving ſins; he doth but act about theſe things, is not the Author of them: and herein other men have the ſame priviledge. He himſelf tels us that it is the priviledge of ſome men to forgive all ſins in reference to the curſe of the Law, and he quotes Joh. 20. 23. which is to be underſtood in a declarative way, and Chriſt hath no greater honour then this. The ſatisfaction alſo of Chriſt is rather ſatiſfaction of grace, as he preſents it, then ſatisfaction of juſtice; it is ſatisfaction without any proportion to the offence. As he lays it down he doth in effect bring in God ſpeaking of it, as the Apoſtle brings in God ſpeaking of mercy, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy; and ſo he, I wil be ſatisfied wi…h what I wil be ſatisfied with, whether it be proportionable or not without reſpect to juſtice. And his ability to intercede according to the condition and neceſſity of the Church, is not from himſelf nor in himſelf, but from a communication of power from the Father. And for judging he doth it in an inſtrumental way and hath all ſaints copartners with him in the work, ſharing in the like honor only he is ſuperintendent in it, which belongs rather to order then to power.
After this manner he deals with Chriſt, who was, and is, and ever will be in the form of God, and equal with God, with him he deals thus; humbling him abaſing him, and making him in all things to be like unto men, proportioning him, and equalling him to others, not by vayling his his glory and majeſty, but by denying▪ it; which is the higheſt indignity that can be offered to this Lord of glory. And yet (which is not a little to be wondred at, and ſorrowed for) how many are there who will not underſtand this, but cry him up for a great advancer of Chriſt, yea he is made ſuperlative herein! they ſay he exalts Chriſt above all that ever they heard preach him; but either they declare their groſs ignorance, or ſomthing that is worſe. They may ſow fig-leaves together to cover his nakedneſs, and hide his ſhame, but if they be intelligent perſons, they muſt needs know that the ſubſtance and truth of divine glory and excellency is plucked off, and torn away from him, and that the ſhaddow only remaineth; he hath taken away all glorying from Chriſt, as the Apoſtle took it away from ſaints; it may be ſaid of Chriſt, as of others; What haſt thou oh Chriſt, which thou haſt not received? Chriſt hath received more of Gods grace, and is more indebted to the moſt high, and that is all he can glory of according to him, for he hath nothing of his own to glory of.
And yet many poor Chriſtians though thus defrauded & cheated of the true Chriſt, are contented with the Chriſt which he obtrudeth upon them, and bleſs themſelves with the knowledge of ſuch a Chriſt which he hath ſhaped out, or miſhaped rather, who holds no proportion with that which Scripture hath limned out and preſented to us; yet they rejoyce and glory in this Chriſt. O miſerable darkneſs and blindneſs (that I ſay not perverſneſs) in men, in Chriſtians, that they do not diſcover how great and dangerous the cheat is! Oh how dangerous is this? If God ſhould not be merciful to them, and open their eys to ſee the horridneſs of it, what would become of them? Such an impotent weak Chriſt who could not ſave himſelf by any ſtrength in himſelf, is unlike to ſave them. And thus far in Anſwer to him and his book.
Now becauſe I diſcern that very ſtrange and very unſafe opinions are very rife in this Nation, and very deteſtable and horrid doctrines are ſet to ſale, and many come (who have been accounted and no queſtion ſome of them are ſo) very pretious Chriſtians, and cheapen them, and (be…uſe they be fair fruit, ſome of them) to the ey, they buy them up, and make them their own, they receive them and intertain them, and are very fond of them, they hugg them and imbrace them as precious doctrines, and they lay out their time, and parts, and all their talents in the defence of them, and ſo it comes that as they themſelves were deceived by them, they deceive others by them alſo; by which means they come to grow and ſpread: I think my ſelf bound to preſent ſomthing by way of prevention, that they may not be ſo abundantly ingendred, and multiplied in conception, or if they be, that they may be abortive, and not brought forth; at leaſt, that the current of them may be ſtopped, that they may not have ſuch free paſſage; for it is to be much lamented, that they ſhould ſpread, proſper, grow, and fill good ground ſo much, which if they muſt have a being, are fitter for reprobate ground, which God hath rejected; but this is the houre of temptation, and if ever the Elect be in danger to be deceived, they are now in danger; for there are winds of doctrine which will ſhake thoſe that are built upon the rock Chriſt, and will overturn others, whoſe foundation is but ſandy and is not right, let them therefore take heed, for if they fal not now, they may probaby ſtand faſt for ever.