A Vindication, Part 3
After John 1. 1. Mat. 28. 20. was produced by me to prove the God head of Chriſt, are theſe, Lo I am with you alwaies unto the end of the world, to which text he anſwers thus.
The meaning of the phraſe, I am with you, &c. is no more then this, I will do you good, whileſt ye remain imployed in my work: And he brings Jacob as the author of the interpretation; Old Jacob (ſaith he) no bad interpreter, is my Authour, Gen. 31. 3. compared with Chap. 32. 9. in the one place God promiſeth to be with him, in the other place Jacob expounds it to be Gods dealing well with him.
Rep. This metaphorical preſence, in actions of grace and favours, (which he would have to be the ſole meaning of the words, I will be with thee) doth not exclude the eſſential preſence, but doth rather include it; for how is Chriſt able to do all good to his Apoſtles and Diſciples in all places of the world, and in all conditions and neceſſities, in which they might be, and at all times, and yet not be eſſentially preſent with them? If he can declare it, let him declare it; In the mean time that parallel place, (which he cites from Gen. 31. 3. compared with chap. 32. 9.) is againſt him, for God is inabled to do good to all, (and ſo to Jacob) by his eſſential preſence with all, and in all, and ſo with Jacob, and in Jacob. And though God have all the Angels to wait upon him, and all the creatures at his command to go for him, and to do for him what he appoints, yet if he were not eſſentially preſent himſelf with all, and in all, he could not ſupply all with all good that they want; for he could not ſee all and know all, if he were not preſent in all, if he did not fill all, and if all did not live and move and had not being in him. Therefore the Lord argues in Jer. 23. 24. from his filling all, to his knowing all, the words are theſe, Can any hide himſelf in ſecret places, that I ſhall not ſee him? do not I fill heaven and earth, ſaith the Lord? and if this be ſo of God, that he works all by his preſence with all, then it is ſo of Chriſt alſo; and the words I will be with you, though they may extend to actions of love and kindneſs, and may compriſe well dealing and doing good within them, yet they do properly hold out the way and means in which Chriſt will be helpful to them, he is with them alwaies to take notice of their condition, and to apply himſelf thereto, and Chriſt doth aſſure them, that though he ſhall be bodily abſent from them, and in heaven, yet in the eternal Spirit, in the divine nature, he is alwaies preſent with them: In which ſenſe (he ſaith) that he the Son of man (though upon earth in his fleſh) was yet according to his diety in heaven, John 3. 13. and chap. 17. 24.
But he goes on, and ſaith, Jeſus Chriſt is preſent with his Meſſengers, and deals well with them, when he doth inſtruct, comfort, ſtrengthen and protect them; and all theſe he doth in his abſence by his Spirit, whom the Father hath ſent in his name. John 14. 26. And he inſtanceth in inſtruction, and ſaith, Chriſt inſtructed his Apoſtles, but not immediately; for the Spirit (ſaith he) that came in Chriſts name, and received of his, was the inſtrument by which Ieſus Chriſt did work: And he cites Iohn 16. 13, 14, 15. for it.
Rep. I have ſhewed already that theſe operations of grace do not hinder the eſſential preſence of Chriſt, according to his Godhead, with the Apoſtles, but do rather imply it; but he excludes it, and ſaith he doth all theſe things in his abſence by his Spirit. Now though there be a truth in it, that Chriſt being in heaven in fleſh, and abſent from earth, ſo far as reſpects the fleſh, doth effect all things by the Spirit, yet it is not onelyonly falſe, but fooliſh in the ſenſe that he intends it, and in the words that he expreſſeth it in.
1. I ſhall readily grant it in a ſenſe, that Chriſt works all by the Spirit, and that there is an order of working among the perſons in the Godhead; and in this order the Father works by the Son, and by the Spirit; and the Son works from the Father and by the Spirit; and the Spirit works from the Father and from the Son, by himſelf; and the Father is the perſon ſending both the Son and the Spirit; and the Son is the perſon ſent from the Father, and ſending the Spirit with the Father; and the Spirit is the perſon ſent both from the Father and from the Son; but it will not follow that therefore Chriſt (though bodily abſent) is perſonally abſent from his Meſſengers, and inſtructs them not immediately by himſelf, but onelyonly by the Spirit: For as it is ſaid in Iohn 5. 17. by Chriſt of the Father, My Father worketh hitherto and I work: The Father worketh all things by the Son; he made the world by the Son; and he judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son; that is, by the Son he judgeth and manageth all things, and not without him; yet he worketh, that cannot be denied, though by the Son; yea the very works that the Son worketh, and all of them and none other but them, the Father worketh; the Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, and the Father and the Son are one in eſſence, though two in perſonality, and the Father and the Son work one thing; the Father by the Son, and the Son from the Father, and the Son can do nothing of himſelf apart from the Father, nor the Father any thing apart from the Son, but by him, as I have ſhewed at large in my former Treatiſe; ſo it may be ſaid of the Son and of the holy Ghoſt, that the Son worketh hitherto, and the holy Ghoſt worketh; that is, they work the ſame work, the Son by the holy Ghoſt, and the holy Ghoſt from the Son; and the holy Ghoſt ſhall not ſpeak of himſelf, nor act of himſelf (as ſaith the Scripture which he cites) that is, he ſhall not ſpeak or work any thing apart from the Son, but what he ſhall hear and ſee, that ſhall he ſpeak and do; and the Son doth ſpeak and act by him the ſame things, and nothing elſe; for the Son is in the holy Ghoſt, and the holy Ghoſt in the Son, and they are one in eſſence, and therefore cannot be divided in operation, but work the ſame things in ſuch an order of working, and to this the Scripture gives witneſs in 2 Cor. 3▪ 17. The Lord is called the Spirit, and the Spirit is called the Spirit of the Lord Chriſt; how can this be? Eſſentially the Lord Chriſt is the Spirit, they are one: Perſonally conſidered, the Spirit is the Spirit of the Lord Chriſt, and the Lord Chriſt is not the Spirit: And Rev. 2. 1. to 6. compared with verſe 7. In verſe 1. to 6. Chriſt is the perſon that ſpeaks to the Church, and ſo to all the Churches, and commands John to write; but in verſe 7. it is ſaid, he that hath an ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit ſaith to the Churches; ſo that Chriſt ſpeaks, and yet the Spirit ſpeaks, and Chriſt and the Spirit are one in eſſence, though two in perſons; and Chriſt ſpake to the Churches by the Spirit, and the Spirit ſpake from Chriſt. But they act and work together the ſame things, and none other; as the Father and the Son do, ſo do the Son and Spirit, and indeed Father and Son and Spirit are one in eſſence, and one in operation, the order of working onelyonly excepted, 1 John 5. 7. ſo that Chriſts inſtructing by the Spirit, obſtructs not Chriſts perſonal preſence with the Diſciples here upon earth, though his body be in heaven. And the ſending of the Spirit both by the Father and by the Son, are acts of counſel among the perſons in the Godhead, as hath been fully declared in reference to Chriſt, who was ſent of the Father, and yet gave himſelf. And the Spirit though ſent, when he cometh acteth not meerly as one ſent, according to the will of another, but as himſelf willeth, 1 Cor. 12. 11. ſo that his ſending was by counſel with his own conſent.
2. In the ſenſe that he aſſerts it, that Chriſt in Heaven acts by his Spirit, I ſhall utterly deny it, as that which both wants truth in it, and is abſurd; as that which is neither conſiſtent with Scripture nor reaſon, nor congruous to his own Opinion: for he takes away Chriſts immenſity, and ubiquity, and puts it upon the Spirit, to prevent Chriſts being in Heaven and on Earth at once, and his filling of Heaven and Earth with his preſence, that he might not thereby be acknowledged God, and yet he makes the Spirit to be univerſally preſent, and ſo makes him more then a creature, wherein he contradicts himſelf, for his words are theſe, Chriſt doth all theſe works in his abſence by his Spirit; therefore the Spirit is preſent, for he ſupplies the defect of Chriſts preſence, and yet withall he ſaith, The ſpirit which received of Chriſts was Chriſts inſtrument by which Jeſus Chriſt did the work: Therefore he is not God, for God cannot be an inſtrument, therefore he is but a creature; wherein he croſſeth himſelf. So then what muſt not be yielded to in Chriſt, leaſt he ſhould be God, he yields to the Spirit whom he makes not God, but a creature. And in this he not only ſets Chriſt below the Father, whom he acknowledgeth to be God, but he ſets him below the Spirit, whom he acknowledgeth but a creature, and now Chriſt is neither God, nor yet the firſt and chief of the creatures, for the Spirit is more excellent then he, for the Spirit can be preſent with all the Apoſtles in all the parts and Climats of the World at one time, to inſtruct them, comfort them, &c. and Chriſt is ſhut up in Heaven and cannot. And this is contradictory to himſelf, for he makes Chriſt the firſt of the creatures, and the Maker of the reſt, and the Lord of them, and he makes him a Spirit in his firſt exiſtence, and yet the Spirit that was made by him can be with all the Apoſtles, and Diſciples, and Saints alſo, and abide with them for ever, and adminiſter to them all good, but Chriſt who is his Lord and Maker cannot. O monſtrous and ſenſeleſs Opinion, wherein God leaves him to be confounded!
But how contradictory to reaſon is this, that the Spirit ſhould be the inſtrument of Chriſt, and ſo a creature inferiour to Chriſt, and yet be preſent in all places in Heaven, in Earth, in the Sea, and every where, for where ever Saints be, there the Spirit is, & Saints are in all theſe places, The Spirit is one that bears witneſs in Heaven, 1 Joh. 5. 7. Therefore there he is, and he bears witneſs on Earth in the hearts of Believers, in Rom. 8. 16. and therefore there he is. And the whole Spirit dwels in every Saint, for we do not read of any parts of the Spirit, into which he is divided, and if Saints be every where, the whole Spirit is every where, and ſuch a boundleſs Eſſence is not competent to any creature; it is that which God himſelf arrogates as proper to him, do not I fill Heaven and Earth? Jer. 23. 24. whole God fils every place, and the whole Spirit fils every Saint. As bodies have their loca, their places; ſo Spirits, all created ones, have their ubi, their ſome where, out of which and beyond which they are not; they are confined, if they be not circumſcribed; but of the Spirit it is ſaid, whither ſhall I go from thy Spirit, the Spirit is everywhere.
It is alſo extreamly repugnant to Scripture, that the Spirit ſhould be Chriſts inſtrument, and conſequently a creature, and it is as groſs as the denying of the Diety of Chriſt, and his Hereſie is multiplyed in this Aſſertion.
1. An Inſtrument acts and works after the will of the principal efficient, but the Spirit after his own will as himſelf pleaſeth, and therefore no inſtrument.
2. The perſon by whom Chriſt wrought Miracles, was no inſtrument, but Chriſt according to his humane nature wrought Miracles by the vertue and power of the Spirit, therefore he was no inſtrument, Mat. 12. 28. Acts 10. 38.
3. He that was the uncture, with which Chriſt was annoynted and became more excellent and glorious then all his fellows; he that was the enrichment of Chriſt as man, as a creature, above all creatures, that exalted him in eminency above all Angels, &c. was not any inſtrument inferiour to Chriſt, but ſuperiour to him as a creature, but the Spirit was the uncture wherewith Chriſt was annoynted, Act. 10. 38. and he received not the Spirit by meaſure as others did, but beyond all meaſure, Joh. 3. 34. whence he came to excell all his fellows, Heb. 1. 9.
4. He that is the Spirit of God, and is to God as the ſpirit of a man is to man, he that alone knoweth the deep things of God and ſearcheth them; that is, hath deep full perfect knowledge of them, he cannot be an inſtrument to Chriſt, to take what Chriſt a creature, (as he makes Chriſt to be) ſhews him, and no more, and to ſhew them to men, but the Spirit is the Spirit of God, and ſtands to God as the Spirit of a man ſtands to man; and ſearcheth the deep things of God, therefore cannot be an inſtrument to take from Chriſt, and bring and ſhew to men. And it is contrary to Scripture to make the Spirit a creature, as if he be a creatures inſtrument (as he would make him) he muſt needs be.
1. He is called God by the Apoſtles of Chriſt, therefore he is God, Act. 5. 3, 4. compared together, prove it: in the 3. ver. Peter ſaith to Ananias, Thou haſt lyed to the holy Ghoſt; in the 4. verſ. he ſaith, Thou haſt lyed to God: He makes the holy Ghoſt to be God, for he ſhews the perſon againſt whom the ſin was committed, it was not man, it was not any creature; it did riſe higher, it was the holy Ghoſt, he was God. So that the holy Ghoſt and God are one and the ſame thing. And 1 Cor. 3. 16. Paul makes him God, in theſe words, Know ye not that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? This latter is the proof of the former, becauſe the Spirit of God dwels in you, therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, you are the temple of God; here is no mention of Gods dwelling in them, but of the Spirits dwelling in them; if therefore the Spirit were not God, the Argument of the Apoſtle were nought. And by the Evangeliſt Luke in Act. 10. 3. 19, 20. compared together, he is called God: in verſ. 3. it is ſaid, The Angel of God came in to Cornelius, and commanded him to ſend men for Peter, in verſ. 19. 20. it is ſaid, That the Spirit told Peter that he had ſent thoſe men to him, and therefore he muſt go with them. The men were ſent upon the command of the Spirit, therefore the Spirit was that God that ſent the Angel, and to be the Angel of the Spirit, and the Angel of God is all one.
2. He is called the God of Iſrael, 2 Sam. 23. 2, 3. compared together do confirm it: in verſ. 2. it is ſaid, The Spirit of the Lord ſpake by me, and his word was in my mouth; in verſ 3. it is ſaid, The God of Iſrael ſaid, the Rock of Iſrael ſpake to me; he that in verſ. 2. is called the Spirit of the Lord; in verſ. 3. is called the God of Iſrael; for one and the ſame perſon ſpake to David, not two perſons ſpake to him, but one. And in Luk. 1. 68. 70. compared together, and both of them compared with 2 Pet. 1. 21. in verſ. 63. Zachary bleſſed the Lord God of Iſrael who viſited and redeemed his people, &c. in verſ. 70. Zachary makes this Lord God of Iſrael to be the perſon that ſpake by the mouth of the Prophets, but who is he that ſpake by the mouth of the Prophets? the Spirit is he; Peter tels us ſo much, (and in many other places we read ſo much,) 2 Pet. 1. 21. Holy men ſpake as they were moved by the holy Ghoſt. Therefore if he inſpired the Prophets, and ſpake in them and by them, he is the Lord God of Iſrael.
3. He is called the moſt High, Luk. 1. 35. The Angel ſpeaks thus to Mary, The holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, and the power of the Higheſt ſhall over ſhadow thee; This latter is but an enlargement of the former, the ſame perſon is ſpoken of in both propoſitions, with this difference only; the name of the perſon ſpoken of, is put upon him in the former propoſition, viz the holy Ghoſt; the Title of the perſon is given to him in the latter; the Higheſt with his power ſhall over-ſhadow thee, ſo that the holy Ghoſt is the higheſt. But ſome may object againſt this, and ſay, that the holy Ghoſt is not called the higheſt, but he is called the power of the Higheſt, or the vertue of the Higheſt, becauſe the Higheſt by the vertue of the holy Ghoſt would form Chriſt in the womb of the Virgin, or would cauſe her to conceive, & ſo the holy Ghoſt and power are one thing, but not the holy Ghoſt and the Higheſt: If this were true, yet ſeeing a perſon is ſpoken of and not a thing, and this perſon is called the vertue or power of the Higheſt in ſo miraculous a work, he cannot be inferiour to the Higheſt; for he by whoſe force, and power, and vertue the higheſt ſhews himſelf to be the Higheſt, works as the Higheſt, muſt needs be as high as he, and if the Father ſhould be the Higheſt in this place, yet the holy Ghoſt is made equal to him, which ſhews the Father and the holy Ghoſt to be one in Eſſence, though two in perſonality, becauſe there can be but one Higheſt.
But it appears to be otherwiſe, that Spirit and power are not confounded, but diſtinguiſhed, and there diſtinguiſhed where God is mentioned in Rom. 15. 18, 19. God made the Gentiles obedient to the Goſpel, through mighty ſigns and wonders done by the power of the Spirit of God; here is power, and Spirit, and God, and all diſtinguiſhed from other; by God, the Father is meant; by Spirit, the holy Ghoſt is meant; and by power, the vertue, might, and efficacy of the holy Ghoſt is meant; and it appears (which alone is ſufficient to prove holy Ghoſt to be God) that mighty ſigns and wonders were done by the proper power of the holy Ghoſt; it is not ſaid that they were done by the power of God, viz. the Father, but by the power of the Spirit of God, by the Spirits own proper power.
4. He is called God moſt high, and Almighty, all theſe titles are put upon the Spirit in Numb. 24. 2. 16. compared together: In verſe 2. it is ſaid of Balaam, that the Spirit of God came upon him; in verſe 16. Balaam deſcribes himſelf to be one that heard the words of God; that knew the knowledge of the moſt high, and ſaw the viſions of the Almighty, and all this was but the Spirit of God, which came upon him.
I might ſpeak of the attributes of the Spirit, which are proper to the moſt high God, and prove him to be ſuch, as of Omnipotency, Omniſciency, Omnipreſence, &c. But he himſelf hath held forth theſe in his Letter, when he lived about Gloceſter, which in my former Treatiſe is printed to the view of the World, at which time his eyes were open, and he ſaw theſe attributes in the Spirit, and acknowledged the holy Ghoſt to be God upon the ſight thereof, though his Faith had been ſuſpended before; but now he denies what he confeſſed then, and is left to blindneſs and darkneſs, and ſpeaks opprobriouſly of the Spirit of Grace, when he cals him the inſtrument of an inſtrument; for he makes Chriſt himſelf no more but the Fathers inſtrument and a creature; and the Spirit is no more but Chriſts inſtrument, and a creature of a creature. I ſhall now conclude with an Anſwer to what he cloſeth his Anſwers to this Text of Math. 28, with. He ſaith, this kinde of preſence by the Spirit, Beza and others underſtand to be intended in Mat. 28. 20.
Reply. 1. Neither Beza nor any elſe ſave Arians and Socinians do hold ſuch a kinde of preſence of the Spirit, as he hath held forth, viz. of the Spirit as an inſtrument by which Jeſus Chriſt did work, but only of the Spirit as God, and as the third perſon in the Trinity, equal with the Father & with the Son, by whom the Father and Son do work, not as by an inſtrument, but as by an aſſociate, not as imparting any ſuperiority in them, or inferiority in the Spirit, but Order only, that they which are one in Eſſence but diſtinct in perſonality, might not be confounded (as they cannot be divided from one another) in operation; therefore as they are in one another, ſo they work from and by one another.
2. The words which he mentions in the Margent, as Bezaes upon the place, though I have diligently peruſed Beza, I cannot find neither in Matthew the Text that is controverted betwixt us; nor yet in any of thoſe Texts in John which ſpeak of the Spirit which he cites: neither would they be any whit advantageous to him, were they found in Beza; for they ſpeak of Chriſt as abſent in body, which none denies; but that whole Chriſt is abſent is not aſſerted, in the words; but the contrary ſeems to be implyed; for the abſence of Chriſt is limited to his body, Caeterum corpore abeſt, are the words, ſo that Chriſt may be preſent in that ſpirit of holineſs, which is his divine Nature, of which Paul ſpeaks in Rom. 1. 4. without any contradiction to Beza, if any ſuch words may be found in him.
3. The words of Beza upon the place do differ greatly from the words he preſents as his, and do not favour his expoſition at all, but may well be interpreted ſo as to cohere with the uſe I make of that Text, Cum autem idem ipſe dominus paulo ante dixerit, &c. ſaith Beza; that is, When as the ſelf-ſame Lord Jeſus had ſaid a little before, Me you ſhall not have alwayes, and was to aſcend a little after; it is apparent that there muſt be a diſtinction, reſpecting the maner and way of Chriſts preſence and abſence; in body he is abſent, but in vertue he is wholly moſt preſent; in which vertue he doth communicate himſelf, and all his things really in a ſpiritual way by faith unto us. Here is not one Word of the Spirit of God, but of the vertue and power of Chriſt in which he is preſent, which cannot be the vertue of his body, or of his Humane Nature in which he was ſo far abſent; for none of that could extend ſo far unleſs conveyed by that which was preſent, viz. the divine Nature, which is preſent everywhere, and conveyes vertue from whole Chriſt to believers.