A Vindication, Part 4 – Part 5
The next Scripture which he invades, and labours to overthrow, is Rev. 2. 2. I know thy works; whence I infer Chriſts Godhead, becauſe otherwiſe at ſuch diſtance he could not know all their works. But he anſwers with Intergatories of admiration, becauſe of the abſurdity which he pretends to apprehend in it: His words are theſe.
What could he not? Is any thing too hard for the Lord? Could the Prophet Eliſha know at a very great diſtance what the King of Syria ſaid in his Bed-chamber, and yet cannot Chriſt know at a diſtance? He hath the Spirit, viz. Wiſdom, and power, &c. given him without meaſure. Joh. 3 34. and therefore can know beyond what we can conceive.
Rep. When our Lord Jeſus Chriſt tels the Churches that he knows their works, his ſcope is not to diſcover to them what knowledge he had by revelation from the Father, but it was to make them ſenſible what quick ſharp piercing eye-ſight he himſelf had, and what a vaſte incomprehenſible underſtanding and knowledge he had, for the comfort of all true Saints, and for the terror of all Hypocrites in all the Churches; and this is maniffeſt from 23. ver. of the ſame Chapter; & had he but read the Chapter over, he would not have admired at me, viz. at my collection, but at his own Anſwers; I will kill her children (ſaith Chriſt) with death, and all the Churches ſhall know that I am he that ſearcheth the reines and hearts, &c. In theſe words we may obſerve; firſt, what a knowledge it is that Chriſt hath of the works and wayes of the Church, and what it is he knows; it is an inward penetrating knowledge, it is of the moſt unſearchable parts, it is of the moſt hidden works, it is of the works of the hearts and reines of men. Secondly, how Chriſt came by this knowledge; not by any diſcovery that any other made to him, but by and from himſelf he hath this knowledge; it is a knowledge which he hath in himſelf it is his own knowledge, I ſearch the hearts and the reines. Thirdly, for what end Chriſt declares this his exquiſite and perfect knowledge of all things in man, which he hath in himſelf, that all the Churches may know who he was, what an one he was, more obſervant of all ſecret wickedneſs then they were aware of, that they might fear & tremble more in reference to the eye of Chriſt, then they did before. Fourthly, what this ſcience or knowledge of Chriſt doth denotate and demonſtrate Chriſt to be, no leſs then the moſt high God; for the moſt high God doth aſſume power and perfection of ſearching and trying hearts and reines to himſelf, as his own proper prerogative, which none is enabled to challenge; in Jer. 179 10. The heart is deceitful, and deſperately wicked, who can know it? as if he ſhould have ſaid, None can know it? But then he excepts himſelf, I the Lord ſearch the heart and try the reines; that is, I alone do it; and yet Chriſt attributes this high Divine tranſcendent knowledge to himſelf, and with ſuch ſuitable words, as if Chriſt were the perſon ſpeaking in Jeremie, or as if the perſon ſpeaking in Jeremie ſpake alſo in the Revelation, as if one and the ſame perſon ſpake in both places for they challenge one & the ſame thing; & the cloſe of the ſpeech in both places is the ſame, and it ſhews that one and the ſame God ſpeaks in both places, if not one and the ſame perſon. And now if Mr. Knowles have any ingenuity in him, he will open his eyes, and lie under the conviction of this Text, unleſs he have ſold himſelf to be deluded, and to ſeduce others.
It appears by what hath been preſented, that he cannot evade the ſtrength of this Text of Rev. 2. 2. and the collection made there-from, with his inſtance of Eliſha, who knew what the King of Syria ſpake in his Bed-chamber, which was done, not by any wiſdome that was in him, but by the revelation of God; but Chriſts knowledge was not ſuch, was not from an other but from and in himſelf: But he reſts not in that, but flies to the Spirit, which (he ſaith) was given unto him beyond all meaſure, Joh. 3. 34. But what is this Spirit which was given to him, which made him thus wiſe, that he could know all the works of the Churches? This Spirit is in his opinion but a creature; he called him but very lately Chriſts inſtrument; and his whole ſcope in his Book is to ſhew that the Father alone is God, the moſt high God; therefore according to him the Spirit is but a creature: And ſhall Chriſt have all this help from a creature, to know all the works of the Churches? Doth the Spirit himſelf know all the hidden workings of the hearts of all Churches? and of all Saints? There are works of the hearts and reines; doth the Spirit know them, if he be but a creature? The Scripture tels us that none can know them but God, Pſal. 26. 2. & 139. 23. and Jer. 11. 20. & Chap. 20. 12. But he ſaith the Spirit is not God, therefore cannot know ſuch things; therefore by the gift of him Chriſt cannot come to know ſuch things. And how comes the Spirit being but a creature to know more then Chriſt, and to be Chriſts inſtructor, when Chriſt is the chief of all the creatures, and a God in wiſdom and ſtrength in compariſon of them according to his opinion? is not here an inconſiſtency which doth always attend falſhood? Nor can the Spirit without meaſure be given to Chriſt, if the Spirit (as he aſſerts) be but a creature; for then himſelf is meaſured, being finite, and not infinite, and muſt be given in meaſure; therefore by the gift of him Chriſt cannot know all things. Yea, further it may be ſaid, though the Spirit were infinite, as indeed he is infinite, and is good (whatever he weakly and ſinfully aſſerts to the contrary) yet Chriſt being but a creature (as he deſperately argues) he cannot be given without meaſure; for things are received according to the capacity of that which doth receive, and not above it; and ſo Chriſt being finite (as he holds) and meaſurable, doth ſtint and limit, and bring to a bound, and to a meaſure all that he receives; and indeed his humane nature that did receive the Spirit, being finite, was not capable of the Spirit without meaſure, though the Spirit himſelf be without meaſure; but it is an hyperbolical expreſſion, and the meaning is, Chriſt had aboundance of the Spirit, as he was man, beyond all men, and all creatures; but no finite proportion of the Spirit will enable Chriſt as man to know by his own wiſdom that reſides in him, all the works of all the Churches; for none but the ſearcher of all hearts can do that, becauſe there are may hidden works of the heart: Now this Searcher of hearts is God only, therefore Chriſt is God.
But he goes on and ſaith, Though Chriſt hath ſuch a knowledge, yet he is not the moſt high God, for his knowledge is of another, Joh. 5. 30. I can of mine own ſelf do nothing, as I hear I judge, &c.
Repl. I have already anſwered ſome parallel Scriptures to this in my former Treatiſe, pag. 145. to which I refer the Reader. I ſhall adde ſomething out of Beza and Chemnitius, and ſo paſs over it. I can do nothing of my ſelf, that is ſaith he, meo unius arbitratu, & potentia, vel voluntate à patre ſeparata, cum una & eadem ſit patris & mea tum potentia, tum voluntas, ut & eſſentia; that is, by my own ſingle proper power or will, ſeparate and apart from the Fathers, I can do nothing, when as my Fathers will and power, and mine are one and the ſame, even as the Eſſence is one. [As I hear.] The Fathers ſhewing (ſaith he) and the Sons hearing do relate to one another; that is nothing but the Fathers giving community of vertue, and power, and of the very Eſſence it ſelf by generation from Eternity to the Son; and the Sons hearing is nothing but the reception of it. Or, ſaith he, it may reſpect the humane nature of Chriſt. Chriſt as man acts nothing, doth nothing apart from the will of his own Diety; for though the Divine will and the humane be two wils in number, yet they be not two but one in conſent and agreement, and ſo one with the Fathers will. And Chriſt as man, as he hears, that is, as the Father ſuggeſts to him, ſo he judgeth, which is true of the Divine will in Chriſt ſuggeſting to the humane. And Chemnitius in his Harmony, interprets the Sons not doing any thing of himſelf, to ariſe not out of the imbecillity of the Son, but from the abſolute and perfect identity of the Father and the Son in Eſſence, and all eſſential properties and acts; and the Sons hearing, he expounds to be the Sons knowing together with the Father all things decreed in the ſecret Counſel of the Divinty, or Divine Eſſence. And without doubt, the undivided operations of the Father and Son are pointed out. As I hear I judge, ſaith Chriſt, and in Joh. 8. 15. I judge no man, and ver. 50. the Father ſeeketh and judgeth, and yet in Joh. 5. 22 The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgement to the Son; Theſe Scriptures cannot be reconciled better then to ſay, they judge in one another, the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, they act undividedly; the Father is in Chriſt in all Chriſts operations, and the Son ſees and hears, and knows the Father, and the things of the Father in himſelf.
He concludes his anſwer to this text of Rev. 2. 2. thus, Though he alwayes knew all things neceſſary for the perfect diſcharge of his offices, yet there was a time when he was excluded from the knowledge of the hour and day of judgement, Mark 13. 32. But of that day and hour no one knoweth, neither the Angels that are in heaven, nor the Son, unleſs the Father: Therefore his knowledge was not formally of himſelf, nor alwaies perfect.
Rep. This text of Mark is to be interpreted of Chriſt according to the humane nature, as he is the Son of man; for in that ſenſe he is alſo called the Son without any addition, 1 Cor. 15. 28. compared with 23. for Chriſts manhood is there ſpoken of; for it is ſaid, Chriſt ſhould firſt riſe, which as man he onelyonly doth; and then ver. 28. he is called the Son, which muſt refer to the ſame conſideration of Chriſt as man.
And if it were otherwiſe, that Son were alwaies taken for Son of God, yet ſometimes a thing is ſpoken of in one nature, and muſt be underſtood in another. Acts 20. 28. it is called the bloud of God, but it is meant of the humane nature, becauſe conſidered as God, Chriſt hath not any bloud. And as the Son of man, is higher then the Angels, and knoweth more then the Angels, having a more excellent anointment then they; therefore the gradation is conſiſtent, and ſutable enough, neither the Angels nor the Son according to fleſh, which you will think more ſtrange, becauſe he is wiſer then the Angels.
And whereas he ſeems to limit it to the Father onelyonly, it muſt not be underſtood excluſively, as ſhutting out Chriſt as he is the Son of God from eternity, or as ſhutting out the Spirit; for (firſt) if the words foreign, interpreted by him unleſſe, and tranſlated (but) be alwaies excluſive of all but the perſon mentioned, then the Father would be excluded from knowing himſelf; for Mat. 11. 27. the words run thus, No one knoweth the Father unleſſe the Son, and ſo it is aſſerted of the Son, no one knoweth the Son, but the Father, or unleſſe the Father; and ſo the Son is excluded from the knowledge of himſelf, if the particle unleſſe, be alwayes excluſive, which would be monſtrous to be granted. 2. It is manifeſt that the holy Ghoſt, or Spirit of God knows the day and hour of judgement; for it is ſaid of him, that he ſearcheth the deep things of God, and this muſt be granted to be one of them, 1 Cor. 2. 10, 11. In which text it is to be obſerved that the exceptive particle foreign unleſs, is to be found by which both Father and Son are excluded from knowing the things of God, if we may believe him, that this particle limits it only to him that is mentioned; for the Spirit is onelyonly mentioned. 3. It is inconſiſtent to what is aſſerted of Chriſts knowledge, Coloſ. 2. 3. it is ſaid that all the treaſures of wiſdom and knowledge are hid in him; how then ſhould he be ignorant of the day of judgement as he was the Son of God? And John 5. 20. the Father ſheweth the Son all things that himſelf doth, that is, in himſelf the Father ſhews all things; now this is one thing that the Father doth, he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world; and this is ſhewed in Chriſts very eſſence, which is the ſame with his Fathers, and in Chriſts very will, which is the ſame with his Fathers, and Chriſt may read all the decrees of the Father in himſelf, in his own wiſdome and will: And he is called the wiſdome of the Father, and the admirable counſellour, 1 Cor. 1. 24. Eſay 9. 6. And the Diſciples attributed to him the knowing of all things, John 16. 30. and John 21. 17. 4. It is inconſiſtent to the place which he cites, that Chriſt ſhould be abſolutely ignorant of the day and hour of judgement; to the context on every hand; for Chriſt had told all the forerunners of it, the things that ſhould precede, and ſomething that ſhould follow, the temper of men of that age when it ſhould be, the ſecurity that ſhould be in the world at that time; he himſelf was to be the perſon that muſt come as Judge, and he was to depart, and then to come, and he was to appoint every one his work till he come, till the very day and hour of his coming, (the parable declares ſo much) and could he then be ignorant of the day and hour? it is againſt ſenſe and reaſon. Chriſt then had knowledge of the very preciſe time of judgement, and yet he had not knowledge, (he ſaith ſo himſelf) how is it to be underſtood? as he was the Son of man according to the man-hood he had not the knowledge thereof, but as he was the Son of God he had the knowledge thereof. Col. 1. 15. was next produced by me, to prove the eternal generation of Chriſt by it; But he had perverted the true ſenſe of it before he came to it, and made uſe of it to ſerve his own purpoſe by it, while he was pleading for that unchriſt-like doctrine which he had received, and was ingaged to maintain it. And in this place he only tels me he had ſpoken to it, and with a ſcornful jeere prayes me to conſider it again, and by my next to let him hear what part thereof it is in which Chriſts eternal generation may be ſeen.
Rep. In this text of Col. 1. 15. Chriſt is called the firſt born of every creature, and his eternal generation was meant by it, which I have proved already in my other Treatiſe, and ſhall yet again manifeſt it. 1. Firſt-born is not the ſame with firſt created; 1. becauſe it cannot be proved by Scripture that Chriſt was created at all, therefore not that he was firſt created. 2. In the beginning he was, but no mention of any beginning that he had. 3. There is expreſſe mention that heaven and earth were firſt created; for in the beginning they were created, and before the beginning nothing was created. 4. Chriſt was born according to the fleſh, but he was not the firſt-born, but in fulneſſe of time was born; therefore in reference to his humanity, and as he was the ſeed of the woman, he is not called firſt-born. 5. Firſt born and firſt-begotten are termes equivalent, and point at one and the ſame thing, viz. or ſome perſon that did perform ſuch an act as begetting of Chriſt. 6. Firſt-born, firſt-begotten and only-begotten are alike congruous; and may equally, ſo far as concerns the truth of the thing, be attributed to Chriſt; ſo that whatever is the meaning of ſuch titles or names, there is a peculiarity therein to Chriſt, and Chriſt hath therein no fellows; and ſo it can neither be applyed to creation, nor to ordinary and temporary generation; for it cannot be ſaid that Chriſt was onelyonly created, nor onelyonly generated, and begotten, nor onelyonly born; for there were numerous creatures created, and innumerable generated in the ordinary way: But Chriſt was alone ſo begotten, and ſo born of God as none elſe were. 7. Chriſt ſpeaks of himſelf that which none other can ſpeak but he, God poſſeſſed me in the beginning of his way before his workes of old: poſſeſſed me, how? As Eve poſſeſſed Cain; for the word is one in the original, and it is rendred gotten, and indeed he muſt be begotten; ſo the Lord poſſeſſed Chriſt, got Chriſt, begot Chriſt, in the beginning of his way; and when was that beginning? in the beginning of the world? no: it was before his works of old, or ever the earth was; and the earth was the firſt, together with the heavens, in the beginning; yet Chriſt was before; not in the beginning of the creation, but in the begininng of Gods way; now Gods way was from everlaſting; therefore Chriſts going forth hath been from of old, from everlaſting, Mich. 5. 2. his decrees were from everlaſting, and God was ever working; therefore it is explicated, verſe 23. I was ſet up from everlaſting, in the beginning; the one interprets the other, the beginning of Gods way is from everlaſting. Thus I have found eternal generation in theſe words, firſt born; and in his next let him evade it if he can.