A Treatise of Christian Religion, Chapter 30
CHAP. 30.
Of the parts of Chriſts mediation: and in ſpeciall, of his Propheticall office.
The parts of Chriſts Mediation; are
Firſt, his
Propheticall office.
Prieſthood. Chap. 29.
Secondly, his Kingdome.
HEBR. chap. 3. verſ. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
7. Wherefore as the holy Ghoſt ſaith, Today if ye will heare his voice,
8. Harden not your hearts as in the prouocation, in the day of tentation in the wilderneſſe:
9. When your fathers tempted mee, proued mee, and ſaw my workes fortie yeeres.
10. Wherfore I was griened with that generation, and ſaid, They doe alway erre in their hearts, they hauehave not knowne my waies.
11. So I ſware in my wrath: they ſhall not enter into my rest.
12. Take heede, brethren, leſt there be in any of you an euill heart of vnbeliefe, in departing from the liuing God.
13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called, To day, leſt any of you be hardened through the deceitfulneſſe of ſinne.
Q. HOw many parts are there of his Mediation?
A. Two: firſt, his Propheticall office, and his Prieſthood: and ſecondly, his kingdome.
Q. VVhat is his Propheticall office?
A. It is the firſt part of his mediation, whereby hee is our Prophet, Doctor, or Apoſtle.
Q. How is he our Prophet, Doctor, or Apoſtle?
A. In that hee hath opened the whole will of his Iohn 1. 18. Deut. 18. 18.Father, concerning all things neceſſarie to ſaluation.
Q. How doth that appeare?
A. By his owne teſtimonie, Ioh. 15. 15. I call you no more ſeruants, becauſe the ſeruant knoweth not what his maſter doth. But I call you friends, becauſe all which I hauehave Eſay 61. 1. Matth. 17. 5.heard of my Father, I hauehave made knowne vntounto you.
Q. What learne you from thence?
A. What a foule errour it is in thē, that thinke that our Sauiour Chriſt deliuered not al things, pertaining to the inſtruction and gouernment of his Church, but left them moreouer to the traditions and inuentions Act. 20. 20. 27.of men.
Q. VVhat further?
A. That the Miniſters of the Word ſhould not vtterly ſuppreſſe in ſilence, any truth that Chriſt hath reuealed. And that the people ſhould content themſelues with that which Chriſt hath taught, reiecting whatſoeuer elſe, the boldneſſe of men ſhall obtrude vponupon them.
Q. Did his office of Doctor-ſhip then firſt begin, when he came into the world?
A. No: for he (at the firſt) opened his Fathers will vntounto vsus, by the aLuk. 1. 70.miniſtery of his ſeruants the Prophets: and after he came into the world, he opened the ſame doctrine more Epheſ. 4. 10. 11plainly and fully by the Apoſtles and Euangeliſts.
Q. VVhat difference is there betweene the teaching of Chriſt, and of the Prophets and Miniſters ſent of him?
A. Firſt, Chriſt taught with another maner of authority, Mat. 7. 28. 29. Mark. 1. 22. Mat. 22. 28. 32. 34. 44.then euer did any other Miniſter before or after him: for Chriſt taught in his owne name, and by his owne authority; though (for the more cleere conuincing of the Iewes) hee often alleaged the teſtimonies of Moſes, and the other Prophets.
Secondly, by vertue of his Prophetical office, he did not onelyonly bring an outward ſound vntounto the eare; but wrought (as hee did before his comming, and as hee doth now by the Miniſtery of his word), an alteration in the mind.
Q. What hauehave wee to learne of this, that Chriſt taught, and teacheth by the Prophets, Apoſtles, and Euangeliſts?
A. In what eſtimation we ought to hauehave the books Heb. 4. 12. 2. Cor. 2. 16.of the Old Teſtament, ſith the ſame ſpirit ſpake then, that ſpeaketh now, and the ſame Chriſt alſo.
Q. What effect hath the careleſſe and fruitleſſe hearing of Gods word?
A. It hardeneth men to further iudgement; for it is a two edged ſword to ſtrike to life, or to death: it is either the ſauour of life to life, or the ſauour of death to death.
Q. How doth he in this text aggrauate the refuſall of this office of our Sauiour, againſt the Iſraelites?
A. Firſt, by the time of 40. yeeres, verſ. 9. Secondly, by the place, the wilderneſſe, verſ. 8. and thirdly, by the multitude of his benefits.
Q. What force hath the office of his prophecie in vsus?
A. We thereby are in ſome ſort made partakers of that office. For by the knowledge of his will, wee are made able to exhort one another to goodneſſe, and to dehort from euill. 1. Ioh. 2. 27. Rom. 15. 4.