A30249:214
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…
Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the errors of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the errours of Papists, Arminians, Socinians, and more especially, Antinomians in XXX lectures, preached at Laurence-Jury, London / by Anthony Burgess ...
London: printed by James Young for Thomas Underhill, 1647
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The second Question is, Whether the mystery of the Trinity, and 1of the Incarnation of Christ, can be found out as a truth by the light of Nature? And here, certainly, we must answer negatively; for the Apostle, 2 Cor. 2. speaking of the mysteries of the Gospel, saith, It hath not entered into the heart of a man to conceive of them: which is to be understood, not only of the blessed joy and peace of those truths, but also as they are truths; so that all these things are of mere supernatural revelation. Hence we read, that when, by reason of the Arians, there was an hot dispute about these mysteries, there was a voice heard from heaven, [Greek or Hebrew], The fall of the wise men. I do acknowledge, that Austin and others have sought the foot-steps or representations of the Trinity in the creatures; yea, Nierembergius a Jesuit, De origine sacrae Scripturae, lib. 1. cap. 3. doth hold, that God did intend by the works of Creation, to declare the mysteries of graces; as by those artificial things of the Ark, Tabernacle, and Temple, he intended spiritual mysteries: but this is false. But then they did first know and believe this doctrine by Scripture, and then afterwards go to represent it. Yet it must be confessed, that all these Similes have scarce one foot, much less four, to run on. The School-men speak of the three things in every creature, Esse, posse, & Operari. But especially that is taken up about the soul, when it understandeth or knoweth, and ⟨p. 80⟩when it loveth: and the Son of God is represented by that Verbum mentis, and the holy Ghost by Amor. Now here is a mistake, for Christ is called [Greek or Hebrew], Joh. 1. by John, imitating, the Chaldee, not in respect of any such scholastical sense, but because he doth reveal and make known the will of God to us: so the union of the humane nature and the divine in one person, though learned men give many Examples, yet none come up to the full resemblance: And indeed, if you could give the like instance, it were not wonderful or singular. We conclude then, that the Scriptures are the only ladder, whereby we climb up to these things, and our understandings are of such a little stature, that we must climb up into the tree of life (the Scriptures) to see Jesus.