From hence it came to pafs, that according to all the predictions of the Prophets, the one God of Ifrael, the maker of Heaven and Earth, was acknowledged through the world for the only true God: that the Law given to Ifrael was taken for the true Law of God, but as given to that people and fo to ceafe when they ceased to be a people; except the moral part thereof, which, as an univerfal rule common to all people, is ftill acknowledged for the Law of God, given unto all, and obliging every man: that all the Oracles of the Heathen Gods, in all places where Christianity was received, did presently cease, and all the Idols or the Gods themselves, were rejected and condemned as fpurious. For the Lord of Hofts had fpoken concerning those times expreffly; It fhall come to pass in that day, that I will Zach. 13. 2. cut off the names of the Idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembred: alfo I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. any Now being this general reception of the Gofpel was fo anciently, fo frequently foretold, being the fame was fo clearly and univerfally performed; even this might feem fufficient to perfuade that Jesus is Chrift. But lest fhould not yet be fully fatisfied, we fhall farther fhew, that it is impoffible Jefus fhould have been fo received for the true Meffias, had he not been fo or that his Doctrine, which teacheth him to be the Christ, fhould be admitted by all nations for divine, had it not been fuch. For whether we look upon the Nature of the Doctrine taught, the condition of the Teachers of it, or the manner in which it was taught, it can no way feem probable that it should have had any fuch fuccefs, without the immediate working of the hand of God, acknowledging Jefus for his Son, the Doctrine for his own, and the fulfilling by the hands of the Apostles what he had foretold by the Prophets. As for the nature of the Doctrine, it was no way likely to have any fuch fuccefs. For, first, it abfolutely condemned all other Religions, fettled and corroborated by a conftant fucceffion of many Ages, under which many Nations and Kingdoms, and especially at that time the Roman, had fignally flourished. Secondly, it contained Precepts far more ungrateful and troublefom to flesh and blood, and contrariant to the general inclination of mankind; as the abnegation of our felves, the mortifying of the flesh, the love of our enemies, and the bearing of the crofs. Thirdly, it inforced thofe Precepts feemingly unreasonable, by fuch Promifes as were seemingly incredible and unperceivable. For they were not of the good things of this world, or fuch as afford any complacency to our fenfe; but of fuch as cannot be obtained till after this life and neceffarily prefuppofe that which then seemed as abfolutely impoffible, the Refurrection. Fourthly, it delivered certain predictions which were to be fulfilled in the perfons of fuch as fhould embrace it, which feem fufficient to have kept most part of the world from liftning to it, as dangers, loffes, afflictions, tribulations, and in fumm, All that would live godly in Christ Jefus should suffer per- 2 Tim, 3. iz. fecution. If we look upon the Teachers of this Doctrine, there appeared nothing in them which could promife any fuccefs. The firft Revealer and Promulger bred in the house of a Carpenter, brought up at the feet of no Profeffor, despised by the High-Priests, the Scribes and Pharifees, and all the learned in the Religion of his Nation; in the time of his preaching apprehended, bound, buffetted, fpit upon, condemned, crucified; betrayed in his life by one Difciple, denied by another; at his death diftrusted by all. What advantage can we perceive toward the propagation of the Gofpel in this Author of it, Chrift 1 Cor. 1. 23. crucified, unto the Jews a ftumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness? What in those which followed him, fent by him, and thence called Apostles, N 2 men I men by birth obfcure, by education illiterate, by profeffion low and inglorious? How can we conceive that all the Schools and Univerfities of the World fhould give way to them, and the Kingdoms and Empires fhould at last come in to them, except their Doctrine were indeed Divine, except that Jefus, whom they teftified to be the Chrift, were truly fo? If we confider the manner in which they delivered this Doctrine to the world, it will add no advantage to their perfons, or advance the probability of fuccefs. For in their delivery they used no fuch rhetorical expreffions, or ornaments of eloquence, to allure or entice the world; they affected no fuch fubtilty of wit, or ftrength of argumentation, as thereby to perfuade and convince men; they made ufe of no force or violence to compel, no corporal menaces to affright mankind unto a compliance. But in a plain fimplicity of words they nakedly delivered what they had feen and heard, 1 Cor. 2. 4. preaching, not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in the demonftration of the Spirit. It is not then rationally imaginable, that fo many Nations fhould forfake their own Religions, fo many Ages profeffed, and brand them all as damnable, only that they might embrace fuch precepts as were most unacceptable to their natural inclinations, and that upon fuch promises as feemed not probable to their reason, nor could have any influence on their fenfe, and notwithstanding those predictions which did affure them, upon the receiving of that Doctrine, to be expofed to all kind of mifery: that they fhould do this upon the Authority of him who for the fame was condemned * In Chrifti and crucified, and by the perfuafion of them who were both illiterate and obnomine fub- fcure that they fhould be enticed with words without cloquence, convinced unxit, & ipfe Without the leaft fubtilty, conftrained without any force. Ifay, it is no way qui unetus imaginable how this fhould come to pass, had not the Doctrine of the Goeft, & ipfa fpel, which did thus prevail, been certainly Divine; had not the light of the unctus eft. Word, which thus difpell'd the clouds of all former Religions, come from Iren.1.3.c.20. Heaven; had not that Jefus, the author and finisher of our faith, been the true Meffias. auditur qui unctio in qua † Οἱ βασιλείς πάντες καὶ οἱ βασιλείς λα Mart. Dial. χρισοὶ δπὶ το To conclude this discourse. He who was in the world at the time when Tithe Meffias was to come, and no other at that time or fince pretended; he desa xer who was born of the fame family, in the fame place, after the fame manner, sol. Just. which the Prophets foretold of the birth of the Meffias; he which taught + Chriftus a all thofe truths, wrought all thofe miracles, fuffered all thofe indignities, rechrifmate di- ceived all that glory, which the Meffias was to teach, do, fuffer, and recitur: quia fi- ceive; he whofe Doctrine was received in all Nations, according to the chareges à facer- racter of the Mejias; he was certainly the true Meffias. But we have alreadotibus oleo dy fufficiently fhewed that all these things are exactly fulfilled in Jefus, and debantur, fic in him alone. We must therefore acknowledge and profefs that this Jefus is Chriftus Sp.S. the promised Meffias, that is, the Christ. cut antiqui facro profun pletus eft. infusione re- Having thus manifefted the truth of this propofition, Jefus is the Christ, Author. Ser. and fhewed the interpretation of the word Chrift to be Anointed; we find it 13 L. de Temp. yet *neceffary for the explication of this Article, to enquire what was the end or immediate effect of his unction, and how or in what manner he was anointbChap. 16.12. Sicut nunc ed to that end. Romanis indumentum a1 Sam. 15:1. purpuræ infigne eft re tis affumptæ: For the first, as the Meffias was foretold, fo was he typified: nor were the actions prefcribed under the Law lefs predictive than the words of the Prophets. Nay, whofoever were then anointed, were therefore fo, because he was to be gie dignita- anointed. Now it is evident that among the Jews they were wont to anoint fic illis unctio thofe which were appointed as Kings over them: So a Samuel faid unto Saul, facri unguen- The Lord fent me to anoint thee to be King over his people, over Ifrael. When poteftatem Saul was rejected, and David produced before Samuel, the Lord faid, Arife, regiam con- anoint him, for this is he. And fome * may have contented themselves ferebat. La- with this, that the Meffias was to be a King. But not only the Kings, but be ti nomen ac cian. 1. 4. c. 7 3 b fide at the first the as well as fhalt anoint their father, Priests office: fide and long before them, the High Priests were also anointed; infomuch as the *Anointed, in their common language, fignified their High Prieft. *For though And because these two were moft conftantly anointed, therefore divers fons of Aaron have thought it fufficient to affert, that the Meffias was to be a King and were anointed a Priest. But being not only the High Priests and Kings were actually, Aaron, as apanointed, (though they principally and most frequently ;) for the Lord pears Exod. faid unto Elias, Go anoint Hazael to be King over Syria, and Jehu the 40. 15. Thou fon of Nimbi shalt thou anoint to be King over Ifrael, and Elifba the fon them, as thou of Shaphat halt thou anoint to be Prophet in thy room: Therefore hence didit anoint it thath been concluded that the three Offices of Prophet, Pricft and King, that they may belonged to Jefus as the Christ, and that upon good reafon. For the Com- administer to monwealth of Ifrael was totally ordered and difpofed, both in the Conftitu- me in the tion and Administration of it, for and with refpect unto the Meffias. The yet they were Conftitution of that people was made by a fejunction and feparation of not after athem from all other Nations on the Earth: and this began in Abraham, nointed, but the fucceffors with a peculiar promife of a feed in whom all the Nations fhould be bleffed, of Aaron only: and be united into one Religion. That promised feed was the Meffias, the For, faith the type of whom was Ifaac. This feparation was continued by the Admini- Text, their astration of that Commonwealth, which was a royal Priesthood: and that furely be an Administration of the people did confift in three functions, prophetical, regal, everlasting facerdotal; all which had refpect unto the *Meffias, as the fcope of all the throughout Prophets, and the complement of their prophecies, as the Lord of the their generatiTemple, and the end of all the Sacrifices for which the Temple was erected, as fore after this the heir of an eternal Priesthood after the order of Melchizedeck, and of firft anointing the Throne of David, or an everlasting Kingdom. Being then the Se- they shall need paration was to ceafe at the coming of the Meffias, being that could the fucceffors not ceafe fo long as the Adminiftration of that people ftood, being that in the HighAdministration did confift in those three functions, it followeth that those priesthood fhall three were to be united in the perfon of the Meffias, who was to unction: from make all one, and confequently that the Chrift was to be Prophet, Priest whence the and King. nointing fhall Priesthood ons: and there= no more, only reiterate the Frieft that is anointed afterwards fig nified the High-Prieft, as Lev. 4. 3. 17 Lxx. axeços xexerou by way of explication, whereas verfe the 5th and the 16th of the fame chapter, and 6. 22. they render it a bare tranflation, diego's & Xews which by the vulgar Latin is tranflated, Sacerdos qui jure patri fuccederet, because no other but the Son which fucceeded the Father in the office of the High Prieft was afterwards anointed: as the Arabick & fimiliter Sacerdos fucceffor de filiis fuis. For in the anointing of Le נמשחו כל הבאים אחריהם להיות כהנים ולוד לא הוצרכו למשוח אחר כי אוב כהן גדול,Aaron and his sons Ben. Gerfon 1 Kings 1.†As Lactan. Erat Judæis ante præceptum ut facrum conficerent unguentum, quo perungi poffent ii qui vocabantur ad facerdotium vel ad regnum l. 4. c. 7. And S. Aug. Prioribus Veteris Teftamenti temporibus ad duas folas perfonas pertinuit unctio, Enarr. 2. Pfal. 21. Chriftus vel Pontificale vel Regium nomen eft. Nam prius & Pontifices unguento chrifmatis confecrabantur & Reges. Ruff. in Symb., * 1 Kings 19. 15, 16. ‡ISTO To xeiqua μù μóvov Αρχιερεύσι παραδοθίνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς μὲ ταῦτα προφήταις καὶ βασιλούσιν, οἷς καὶ αὐτοῖς τέτῳ χείεας μόνον ἐξον δ τώ μύρο. Eufeb. Demonft. Evang. l. 4. c. 15. & Hift. l. 1. c. 4. Wherefore S. Auguftine recollecting a place in his 83 Questions, in which he had taught the two fishes in the Gospel, duas illas perfonas fignificare quibus populus ille regebatur, ut per eas confiliorum moderamen acciperet, regiam fcilicet & facerdotalem, ad quas etiam facrofanéta illa unetio pertinebat, makes this particular Retractation; Dicendum potius fuit, maxime pertinebat, quoniam unctos aliquando legimus & Prophetas. Rerratt. l. I. c. 26. * Οὐ μόνος ἢ ἄρα της αρχιερωσιν τετιμημέρας τὸ το Χριςός κατεκόσμες παρ' Εβραίοις όνομα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς βασιλίας ὃς καὶ αὐτές, πνεύματι θείῳ προφής χρίοντες, εικονικές τινὰς Χρισὺς ἀπειργάζονται ότι δη καὶ αὐτοὶ το μόνος καὶ ἀληθὲς Χρισέ, τα εν πάντων βασιλεύοντα θεία λόγο, βασιλικῆς καὶ ἀρχικῆς ἐξασίας τὰς τύπος δὲ ἑαυτῶν ἔφερον, ἤδη ἢ καὶ αὐτῶν ἢ προφητῶν τινὰς ὡς χρίσματα Χρισὸς ἐν τόπῳ γε[ονέναι παρειλήφαμεν, ὡς τότες ἅπανίας ἢ ἐπὶ ὶ ἀληθῆ Χρισόν, τ ἔνθεον καὶ ἐράνιον λόγον, ἀναφορὰν ἔχειν μόνον ἀχιερέα ἢ ὅλων, καὶ μόνον απάσης τὸ κλίσεως βασιλέα, και μόνον προφητών ἀρχιπροφήτων τα παρὸς τυγχάνοντα. Hift. Eccl. l. I. c. 3. Again, the Redemption or Salvation which the Meffias was to bring, confifteth in the freeing of a finner from the state of fin and eternal death into a state of righteousness and eternal life. Now a freedom from sin in respect of the guilt could not be wrought without a facrifice propitiatory, and therefore there was a neceffity of a Priest; a freedom from fin in refpect of the dominion could not be obtained without a revelation of the will of God, and of his wrath against all ungodlinefs, therefore there was alfo need of a Prophet; a tranflation from the state of death into eternal life is not to be effected Ifa. 61. 1. 22. Jer. 1. 5. Luke 1.15. effected without abfolute authority and irresistible power, therefore a King was also neceffary. The Meffias then, the Redeemer of Ifrael, was certainly anointed for that end, that he might become Prophet, Priest and King. And if we believe him whom we call Jefus, that is our Saviour and Redeemer, to be Chrift, we must affert him by his unction fent to perform all these three Offices. That Jesus was anointed to the Prophetical Office, though we need no more to prove it than the prediction of Ifaiah. The fpirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; Luke. 4.21, the explication of our Saviour, This day is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears; and the Confeffion of the Synagogue at Nazareth, who all bare him witnefs, and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth; yet we are furnished with more ample and plentiful demonstrations; for whether we confider his Preparation, his Miffion, or his Administration, all of them speak him fully to have performed it. To Jeremiah indeed God faid, Before thou cameft forth out of the womb, I fanctified thee, and I ordained thee a Prophet unto the Nations; and of John the Baptist, He fhall be filled with the Holy Ghoft, even from his Mother's womb. And if these became fingular Prophets by their preparative fanctification, how much more eminent muft his prophetical preparation be, to whofe mother it is faid, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest fhall Numb. 4.47. overshadow thee? If the Levites must be thirty years old, every one that came to do the fervice of the Miniftry, Jefus will not enter upon the publick administration of this Office till he begin to be about thirty years of age. Then doth the Holy Ghoft defcend in a bodily fhape like a Dove upon him: then must a voice come from heaven, faying, Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleafed. Never fuch preparations, never fuch an Inauguration of a Prophet. Luke 1.35. Luke. 3. 23. Mal. 4. 5. Luke 1. 17. John 1. 34. John 5. 33. John 10.41. As for his Miffion, never any was confirmed with fuch letters of credence, fuch irrefragable teftimonials, as the formal teftimony of John the Baptist, and the more virtual teftimony of his Miracles. Behold, I will fend you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord, faith God by Malachy. And John went before him in the spirit of Elias, faith another Malachy, even an Angel from Heaven. This John, or Elias, faw the fpirit defcend on Jefus, and bare record that this is the Son of God. The Jews took notice of this teftimony, who faid nnto him. Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou bareft witneß, behold, the fame baptizeth, and all men come unto him; and Jefus himself puts them in mind of it, Te fent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth; nay they themselves confeffed his testimony to be undeniable, John did no miracle, but all things that John spake of this man were true. But though the witnefs of John were thus cogent, yet the testimony of Miracles was far more irrefragable, I have greater witness than that of John, faith our Saviour; for the works which my Father hath given me to finish, the Same works that I do bear witness of me, that the Father bath fent me. Notwithstanding the precedent record of John, Jefus requireth not an abfoJohn 10. 37, lute affent unto his Doctrine without his Miracles: If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But upon them he challengeth belief: But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works; that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me and I in him. If then Mofes and other Prophets, to whom God gave the power of Miracles, did affert their Miffion to be from God by the Divine works which they wrought; much more efficacious to this purpose must the Miracles of Jefus appear, who wrought more wonders than they all. Never therefore was there fo manifeft a Miffion of a Prophet. John 5. 36. 38. Now 14. Now the Prophetical Function confifteth in the promulgation, confirmation, and perpetuation of the Doctrine containing the will of God for the Salvation of man. And the perfect Administration of the Office must be attributed unto Jefus. For no man bath feen God at any time; the only-begot- John 1. 181 ten Son, which is in the bofom of the Father, he hath declared him. He John 17. 8; gave unto the Apoftles the words which his Father gave him. Therefore he hath revealed the perfect will of God. The Confirmation of this Doctrine cannot be denied him, who lived a most innocent and holy life to perfuade it, for he did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth; who wrought 1 Per. 2. 22. moft powerful and divine works to confirm it, and was thereby known to be a teacher from God; who died a most painful and shameful death to ratify it; John 3. 2. witnessing a good profeffion before Pontius Pilate; which in it felf unto 1 Tim. 6. 13. that purpose efficacious, was made more evidently operative in the raising of himself from death. The propagation and perpetual fucceffion of this Doctrine must likewife be attributed unto Jefus, as to no temporary or accidental Prophet, but as to him who inftituted and inftructed all who have any relation to that function. For the Spirit of Christ was in the Prophets: and 1 Pet. i. ir. when he afcended up on high, he gave gifts unto men. For he gave fome Eph. 4.8, 11, Apoftles, and fome Prophets, and fome Paftors and Teachers; for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. It is then most apparent that Jefus was fo far Christ, as that he was anointed to the Prophetical Office, because his Preparation for that Office was most remarkable, his Miffion unto that Office was undeniable, his Administration of that Office was infallible. a 12. b c Exod. 24. 5. nes, by all the that is primo and Perfian Now as Jefus was anointed with the Unction of Elizeus to the Prophetical, fo was he also with the Unction of Aaron to the Sacerdotal Office. Not that he was called after the Order of Aaron; for it is evident that our Lord Heb.7.14,21. Sprang out of Judah, of which Tribe Mofes fpake nothing concerning priesthood: but after a more ancient Order, according to the prediction of the Pfalmift, The Lord hath fworn and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedeck. But though he were of another Order, yet whatsoever Aaron did as a Prieft was wholly typical, and confequently to be Exod.19.22. fulfilled by the Meffias, as he was a Priest. For the Priesthood did not begin * For the Hein Aaron, but was tranflated and conferred upon his Family before his con- brew my figfecration. We read of the Priefts which came near the Lord; of young nifying juvemen of the children of Ifrael which offered burnt-offerings, and facrificed Targums is peace-offerings of Oxen unto the Lord: which without queftion were no rendred other than the first born, to whom the Priesthood did belong. Jefus geniti and fo therefore, as the first begotten of God, was by right a Prieft, and being the Arabick anointed unto that Office, performed every function, by way of Oblation, Interceffion and Benediction. Every High-Prieft is ordain'd to offer gifts & Heb. 8. 3. and facrifices: wherefore it is of neceffity that this man Jefus, if he be an High-Prieft, have fomewhat alfo to offer. Not that he had any thing befide f Heb. 10. 10. himself, or that there was any peculiar Sacrifice allowed to this Prieft; to Eph. 5.2. whom, when he cometh into the world, he faith, Sacrifice and offering Unus ipfe erat thou wouldst not, but a body haft thou prepared me: and, by the offering of qui offerebat this body of Jefus Chrift are we fanctified. For he who is our Priest hath † given himself an offering and a facrifice to God for a fweet smelling Unum cum favour. Now when Jefus had thus given himself a propitiatory Sacrifice for fin, he unum in fe afcended up on high, and entred into the Holy of Holies not made with hands, fecit pro quiand there appeared before God as an atonement for our fin. Nor is he pre- bat; unus ipfe valent only in his own oblation once offered, but in his conftant interceffion. erat qui offeWho is he that condemneth? faith the Apostle: it is Christ that died,. yea rebat & quod rather that is rifen again, who is even at the right hand of God; who alfo de Trinit. tranflations. e Heb. 10. 5. † & quod offerebat, S. Aug. illo manebat cui offerebat, bus offere offerebat. Id. maketh Rom. 8. 34. |