Emmanuel, or, God-man a treatise wherein the doctrine of the first Nicene and Chalcedon councels, concerning the two natures in Christ, is asserted against the lately vented Socinian doctrine / by John Tombes ...

SECT. I. (Book 1)

The God whose Kingdom is to be sought is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

BEing taught by Christ to pray, Mat. 6. 10. Thy Kingdom come, and ver. 33. to seek first the King∣dom of God; it is necessary we know what is meant by the terms [God the Father, the Son.] For explaining whereof we are to consider that the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 translated God answering to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (as I shew in my Oath-book lect. 1. sect. 5.) in its common notion, notes any Numen, divine power, which is worshipped, whe∣ther real or nominal: Agreably to which St. Paul tells us, 1 Cor. 8. 4, 5, 6. As concerning therefore the eating of th••se things that are offered to Idols, we know that an Idol (though worshipped as God by deluded Gentiles) is nothing in the world (hath no power to do good or hurt)

and that there is none other God but ons: For though there be that are called Gods, whether in Heaven or upon earth (as there be Gods many and Lords many) but to us there is but one God the Father, of whom are all things, and we in or for him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him: where it is obser∣vable that the term [one God] is attributed to the Father, to wit of Christ, who as he is stiled Ephes. 1. 2. our Father, so v. 3. the God, and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is therefore frequently term∣ed in the writings of the Evangelists, espe∣cially St. John by our Lord Christ the Fa∣ther and his Father, and distinction is made between one God and one Lord, as in this place, so also 1 Cor. 12. 5, 6. Ephes. 4. 5, 6. (it is 1 Tim. 2. 5. one God, and one Mediatour between God and men) and accordingly the Apostolical salutations, be∣nedictions, prayers, and valedictions run thus, Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. 1. 3. |2 Cor. 1. 2. Ephes. 1. 2. Philip. 1. 2. Col. 1. 3. 1 Thes. 1. 1. 2. Thes. 1. 2. Grace to you, and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ with addition of mercy, 1 Tim. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. From

God the Father. 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Cor. 13. 14. The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, Ephes. 1. 3. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephes. 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Fa∣ther of our Lord Jesus Christ. Col. 1. 3. We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying alwaies for you. 1 Thes. 1. 2, 3. We give thanks to God alwaies for you all making mention of you in our prayers, remembring with∣out ceasing your work of faith; and labour of love, and patience of hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father. James 1. 1. James a servant of God, and of the Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace and peace be multiplied unto you, through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord. 2 John 3. Grace be with you, mercy and peace from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father in truth and love. And accordingly where the word [God] or [Father] is put simply it is distinctly applyed to the Father of our Lord Christ, Rom. 1. 1, 3, 4, 8, 9, and 3. 25, 26.

and 5. 1, 2. 8. 10, 11, 15. and 6, 4, 11, 23. and 7. 4. 25. and 8. 3. 17. 33, 34, 39. and 10. 9. and 14. 17, 18. and 15. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. 16. 17, 19, 30. and 16. 20. 26, 27, 1 Cor. 1. 1, 2, 9. 24, 30. and 3. 23. with many more both in the Epistles and other writings of the New Testament in which God is distinguished from the Lord Christ, and is therefore meant of the person of the Father, con∣cerning whom the Apostle doth expres∣ly say, 1 Cor. 11. 3. I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. In like manner Arch-Bishop Usher in his Diatriba about the ancient Apostolical Creed of the Ro∣man Church, and other forms of faith wont to be propounded in Catechism and Baptism both by the western and eastern Christians tells us, pag. 13. out of Rufinus, that almost all the eastern Churches do thus deliver their faith: I believe in one God the Father Almighty, and in the follow∣ing speech, whereas we say, and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, they deli∣ver it thus, and in one Lord our Lord Je∣sus Christ his only Son, which he shews in

the shorter and larger Cre••ds Hierosoly∣mitan, Alexandrian, that of Eusebius Cae∣sariensis recited at the first Nicene Coun∣cel, and with some addition assented to as their Creed Dr. Pearson Exposition of the 8th. Article, we have already shewn that the Father is originally that one God, which is deried by none.

Hereby we may understand who is meant by [the Father] to wit, the Fa∣ther of Christ, and therefore the Kingdom is termed by Christ the Kingdom of his Father, Matth. 26. 29. because it is appointed or delivered to Christ by the Father, Luke 22. 29. Matth. 11. 27. and 28. 18. John 3. 35. and 5. 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26, 27. and 13. 3. Act•• 2. 33. 36. 2 Pet. 1. 17. and in all his ad∣ministrations Christ expresseth his aim not to be his own, but his Fathers glory, John 8. 50. 54. and 14. 13. Sometimes it is termed the Kingdom of their Father, Mat. 13. 43. because God appoints it to the Saints, Luke 22. 29. and 12. 32. and therefore Christ saith, Mat. 20. 23. To sit on my right hand, and on my left is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father,

Mat. 25. 34. Then shall the King say to them on his right hand, come ye blessed of my father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you, from the foundation of the world. Acts 1. 7. It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his own power: For which reason it is said. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Of him are all things, and believers 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 for or to him, in the sense in which it is said, Rom. 11. 36. For of him, and through him, and to him are all things; to him be glory for e∣ver, Amen: And concerning Christ it is aid, Phil. 2. 8, 9, 10, 11. Because he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross, therefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name, which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus e∣very knee should bow, of things in Heaven and things in Earth, and things under the Earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus is the Lord, (that is) God's King, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, at his appearance and in his Kingdom, and this shall be) to the glory of God the Pather: And more fully St. Paul ex∣presseth it, 1 Cor. 15. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.

Then cometh the end when he shall have delivered up the Kingdom to God even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power: For he must reign till he hath put all enemies un∣der his feet: The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death: For he hath put all things under his feet; but when he saith, All things are put under him, it is mani∣fest that he is, excepted which did put all things under him, that God may be all in all; Whence you may observe that the term [God] is distinctly put for the person of the Father, in contradistinction to the Son, and that it is the Father who ap∣points the Kingdom to the Son, that he puts his enemies under his feet, that the Son shall deliver up the Kingdom to the Father, that the issue or end is, that God to wit the Father, may be all in all, that is, in all the management of this King∣dom from the begining to the end the Fa∣ther may be glorified by the Son, and by all others to whom the Kingdom is given.