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. 5.

The sense of John 1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 18. given by the Adversaries, is refelled.

I Reply, 1. That Irenaeus lib. 3. Adv. Heresies, c. 11. and others near the A∣postles time, say, that the scope of the E∣vangelist Iohn in writing this Gospel was to oppose the Heresies of the Gnosticks, E∣bion, Cerinthus, Marcion, Valentinus, and such others, as whether from Platonick Philosophy, or other fancies, corrupted the doctrine of the God-head, made Christ a meer man, contrary to which St. Iohn asserts his divinity in the beginning, and thence got the name of the Divine, and his Gospel to be that part of Scripture which doth most plainly deliver Theology or speech of God, and thereby as also in re∣lating many Acts and Sermons of Christ

omitted by other Evangelists which makes a supplement to their Histories.

2. That the series of the Apostles words, the expressions compared with Gen. 1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. of [in the beginning was the word with God, all things were made by him, the life was the light of men, the light shineth in darkness, and the dark∣ness comprehended it not] are so correspon∣dent to each other, that none but will say, that at least St. John did allude to Moses his description of the first creation, and that he did use Moses his expressions, and therefore meant the same thing, hath been conceived not only by Christians, but also by A••relius the Platonist, as Eusebius, in his book of Evangelical preparation, lib. 11. c. 19. relates; nor is it to be slightly passed over, which John Cameron observes in his answers to questions on the Epistle to the Hebrews, ch. 1. v. 2. concerning Gods manner of delivering mysteries in the Old Testament, that it was to be but dusky, as in the twi-light, until the Mes∣sias his time, who should fully discover the things of God as the Sun, when it is risen, doth things before obscured, and that the Apostle knew Christs creating the

world in the beginning even from Gen. 1. For wherefore, saith he, I beseech you, should Moses (which no where else is done in the whole Scripture) so often bring in God speaking, let this and that be made, and after it was made? For certainly God then used no speech as when he spake to the Prophets. It is but a cold answer, that Moses did so write, that it might be signi∣fied after a humane manner, that God made all things by his beck. For who doubts of that, or doth not indeed know, that to make the frame of the world God used no tools or engines? Besides, if that were the in∣tent, why is not also else-where God brought in using like speech, when he did some great work or miracle? I do no whit doubt but John had an eye on that place, when he termed Christ the Word, as if he had said, that Christ was pointed out by those expressions; He said, and it was made, although obscurely indeed, as befitted those times, even as also obscurely mention is made of the Holy Spirit, in the same chap∣ter, when Moses said, and the Spirit of God moved upon the waters. For indeed at first view he seems to speak of some wind and so the Chaldee Paraphrast expounded

that place. But because no reason can be given whence that wind should arise, or fit cause why it should move upon the wa∣ters, men might be inclined to conjecture that Moses in that place had respect to a∣nother thing. In the same manner plainly, sith no reason of so diligent and heedful an observation fit enough can be given, that God spake of each thing severally, Let it be made and it was made, there must be some mystery couched under those expressions: When therefore in the New Testament we are taught, that all things were made by Christ, let the Jews either open and explain to us that Mystery, or let them not shew themselves stiff in this matter. I confess indeed, that without the light of the Gospel, we should be hesitant here with the Jews; but sith Christ is call∣ed the Word, and said to be he by whom God made all things, no man hath any more cause of doubting left, but that Moses would intimate it by that diligent obser∣vation which the words of the Psalmist, [Psal. 33. 6. 9. By the word of the Lord were the Heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth: He spake and it was done, besides those word••

Psal. 136. 5. to him that by wisdom (which 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies as well as speech) made the Heavens, Psal. 148. 5. he com∣manded and they were created, did so far intimate that the Chaldee Paraphrast, Isa. 45. 12. reads; I in my word have made the earth, and created man upon it and Isa. 48. 13. By my word I have found∣ed the earth, and Philo the Jew besides o∣ther sayings in his book of allegories shew∣ing his inklings of his knowledge of this mystery, though dark saith, the word or reason, (for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies both) made the world: These with many other alle∣gations, which might be produced out of Jewish Writers, and others do evince, that the Evangelist means the same crea∣tion, when he saith all things were made by him, and the same beginning when he saith, In the beginning was the word, as Moses meant, when he said, In the begin∣ning God created the Heaven and the Earth. Gen. 1. 1.

3. The sense of the words in which the force of the argument consists is according to the plain and obvious use of the words and phrases; the other for the most part without example, and so streined, as that

it may easily be perceived, they studied rather to wrest, than to interpret them; as will appear by comparing the allegations and senses on both sides given in the parti∣culars as they are in order examined in the next Section.

4. The Adversaries acknowledge, that the intent of the Evangelist in that which is said of Christ, was to set out Christ in what he was singular, and was excellent in him: But to expound his words as they do, is to make the Evangelist deli∣ver things common to him with others, as to say, in the beginning was the Word, that is, preaching the Gospel, or in the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel the Word Christ was, that is, had a being, that he was with God, that is, was known of God, is to say no more than might be said of John Baptist; to say he was with God to learn Mysteries is the same which St. Paul saith of himself, when he was rapt into Paradise, or is true of Moses when he conferred with God in the Mount; to say all things were made by him, that is, by his preaching the Gen∣tiles were become new creatures, is no more than might be said of Peter, Paul,

and other Apostles; to say he was a God in office, that he had Divine Power to work Miracles, is to say no more of him than might be said of Moses, of the Apo∣stles, nor do they or can they give any good reason, which may agree with the Majesty and Wisdom of so divine a writ∣ing and Writer as this of John, to deliver things so obvious in so obscure Phrases, as are not congruous to a divine Historian, when the same might be, and were by o∣ther Evangelists delivered in plainer ex∣pressions; nor why he should prefix those sacred Aphorisms before his History, if they contained no Mystery, but things ea∣sily perceivable by sense; nor is such an end, as is imagined by some, to shew that John Baptist was not the Messias, any thing probable to have been propounded by John the Evangelist, who wrote long after John Baptist was dead; nor could be, or was by any conceived to be the Christ: Such things as these can hardly be imputed to the Evangelist without some note of dotage.

5. To expound the words [in the be∣ginning was the Word] that is, in the be∣ginning of the preaching of the Gospel

was the Word, that is, Christ was preaching of the Gospel, or the preach∣ing of the Gospel was, is more like an inept tautology of a trifler, than the holy, wise saying of a Divine Writer.

6. The sense given by the Adversaries is in sundry things not true; for in the be∣ginning of the preaching of the Gospel Christ was not with God in Heaven, as they expound, verse 1. 2. his being with God, but was come from Heaven, and conversed familiarly with men; nor is it true, that in the beginning of the Preach∣ing of the Gospel (be the beginning at John's beginning to preach, or Christs, or his Apostles, or the continuing of it in the daies of his flesh) all things belonging to the new Creation, the new Covenant, the reconciling the world, the preaching and propagating of the Gospel were done by him. For the many Miracles of Christ were not done in the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel, nor was his dy∣ing for us, nor the sending his Apostles, and their impowering by the coming of the Holy Ghost to them till after his Re∣surrection and Ascention: Yea those men who expound the words, John 1. 3. All

things were done by him of divine and marvelous works, yet many divine mar∣velous works, as, the opening of the Hea∣vens, the descent of the Spirit in the form of a Dove, the transfiguration and glory in the Mount, the rending the veil of the Temple, the Earthquake, cleaving the Rocks, opening the Graves, darkening of the Sun at his death, his Resurrection from the dead, they deny to have been done by Christ or the concurrence of his power or operation; nor is it true in their sense, that without him was nothing done that was done; For in the business of the preaching of the Gospel afore Christs ma∣nifestation to Israel, Iohn did preach and Baptize, and in the working of Miracles there were some that did cast out devils in Christs name, who followed not Christ, Luk. 9. 49. Nor is it true, that in their sense the world was made by Christ, that is the Gentiles reconciled by Christs Preaching or the world reformed; for that was done by the Apostles after his Ascention: And if it be said, that after Christs Ascention all things were done by him, that the world was made by him, that was not in the beginning, in which they say, he was

the Word, that is, did preach the Gos∣pel, was a God, that is, did work Mi∣racles, was with God, that is, was taken up into heaven, and therefore the mak∣ing of all things, John 1. 3. cannot be understood according to their own exposi∣tion of [in the beginning] of Christs care in ordering and moderating all things be∣longing to his Church after his ascention, nor had any more been said of him as then done than may be said now, which is con∣trary to the adversaries grant, that some more than ordinary remarkable things is re∣lated of Christ by St. John in the first verses of his Gospel: Whence may be justly in∣ferred that the Exposition given by them neither is consistent with the truth of things, nor the Evangelists words, nor their own sayings.