Christ and his Church: or, Christianity explained, under seven evangelical and ecclesiastical heads; viz. Christ I. Welcomed in his nativity. II. Admired in his Passion. III. Adored in his Resurrection. IV. Glorified in his Ascension. V. Communicated in the coming of the Holy Ghost. VI. Received in the state of true Christianity. VII. Reteined in the true Christian communion. With a justification of the Church of England according to the true principles of Christian religion, and of Christian communion. By Ed. Hyde, Dr. of Divinity, sometimes fellow of Trinity Colledge in Cambridge, and late rector resident at Brightwell in Berks.

SECT. VI. The having the Spirit and language of the Son further explain∣ed, by three questions. 1. How Abba father is called the language of the Son, and whether Saint Mark borrowed not that expression from Saint Paul? 2. Who it is that cryes Abba Father, or prayes by the Spirit; whether he that hath most cordial affections, or he that hath most voluble effusi∣ons? 3. Whether the spirit may be in the heart believing, whilst tis not in the mouth crying Abba Father? or whe∣ther the Spirit of adoption once truly had, be not retained to the end?

SAint Paul saying to the Galatians, and because ye are Sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father, (Gal. 4. 6.) hath joyned three eminent privi∣ledges of the Saints altogether in few words; And because ye are sons, there's their first priviledge, that of enemies they are made servants, of servants they are made sons: God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son into your hearts; there's their second priviledge, that being made Sons, they have the Spirit of his Son; whereby we cry Abba Father, there's their third privi∣ledge; that having the Spirit of his Son, they have also the lan∣guage of his Son: But it may not unfitly be demanded how Abba Father is called the language of the Son? I answer be∣cause Christ himself used it in his prayer to the Father, and he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee, Mar. 14. 36. And the Spirit of Christ teacheth us to use it; as appears Rom. 8. 15. Ye have received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father; and Gal. 4. 6. God hath sent forth the spirit of his Son in∣to your hearts crying Abba Father: And it is to be observed that this kind of expression is never at all used in the Old Testament, (as if it had been reserved of purpose for our Saviour Christ) and but thrice used in the new Testament, (in the places fore∣cited) as if it could not rightly be used but only by some few very good Christians, who having entirely devoted themselves to all dutifulness and obedience, can hope for a greater portion of love and kindness from God, then other men; as if he

were more a Father to them then to others: For so would Syrus interpres have us understand the words, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Abba Pater mi; O Father, my Father, Father of all in ge∣neral, but my Father in particular; which is doubtless the application of a true and lively faith, and cannot belong un∣to those who have not applied themselves to this Father as most dutiful and obedient children; But why 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Abba Father, the one is Syriack, the other in Greek? was our blessed Saviour at so much leasure in his agony, as to look after variety of languages in his prayer? Thats not to be supposed; but tis most probable, that our Saviour used only the Syriake word Abba when he prayed (because he commonly used that language,) and he doubled that word, to express the zeal and earnestness of his affection in his prayer; So Grotius; duplex autem vox posita est affectus te∣standi causâ; simile illud 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Apoc. 1. There is a double word set down to shew the strength of his affec∣tion, as Revel. 1. 7. Even so, Amen: This may happily be a reason of the duplication, but tis not a reason of the va∣riety; that doubt still remains why Abba Father in two seve∣ral languages? I answer, happily to teach us that Christ and the good Christian do call upon God with one and the same Spi∣rit; and therefore Saint Mark agreeth with Saint Paul in the use of one and the same expression; For though Saint Mark writ his Gospel from Saint Peter, yet tis probable he borrow∣ed this emphatical expression from Saint Paul, since it is unde∣niable, that Saint Paul had written his Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians (in which two he useth this Abba Fa∣ther) long before Saint Mark published his Gospel; For Saint Chrysostome in the argument or Hypothesis before the Epistle to the Romans, (wherein he takes great pains to shew in what order Saint Pauls Epistles were written, and that by ob∣servations collected out of the Epistles themselves) plainly saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, It seems to me that the Epistle to the Galatians was writ before the Epistle to the Romans, and tis past all doubt that the Epi∣stle to the Romans was writ long before Saint Paul was carried prisoner to Rome; but the Gospel of Saint Mark was writ af∣after that as may be gathered out of Epiphanius his words

(in Haer: Alog.) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: next after S. Mathew comes S. Mark who fol∣lowing S. Peter to Rome, was there permitted to write his Gospel. But Saint Peter came not to Rome till after Saint Pauls first an∣swer, under Nero; unless you will comprize him amongst those of whom Saint Paul complains (2 Tim. 4. 16.) At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsooke me; I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge; That Saint Peter came soon enough to Rome to die there with Saint Paul for the Go∣spel of Christ, we may not doubt, since all antiquity asserteth it. But that he sate there as Bishop 25. years, sc. from the second year of Claudius, to the 13. year of Nero, (in which he was put to death) seems an unreasonable assertion; for if he were then Bishop of Rome, when Saint Paul was brought to his first answer before Nero, he did plainly forsake Saint Paul; and tis more just to say he had rather forsake his Bishoprick, nay in∣deed his life; And this being laid for a ground that Saint Peter did not forsake Saint Paul at his first answer, it must needs fol∣low that he came not to Rome till after it, and by consequent Saint Mark writ not his Gospel till after Saint Pauls first an∣swer, that is, long after Saint Paul had writ his two Epistles to the Romans and to the Galatians▪ So that Saint Marks Abba Father may not improbably seem to have been derived from Saint Pauls Abba Father, and that for this reason, to assure us that good Christians have the same Father that Christ had, and call upon God with the very same spirit that he did, nay in the very same words, as having their prayers both exem∣plified and sanctified through his intercession; For as some Protestant Divines are willing to believe that the Baptism of John and of Christ were both one, because else we now say they should not be baptized with the same baptism wherewith Christ was baptized; and we cannot be too desirous to receive our Baptism in our Saviours communion: for what is communicated from him is also sanctified by him; So is it in our prayers: we may very comfortably perswade our selves, that Saint Mark used the same Abba Father for Christ, which Saint Paul had used for us Christians; least any man should think we Christians ••ad not the same right to pray, or at least not the same spirit of

prayer that was in Christ; therefore to assure us that both do pray in the communion of the same Spirit, both are set down praying in the communion of the same words: But yet, whether S. Mark borrowed this from S. Paul, or not, the doubt still re∣mains, why this Abba Father is in two several languages, when as the reduplication might happily have been as emphatical in one tongue as in two; I answer with Saint Augustine, Abba propter illorum linguam, pater propter nostram (Aug. in Psal. 78.) To shew that Christ did no less belong to the Gentiles then he did to the Jews, he useth a Greek word that signifies father for the Gentiles, as well as a Syriack word, that signifies father for the Jews; (for at that time the Jews themselves commonly spake Syriack, having in the Babylonian captivity learned to mix Chaldee with Hebrew, which mixture begat the Syriack) The effect of Saint Augustines answer is this; Syriack and Greek are both joined together, to shew the communion of Jew and Gentile in Christ; we may add, and not only so, but also to shew the cause of that communion, even the communication of the same spirit to them both; which when it descended visibly upon the Apostles, endued them with the gift of tongues; and the scripture still retaining the variety of languages in this Ab∣ba Father, doth not only commemorate that miraculous di∣scent of the Holy Ghost upon them, but doth also confirm his continual descending upon us, with as good success, though not with as great a miracle; For he teacheth us no less then he taught them to cry Abba Father, which puts me upon a second question, who it is that cries Abba Father? is it his spirit or our own? I answer, tis his Spirit, not our own; tis indeed our voice, but tis his breath; for we cannot say Abba Father by the breath and power of our own, but only by the breath and power of his Spirit; and by that we can say it with an undaunted courage, and do say it with an immortal comfort, because with a hope full of immortality: Tis then his Spirit that crieth Abba Fa∣ther though in our mouths; And this crying Abba Father is more fully expressed, Rom. 8. 26. The spirit helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which can∣not be uttered; whence it may be gathered that the gift of prayer is more in groans then in words: more in groans which cannot,

then in words which can be uttered: for Moses cried unto the Lord when he spake not one word; (And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? Exod. 14. 15.) So that he prayed by the Spirit whiles his tongue stood still, and conse∣quently the gift or spirit of prayer (here meant by crying Ab∣ba Father) may not be placed in voluble effusions, but in strong affections; not so much in the tongue as in the heart; for else many adopted Sons must be denied to have the Spirit of Christ, who cannot pour out their conceptions in multiplicity of words; And (which is as bad) many must be affirmed to have the Spirit of Christ, who are enemies to the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things; for many of these men may and do attain to a great perfection in extemporary effusions, we dare not then say that all those who take upon them to be emi∣nent in the gift of prayer, do truly cry Abba Father, or do pray by the Spirit of Christ, because we see that many of them by their works do oppose the name, and blaspheme the truth of Christ; and bring themselves under that terrible reproof and more terrible reproach, They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him, being abominable and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate, Tit. 1. 16. But there are doubtless many others, more concerned in the gift, though less in the pretence of the Spirit, who make not so many words, but yet make more prayers, even whiles they make use of those prayers which their Church hath made for them, for these bring their groans, though not their words; and those groans are the groans of the Spirit; which without doubt may as well (if not better) accompany a prayer that we are sure is according to the mind of Christ, as a prayer that we cannot tell whether it will be so or no; However, we cannot deny but every one who truly pray∣eth by the spirit of Christ, may say what holy David hath put into his mouth, and the Holy Spirit put into the mouth of Da∣vid, Oh come hither and hearken all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul: I called upon him with my mouth, and gave him praises with my tongue; If I incline unto wickedness with my heart, the Lord will not hear me; But God hath heard me and considered the voice of my prayer; praised be God which hath not cast out my prayer, nor turned his mercy from me,

Psal. 66. v. 14, &c. As if he had said, This great miracle of mercy hath God done for my soul, which I cannot but speak; & all you that fear him, shall do well to hear, he gave me his spirit to call upon him with my mouth, & to give him praises with my tongue; and because praise is not commonly in the mouth of a sinner, and cannot be acceptable from it; he gave me his spirit also to sancti∣fie my heart, that it should not incline to wickedness; & hence it is that I do heartily praise him for enabling me to pray, because praying in the spirit of his Son, I can pray in comfort, that he will not cast away my prayer, because he cannot cast away his only Son; nor turn away his mercy from me, because he cannot turn away frō his own Spirit, which by his mercy, is now becōe mine.

Thus it is said, The spirit of the Lord cloatheth Amasai, 1 Chro. 12. 18. tis in the Hebrew 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which the Septuagint translate 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and Saint Hierom induit, that is, The spirit of the Lord cloathed Amasai, not barely came upon him but also stuck close to him, and covered him all over; And indeed so doth the spirit come upon us to cloath our souls as our garments do our bodies; that there be neither chilness nor nakedness, neither want of zeal nor of holiness in our affections whiles we cry Abba Father.

But is the spirit therefore gone when the voice is gone? or is the Holy Ghost no longer in our hearts, then Abba Father is in our mouths? For that must be our third Quere, Whether the spirit may be in the heart believing, while tis not in the mouth cry∣ing Abba Father? as when Saint Peter, who doubtless had the Spirit of God, was so far from saying Abba Father, that he de∣nied the Son, nay forswore him, as if a simple denial had not been enough, unless it had been seconded with oaths and curses (which is our unhappy progress of Saviour-denial, instead of self-denial). I answer for Saint Peter, that either the spirit was not quite gone from him, or else soon returned unto him, which appears by the speediness and by the entireness of his repentance in that he wept suddenly, and he wept bitterly; for he had a pe∣culiar prayer and promise of Christ that his faith should not fail; I answer for others of Gods adopted children, as my late reverend and learned Diocesan taught me out of Saint Ambrose, Deus nunquam rescindit donum Adoptionis, God never cuts off his entaile; if once adopted; ever adopted, and out of Biel, Eos 〈…〉〈…〉 qui à▪ salute excidunt numquam fuisse filios dei per adopti∣onem:

All those who at last fall away from their salvation, were never the children of God by adoption: (Bishop Dave∣nant in his third determination) or rather as Saint John taught them all three, If they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us, 1 John 2. 19. But withal I must distinguish betwixt adoption and the state of adoption: betwixt salvation and the state of salvation; for there is salus & status salutis, sal∣vation and the state of salvation, as there is peccatum & status peccati, sin and the state of sin, And the state of either is such as it is in relation to us, and to our reception of it. In actionibus hu∣manis dicitur negotium aliquem statum habere, secundum ordinem propriae dispositionis cum quadam immobilitate seu quiete, (22ae. 183. 1.) in humane actions the state of a business shews the immoveableness of its disposition; so the state of sin is a kind of immoveableness in sin, and the state of Adoption is a kind of immoveableness in adoption: But yet we men are not alike immoveable in both states; because the state of sin is wholly of our own making, and therefore may get some stability from us; But the state of grace is wholly of our receiving, not of our making, and therefore loseth of its stability (as also of its perfection) from the mutable and sinfull condition of our per∣sons: Hence it is, that though to be in sin, is much less then to be in the state of sin: yet to be in Adoption and Salvation, is much more then to be in the state of either; For though we can add to our own misery, yet we can only diminish from Gods mercy: For Adoption and Salvation are much greater in Gods giving, then in our receiving, and consequently the Adoption is greater then the state of Adoption, and the salvation then the state of salvation, according to the old rule, Quicquid re∣cipitur, recipitur ad modum recipientis; whatsoever is received, follows more the nature and condition of the receiver then of the giver; And hence it is that even the adopted Sons of God, have by fearfull failings and fallings made disputable for a time the state of their salvation, though their salvation hath by Gods infinite goodness been made indisputable: For there i•• no be∣ing at the same time in two contrary states, that is to say, in the state of sin, and in the state of Grace; and sure we are that tis no other then madness for any man to be in the hope, who is not in the state of Salvation: So that though we may truly say

the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the habit remains, when the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the act is gone (or cessant) yet we may as truly say, That Gods Elect are not saved only by habits: and therefore the acts of grace if they have been expelled, must necessarily return again, either to keep or to put them in the state of salvation, either to retain them in it, or to restore them to it, before they can be actually saved. And in this sense may we expound Saint James his question, What doth it profit my Brethren, though a man say, He hath faith, and have not works, can faith save him? James 2. 14. As if he had said, It is not the sleepy habit, but the vigorous act of faith (and of all other graces) that brings a man to salvation. And by this means we shall reconcile Saint James his works, and Saint Pauls faith in the Doctrine of Justification; For Saint James affirming that we are justified by works, doth include faith in those works; and Saint Paul affirming we are justified by faith, doth include works in that faith: both of them under∣standing a faith working by love, Gal. 5. 6. though Saint James comprehend the faith in the works, as the cause in the effect: Saint Paul comprehend the works in the faith, as the effect in the cause.

And Saint James as justly urgeth the necessity of works against hypocrites; who deceived themselves with a vain pre∣tence of faith in Christ, and so did not look after the righteous∣ness of works; as Saint Paul urged the necessity of faith against the Pharisees, who trusting to the righteousness of the Law, did not at all look after the righteousness of Christ: Both Saint James and Saint Paul will have us justified by Christs righteous∣ness, (for no other righteousness can acquit and absolve us be∣fore God) only they differently express the instrumental cause of our Justification, which is faith working by love: for where∣as that faith hath a twofold act, actum confidendi & obediendi, An act of believing, and an act of working; Saint Paul rather insists upon the act of believing, because he had to deal with Pharisaical Jews who rejected the Gospel, and thought they could live according to the rule of the Law; But Saint James rather insists upon the act of working, because he had to deal with Hypocritical Christians, who abused the Gospel of Christ, to lawless licentiousness of living: And therefore in Saint James his Divinity, it is as great an absurdity to suppose true faith

without its proper act of working, and consequently, by the rule of analogie, to suppose the habit of righteousness without the exercise of righteousness, as to suppose true faith and righte∣ousness without salvation: For the act of working being as essential to a justifying faith, as the act of believing; He that will go about to separate true faith from working, may as well go about to separate it from believing; and as well make faith no faith, as make it no working faith.

But how this faith sheweth its work in those who are carried away with any grievous temptation, is not so easie to discover: though that it hath its work, is unreasonable to deny: Therefore Saint Ambrose in his apologie for King David, affords us a three∣fold excuse of his sin, 1. Quia din noluit in peccato manere. 2. Quia corde doluit. 3. Quia potius fragilitate naturae quàm libidine peccandi. Gratianus de Poenit. lib. 3. c. 25. 1. That he would not long continue in his sin: (I suppose he meaneth af∣ter he had been reproved for it; for else he was too long in it, at least a whole year.) 2. That he did repent of it with all his heart. 3. That he had fallen into it rather out of weakness then of willfulness: now if you will ask the reason of his re∣sistance before his sin, of his regret and reluctancie in it, of his repentance after it, you will answer your self, it was from some good principle of the spirit within, which made him war against the flesh, even at that very instant when he was overcome by the strength of its temptation: And accordingly he useth these words in his first penitential prayer, Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me: The holy Spirit was certainly in him when he repented, and therefore not taken away from him when he sinned: And thus much Aquinas is willing to admit, Quod Charitas ex parte Spiritus Sancti mo∣ventis animum ad diligendum Deum, impeccabilitatem habet: Ʋnde impossible est haec duo simul esse vera, quod Spiritus Sanctus velit aliquem movere ad actum charitatis, & quod ipse charitatem amittat peccando; (22••. q. 24. ar. 10.) Charity (or Grace) as it proceeds from the Holy Ghost moving the soul to love God, is not to be lost by sin; wherefore it is impossible that these two propositions should be both true, That the Holy Ghost will move a man to love God, and that he by his sin should lose that love. We conclude then, That they who have

once received the Spirit of adoption, do still retain him; for Gods gifts are without repentance, and therefore he giveth not his Holy Spirit, the greatest of all his gifts, that he may take him away again: But this Spirit still abideth in the children of God, and will not let them be wholly conquered, much less ca∣ptivated by the flesh, but either holdeth them up that they may not fall, or raiseth them up when they are down: For the foun∣dation of God standeth sure, having this Seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his; And let every one that nameth the name of Christ, depart from iniquity, 2 Tim. 2. 19. The first part of this seal cannot be so much as changed, The Lord knoweth them that are his; for as God himself is immutable, so is his know∣ledge; And the second part of this seal can never be totally de∣faced, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity; for he that nameth the name of Christ, so as to love what he nameth, doth certainly either first or last depart from iniquity; departing from it either by his righteousness or by his repentance. For though man may be and often is wanting to God, yet God is never wanting to himself; Shall his Spirit be∣gin a good work and not accomplish it? Shall he lay the foun∣dation and not finish the building? We know what our Saviour hath said in this kind, Which of you intending to build a Tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have suffici∣ent to finish it? least haply after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it, begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish, Luke 14. 28, 29, 30. Be it so that we may pass this jeer and scoff upon man, but let us not think it may be passed upon God: For it were not only unrighteous, but also unreasonable to ascribe less to the Spirit of Grace, then Saint Paul ascribeth to the Word of Grace, since the Word is made powerful by the Spirit which accompanieth it: but Saint Paul ascribeth the power of salvati∣on to the Word of Gods grace, saying, And now Brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, Acts 20. 32. If the word of grace be able to build you up, then sure the Spirit of grace much more; which is not only able but also willing to build you up, or else he would never have begun to lay the foundation; and when power and

will are both in the premises, the work or effect must be in the conclusion; So then, though we be cast down, yet since the Spirit of God is both able and willing to build us up, we have a firm hope to be raised at last as high as heaven; for though hea∣ven be as far above our deserts, as above our reach, yet we can∣not doubt but he that hath given us an inheritance among all them which are sanctified, will also give us an inheritance among all them which are glorified; And thus the same Aquinas right∣ly grounds our hope of salvation which we have in this life, not upon mans righteousness which may fade and decay in a mo∣ment, but upon Gods almighty power and all-saving mercy, which can never decay: Spes viatorum non innititur principali∣ter gratiae jam habitae, sed divinae omnipotentiae & misericordie, per quam etiam qui gratiam non habet, eam consequi potest: Our hope of salvation doth not rely principally upon the grace which we have, but upon Gods power and mercy, whereby they may have grace who yet have it not, and consequently we may come to have grace again if we should lose it: Therefore though we should suppose without heresie, that grace it self may fail, yet we cannot suppose without infidelity, that Gods power and mercy should ever fail; and that can as easily restore grace, as it did at first give it: But Saint Gregory will not let us go so far in our supposition, having thus dogmatically determi∣ned this controversie, (though some of his own Church will scarce now stand to it as to his decretory sentence, or Papal de∣termination) Quod in illis donis, sine quibus ad vitam pervenire non potest, spiritus sanctus in electis omnibus semper manet, sed in aliis non semper manet, Greg. 2. Moral. The Holy Ghost doth alwaies abide in Gods elect, as to those gifts without which they cannot be saved, though in regard of other gifts and graces, he may be said sometimes to depart from them. Wherefore we are sure the Spirit of his Son is alwaies in their hearts who are adopted, to work in them an habitual perseverance in godliness, for that is absolutely necessary to salvation, though not alwaies to work in them an actual perseverance in godliness, without which they may be saved; For the Act of sin doth not prevail against the habit of righteousness, and much less above it: So that the habit of righteousness cannot be captivated under an everlasting lethargie, that it should alwaies forget its own act;

The Spirit of Christ which at first infused the habit, so working in all those who belong to him, that either they still retain the act of righteousness by their innocency, or in due time recover it by their repentance.

God of his infinite mercy give unto us all this Spirit, and continue unto us his own gift, that we being his adopted sons, may so honour and obey him as our Father, that we may have the comfortable assurance of our adoption in this life, and the glorious fruition of our inheritance in the life to come. The one by the Spirit, the other by the merits of his only begotten Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with the Father in the unity of the same Spirit, one God world without end, Amen.