i

2 Cor. last chap. and verse.-Thus faith Tertullian, " It doth

appear, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy, Ghost, are "Three Perfons, yet constituted but one God in Essence." "He " therefore that would be saved, must thus think of the Trinity." Athanafius's Creed.

See Ignatius, St. Cyprian, Justin Martyr, St. Bafil, Theophilus, of Antioch. &c. See also Stillingfleet on the Trinity, Pearson on the Creed, Hooper, Prideaux, Bp. Beveridge, Archdeacon Welchman, and the Rev. Mr. Romaine, in his late Discourses on the Creeds.

ART. II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man.

HE Son, which is the Word of the Father,

I begotten from everlasting of the Father, the

very and eternal God, and one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the bles sed virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified dead and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a Sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual fins of men.

The Son, &c.] The second perfon in the blessed Trinity, is that very Word, which was declared by St. John, chap. i. faying, In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This is spoken of Chrift, therefore Christ is God; See also Ifa. ix. 6. Bogotten of the Father from everlasting; and therefore very God, See Pfal. ii. 7. John i. 18. Acts xiii. 33. Heb. i. 5. John xvii. 3. Matt. i. 23. Justin Martyr, faith, "The word being the First-begotten of God, is also God." So faith Origin, Irenæus, &c. Thus "The Godhead of the Father, " of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, are all one, in power "co-eternal together, and co-equal," Athanafis's Creed.

Very

Very and eternal God.] Not metaphorically, but properly fo called, who is over all, God blessed for evermore. Amen. See Rom. ix. 5. Ifa. xl. 3. Hofea i. 7. John xx. 28. Again, Chrift faith, I am the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and end, Rev. xxii. 30. Again, I and my Father are one. John x. 30. Col. ii. 19.-And St. Peter with the rest boldly declared, saying, Thou art Christ the Son of the living God. Matt. xvi. 16. and John vi. 69. "The very word, the very truth, and very life." Saith Origin.

Christ took Man's nature, in the womb of the blessed virgin.] Therefore very man, according to God's promife. The feed of the woman, thall bruise the serpants head, (i. e. Satan), see Gen. iii. 15. also Gen. xlix. 10. Again, Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, Ila. vii. 14. And she was found with Child of the Holy Ghost, Matt. i. 18. Luke i. 27. "That ray of God, " faith St. Cyprian, descended into a virgin, and put on flesh by "the operation of the Holy Ghost." Hence the divine and human nature of Christ were united together in one person according to the holy scriptures, never to be separated. For the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, faith the evangelist, John i. 14. Again, Chrift took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the feed of Abraham, (according to the flesh) " that he might be a merciful and a faithful high priest, in things pertaining unto God; to make reconciliation for the fins of the people, Heb. ii. 16, 17. and to give his life a ransom for many," 1 Tim. iii. 6. Eph. ii. 16. 17. As St. Peter also hath declared, when the multitude (touched with a sense of their fins) cried out, saying, What shall we do? He answered, and faid, Believe on the Lord Jesus Chrift, and ye shall be saved. See Acts ii. 37. and xvi. 30, 31.-" Therefore the true faith is, that we believe and confefs, that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by ineffable generation from eternity, is both God and Man. Athan. Creed. See Heb. i. 5, 6. also Isa. liii. 8.

Who truely suffered.] " According to the human nature, for as to the divine nature it was impossible," Matt. xxvii. (Clement of Rome.) That Christ did truly suffer in Body, Hunger, Thirst, Pain, &c. yet not for his own fins, for be knew no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth. I Pet. ii. 21. But for our fins, and our ini. quities was he bruised, faith the prophet Isa. liii. 5. John iv. 7. xix. 28, 29. Luke xix. 41. and Heb. ix. 25, 26. " Chrift bled

" and

" and suffered all the wrath of God, as faith St. Clement." Again " Christ gave his blood for us; his flesh for our flesh, and his foul " for our souls," faith Ignatius.

He was crucified, dead, and buried. See John xix. 18, 20. Matt. xxvii. 35-60. Luke xxiii. 53.] "To reconcile his Father unto " us", or rather, as St. Paul saith, to reconcile us (Gentiles as well as Jews,) unto God, Rom. v. 10. 2 Cor. v. 18, 19. Eph. ii. 16, 17. For he gave himself a ransom for all Men, 1 Tim. ii. 6. 1 John ii. 2. Suffering for our fins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God, Peter, I Ep. iii. 18. John i. 29. and Isa. liii. 4, 5, 6. Surely, he hath borne our griefs and carried our forrows" Thus it behoved Christ to fuffer, to take away or destroy fin; " not only original guilt, but also the actual sins of all believers." For he made himself to be fin for us, who himself knew no fin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21. See also Acts ix. To this gave all the prophets witness, and all the Primitive Fathers, as Ignatius, Justin Martyr, Clemont of Alexandra, St. Cyprian, Origin, Tertullian, &c. &c. See alfo Bp. Beveridge's Comment, Pearson on the Creed, p. 364. the Rev. Mr. Romaine in his 3d, 4th, and 5th discourses on the Creed.

ART. III. Of the going down of Christ into Hell.

A

Hell.

S Christ died for us, and was buried : fo also it is to be believed that he went down into

"That Chrift died for us, and was buried] has been fully " proved in the foregoing article, from many texts of scripture." "So also it is to be believed that he went down, or descended into "hell," Eph. iv. 9. To this article most of the ancient Fathers have given their assent; fome say for one thing, and fome for another: I shall cite a few of them here. Ignatius says, " Christ "defended into hell alone, but that he asecnded with a multi"tude," Ireneus faith, "That Christ was in the middle of the "shadow of Death, where the fouls of the dead are; then he " rose again with his body," agreeable to the words of the royal Pfalmift:-Thou wilt not leave my Soul in hell, (Hades, the place

2

of

of the dead) nor fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption." Pfal. xvi.

10.

This was spoken of Christ, as appears by I Cor. xv. 3, 4. and Acts ii. 27, 31. Also Athanafius, St. Ambrose, St. Bafil, St. Jerome, Fulgentius, and St. Augustine, all say, "that the foul of "Christ was in the place of hell."* St. Peter faith, “That Chrift " fuffered for fins; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by "the Spirit; by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in " prison : which some time were disobedient; 1 Pet. iii. 18, 19, 20. And again, that he loosed the pains of hell, or death; Acts ii. 24. -Yet many of our modern divines are not so well reconciled to this article of Christ going down into hell. Because our Lord faid unto the Thief on the Cross (who confessed him to be the Son of God,) To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise, Luke xiii. 43. compare this with St. Paul's words concerning paradise, 2 Cor. xii. 4. and St. John's revelation, chap. ii. 7. Then Christ's Soul must needs pass through the regions of Hell, into paradise; or else through paradife into hell.-But, as an eminent and learned divine justly observed, in discourfing on that article, "Christ entered immediately into Hell while he hung " on the Cross; for he gave his foul an offering for fin, or as St. " Peter affirms, Himself bare all our fins in his own body on the tree," I Pet. ii. 24. That he endured all the fiery wrath of God, all the pain, all the agony, and curse (represented by the pains of hell,) which were due for our fins, both original and actual, for he trod the wine-press of God's wrath alone, and " drank up all the dregs of that bitter cup." See Ifa. Ixiii. 3. 4. Matt. xxvi. 38. xxvii. 46. And having spoiled principalities and powers, be made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them, Col. ii. 15. That all who believe in him, might be set free from all the powers of fin, death, and hell, for ever and ever. Rom. v. 1, 2.-viii. 1, 2.

* See Bp. Beveredge's Comment.

C

ART. IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ.

HRIST did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature,

nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the laft day.

Chrift did truly rise again.) This is a most blessed truth, and worthy of all acceptation; -Thou wilt not leave my Soul in Hell, faid David, nor fuffer thine Holy One to fee corruption, Pfalm xvi. 10. That Chrift did rise again from the dead with the same body, is shewn by many plain texts of scripture, which were recorded for the confirmation of our Faith. This our Lord himself had declared to his disciples, Matt. xx. 19. and to the Pharasees by the fign of Jonah being three days and nights in the whale's belly, See also Hofea vi. 2. John xx. 19. Matt. xxviii. 6. Acts x. 41. And St. Paul boldly affirms, That he died and was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures; and was seen of many brethren, besides all the Apostles. I Cor. xv. 4, 5, 6. Acts ix. 4. Col. i. 18.-Irenæus faith, " I knew " him alive in the flesh, even after his refurrection, and I believe " in him; and when he came to those who were with Peter, he " said to them, Take hold on me; feel me, and see that I am no " imbodied spirit." So Tertullian faith, "Christ rose again in the " substance of the flesh, and shewed his disciples, with Thomas, "the marks of the nails, and spear, that they might believe," Luke xxiv. 38, 39. John xx. 19.

" Andhaving taken again his own body," he afcended into heaven, where he now fitteth at the right hand of God. See Pfalm cx. 1. xii. 36. Mark xvi. 19. " And he will come again," saith Irenaeus, " with the same flesh in which he suffered on the ** cross, at the last day, to judge both the quick and the dead:" fo faith Peter, Acts i. 11.-x. 41. God shall judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ. Acts xvii. 31, 32. Rom. ii. 16. Tim. iv. 1, 8. James v. 9. And we shall all appear before the judgment feat of Christ. Rom. xiv. 10. " And then will he ren" der unto every man according to his works." See Matt. xxv 23, 29, 30, 33-46. 2 Cor. v. 10. And the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal, Dan. xii. 2. John v. 29. See also Sherlock on Judgment, and Scott's Chriftian's Life; also Mr. Romaine's discourse.

ART.