' " Unde apparet Christum nobis Dei Yoluntatem perfecte manifestasse ? — Hinc, qiiod ipso Jesus perfectissima ratione earn a Deo in coelis sit edoctus, et ad cam honii- nil)us publicandam e coelo magnifice sit missus, et earn perfecte ilsdeni annuutiavit. ^^^ " Ubi vero scriptura est Christum fuisse in ccelo, et a ccelo missum ?— Jolian. vi. 38, iii. 13." — Cat. Eac. de ofQc. Christi prophetico, q. 4, 5.
OF CHRIST S PROPHETICAL OFFICE. 353
in heaven in his mind and meditation ; and at last, it may be, " was taken into heaven," as Paul was.^
To return to our catechists and to the thing itself, the reader may take of it this brief account: —
1. There is, indeed, in the New Testament abundant mention of our Saviour's coming down from heaven, of his coming forth from God, which in what sense it is spoken hath been fully before de- clared ; but of his being taken up into heaven after his incarnation before his death, and being there taught the mind of God and the gospel which he was to preach, there is not one word nor syllable. Can it be supposed that, whereas so many lesser things are not only taken notice of, but also to the full expressed, with all their circum- stances, this, which, according to the hypothesis of them with whom we have to do, is of such importance to the confirmation of his doc- trine, and, upon a supposition of his being a mere man, eminently suited to the honour of his ministry above all the miracles that he wrought, [should not have been mentioned,] — that he and all his followers should be utterly silent therein; that when his doctrine was decried for novelty and folly, and whatever is evil and contemp- tible, that none of the apostles in its vindication, none of the ancients against the Pagans, should once make use of this defensative, that Christ was taken up into heaven, and there instructed in the mind of God? Let one word, testimony, or expression, be produced to this purpose, that Christ was taken up into heaven to be instructed in the mind of God before his entrance upon his office, and let our adver- saries take the cause. If not, let this story be kept in the old golden legend, as a match for any it contains.
2. There was no cause of this rapture or taking of Christ into heaven. That which is assigned, that there he might be taught the gospel, helps not in any measure; for the Scripture not only assigns other causes of his acquaintance with the mind and will of God, — namely, his oneness with the Father, being his only-begotten Son, his Word and Wisdom, as also (in respect of his condescension to the office of mediation) his being anointed with the fulness of the Spirit, as was promised and prophesied of him, — but also affirms that
' " Aut vei'ba Christi sine ullo prorsus tvopo interpretanda sunt, ct proinde ex ipsis ducta argumentatio vestra, penitus dissolvetur: aut si tropus aliquis in Christi verbis admittendus est, non videmus cur non potius dicamus, ideo dixisse Christum filium hominis fuissc in coelo antequam post resurrectionem eo ascenderet, quia jam ante illud tempus, non mode in ccelo mentc, et cogitatione pei-petuo versabatur, verum etiara omnia ccelestia, id est arcana qua^que divinissima, et ipsa omnia quoe in coelo sunt, et fiunt, adeo cognita et perspecta habehat, ut ca tanquam proesentia intucretur: et ita quamvis in terris dcgcus, in ipso tamen coelo commorari dici possit. Nam in coelo an- tequam moreretur revera esse potuit, postquam ex Maria natus est : ncc solum potuit, sed (ut ita dicamus) debuit ; si enim homo ille Paulus Christi servus, ad tertium usque coelum ante mortem raptus est, nuUo pacto nobis verisimile sit, Christum ipsum ante mortem in coelo non fuisse." — Socin. Resp. prior, ad Par. Vol. pp. 38-40.
356 VINDTCI^ EVANGELIC^.
this was accomplished both on him and towards him before such time as this fiction is pretended to fall out, John i. 1, 18; Prov. viii. 14-10; Col. ii. 3; Heb. i. 9; John iii. 34.
Instantly upon his baptism Luke tells you that he was ttX^/jjjs Uviv^warog ayiou, " full of the Holy Ghost," chap, iv, 1 ; which was all that was required to give him a full furnishment for his office, and all that was promised on that account. This answers what he ex- presses to be necessary for the discharge of his prophetical office: HXyipng llvsvfMarog ayiou is as much as 7^ i^P.^. V'^^. D^"", Isa. Ixi. 1 ; and upon that he says, " He hath sent me to preach." God also so- lemnly bare witness to him from heaven to the same purpose, Matt, iii. 1 7. And before this John affirmed that he was " the Light of the world, the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world," John i. 9 ; which how he should be, and yet himself be in darkness, not knowing the will of God, is not easily to be appre- hended.
3. To what purpose served all that glory at his baptism, that so- lemn inauguration, when he took upon him the immediate admini- stration of his prophetical office in his own person, if after this he was to be taken up into heaven to be taught the mind of God ? To what end were the heavens opened over him? to what end did the Holy Ghost descend upon him in a visible shape, which God had appointed as a sign whereby he should be known to be the great prophet, John i. 32-34? to what end was that voice from heaven, " This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased?" — I say, to what end were all these, if after all this he was ignorant of the gos- pel and of the will of God, and was to be taken up into heaven to be instructed?