Books: Leviathan

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After The Captivity The Jews Had No
Setled Common-wealth
During the Captivity, the Jews had no Common-wealth at all:
And after their return, though they renewed their Covenant with God,
yet there was no promise made of obedience, neither to Esdras,
nor to any other; And presently after they became subjects to
the Greeks (from whose Customes, and Daemonology, and from the
doctrine of the Cabalists, their Religion became much corrupted):
In such sort as nothing can be gathered from their confusion,
both in State and Religion, concerning the Supremacy in either.
And therefore so far forth as concerneth the Old Testament,
we may conclude, that whosoever had the Soveraignty of the
Common-wealth amongst the Jews, the same had also the Supreme
Authority in matter of Gods externall worship; and represented
Gods Person; that is the person of God the Father; though he
were not called by the name of Father, till such time as he sent
into the world his Son Jesus Christ, to redeem mankind from
their sins, and bring them into his Everlasting Kingdome,
to be saved for evermore. Of which we are to speak in the
Chapter following.

CHAPTER XLI

OF THE OFFICE OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR

Three Parts Of The Office Of Christ
We find in Holy Scripture three parts of the Office of the Messiah:
the first of a Redeemer, or Saviour: The second of a Pastor,
Counsellour, or Teacher, that is, of a Prophet sent from God,
to convert such as God hath elected to Salvation; The third of a King,
and Eternall King, but under his Father, as Moses and the High Priests
were in their severall times. And to these three parts are corespondent
three times. For our Redemption he wrought at his first coming,
by the Sacrifice, wherein he offered up himself for our sinnes
upon the Crosse: our conversion he wrought partly then in his own Person;
and partly worketh now by his Ministers; and will continue to work
till his coming again. And after his coming again, shall begin
that his glorious Reign over his elect, which is to last eternally.

His Office As A Redeemer
To the Office of a Redeemer, that is, of one that payeth the
Ransome of Sin, (which Ransome is Death,) it appertaineth,
that he was Sacrificed, and thereby bare upon his own head, and carryed
away from us our iniquities, in such sort as God had required.
Not that the death of one man, though without sinne, can satisfie
for the offences of all men, in the rigour of Justice, but in the
Mercy of God, that ordained such Sacrifices for sin, as he was pleased
in his mercy to accept. In the old Law (as we may read, Leviticus
the 16.) the Lord required, that there should every year once,
bee made an Atonement for the Sins of all Israel, both Priests,
and others; for the doing whereof, Aaron alone was to sacrifice
for himself and the Priests a young Bullock; and for the rest
of the people, he was to receive from them two young Goates,
of which he was to Sacrifice one; but as for the other, which was
the Scape Goat, he was to lay his hands on the head thereof,
and by a confession of the iniquities of the people, to lay them
all on that head, and then by some opportune man, to cause the Goat
to be led into the wildernesse, and there to Escape, and carry away
with him the iniquities of the people. As the Sacrifice of
the one Goat was a sufficient (because an acceptable) price
for the Ransome of all Israel; so the death of the Messiah,
is a sufficient price, for the Sins of all mankind, because there
was no more required. Our Saviour Christs sufferings seem to be
here figured, as cleerly, as in the oblation of Isaac, or in any other
type of him in the Old Testament: He was both the sacrificed Goat,
and the Scape Goat; "Hee was oppressed, and he was afflicted
(Isa. 53.7.); he opened not his mouth; he brought as a lamb
to the slaughter, and as a sheep is dumbe before the shearer,
so opened he not his mouth:" Here he is the Sacrificed Goat.
"He hath born our Griefs, (ver.4.) and carried our sorrows;"
And again, (ver. 6.) "the Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities
of us all:" And so he is the Scape Goat. "He was cut off from
the land of the living (ver. 8.) for the transgression of my People:"
There again he is the Sacrificed Goat. And again (ver. 11.)
"he shall bear their sins:" Hee is the Scape Goat. Thus is the Lamb
of God equivalent to both those Goates; sacrificed, in that he dyed;
and escaping, in his Resurrection; being raised opportunely
by his Father, and removed from the habitation of men in his Ascension.

Christs Kingdome Not Of This World
For as much therefore, as he that Redeemeth, hath no title to
the Thing Redeemed, before the Redemption, and Ransome paid;
and this Ransome was the Death of the Redeemer; it is manifest,
that our Saviour (as man) was not King of those that he Redeemed,
before hee suffered death; that is, during that time hee conversed
bodily on the Earth. I say, he was not then King in present,
by vertue of the Pact, which the faithfull make with him in Baptisme;
Neverthelesse, by the renewing of their Pact with God in Baptisme,
they were obliged to obey him for King, (under his Father) whensoever
he should be pleased to take the Kingdome upon him. According whereunto,
our Saviour himself expressely saith, (John 18.36.) "My Kingdome
is not of this world." Now seeing the Scripture maketh mention
but of two worlds; this that is now, and shall remain to the day
of Judgment, (which is therefore also called, The Last Day;)
and that which shall bee a new Heaven, and a new Earth; the Kingdome
of Christ is not to begin till the general Resurrection. And that is it
which our Saviour saith, (Mat. 16.27.) "The Son of man shall come
in the glory of his Father, with his Angels; and then he shall
reward every man according to his works." To reward every man
according to his works, is to execute the Office of a King;
and this is not to be till he come in the glory of his Father,
with his Angells. When our Saviour saith, (Mat. 23.2.) "The Scribes
and Pharisees sit in Moses seat; All therefore whatsoever they bid
you doe, that observe and doe;" hee declareth plainly, that hee
ascribeth Kingly Power, for that time, not to himselfe, but to them.
And so hee hath also, where he saith, (Luke 12.14.) "Who made mee
a Judge, or Divider over you?" And (John 12.47.) "I came not
to judge the world, but to save the world." And yet our Saviour
came into this world that hee might bee a King, and a Judge
in the world to come: For hee was the Messiah, that is, the Christ,
that is, the Anointed Priest, and the Soveraign Prophet of God;
that is to say, he was to have all the power that was in Moses
the Prophet, in the High Priests that succeeded Moses, and in
the Kings that succeeded the Priests. And St. John saies expressely
(chap. 5. ver. 22.) "The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed
all judgment to the Son." And this is not repugnant to that other place,
"I came not to judge the world:" for this is spoken of the world present,
the other of the world to come; as also where it is said, that at
the second coming of Christ, (Mat. 19. 28.) 'Yee that have followed me
in the Regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in the throne
of his Glory, yee shall also sit on twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel."

The End Of Christs Comming Was To Renew
The Covenant Of The Kingdome Of God,
And To Perswade The Elect To Imbrace It,
Which Was The Second Part Of His Office
If then Christ while hee was on Earth, had no Kingdome in this World,
to what end was his first coming? It was to restore unto God, by a
new Covenant, the Kingdome, which being his by the Old Covenant, had been
cut off by the rebellion of the Israelites in the election of Saul.
Which to doe, he was to preach unto them, that he was the Messiah,
that is, the King promised to them by the Prophets; and to offer
himselfe in sacrifice for the sinnes of them that should by faith
submit themselves thereto; and in case the nation generally should
refuse him, to call to his obedience such as should beleeve in him
amongst the Gentiles. So that there are two parts of our Saviours
Office during his aboad upon the Earth; One to Proclaim himself
the Christ; and another by Teaching, and by working of Miracles,
to perswade, and prepare men to live so, as to be worthy of the
Immortality Beleevers were to enjoy, at such time as he should
come in majesty, to take possession of his Fathers Kingdome.
And therefore it is, that the time of his preaching, is often
by himself called the Regeneration; which is not properly a Kingdome,
and thereby a warrant to deny obedience to the Magistrates that
then were, (for hee commanded to obey those that sate then in
Moses chaire, and to pay tribute to Caesar;) but onely an earnest
of the Kingdome of God that was to come, to those to whom God had
given the grace to be his disciples, and to beleeve in him;
For which cause the Godly are said to bee already in the Kingdome
of Grace, as naturalized in that heavenly Kingdome.

The Preaching Of Christ Not Contrary To
The Then Law Of The Jews, Nor Of Caesar
Hitherto therefore there is nothing done, or taught by Christ,
that tendeth to the diminution of the Civill Right of the Jewes,
or of Caesar. For as touching the Common-wealth which then
was amongst the Jews, both they that bare rule amongst them,
that they that were governed, did all expect the Messiah,
and Kingdome of God; which they could not have done if their Laws
had forbidden him (when he came) to manifest, and declare himself.
Seeing therefore he did nothing, but by Preaching, and Miracles
go about to prove himselfe to be that Messiah, hee did therein
nothing against their laws. The Kingdome hee claimed was to bee
in another world; He taught all men to obey in the mean time
them that sate in Moses seat: he allowed them to give Caesar
his tribute, and refused to take upon himselfe to be a Judg.
How then could his words, or actions bee seditious, or tend
to the overthrow of their then Civill Government? But God having
determined his sacrifice, for the reduction of his elect to their
former covenanted obedience, for the means, whereby he would bring
the same to effect, made use of their malice, and ingratitude.
Nor was it contrary to the laws of Caesar. For though Pilate himself
(to gratifie the Jews) delivered him to be crucified; yet before
he did so, he pronounced openly, that he found no fault in him:
And put for title of his condemnation, not as the Jews required,
"that he pretended to be King;" but simply, "That hee was King
of the Jews;" and notwithstanding their clamour, refused to alter it;
saying, "What I have written, I have written."

The Third Part Of His Office Was To Be
King (Under His Father) Of The Elect
As for the third part of his Office, which was to be King,
I have already shewn that his Kingdome was not to begin till
the Resurrection. But then he shall be King, not onely as God,
in which sense he is King already, and ever shall be, of all the Earth,
in vertue of his omnipotence; but also peculiarly of his own Elect,
by vertue of the pact they make with him in their Baptisme.
And therefore it is, that our Saviour saith (Mat. 19.28.)
that his Apostles should sit upon twelve thrones, judging the
twelve tribes of Israel, "When the Son of man shall sit in
the throne of his glory;" whereby he signified that he should
reign then in his humane nature; and (Mat. 16.27.) "The Son of man
shall come in the glory of his Father, with his Angels, and then
he shall reward every man according to his works." The same we
may read, Marke 13..26. and 14.26. and more expressely for the time,
Luke 22.29, 30. "I appoint unto you a Kingdome, as my Father
hath appointed to mee, that you may eat and drink at my table
in my Kingdome, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."
By which it is manifest that the Kingdome of Christ appointed
to him by his Father, is not to be before the Son of Man shall come
in Glory, and make his Apostles Judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.
But a man may here ask, seeing there is no marriage in the Kingdome
of Heaven, whether men shall then eat, and drink; what eating
therefore is meant in this place? This is expounded by our Saviour
(John 6.27.) where he saith, "Labour not for the meat which perisheth,
but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the
Son of man shall give you." So that by eating at Christs table,
is meant the eating of the Tree of Life; that is to say, the enjoying
of Immortality, in the Kingdome of the Son of Man. By which places,
and many more, it is evident, that our Saviours Kingdome is to bee
exercised by him in his humane nature.

Christs Authority In The Kingdome Of God
Subordinate To That Of His Father
Again, he is to be King then, no otherwise than as subordinate,
or Viceregent of God the Father, as Moses was in the wildernesse;
and as the High Priests were before the reign of Saul; and as
the Kings were after it. For it is one of the Prophecies concerning
Christ, that he should be like (in Office) to Moses; "I will raise
them up a Prophet (saith the Lord, Deut. 18.18.) from amongst
their Brethren like unto thee, and will put my words into his mouth,"
and this similitude with Moses, is also apparent in the actions
of our Saviour himself, whilest he was conversant on Earth.
For as Moses chose twelve Princes of the tribes, to govern under him;
so did our Saviour choose twelve Apostles, who shall sit on
twelve thrones, and judge the twelve tribes of Israel; And as Moses
authorized Seventy Elders, to receive the Spirit of God, and to
Prophecy to the people, that is, (as I have said before,) to speak
unto them in the name of God; so our Saviour also ordained seventy
Disciples, to preach his Kingdome, and Salvation to all Nations.
And as when a complaint was made to Moses, against those of
the Seventy that prophecyed in the camp of Israel, he justified
them in it, as being subservient therein to his government;
so also our Saviour, when St. John complained to him of a certain man
that cast out Devills in his name, justified him therein, saying,
(Luke 9.50.) "Forbid him not, for hee that is not against us,
is on our part."

Again, our Saviour resembled Moses in the institution of Sacraments,
both of Admission into the Kingdome of God, and of Commemoration
of his deliverance of his Elect from their miserable condition.
As the Children of Israel had for Sacrament of their Reception
into the Kingdome of God, before the time of Moses, the rite of
Circumcision, which rite having been omitted in the Wildernesse,
was again restored as soon as they came into the land of Promise;
so also the Jews, before the coming of our Saviour, had a rite
of Baptizing, that is, of washing with water all those that
being Gentiles, embraced the God of Israel. This rite St. John
the Baptist used in the reception of all them that gave their
names to the Christ, whom hee preached to bee already come
into the world; and our Saviour instituted the same for a Sacrament
to be taken by all that beleeved in him. From what cause the rite
of Baptisme first proceeded, is not expressed formally in the Scripture;
but it may be probably thought to be an imitation of the law of Moses,
concerning Leprousie; wherein the Leprous man was commanded to be kept
out of the campe of Israel for a certain time; after which time being
judged by the Priest to be clean, hee was admitted into the campe
after a solemne Washing. And this may therefore bee a type of
the Washing in Baptisme; wherein such men as are cleansed of the
Leprousie of Sin by Faith, are received into the Church with the
solemnity of Baptisme. There is another conjecture drawn from
the Ceremonies of the Gentiles, in a certain case that rarely happens;
and that is, when a man that was thought dead, chanced to recover,
other men made scruple to converse with him, as they would doe
to converse with a Ghost, unlesse hee were received again into
the number of men, by Washing, as Children new born were washed
from the uncleannesse of their nativity, which was a kind of new birth.
This ceremony of the Greeks, in the time that Judaea was under the
Dominion of Alexander, and the Greeks his successors, may probably
enough have crept into the Religion of the Jews. But seeing it is
not likely our Saviour would countenance a Heathen rite, it is most
likely it proceeded from the Legall Ceremony of Washing after Leprosie.
And for the other Sacraments, of eating the Paschall Lambe, it is
manifestly imitated in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; in which
the Breaking of the Bread, and the pouring out of the Wine,
do keep in memory our deliverance from the Misery of Sin,
by Christs Passion, as the eating of the Paschall Lambe, kept
in memory the deliverance of the Jewes out of the Bondage of Egypt.
Seeing therefore the authority of Moses was but subordinate,
and hee but a Lieutenant to God; it followeth, that Christ,
whose authority , as man, was to bee like that of Moses,
was no more but subordinate to the authority of his Father.
The same is more expressely signified, by that that hee teacheth
us to pray, "Our Father, Let thy Kingdome come;" and, "For thine
is the Kingdome, the power and the Glory;" and by that it is said,
that "Hee shall come in the Glory of his Father;" and by that which
St. Paul saith, (1 Cor. 15.24.) "then commeth the end, when hee
shall have delivered up the Kingdome to God, even the Father;"
and by many other most expresse places.

One And The Same God Is The Person
Represented By Moses, And By Christ
Our Saviour therefore, both in Teaching, and Reigning, representeth
(as Moses Did) the Person of God; which God from that time forward,
but not before, is called the Father; and being still one and the
same substance, is one Person as represented by Moses, and another
Person as represented by his Sonne the Christ. For Person being a
relative to a Representer, it is consequent to plurality of
Representers, that there bee a plurality of Persons, though of one
and the same Substance.

CHAPTER XLII

OF POWER ECCLESIASTICALL

For the understanding of POWER ECCLESIASTICALL, what, and in whom
it is, we are to distinguish the time from the Ascension of our
Saviour, into two parts; one before the Conversion of Kings, and men
endued with Soveraign Civill Power; the other after their Conversion.
For it was long after the Ascension, before any King, or Civill Soveraign
embraced, and publiquely allowed the teaching of Christian Religion.

Of The Holy Spirit That Fel On The Apostles
And for the time between, it is manifest, that the Power Ecclesiasticall,
was in the Apostles; and after them in such as were by them ordained
to Preach the Gospell, and to convert men to Christianity, and to
direct them that were converted in the way of Salvation; and after these
the Power was delivered again to others by these ordained, and this
was done by Imposition of hands upon such as were ordained; by which
was signified the giving of the Holy Spirit, or Spirit of God,
to those whom they ordained Ministers of God, to advance his Kingdome.
So that Imposition of hands, was nothing else but the Seal of their
Commission to Preach Christ, and teach his Doctrine; and the giving
of the Holy Ghost by that ceremony of Imposition of hands, was an
imitation of that which Moses did. For Moses used the same ceremony
to his Minister Joshua, as wee read Deuteronomy 34. ver. 9.
"And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the Spirit of Wisdome;
for Moses had laid his hands upon him." Our Saviour therefore
between his Resurrection, and Ascension, gave his Spirit to
the Apostles; first, by "Breathing on them, and saying, (John 20.22.)
"Receive yee the Holy Spirit;" and after his Ascension (Acts 2.2, 3.)
by sending down upon them, a "mighty wind, and Cloven tongues of fire;"
and not by Imposition of hands; as neither did God lay his hands
on Moses; and his Apostles afterward, transmitted the same Spirit
by Imposition of hands, as Moses did to Joshua. So that it is manifest
hereby, in whom the Power Ecclesiasticall continually remained,
in those first times, where there was not any Christian Common-wealth;
namely, in them that received the same from the Apostles, by successive
laying on of hands.

Of The Trinity
Here wee have the Person of God born now the third time. For as Moses,
and the High Priests, were Gods Representative in the Old Testament;
and our Saviour himselfe as Man, during his abode on earth:
So the Holy Ghost, that is to say, the Apostles, and their successors,
in the Office of Preaching, and Teaching, that had received the
Holy Spirit, have Represented him ever since. But a Person,
(as I have shewn before, [chapt. 16.].) is he that is Represented,
as often as hee is Represented; and therefore God, who has been
Represented (that is, Personated) thrice, may properly enough be said
to be three Persons; though neither the word Person, nor Trinity
be ascribed to him in the Bible. St. John indeed (1 Epist. 5.7.) saith,
"There be three that bear witnesse in heaven, the Father, the Word,
and the Holy Spirit; and these Three are One:" But this disagreeth not,
but accordeth fitly with three Persons in the proper signification
of Persons; which is, that which is Represented by another.
For so God the Father, as Represented by Moses, is one Person;
and as Represented by his Sonne, another Person, and as Represented
by the Apostles, and by the Doctors that taught by authority from
them derived, is a third Person; and yet every Person here,
is the Person of one and the same God. But a man may here ask,
what it was whereof these three bare witnesse. St. John therefore
tells us (verse 11.) that they bear witnesse, that "God hath given us
eternall life in his Son." Again, if it should be asked, wherein
that testimony appeareth, the Answer is easie; for he hath testified
the same by the miracles he wrought, first by Moses; secondly,
by his Son himself; and lastly by his Apostles, that had received
the Holy Spirit; all which in their times Represented the Person of God;
and either prophecyed, or preached Jesus Christ. And as for
the Apostles, it was the character of the Apostleship, in the twelve
first and great Apostles, to bear Witnesse of his Resurrection;
as appeareth expressely (Acts 1. ver. 21,22.) where St Peter,
when a new Apostle was to be chosen in the place of Judas Iscariot,
useth these words, "Of these men which have companied with us
all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out amongst us,
beginning at the Baptisme of John, unto that same day that hee
was taken up from us, must one bee ordained to be a Witnesse
with us of his Resurrection:" which words interpret the Bearing
of Witnesse, mentioned by St. John. There is in the same place
mentioned another Trinity of Witnesses in Earth. For (ver. 8.)
he saith, "there are three that bear Witnesse in Earth, the Spirit,
and the Water, and the Bloud; and these three agree in one:"
that is to say, the graces of Gods Spirit, and the two Sacraments,
Baptisme, and the Lords Supper, which all agree in one Testimony,
to assure the consciences of beleevers, of eternall life;
of which Testimony he saith (verse 10.) "He that beleeveth on
the Son of man hath the Witnesse in himselfe." In this Trinity
on Earth the Unity is not of the thing; for the Spirit, the Water,
and the Bloud, are not the same substance, though they give
the same testimony: But in the Trinity of Heaven, the Persons
are the persons of one and the same God, though Represented
in three different times and occasions. To conclude, the doctrine
of the Trinity, as far as can be gathered directly from the Scripture,
is in substance this; that God who is alwaies One and the same,
was the Person Represented by Moses; the Person Represented by
his Son Incarnate; and the Person Represented by the Apostles.
As Represented by the Apostles, the Holy Spirit by which they spake,
is God; As Represented by his Son (that was God and Man), the Son
is that God; As represented by Moses, and the High Priests, the Father,
that is to say, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is that God:
From whence we may gather the reason why those names Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit in the signification of the Godhead, are never used
in the Old Testament: For they are Persons, that is, they have
their names from Representing; which could not be, till divers
men had Represented Gods Person in ruling, or in directing under him.

Thus wee see how the Power Ecclesiasticall was left by our Saviour
to the Apostles; and how they were (to the end they might the better
exercise that Power,) endued with the Holy Spirit, which is therefore
called sometime in the New Testament Paracletus which signifieth
an Assister, or one called to for helpe, though it bee commonly
translated a Comforter. Let us now consider the Power it selfe,
what it was, and over whom.

The Power Ecclesiasticall Is But The Power To Teach
Cardinall Bellarmine in his third generall Controversie, hath handled
a great many questions concerning the Ecclesiasticall Power of
the Pope of Rome; and begins with this, Whether it ought to be
Monarchicall, Aristocraticall, or Democraticall. All which sorts
of Power, are Soveraign, and Coercive. If now it should appear,
that there is no Coercive Power left them by our Saviour; but onely
a Power to proclaim the Kingdom of Christ, and to perswade men
to submit themselves thereunto; and by precepts and good counsell,
to teach them that have submitted, what they are to do, that they
may be received into the Kingdom of God when it comes; and that
the Apostles, and other Ministers of the Gospel, are our Schoolemasters,
and not our Commanders, and their Precepts not Laws, but wholesome
Counsells then were all that dispute in vain.