of the PERSON of CHRIST. 9 lay direly againft the everlafling rock, and would have fubflituted fand in the room of it. For no better is the bell of humane nature to make a foundation for the church, if not united unto the divine. Many in thofe days followed thofe pernicious ways; yet the foundation of God flood lure, nor was the church moved from it. But yet after a revolu- tion of fo many ages, is the fame endeavour again engaged in., The old enemy taking advantage of that prevalency of atbeifn and prophanenefs a- mong thofe that are called chriftians, doth again employ the fame engine to overthrow the faith of the church, and that with snore fubtilty than formerly, in the Socinians. For their faith, or rather unbelief, concerning the perfon of Chrift, is the faine with thofe before mentioned. And what a vain wanton generation admire and applaud in their fophi- fticalreafonings, is no more but what the primitive church triumphed over through faith, in the molt fubtle management of the Samofetanians, Photinians, and others. An evidence it is that Satan is not unknowing un- to the workings of that vanity and darknefs, of thofe corrupt affe&ions in the minds of men, whereby they are difpofed unto a contempt of the myftery of the gofpel. Who would have thought, that the old explod.d pernicious errors of the Samofetanians, Phorinians, and Pelagian:, againft thepower and grace of Chrift, fhould enter on the world again, with fo much oftentation and triumph as they do at this day? But many men, fo far as I can obferve, are fallen into fuch a diflike ofthe Chrif of God, that every thing concerning lais perfon, fpirit and grace, is an abomination unto theirs. It is not want of underftanding to comprehend dofirines, but hatred unto the things themfelves, whereby fuels perlons are feduced. And there is nothing of this nature, whereunto nature, as corrupted, cloth not contribute its utmoft affaflance. z. There werefuch asoppofed his divine-nature under pretenceofdeclaring it another way, than the faith of the church did refs in. So was it with the Arians, in whom the gates of bell teemed once to be near a prevalency. For the whole profeing world almofl was once furprized into that herefie. In words they acknowledged lais divine perfon; but added as a limita- tion of that acknowledgment, that the divine nature which he liad, was originally created ofGod, and produced out of nothing, with a double blaf- phemy, denying him to be the true God, and making a God of a meer crea- ture. But in all thefe attempts the oppofition of the gates of bell unto the church, refpe&ed faith in the perfon ofChrift as Sonof the living God. Secondly, By fome his humane nature was oppofed, for no (lone did fatan leave unturned in the purfuit of his great defign. And that which in all thefe things he aimed at, was the fubftitution of a faith Chrift, in the roomofhimwho in one perfon was both the fon of man, and the fon of the living God. And herein he infe&ed the minds of men with endlefs imaginations. Some denied him to have any real humane nature, but to have beena phantafin, an appearance, a difpenfation, a meer cloud ad- ed by ,divine power; home that he was made of heavenly flefh, brought from above, and which as fome alto affirmed, was a parcel of the divine nature. Some affirmed that this body was not animated as ours are, by a rational foul, but was immediately ailed by the power of the divine being, which was unto it in the room ofa living foul. Some that his body was of anetherial nature, and was at length turned into thefun ; with many fuch diabolical deflations. And there yet want not attempts in thefe days, of various forts, to deftroy the verity ofhis humane nature; and I know not what Tome late pbanta/lical opinions about the nature of glorified bodies may tend unto. The defign of fatan in all thofe penici- D ous
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