the Marcionites yea all such as deny Christ to bee perfect man or to be come in the flesh Saint g 2. Ioh. 7. Iohn brands them with a character of Antiâ—hrist saying Many deceiuers are entred into the world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh hee â—hat is such an one is a deceiuer and an Antichrist Made of a woman he doth not say genitus ex muliers that is begotten of a woman Erasm annot in Textum for though Christ had the materials of his body from Mary yet the holy Ghost was agent in his wonderfull conception Ex muliere non in muliere of a woman not in a woman as Gorranus and Aquinas vpon this place which confutes h Aug. haer 11. Valentinus heresie who taught that Christ had not his body from the Virgin Mary but brought it down from heauen passed thorow the wombe of the Virgin as water thorow a conduit pipe contrary to the text here Made of a woman and the Preposition i Aquinas in locum ex notes the matter as an house is made of stones and timber c. So k Luke 1.42 Elizabeth speaks to Mary Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe So l Rom. 9.5 Pecerit filium mater a quo ipsa nutriretur potiusqua nutriret c. Aug. ser 6. de nat domi Paul speaking of the Israelites saith Of whom are the Fathers and of whom Christ concerning the flesh came c. Quid nobilius Dei Matre quid castius quâ— corpus sine corporis contagione generauit c. Ambro. de virt lib. 2. Si quis sanctam Mariam Dei param non credit extra diuinitatem est Si quis Christum per Virginem tanquam per canalem fluxisse non autem in ea diuino modo quia absque viri opera humano quia iuxt a pariendi consuetudinem formatum esse dixerit aequè Atheus est saith m Nazian Orat. 51. Nazianen or as n Chrysost hom in Psal 9. Chrysostome Maria dei filium concepit credens verbo hoc verbum caro factum est c. that is The Virgin Mary did conceiue the Son of God beleeuing the Word and this Word was made flesh how as o Aug. hom 2. de Natiuit Christi Austen speakes of the same words non deposita sed seposita Maiestate The same p Aug. Ser. 6. in Nat. Domi. Vnigenitus Dei existens ante secula ex Maria vtero natus est homo Gregor Carnem induit verbii Deus ex Sancta Virgine c. Epiph. contra Collyridianos baer 79. Father of this point as in all other excellently Peperit Virgo filium qui Deo filios faceret c. Portanit in vtero filium mater et hunc fudit in forma serui in terris quem habent Angeli imperatorem in coelis that is The Virgin brought foorth a Sonne who should make sonnes to GOD the mother carries the Sonne in her wombe and is borne in the shape of a seruant on earth whom the Angels haue as their Emperour or ruler in heauen So that Valentinus was vaine and much deceiued in dreaming that Christ had not his body from the Virgin Mary when our Text saith He was made of a woman In which Quomodo how you may behold great nay vnspeakeable humiliation that He who is the Creatour of heauen and earth and to vse Saint q Aug. Ser. 27. de temp Austens words Factor terrae factus in terra exterra that is the Maker of the earth made of earth that Hee who was the Father of Mary should be the child of Mary Sine r Aug. Ser. 16. de temp quo pater nunquam fuit sine quo mater nunquam fuisset that is without whom the Father neuer was without whom the mother neuer had beene This is such a wonder that I may burst forth in Å¿ Ier. 2.12 Ieremies admiration Obstupescite coeli super hoc that is O yee heauens be astonied at this And this ineffable and admirable humiliation of Christ as Polanus t Polan part lib. 1. pag. 58. parts it is diuided into two branches 1. The Incarnation Made of a woman 2. The perfection of his obedience Made vnder the â—aw And the Incarnation of Christ hath three parts 1. His conception Conceiued of the holy Ghost Vide Pola part sup dicto loco 2. The personall vnion of both natures 3. The natiuity I will but euen mention them to â—our memories 1. Conceiued of the holy Ghost It is an Article of our â—ith declared by the tongue of an u Luke 1.35 Fides matris non libido cònceperat Aug enchirid cap. 34. Angell that is The â—oly Ghost shal come vpon thee and the power of the most â—igh shall ouershadow thee For as workes of power are ascribed to the Father workes of wisdome to the Sonne and workes of loue to â—he holy Ghost so this being a worke of highest loue it 〈◊〉 specially ascribed to the holy * Maldonat in 1. Matth. Spirit And this Article confutes three sorts of hereticks â—irst the x Iraen lib. 1. cap. 25. Cerinthians secondly the y Clem. Rom. instit lib. 6. c. 6. Ebionites thirdly â—e z Iraen lib. 1. cap. 24. Fecit grauidam Virginem ipse qui erat nasciturus ex Virgine c. Aug ser 6. in Nat. Domi. Carpocratian hereticks who all held and maintaiâ—ed that Christ was the naturall Sonne of Ioseph Verus merus homo that is a meere naturall man begotten of â—oseph contrary to the expresse Text Ioseph knew her not â—ill she had brought forth her first borne Sonne Mat. 1. the â—ast verse 2. The personall vnion of both Natures I will conâ—lude with two testimonies of diuine Scripture first that â—f * Iohn 1.14 Iohn The Word was made flesh And as a Musc loc com tit de verb. Incarn Musculus â—ightly comments vpon those words There was made in â—he wombe of the Virgin a coniunction of the Word and the â—lesh that is to say of the nature of God and man there is â—he personall Vnion The second place out of b 1. Tim. 3. the last Timothy God is manifested in â—he flesh the which words the learned c Piscat super cum locum Piscator paraâ—hrases thus Filius natura sua diuina inuisibilis effecit se â—isibilem assumpta vera natura humana in vnitatem sua â—ersonae that is the Son of God in his diuine nature inuisible made him visible in assuming our humane nature into the vnion of his person In a word with d Aug. Epist 3. Augustine Homo Deo accessit non Deus à se recessit Our Lord tooke vpon him that which he was not and left not to bee that which he was 3. The Natiuity the manner of his Birth I shall speak of that afterward as God shall assist and the time permiâ— And in this Incarnation of Christ and
is tossed with Satans winds and waues vnda superaduenit vndae one waue of error followes another like Iobs * Iob 1. messengers in the necke of another that vnlesse we be godly-wise to put a difference twixt person and nature it wil be perillous to scape the rocks and easily catch in these Meanders and Labirinths of Satan And herein to call to your remembrance one principle of your faith you are to know that there is one person of one selfe same Christ Yet two Natures * In personali vnione distinctae manent incoÌ„fusae naturae siue proprietates siue essentiam siue operationes earum spectes Polan part l. 1. pag. 59. distinct inconfusae not confounded and yet a personall vnion of both Natures not one disseuered from another That of God which is of the Word which tooke vpon him flesh and that of man which is of the flesh that was assumed of which none is changed into the other but each of them doe keepe their proper and naturall condition either in respect of the essence proprieties or operations of them So that there is a threefold plenitude in our Redeemer Christ Iesus 1. Verus Deus true God 2. Verus homo true man 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. God and man by a personall vnion the which three are equipollent to those three wonderfull workes of the omnipotent Maiesty in the Assumption of the flesh and as S. u Bern. ser 10. Bernard stiles them Mirabiliter singularia singulariter mirabilia i. miraculously singular and singularly miraculous What bee they 1. The Coniunction of both Natures Deus homo i. God and man Secondly Mater virgo that is Marie his mother and yet a Virgin Thirdly fides cor humanum i. faith and mans heart vnited by beleeuing it And surely the first three are as equally wonderfull first true God secondly true man thirdly God and man As God plenus gloria full of glory as man plenus obedientia full of obedience as God and man plenus gratia full of grace I meane gratia * See the Bish of Ely his Sermon preached on Easter day 1614. p. 19. vnionis the grace of vnion â—or other grace in Christ I take that Diuines know â—one Now concerning Christs diuine nature propounded â—ere God sent his Sonne I shall not need to spend much â—ime none but Atheists or hereticks deny it The Scripâ—ure which is the mouth of God and Oracle of truth eâ—ery where testifie the verity of Christs Deity and Diâ—inity So * Col. 1.15.16 Paul to the Colossians saith That Christ is the â—mage of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures For by him were all things made in heauen or earth visible â—nd inuisible Angels c. So x Mat. 16.16 Peter Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God So y Psalm 2.7 Dauid Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten â—hee So z Iohn 20.28 Thomas saith to Christ My Lord and my God So * Rom. 9.5 Paul calles Christ God ouer all blessed for euer So our a Iohn 5.23 Sauiour saith of himselfe that all men should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father So b Col. 2.9 Iohn 5.19 1. Iohn 1.2.20 Iohn 16.15 Iohn 5.26 Matth. 28.18 Phil. 2.6 Paul saith of Christ that in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Yea innumerable testimonies of Scripture to auerre the same The Scripture ascribes the same diuine proprieties to the Sonne which be attributed to the Father that he is omnipotens omnipraesens omnisciens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is omnipotent omnipresent all-knowing the knower of the secrets of the heart Rom. 2.16 Yea to conclude this with the words of the c Heb. 1.2.3 Author to the Hebrewes speaking of Christ That he is the heyre of all things by whom God made the world the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his person and bearing vp all things by his mighty word c. d Prudentius in Psychomachia Ille manet quod semper erat quod non erat esse incipiens He that was euer an eternall God in mans nature tooke a beginning By these testimonies are confuted diuers hereticks Zanchius in Phil. 2.5 1. Ebion Cerinthus Photinus Paulus Samosatenus holding that Christ had no being before hee tooke on him the shape of man 2. Sophronius and * Caluin harm in Ioh. 1. c. 1. Seruetus imagining that the Word was not actually and really subsisting from eternity non fuisse rem verè subsistentem sed decretum tantummodò in mente Dei de hoc homine creando sua deitate implendo Not to be a substance truly subsisting but only a decree of God of creating this man and fulfilling him by his Deity 3. Carpocrates and Arrius acknowledging that Christ had another nature besides his humane but not of the same substance with the Father 4. * Bellarm. praefat lib. 1. de Christo Philoponus Valentin Gentilis and other Tritheists impiously maintaining that the three persons are three Gods essentially differing in number and nature whereas the Catholicke faith acknowledges with Athanasius in his Creed that the God-head of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one c. Thus Christ being true God tooke on him the shape of * Homo factus naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam Aug. epist 120. cap. 36. Ruffinus in symbol man not by confusion of Substance but by personall Vnion God sent his Sonne not adopted Sonne as all the elect are by grace not Sonne by creation as the Angels and Adam was before his fall but his naturall Sonne be gotten from eternity called Gods onely begotten Sonne So God loued the world that he gaue his only * Vocatur vnigenitus qui ante humanam naturam existebat c. Vrsin doct Chri. pag. 373. begotten Son c. Ioh. 3.16 Equall to the Father as touching his Godhead for whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same things doth the Sonne also Ioh. 5.19 For he is of the same nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Greeke Writers of the same not of the like nature Gods naturall Sonne and so â—aturally God of the same essence with his Father Qui â—lius Dei naturalis est habet eaudem integram impartiâ—elem Dei essentiam communicatam saith * Vrsin doct Ch. 2. par pag. 382. Vrsinus that is â—ee that is the naturall Sonne of God hath the same â—otall and impartible essence of God communicaâ—ed c. So that damnable and detestable is the heresie of Photinus Ebion Cerinthus c. infringing Christs Godhead whose diuinity is here expressed God sent his Sonne here is the Quis. Next followeth Quomodo how or in what manner â—ee was sent Factus ex muliere Made of a woman if made of a woman then Hee was perfect man which oâ—erthrowes the heresie of
the personall vnion of both Natures we may behold his most incomparable and incomprehensible compassion and affection to mankind which I can better admire with silence then expresse with vtterance Oh beloued had I sides of brasse that could not bee weaâ—y or an Anâ—els tongue to speâ—ke with II I should falâ— short in soâ—nd ng the bottome of this bottomlesse and boundlesse compassion Non mihi si centum voces linguae quoque centum sufficerent c. An hundred tongues and voicEs were not able To shew Christâ— loue herein proportionable Our Lord and Sauiour did so sitire nostram salutem so ardently thirst after our saluation that hee did vouchsafe to be borne of a woman Lambit vbera qui regit sidera tacet qui verbum est as e Aug. ser 5. de temp Austen that is He sucks the brests that rules the Starres he is an Infant and cannot speake and yet he is the Word great humility to assume our humanity made of a woman and made f Iohn 1.14 flesh and found in shape as a maÌ„ Phi. 2.7 He did not take Angelical nature and as the g Heb. 2.16 Author to the Hebrews He in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham Vt nos aequaret Angelis minoratus est ab Angelis saith Anselmus that is That he might make vs equall to the Angels he made himself lower then the Angels So that there is greater affinity twixt God and man then twixt God and the Angels for he assumed our nature and was made of a woman Wee doe not reade in any place of Scripture that Christ did euer call the Angels fratres suos that is his brethren as he â—lles men h Psal 22.22 Heb. 2.12 Magna dignitas est fideliu quod nominantur filij Dei fratres filij Dei Vâ—igâ—â—ti c. Piscat Analis in Haebreos c. 2. v. 10.11 c. Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis that is will declare thy name vnto my brethren I may heere â—y vse the words of a Father Maritari noluit verbum â—t altiùs nubere non potuit carogloriosiùs that is The imâ—ortâ—l God would marry no higher then our nature our â—ture could neuâ—r marry more gloriously There is a three-fold affinity first legall by adoption â—condâ—y spirituall by regeneration Thirdly naturall 〈◊〉 generation We are Gods adopted Sonnes by Iesus â—hrist Ephes 1 5. Gods spirituall Sonne by regeneratiâ— Except a man be borne again of water and of the Spirit cannot enter into the kingdome of God Iohn 3.5 Indeed â—e are not Gods naturall Sonnes and yet Christ tooke â—r nature vpon him for there is but one Sonne of God â—r nature that is Christ Iesus Iohn 3.16 Math. 1.2 called Gods only Begotâ—n Sonne in respect of his Father and diuine nature first â—egotten in respect of his mother and humane nature 〈◊〉 God the Father called i Prudentius Hym. de Eulalia Virgine Duâ—andus rationab diuinorum lib. 4. ca. 48 § 2. Vide Ruffin in Symbol Omnipater that is the All-faâ—er of all men and all things by creation generally Of good men by adoption specially Of Christ by nature singularly We are only sonnes by fauor by adoption by grace â—at not by nature Oh what an immeasurable measure of â—ue was this that He who was Gods Son by nature and 〈◊〉 naturally God of the same essence with the Father â—d receiuing al which the Father hath sauing the persoâ—ll propriety who was so great did make himselfe 〈◊〉 little to make vs great as k Tertull. lib. 2. con Marc. Tertullian who beâ—me the Son of man that we might be the l Cyp. ser de cleemâ—syna Vide homo quomodo alle amauit te qui fecit te vt propter te factus ipse Hugo Sonnes of â—od whâ— being very God became very man that hee â—ight reconcile God to man and man to God who beâ—g so great that the heauens cannot conâ—aine him â—ould make himselfe so little as to be contained in the â—ombe of a Virgâ—n Filius Dei qui fecit nos factus est inâ—r nos as Austen that is the Son of God that made vs to be made like vs. A mercy or rather a mystery so great that I may say with m Esay 66.8 Psalm 2â— 1 Esay Who hath heard such a thingâ— who hath seene such things That hee who was the Lord of heauen and earth should become a seruant on earth a seruant to men Optimam dignitatis viam ostendit dominus nempe humilitatem Bas in hex Nay as Tertullian nullificamen populi that is esteemed as the outcast of men a worme and no man the scorne of men and the contempt of the people Psalme 22.6 it is such a wonder as since the heauens were made there is none to paralell it Rightly did the Prophet n Esay 9.6 Esay foretel his natiuity and name stiling him Wonderfull for he was wonderfull in his Conception wonderfull in his Incarnation The Scripture teacheth vs how man comes foure waies into the world 1. By the helpe of man and woman as all are vsually borne Iob. 14.1 2. Without any man and woman so Adam was created Gen. 1.26 3. Of a man without a woman so Eue was created Gen. 2.22 4. Of a woman without a man so Christ was borne Matth. 1.18 Wonderfull Incarnation that I may say with o Esay 53.8 Esay Who can declare his generation Secundum conditionem naturae natus ex foemina super conditionem naturae natus ex Virgine saith p Thom. 3. part q. 31. art 5. Thomas that is According to the condition of nature borne of a woman and aboue the condition of nature borne of a Virgin or as q Euseb emiss hom 1. de natiu Christi Eusebius Emissenus Datus ex diuinitate natiu ex virgine natus sic matre iunior datus quo nec pater antiquior qui erat datus est qui non erat natus est that is Giuen of God borne of a Virgin borne and so younger then his Mother giuen and so as ancient as his Father he that euer was was giuen and he that was not was borne Wonderfull Incarnation that He who was the * Non illius est silius fabri quem putatis sed fabricatoris omnium c. Chrysost sup Mat. 14. maker of the world and Father of Marie should be the son of Marie at God and man should in one person meete and that 〈◊〉 mother should be a pure Virgin and that this Sonne â—ould be the Sauiour of his mother Ipsum sanguinem â—em pro matre obtulit antea de sanguine matris accepit â—th r Hom. 1. de Natiuitate Christi Emissenus that is The same blood which he offered 〈◊〉 his mother he before receiued froÌ„ his mother yea as â—ombard Verus homo de homine propter homineÌ„ secunduÌ„â—minem super hominem that is True man of mankind Å¿ Lombard 3. sent dist 8. for