that as for the conjunction of it with the Deity every where But besides this answer ad hominem in a Second place I answer directly by denying the consequence of this proposition If the word hath not with it the manhood wheresoever it is then it should be somewhere not man For because of the simplicity indivisibility and infinitenesse of the Godhead this is sufficient ground to say that the person of the word is every where man if any where it be personally united with the humane nature Thus because the reasonable soule being indivisible is substantially united with the head we may say of it in all the members that it is the forme of the head and yet it 's information of and conjunction with the head is placed onely in the head and not extended unto any other member 3. If Mr Hooker had but consulted the Schoolmen he would never have troubled his readers with this objection unto which they give a perspicuous answer This b Illa autem propositio Chri stus ubique est Homo distinguenda est Nam si illa pâ—rticula ubique cadit supra praelicatum Homo tunc falsa est propositio Ratio est quia praedicata supponunt pro formali significato ergò homo quando est praedicatum supponit pro humanitate Cùm ergò dicitur Christas ubique est homo sensus est Christus ubique habet suam humanitatem Quod falsum est ficut etiam falsum est dicere Christus ab aeterno est homo id est ab aeterno habet suam hamanitatem Si autem particulâ— ubique conjunâ— gitur praecisè cum subjecto tunc admitti porest illa propositio Christus ubique est homo id est Christus qui est ubique est homo Vâ—l Christus ubique existens est homo Hinc patet eodem mode distinguendam esse hanc propositionem verbum aliâ—ubi non est homo Nam vera est hec sensu verbum alicubi est fine humanit 〈◊〉 vel verbum alicubi non habet suam humanitatem Falsa est hoc sensu verbum alicubi existens non potest dici homo vel verbum alicubi existens non est homo Similes sunt hae duae Anima alicubi est fine capite anima alicubi existens non est forma capitis Haec enim falsa est illa vera Becan Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 7. quaest 4. pag. 127 128. De illa propositione Christus ubique est homo si illud ubique â—…at supra praedicatum homo D. Thom. dicit in rigore esse falsum quia praedicata formalitèr tenentur ideò illud ubique cadit supra humanitatem ipsam significat illam esse ubique seu ubique copulari tali supposito Sicut haec etiam est falsapropositio Christus ab aeterno est homo propter eandem rationem haec similitèr anima ubicunque est informat manum c. Si tamen adverbium prâ—…isè conjungatur cum subjecto admitti potest illa locutio sensus enim erit hoc suppositum quod est ubique esse hominem de illo ubique existente verè diciposse esse hominem Suarcz in tert part Thomae disput 32. sect 4. pag. 532. proposition say they Christ is every where man is to be distinguished The particle every where may be referred unto either the predicate man or the subject Christ If it be referred unto the predicate and the sense of it be that the manhood is every where or that it is every where coupled with the person of the word then it is false as it is false to say that Christ was man from everlasting and as it is false to affirme that the soule informeth the head wheresoever it existeth But now if we referre it to the subject and the meaning of the proposition be that Christ who is every where is man then it is true and sound for Christ is every where in regard of his person But this will yield no advantage unto the opinion of Mr Hooker that the union or conjunction of the manhood with the Deitie is extended as farre as the Deitie If any one of the admirers of Mr Hooker thinke that I have wronged their great patron of ceremonies in this discourse I shall be contented to be disciplined by them so they will doe it with arguments and not with invectives In the third and last place I shall dispatch an answere unto those objections against this personall union which are of greatest weight and they shall be drawne 1. From the extreames of the union considered severally and apart 2. From a comparison of them togeither in regard of their disproportion and disparation 1. From the extreames of the union considered severally and apart 1. From the person of the word and the Godhead in which it subsisted from all eternity and 2. From the humanity 1. From the person of the word and the Godhead in which it subsisted from all eternity 1. From the person of the word from the simplicity compleatnesse and unchangeablenesse of it 1. From the simplicity of it The word considered in it selfe is most simple and uncompounded But the result of it's union with the manhood is compounded for that is nothing else but Christ or the word incarnate the word subsisting in the divine nature in a connaturall way per connaturalitatem and in the humane nature by assumption thereof And Christ the word incarnate consisteth proximè and immediately of the manhood and subsistence of the word consequently and mediatly of the divine and humane nature and therefore it is compounded But now this composition will be a great imbasure unto the word for in every composition there are parts compounding that mutually perfect one another and are of their owne nature ordained to compound the whole All which particulars are utterly repugnant unto the perfection of the word For that is infinite and therefore it cannot be a part for then it should have an incompleate being it cannot be perfected by the manhood and lastly it cannot have any naturall tendency unto composition For answere unto this 1. c Duplex est compositio una hujus ex his alia hujus ad hoc Prima compositio est sicut compositio hominis ex anima corpore ex quibus tanquam ex partibus consistit intrinsecè Secunda compositio est accidentis ad subjectum vel subjecti cum accidente Non enim subjectum compositum est ex subjecto accidente nec accidens ex accidente subjecto sed unum est alteri compositum id est cum alio positum quamvis aggregatum ex ut oque possit dici compositum ex eis Tunc ad quaestionem dicendum quòd persona verbi post incarnationem non fuit composita prima compositione quae est hujus ex his Cujus ratio est quia omne tale compositum dependet ex componeâ—tihus tanquam ex partibus constituentibus ipsum est posterius ipsis saltem
ordine naturae Sed personalitas Christi non dependet à natura divina humana tanquam ex partibus constituentibus ipsam nec est aliquid posterius ipsis Imò praeexistit saltem alteri naturae sâ—…l humanae ergò personae Christi non est composita ex natura divina humana Si autem loquamur de secunda compositione quae est hajus aâ— hoc adhâ—c talâ—s fit dupliciter uno modo per inhaerentiam unius ad alteram qualis est compositio accidentis ad subjectum hoc modo persona verbi non est composita post incarnationem quia nec ipsa qua subiectivè existit natura humana nec natura humana potest alicui inhaerere Quod patet per rationem quia omne quod recipit aliquid inse per modum inhaerentiae se habet ad ipsum ut potentia passiva ad actum ficut perfectibile ad suam perfectionem Sed persona divina non potest schabere ad quodcunque aliud per modum potentiae passivae vel per modum perfectibilis ergo ipsa non est componibilis alicui per modum inhaerentiae Alio modo sit talis compositio per solâ—m dependentiam habitudinis relativè ita ut unum fit inexistens aliud verò subsistens terminans respectum dependentiam inexistentis hâ—c modo persona divina post incarnationem fuit composita quia quae prius subsistebat in soâ—â natura divina post incarnationem terminavit per suam subsistentiam dependentiam naturae humanae c. lib. 3. Dist 7. q. 3. Durand distinguisheth of a twofold composition Hujus ex his hujus ad hoc 1. Hujus ex his Such is the composition of man of a body and soule of which it consisteth intrinsecally as of parts And this composition he rejecteth because that which is thus compounded dependeth of it's parts compounding is after them at least in order of nature But now the personality of Christ doth not depend upon the humane and divine nature as parts constituting it neither is it after them in order of nature nay it preexisted unto one nature to wit the humane and therefore the person of Christ is not compounded of the divine and humane nature if we speake of this kind of composition There is saith he a second kind of composition and that is hujus ad hoc and it is not so properly a composition of a third thing out of the things united as an adjoyning of one of the things united unto the other And thus the person of the word after the incarnation may be said to be compounded For hereby the humane nature is added unto the person of the word and unto the divine nature in the unity of the same person But now he allo subdivideth this composition which he tearmeth hujus ad hoc For it is either by inherence of one thing in another and such is the composition of an accident with it's subject or else by way of a suppositall dependance of one thing upon and relation unto another so that the one should substantially inexist in the other and the other should terminate the respect and dependance of the former which inexists and after this latter manner the person of the word is after the incarnation compounded Because whereas before it subsisted onely in the divine nature after the incarnation it by it's subsistence terminated the dependance of the humane nature Thus he A second answere is given by Aquinas That this composition is not ratione partium but ratione numeri part 3. q. 2. art 4. His plaine meaning is that the things reckoned up in this composition to wit the personality or subsistence of the word and the humanity or the deitie and humanity are not parts properly so called for this would imply imperfection and incompleatnesse in the word but yet they are things really distinct and that in number substantially united together And the union thinks he of things really and numerically distinguished if it be not a meere aggregation is sufficient to make a composition as the word may be taken in the most generall acception of it In a third place The Scotists out of Bonaventure distinguish of a proper and improper or similitudinary composition They grant that the person of the word after the incarnation is compounded taking the word composition in a large and improper sense But then they utterly deny that it is compounded in strictnesse and propriety of speech For as d compositio propriè rigorosè sumpta necessariò exposcit quòd alterum ex componentibus habeat rationem actus alterum rationem potentiae passivae sed nihil est in persona Christi quod habeat rationem actus informantis rationem potentiae ad ejus compositionem ergò nullo modo est dicenda propriè composita Maior ex bis quae supra notavimus patet Miner verò ostenditur Quia si fiat comparatio inter naturam divinam humanam neutra ratione mactus informantis nec rationem potentiae passivae habere potest quia natura divina cùm fit purissimus actus per se existens nec informari nec informare potest Pratere à quia in omni coÌ„positione compositum est quolibet ex componentibus perfectius at natura Divina nihil perfectius excogitari potest agitur c Si verò fiat comparatio naturae humanae divinae ad personam Christi dici etiam non potest quod ibi sit compositum expersona naturis propter easdem rationes Super. tert lib. sentent controv 3. art 3. pag. 71 72. Rada objecteth all proper composition is of an informing act and passive power But now if we compare togeither the person of the word and his humanity or the Deitie and the humanity as united togeither they cannot be thus related one unto another For the person of the word and the divine nature in which it subsists is a most pure act and therefore nec informari nec informare potest Adde hereunto that that which is compounded of parts properly so tearmed is better and more noble then each of the parts compounding considered single and apart by themselves But Christ the word incarnate cannot be more noble then the word considered praecise as it was in it selfe from all eternity for it was of infinite perfection and there can be no greater perfection then that which is infinite 4. The Thomists who doe most eagerly contend that this is a composition properly so called doe yet so refine the word and take it in so abstractive a sense as that it excludes all imperfection Indeed the imperfections mentioned in the objections of Rada are peculiar unto ordinary and naturall compositions But this say they is an extraordinary and supernaturall composition of which we have no more but this one instance and therefore it is not to be measured by them Cajetan is here very wary and modest For he dares not say absolutely and
not his generation of him for it is connexed with and compared unto his own sending of his Apostles which was a proper sending by way of command or commission Besides the generation of the Son cannot be the mission of him because the mission of a divine person say the * Suarez de Deo uno Trino tract 3. de Trinitate lib. 12. Becanus Summae Theol. Scholast partis primae Tom. 1. p. 514. 515. Franciscus Amicus Cursus Theol. Tom. 1. disp 27. Sect. 2. Schoolmen is alwaies in time for however it includeth materially and by way of presupposal the proceeding of one person from another yet formaliter and completivè it signifieth some temporal operation manifesting the eternal procession God sent forth his Son in the fulness of time Gal 4.4 In a second place the Lutheraus hold that omnipotency is given unto Christ as man by dispensation of the personal union Now we grant a communication of omnipotency and other divine properties unto the manhood expressed concretively For we may truly and safely say the man Christ is omnipotent But this communication of omnipotency is an immediate consequent of the personal union and therefore not the donation of all-power in heaven and earth here spoken of for this as I shall shew hereafter is a consequent of his humiliation and a branch of his exaltation his sitting at the right hand of God Luk. 24.26 Hebr. 1.3 Besides the Lutherans will not be satisfied unless we yeeld unto them a communication of the omnipotency unto the manhood expressed abstractively Unless we say the manhood it selfe is omnipotent And against such a communication our Divines usually oppose these following arguments 1. Omnipotency is a reciprocal property of the Deity and therefore incommunicable unto the humanity For any one to averre that such a property may be communicated is to say that may be communicated which is incommunicable then which what contradiction can be more gross Yea but saith Eckard the divine properties are communicated to the humanity not transitively but intransitively and if my memory faile me not Martinus in lectures of his against Keckermans Legick distinguisheth of an inhesive and possessive communication The divine properties are communicated saith he not inhaesivè but possessivè I confess it was a long time since that I read the book when I was a Boy But I suppose I am not mistaken But sure I am that the * Gerard depersonâ officio Christi cap. 12. generality of them hath the same thing for substance The Divine properties say they are communicated unto the manhood not by any physical and real transfusion or subjective inhesion but by a real donation by which the Divine properties doe so become the attributes of the humanity that it may freely use them As for example the divine omnipotency doth so become the omnipotency of the humane nature as that it denominates the humane nature to be omnipotent and the humane nature may work omnipotently with it no less then the divine nature doth it selfe But all this is but gibberish and unintelligible non-sense and I cannot find any tollerable explication of it though I have diligently searcht for it in their bookes And for reply unto it I shall only say that omnipotency is not an extrinsecal denomination but an intrinsecal attribution and therefore cannot denominate the manhood without it were formally and actually in it Even as it is impossible for the wall to be white by a whiteness that is not seated in it Adde hereunto out of M. Bayne upon the Ephesians pag. 189. That this opinion touching the communication of divine properties by way of real donation maketh the divine properties become instrumentary faculties as it were to a finite nature Againe omnipotency is really the same with the essence of the God-head and with all it 's other attributes particularly with it's simplicity eternity and infiniteness Now of things which are really the same one cannot be communicated without the other be imparted also For otherwise as my learned friend M. Barlow argueth against Gerard in his Exercit. Metaph. 6 it might come to pass that a thing might be communicated when it is not communicated it selfe If so be then omnipotency be so communicated unto the manhood of Christ as to denominate it in abstracto omnipotent Why then the very essence of the God head may be communicated also thereunto to denominate it God and all the other attributes particularly eternity simplicity infiniteness may be communicated unto it in like manner so that we may say of the manhood abstractively it is simple eternal infinite But now the most rigid Lutherans will deny that the humanity of Christ is God that it is of a simple uncompounded being from everlasting and infinite and yet they may by equal anology of reason say this as well as they doe that it is omnipotent omnipresent omniscient D. Field in his fifth book of the Church c. 15. minceth this horrid tenet of the Lutherans and speaketh very favourably of it I am perswaded saith he that howsoever some of them have used harsh doubtful dangerous and unbefitting formes of speech yet they differ not in meaning and judgment from the Orthodoxe and right believers That which led this great Schollar into this mistaken charity was his mis-interpretation of that usual saying of Divines that the subsistence of the Son of God is really communicated unto the nature of man in Christ But this communication of the subsistence of the second person unto the humanity is not as Baron philosophia Theol. Ancil Artic. 12 and after him M. Barlow in the forementioned place very excellently shew by way of real inhesion or denomination but only by way of sustentation And this is no advantage unto the Lutherans communication of divine properties Look as when a subject doth communicate it selfe unto it's Accidents by way of support it doth not hereupon follow that it inhereth in them or doth denominate them So though the person of the Sonne doe assume receive and sustaine the humanity of Christ yet it doth not hereupon follow that the subsistence of the Sonne is formally in the â—…hood or that the manhood is a person as is proved at large by those two mentioned Authours 2. Others in the next place understand the words concerning a physical power of the manhood But these I shall confute when I come to examine what fulness of power dwelleth in the manhood of Christ By what hath been said you see the place is to be understood concerning a moral power a power of Authority Now there agreeth unto Christ a twofold power of Authority essential and official 1. Essential or natural which belongs unto him as God Psal 93.1,2 and 95.3 and 22.28 and 59.13 and 103.19 Isai 6.5 Dan. 4.34,35 Now this is common unto the Father and Holy Ghost together with him and is potestas innata not data therefore not here meant 2. Official dispensative or donative delegated unto him as Mediatour
and head of his Church and therefore termed a mediatory power and this is the power spoken of in this place But now say our Divines against the Papists Christ is Mediatour according unto both natures not only as man but as God and man The divine authority then of Christ is mediatory not as it is common unto every person in the Trinity but as it is appropriate unto him the second person Thus speakes the learned and pious Bayne on the Ephesians pag. 187. This person as God receiving by voluntary dispensation this honour from the Father that he should in an immediate and appropriate manner execute government over all the creatures in heaven and earth And again pag. 183. So that though the Father and Spirit have a right and soveraignty over the creature yet they doe not immediately execute this in such sort as the Son doth which maketh Christ say Joh. 5.22 The Father judgeth none but hath given all judgment unto the Son But now it may be objected that as every person executeth government over all creatures both in heaven and earth because it is an outward worke of the Trinity and therefore common unto every person so also they doe it in an immediate manner immediatione tum suppositi tum virtutis as all divine works are done and therefore Christ's execution of the soveraigne dominion of God over every creature immediately makes nothing unto the appropriation of this soveraigne dominion unto his person A solution of this doubt you may gather from what D. Field pag. 43. answereth unto a like objection against his being a mediatour according unto both natures concurring in the work of mediation His words I shall insert at large If it be alleadged that opera Trinitatis ad extra are indivisa that is that there is nothing that one of the persons of the blessed Trinity doth towards the creatures but they all doe it and consequently that those things which Christ did in his divine nature pertained not to the office of a Mediatour being common to all the persons We answer that as the persons of the blessed Trinity though they be one and the same God yet differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in subsistence and the manner of having and possessing the Deity and divine nature so though their action be the same and the work done by them yet they differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the manner of doing it for the Father doth all things authoritativè and the Son subauthoritativè as the School-men speak that is the Father as he from whom and of whom all things are the Son as he by whom all things are not as if he were an instrument but as principium à principio that is a cause and beginning of things that hath received the essence it hath and power of working from another though the very same that is in the other And in this sort to quicken give life and to impart the spirit of sanctification to whom he pleaseth especially with a kind of concurring of the humane nature meriting desiring and instrumentally assisting is proper to the Son of God manifested in our flesh and not common to the whole Trinity and therefore notwithstanding the objection taken from the unity of the works of the divine persons may be a worke of mediation In these words he layeth down two grounds of the appropriation of workes of divine power and authority to Christ as a Mediatour The first is the order and manner of his both subsisting and working but this if I mistake not is impertinent and unsatisfactory unto the Objection For it would have agreed unto him as the Sonne of God if he had never been Mediatour But the second ground the instrumental concurrence of the humane nature commeth home and fully satisfieth the doubt For though all the persons have an immediate influence upon all works of divine power and Authority yet the Sonne only produceth such of them at least as relate unto his Church by the instrumental association and concurrence of his manhood personally united with him To performe them simply as God is common to the whole Trinity To performe them as God man is appropriate to Christ as Mediatour As ascribed unto him they are say Divines Theandrical that is divinely humane And this occasioneth me to interpret that place alleadged by M. Bayne John 5.22 The Father judgeth no man but hath committed all judgment unto the Son Here the Father judgeth no man in the same sense that it is committed unto the Son now it is committed unto the Son as he is Mediatour God incarnate God manifested in the flesh subsisting in the forme of a servant that is the nature of a man and thus the Father judgeth no man Thus f Judicare describitur aliter paâ—ris quà m filii Describitur enim pater non judicare eâ ratione quia non exerceâ— personam sensibilis judicis quia pater non est homo non est judex sensibilis deillâ— enim judicio est sermo quo mundus est judicaâ—dus Cajetan expounds the words The Sonne alone shall exercise the part of a Judge which may be perceived by the senses of the body He alone shall set upon an external Tribunal and pronounce an audible sentence But this appropriation of Divine authority unto Christ is not this donation of all power unto him in heaven and earth For that as you may see in D. Feild pag. 434. is an immediate consequent of the personal union Whereas this is a sequel of Christ's passion and resurrection Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory Luk. 24.26 When he had by himselfe purged our sins he sate down on the right hand of the majesty on high Heb. 1.3 2. Christ's judiciary power is one branch of that universal power given unto him in heaven and earth Now saith Christ the Father hath given the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the sonne of man John 5.27 or rather as Beza renders it as the Son of man so that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is as much thinkes he as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the foregoing verse as you may see in Cajetan Christ sheweth how that the Father hath given unto the Sonne as he is the Sonne of God to have life in himselfe without dependance on any other not by any gratuitous gift but by natural generation and here in this verse he declareth how he hath given him Authority to execute judgment as he is the Son of man by a gratuitous gift 3. The giving of all Authority to Christ in heaven and in earth is by the general consent of Divines included in the placing of him at the right hand of God Now however Damascene stretcheth the expression of his sitting at the right hand of God to signify his equality with the Father from all eternity in point of divine majesty yet as Bishop Davenant on the Colossians pag. 263. observeth
vel secundum hum anam tantùm vel secundum utra nque naturam de ipso praedicatur Sed in ipso habitare totam plenitudinem Deitatis non de divinâ—â tantùm naturâ accipi potest in ea enim nihil habitat sed essentia divina identificat sibi omnia quae sunt in eâ nec de utrâ que ergò de humanâ natura accipiendum sensu sc eo quòd divinae naturae habitaculum proprium sit natura humana assumta Scopus Apostoli est conferre Christum qua hominem cum aliis Sanctis quòd longe alio modo quà m in reliquis sanctis plenitudo Deitatis habitat videlicet personaliter De Persona â—…ficio Christi p. 452. Gerhard to another purpose Whatsoever is predicated of Christ agreeth unto him either according unto his divine nature or according unto his humane nature or according unto both natures Now none will affirme that the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in Christ according unto both natures Neither can it be said to dwell in him according unto his divine nature For then the Godhead would dwell in it selfe and there would be no distinction between the dwelling and the dweller Whatsoever is in the Godhead is essentiall thereunto is it's very essence and therefore cannot be said to dwell in it For nothing can be said to dwell in that with which it is really the same It remaineth therefore that the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in Christ according unto his humane nature His Humane nature is the habitation as it were of the Deitie being assumed into a fellowship of subsistence with it in his person Besides as the same Author urgeth the scope of the Apostle is to compare Christ with and to distinguish him from the holy men of God who were inspired by the holy Ghost ' and to shew that he dwelleth otherwise in him then in them In him he dwelleth personally In them only in regard of assistance and energy And from this scope of the Apostle it is evident that the words are to be understood of Christ as man In them there may be a prolepsis a prevention of an objection that might be made by the enemies of Christ against the Apostles prohibition of all additions unto the Doctrine of Christ Why must we might they object keepe so close and exactly unto the rule of Christ Was he not a man A man that was crucified that died and was buried Had he not a soule and body like us Are there no men his superiours or equals Are not the Philosophers as wise and learned as hee Are there not divers men as holy as he why should their traditions be rejected and his precepts so inviolably observed Had not Moses immediate communion with God what authority then hath he to abrogate that law which Moses received immediately from the mouth of God Yea but saith the Apostle though he were a man yet he was not a meer man Your eyes are not open and therefore you see in him nothing but his manhood But we that have faith the evidence of things not seene can behold the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling bodily in this man that is in his humane nature which is so abject and despicable in the eyes of unbelieving men Though he tooke upon him the forme of a servant and was made in the likenesse of men and found in fashion as a man humbling himselfe and becomming obedient unto death even the death of the crosse yet being in the forme of God he thought it not robbery to be equall with God Philip. 2.6,7,8 I proceede unto the second extreame or terme of this union which we have expressed unto the full All the fulnesse of the Godhead Here we may take notice of three gradations the Gods head the fulnesse of the Godhead All the fulnesse of the Godhead The latter still being more emphatically and fully expressive of the perfection of his Deitie then the former The first signifies the f Fuisse autem esse verum Deum docet primùm illa voce Deitatis cum verbo inhatandi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum adverbio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conjuncto Significat enim ipsam Dei essentiam perpetuò inseparabilitèr non simplicitèr inesse sed inhabitare in Christo quatenus homo est non ut in sanctis hominibus per gratiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neque ut in beatis Angelis per plenitudinem gloriae sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inhabitare Qui igitur verus est homo eundem id est eandem personam esse verum Deum Deinde idem demonstrat Apostolus cum addit plenitudinem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 perfectum enim esse Deum eóque patre ad Deitatem quod attiâ—et minimè minorem ficuti etiam liberi nostri non minus homines sunt quà m parentes Quid ita Quia plenitudo humanitatis tam in ipsis est liberis quam in parentibus Amplius etiam aliquid tradit nempe Christum esse unum eundem que Deum cum Patre Quomodo Quia non tantùm 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed etiam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in co inhabitat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Non igitur una plenitudo Deitatis est in patre altera in filio sed eadem tota plenitudo est in Christo quae et in patre eoque Pater filius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…us idemque Deus sunt alioquin non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esset infilio quia aliquod aliud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esset in Patre ità duo essent Dii sicuti etiam aliud 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 humanitatis crat in A damo aliud in Eva ideo licet specie unus essent homo numero tamen non crant sed duo homines Nunc autem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est in filio ait â—…postolus Ergo nihil est Deitatis in Patre quod non sit etiam in filio Quare non solùm verus perfectus Deus est Christus sed etiam unus idem cum Patre Deus Zanchius inlocum verity of his Godhead The second sheweth the equality and the third the Identity thereof with the Godhead of the father The first signifies the verity of his Godhead He was not only partaker of the divine nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 1.4 but the very Godhead dwelled in him g Praeterea non dicit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Divinitatem sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Deitatem ut magis etià m expresse loquatur Quamvis enim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saepe synonyma suâ—t Divinitatis nomen consueverit naturae ipsi divinae significandae adhiberi tamen novorum Eutyâ—hianorum pravitas huc nos adâ—git ut haec duo discernamus quod 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est Divinitas attributa quidem in iis qui propterea divini vocantur creata potiùs
comes all to one a predication or affirmation of the humane nature expressed concretively For the concrete of the humanity implieth the person that hath the humanity Thus with warrant of the Scripture we may say that the man Christ is omnipotent omniscient omnipresent This is the same which t Attributa Divina communicata sunt humanitati Christi non in se sed in supposito seu personâ verbi nam humanitati datum est ut subsistat in persona verbi quae est omnipotens omniscia ubique praesens vel ut alii loquuntur per unionem hypostaticam factum est non quidem ut humanitas in se sit omnipotens omniscia ubique prasens sed ut fit humanitas illius personae quae est omnipotens omniscia ubique praesens Becanus Summa Theol. Tom. 5. cap. 7. quaest 3. pag. 118 119. others say that the divine attributes are communicated unto the humanity not in it selfe but in the person of the word that is by the hypostaticall union it comes to passe not that the humanity is omnipotent omniscient and omnipresent in it selfe but that it is the humanity of that person which is omnipotent omniscient and every where present But this concession will give no satisfaction unto the Lutherans nothing will content them unlesse we say of the manhood in abstracto that it is omnipotent omniscient omnipresent But now that communication of divine properties which is expressed in such a predication we utterly deny to be implied in these words The fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him bodily And their bare affirmation of it without farther proof is a most miserable begging of the question But I shall not content my selfe with a bare denyall of this their sense but disproue it and that out of the very words of the text All-fulnesse of the Godhead signifieth the divine essence and all the intrinsecall attributes thereof whatsoever and so much is affirmed by their owne Chemnitius De duab nat in Christo Cap. 9. pag. 211. as he is quoted by Gerhard Plenitudo Deitatis saith he significat ipsam perfectissimam divinam naturam filii Dei quicquid in ea est vel ad eam pertinet sicut plenitudo orbis seu maris in scriptura it a vocatur The fulnesse of the Godhead signifieth the most perfect divine nature it selfe of the sonne of God and whatsoever is therein or appertaineth thereunto Even as the fulnesse of the earth and sea in scripture comprehendeth whatsoever is in or upon them This premised it followeth that if this place of the Apostle import any such communication of the divine Attributes as they plead for it then signifieth a communication of all the divine attributes not onely of omniscience omnipotency omnipresence but also of simplicity eternity independancy but there is no learned Lutheran will undertake the patronage of such a communication of simplicity eternity independency unto the manhood of Christ None of them I believe will be so grosse as to affirme that the manhood is simple and a pure act seeing it is essentially compounded that it was from everlasting seeing it was created in the fulnesse of time that it is independant seeing it is a creature and therefore dependant upon God the creatour By their owne confession the place makes nothing for such a communication as is before specified of these latter sort of attributes and consequently it can make nothing for such a communication of any attributes whatsoever unto the manhood of Christ For all-fulnesse of the Godhead cannot with any colour of reason be restrained unto one sort of Attributes more then unto another but is equally and indifferently appliable unto all I had thought for the present to have said no more of this argument but just as I was dismissing it I lighted upon a passage in u Attributa divina communicata humanitati non solùm in personâ ver bi sed etiam in ipsa humanitate non tamen proximè immedia tè formalitèr sed tantùm mediatè conscquenter identicè nam sola subsistentia verbi proximè immediatè formalitèr communicata est humanitati in se per illam proximè immediatè formaliter subsistit humanitas Sed quia illa subsistentia reipsâ idem est cum essentia a tributis divinis ideò consequenter identicè essentia attributa divina communicata sunâ— humanitati Non ut humanitas per illa sit omnipotens omniscia ubique praesens sed ut per illa qâ—atenus identificantur cum subsistentia subsistat Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 7. quaest 3. p. 119. Becanus that merits a little stay and consideration Besides that grant above mentioned which the Orthodoxe make unto the Lutherans he gratifieth them farther and yeeldeth unto them that the divine attributes are communicated unto the humanity not onely in the person of the word but also in the very humanity it selfe Howbeit not proximè immediately and formally but onely mediately consequently and identically for onely the subsistence of the word is communicated proximè immediately and formally unto the humanity in it selfe and by it the humanity doth nextly immediately and formally subsist But because that subsistence is really the same with the divine essence and Attributes therefore the divine essence and attributes are communicated consequently and identically unto the humanity not that the humanity is Omnipotent omniscient and omnipresent by them but that it subsisteth by them as they are really one and the same thing with the subsistence of the Word A hint he had of this conceit it seemes from Gregory De Valentia For unto him he referreth the reader and the words which he relates unto are as followeth Agnoscimus subsistentiam etiam divinitatem atque perfectionem omnem verbi naturae humanae communicatam esse uno quodam modo maximè reali ut scilicet in personâ verbi subsistat primariò quidem per ipsam verbi subsistentiam seu personalitatem secundariò autem per Divinitatem etiam perfectiones ejus quae ab eâ subsistentia re non differunt tom 4. Quaest 2. punct 3. Sect. 3. pag. 131. We acknowledg that both the subsistence and also Divinity and every perfection of the word is communicated unto the humane nature after one way or manner that is most reall to wit that it subsisteth in the person of the word primarily by the subsistence or personality it selfe of the word secondarily by the Divinity also and perfections thereof which doe not differ really from the subsistence Thus you see that both of them make no bones to affirme that the subsistence or personality of the word is communicated unto the manhood of Christ so that it denominates it to subsist properly in or by the person of the word For confutation of this their opinion I shall at present alleadge but 2 arguments out of x Si humanitas Christi aliquo mo o subsistit aliquo modo est suppositum aut persona
to be our head how then can he be full and compleat without us As a King the head politique though for his own particular person he be never so absolute and excellent yet as a King he cannot be compleat without Subjects without them he may be a compleat man but not a compleat King So Christ though as Sonne as God as man he be every way full by himselfe yet as head he accounteth himselfe maimed and incompleat without his members without them he may be a compleat Son God man not a compleat head For want of the terme which a relation respects bringeth even a nullity of the relation It being impossible to define or conceive relations but in reference to their termes No man can be a father without children a King without subjects Even so nothing can be a head which is destitute of a body and members The ground of this is the neere and expresseless vnion between Christ and his members which is such as that the members of the Church are said to be partakers of Christ Heb. 3.14 And the Church hath a kind of subsistence in Christ and consequently in the Deity The Church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 1.1 Nay hereupon the name of Christ is communicated unto the Church 1 Cor. 12.12 As the body is one and hath many members and all the members are of that one body being many are one body so also is Christ Where under the name of Christ not only the head but the whole body of the Church is comprized Jesus and all his members make but one Christ one body one person mystical Whether â—or no this be the fulness in the text is not much controverted Indeed Theodoret with some few others have been of the mind that it is but their gloss hath little colour from either the words or scope of the text For 1. the fulness spoken of in the text is an all-fulness Now the Church as Cornelius Alapide observeth is barely stiled the fulness of Christ never the all-fulness of him 2. Zanchy alleadgeth another reason which I for my part shall wave The fulness of the text dwelleth in Christ-Now the Church saith he dwelleth not in Christ however Christ dwelleth in the Church and in the hearts of all his members by faith But I cannot sufficiently wonder at the incogitancy of so learned and judicious a Divine when I consider these following places of Scripture Joh. 5.56 1 Joh. 3.24 1 Joh. 4.16 Psal 90.1 Psal 91.1 Psal 101.6 Isai 33.14,15 3. But there is a third reason which together with the first is of a convincing nature The all-fulness that is here said to dwell in Christ is brought by our Apostle as an intrinsecal qualification in order of nature antecedent unto his relation of head unto the Church his body Whereas the Churches being Christ's fulness is consequent thereunto and resulting therefrom And besides if we would speak properly and strictly it is not so much an attribute given unto Christ as unto the Church I should therefore dismiss any larger prosecution of it and proceed but because I intend to speak some thing of every branch of Christ's fulness I shall therefore briefly hint the use and application that may be made of this Use 1. Of information 1. Is the Church the outward fulness of Christ considered as head we may then be informed what is the nature and quality of her true members that they are effectually called and truely sanctified linkt unto Christ with an internal union by the bond of the spirit on his part and of faith on theirs Indeed as in the body natural there are haires nailes evil humours and many other things which yet belong not integrally thereunto as proper members So if we regard not the inward and invisible essence but the visible state or outward manner of the Churches being there adhere unto her many uncalled unjustified and unsanctified persons but its only as excrements or ulcers For every true member of the Church is a part of Christ's fulness and therefore must receive of his fulness grace for grace must be endowed with all saving and sanctifying graces otherwise how can it concurre to the making of Christ full and compleat 2. Refutation Whence 2. may be inferred the gross errour of the Papists in avouching that external profession and conformities outward subjection to the Pope of Rome are sufficient to constitute one a true member of the Catholick Church although he be a Reprobate an Unbeliever an Hypocrite so gross as Judas or Simon Magus a professed and notorious impious wretch that is utterly devoid of all spiritual life and grace whatsoever If he take up a room in the Church it matters not with them though he neither doe not can performe vital actions yet he shall pass for a true part thereof This bold and unreasonable assertion receives a plaine overthrow from this text The Church being Christ's mystical body is his fulness and so every member of the Church is a part of his fulness which cannot be affirmed of a Reprobate unbelieving hypocritical graceless person who is so farre from either filling and honouring Christ the head or beautifying the Church his body that he highly dishonours him and disfigures her Spalato therefore confesseth that Reprobates have a place in the Church only presumtivè not veracitèr Nay so clear is the evidence of this truth that it wrung from Bellarmine even whilest he was opposing it these following confessions that Reprobates Vnbelievers Hypocrites and wicked persons are only exteriour parts drie dead and rotten members of the Church appertaining thereunto only as haires nailes evil and corrupt humours doe unto the body of man that they are knit unto the Church only by an external conjunction not of the Church nisi secundum apparentiam putativè non verè that they are not of the soule but meerly of the bulke and body of the Church visible Why what could we our selves say more in defence of our and confutation of their opinions He grants them to be but drie dead and rotten members of the Church and should we admit such to be true and proper members of the Church what a corrupt stinking and carrion-like body should we attribute to our c Scripturae clare docent sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam quae Christi corpus mysticum appellatur ex solis electis vocatis justificatis sanctificatis constare Quia Ecclesia sancta catholica non modò 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christi dicitur ad Ephes 1.23 jam cogitare apud vos utrum membra mortua putrida rectius dicantur complere corpus cui agnascuntur an corrumpere deformare Certe doctâ—ssimus Augustinus putavit speciosam columbam id est Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam tali membrorum peste non ornari aut compleri sed turpari quia illa multitudo improborum Ecclesiae adjacet
for the promoting of this end We should then be very ungratefull wretches if we should not doe and suffer our utmost if called thereunto for the advancement of his glory especially seeing the utmost that we can doe and suffer for him is a poore inconsiderable nothing in comparison of what he hath done and suffered for us For our glory and happinesse he hath and will lay out his whole time even from his Incarnation unto the day of judgment Vnto us a child is borne unto us a sonne is given Isai 9.6 This was the scope of his humiliation and exaltation Rom. 4.25 Who was delivered for our offences and was raised againe for our justification and for the compleating and accomplishing of this worke he liveth for ever to make intercession Now unto such a peerelesse love the least returne we can make is to be very carefull to mis-pend none of our time unto the dishonour and disservice of such a Saviour to redeeme a good part of our time for his worship to imploy all our time for his glory Col. 3.17 I have been the briefer upon this fulnesse because it is grounded upon some other fulnesses of his which follow the fulnesse of the Godhead of grace of power of Satisfaction merit and of glory unto the handling of which we are in the next place to betake our selves 2. Christ secondly may be regarded absolutely as he is in himselfe without relation unto any other thing and so either according unto his natures or his twofold state of humiliation and exaltation 1. Christ may be look't upon according unto his natures and that both Divine and humane 1. According unto his divine nature as he is God and so there is in him all fulnesse absolutely without respect or comparison so consider'd he is as a mighty sea of being and perfection without banke or bottome in which are either formally or eminently all possible and conceivable perfections So considered he is all-fulnesse and that is more then the dwelling of all-fulnesse in him But this is not the fulnesse here meant for the fulnesse agreeable to Christ as God is underivative without a cause He being possest of it not by voluntary dispensation but by naturall necessity and so is not the fulnesse in the text that hath a cause the decree and pleasure of the father It pleased the father that in him should all fulnesse dwell If we consider Christ as man so there was in him a threefold fulnesse the fulnesse of the Godhead the fulnesse of grace and the fulnesse of power 1. The fulnesse of the Godhead In him dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Col. 2.9 There be but two orthodoxe interpretations of these words that can pretend unto any probability and the difference of them is grounded upon the various â—acception of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 render'd bodily for that may signify either completivè truely and really in opposition to the Arke and Temple and other ceremonies of the law in which the Godhead was typically or else 2. personally to distinguish the inhabitation of the Godhead in the manhood of Christ from accidentall essentiall and integrall unions The First exposition is insinuated by a De ipso verò Capite nostro Apostolus ait Quia in ipso inbabitat omnis plenitudo Divinitatis corporaliter Non ideò corporalitèr quia corporeus est Deus sed aut verbo translato usus est tanquam in templo manufacto non corporaliter sed umbraliter habitaverit id est praefigurantibus signis Nam illas omnes observationes umbras futurorum vocat etiam ipso translate vocabulo Summut enim Deus ficut scriptum est non in manufactis templis habitat c. Austin in the latter end of his 57 Epistle Ad Dardanum and 't is that by the dwelling of all fulnesse of the Godhead bodily in Christ is meant nothing else but that in him were fulfilled the Ceremonies of the law And countenance unto this interpretation they fetch from vers 17. where Christ as a body is opposed unto the shadowes of the law Which are a shaddow of things to come but the body is of Christ Under the Old testament God his name and honour dwelled in the Sanctuary in the Tabernacle and Temple in the Arke and propitiatory between the Cherubims Deut. 12.11 1 Sam. 4.4 1 Kings 8.13 2 Kings 19.15 Psalm 26.8 Psalm 80.1 Isay 37.16 but this his dwelling was onely typicall and umbratile in shadowes and prefiguring signes In the manhood of Christ he dwelled bodily that is in it were fulfilled all the ceremonies and shadowes of the law Against this exposition I have these three following objections 1. These words as is cleare by the particle for are a proofe or argument to back or enforce the exhortation of the Apostle in the foregoing words Beware lest any man spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ For in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily But if the meaning of them be onely that Christ fulfilled the ceremonies of the law why then they will not be an home and adequate proofe For they will onely conclude against the ceremonies of the law the rudiments of the world and not reach Philosophy and the traditions of men This exposition then suites not with the coherence A Second objection is made by the solid and judicious b Insanctis inest per gratiam habitat in eis suum spiritum in illis exerens unde illud 2 Corinth 6. inhabitabo inambulabo in eis sed nunquam vel in ipsis vel in Angelis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ergo aliud significat haec vox quà m verè quasi umbris ceremoniarum opponatur bà c veritas Nam verè etiam non 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 habitat in sanctis Zanchy The fulnesse of the Godhead is never said in scripture to dwell bodily in the saints or Angels but it may be said to dwell in them truely and not typically and therefore bodily doth not signifie truely in opposition unto the shadowes of the ceremonies under the law 3. This exposition as it is made to clash with the second is needlesse for as our new Annotations on the place the meaning is much at one in whether of the two senses we take the word For God is said in the Old Testament to dwell in the tabernacle Arke of the Covenant and Temple but onely as in the shadowes and figures of Christs humane nature which he should take on him in the fulnesse of time to dwell in the same personally or really and substantially with all his fulnesse There is a third exposition that maketh bodily to expresse the howse or Habitation in which the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth 't is not onely the soule but the body also Whereupon his body is termed a temple to wit of the Deitie Joh. 2.21 The personall union is not onely
with the soule but with the body the flesh of Christ The word was made flesh Joh. 1.14 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being an adverbe denoteth not so much the subject as the manner of this inhabitation and therefore I shall say nothing farther of this sense The second exposition is that I shall sticke unto which rendreth bodily personally now to cleare this I shall prove first that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be so expounded secondly that it must be so expounded 1 That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be expounded personally That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifyeth with the Greekes a person Bishop Davenant proveth out of diverse approved Authours and our English tongue useth frequently body for a person Thus some body or no body is as much as some person or no person a good or naughty body is a good or naughty person Bodily perill is personall perill And others tell us that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12.1 is as much as persons If 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a body may signify a person then it will follow a conjugatis that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may signify personally In a second place we are to evince that it must be here interpreted personally We may here presuppose with the consent of all the orthodoxe that in these words we have a description of anunion of the Godhead with the manhood in Christ Now this union must be either accidentall or substantiall It cannot be accidentall and extrinsecall as the Nestorians affirme onely by the Godheads love of operation in and outward relation unto the manhood For where two c Duae substantiae integrae accidentaliter unitae non denominant se substantialiter sed tantum denominativè ut homo diciâ—ur vestitus non vestis At in nostro casa denominatio est substantialis quia Deus dicrtur homo non tantum humanatus vicissim homo dicitur De us no tantum Deifer ut Nestorius dicebat Becan Sum. tom 5. Cap. 6. q. 2. entire perfect and compleate substances are united onely accidentally there they are predicated one of another only accidentally and denominative As for example there is only an extrinsecall and accidentall union betwixt a man and his garment and the garment is predicated of the man only denominatively Homo dicitur vestitus non vestis We say onely that a man is cloathed with his garment not that he is the garment it selfe But now the Godhead and manhood as appeareth by collation of this place with other scriptures are predicated of one another substantially We may say concerning Christ that God is man and man God And hence we may inferre that the union betwixt the Godhead and the manhood in him is substantiall But now a substantiall Vnion is againe threefold integrall essentiall personall The union betwixt the Godhead and manhood of Christ is not integrall or essentiall therefore it is personall 1. 'T is not integrall for that is of materiall and quantitative parts Now the Godhead is spirituall and therefore impartible and besides on the manhoodâ— part it is not only with the body but with the soule and the soule being a spirituall substance is uncapable of such an union or composition In the Second place it is not essentiall for all essentiall union of two natures that is physicall and reall is of the forme with the matter But now no such Union can have place in the two natures of Christ for the Godhead is a pure act immutable and independent therefore it is blasphemy to ascribe such imperfection unto the Godhead as to make it either the forme or matter of the manhood Besides the result of an essentiall union is a third nature arising out of two partiall and incompleat natures but the Godhead and manhood of Christ are two entire perfect totall compleat natures and therefore there can be no essentiall Vnion betwixt them It remaineth then that the Vnion between them is onely personall and hypostaticall the bond whereof is the subsistence or personality of the word For the person of the word subfisteth in both natures it is but one person that is God man For the farther proofe of this personall union betwixt the two natures of Christ I shall alleadge but one Argument out of Becanus d Duae formae quae in abstracto non praedicantur de se invicem non possunt etia m de se invicem praedicari in concreto nisi propter conjunctionem in eodem supposito ut patet in calore luce At humanitas Divinitas sunt distinctae formae nec una dealtera praedicatur in abst racto Ergo nec in concreto possunt de se invicem praedicari nisi uniantur in eadem personâ In Christo autem praedicantur de se invicem quia rectè dicimus Deus est homo homo est Deus ergo in Christo uniuntor in eadem persona Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 6. q. 2. and so proceede Two natures formes or beings which cannot be predicated of one another abstractively cannot be also affirmed of one another in a concretive way unlesse it be by reason of an hypostaticall conjunction between them in one subsistence But now the Godhead or manhood of Christ are two distinct formes natures or beings whereof one cannot be affirmed of the other in an abstractive predication We cannot say the Godhead is the manhood or the manhood the Godhead but now we find in scripture that in Christ God is man and man God and therefore the Godhead and manhood are united in one person For the fuller unfolding of this union I shall desire you to observe these two things in the text concerning it the extreams and the manner of it 1. The extreames of the union the termes united the manhood implied in the pronoune in him the Godhead expressed unto the full all the fulnesse of the Godhead 2. We have the manner of the union and that set forth ab adjuncto and a genere 1. By it's Adjunct permanency dwelleth 2. By it's sort or kind it is no common but a personall inhabitation dwelleth bodily that is personally 1. Then we have the extreames of the union the termes united the Godhead and the manhood the former implied the latter expressed The former implied in the pronoune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him For though it immediately signifieth in his person yet it signifies his person as denominated after the humane nature and so in the upshot implieth the humane nature For proofe of this I shall make use of an argument that is used by e Nisi plenitudo Deitatis in Christo eo modo habitare dicatur ut in ipsius carne habitet toliitur discrimen inter inhabitans habitaculum ac dicetur divinitas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in ipsa In Deo omnia sunt essentialia seu in ipsa essentiâ ergo illius respectu inhabitans ab habitaculo distingui nequit Quicquid de Christo praedicatur vel secunduÌ„ divinam tantùm
quà m divinam naturam essentialitèr declaret Quamobrem etiam usurpare malui parum alioqui Latinum nomen Deitaâ—… quà m de sententiâ Apostoli quicquam detrabere in locum Beza observeth that 't is not onely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity which may signify created gifts and endowments but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very nature and essence of God But now because the Arians and other Heretiques have affirmed that Christ is but a secondary God inferiour unto the father therefore it is added in the second place to shew the equality of him in regard of essence with the father that not onely the Godhead but the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him Whereupon it followeth that he is perfect God coëquall with the father Even as amongst men the Children are no lesse men then their Parents because the fullnesse of the manhood is in them as well as in their parents But this is not all the Apostle goeth one step higher and in the third place sheweth that there is a numericall Identity betwixt the Godhead of Christ and the Father for in him dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godhead There is not therefore one fulnesse of the Godhead in the father another in the sonne but all the fulnesse of the Godhead the same singular Deitie in both and therefore they are one in essence John 10.30 I and my father are one one God though two persons The fulnesse of the manhood in Adam was numerically different from that in Eve and therefore they were two men But the same fulnesse of the divine nature that is in the Father is in the Sonne And therefore he is not only true and perfect God but one the same God for number with the father And thus have I done with the extreams of this union the termes united the mans hood and the Godhead Indeed the personall union is proximè and immediately only betwixt the person of the word and the manhood but mediately and consequently it is of the two natures as they are united in one person of the word The next thing to be handled in the words is the manner of this union and that is set downe from the adjunct and from the sort or kind of it 1. From the Adjunct of it 't is a permanent union it dwelleth in the manhood 2. from the sort or kind of it it is a personall union it dwelleth bodily 1. The manner of this union is described from an adjunct of it permanency It is a permanent union The fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth in him h Apud Graecos differunt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sicut apud Latinos habitare commorari Sic enim Cicero natura inquit domicilium nobis non habitandi sed commorandi dedit Ideo etiam Petrus vitam nostram 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat eleganter 1 Epist 1.17 This note Cornel. a Lapide filcheth out of Beza without the least mention whence he hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth usually not a temporary but a durable mansion The fulnesse of the Godhead doth not so journe in the manhood onely for a time but it dwelleth in it it hath a constant fixed setled and perpetuall residence therein Wherefore as Beza observeth the Apostle doth not say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath dwelled but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dwelleth in the present tense And indeed it shall dwell therein in the future tense too and that unto all eternity Our Divines farther from the verbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 generally collect that the union of two natures in Christ is not by way of mixture confusion conversion or any other mutation For none of all these can have place between the dweller and the house in which he dwelleth But I shall content my selfe lightly to have touched this and passe on to the last thing remarkable in the Words The sort or kind of this union It is a personall union The fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in him It is said to dwell in him saith August De Quiros to exclude all mutation It is said to dwell in him bodily to exclude that inhabitation which is onely by extrinsecall denomination There is a twofold presence of the Godhead generall and speciall 1. Generall and so he is every where by his essence presence and power Enter Praesenter Deus hìc ubique Potenter 1. By his essence because he filleth all spaces of the world by the immensity of his substance Doe not I fill heaven and earth saith the Lord Jer. 23.24 The heaven of heavens cannot containe him 1 Kings 8.27 He is not farre from every one of us Act. 17.27 2. By his presence that is by his knowledge Heb. 4.13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe 3. By his power and operation which produceth preserveth and governeth all things in the world 1 Cor. 12.6 And there are diversities of operations but it is the same God which worketh all in all But now besides this generall way of Gods presence there are also other speciall manners of his presence by which he is in a peculiar way only in some creatures There was a miraculous presence of the Godhead in the Prophets and Apostles by whom he wrought divers miracles There is a gracious presence of him in all his Saints There is a relative presence of him in his Church visible and in his ordinances Exod. 25.8 Numb 5.3 and Chapt. 35.34 Deut. 33.12 Psalm 9.11 Psal 135.21 Isai 8.18 Ezek. 29.45 Joel 3.21 Zachar. 2.10,11 Chap. 8 3. Psal 74.7 There is a glorious presence of the Godhead and thus heaven is his dwelling place 2 Chron. 6.21 39. 1 Kin. 8.30 Thus he dwelleth on high Psalm 113.5 Isai 33.5 In the high and holy place Isai 57.15 In the heavens Psal 123.1 In the light which no man can approach unto 1 Timoth. 6.16 But all these severall wayes of the Godheads dwelling in the creature fall far short of that in the text i Notandae sunt autem hae duae particulae 1. plenitudo Divinitatis 2. Corporaliter Nam illae significant aliter in Christo aliter in aliis sanctis habitare Divinitatem In Christo habitat per plenitudineÌ„ in aliis per divisioneÌ„ 1 Cor. 12.4 In Christo corporaliter id est vere substantialiter in aliis participativè Nam ipsa Divinitas verè substantialiter est in Christo In aliis per dona quaedam a Divinitate participata Becanus Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 7. quaest 3. the bodily that is personall or hypostaticall inhabitation of it in and union of it with the humanity of Christ For this is so close streight and intimate as that the Godhead inhabiting and the manhood inhabited make but one person Eâ—en as the reasonable soule and body in man make one man Before I descend unto the application
unto the Godhead of Christ to signifie that he is God coëquall and coëssentiall with the Father All-fulnesse is attributed unto the Godhead in him to denote that he is one and the same God with the Father and this exposition excludes all parts and divisibility from the Godhead in Christ 3. Not onely the Philosophers but also the Gnosticks against whom our Apostle here dealeth were not onely for integrall but also for subjective parts of God They maintained a plurality of God's masculine and feminine they parcelled out as it were the perfections of the Deity unto their severall Gods In opposition unto them then and their forged Deities their Aeones the Apostle might very fitly say that in Christ there dwelled all-fullnesse of the Godhead Volkellius thinkes it cannot fall under the suspicion of any that the Godhead should not be full and that in all poynts where it dwelleth But he would have forborne this passage if he had weighed what is said of the Gods of the Heathens by Hesiod in his Theogonia as also what Ecclesiasticall story relates of Simon Magus and Valentinus his Aeones Nay we need not go so high for the disporoofe of this his assertion for it may be convinced of untruth and rashnesse from the tenet of the Lutherans who hold a communication of the Divine properties unto the humanity in part onely For they give it onely omnipresence omnipotency and omniscience but not infinitenesse eternity and simplicity It hath been you see not onely the suspicion but the opinion though erroneous and blasphemous of divers in both primitive and latter times that the Godhead is communicable in part onely The addition therefore of All-fulnesse unto the Godhead is not unnecessary A second argument of p Deinde in ipsâ verborum comprehensione aperte videmus Divinitatis plenitudinem in Christo habitantem doctrinis ab ipâ—ias diseiplinâ— alienis opponi sic Christum hoc in loco si modo oppositionem istam omni absurditate liberare volumus pro suâ doctrinâ accipi vel saltem eatenus quatenus doctrinam illam tradidit rovamquè religionem hominibus prae scripâ—it confiderari quo pacto et alibi Christi nomen usurpari videmus Volkel lib. 6. c. 5. p. 641. Volkellius proceedeth from the cehesion of the words with those foregoing The all-fullnesse of the Godhead that dwelleth in Christ is opposed unto doctrines unto Philosophy the traditions of men and rudiments of the world But now there can be no congruous opposition betwixt the divine essence and doctrines And therefore the divine nature is not here meant For answer The minor is most false for the Deity of Christ may very aptly be opposed as the strongest and most convincing argument we have against all additionall doctrines unto the doctrine or gospell of Christ From the all sufficiency of his person in himselfe it is very obvious unto any man of tolerable reason and understanding to inferre that there is an all sufficiency in his doctrine and an all-fulnesse in his ordinances If the divine essence dwell in him then he needeth no supply from philosophy from traditions and the law of Moses The Apostle might indeed have opposed unto these doctrines the fulnesse and perfection of Christ's owne doctrine but he rather chooseth to lead unto the fountain of all that perfection which is in his doctrine the all-fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in his person This answere q Doctrinis et traditionibus hominum opponitur non modâ— Christi doctrina quam Christi nomine accipere idem coactâ— est sed ipse Christus quippe qui est caput uostrum fons omnis salutaris sapientiae ad vitam aeternam necessariae ex quo omnes notitiae divinae rivuli in Ecclesiam derivantur loc praedict Gerhard giveth unto Smalcius and Ostorodius Not only the doctrine of Christ saith he is opposed unto the doctrines and traditions of men But Christ himselfe as being our head the fountaine of all saving wisdome necessary unto eternall life from whom all the rivulets of divine knowledge are derived unto the Church I goe on to the third and last r Denique vox corporaliter id quod asserimus ostendit nam prâ—terquam quod quicquid alii dicant nequaquam oftendi possit quo pacto divina substantia corporaliter in quopiam habitare queat satis tum ex hoc ipso loco tum ex verbis illis quae infra v. 17. habentur apparet corpus opponi umbris fic corporalem inhabitationem umbratilâ— qualis in lege fâ—it id quod nihil ad divinam substantiam pertinet sed ad voluntatem lib. 6. cap. 5. pag. 641. objection which is taken from the word Bodily For besides that it can in no wise be shewen after what manner the divine substance can dwell bodily in any one it sufficiently appeareth both from this very place and from those words which are afterwards in vers 17. that body is opposed unto shadowes and so a bodily inhabitation unto an umbratile Such as was in the law which nothing appertaineth unto the divine substance but unto the divine will For answere 1. Here is a dictate that the divine substance cannot dwell in any one bodily which merits not any scholasticall examination but meerely deniall and rejection 2. As for the latter part of the objection Suppose that the bodily inhabitation of the Godhead be opposed unto the umbratile or typicall dwelling of it under the law in the types and shadowes thereof yet this will no wise incommodate our sense but may very well be reconciled with it Because the tabernacle arke and temple were types of Christ's humanity and the typicall presence of the Godhead in them prefigured the personall presence of the Godhead in this The words then may fairely be interpreted of the divine essence and there is no necessity to understand them of the revealed will of God In a second place we shall vindicate the words from a false inference of the Lutherans who hence thus argue for their communication of the properties of the Godhead unto the manhood of Christ That which dwelleth bodily in the humanity of Christ is really communicated thereunto But the divine essence and all the attributes of the Godhead all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in the humanity and therefore the attributes of the Godhead are really communicated unto the humanity For answer we grant a communication of the properties of the Godhead unto the manhood in an orthodoxe sense that is 1. Å¿ Personalis communicatio proprietatum est communio vel concursus ad casdem operationes ita ut fimâ—l praestentur ab utraque natura sed secundùm suas distinctas proprietates Ames med Theol. lib. 1. cap. 18. sect 21. A concourse with the humane nature unto the same operations so that they are performed together by each nature but according to their own distinct properties 2. A predication of the person denominated from the humane nature or which
tom 2. Quaest 5. Theolog. circa quintum Corallar de subjecto unionis hypostaticae That the hypostaticall union regards and affects the word only extrinsecally as it 's terme and that it respects the manhood only intrinsecally as it 's subject This is the common opinion of Schoolemen and for it Albertinus thus disputeth If the hypostaticall union be intrinsecall unto the word it must be either created or uncreated It cannot be created For this would inferre a change in the Godhead neither can it be uncreated because actuall union hath such an incompleate being as is dependant upon and essentially related unto something else and therefore utterly inconsistent with that infinite perfection which is in an uncreated being The hypostaticall union therefore is not intrinsecall but extrinsecall unto the allofulnesse of the Godhead in Christ Well this promised the absurdity and irrationality of what these men have asserted is apparent 1. For Altingius The union of the two natures can no where exist out of it's subject but the humane nature is the subject in which it is placed and therefore impossible for it to exist where the manhood is not The manhood is not every where and therefore the union is not every where and consequently the manhood is not every where united but onely there where the manhood hath it's existence for denomination from the union only followeth the existence of the union It doth not It cannot denominate where it is not 2. Then for the Great Hooker whereas he saith that the conjunction of the manhood with Deitie is extended as farre as Deitie that the body of Christ is joyned unto Deitie wheresoever Deitie is that his Bodily substance hath every where a presence of true conjunction with Deitie This also is easily refuted upon the same ground as that of Altingius was For however the conjunction of the manhood with the Deitie respects the Deity as a tearme unto which it is yet it regards the manhood alone as the subject in which it is And therefore it is extended as farre as the manhood onely and not as farre as the Deitie in which it is not at all And hereupon it followes that the body of Christ cannot possibly be joyned unto the Godhead where the body is not It cannot have a presence of conjunction where it hath not a presence of existence I shall adde one thing more and then I shall have done with what I have to say in refutation of these worthy Gentlemen The hypostaticall union by the common consent of School-men is modus substantialis not a substantiall entity but only a substantiall manner of being and the res modificata of it the thing which it modificates is the humanity of Christ But now it is utterly impossible that modus a manner of being should have any existence out of or apart from the Thing which it modificates Thus figure cannot exist sever'd from quantity Vbication a re ubicata duratio a durante sessio a sedente The subsistence or personality of a finite narure cannot exist without that nature The Papists who in order unto their monster of transubstantiation hold it possible for accidents to exist separated from their subjects yet are unanimous in affirming that mods cannot possibly by the divine omnipotency exist sunder'd a rebus modificatis All this being presupposed let any that is tender of the reputation of Mr Hooker tell me what probability of coherence there is betwixt these two propositions of his that the actuall position of Christ's manhood the res modificata i◠restrained and tyed unto a certaine place and yet that the modus the conjunction thereof with the Deitie is extended as farre as Deitie I shall illustrate what I have said by instancing in the union of the soule with the head of a man which though it be terminated unto the soule is onely placed in the head tanquam subjecto or rather re modificatâ Therefore this union is commensurate unto the presence of the head and cannot be said to be extended as farre as the soule which is tota in toto and tota in qualibet parte Though then the soule which is in the head be in all the other members yet we cannot say that it is united with the head in them As for the application of the similitude the reader may easily supply that out of what hath been already delivered That which occasioned this mistake in Altingius and Mr Hooker was as I suppose their conceite that if the manhood be not every where united with the person of the word and therein with the Godhead that then the person of the word and the Godhead may be said somewhere to be separated from the manhood This is apparent by the whole series of Altingius his discourse and no lesse seemeth to be imported by this following passage in Hooker premised by way of proofe unto this his assertion Because this substance saith he is inseparably joyned to that personall word which by his very divine essence is present with all things the nature which cannot have in it selfe universall presence hath it after a sort by being no where severed from that which every where is present c. But this is a Lutheran conceit and very untrue for from the infinitenesse and simplicity of the word it inevitably followeth that if it be any where united with the manhood that then it can no where be sever'd therefrom and we may illustrate it by that similitude which I have often alleadged of the soule We cannot say of the soule in the feet that it is separated from the head because the same indivisible soule that is in the feet is substantially united with the head and the union of the soule with the head is not in the feet but in the head onely there is nothing touching this particular which I can thinke of that remaineth unsatisfied but only one passage more in Hooker which I shall transcribe and briefly reply unto In as much saith he as that infinite word is not divisible into parts it could not in part but must needs be wholy incarnate and consequently wheresoever the word is it hath with it manhood else should the word be in part or somewhere God onely and not man which is impossible for the person of Christ is whole perfect God and perfect man wheresoever c. For answer unto this I offer these following particulars 1. This objection is every way as forcible for the actuall position of the manhood every where as well as for the conjunction of it with the Deity every where And the Lutherans from it thus argue for the ubiquity of the manhood Christ is every where man therefore every where he hath his manhood For if somewhere he should not have his manhood he should somewhere be man without his manhood which is absurd But now Mr Hooker denyeth the actuall position of the manhood every where and yet his argument mutatis mutandis with due change is as cogent for
simply that the person of the word after the incarnation is compounded but thinkes it fit to allay and moderate the harshnesse of the expression and to say that it is a person compounded after an ineffable manner As for mine owne part I must needs professe that I conceive the difference betweene them to be onely a Logomachy a strife of words proceeding from an itch in these two sects to quarrell wheresoever they meet And therefore the composing of it is not worthy any long digression The Scotists yield unto the Thomists that which these call a proper composition to wit an union of the person of the word and the Dietie therein with the humanity They confesse that the word as incarnate may be said to be compounded in this sense that it subsisteth as in the divine nature which is connaturall and intrinsecall thereunto so in the humanity which is extraneous as it were forreigne and adventitious unto it And this is all the composition that the Thomists argue for The controversy then is onely de modo loquendi and yet herein the Thomists are favoured by the notation of the word For according unto that compositio is quasi positio cum alio And compositum is quasi cum alio positum Now the manhood and Godhead of Christ are put togeither and that not by aggregation but in a way of substantiall union Besides as e Compositum est quod ex diversis rebus constat sed Christus Dominus quatenus est terminus resultans per banc unionem est verè unus constans ex multis rebus ergò verè compositus Confirma tur primò quia terminus hujus unionis non est simplex ergo Compositus Nam baec duo immediatè contâ—adictoriè opposita sunt Antecedeus sc quod terminus hujus unionis non est simplex in hunc modum probatur Terminus hujus unionis ut sic resultavit seu incepit esse in tempore Sed nihil quod huiusmodi est est omnino simplex ergò Denique hic terminus resultat ex unione plurium rerum distinctarum ergò non potest esse omninò simplex Sienim sola significatio vocis confideretur ipsum nomen unionis opponitur perfectae simplicitati si propriè de unione fit sermo tum quià quae uniuntur non sunt idem tum etiam quia minus est esse unita quam esse unum Consirmatur secundò quia magâ—s compositus est Christus ut est hic homo quam sola humanitas quis Christus intrinsecè includit humanitatem aliquid aliud ergo in tert part Thom. tom 1. disp 6. Sect. 4. pag. 195. 196. Suarez disputeth Simplex and compositum are opposed contradictorily And therefore Christ the word as incarnate must be either simple or compounded That it is not simple he thus proveth Because union is opposed unto perfect simplicity for those things which are united are not the same and to be united is lesse then to be one This argument so graveld Faber f Simplicitas potest comparari ad duo sc ad compositionem propriè dictam ex pluribus ad unionem ex pluribus si loquamur primò modo dico quòd persona est ita simplex ante incarnationem sicut post Si verò consideretur secundo modo dico quòd potest dici composita in lib. tert Sentent dist 6. quaest 3. disp 16. pag. 84. Faventinus that whiles he undertooke the solution of it he confesseth that the person of the word after the incarnation is compounded as simplicity is opposed unto union ex pluribus of things really different and yet this is all the composition that Suarez disputeth for As for the objections of Durand they receive a very easy solution For however the person of the word considered praecise in it selfe be eternall and independant and therefore not after g Illud quod resultat praecise ex vi hujus compositionis non est suppositum divinum ut sic quia suppositum divinum in hac compositione se habet specificative quod autem resultat reduplicative ex hac compositione est suppositum humanum ut humanum ut terminans scilicet naturam humanam ut sic autem sub hac formalitate praecisè ut est terminans est posterius humanitate pendet ab illâ quamvis absolute et simplicitèr dicendum non sit quia propositio faceret sensum falsum quod sc suppositum Christi quod est suppositum verbi sit posterius humanitate pendeat ex illa Albertinus Corall tom 2 tert Corall Theol. ex praedicam substant quaest 3. dub 1. pag. 113. Persona Christi quatenus subsistit in natura divina praeexistit incarnationi quatenus verò subsistit in natura humanâ non praeexistit incarnationi sed est terminus resultans per incarnationem Becanus Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 6. quaest 2. pag. 101. the manhood not dependant upon it Yet the word considered as Christ as incarnate as subsisting in two natures may under this reduplication be said to be after the manhood and to depend upon it for it is the totall and adequate tearme which results from the union thereof with the person of the word and the Godhead therein And it is distinguish't from the word considered praecise with that distinction which is tearmed distinctio includentis ab incluso For it includes more then the word to wit the humanity A second objection is taken from the compleatnesse of the word That which commeth unto a thing allready compleate and perfect commeth thereunto onely accidentally and maketh therewith onely an aggregation and not a substantiall union But now the person of the word from all eternity was most perfect and compleate And therefore the adding or comming of the manhood unto it is not substantiall but accidentall For answere The major is true onely when one thing is so added and comes unto another as that it pertaineth not to the sam subsistence And thus a mans garment is added unto him and therefore united with him only accidentally so that homo vestitus is ens unum tantùm per accidens But now the manhood is so added and comes unto the word that it is drawne or assumed into a communion of subsistence with the word and it 's divine nature A third argument is fetch 't from the unchangeablenesse of the word The word was God and it is impossible for God to be changed But now the word should be changed by the incarnation or personall union because there by it should be made substantially man whereas before it was not man Unto this I shall h Verbum carnem dicimus factum non immutando quod erat sed suscipiendo quod non erat nostra auxit sua non minuit Gregor lib. 9. Epist 61. answere briefely in the words of Becanus Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 1. quaest 1. pag. 8. Deus non mutatur per incarnationem Quia per illam non acquirit aut amittit ullam
perfectionem intrinsecam Tametsi enim fiat homo tamen humanitas not fit intrinseca Deitati aut personae sed solum illi unitur sine ullâ intrinsecâ Dei mutatione Nec obstat hic loquenâ—i modus Deus per incarnationem fit homo cum antea non esset homo Nam licet rectè inde colligatur aliquam mutationem factam esse non tamen necesse est factam esse in Deo sed sufficit factam esse in humanitate God is not changed by the incarnation because by it he doth not acquire or loose any intrinsecall perfection for although he be made man yet the manhood is not intrinsecall to the Godhead or person but onely united thereunto without any intrinsecall change of God neither is this impugned by this manner of speech God by the incarnation is made man Whereas before he was not mâ—n For although thence it be rightly collected that some mutation be made Yet notwithstanding it is not necessary that it be made in God but it is sufficient that it be made in the humanity But this doubt I have allready fully discussed on Joh. 1.14 pag. 82 83 84. whither I shall remit the reader 1. Another argument is taken from the Godhead in which the Person of the word subsisteth All-fulness of the Godhead is common unto all the three Persons and therefore if it be hypostatically united with the manhood in the Person of the Son it is also united therewith in the same manner in the two other Persons and consequently we may say of the Father and holy Ghost that they are incarnate For answer I deny the consequence and my reason is Because all-fulness of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in the humanity not as it is considered absolutely and at large as it is common unto all the three Persons but as it is taken relatively or determinately as it is determined unto the Person of the Sonne The Godhead is united with the manhood only as it is in the Person of the Sonne Indeed the incarnation or assumption of the humane nature being an outward worke of the Trinity belongs unto all the three Persons effectivè in regard of effection It is the effect of all of them for the ground and reason of efficiency is omnipotency and that is common unto the whole Trinity But it is peculiar unto the Sonne as it is considered terminativè in regard of it's termination and relation The second Person then is the alone tearme unto which the humane nature is assumed Because the ground and reason of this termination is the personality or subsistence of the word which is proper unto it and incommunicable unto the two other persons All three Persons did joyntly and undividedly frame and sanctify the manhood as also did unite it with the Godhead But it was only the Person of the word that was united therewith Thus the word alone is said to be made flesh Joh. 1.14 to be manifested in the flesh 1 Tim. 3.16 to take on him the forme of a servant Phil. 2.7 the seed of Abraham Heb. 2.16 to take part of flesh and bloud Heb. 2.14 The Father is greater then the Sonne Joh. 14.28 that is as touching the manhood But now this would not be true if the Father were incarnate and did subsist in the manhood as well as the Sonne It is therefore evident that the whole Trinity was not incarnate A second sorâ— of objections proceed on the manhood's part and they are taken from the connaturalness of a proper personality or subsistence of it's own thereunto the resultancy whereof therefrom was miraculously prevented and stayed For hereupon two objections will follow The humanity of Christ will be by the personal union 1. Debased 2. Violenced 1. Debased Because it is affirmed to want the greatest perfection and utmost complement of the humane nature which is connatural thereunto and found in all other men 2. Violenced For here by it is deprived of it's proper personality unto which it hath a natural propension or tendency and therefore it exists violently in the person of the word But neither of these pretended absurdities are the sequel of this personal union 1. Hereby there redounds no imperfection unto the humanity of Christ but rather exaltation and advancement For notwithstanding it Christ wanted nothing to make him a perfect man because he hath a perfect humanity unto which is communicated a subsistence infinitely transcending it's own and therefore it is in the Person of the word after an higher manner then if it had subsisted by it selfe The Apostle Heb. 2.17 tels us that Christ was made like unto his Brethren in all things And Damascene hath a saying that verbum assumpsit omnem rem quam in naâ—urâ plâ—ntavit But they are both i Quod verò attinet ad mysterium incarnatiâ—nis respondetur non solum non esse inconveniens verum potius esse necessarium ad explicandam veritatem illius mysterii quòd verbum non assumpserit in humana natura aliqu ïrationeÌ„ positivaÌ„ constitutivam personae sivè illa sit res oÌ„nino distinct a sivè modus tantum Ex quo non sequitur illam naturam non esse perfect am in esse naturae sed tantum sequitur non esse personam Et ita intelligendum est quod Damascenus ait nempè assumpsisse verbum quic quid ad veritatem humanae naturae pertinet ad formalem hominis constitutionem non verò quod spectat ad personam creatam ut sic Suarez Metaph. disp tom poster disp 34. sect 2. num 19. pag. 181. Respondetur Subsistentiam non esse accidens sed substantiâ—lem quendam modum qui quidem pertinet ad complementum hominis in ratione suppositi personae non tamen ad complementum humanae naturae nec hominis ut homo est for malitèr enim constituitur essentialitèr humanitate Unde fateor deesse humanitati modum hunc non tamen Christo deesse aliquid ut sit perfectus homo quis perfectam habet humanitatem altiori subsisientiâ subsistit hoc modo dicunt Dam. 3. de fid cap. 6. alii patres â—verbum assumpsisse totum quod in nostrâ naturâ plantavit quia quod inassumptibile est est incurabile quia perfectissimam humanitatem sibi univit non tamen illum modum qui non est de essentia hominis ut homo est Suâ—rez in tert part Thomae Disp 8. Sect. 3. pag. 226. 227. to be understood of such things as appertaine vnto the truth of the humane nature and formal constitution of man and not of that which appertaineth unto a created person aâ— such For herein indeed he is unlike other men But this doth not cast him as man any way behind either men or Angels in the point of dignity For Christ man is an uncreated an infinite person Whereas they all are but finite and created persons Neither 2. doth the humanity of Christ suffer any violence by it's personall union for
although it hath not formally a naturall personallity yet it hath the perfection thereof in the person of the word after a more eminent manner It will not reckon the absence of it's own finite subsistence a want as long as the roome thereof is abundantly supplied by the presence of that which is infinite For with an infinite subsistence an intellectuall nature cannot but be satisfied 〈◊〉 fully acquiesce in it seeing the creature is capable of no higher ennoblement I proceede unto the last head of objections those which are taken from a comparison of the extreames of this union togeather and that in regard of their disproportion and disparation 1. Disproportion disproportion or distance is many times an hinderance unto union And therefore because a substance and an accident differ genere in their generall nature sort or kind therefore nothing can be compounded of them that is ens unum per se one with an essentiall union But now there is a farre greater disproportion betwixt the person of the word the Godhead and manhood in Christ For that is an infinite disproportion betwixt the creatour and the Creature and there cannot possibly be a greater distance then that which is infinite It followeth therefore that because the person of the word the Deitie and the humanity of Christ are thus disproportioned they are altogeather uncapable of any substantiall union For answer the k Infinita distantia perfectionis quae est inter personam verbi humanitatem Christi non obstat quò minus haec illi uniri possit modo inter hanc illam fit sufficiens proportio ad constituendum compositum Est autem sufficiens proportie quia humanit is est capax ut actu subsistat per insinitam subsistentiam sicut est capax ut à Deo producatur per infinitam potentiam Sicuâ— ergò non sequitur Humanitas Christi omnipetentia Dei infinitè inter se distant ergò illa per hanc creari non poâ—est Sic etiam non sequitur Humanitas Christi subsistentia verbi insinitè inter se distant ergò illaper hanc subsistere non potest Ratio est quia infinita illa distantia in eo solùm consistit quòd perfectio creaturae infinitè distet à perfectione Dei non autem in eo quòd nulla sit proportio creatoris ad crcaturam in genere causae effectus aut subsistentiae divinae ad creaturam subsistentem in genere principii terminantis rei terminatae Becanus Sum. Theol. tom 5. cap. 5. quaest 1. pag. 8 9. disproportion between them in genere ent is is no barre unto their personall union for notwithstanding it there is a proportion betweene them in genere principii terminantis rei terminatae though not naturall yet obedientiall or of non repugnancy Though then they be infinitely distant in point of perfection yet they are proportioned in order unto a personall union For there is an ability in the person of the word to suppositate and assume the manhood and there was a capacity in the manhood to be assumed supported and terminated by the person of the word The second argument from the comparison of the extreames of this union togeither is taken from their disparation From this union result * Gerhard de persona officio Christi p. 454. c. 9. personall propositions as they are called in which the concrete of one nature is predicated of the concrete of another nature As God is man and man is God But now God and man are disparates and disparates â—…not be affirmed of one another substantively We cannot say a lyon is a fox or a man is a beast And if there be not truth in these personall propositions the personall union of which they are the sequel is but a meere fiction For answere God and man are disparate tearmes when they both subsist with that subsistence which is connaturall unto each And this is the case of the humanity in all men except the man Christ Jesus and in him the manhood was voyde of a proper and connaturall personality or subsistence as being united with and supported by the person of the sonne In him then the Godhead and the manhood make but one person And therefore in the personall propesitions spoken of the subject and predicate God and man as l Posita assumptione humanae naturae ad personam verbi illa propositio Hic Homo est Deus verissima est secundùm omnes regulas Philosophiae cùm pro eod em suppesito suppoâ—ant tam hic homo quam hic Deus De Sacramen Eucharist l. 3. cap. 19. Vide Scheib top c. 12. num 32. cap. 14. Bum. 35. Bellarmine well observeth are taken for one and the same person and therefore are nor disparate tearmes When we say touching Christ God is man and man God God is nothing but the person of the word assuming the manhood denominated after the Deitie And man signifieth the very same person denominated after the humanity which is assumed unto the Godhead and there can be no opposition betwixt a person and it selfe though there be a difference in the denominations of it from the severall natures in which it subsisteth To illustrate this great mystery by a familiar and apt similitude A peare tree and an apple tree when they have distinct subsistences and are diversa suppositâ— then they are disparate and cannot be predicated one of another We cannot then say a peare tree is an apple tree or an apple tree a peare tree But when the branch of one is grafted into the stock of the other and there is an union and communion betwixt them in point of subsistence Why then there is no longer any opposition betwixt them but a consension in regard of predication so that we may truely say that one and the same tree is both an apple tree and a peare tree Thus there is a disparation betwixt God and man when they have severall subsistences and then it is blasphemy to affirme them of one another to say that God is man or man God But now in Christ they have but one subsistence or personality and here it is heresy to deny their mutuall predication of one another And thus have I in some measure explained and cleared this great mystery of the personall union There remaineth nothing then but to make some briefe use and application of it 1. It may serve for terrour unto all the obstinate and impenitent enemies of Christ Jesus though never so great and powerfull here on earth For their enmity is most foolishly directed against a person that every way is infinitely their superiour in whom dwelleth all fullnesse of the Godhead bodily And therefore he is God the living God the Lord the Lord of Hosts He is God and none else and therefore unto his name every knee shall one day bow and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed Isay 45.22,23,24 Rom. 14.11 Phil. 2.10 He is the
in his heart by faith in his life by obedience should enjoy eternall life The Jewes presently opposed him herein and the matter is argued pro and con between Christ and them ver 52 53 54 55 56 57. and at last Christ closeth up the disputation with affirmation of his eternity ver 58. Before Abraham was I am Because he was before Abraham therefore if a man keep his sayings he shall never see death Secondly that person in whom dwelleth all fulnesse of the Godhead bodily is immutable and this immutability we have most clearly and fully predicated of Christ in Psalm 102.26,27 If we will allow the Apostle Paul Heb. 1.10,11,12 to be a competent interpreter of the Psalmist and the predication hereof is in conjunction with two other excellencies of the divine nature one but now mentioned Eternity ver 24. The other presently almost to be insisted on the creation of all things ver 25. From all which he concludeth the perpetuity indeficiency and unbarrennesse of the Church ver 28. 1. He affirmeth the eternity of Christ His duration is coëxtended with the duration of all the creatures Thy yeares are throughout all generations Next he signally asserts his creation of all things ver 25. Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth and the heavens are the worke of thy hands And 3. As for his unchangeablenesse he doth not barely affirme it but illustrate it also by a comparison of dissimilitude with the change of those creatures which seeme most exempted from mutation ver 26 27. They shall perish but thou shalt endure yea all of them shall waxe old like a garment as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed But thou art the same and thy yeares shall have no end And from all this he draweth this conclusion that the Church of Christ shall still in all ages be fruitfull and bring forth children unto God The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established before thee ver 28. Where by the Children and seed of the servants of God he doth not understand such as descend from them by carnall propagation but such as retaine their faith and imitate their piety Because Christ is Eternall omnipotent unchangeable therefore his Church which is conjoyned with him by an indissoluble bond shall be perpetuall and never totally faile from off the earth never be extinguished by the greatest calamities that are incident unto mankind Thirdly If all fulnesse of the Godhead dwell in him then also omnipotency Vnto us a child is borne unto us a sonne is given who is the mighty God Isai 9.6 And this is brought by the Prophet as an argument for confirmation of those sweete and precious promises of consolation redemption and subduing of enemies whereby he goeth about to comfort the godly and faithfull in Israel and that in the utter devastation and depopulation of their country vers 2 3 4 5. In reference unto his omnipotency it is that God speaking of him in the Pialmist saith I have laid help upon on t that is mighty Psalm 89.19 that is mighty to save Isai 63.1 able to save unto the uttermost Heb. 7.25 Hence is it also that he is stiled by Zachariah an horne of salvation that is a strong and mighty Saviour Luk. 1.69 one that is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or think Eph. 3.20 able to keepe our soules which we have committed unto him 2 Timoth. 1.12 able to keepe them by his power through faith unto salvation Fourthly Christ is omnipresent He was in heaven as God when as man he conversed with men here upon earth Joh. 3.13 and therefore he is a very present helpe in trouble Psalm 46.1 Though the heavens must receive his manhood untill the time of restitution of all things Acts. 3.21 Yet as God he sits on the throne in the Christian Churches here on earth Revel 4. and will be with the faithfull ministers thereof unto the end of the world Math. 28.20 and he will be in the mid'st of all assemblies of her members gathered in his name Math. 18.20 Fifthly if there dwell in him all-fulnesse of the Godhead then also omniscienc◠He knew what was in the heart of man Joh. 2.25 He knoweth all things Joh. 21.17 He is the wonderfull counseller Isai 9.6 And therefore can foresee and disappoint all designes and machinations against his Church and Gosple His people need not feare the depths of Satan Revel 2.24 for with him there is an ineffable depth of the riches both of wisdome and knowledge unsearchable judgments and waies past finding out Rom. 11.33 To passe on from the Attributes of God unto his workes I shall at this time make mention of two the Creation and preservation of all things 2. Then the creation of all things is attributed unto Christ Joh. 1.3,10 Col. 1.16 Heb. 1.2 and therefore we may commit the keeping of our soules unto him in well-doing as unto a faithfull creatour 1 Peter 4.19 2. The preservation of all things is attributed unto him By him all things consist Col. 1.17 He upholdeth all things by the word of his power Heb. 1.3 Therefore he can preserve by the power of his grace all his people from totall and finall defection and keep them by his power through faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 He can put his feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from him Jerem. 32.40 Enough hath been said to prove that the personall union is a sufficient argument for the all-sufficiency of Christ to carry on his great designe of saving the soules of such as belong unto the election of grace In a second place it is also a proofe of his Willingnesse and readinesse to do the worke Can two saith the Prophet walke together except they be agreed Amos 3.3 So may we say can the Godhead dwell in the manhood except the Godhead intend reconciliation with some persons in the manhood to wit the men which the Father had given unto the Son out of the world Joh 17.6,9 God is a consuming fire and yet the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelleth bodily in the humanity of Christ and therefore we may shape an affirmative answer unto the question propounded by the Prophet Isaiah chapt 33. v. 14. and may say that some among the sons of men shall dwell with the devouring fire shall dwel with the everlasting burnings The cohabitation of the Godhead with the manhood in the person of Christ is a full evidence that as it is Revel 21.3 the tabernacle of God is with men and he will dwell with them and they shall be his people And God himselfe shall be with them and be their God Such an infinite person as the Sonne of God would never have assumed us unto himselfe in his incarnation if his designe had not been to have communicated himselfe unto us by making us his house his sanctuary his holy temple his habitation through the Spirit
this where the phrase is used in the new testament Now 1. They are tearmed rudiments or elements in an allusion unto Grammar wherein letters are the rudiments or elements of all literature even so the ceremonies of the Mosaicall law contained an elementary kind of instruction They were as it were the Primer the A B C of the Church suited unto her age of infancy Even so we when we were Children were in bondage under the elements or rudiments of the world Gal. 4.3 2. They are tearmed rudiments of the world or worldly rudiments because they enjoyned Corporeall sensible and in comparison of the more spirituall ordinances of the Gospell earthly and carnall ceremonies And the reason of this appellation Estius conjectureth to be Because the world is often in Scripture put for that part thereof which is corporeall and sensible and in conformitie hereunto the Leviticall sanctuary is said to be a worldly Sanctuary Heb. 9.1 By this you see that those who presse the antiquated and abrogated ceremonies of the Mosaicall law are seducers that carry away the sheepe of Christ from his fold as a spoile a prey or bootie Gal. 5.2 Lastly we have these two rules of superstition the tradition of men and the rudiments of the world set downe adversatively by way of Antithesis or opposition And not after Christ that is they are not after the doctrine or commandement of Christ Whatsoever is not after Christ that is according unto the doctrine of Christ in the Gospell is against Christ and therefore vaine deceit The uncommandednesse of a worship is sufficient to brand it for unlawfull Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded them not Levit. 10.1 They have built the high places of Tophet c. Which I commanded them not neither came it into my heart Jerem. 7.31 You have seen the words expounded in themselves I shall in the next place briefely dispatch the inference of this exhortation from the dwelling of all-fulnesse of the Godhead in him bodily implied in the particle for Beware lest any man spoile you through philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him dwelleth all fullnesse of the Godhead bodily From the fulnesse of the Deitie in the person of Christ we may conclude the fulnesse perfection and all-sufficiency of his doctrine And consequently the danger vanity and deceitfulnesse of all additions thereunto whatsoever whether heathenish philosophy Pharisaicall or Popish the traditions of men or Judaicall the rudiments of the world What seducers can more spoile the flock of Christ then the patrons of such additionals For they withdraw from all fulnesse in the God head unto that which is but vaine deceit They lead from the fountaine of living waters unto broken cisternes that can hold no water The Philosophy of the Gentiles hath indeed a shew of wifedome but it was but folly and thick darknesse compared with the wisdome of Christ In him as man were hid 〈◊〉 the treasures of â—…sedome and knowledge vers 3. of this chapter And as the sonne of God he was the eternall uncreated wisedome He was full and perfect God His knowledge then was infinite and therefore he was able to provide not onely sufficiently but abundantly for the instruction and salvation of his Church without the supply of humane traditions or Mosuicall â—eremonies All men are lyars and therefore it would be a madnesse to embrace the traditions of men as long as we have the truth it selfe to instruct us The highest perfection of the saints of God is to be pantakers of the divine nature to have the Godhead dwell in them operatively in regard of it's gracious effects Whereas the sonne of God hath the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelling in him personally and therefore in comparison of his precepts which are able to make even the simple wise unto salvation Psal 19.7.2 Timoth. 3.16 the most specious and plausible traditions of even the best of men are in matters of faith and salvation most vaine empty and deceitfull trifles In Christ dwelleth an all fulnesse of knowledge and we having so able a seacher it would be extreame and unspeakable folly in us to fall back againe unto our horne booke unto the rudiments of the world unto an elementary worldly or carnall way of instruction by the ceremonies of Moses his law that was accommodated onely unto the Childish condition of the Church Besides Christ himselfe hath abrogated all ceremonies of the law and from the all-fulnesse of the Godâ—head in him we may gather his all-fulnesse of power and authority to make such an alteration Because he is God he is Lord of the Sabbath and all other ordinances in the Church It is no lesse therefore then a treasonable presumption for men to revive those lawes which he hath repealed to presse those observances which he hath abolished Interpreters upon the place generally make this observation upon the coherence that the Apostle giveth this generall refutation of those three impostures before specified that they are not according unto the doctrine of Christ not after Christ to shew that this consideration alone is ground enough to reject any doctrine or part of worship For he that derogates from the all-sufficiency of Christs doctrine detracteth from the alsufficiency and infinitenesse of his Godhead If men would but seriously consider how great and glorious a person he is how infinitely wise they would not listen unto impostors but hang upon Christ's mouth onely for direction in matters of faith and worship They would never dare to presume to attempt any supply unto the unsearchable riches or fulnesse of wisedome the manifold wisedome of God displaid in his Gospell Ephes 3.10 In him dwelleth all-fulnesse of the Godhead bodily and therefore beware least any man spoile you through Philosophy and vaine deceit after the tradition of men after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ The Deitie of Christ was the maine ground why Peter professeth in the behalfe of the rest of the Aposties a resolution to adhere constantly and solely unto the doctrine of Christ Joh. 6.68,69 1. He layeth downe two reasons for adherence unto Christ's doctrine alone 1. The alsufficiency thereof to instruct us in the way unto eternall life and salvation Thou hast the words of eternall life vers 68. and this he maketh good from the alsufficiency of his office and person vers 69. Thou art that Christ the sonne of the living God Thou are not onely man but God The sonne of the living God therefore thou art all-sufficient to be our Christ our Priest King and Prophet and therefore thou hast the words of eternall life 2. We have the utter insufficiency of all created persons to give us any light herein whither shall we goe vers 68 that is for the words of eternall life Christ is the sunne of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 therefore will infallibly guide us unto heaven But if
that expression in Joh. 1.18 He is in the bosome of his father that is in his bowels in his dearest and tenderest affections Forâ— as Pelargus upon the place observeth the bosome is the place of love and therefore to be in the bosome of the father is to be dilectissimus the most beloved of the father Thus in common speech intimates are tearmed bosome friends and Joh. 13.23 the disciple whom Jesus loved leaned on his bosome For Lazarus to be in the bosome of Abraham Luk. 15.16 was to have a most intimate loving and friendly fellowship and communion with him and all Believers in glory The intimacy that ought to be betwixt husband and wife is expressed in Scripture by their being mutually in one another's bosomes And therefore the husband is tearmed the husband of the wifes bosome Deut. 28.56 And the wife the wife of her husbands bosome Micah 7.5 Whereas our Saviour in Joh. 17.11,21,22 affirmeth that he and the father are one that the father is in him and he in the father Cajetan and others expound this of that onenesse of affection which is between him as man and the Father Indeed Christ as God is one with the father in regard of the divine essence and will as he himselfe affirmeth John 10.30 But that he is to be considered here as man Cajetan proveth by this at least probable argument Christ is to be considered here as praying Now he prayeth as man and not as God And therefore he speaketh of himselfe as incarnate Christ man and the father are one by the indissoluble bond of mutuall love They dwell in one another by love the father is in the sonne as a person that is loved is in the partie loving And The sonne is in the father as his beloved as he in whom he is well pleased The fulnesse of Christ's grace or favour with the father is in part implied by that metaphoricall expression of Christ's sitting at the right hand of God For in wordly courts this was the highest place next to the King and therefore a marke of speciall and extraordinary favour and hereupon Solomon placed his mother and hu Queene at his right hand 1 King 2.19 Psalm 45.9 In John 3.35 you may gather the eminency of the fathers love of the sonne from the vastnesse of the Authority that he hath committed unto him The father loveth the sonne and hath given all things into his hand Because the father loveth the sonne therefore he hath given all things into his hand therefore he hath submitted the whole universe unto his disposall and government Indeed we may best take the measure of the love of God towards Christ from the fruits and effects thereof that great dignity and Authority those great and glorious endowments with which Christs humane nature was enriched Christ may be said saith Rhada Sup. lib. 3. Senten controver 4 art 3. pag 107. To be beloved by and gratious with God in regard of a threefold gratiousnesse The first is terminated to the person of the word and t is that love wherewith the Father loveth Christ as his naturall and onely begotten son and therefore t is as substantiall so naturall and necessary for t is the same love wherewith he loveth himselfe and besides t is in every regard infinite for the person loving is infinite and the person beloved is Infinite and so infinitely lovely and amiable The second is terminated to the manhood and belongs to the grace of union and this be tearmeth a personall gratiousnesse and he describeth it to be the free and spontaneous love of God by which he imparted unto the humanity the personall being of the word and therefore infinitely beloved of God The third gratiousnesse of Christ is accidentall and agreeth unto his manhood by habituall grace which formally perfected his soule and elevated it to a participation of the divine nature thereby rendred it very gratious and acceptable in the eyes of God Of that I have spoken already and of these I shall hereafter treat at large The scripture acquaints us with two reasons that invest him into this high favour of God 1. his relation unto him 2. His service of him 1. His relation unto him Because he was his onely begotten sonne Math. 3.17 Math. 17.5.2 Pet. 1.17 In which words there be 4. particulars that signify the singularity of the fathers love unto Christ 1. The q Notanda est in Graeco inculcatio articuli 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quae emphasin habet ad significandum filium naturalem ac propriè ex ipso genitum dum dicitur Ille filius meus ille dilectus Estius in 2 pet 1.17 Articulum duplicem expressi cujus videtur hic esse emphasis maxima non tam ut distinguatur à filiis aliis â—… cùm fit unigenitus quà m ad dignitatis commendationem Nos enim non naturâ sed adoptione sumus silii quâ ratione etiam Christus ipse dicitur primogenitus inter multos fratres quia licet unicus sit proprio jure princeps tamen est inter multos quatenus adoptionis fons est ac caput Beza in Matth. 17.5 repetition of the demonstrative Article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that hath it's weight and importeth that he is beloved of the father by way of excellency And therefore some expresse the force of doubling the Article thus this is that my sonne that my beloved The doubling of the Article then doth not so much difference him from as advance him above all other sonnes whether Saints or Angels For he is a sonne by nature they by adoption in which regard he is called the first borne among many brethren because though he be of right the onely sonne yet he is chiefe among many in that he is the fountaine and head of our adoption and therefore hath the supremacy in the affection of the father For the father to say that he is his sonne is a sufficient intimation of his affection unto him But he addeth 2. that he is his r Additur autem dilectus graecè 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 non restrictionis causa tanquam Deus filium naturalem habeat aliquem non sibi dilectum quod in hominibus persaepe contingit sed ut epithetum necessarium Neque enim potest filiusey Deo naturaliter genitus in quo perfecta est similitudo patris non esse ei perfecto summoquè amore dilectus Estius 2 Pet. 1.17 beloved sonne The word beloved is added not for restrictions sake as if God had any naturall sonne unbeloved as it often happens amongst men but as a necessary epithete For the sonne begotten naturally of God in whom there is the perfect similitude of the father cannot but be beloved by the father with a perfect and the highest love 3. The father doth not content himselfe to say that he is his beloved sonne but affirmeth farther that he is his beloved sonne in whom he is well pleased Men may have sonnes whom they
great expression of Christs love his death upon the crosse 1 Cor. 2.2 I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified Indeed Christs love is the epitome and center the fulfilling of both Law and Gospell Rom. 13.8 it was out of love that he performed the duties and sufferd the penalties of the law for us It is out of love that he hath revealed and will accomplish the promises of the Gospell unto us A second motive unto the study of the love of Christ is the incomprehensiblenesse of it It passeth knowledge and therefore though we arrive unto never so great a degree in our knowledge of the love of Christ yet still there will be a terra incognita place for new and farther discoveries Christs love is a structure of vast indeed infinite extent It is as it is said of God Iob. 11.8,9 As high as heaven deeper then hell larger then the earth and broader then the sea and therefore impossible we should exactly measure it in all these dimensions However let us labour to measure it as exactly as we can that we may comprehend so much of the length breadth depth and height thereof as is discoverable by the saints here in this life The love of Christ then is a most spacious object for contemplation in the meditation of which we may exercise our selves day and night and into which to use the expression of Calvin nos quasi demergamus we may as it were plunge our selves over head and eares as into an ocean that hath no bottome A third motive in this place is from the proper and adequate subject of this knowledge That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints c. The knowledge of Christs love is the priviledge of the saints common unto all believers and withall it is so proper and peculiar unto them as that it belongs unto none but saints If thou hast an effectuall and applicative knowledge though but in a remisse degree of the transcendent love of Christ thou art then a saint and if thou art a gratious faint here on earth thou maist be confident that thou shalt be a glorious saint in heaven But now if on the other side thou livest dyest in ignorance or meerely in a notionall or uneffectuall knowledg of the love of Christ thou can'st have no evidence of thy saintship And if thou art not a saint here thy portion will be with damned Fiends and Divels in hell hereafter A fourth motive is the influence of the knowledge of Christ's love and that is 1. preservative from fainting in tribulations here 2. preparative for the allfulnesse of God in heaven hereafter 1. Preservative from fainting in tribulation here And this may be gathered from comparison of these verses with the foregoing For vers 13. The Apostle dehorts them from fainting at the newes of his troubles I desire that you faint not at my tribulation for you and in the following verses he backes this dehortation with a most humble and fervent petition the preface unto which we have verses 14 15. for this cause I bow my knee unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ c. The matters or things petitioned for are three 1. Corroboration and confirmation by the spirit of God vers 16. that he would grant you according unto the riches of his glory to be strengthned with might by his spirit in the inner man 2. A further union with Christ vers 17. and 3. which belongs unto our purpose a practicall and experimentall apprehension of the love of Christ that ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. 18 19. By this coherence you see that a feeling and efficacious knowledge of Christs love and the dimensions thereof will embolden and hearten the saints in their owne and others troubles and as a soveraigne cordiall keep them from all despondency and sinking of spirit A second branch of its influence is preparative for the all fullnesse of God vers 19. I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ vers 14. that ye may be able to comprehend c. and to know the love of Christ c. that ye might be filled with all the fullnesse of God vers 18 19 that is with a full knowledge of God in the beatificall vision the full image of God a full participation of the divine nature a full union with fruition of God full and immediate influences from God according unto that of the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.28 God shall be all in all that is in all the elect he shall be vice omnium instead of all ordinances unto their soules instead of all meanes and helpes unto their bodies And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God almighty and the Lamb are the Temple of it And the city had no need of the Sun neither of the Moone to shine in it for the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb is the light thereof Revel 21.22,23 The meaning of the place is that God shall immediatly by himselfe supply the efficiency of all second causes whatsoever Before I leave these words I shall out of them direct unto a cause of the knowledge of the love of Christ to wit to be rooted and grounded in love vers 17. that is either in our assurance of Gods love in Christ unto us or else in the habit of our love unto God and Christ I bow my knees unto the father c. that ye being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend know the love of Christ c. They which are rooted and grounded in love are able to reach the dimensions of Christs love to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge c. A full and firme assurance of Gods love in Christ unto us and our firme and constant love of God and Christ will put us upon a most industrious search after all the secrets of Christs love unto our soules Whereas on the other side those that either despaire or doubt of that love of God and Christ as also those that have but faint affections and inconstant desires towards them all such make but a very slow progresse in the study and knowledge of Christs love The last exhortation is unto an imitation of this fulnesse of love Walke in love saith the Apostle as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himselfe for us an offering and a sacrifice unto God c Ephes 5.2 In which words we have 1. An exhortation unto the duty of love walke in love 2. A direction unto a patterne whereunto we must conforme our selves in performance of this duty 1. As for the exhortation it is observed by the solid and judicious Zanchy that it is not barely to love but to walke in love that is to passe the whole course of our life to spend all
adequate or commensurate unto the object of grace God who is cognoscibilis amabilis and participabilis in infinitum Before I proceede unto the third acception of the fulnesse of grace I must remove an objection out of my way It may be objected that it were not an endowment sufficient to qualify Christ for the relation of headship to have so much grace as would fill his capacity His capacity might be but narrow and so though he had as much grace as he could receive yet he might not have much in that he might not be able to receive much A small vessell may be full of any liquor and yet containe no great quantity of it Even so might Christ be full of grace in this sence and yet have no great measure of grace Unto this some answere that the humane nature in vertue of that most intimate association of the natures divine and humane in one person had it's capacity it 's power of receiving grace enlarged as much as might be So that by means hereof it became larger then the capacity of all the Angels in heaven comprehensive of more grace then they nay farre wider then it would have beene if it had not been joyned or then it would be if it should be disjoyned from the person of the word But this is an opinion that e Quod Bonav Ricard affirmant quamounque puram creaturam sive Angelum sive rationalem animam esse capacem gratiaeusque ad certum gradum ita ut de potentia absoluta non possit recipere majorem nihilcminus animam Christi unitam verbo fact am esse capaciorem intenfioris gratiae quam esse possit in aliqua pura creatura in ipsamet animae Christi si non esset unita verbo hoc enim fine fundamento dictum est nullo-modo intelligi potest nam licet congruentia ad recipiendam majorem gratiam possit esse major ratione unionis sicus capacitas proxima quae est per actum vel dispositionem propriam augeri possit ut loquitur D. Thom. 2 a. 2 ae q. 24 art 7. tamen capacitas remota quasi fundamentalis quae est in natura ipsa nec crescere potest nec mutari quia haec nihil aliud est quam entitas naturae cui talis perfectio non repugnat Et deinde multò minùs intelligi potest quod per unionem augeatur cùm verbum ipsum nec possit concurrere per modum potentiae passivae ad suscipiendam gratiam nec aliquo modo immutet ipsam animam secundùm entitatem naturalem ejus ut capaciorem illam faciat gratia haec non aliter inhaereat illi animae quam si per se esset separata Adde quòd si illa anima capacior fieret per unionem sicut unio eft infinita ita illa capacitas infinitè augeretur ergò vel haberet illa anima infinitam gratiam vel certe posset in illâ gratia in infinitum augeri quod isti autores non concedunt Suarez in tertiam part Thomae disp 22. s 2. Censures for groundlesse and sencelesse He confesseth that by union of both natures in one person the congruity for the humanity to receive from the divine nature a larger measure of grace is much increased Meeter it is that from the Deitie there should be a cōmunication of a greater measure of grace unto that nature in which the fulnesse of it dwelleth bodily then unto another not linkt unto it in so neere and close a tye And then farther he doth not deny but that by the conjunction of the manhood with the divine person and nature the more neere and immediate capacity of the soule to receive grace may be much enlarged Seeing that even is us our hearts by the habit 's and exercise of our proper graces are wonderfully dilated and opened as it were made more comprehensive able to receive more grace then otherwise By Solomons Wisedome and understanding the largenesse of his heart was even as the sand that is on the sea shore 1 Kings 4.29 I will runne the way of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psalm 119.32 to wit by holinesse and sanctification O ye Corinthians our mouth is open unto you our heart is enlarged 2 Corinth 6.11 to wit by love and affection But now as for the remote obedientiall and as it were the fundamentall capacity of the soule towards grace of which the patrons of the forementioned opinion onely speake how the union should stretch and widen that he cannot conceive For that being undistinguished from the very nature and being of the soule indeed being nothing else but the soule it selfe considered as compatible with grace how can it possibly admit either of change or encrease Equall it is alike large in all reasonable and intellectuall creatures and is not to be measured by any naturall or supernaturall perfection of its subject but is of it selfe indifferent unto the receipt of any kind or degree of grace consistent with the finite and created being of an intellectuall nature Not resting therefore in this unsatisfying answere we will in the next place shew how that in Chist there was a fulnesse of grace not onely in regard to his capacity his power of receiving it but also in respect of f Aliquando plenitudo significateximiam aliquam perfectionem gratiae quae adaequet statum vel munus aut dignitatem suscipientis Plenum enim propriè dicitur quod tantum habet quantum capere potest ad bunc modum plenus gratiâ dicitur Qui habet eximiam aliquam gratiam proportionalam dignitati vel muneri in quo à Deo constitutus est haec plenitudo cum respectiva fit potest esse multiplex major vel minor juxta veritatem statuum vel dignitatum cum quibus fit comparatio hoc modo alia est plenitudo B. Virginis alia Johan Baptistae c. omnis verò haec plenitudo est respectiva secundùm quid Christi verò plenitudo est plenitudo simpliciter quia licet gratiae Christi plenitudo etiam fuerit proportionata dignitati personae unionis tamen quia illa dignitas personae erat suprema omnium eminenter omnes alias continens ideò talis plenitudo respectiva in plenitudinem simpliciter redundavit Et hinc etiam factum est ut haec plenitudo fit quanta esse potest non tantum ex parte objecti sed etiam ex parte formae quia scilicet in Christo pervenit gratia ad totam intentionem perfectionem quam secundùm se habere potest saltem secundùm legem ordiuariam Suarez in tertiam part Thomae disp 22. sect 2. pag. 395. grace it selfe And such a fulnesse I am sure is sufficient to constitute him head of the Church What it is Aquinas tels us pag. 3. quaest 7. Art 10. Ex parte quidem ipsius gratiae dicitur esse plenitudo gratiae Ex eo
per eam fit ut illa gratia conjuncta sit aliquo modo divinae personae dici potest ex hac conjunctione habere hanc gratiam quendam infinitum valorem dignitatem non quia illi addatur aliquid Physicum vel reale distinctum ab ipsa a persona divina seu ab unione humanitatis ad ipsam nihil enim hujusmodi fingi aut excogitari potest sed quia secundum moralem aestimationem quandam dignitatem excellentiam habet ex hac conjunctione Sicut humanitas ipsa infinitam dignitatem habet ex unione sicut operationes Christi ex eadem radice seu coniunctione habent infinitum valorem in esse meriti Illa enim unio ad verbum quasi elevat et nobilitat quicquid illi conjungitur iuxta uniuscujusque modum capacitatem Unde quia opus bonum est meritorium dat illi infinitum valorem in illo ordine quia opus paenale est satisfactorium dat illi infinitatem in genere satisfactionis quia ergo gratia ex propriâ ratione habet facere gratum dilectum ideo per hane unionem accipit quandam dignitatem valorem ratione cuius censetur facere infinite gratum hoc est habere quandam infinitatem in esse gratiae in ordine ad unionem Quod rectè per effectus declaratur nam hinc habet quod sit proximum principium infiniti meriti quamvis enim gratia unionis fit principalis radix huius quantitatis in merito gratia tamen habitualis est veluti proximum principium ejus Et hinc etiam habet ut possit influere in infinitos homines nam ad omnes potest extendi fructus eius etiamsi in infinitum multiplicarentur ibid. in tert part Thomae t. 1. disp 22. sect 1. that the grace of Christ may be considered either absolutely or relatively 1. Absolutely intrinsecally really and Physically as it is in it's selfe so it is finite communicating unto his soule though a great yet but a finite beauty and perfection and rendring it proportionate but unto a finite weight of glory 2. Relatively as referred unto the grace of union as conjoyned unto the divine and infinite person of the sonne as it is the grace of the son of God And so it is in some sort infinite not as though by this conjunction there were imparted to it any physicall and reall perfection onely according to the morall estimation of things it receiveth thereby a dignity and excellency answerable to that of the person an infinite dignity and excellency For union of the manhood unto the divine person nature in that person relatively ennobleth and exalteth whatsoever belongeth unto the humane nature in manner and measure suitable to its nature and capacity Hence its bloud was the bloud of God it 's obedidience and sufferings the obedience and sufferings of God and therefore infinitely satisfactory meritorious its grace and vertues the grace and vertues of God himselfe and so consequently however in esse reali ' of a finite nature yet they were in esse morali of an infinite worth and value able to be the ground of an infinite merit and the principle of influence upon an infinite number of men Having done with the explication of the point I shall in the next place goe on to the second thing I proposed the confirmation of it And here to cleare and confirme what we have by our Apostle ascribed unto our blessed Saviour I will 1. prove it to be so and then demonstrate why it is so 1. That it is so is apparant by sundry places of holy Scripture out of which I will cull only those that seeme to me most pregnant and pertinent 1. Of the purity and fulnesse in Christs grace holinesse there were divers types in the ceremoniall law of Moses 1. The curious embroidery and glorious Cherubims of the vaile Exod. 26.31 And thou shalt make a veile of blew and purple and scarlet and fine twisted linnen of cunning worke with Cherubims shall it be made 2. The separation of the Nazarites Numb 6. 3. The Altar of burnt offerings which was stiled most holy Exod. 29.37 or the holy of holies or holinesse of holinesses 4. The Altar of incense that was to be overlaid with pure gold that had no drosse and to have a crowne of gold round about and therefore called the golden Altar Numb 4.11 5. The perfection required in their sacrifices Their burnt offerings of the heard and the flocke were to be males without blemish Levet 1.3,10 and Chapt. 23.10 If their burnt offerings were of fowles the crop of it with the feathers were to be pluckt away and cast besides the Altar Levit. 1.16 Their meat-offerings were to be without leaven Levit. 1.11 which figured sin Luk. 12.1 Math. 16.6,12 1 Cor. 5.8 Their peace-offerings also were to be unblemished Levit. 22.20 The heifer of whose ashes the water of separation was to be made was to be red without spot wherein was no blemish and upon which never came yoake Numb 19.2 And so might aptly typify Christ who as he was red in regard of his bloudy passion so he was also of an unspotted and unblemished holinesse and altogether free from the bondage of any sin whatsoever The two Lambs that were to be offered day by day for a continuall burnt offering were to be without spot Numb 28.3 The Paschall lamb also was to be without blemish Exod 12.5 and these prefigured Christ A lambe without blemish and without spot I Pet. 1.19 that is without sin and exclusion of sin in intellectuall creatures argueth a fulnesse of grace and holinesse We may then conclude that Christs holinesse was full and perfect because it was blemishlesse and spotlesse 6. The unblemishednesse required in all the Priests that ministered in the sanctuary Lev. 21. à vers 17. usque ad vers 24. 7. The holy anoynting oyle described Exod. 30. v. 23 24. c. the precious oyntment that ran downe upon Aarons beard the high Priest that went downe to the skirts of his garments Psalm 134.2 Unto this we may adde 8. the holy garments and ornaments of the high Priests 1. His white and linnen ones which were peculiar unto the day of attonement Lev. 16.4 2. His rich and glorious ones which he wore in his ordinary service that were for glory and beauty Exod. 28.2 described at large throughout that whole chapter But to speake particularly of one singular ornament of the high Priest the Vrim and the Thummim the grammaticall signification of which is lights and perfections It was to be put in the breast-plate of judgment upon the high Priests heart when he went in before the Lord Exod. 28.30 And herein he was a type of Christ the true high Priest that stood up with Vrim and Thummim Ezra 2.63 Gods holy one with whom his Vrim and Thummim light of knowledge and perfection of purity were alwaies to be Deuter. 33.8 Two things are here typified
concerning men Angels and himselfe We for our parts shall presume onely to say that he alwaies knew all things in every article of time that then was necessary for our salvation and the execution of his owne office Distinguish we must betwixt his state of humiliation and exaltation 1. In his state of exaltation and glory he exerciseth in order unto his Church a Lordship and dominion over all things And it is very probable this his knowledg is as vast as his Empire Cyrus knew the names of all his souldiers and therefore it is unlikely that Christs humanity should be ignorant of any thing made subject unto it He is to be judge of men Angels as he is the sonne of man The father hath given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the sonne of man John 5.27 And therefore as man he knoweth all things that are to come within his cognizance as judge The very secrets of men Rom. 2.16 The hidden things of darknesse and the counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4.5 But now this knowledge of Christ as man is not by force of the humane nature but by infusion or revelation from the divine 2. As for his state of humiliation the fulnesse of his knowledge in that was consistent 1. with the nescience of divers things He knew not as man the day of judgment Mark 13.32 the barrennesse of the figg-tree Marke 11.13.2 With increase in his knowledg For in Luke 2.52 He is said to increase in wisdome and stature c. He is said to increase in Wisdome in the same sence wherein he is said to increase in stature for they are both coupled togeither by Luke But he increased in stature really indeed and in truth and not onely in the opinion of men and therefore also there was a reality in the growth of his wisedome For this also our Divines usually alleadge Luk. 2.40 And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit filled with wisdome and the grace of God was upon him The word translated filled denoteth three things 1. The fulnesse that was in the wisedom of Christ He was full of wisedome 2. The dependancy of it upon it's efficient Christ as man was filled with wisedome to wit by God The humanity did not could not fill it selfe but was replenished by the Deitie 3. We have here implied the Antecedent or terminus à quo of this his fulnesse to wit a deniall of the antecession thereof The Child grew c. and was filled with wisedome He was filled then and not before The manhood was alwaies even from the very first moment of it's conception full of wisdome according to the first act And yet we see here there is a fulnesse of wisedome de novo accrewed unto him to wit in regard of actuall apprehension Against this Bellarmine tom 1. De Christo l. 4. c. 2. alleadgeth Esa 11.1,2 There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse a branch shall grow out of his roots And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him the spirit of wisedome and understanding the spirit of counsell and might the spirit of knowledg and of the feare of the Lord. All understand the place of Christ who is said to be a rod comming out of the stem of Jesse and a branch growing out of his roots even in his very conception and even then the descent of the spirit of the Lord was upon him And therefore the soule of Christ learned nothing afterwards which before he knew not The very same thing all those places signify where Christ is said to be anoynted by God with the spirit Psalm 45.7 Esay 61.1 Act. 4.27 and 10.38 For the Angels tearmed him Christ that is anoynted Luk. 2.11 as soone as he was borne of the Virgin Unto this he addeth John 1.14 for there that clause full of grace seeing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the nominative case of the masculine gender ought to be coupled with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated the word and therefore it followeth that the word was no sooner incarnate made flesh but it was forthwith full of grace and truth This Bellarmine Unto this Ames Bellarm. Enâ—rv tom 1. lib. 2. p. 82 83. giveth this full though briefe answere 1. We grant that Christ was anoynted with the spirit of wisdome from his very conception so that the denyall hereof is to no purpose sophistically anticipated by Bellarmine as if it were our defence But even as the divine nature did in some manner shut up or conceale and hide it's majesty in it selfe in the humiliation of Christ that it might not shew forth that dignity which afterwards appeared in his exaltation So also that spirit of wisdome was held in or restrained that it might not be put forth presently in perfection but by little and little according to the state of Christ 2. There is a spirit of wisdome wheresoever there is ability or promptnesse of understanding easily all things which are necessary to be knowne as occasion requireth Although all singulars be not actually knowne 3. That wisdome which is perfect intensively and in the first act may be increased in the second act and by extension unto new objects 4. Even those amongst the Papists themselves who ascribe some knowledg unto Christ full and perfect every way from the beginning doe yet confesse concerning an acquisite knowledge that Christ hath growne and increased therein not onely in regard of the effect or according to the experience thereof but also according to the essence or habit of the knowledg it selfe Of this acquired knowledge it is that Aquinas saith part 3. quaest 12. Art 2. that it was alwaies perfect secundum tempus sed non simpliciter secundum naturam The Lutherans from this place Col. 2.3 argue for the communication of Omniscience unto the humanity of Christ In Christ man are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge and therefore as man he is omniscient For answere All treasures may be said to be in the manhood of Christ either simply or in comparison of other creatures In the Deitie of Christ only all treasures of wisedome and knowledg are simply and absolutely and in his humanity all treasures may be said to be as it is i Si Apostolus loquitur de Christo secundum humanitatem dicendum est in Christi humanitate esse omnes Thesaurâ—s sapientiae scientiae collective qui in Angelis hominibus sunt divisive Nam quicquid sapien tiae scientiae est divisim in Ange'is heminibus hoc conjunctim est in Christo sccundum humanitatatem Becan Sum. â—he tom 5. pag. 878. compared with all either men or Angels for in respect of them he hath an unmeasurable treasury Unto this truth concerning the fulnesse of habituall grace in Christ of all the sacred writers besides our blessed Apostle the Beloved disciple of our Saviour Saint John giveth the clearest and plainest testimony and that especially in these
two following places The first place is John 1.14 And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth Where by grace some understand all morall vertues that perfect the will and affections and by truth all intellectuall vertues that adorne and beautify the understanding Full he was of grace to sanctify full of truth to enlighten Full of grace because the life full of truth because the light of men Full of grace to expell our sins Full of truth to dispell our ignorance The descant is Bonaventures on the place A second place with which I will conclude is John 3.34 God giveth not the spirit by measure unto him There is plenitudo vasis and plenitudo fontis the fulnesse of a measure or vessell and the fulnesse of a fountain The fulnesse of grace in the saints was like the fulnesse of a measure They had the spirit but in measure Vnto every one of us grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ Ephes 4.7 As God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith Rom. 12.3 Whereas the fulnesse of Christ was the fulnesse of a fountaine without measure He gave not the spirit by measure unto him Now the Spirit was the cause and ground of all grace and holinesse Having that then not by measure but in all fullnesse he must needs have of grace a fulnesse He was filled with the spirit of grace anoynted with it all over Therefore full of grace And so having done with the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I come now to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To discover the demonstrative reason of the dwelling of allfulnesse of grace in Christ And after I have shewed you that it is so to shew you now why it must be so The Schoolemen note that in Christ there is a threefold grace Gratia unionis Gratia unctionis seu habitualis Gratia capitis The grace of union the grace of unction or habituall grace the grace or gift of being head over the Church Now the plenitude of his unction the fulnesse of his habituall grace may be demonstrated from his grace of union from his grace of headship 1. From his grace of union k Christus habuit gratiam in summo secundum perfectissimum modum quo haberâ— potesi hoc quidem apparet ex propinquit â—e animae Christi ad causam gratiae Dictum est enim quod quanto aliquod â—eceptivum prâ—pinquius est causae â—…fiuenti tanto abundantrùs recipit Et ideò anima Christi quae propinquius conjungitur Deo inter omnes creaturas rationales maximam recipit influentiam gratiae ejus Aquâ—nas part 3. quaest 7. art 9. The nearer a thing is to it's cause from whence proceedeth any good the more plentifully doth it partake of it's influence Every person the nearer he is linkt unto earthly Potentates the more he hath prerogative before others more disjoyned Now the divine nature is the fountaine and that bottomlesse and infinite of all grace From it commeth every good and perfect gift And the humane nature of Christ is joyned unto it in the nearest in a personall union A congruence therefore was it that there should be a derivation unto it of an abundance of grace Unmeet were it if in that nature in whâ—ch there dwelled bodily an all-fulnesse of the Godhead there did noâ— also dwell habitually an all-funesse of grace 2. It may be demonstrated a gratiâ capitis from his being head unto the Church For in the head of the body mysticall grace is to reside in all eminency and perfection both of parts and degrees Even as in the head of the body naturall there is a fulnesse of sence All the five sences Whereas in the rest of the members there is but one sence the sence of touch or feeling The illustration is not mine but Austin's in the latter end of his 57 th Epistle ad Dardanum But this will be more appparent if we will consider that Christ under this relation of head is to be causa efficiens and exemplar is the principle and patterne of grace and holinesse unto us to fill up the emptinesse of grace in us to expell the fullnesse of sin out of us And then to enable him for the discharge of all this an all fulnesse of grace was a requisite qualification 1. Christ under the relation of head was to be a l Christus habuit gratiam in sumâ—o secundum per fecâ—…ssimum modum quo haberi potesâ— Et hoc quidem aptaret ex comparatione ejus adeffect um Sic enim recipiebat anima Christi gratiam ut ex eâ quodammodo transfunderetur in alios Et ideò oportuit quod haberet maximam gratiam ficus ignis qui est causa caloris in omnibus calidis est maximè calidus Aquin. quaest 7. Art 9. principle and fountaine of grace holinesse unto his Church Even as the head in the naturall body is the cause of sense motion in the members and therefore of grace and holinesse there must be in him an all-fulnesse Even as in the sunne the fountain of light from whom the moone and starres borrow all their light there is a fulnesse of light As in the Sea the originall of all waters there is a fulnesse of waters As in the fire the principile of all elementary heate there is a fullnesse of heat Grace and holinesse was confer'd upon Christ not as a private but as a publique person as the head of his Church as the universall principle of grace from whence there was to be a redundance and overflowing of it upon all his members Of his all fulnesse all are to receive John 1.16 And therefore there had need to be such an abundance and plenitude thereof in him as that in m Sed quaeres quanta sit haec intensio gratiae Christi quantumque excesserit aliorum hominum vel Angelo rum gratias Respondeo hoc minime posse constare verisimile tamen esse tantam esse haÌ„c unicam gratiam animae Christi ut omnes a'ias in se complectatur excedat ita ut si concipiamus ex omnibus aliorum hominum Angelorum gratiis inter se conjunctis unam consurgere habentem omnes illos gradus intensionis intensio gratiae Christi totam illam vel aequat vel superat Ratio est quia sidignitas animae Christi verbo unitae secundum se confideretur digna erat summae gratiae si esset possibilis quià verò haec impossibilis est definita est per divinam sapientiam summa quaedam gratia quae maximè esset consentanea dignitati muneribus Christi tota verò illa intensio optimâ ratione convenit Christo tum propter dignitatem personalem tum quia est universalis fons gratiae in quo tota debuit congregari quae in alios erat diffundenda ergo credibile est ità factum esse quià juxta regulam August lib. 3. de lib. arbitr cap.
particular station in the body of Christ A second particular I propounded was Gods end in conferring an allfulnesse of grace upon Christ It was to fit and enable him to be a vitall and universall principle of grace and holinesse unto his Church He had it then not as a private but as a publique person as a second Adam as the head of his Church And the head we know is an officiall part in the body having sense and motion not for it selfe onely but for the whole body Even after the same manner that the stomacke hath meat's the liver bloud even so Christs grace was not for himselfe but for his members If you will compare Psalm 68.18 with Eph. 4.8 The comparison will light you unto this conclusion that Christ received gifis for men that he might give gifts unto men Unto this purpose some of the Schoolmen have noted that in Christ gratia habitualis and gratia capitis are not two severall graces really different but one and the same grace distinguished onely by various respects and considerations It is called habituall grace considered as a personall perfection of Christ sanctifying his own humane nature It is tearmed gratia capitis if regarded as a principle of grace from whence it was to be shed abroad upon others But here we must distinguish of a twofold principle of grace physicall and morall 1. The habituall grace of Christ's humane nature cannot be a physicall principle of grace in others For grace is an operative p Gratia non est qualitas activa sui similis c. Et ratio reddipotest quia haec est communis ratio habitus operativi ut scilicet non sit productious alterius haâ—itus sed sâ—ùm actuum c. vel ceâ—tè dici potest gratiam esse eminentem quand â—m participat onem dâ—vinae nâ—turae quae prâ—ptâ—…eà postulat uâ—soâ—ùm per influxum divinitâ—uis natura sua participari possit ideò non est qualitas activa sui similis sed a solo Deo ut à principali causa producibilis sicut quia natura Argelica taâ—is est ut ex se postulet produci per creationem inde fit ut non sit productiva sui similis sed a solo Deo creari possit Et confirmatur nam si gratia creata existens in anima Christi posseâ— esse proprium principium producendi aliam similem vel hoc faceret vâ—luti actione transeunteâ—d modum formae naturalis Ethic modus agendi est imperfectus non convenit gratiae quae est quasi quaedam natura spiritualis ordinata ad operandum per actus vitales immanentes vel efficeret talem gratiam per aliquem actum vitalem immanentem hoc etiam dici non potest Nam isti habitus infusi non pâ—oduâ— cuntur neque augentur effectivè per proprios actus â—tiam in proprio subjecto ergò multo minus produci poterunt in subiectis extrinsecis seu diversis Suarez in tertiam part Thom. tom 1. disp 31. sect 4. pag. 483. habit and operative habits are productive onely of acts in their own subjects and not of other habits in forreigne subjects 2. Christs habituall grace therefore is onely a morall or meritorious cause of ours And that 1. Remotely because it is a qualification prerequisite unto all the satisfaction and merit of his obedience For no part of his obedience either active or passive would have been in the least degree either satisfactory or meritorious if it had not proceeded from a nature endowed with an all-fulnesse of grace and a most spotlesse holinesse 2. Say others proximè because it merited the grace and holinesse of all his members For every branch of his humiliation was meritorious And was it not a part of his humiliation that he who in regard of his divine and infinite person was above the law the Law-giver should assume a nature that should be all over cloathed with habituall conformity unto the law should be made under the Law not onely actually but habitually Against this it is usually objected that Christ as man as a reasonable creature was obliged unto the habituall grace or holinesse of his nature as touching the continuance of it and therefore it could be no part of his debt that he undertooke as our mediatour what he owed for himselfe he could not be bound unto for us For answer I shall apply to the habituall grace of Christ what Ames saith Med. Theol. lib. 1. cap. 21. § 24. touching his legall obedience Although it was required of Christ now made man by right of creation yet because he was made man not for himselfe but for us it was a part of that humiliation satisfaction and merit which God required and accepted of him for us By this that I have said you may qualify divers passages in some practicall Divines of great note ability concerning the influence of Christs fulnesse of grace I shall give you the summe of what they say desiring you to understand them of a morall or meritorious causality Christ had fulnesse of grace as the sunne hath light a fountaine waters a depositarie treasures 1. As the sunne hath light He was the sunne of righteousnesse And the sunne was endowed with a fulnesse of light not so much for its own proper ornament as for the good of the whole universe to dispense abroad a rich warmth and influence upon it Even so the sunne of righteousnesse was inriched with an all-fulnesse of grace not onely for his own proper and personall perfection but also for the benefit and behoofe of his members that he might communicate thereof unto them and make them likewise full of grace 2. As a fountain hath waters A fountain of gardens A well of living waters Canticl 4.15 Now wherefore is a fountaine but to replenish streames and rivers To what purpose serveth a fountaine in a garden but to water the plants hearbs and flowers therein which would otherwise waxe dry and wither He filleth all things with his wisedome as Physon and as Tigris in the time of the New fruits He maketh the understanding to abound like Euphrates and as Jordan in the time of the harvest At which time it overfloweth all its bankes I also came out as a brooke from a river and as a conduit into a garden I said I will water my best garden and will water abundantly my garden bed Ecclesiasticus 24.25,26,30,31 3. As a depositary hath treasures In whom are hid all the treasures of knowledge and wisedome He had knowledge and wisedome as a publick officer and treasurer thereof And he was not appointed a treasurer niggardly to hoard it up When a man hath riches it is a vanity under the sunne saith Solomon to keep them and hoard them up He were as good not to have them as not to use them Wisedome that is hid and treasure that is hoarded up what profit is in them both Eccles 20.3 But he was sealed and sanctified to be
said of Christ that he was justified by the spirit that is the spirit of holinesse the Godhead Rom. 1.4 that raised him from the dead and thereby declared him to be the sonne of God with power justified him as in foro soli before men from the reproaches and calumnies which his adversaries burdened him with so also in foro poli before God from the iniquities of us all Isay 53.6 which God laid upon him in regard of his suretyship for us Hither also may we referre that in Hebr. 9.12 By his owne blood he entred into the holy place having obtained eternall redemption for us He had never entred into the holy place if he had not by his bloud first obtained eternall redemption for us Compare together verses 13 14 of Heb. 10. from this comparison you may gather that his sitting down on the right hand of God expecting till his enemies be made his footstoole necessarily presupposeth that he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever that by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified 4. The fulnesse of satisfaction and merit that was in Christs humiliation may clearly be demonstrated from the worthinesse and infinitenesse of his person as the cause and originall thereof To cleare this we shall consider Christs humiliation under the notion 1. of a price 2. of a sacrifice 1. If we consider it as a price which he paid for us so by meanes of the worthinesse of his person it was of great and inestimable value Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot 1 Pet. 1.18,19 All the worth of gold and silver was from humane appointment Whereas the dignity of Christs blood flowed from the reall infinitenesse of his person nature It was the bloud of God Act. 30.28 and * Bilson therefore was able to quench that wrath that everlastingly and intollerably would have burnt against us to our finall and perpetuall destruction of body and soule There be two sorts or kinds of prices which may be affirmed of Christs humiliation a price of Ransome and a price of Purchase and the fulnesse of each price therein ariseth from the infinitenesse of his person Because it was the humiliation of an infinite person therefore it was a full price of ransome and a full price of purchase 1. A full and sufficient price of ransome from the guilt and dominion of sin from the rigour and curse of the law With him is plenteous redemption and he shall redeeme Israel from all her iniquities Psalm 130.7,8 It is a redemption so full and perfect as that it comprizeth all the steps and degrees of salvation from all sins from all the evill that is in sin and from all the sad and miserable consequents of sin 2. A full and sufficient price of purchase to obtaine the love likenesse and life of God righteousnesse favour and acceptance together with all the gracious and glorious fruites thereof Secondly If we looke upon Christs humiliation as a Sacrifice which he offered for us it is by meanes of the infinitenesse of his person an all-pleasing sacrifice By one offering he perfected for ever them that are sanctified Heb. 10.14 Now this infinitas acceptibilitatis this great acceptablenesse and well-pleasingnesse of this sacrifice unto God proceeded from the dignity 1. of the Priest offering 2. of the Sacrifice offered 3. of the Altar upon which it was offered 1. Of the Priest offering the son of God in whom he was well pleased 2. Of the Sacrifice offered unto which by meanes of the personall union the vertue of the Deity was truely attributed The sacrifice which he offered the bloud which he shed the death which he suffered was the sacrifice bloud and death of God and consequently the sacrifice was appliable unto all those for whom it was offered able to sprinkle many nations Is 52.15 Because it was more then equivalent in dignity and representation unto all the persons of all the men in the world 3. From the dignity of the Altar upon which it was offered that was the divine nature Through the eternall Spirit he offered himselfe without spot unto God and so by his bloud purgeth our Consciences from dead workes Heb. 9.14 This Altar sanctified the offering made it sufficient for Gods satisfaction and mans justification for it gave it an infinite acceptance with God so that therein he smelled a sweet savour of rest and was therewith fully pacified and contented The hainousnesse demerit and desert of an offence is much aggravated from the dignity of the person offended and meannesse of the person offending Those revilings which uttered against a mans equalls are but actionable if spoken against a noble man they prove scandalum magnatum and punishable with the pillory if against the supreame Magistrate they come to be of a treasonable nature and punishable with death Even so on the other side the value dignity of satisfaction or merit proceedeth principally from the dignity of the person satisfying or meriting For the quality of the person doth dignify his worke make it of * Tanner answerable value not as though it had any reall influence thereupon but only as a morall circumstance it imparteth to the worke such a respect whereby it deserveth accordingly The Kingly dignity hath no reall influence upon the actions of the King it doth not really advance their nature but onely morally as a morall circumstance it raiseth their rate and estimation maketh them of a greater esteeme and account then otherwise they would be The greatnesse of honour is increased from the excellency of the person honouring For the Prince but to look favourably to speak kindly unto me is a greater honour then the greatest and most crouching obeisance of inferiours Now in giving satisfaction to a partie wronged a man honoureth the partie to whom he giveth it and therefore the more worthy the person satisfying the greater the satisfaction A greater satisfaction it is for a Prince to aske forgivenesse for a wrong committed then for another to undergoe a far sharper penalty Now if the greatnesse of a mans person communicateth an answerable worth either of satisfaction or merit unto that which he doth or suffereth what an infinite value then will the infinitenesse of Christs person adde to that which he wrought for our redemption for the satisfaction of Gods justice and for the acquisition of an inheritance and other priviledges for us The divine and infinite person of Christ doth dignify his obedience and sufferings and maketh them of an answerable of a divine and infinite value able to satisfie Gods infinite justice to expiate the infinite guilt of mans sin not as though it did physically and really advance their nature but only morally as a morall circumstance raise their value and estimation Let a * Mr. Bayne in his Catechisme common man prescribe any thing
It takes * Pareus away the cause and the effect It stops up not onely the fountaine Originall corruption but all the rivulets of actuall transgression The fulnesse of satisfaction in the humiliation of Christ was like the fulnesse of water in the sea And the sea by reason of it's huge vastnesse can drowne mountaines as well as molehils Even so the fulnesse of Christ's satisfaction can swallow up the greatest as well as the least sinnes A second head of disparity is in regard of the potency and prevalency of their effects The offence of Adam brought in a kingdome and tyranny of death If by one mans offence death raigned by one ver 17. But now the obedience and righteousnesse of Christ hath purchased and erected a farre more powerfull eminent and glorious kingdome the Kingdome of life Much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousnesse shall raigne in life by one Jesus Christ ibid. It is very remarkable that whereas the Apostle saith in the former part of the verse by one mans offence death reigned by one he doth not to answere this say in the latter part of the verse life shall raigne by one man Christ Jesus but they which receive abundance of grace c shall reigne in life by one Jesus Christ For this Estius giveth two reasons 1. Because it sounds more sweetly and comfortably to say that justified persons shall reigne by Christ then to say that life shall reigne in those that are justified by Christ And secondly it is to put a difference between the Kingdome of death and the Kingdome of life The Kingdome of death destroyeth all its vassalls but the Kingdome of life contrariwise exalts all its subjects and maketh them to be Kings partakers of the heavenly Kingdome with Christ And thus have you seen out of the Apostle that there is such a wide imparity between the obedience of Christ and the disobedience of Adam as that the satisfaction and merit of Christs obedience is by far more beneficiall unto the Church and people of God then the guilt of Adams sin was prejudiciall In the next place the Apostle prosecutes a comparison of similitude between the efficacy of the sin of the one unto condemnation and of the righteousnesse of the other unto justification and life And this he doth first in proper and then in metaphoricall tearmes In proper tearmes vers 18 19. As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation Even so by the righteousnesse of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous In which words we have the influence of Adams offence and Christs righteousnesse resembled in regard of both intensivenesse and extensivenesse 1. Intensivenesse they are like though not equall in the intension or degree of their efficacy As Adams offence was effectuall to make his posterity sinners to involve and inwrap them in guilt and condemnation so Christs righteousnesse and obedience was available to invest all his members with justification to make them righteous before God unto everlasting life 2. They are resembled proportionally in regard of the extensivenesse of their objects As by the offence of one to wit Adam judgment came upon all men that were his naturall seed by propagation Even so by the righteousnesse of one Christ Iesus the free gift came upon all men that were his spirituall seed by regeneration unto justification of life Secondly This similitude is propounded in metaphoricall tearmes ver 21. That as sin hath reigned unto death even so might grace reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Whereas the kingdome of Originall sinne is made the sequel of Adams transgression So the kingdome of grace is made the consequent of Christs obedience Originall corruption may be tearmed a King in regard 1. of vastnesse of dominion It reigneth before regeneration in all men and in all of men in their mortall bodies as well as their soules 2. In regard of greatnesse of power It hath all the powers of the soule and parts of the body untill they be renewed by the holy Ghost under such a command as the Centurion had his servants or souldiers Math. 8.9 And unto this kingdome of sinne the kingdome of grace by Christ is answerable As sinne reigneth unto death so grace reigneth through righteousnesse by Jesus Christ Now unto the grace and favour of God a kingdome an-answerably is ascribed in two respects 1. in regard of it's powerfull efficacy it is as able to protect and exalt all those to whom it is extended as Originall sinne is to ruine and destroy those that are under it's plenary subjection 2. in regard of its plentifull fruits grace reigneth by Jesus Christ By him there is a large kingdome a great abundance of grace answerable to the kingdome and abundance of sinne in us to the reigning of sinne unto death The subjects of this kingdome receive abundance of grace and of the fruit of righteousnesse ver 17. There is one thing more in the text that much conduceth unto the glory of this kingdome of grace and that is the continuation of it unto eternity Other kingdomes may expire But grace shall reigne through righteousnesse unto eternall life And thus the Apostle declareth what a great purchase Christ by his all-sufficient merits hath made in the behalfe of his members He hath purchased for them grace and favour with the God of heaven nay a powerfull rich and an absolutely eternall kingdome of grace O how happy and glorious shall all those soules be that are found in Christ standing by faith under the coverture of His merits and righteousnesse Grace shall reigne over them through righteousnesse unto eternall life Secondly Christ may be considered according unto his state of exaltation and so there dwelled in him an all fulnesse of glory There was a manifestation of the All-fullnesse of glory that was essentiall unto his Godhead A reall collation of an all-fulnesse of glory upon his manhood First then in the exaltation of Christ there was a manifestation of the all-fulnesse the infinitenesse of glory that was essentiall unto the Godhead This divine glory of his was for a time as it were laid aside clouded and eclipsed by the forme of a servant the infirmities of his humane nature the miseries of his life and by the shame and paine of his death But in his exaltation the father glorified him according unto his desire and prayer John 17.5 with his owne selfe with the glory which he had with him before the world was that is the father manifested and displayed in him that glory which he had from all eternity in a way of equality with himselfe By the resurrection he was declared to be the sonne of God with power Rom. 1.4 and therefore possessed of an infinite glory for the sonne of God
of God When our soules are sinlesse then they shall be compleatly happy and therefore the inchoatiō of their blisse consisteth in repentance for mortification of sinne The vessell of our bodies shall one day be replenished with glory therefore every one should know how to possesse it in sanctification and honour not in the lust of concupiscence 1 Thes 4.4 Christ will fashion our bodies like unto his glorious body and therefore unfitting to debase them unto the drudgery of sinne O how can they hereafter be meete receptacles of and qualified subjects for glory if we wholly make them the instruments of our lusts and their members weapons of unrighteousnesse vessels unto honour should purge themselves from vessels unto dishonour and not prostitute themselves unto such sordid uses as those are applied unto 2 Timoth. 2. vers 20 21. If we are vessels of mercy which God hath prepared unto glory and on whom he will make knowne the riches of his glory Rom. 9.23 we shall be very ungratefull if we doe not glorify him in our bodies and spirits 1 Cor. 6.20 if we employ any faculty of this or member of that unto his dishonour The blessednesse of glorious saints in heaven is to see God face to face 1 Cor. 13.12 to see Christ as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 And therefore for this every gracious saint prepareth by seeking his face here in his ordinances Psalm 27.8 Because God will one day make knowne unto us the wayes of life Psalm 16.11 in a way of possession therefore it is fit that now we apply our selves unto Gods shewing us the way of life in the way of instruction and revelation Our constant prayer should be that of Davids Psalm 25.4,5 Shew me thy waies o Lord teach me thy paths lead me in thy truth and teach me Christ prayeth in the behalfe of all the elect those whom his father hath given him that they may be where he is and that they may there behold that is enjoy his glory which God hath given him John 17.24 Now unto this prayer our soules do not say a hearty Amen unlesse they pant after the assemblies of the saints and communion with Christ in them as the hart panteth after the water brookes Ps 42.1,2 Where two or three are gathered together in the name of Christ there hath he promised to be in the midst of them Math. 18.20 And they that loath such society would soon be tired and cloyed with the happinesse of heaven There are persons loathing Christ and loathed by him those that principally affect such and delight most in their felloship and company do not cordially care to come where Christ now is in his exalted condition and if their hearts were left unto their liberty of choice they would refuse the pleasures of paradise for those of an alebench or taverne if they were perpetuall And if it were possible for thē to have a view of the glory which God hath given Christ they would quickly be weary of so happy a sight and turne away their eies from beholding it Thus have I at last gone over the severall branches of that all-fulnesse which dwelleth in Christ I shall briefly insist upon some uses that may be made of them considered jointly and so I shall put a conclusion unto my meditations upon this subject These Uses shall be either of information exhortation or consolation 1. Of Information and they shall be two 1. From this all-fulnesse that dwelleth in Christ we may inferre his incomprehensiblenesse He is a mine unto the bottome of which we can never digge He is an ocean that can never be fathomed His riches are said to be unsearchable Ephes 3.8 which Epithet denoteth the undiscoverablenesse of them by the light of nature the incomprehensiblenesse of them by the light of faith 1. The absolute undiscoverablenesse of them by the light of nature Flesh and bloud can never reveale them so that without divine revelatiō we had been as utterly ignorāt of thē as the world was of the mines of America before the discovery of Columbus The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trāslated unsearchable signifieth not to be traced out by the footsteps for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to find out by the footsteps The riches of Christ are not to be traced out by any footsteps of them for in the whole book of the creature there are no vestigia no prints left of them 2. The riches of Christ are said to be unsearchable in regard of their incomprehensiblenesse by the light of faith We may comprehend them manu not visu 1 Cor. 2.9 That faith which is most quick sighted doth not reach a full adequate and comprehensive knowledge of them Of the riches of glory it hath only a glimpse and that a farr off The riches of grace redemption righteousnesse c. it seeth only darkly and dimmely as through a glasse and then the riches of his divine person and nature are absolutely infinite and therefore cannot be comprehended by the finite understanding of man For between the object comprehended and the power or faculty comprehending there must be a proportion But between that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion As the Apostle saith here of the riches of Christ in generall that they are unsearchable so in Col. 2.3 he affirmeth particularly concerning the treasures of wisdome and knowledge in Christ that they are hidden and they are said to be hidden because they are totally and altogether concealed from the unregenerate Math. 16.16 1 Cor. 2.14 1 Cor. 1.23 And because they are but sparingly and in measure here in this life manifested unto the regenerate 1 Cor. 13.12 2. From this all-fulnesse that dwelleth in Christ we may inferre the excellency and preciousnesse of the calling of the ministry for it is by God designed unto the proposall and application of this all-fulnesse unto the sons of men and what calling or office can have a richer a more noble and diviner object We have saith the Apostle this treasure in earthen vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 Though the most faithfull holy and diligent ministers of the Gospell be but earthen vessels yet they hold a divine and heavenly treasure In Christ are hid all the treasures of grace of wisdome and knowledge And ministers are Christs Almoners and cofferers to distribute these treasures unto poor hungry and naked soules And what imployment can be more honourable in it selfe and more beneficiall unto a man by the fall of Adam sunke into an extremity of want and poverty The Apostle Paul acknowledgeth that to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ was a great grace given unto him Eph. 3.8 where I shall take notice of three things 1. The riches of Christ were either such as he was possest of in himselfe or such as he communicatth unto us 1. Such as he is possest of in himselfe The riches of his person and natures his rich and glorious offices the riches of his satisfaction
merit spirit knowledge power and glory 2. Such as he communicateth unto us the riches of justification sanctification and glorification 2. To unfold the Metaphor riches imply 1. plenty 2. plenty of things that are of price and value 3. These riches are said to be unsearchable because undiscoverable by the meere light of nature though never so much improved and because incomprehensible by the light of grace though never so much raised Now to apply all this to our present purpose here be three things in the object of a ministers study and worke to set forth the dignity of his office 1. Largenesse 2. Preciousnesse 3. Mysteriousnesse 1. It is a large wide and extensive object Riches and riches so unsearchable as that they can never be counted or summed up by any created understanding 2. It is a precious and rich object riches and riches of Christ Unto all riches things of worth are required But these riches are of an extraordinary nature they are of Christ and therefore divine and heavenly Lastly it is a mysterious deepe and abstruse object The riches of Christ are unsearchable for nature â—an make no discovery of them at all and even grace can make but a very defective and inadequate discovery of them We know but in part 1 Cor. 13.12 2. From the all-fulnesse that dwelleth in Christ I shall inferre and presse two Exhortations The first shall be unto those that as yet have no interest in Christ Because there dwelleth in him all-fullnesse therefore he is an all-satisfying object an object that will quiet and content the soule of a man and therefore hence they may be exhorted unto a most diligent appliance of themselves unto those meanes by which God ordinarily unites unto Christ those whom he hath given him among'st the sonnes of men Out of Christ it fareth with a soule as with Noah's dove at her first sending forth before the waters were abated from off the face of the ground She can find no rest for the sole of her foot Gen. 8.8,9 All the honours and preferments that the most ambitious hopes can fancy to it selfe All the riches treasures that both the Indies can afford the treasures of darkenesse and hidden riches of secret places Esay 45.3 the precious things of the earth and the fulnesse thereof Deut. 33.16 the fulnesse of the wine presse Numb 18.27 the hid treasure with which God filleth the belly of the men of this world Psal 17.14 to be filled with the finest or fat of the wheat Psal 147.14 All these cannot yield full satisfaction unto a reasonable soule in that they will still prove improportionate unto it's na ure which is spirituall and to it's capacity which is boundlesse and therefore must needs leave the soule unquiet the mind unsatisfied alwaies flitting from one thing unto another the desires still roving and restlesse still longing after higher honours and more riches And therefore as our Saviour saith a mans life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth Luk. 12.15 But now Christ and his fulnesse are proportionable both unto the spirituall nature and boundlesse capacities of our soules and therefore abundantly satisfactory 1. Vnto their spirituall nature that his fullnesse will suite and fit well enough in that it is spirituall His riches treasures his feast of fat things of fat things full of marrow c. Esay 25.6 are all spirituall 2. Vnto their boundlesse capacitie for his fulnesse is an all fullnesse in some particulars of it there is an absolute infinitenesse as in the fulnesse of his God head in the fulnesse of his satisfaction merit therefore there is in it an all-sufficiency to satisfie the desires of the soules Hereupon he is tearmed the desire of all nations Hag. 2.7 not onely a person desired or desirable in the concrete but desire in the abstract Now this importeth saith Bishop Lake upon the words that he is totus desiderabilis altogeather and in every part desirable and totum desiderabile whatsoever the heart of man can desire all that can be desired Esau said unto his father hast thou not reserved a blessing for me hast thou but one blessing O my father Blesse me even me also O my father Gen. 27.36,38 There is no colour for any such language unto Christ for in him dwelleth all-fulnesse of blessings blessings enough to satisfie the desire of all believers in all nations He hath reserved a blessing for the Gentiles so that they partake of the roote and fatnesse of the olive-tree Rom. 11.17 Plutarch in the life of Phocion When a certaine Gentlewoman of Jonia shewed the wife of Phocion all the rich Jewels and precious stones she had she answered her againe all my riches and Jewels is my husband Phocion Every believing soule hath farre greater reason to speake thus of it's husband Christ for in him it is pessest of such unsearchable riches and treasures as that in comparison of it all the wealth in the world is but drosse and dirtâ— It hath a share in his all-fulnesse and therefore it will set downe its rest and enjoy full satisfaction with the Martyr it will cry None but Christ none but Christ With the Psalmist It will say whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Psalm 73.25 I wish for nothing but this that I may alwaies feed on relish and tast of thy sweetnesse fatnesse and fulnesse Unto this proportion that is in Christs fulnesse unto the soule adde we in the next place the perpetuitie hereof Christ is as a suitable so an eternall good unto the soule For this all-fulnesse will dwell in him unto all eternitie He is that tree of life spoken of Revel 22.2 that shall beare twelve manner of fruits and yield her fruit every moneth He shall be no wither'd no barren tree but fruitfull and the fruit that he shall beare shall be precious He shall be a tree of life Next it shall be plentifull twelve manner of fruits Unto it lastly there shall agree a lasting verdure and freshnesse It shall yield fruit every moneth There shall be with it a perpetuall Autumne A Spanish Ambassadour when the Venetians made ostentation unto him of their vast and replenished treasurie he told them that their treasurie had no roote and therefore might soone be drained But the treasury of his master had a roote the mines of America so that when his coffers were emptie he could quickly replenish them againe All terrestriall treasures and riches are rootlesse and therefore may be consumed and end in want and poverty But the spirituall riches and treasures of a Christian have an eternall roote in the heavens the all-fulnesse that dwelleth in Christ and therefore can never be exhausted although they may be much diminished when by sins of presumption they put a stop unto some influences of this unwithered roote What hath been said serveth to shew us the miserable estate of
Priestly empty the golden oyle out of themselves Zech. 4.12 These are the wings that is the beames and rayes of the Sun of righteousnesse Mal. 4.2 the vehicula of its influence In Psalm 36.8 we have a promise of sweet and abundant satisfaction unto Believers but it is affixed unto the ordinances of God They shall be abundantly satisfyed with the fatnesse of thy house What Paul Rom. 15.29 assureth himselfe touching his coming among the Romanes is appliable in some degree unto the ministery of even ordinary pastours and teachers It is in the fulnesse of the blessing of the Gospell of Christ that is as Lyra glosseth it in the abundance of spirituall grace so that their congregations if they receive the Gospell with all readinesse of mind shall to use the words of Calvin upon the place spiritualibus Evangelii divitiis affluere abound in all spirituall riches of the Gospell God ordinarily doth so largely blesse the labours of pious and painfull ministers as that for a seale of their ministry he makes them instrumentall in imparting unto Gods people in their flocks not onely some Rom. 1.11 but all spirituall gifts and graces that are sanctifying and saving Lastly here is a word of Consolation for every soule that is united unto Christ We may say of Christ what the wise man did of his feare Prov. 19.23 He that hath him shall abide satisfyed he shall not be visited with evill What the Poëts fancied of their cornu copia may more truly be averred of Christ that as they feigned afforded them who possessed it whatsover they desired And Christ yeilds unto them who have interest in him a supply of all that they can lawfully and will throughly and effectually wish and aske for It is but asking and we have Christs promise to receive that our joy may be full Joh. 16.24 He is plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon him Psalm 86.5 There dwelleth an all fulnesse in the head and therefore there cannot be an emptinesse in any of the members for he received this all-fulnesse for them and therefore he will either derive unto them or imploy for them every parcell of it In him there is as fulnesse so bountifulnesse he is as full so bountifull most ready to impart unto others that fulnesse which for their sakes he is possessed of We may say of him what Solomon doth of the clouds Eccl. 11.3 If they be full of raine they empty themselves upon the earth Christ is full of every desirable good and he will empty himselfe upon every one that is related unto him In some sort he communicates unto them most particulars of his fulnesse He imployeth the fulnesse of his office and authority and he layeth out the fulnesse of his sufficiency to promote their salvation He communicates unto them even the very fulnesse of his Godhead in a way of anology and resemblance Saint Peter speaks of an Analogicall participation of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 The fulnesse of his grace and favour with God he makes use of to ingratiate us with God and he makes us the objects of his owne fulnesse of Love and favour As for the fulnesse of his habituall grace we have the very same grace for kind imparted unto us though farre different in measure We receive of his fulnesse grace for grace John 1.16 The fulnesse of his satisfaction and merit is communicated unto us by imputation that is acceptation it is accepted for us unto our justification From his fulnesse of glory he will derive some beames unto us He will fashion our bodies unto an imitation of his glorious body And unto this there will be presupposed in our soules a resemblance of the glory and happinesse of his soule for the body is happy and glorious by redundancy from the soule This premised what is there that should perplex a soule that is in a state of Union with Christ Is it wants and emptinesse why it hath the all-fulnesse of Christ to gage for a supply Is it its owne impotency and disability why unto that it may oppose Christs all-sufficiency Though we be not able of our selves to contribute any thing towards our salvation yet he that hath undertaken the worke is able to save unto the uttermost and he is also authorized hereunto He hath all power given unto him in heaven earth a fulnesse of office and Authority Is Originall corruption a trouble unto them that rendred them children of wrath in their cradles and in the wombe Against the discomfort of that they should set Christs fulnesse of grace and favour with God for this will purchase the grace of Adoption for all that are his He is the son of Gods love and therefore in him he will be well pleased with them Doe they complaine as the Psalmist we are exceedingly filled with contempt Our soule is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease and with the contempt of the proud Psalm 123.3,4 Why upon this they would look with an eye of contempt if they did but consider how their blessed Saviour is full of grace love and favour towards them Are they disquieted with the sight and sense of the defects and imperfections that are in their graces why they are covered with the fulnesse of Christs habituall grace and holinesse Is the vast guilt of their actuall enormities a terrour unto them why◠all their sins are swallowed up by the fulnesse and infinitenesse of Christs fatisfaction Doe they grieve for the blemishes of their good workes which are so farre from meriting heaven as that they supererogate for hell and damnation Why though there be a necessity of doing good workes necessitas praecepti and medii yet there is no need of meriting by them for our Head by his infinite merits hath purchased more glory then our natures are capable of And of this fulnesse of glory he is possessed now in heaven in our behalfe as our Attorney and in his appointed time the times of restitution of all things he will derive of this his fulnesse of glory unto us according unto our capacity which he confirmeth and assureth unto us by his promise in the Gospell by the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts FINIS Bookes Printed for and to be sold by Thomas Robinson in Oxford CHronicon Historiam Catholicam Complectens ab exordio Mundi ad nativitatem D. N. Jesu Christi exinde ad annum à Christo nato LXXI Authore Ed. Simson S.T.D. in folio An Answer to M. Hoards Book entituled Gods Love to Mankind by William Twisse D.D. Together with a Vindication of D. Twisse from the Exceptions of M. John Goodwin in his Redemption Redeemed by Henry Jeanes in folio A Treatise of Fruit-Tree shewing the manner of Grafting Setting Pruning and Ordering of them in all respects according to new and easy Rules of Experience gathered in the space of twenty years by Ra. Austen in 4o. XXII Lectiones Tredecim Orationes sex Conciones
it is spoken of Christ properly and chiefly according unto his humane nature He is stiled by the Psalmist the man of God's right hand Psal 80.17 To denote think some that as man he sits at the right hand of God This may be farther proved not only from the Creed commonly called the Apostles Creed but also from Ephes 1.20 For from hence I thus argue Christ was set at the right hand of God in regard of the same nature wherein he was raised from the dead But it was his humane nature that was raysed from the dead and therefore it was in respect of that that he was placed at the right hand of God and consequently unto that all power was given in heaven and earth That shall be the observation which hence I shall pursue Observ All mediatory power was dispensed unto Christ's humanity after it's resurrection This I shall explain confirme and apply 1. For Explication Christ's power of Authority as Mediatour is twofold 1. Special over his Church 2. General not only in the Church but out of the Church over all creatures in heaven and in earth 1. Then Christ as Mediatour hath a special and direct power over his Church And that this power is comprized in the text though not only is agreed unto on all hands Concerning it we have in the Text these particulars remarkable 1. The kind 2. The cause or original 3. The fulness or extent of it 1. For the kind of it it is a spiritual power over the soules and consciences of men Joh. 18.36 Rom. 14.17 2. For the Original of it it is given and that in a twofold sense 1. It is data or dispensatoria in opposition to ingenita or nativa it is not a natural but donative dispensatory or delegated power 2. It is data in opposition to rapta it is given not usurpt therefore a just and lawful power 3. Next we have the fulness or extent of it and that 1. intrinsecal 2. Extrinsecal 1. Intrinsecal He hath all sorts and kinds of spiritual power the Prophetical Priestly and Kingly power 2. Extrinsecal His power as Mediatour extendeth unto all places All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth In heaven the Church Triumphant in earth the Church Militant Here he hath power to distribute grace there he hath power to conferre glory Unto these particulars expressed in the text I shall adde the limitation or restriction of this power in regard of time and that 1. in regard of it's first collation 2. in respect of it's whole duration 1. In regard of it's first collation Our Saviour saith Maldonat so speakes as if he had not this power before the resurrection For he speakes as of a new matter Now all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth and therefore now I give you your full commission Goe ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing them c. And for this he quotes Athanasius But now this is to be understood not so much concerning his commission or Authority in it selfe as of the plenary execution thereof Thus Lyra. Although Christ saith he as man from the very first moment of his conception had power in heaven and earth authoritativè yet he had it not executivè before his resurrection The Baptisme of Christ was as you may see in * Theol. med lib. 1. cap. 21. Sect. 32 33 34 35. Ames his publique inauguration to the publique performance of his office Therefore in it as he there sheweth at large the three offices of Christ are affirmed and confirmed But yet notwithstanding all this there was an enlargement of all his offices after his resurrection in point of execution Thus first there was an enlargement of his Prophetical office The first commission that he opened unto his Apostles was only to goe to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and to refraine the way of the Gentiles and the Cities of the Samaritans Math. 10.5,6 But now he enlargeth their commission and commands them to disciple baptize and teach all nations Besides by his inspired instruments he hath compleated the rule of our faith and manners not only in respect of essentials for so it was before but also in regard of all it 's integral parts 2. There was an enlargement of his Priestly office for now he interced's not so much in an oral as in a real way not in the humble posture of a supplyant as it were with bended knees with strong cryings and teares as in the dayes of his humiliation Heb. 5.7 But in an Authoritative way gloriously representing unto his Father those things which he hath done and suffered for his Elect. When we say that Christ now interced's in a way of Authority our meaning is not that he hath authority to command the Father For to affirme that were blasphemy but that he hath a right unto whatsoever he interced's for as having amply merited it at the hands of his Father so that his intercession is virtute pretii in vertue of the price that he hath paid and purchase that he hath made in the behalfe of all the Elect. 3. There was after his resurrection an enlargement of his Kingly office in poinâ—…f execution 1. The institution of all ordinances and all offices in his Church or Kingdome whether extraordinary or ordinary was fully compleated Ephes 4.11,12,13 During his forty dayes converse with his Apostles after his resurrection he spake with them of the things pertaining to the Kingdome of God Acts. 1.3 And then doubtless gave them full directions for his worship as also for the present and future government of his Church and shortly afterwards he powred on them miraculous gifts and graces of his spirit to qualifie them for the propagation of his Gospel or Kingdome 2. The borders of his Kingdome were enlarged for before they were confined unto Judah and Israel Psal 76.1,2 and such few Proselites as joyned themselves unto the communion of that Church but now he hath the heathen for his inheritance the utmost parts of the earth for his possession Psal 2.8 the Kingdomes of this world are become the Kingdomes of our Lord and his Christ Revel 11.15 2. We have a limitation or restriction of this power in regard of the time of it's whole duration 1 Cor. 15.24 When the end commeth then he shall deliver up the Kingdome to God even the Father that is he shall surrender up to his Father his mediatory power and Kingdome which he now administreth and which he received for the gathering protection and salvation of his Church and subduing of all his and our enemies And this is all that I shall say at present touching Christs special power or Authority that he hath in his Church Divers are of the opinion as you may see in M. Gillespies Aarons rod blossoming pag. 214 215 that this only is the all-power meant in the text But I rather incline unto those that understand it in such an extent as that