the Marcionites yea all such as deny Christ to bee perfect man or to be come in the flesh Saint g 2. Ioh. 7. Iohn brands them with a character of Antiâhrist saying Many deceiuers are entred into the world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh hee âhat is such an one is a deceiuer and an Antichrist Made of a woman he doth not say genitus ex muliers that is begotten of a woman Erasm annot in Textum for though Christ had the materials of his body from Mary yet the holy Ghost was agent in his wonderfull conception Ex muliere non in muliere of a woman not in a woman as Gorranus and Aquinas vpon this place which confutes h Aug. haer 11. Valentinus heresie who taught that Christ had not his body from the Virgin Mary but brought it down from heauen passed thorow the wombe of the Virgin as water thorow a conduit pipe contrary to the text here Made of a woman and the Preposition i Aquinas in locum ex notes the matter as an house is made of stones and timber c. So k Luke 1.42 Elizabeth speaks to Mary Blessed is the fruit of thy wombe So l Rom. 9.5 Pecerit filium mater a quo ipsa nutriretur potiusqua nutriret c. Aug. ser 6. de nat domi Paul speaking of the Israelites saith Of whom are the Fathers and of whom Christ concerning the flesh came c. Quid nobilius Dei Matre quid castius quâ corpus sine corporis contagione generauit c. Ambro. de virt lib. 2. Si quis sanctam Mariam Dei param non credit extra diuinitatem est Si quis Christum per Virginem tanquam per canalem fluxisse non autem in ea diuino modo quia absque viri opera humano quia iuxt a pariendi consuetudinem formatum esse dixerit aequè Atheus est saith m Nazian Orat. 51. Nazianen or as n Chrysost hom in Psal 9. Chrysostome Maria dei filium concepit credens verbo hoc verbum caro factum est c. that is The Virgin Mary did conceiue the Son of God beleeuing the Word and this Word was made flesh how as o Aug. hom 2. de Natiuit Christi Austen speakes of the same words non deposita sed seposita Maiestate The same p Aug. Ser. 6. in Nat. Domi. Vnigenitus Dei existens ante secula ex Maria vtero natus est homo Gregor Carnem induit verbii Deus ex Sancta Virgine c. Epiph. contra Collyridianos baer 79. Father of this point as in all other excellently Peperit Virgo filium qui Deo filios faceret c. Portanit in vtero filium mater et hunc fudit in forma serui in terris quem habent Angeli imperatorem in coelis that is The Virgin brought foorth a Sonne who should make sonnes to GOD the mother carries the Sonne in her wombe and is borne in the shape of a seruant on earth whom the Angels haue as their Emperour or ruler in heauen So that Valentinus was vaine and much deceiued in dreaming that Christ had not his body from the Virgin Mary when our Text saith He was made of a woman In which Quomodo how you may behold great nay vnspeakeable humiliation that He who is the Creatour of heauen and earth and to vse Saint q Aug. Ser. 27. de temp Austens words Factor terrae factus in terra exterra that is the Maker of the earth made of earth that Hee who was the Father of Mary should be the child of Mary Sine r Aug. Ser. 16. de temp quo pater nunquam fuit sine quo mater nunquam fuisset that is without whom the Father neuer was without whom the mother neuer had beene This is such a wonder that I may burst forth in Å¿ Ier. 2.12 Ieremies admiration Obstupescite coeli super hoc that is O yee heauens be astonied at this And this ineffable and admirable humiliation of Christ as Polanus t Polan part lib. 1. pag. 58. parts it is diuided into two branches 1. The Incarnation Made of a woman 2. The perfection of his obedience Made vnder the âaw And the Incarnation of Christ hath three parts 1. His conception Conceiued of the holy Ghost Vide Pola part sup dicto loco 2. The personall vnion of both natures 3. The natiuity I will but euen mention them to âour memories 1. Conceiued of the holy Ghost It is an Article of our âith declared by the tongue of an u Luke 1.35 Fides matris non libido cònceperat Aug enchirid cap. 34. Angell that is The âoly Ghost shal come vpon thee and the power of the most âigh shall ouershadow thee For as workes of power are ascribed to the Father workes of wisdome to the Sonne and workes of loue to âhe holy Ghost so this being a worke of highest loue it ãâã specially ascribed to the holy * Maldonat in 1. Matth. Spirit And this Article confutes three sorts of hereticks âirst the x Iraen lib. 1. cap. 25. Cerinthians secondly the y Clem. Rom. instit lib. 6. c. 6. Ebionites thirdly âe z Iraen lib. 1. cap. 24. Fecit grauidam Virginem ipse qui erat nasciturus ex Virgine c. Aug ser 6. in Nat. Domi. Carpocratian hereticks who all held and maintaiâed that Christ was the naturall Sonne of Ioseph Verus merus homo that is a meere naturall man begotten of âoseph contrary to the expresse Text Ioseph knew her not âill she had brought forth her first borne Sonne Mat. 1. the âast verse 2. The personall vnion of both Natures I will conâlude with two testimonies of diuine Scripture first that âf * Iohn 1.14 Iohn The Word was made flesh And as a Musc loc com tit de verb. Incarn Musculus âightly comments vpon those words There was made in âhe wombe of the Virgin a coniunction of the Word and the âlesh that is to say of the nature of God and man there is âhe personall Vnion The second place out of b 1. Tim. 3. the last Timothy God is manifested in âhe flesh the which words the learned c Piscat super cum locum Piscator paraâhrases thus Filius natura sua diuina inuisibilis effecit se âisibilem assumpta vera natura humana in vnitatem sua âersonae that is the Son of God in his diuine nature inuisible made him visible in assuming our humane nature into the vnion of his person In a word with d Aug. Epist 3. Augustine Homo Deo accessit non Deus à se recessit Our Lord tooke vpon him that which he was not and left not to bee that which he was 3. The Natiuity the manner of his Birth I shall speak of that afterward as God shall assist and the time permiâ And in this Incarnation of Christ and
is tossed with Satans winds and waues vnda superaduenit vndae one waue of error followes another like Iobs * Iob 1. messengers in the necke of another that vnlesse we be godly-wise to put a difference twixt person and nature it wil be perillous to scape the rocks and easily catch in these Meanders and Labirinths of Satan And herein to call to your remembrance one principle of your faith you are to know that there is one person of one selfe same Christ Yet two Natures * In personali vnione distinctae manent incoÌfusae naturae siue proprietates siue essentiam siue operationes earum spectes Polan part l. 1. pag. 59. distinct inconfusae not confounded and yet a personall vnion of both Natures not one disseuered from another That of God which is of the Word which tooke vpon him flesh and that of man which is of the flesh that was assumed of which none is changed into the other but each of them doe keepe their proper and naturall condition either in respect of the essence proprieties or operations of them So that there is a threefold plenitude in our Redeemer Christ Iesus 1. Verus Deus true God 2. Verus homo true man 3. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã i. God and man by a personall vnion the which three are equipollent to those three wonderfull workes of the omnipotent Maiesty in the Assumption of the flesh and as S. u Bern. ser 10. Bernard stiles them Mirabiliter singularia singulariter mirabilia i. miraculously singular and singularly miraculous What bee they 1. The Coniunction of both Natures Deus homo i. God and man Secondly Mater virgo that is Marie his mother and yet a Virgin Thirdly fides cor humanum i. faith and mans heart vnited by beleeuing it And surely the first three are as equally wonderfull first true God secondly true man thirdly God and man As God plenus gloria full of glory as man plenus obedientia full of obedience as God and man plenus gratia full of grace I meane gratia * See the Bish of Ely his Sermon preached on Easter day 1614. p. 19. vnionis the grace of vnion âor other grace in Christ I take that Diuines know âone Now concerning Christs diuine nature propounded âere God sent his Sonne I shall not need to spend much âime none but Atheists or hereticks deny it The Scripâure which is the mouth of God and Oracle of truth eâery where testifie the verity of Christs Deity and Diâinity So * Col. 1.15.16 Paul to the Colossians saith That Christ is the âmage of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures For by him were all things made in heauen or earth visible ând inuisible Angels c. So x Mat. 16.16 Peter Thou art Christ the Sonne of the liuing God So y Psalm 2.7 Dauid Thou art my Sonne this day haue I begotten âhee So z Iohn 20.28 Thomas saith to Christ My Lord and my God So * Rom. 9.5 Paul calles Christ God ouer all blessed for euer So our a Iohn 5.23 Sauiour saith of himselfe that all men should honour the Sonne as they honour the Father So b Col. 2.9 Iohn 5.19 1. Iohn 1.2.20 Iohn 16.15 Iohn 5.26 Matth. 28.18 Phil. 2.6 Paul saith of Christ that in him dwelleth all the fulnesse of the God-head bodily Yea innumerable testimonies of Scripture to auerre the same The Scripture ascribes the same diuine proprieties to the Sonne which be attributed to the Father that he is omnipotens omnipraesens omnisciens ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã that is omnipotent omnipresent all-knowing the knower of the secrets of the heart Rom. 2.16 Yea to conclude this with the words of the c Heb. 1.2.3 Author to the Hebrewes speaking of Christ That he is the heyre of all things by whom God made the world the brightnesse of the glory and the ingraued forme of his person and bearing vp all things by his mighty word c. d Prudentius in Psychomachia Ille manet quod semper erat quod non erat esse incipiens He that was euer an eternall God in mans nature tooke a beginning By these testimonies are confuted diuers hereticks Zanchius in Phil. 2.5 1. Ebion Cerinthus Photinus Paulus Samosatenus holding that Christ had no being before hee tooke on him the shape of man 2. Sophronius and * Caluin harm in Ioh. 1. c. 1. Seruetus imagining that the Word was not actually and really subsisting from eternity non fuisse rem verè subsistentem sed decretum tantummodò in mente Dei de hoc homine creando sua deitate implendo Not to be a substance truly subsisting but only a decree of God of creating this man and fulfilling him by his Deity 3. Carpocrates and Arrius acknowledging that Christ had another nature besides his humane but not of the same substance with the Father 4. * Bellarm. praefat lib. 1. de Christo Philoponus Valentin Gentilis and other Tritheists impiously maintaining that the three persons are three Gods essentially differing in number and nature whereas the Catholicke faith acknowledges with Athanasius in his Creed that the God-head of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one c. Thus Christ being true God tooke on him the shape of * Homo factus naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam Aug. epist 120. cap. 36. Ruffinus in symbol man not by confusion of Substance but by personall Vnion God sent his Sonne not adopted Sonne as all the elect are by grace not Sonne by creation as the Angels and Adam was before his fall but his naturall Sonne be gotten from eternity called Gods onely begotten Sonne So God loued the world that he gaue his only * Vocatur vnigenitus qui ante humanam naturam existebat c. Vrsin doct Chri. pag. 373. begotten Son c. Ioh. 3.16 Equall to the Father as touching his Godhead for whatsoeuer things the Father doth the same things doth the Sonne also Ioh. 5.19 For he is of the same nature ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã not ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã as the Greeke Writers of the same not of the like nature Gods naturall Sonne and so âaturally God of the same essence with his Father Qui âlius Dei naturalis est habet eaudem integram impartiâelem Dei essentiam communicatam saith * Vrsin doct Ch. 2. par pag. 382. Vrsinus that is âee that is the naturall Sonne of God hath the same âotall and impartible essence of God communicaâed c. So that damnable and detestable is the heresie of Photinus Ebion Cerinthus c. infringing Christs Godhead whose diuinity is here expressed God sent his Sonne here is the Quis. Next followeth Quomodo how or in what manner âee was sent Factus ex muliere Made of a woman if made of a woman then Hee was perfect man which oâerthrowes the heresie of
Eodem loco Efficacia est communis Tribus persoâis modus autem est filio proprius that is the efficacy comâon to the Trinity the manner is solely proper to the âonne 2. You may perceiue that fond and forlorne heresie âf * Vide Calu. harm in Ioh. 1. c. 1. Vrsin doct Christ 2. par pag. 378. Sabellius who denied Christ to bee a distinct person âom the Father and the holy Spirit affirmed here God âent his Sonne Alius personaliter non aliud essentialiter ânother personally though not another essentially as ãâã Austen filius ex ipso cum ipso hoc quod ipse i. g Aug. de Ciu. dei lib. 11. ca. 10 Lomb. 1. sent dist 25. The Sonne âf himselfe with himselfe the same which himselfe as âhe foresaid S. h August ser 4 de temp Austen speakes We know and beleeue the Vnity of the Godhead yet a * In summa Trinitate tantum est vna quantum tres simul sunt ita singula sunt in singulis singula in omnibus omnia in omnibus vnum omnia Aug. lib. 6. de Trinitat Trinity of persons God in essence one in persons three and yet an Vnity in Trinity and a Trinity in Vnity all Co-equall Co-essentiall Co-eternall yet all distinct the Father from the Sonne the Sonne from the Father and the holy Ghost from both I might here meet with the heresies of Arrius Paulus Samosatenus Seruetius and others who maintaine that the Sonne is not equall to the Father but the Apostle i. Phil. 2.6 Paul hath condemned this error saying Christ being in the forme of God thought it no robbery to be equal with God yea it is an orthodoxe Axiome of truth and beliefe that * Vrsin doct Christ 2. par pag. 381. ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã ãâã est patri equalis consubstantialis i. the Word is equall to the Father and consubstantiall true it is that alius pater alius filius est the Father is one and the Sonne another But how Non alius Deus pater nec alius Deus filius nec alius Deus Spiritus sanctus hi enim Tres vnum sunt as writes k Vrsin doct Christ pag. 382. Vrsinus that is The Father is not another God or the Sonne another God or the holy Ghost another God for these three be one The Father is first not in priority of Nature Honor or Time but l Perkins vpon the Creed Order or as the Scholemen Prioritate originis in priority of beginning Pater est principium non de principio Filius principium a principio saith m Thâm 1. part sââ quaest â3 art 4. Thomas that is The Father is beginning not of beginning the Sonne beginning from beginning In principio erat hoc est a principio erat saith n Theophil enarrat in 1. Ioh. cap. 1. Theophilact that is In the beginning was the Word that is from beginning Or as Austen Principium principio carens that is A beginning wanting beginning Or as o Caluin har in 1. Ioh. cap. 1. Caluin Principium omni tempore superius a beginning before all time indeed as a p Aug. de Trin. lib. 4 cap. 20. Father writes Pater est totius Diuinitatis vel Deitatis principium that is The Father is the eternal beginning of the Deity and as Athanasius in his Creed The Father is of none the Sonne is of the Father alone and the holy Ghost of Both. Filius per aeternam generationem spiritus per aeternam processionem saith * Piscat in Ioh. 1. cap. 1. Piscator i. The Son by an eternall generation the holy Ghost by an eternall procession I will conclude this mystery with q Ber. de consid ad Eugen. lib. 5. Vbi quaritur vnitas trinitatis nec periculosius alicubi erratur nec aliquid laboriosius quaeritur nec fructuosius aliquid inuenitur c. Aug. lib. 1. de Trinit Bernards words Scrutari temeritas credere pietas nosse vita est i. Too subtilly to explore it is temerity to adore it simply is true piety to know it fully brings eternitie 3. Behold that exploded heresie of Photinus who denied the diuine Nature of Christ acknowledging him perfect man but not God which diuine nature is propounded God sent his Sonne that is filium ex essentia Patris genitum i. the Sonne begotten of the Essence of his Father and it is a diuine rule among * Vrsin s 2. part pag. 382. Diuines that Essentia diuina nec diuidi nec multiplicari nec alia creari potest i. The diuine Essence cannot be diuided multiplied or another created therefore perfect God in respect of his diuine nature and this confutes Ebion and Cerinthus two hereticks that denied that Christ was not true God before he assumed flesh which also the Euangelist Iohn more at large declares 1. Iohn 14. The word was made flesh and that this word was God before he shewes in the 1. verse of all And that Word was God si Sermo Deus ergo aeternus Deus saith r Caluin harm in cum locum Caluin If the word was God therefore God from euerlasting Now you are to know that the * Persona Christi vna est quia vnus est Christus Polan part lib. 1. pag. 57. person of Christ is one for but one Christ his natures two as I mentioned in the beginning Diuine and Humane Diuine expressed here God sent his Sonne Humane which followes Factus ex muliere Made of ãâã woman And there is not one point in all our faith so inuolued with so many heresies as is this point of our beliefe of Christs Diuinity and Humanity It * Vide Musc loc com tit de incarn verb. de hac re was the policy and marueilous sleight of Satan to entrench the faith of the faithfull with bulwarkes of heresies fronted on euery side The * Arrius filium creaturam facturam Patris esse tenet Vide Theophil enar in Joh. 1. cap. 1. Vide eundem Theoph. eodem loco de his haeres dicentem Arrians deny Christ to be perfect God of equal substance with the Father The Marcionites deny Christ to haue been borne in the flesh or perfect man The Manichees confesse his diuine nature but not humane The PhotiniaÌs attribute humane nature but not diuine The Nestorians grant two natures to be in Christ but so that they make two persons and so cut one Christ in two one as the Sonne of God one as the Sonne of man The * Vide Bellar. de Christo lib. 3. cap. 2. Euticheans affirme one person to be in Christ and but one nature namely the diuine saying that the humane nature was swallowed vp by the coniunction of the Word thus Incidet in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charibdin that is He shall fall vpon the âocks that would escape the sands Our beliefe like Å¿ Matth. 14. Peters ship
the personall vnion of both Natures we may behold his most incomparable and incomprehensible compassion and affection to mankind which I can better admire with silence then expresse with vtterance Oh beloued had I sides of brasse that could not bee weaây or an Anâels tongue to speâke with II I should falâ short in soând ng the bottome of this bottomlesse and boundlesse compassion Non mihi si centum voces linguae quoque centum sufficerent c. An hundred tongues and voicEs were not able To shew Christâ loue herein proportionable Our Lord and Sauiour did so sitire nostram salutem so ardently thirst after our saluation that hee did vouchsafe to be borne of a woman Lambit vbera qui regit sidera tacet qui verbum est as e Aug. ser 5. de temp Austen that is He sucks the brests that rules the Starres he is an Infant and cannot speake and yet he is the Word great humility to assume our humanity made of a woman and made f Iohn 1.14 flesh and found in shape as a maÌ Phi. 2.7 He did not take Angelical nature and as the g Heb. 2.16 Author to the Hebrews He in no sort took the Angels but he took the seed of Abraham Vt nos aequaret Angelis minoratus est ab Angelis saith Anselmus that is That he might make vs equall to the Angels he made himself lower then the Angels So that there is greater affinity twixt God and man then twixt God and the Angels for he assumed our nature and was made of a woman Wee doe not reade in any place of Scripture that Christ did euer call the Angels fratres suos that is his brethren as he âlles men h Psal 22.22 Heb. 2.12 Magna dignitas est fideliu quod nominantur filij Dei fratres filij Dei Vâigââti c. Piscat Analis in Haebreos c. 2. v. 10.11 c. Narrabo nomen tuum fratribus meis that is will declare thy name vnto my brethren I may heere ây vse the words of a Father Maritari noluit verbum ât altiùs nubere non potuit carogloriosiùs that is The imâortâl God would marry no higher then our nature our âture could neuâr marry more gloriously There is a three-fold affinity first legall by adoption âcondây spirituall by regeneration Thirdly naturall ãâã generation We are Gods adopted Sonnes by Iesus âhrist Ephes 1 5. Gods spirituall Sonne by regeneratiâ Except a man be borne again of water and of the Spirit cannot enter into the kingdome of God Iohn 3.5 Indeed âe are not Gods naturall Sonnes and yet Christ tooke âr nature vpon him for there is but one Sonne of God âr nature that is Christ Iesus Iohn 3.16 Math. 1.2 called Gods only Begotân Sonne in respect of his Father and diuine nature first âegotten in respect of his mother and humane nature ãâã God the Father called i Prudentius Hym. de Eulalia Virgine Duâandus rationab diuinorum lib. 4. ca. 48 § 2. Vide Ruffin in Symbol Omnipater that is the All-faâer of all men and all things by creation generally Of good men by adoption specially Of Christ by nature singularly We are only sonnes by fauor by adoption by grace âat not by nature Oh what an immeasurable measure of âue was this that He who was Gods Son by nature and ãâã naturally God of the same essence with the Father âd receiuing al which the Father hath sauing the persoâll propriety who was so great did make himselfe ãâã little to make vs great as k Tertull. lib. 2. con Marc. Tertullian who beâme the Son of man that we might be the l Cyp. ser de cleemâsyna Vide homo quomodo alle amauit te qui fecit te vt propter te factus ipse Hugo Sonnes of âod whâ being very God became very man that hee âight reconcile God to man and man to God who beâg so great that the heauens cannot conâaine him âould make himselfe so little as to be contained in the âombe of a Virgân Filius Dei qui fecit nos factus est inâr nos as Austen that is the Son of God that made vs to be made like vs. A mercy or rather a mystery so great that I may say with m Esay 66.8 Psalm 2â 1 Esay Who hath heard such a thingâ who hath seene such things That hee who was the Lord of heauen and earth should become a seruant on earth a seruant to men Optimam dignitatis viam ostendit dominus nempe humilitatem Bas in hex Nay as Tertullian nullificamen populi that is esteemed as the outcast of men a worme and no man the scorne of men and the contempt of the people Psalme 22.6 it is such a wonder as since the heauens were made there is none to paralell it Rightly did the Prophet n Esay 9.6 Esay foretel his natiuity and name stiling him Wonderfull for he was wonderfull in his Conception wonderfull in his Incarnation The Scripture teacheth vs how man comes foure waies into the world 1. By the helpe of man and woman as all are vsually borne Iob. 14.1 2. Without any man and woman so Adam was created Gen. 1.26 3. Of a man without a woman so Eue was created Gen. 2.22 4. Of a woman without a man so Christ was borne Matth. 1.18 Wonderfull Incarnation that I may say with o Esay 53.8 Esay Who can declare his generation Secundum conditionem naturae natus ex foemina super conditionem naturae natus ex Virgine saith p Thom. 3. part q. 31. art 5. Thomas that is According to the condition of nature borne of a woman and aboue the condition of nature borne of a Virgin or as q Euseb emiss hom 1. de natiu Christi Eusebius Emissenus Datus ex diuinitate natiu ex virgine natus sic matre iunior datus quo nec pater antiquior qui erat datus est qui non erat natus est that is Giuen of God borne of a Virgin borne and so younger then his Mother giuen and so as ancient as his Father he that euer was was giuen and he that was not was borne Wonderfull Incarnation that He who was the * Non illius est silius fabri quem putatis sed fabricatoris omnium c. Chrysost sup Mat. 14. maker of the world and Father of Marie should be the son of Marie at God and man should in one person meete and that ãâã mother should be a pure Virgin and that this Sonne âould be the Sauiour of his mother Ipsum sanguinem âem pro matre obtulit antea de sanguine matris accepit âth r Hom. 1. de Natiuitate Christi Emissenus that is The same blood which he offered ãâã his mother he before receiued froÌ his mother yea as âombard Verus homo de homine propter homineÌ secunduÌâminem super hominem that is True man of mankind Å¿ Lombard 3. sent dist 8. for