the Person of the eternall Son of God and that unto this eternall Person there was added in time not another person but another nature that is the humane but yet not as a part of that Person by which it was assumed but a thing farre different from it and yet assumed into the unitie thereof And further in the third place we confesse that in one and the same Person of Christ there are now two natures the divine and humane in which we doubt not but it subsisteth liveth and worketh Wherefore we are not afraid to say that Christ now consisteth of the divine humane nature being assumed into the unitie of person and that he is after some sort compounded of them as we may so speake DOCT. IX How the two natures are united into one Person without either conversion or confusion the properties and actions of each remaining still safe and distinguished ANd we believe and confesse That the two natures of Christ are so truely and inseparably conjoyned and united into one Person that yet notwithstanding we doubt not to say that each still remaineth entire and perfect and truely distinct one from the other and each still retaineth it's own distinct essentiall properties and operations without all manner of confusion so that as the divine retaining it 's own properties remained uncreate infinite inmense simply omnipotent simply wise So also the humane retaining it's properties remaineth created finite and terminated by certain bounds And again as the divine hath it's own proper will and power by which Christ as God willeth and worketh the things which are of God So likewise the humane hath it's own by which the same Christ as man willeth and worketh the things which are of man So farre forth that as Christ as he is God neither willeth nor worketh by his humane will and power So neither as man willeth or worketh he by his divine will and power As it is well determined by the Fathers against Eutyches and against Macarius Therefore we like well that saying of Leo the first who writing unto Flavianus concerning this matter saith thus a Leo Epist 10. cap. 4. He which is true God is also true man neither is there any lye in this unitie whilst there is in Christ both the humilitie of the humanitie and the sublimitie of the Deitie For as God is not changed by shewing mercy and compassion so neither is man that is the humane nature in Christ consumed by being dignified For each form with the communion of the other worketh that which is proper unto it self the word still working that which is of the word and the flesh that which is of the flesh So farre goes Leo and what he sayes he afterwards illustrates by some examples by which he demonstrates that as the natures in Christ are indeed united but yet remain still distinct and not confused So likewise the actions both were and are because the flesh and not the Word did the things belonging to the flesh and the Word and not the flesh did the things belonging to the Word To raise up Lazarus was a work proper onely to the Word but to cry a Iohn 11.43 Lazarus come forth belonged onely to the flesh yet to the raising up of Lazarus both actions were united because they were from one and in one Christ and tended to one work and yet they were distinguished So again to forgive sinnes was an action proper onely to the divine nature but to say b Matt. 9.2 Thy sinnes be forgiven thee this was proper onely to the humane To restore sight unto him that was blind from his birth was an action proper onely to the divine nature but to put clay upon the eyes of him that was blind and to say c Iohn 9.7 Goe and wash this was proper onely to the humane Therefore the Hypostaticall union as it confounded not the natures so neither did it confound the actions but retained them distinct and therefore neither are the properties of the natures confounded but remaine distinct For there are three things in one and the same person of Christ The Natures the Properties and Faculties of the Natures and the Actions of the Properties and Faculties and as the Natures and Actions are in Christ in such manner also are the Properties of the Natures As therefore it is manifest that one Nature is not transfused into another nor the actions confounded one with another So also is it manifest concerning the properties DOCT. X. That from the union of the Natures the true and reall transfusion of the divine properties into the humane nature of Christ can in no wise be proved FOr we like and approve of that most true saying of the Fathers against the Euâ—ychians and Monothelites to witt That they which have the same essentiall Properties have also the same Natures and essences and they which have their Naturall Properties confounded have also their Natures confounded Which as it is true in all so in God especially in whom his Essentiall Properties are nothing else really but his very Essence From whence it followes upon necessitie that if they can truely and properly be communicated unto any created substance so that it can become as God is as for example Simply Omnipotent then also Gods very Essence may be communicated unto it so that if it can become equall unto God for Power or any other Propertie then may it also become equall unto God for Essence and so Co-essentiall with God Which to say were to commit two grand errours One in making the creature equall to God by attributing and communicating unto it those things which truely and properly belong onely unto God Neither doth the exception help in saying That God hath them from himself but the humane nature in Christ hath them from the Godhead For even the Son himsef is not from himself neither hath he his divine essence from himself but from the Father and yet he is equall to the Father and hath the same nature with the Father The other errour is committed in attributing divine and so infinite properties as infinite power unto the humane nature and so taking from it the finite properties thereof Even as the great light of the Sun taketh away the light of a candle or as the glory which shall be communicated unto our bodyes at the resurrection shall take from them all their dishonour and corruption For where an infinite power is an Agent and worketh there a finite power is idle and none at all But this Heresie hath been so fully and perspicuously refuted by many learned men in our age that for our parts being here to set forth a brief and simple confession of our faith unto the Church of God and all posteritie we will not adde any thing more to that which hath been said DOCT. XI How great the force of the Hypostaticall union is YEt we believe and confesse that the force of the union of natures in Christ is so
great that first indeed What Christ is or doth according to his divine nature that is all-Christ the Son of Man said to be or to do and again What Christ is or doth or hath suffered according to his humane nature That is all-Christ God Son of God said in holy Scripture to be to have done and to have suffered As in that place where it said a Acts 20 2◠God that is Christ Man and God hath purchased the Church with his own bloud whereas the force of the purchase pertaineth unto the Deitie or Godhead and the pouring out of bloud onely unto the humanitie or Manhood Yet both these Actions are joyned together in one and both are attributed unto the whole Person of Christ although they were and are distinguished For although the natures be distinguished yet are they coupled together in the Person of Christ which is but one Yet further Christ as Mediatour never did or doth any thing according to his humanitie whereunto his divinitie did not and doth not cooperate or work together and again he did nothing according to his divinitie whereunto his humanitie did not consent and willingly agree And therefore well did the Fathers in calling the operations or actions of Christ as Mediatour operatious Theandricall that is of God and Man In the second place As the force of the union which is between the Father and the Son is so great that he doth nothing neither communicateth unto the world any good but by the Son In like manner so great is the force of the Hypostaticall union of the two natures in Christ that there flowes unto us no grace no salvation no life from the Deitie but by the humanitie apprehended of us by faith so that it is altogether necessarie that he be coupled unto the flesh of Christ whosoever will be made partaker of eternall life according to that of our Saviour a Iohn 6.13 Except eate the flesh of the Son of Man the have no life in you And in the last place by the force of the said union it is effected that we cannot worship and adore the Deitie in Christ without worshipping and adoring also the humanitie in him and again That both the humane and divine nature are to be worshipped and adored of us altogether with one and the same manner of worship and adoration according to that a Hebe 1.6 And when he bringeth in the first begotten into the world he saith And let all the angels of God worship him him that is the whole Person God and Mau together whereas yet the humane nature by it self and in it self merely considered neither can nor ought to be worshipped For God onely is to be worshipped But it is not any union but the Hypostaticall union of the divine and humane nature which effects this that we have said Wherefore although God dwelleth in his Saints yet are not they to be worshipped or pray'd unto as is the Man Christ Great therefore surely we confesse is the union whereof we speak but yet such is the union that it excludes all confusion and transfusion For if the union between the Father the Son and the holy Ghost in one essence then which union there neither is nor can be imagined a greater take not away the distinction of Persons neither can this union of natures and so of properties and actions in one Person take away the distinction or bring in a confusion thereof DOCT. XII That unto Christ as Man was given indeed the greatest power that could be but yet finite as also other gifts WE believe further that as Christ as he is God is simply omnipotent and simply wise and so also in his other Atrributes So as he is man there was given unto him power and knowledge fárre surpassing yea almost by infinite degrees the power and knowledge of all creatures both in heaven and on earth but yet finite and so likewise all other gifts and virtues as charitie prudence fortitude justice grace truth and the rest whereof the Prophet Isaiah speaketh a Isa 11.2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him c. and Iohn the Evangelist who testifieth that he was b Iohn 1.14 full of grace and truth and Luke c Luk. 2.25 And Iesus increased in wisedome and stature and in favour with God and Man For which cause he is by the Apostle said to be d Eph. 1.20 set at Gods right hand in the heavenly places e 21. Farre above all principalities and powers and again Iohn saith f Iohn 3.34 God giveth not the Spirit unto him by measure and again the Apostle g Coloss 2.3 In him are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Whence it cometh to passe that as he is Man he knoweth all things and can do all things which belong unto his office but as for those things which no created substance can do but God alone those he doth by the power of the Deitie yet not without the consent and as it were the supplication of the humane nature insomuch that to all the actions of Christ as he is God concerning our salvation his soul in some manner is alwayes added by the love desire and will thereof As likewise in all which he did as Man the Deitie alwayes concurred even in his death and passion not that the Deitie suffered but that it willed the death passion of Christ and gave unto his death and passion infinite power and efficacie to expiate and purge away our sins To conclude in a word concerning the natures of Christ together with their union and properties we believe whatsoever was set down and concluded by the Nicene Councill and that of Constantinople and that of Ephesus and that of Calcedon agaist Arius Apollinaris Nestorius Eutyches as also what was defined and determined in the sixt Synod against the Monothelites DOCT XIII That the actions of Christ are of two kinds and that what we read that Christ did or suffered was all done and suffered by him according unto truth and not according to outward appearance onely NOw to passe from the Person of Christ and his natures and the union of the natures unto his actions and office peculiarly We believe first as there are two true natures in Chrst whereof each had and hath it 's own true and essentiall properties conjoyned indeed as the natures also are united but not confounded So likewise that there are two kinds of actions which we read that our Lord Iesus Christ partly hath already performed and partly doth not yet cease to performe and that some of these actions flow from the Deitie and others from the humanitie and that they were partly and partly are so conjoyned and yet so distinct that each form as Leo speaketh doth alwayes work with the communion of the other The Word still doing that which is proper to the Word and the flesh exequuting that which belongeth unto the flesh And again as the works
which Christ either did or doth by the virtue and power of the divine nature are true and not feigned for he reconciled us truely unto his Father he pardoneth and forgiveth sinnes truely he truely sanctifieth and regenerateth So also whatsoever we reade that he either did or suffered for us according to his humane nature all that we believe that he both did and suffered in deed and in truth and not in shew and as they speak appearance onely DOCT. XIV The explication of the fore-going opinion THerefore we believe that Christ as he was truely conceived of the seed of David as he was truely born and true Man as he did truely eate and drink and performe other outward actions of a man So also that he truely fulfilled the Law for us that he truely a 1 Pet. 4.1 suffered in the flesh that he b Matt. 27.50 truely c Rom. 5.3 died that he d 2 Cor. 5.15 truely rose again from the dead e Luk. 24.39.51 in the same flesh that he f Act. 1.9 ascended with his visible palpable true humane body being terminated by certain dimensions into the true and created heaven g Eph. 4.10 farre above all the visible heavens that he there remaineth working according to his own free will untill he shall come again from heaven in the same visible body to judge both the quick and the dead that in heaven he truly willeth our salvation that he hath a care of us a Eph. 1.22 4 16. that he sends down the influences of Spirituall and vitall sense and motion into us as unto his own members and that he governeth his whole Church CHAP. XV. The fruits of Christs obedience passion death and resurrection ANd we believe that Christ by his perfect obedience merited not onely for himself but for us also eternall life That he by his death and passion hath expiated and purged away all our sinnes in his own flesh That he hath redeemed us out of the hands of Satan from the tyrannie of death and from the slaverie of sinne that he hath reconciled us unto God in himself and made us beloved of him that we might be accounted righteous in him before God the Father that by his resurrection and ascension into heaven he hath obtained for us a twofold resurrection a Revel 20.5 the first and b 6. the second as Iohn speaketh that he hath taken possession of an heavenly inheritance for us that he sitteth at the right hand of the Father that is That c Matt. 28.18 All power is given unto him in heaven and in earth So that as he is Mediatour and Man he hath the second place from the Father being constituted the head of the whole Church both that in heaven and that on earth that from him and from his flesh there may be derived unto us by the holy Ghost unto us I say who as members are joyned unto him as unto our head there may be derived whatsoever pertaineth to our vivification and Spirituall life And therefore we acknowledge believe and confesse that in Christ alone all our Salvation redemption righteousnesse the grace of God and eternall life consisteth according to that of the Apostle d 1. Cor. 1.30 Of him are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption and in another place e Eph. 2.14 He is our peace and according to the Prophet f Ierem. 23.6 The Lord our righteousnesse and again according to the Apostle a Eph. 1.7 In him we have redemption through his bloud the forgivenesse of sinnes and again b Coloss 1.19 It pleased the Father that in him all fullnesse should dwell and according to St. Iohn the Apostle c 1. Iohn 5.11 This life that is life eternall is in his Son And hereby we understand that the promise concerning redemption which was made unto the first man received it's complement and perfection in the second the Man Christ Iesus so that he which will be made partaker of redemption must needs be made a member of Christ and be joyned unto him as unto his head For we have redemption and salvation not onely by sins as our Mediatour but also in him as in our head This is our faith and belief concerning Christ our Redeemer concerning his Person Natures Office and concerning the salvation of mankind in him complete and finished DOCT. XVI Heresies and errours condemned THerefore we condemne all Heretikes as well ancient as moderne old and new which ever taught or now teach the contrarie by name Arius Phornius Servetus all others of the same stampe which deny the true Deitie of Christ as also the Cerdonians Marcionites Valentinians Manichees Priscillianites Apollinarists and others which oppugned the humanitie of Christ Whereof some denyed that Christ was come in the flesh or that he had true flesh saying that he brought a body onely in appearance from heaven or that he had a body conceived of the elements and not of the seed of Abraham and that he was not born of a woman And others indeed granted that he had humane flesh but denyed him to have a reasonable soul putting the Deitie in the place of it We condemne likewise the Nestorians which denyed the true union of the humane nature with the Person of Son and held two Persons in Christ and two Sons the Son of God and the Son of Man We condemne likewise the Eutychians which contrarily as the Person of Christ is onely one so also hold that there was in him but one nature onely to wit the divine teaching that the humane nature which he assumed was either converted altogether into the divine or else that it was so mixed and confounded with the divine that they made no difference at all between the properties and actions of the divine and humane nature We condemne likewise those that came from them Macarius with his followers which held that there was but one onely will in Christ to wit the divine and so acknowledged no proper action of the humane Will in him We condemne also the Cerdonians in this that they said that Christ neither suffered truely nor died truely but seemingly onely in outward shew and appearance together with them we condemne also all those who heretofore have taught or at this time do teach the like saying That Christ either rose not again in the same flesh wherein he died but in another and that of a diverse nature Or if he did rise in the same yet that he ascended not truely into heaven and carried it in thither with him We do also following the judgement of Ierom Cyrill and the rest of the Fathers condemne the Origenists and such like as they were which held that Christ rose with a body like a Spirit most subtill and of it's own nature invisible and not coming under the judgement of humane sense And last of all those
before all worlds and man of the substance of his mother born in the world DOCT. III. That the Son onely is both God and Man together BUt so do we believe that the Son of God is both true God and Man together and therefore true Christ that we confesse him onely to be so none besides For we read not that the Father or the holy Ghost but a Iohn 1.14 the Word onely was made flesh And the Apostle saith that the b Gal. 4.4 Son was made of a woman and so he onely suffered although to the creation of the nature assumed by the Son not onely the Son but the Father also and the holy Ghost concurred DOCT. IV. That the Son was made Man without any change in himself by assuming onely the humane nature unto himself BUt we believe that the Son of God was made Man not by any conversion of himself into flesh not by any mutation in the flesh not by any confusion of the divine and humane nature but by the assuming onely of the humane nature into the unitie of his Person And as Athanasius speaketh a Athan. in Symb. Not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh but by taking of the Manhood into God So that he in no wise lost what he was but assumed what he was not according to what the Apostle saith b Hebr. 2.16 He took on him the seed of Abraham whereby he teacheth us That as the Son assuming was not changed into the thing assumed for God is altogether unchangeable but remained what he was being truely distinguished from the thing assumed So the seed assumed was in no wise converted into the thing assuming but was united onely with the divine nature into the unitie of the same Person according to what the Evangelist saith c Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh Therefore the flesh remained flesh and was not changed into the Word DOCT. V. That neither one nature assumed another nor one Person another but the Person of the Son of God the humane nature FRom whence we understand that the divine nature which is common to all the three Persons yea one and the same in them all assumed not unto it self the humane nature nor one Person another but nature onely For the Son of God took not upon him any son of Abraham but the seed of Abraham that is the humane nature propagated from Abraham and therefore we acknowledge not two Persons in Christ but that one onely by which all things were made and which was so perfect before the assuming of the seed of Abraham that by the assuming thereof it became not another from what it was neither yet a more perfect Person nor any way else imperfect DOCT. VI. That the humane nature was not by Christ assumed to constitute any new Person nor to make the Person that was before more perfect then before it was But that it was assumed onely into the societie and unitie of that eternall and most perfect Person FOr although in Christ we acknowledge two natures the divine and the humane Yet we do in no wise grant that the humane nature was therefore assumed that either of this and that as of the parts there should be constituted any new Person unto Christ or that the eternall Person which was before should be made more perfect then before by the accesse of a new nature but this onely That the humane nature being assumed into the unitie of that Person which was existent from all eternitie and also most perfect the Son of God remaining what he was might become what he was not and might have what to offer to his Father for us And therefore we do not absolutely and simply like it if any man do say That as of the soul and body there is constituted the person of every man so also of the divine and humane nature was constituted the Person of Christ But we like the phrase which is used in the Church That Christ clothed himself or was clothed with our flesh Whereupon saith St. Augustine a August That Christ descended from heaven like a naked man from the mount and that he ascended up again clothed with our flesh as with a garment For this phrase Although it do not perfectly expresse the Hypostaticall union yet it maketh a manifest difference between the Person of the Son of God assuming and our nature assumed For the same reason also we like the manner of speaking which is used by the Fathers That the humane nature is born by the Son of God and again That it doth subsist in the Person of the Son of God and such like discerning the Person of the Son of God assuming from the nature assumed teaching moreover that the Person of the Son of God was not made another from what it was nor more perfect then before it was by the accesse of the humane nature DOCT. VII The confirmation of the foregoing opinion together with the exposition of that place of Athanasius WE confesse indeed That As the reasonable soul and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ that is That there is but one Person although there be two natures in him But not thus as if of the two natures as of the parts thereof to speake properly were constituted the Person of Christ as to the constituting of the person of man the body as well as the soul doth concurre necessarily as an essentiall part For as much as the Person of Christ was existent and most complete and perfect before the manifestation thereof in the flesh but the person of man suppose Adam was not before the conjunction of the soul and body and again for as much as neither the soul of man assumed the body nor the body the soul as the Son of God assumed unto himself the seed of Abraham into the unitie of the fame person and further for as much as the body and soul are two substances as it appeareth in the creation of Adam but the humane nature of Christ never subsisted by it self alone but onely in the Person of the Son of God From whence it appeareth how unjustly some abuse the godly saying of Athanasius to prove their own dreams and phansies For it is altogether necessarie that he which manifested himself that is the Person of the Son of God should be different from the flesh in which he manifested himself and that not onely before but also after the resurrection and his session at the right hand of the Father which as St. Augustine saith brought glorie indeed into the flesh but took not away the nature thereof DOCT. VIII How Christ can be one onely Person and that eternall and immutable and yet in it two natures and how he can be said to consist of them WE therefore acknowledge and confesse against Nestorius That in Christ there is one onely Person and that eternall most simple and most perfect and remaining the same for ever to wit
ungodly actions some more grievous then other so farre forth that there is not any one godly man living which carries not about with him this sink of sinne and feels not from thence filthy vapours and exhalations alwayes ascending and is not contaminated and defiled with the pollutions thereof a Iam. 1.14 Every man saith St. Iames is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed b 15. Then when lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death DOCT. X. That God is not the Authour of sinne BY all which we are confirmed in this faith that we believe that God is in no wise the Authour of sin seeing that he neither created Adam evil nor with an inclination to evil but just and upright so that he sinned of his own free-will and accord not moved much lesse forced by God a 1 Iohn 2.16 Neither was this pravitie any corruption of his nature as he was created by God but by Gods just permission followed as a punishment upon his disobedience having willfully lost his Originall righteousness DOCT. XI Errours condemned THerefore with Ireneus and all the Church we condemne all those which make God the Authour of sinne and likewise all Pelagians both old and new which either deny that all men sinned in Adam and so are guilty of Originall sin or else dispute that this imbred lust or concupiscence is onely the punishment of sin but not truely sin indeed or else in the regenerate at least will not have it to be called by the name of sinne We condemne also those which have taught or do teach that Originall sinne is a substance because this opinion either makes God to be the Authour of sin or else denyes him to be the maker of every substance and because it serves also to confirm the Doctrine of the Manichees concerning two causes or Originalls of all things to wit one chief and prime good and another chief and prime evil so that all things which are good have proceeded from the beginning unto this present and still do proceed from the good and all evil from the evil one We condemne also all stoicks and those that are like unto them which teach that all sinnes are equall and not one greater then another And last of all those which contend that there may be some one found in this world which is altogether void of sinne CHAP. VIII What free-will was left unto Man after his Fall DOCTRINE I. What we understand by the name of free will SEeing that all men since the Fall and by reason of the Fall of Adam are a Psalm â—1 5 conceived insinne and are b Eph. 2. â— by nature the children of wrath having no inclination at all to that which is good but c Gen. 6. â— â— 21 altogether prone to that which is evil This is our belief and confession concerning the free-will of a man not regenerate By the name of free-will we understand the will of man so to be free that from it we do not separate the facultie of understanding by which we judge what is good and what bad what to be chosen and what to be refused DOCT. II. That the question concerning free-will is two-fold either concerning the nature or else concerning the power thereof IN the question concerning free-will we distinguish between the power and strength of free-will and the nature of mans will The nature we call the naturall and essentiall propertie thereof created in it by God that whatsoever it willeth whether it be good or bad it willeth freely voluntarily willingly and free-from all manner of coaction By the name of power we understand a power or facultie either innate that is by nature or else conferred that is of grace by which we are enabled by our understanding to know what is good and what evil and by our will to choose the good and refuse the evil DOCT. III. That free-will is alwayes free from coaction AS therefore the substance of free-will perished not by reason of sinne for the understanding and will and the whole substance of the soul remained so neither do we believe that the nature thereof perished that whatsoever it willeth as well evil as good it willeth it freely and without all manner of coaction That it is true which Augustine saith That free-will is alwayes free that is from coaction but yet that it is not alwayes good DOCT. IV. That there are three ranks or sorts of things and actions about which the power of free-will is exercised COncerning our power in choosing of good and refusing evil we are of this opinion We distinguish good and evil into three kinds those which pertain to the Animall or naturall life the rationall or humane life the divine or Christian life Of the first kind are those which are common to us almost with beasts and belong to the soul by which we live and increase and have sense and motion Of the second kind are those which are proper to man and belong to mans understanding as Arts as well Mechanicall as liberall virtues morall and politicall and last of all sciences of all sorts and all Philosophie The third kind contains onely those things which are good and good actions which are ordained for the kingdome of God and a Christian life As the true knowledge of God faith and the effects thereof regeneration obedience charitie and others of the like kind DOCT. V. That the power and strength of a man unregenerate is very weak even in things belonging to this life TO say nothing then of the power strength of man since the Fall in knowing and desiring such things as make for the preservation of this present life and living here happily as also in making choise of them and pursuing after them if they be offered unto him and in eschewing and avoiding the contrary To say nothing I say of this because it nothing belongs to religion and manners although as concerning even this dayly experience teacheth us how great a depravation of judgement and appetite is in man following as a punishment upon the Fall We believe that although by the mercy of God there is yet left some light in mans understanding partly in discerning between right wrong good and bad in humane affaires and partly in acquiring the knowledge of many things arts sciences and divers other virtues Yet the light that is in the understanding is so little and the will so depraved that unlesse the one be enlightened from above and the other be inclined by Gods speciall grace to choose the good propounded and to refuse the bad he cannot acquire the knowledge of Arts and sciences and other virtues which may be in men even unregenerate And not without cause saith St. Augustine a August Tom. 7. cont Iul. Pel. lib. 4. cap. 3. That all the Arts sciences and other virtues or rather shadowes and resemblances of virtues which were in
the Romanes and others not converted unto the faith were in them the singular gifts of God DOCT. VI. The Confirmation of the fore-going opinion FOr all infidels or unbelievers are not indued with the same or alike equall virtues sciences That even from thence it may manifestly appear that they are not the gifts of nature but the gifts of God added unto nature DOCT. VII That in things belonging unto God and true pietie the unregenerate man can do nothing BUt as concerning things belonging unto God true pietie and religion and a Christian life we believe that the mind of an unregenerate man is so blinded and his heart so depraved and all his powers and faculties so weak or none at all that he can neither truely know God nor the things of God neither love him nor desire things pleasing unto him much lesse obey his will as he ought For according to the Apostle a 1 Cor. 2.14 The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he perceive or understand them How can he then of himself either will or do any thing b Iohn 15.5 Without me saith our Saviour ye can do nothing DOCT. VIII The confirmation of the fore-going opinion FOr even as a man dead to men and nature can perform no action belonging unto men and nature So neither can he which is a Pâ—â— 2. â— dead to God in trespasses and sinnes truely know those things which belong unto God and true pietie much lesse can he do them but he lies rotting and stinking in his sinnes unless he be delivered from them by the grace of God through Christ and so be restored again unto life But all men that are without Christ and not regenerated by the Spirit of Christ are truely dead and therefore they are truely said to be b Iohn â— 21 quickned to be raised from the dead and to be regenerated or born again whosoever are by faith in Christ delivered from their sinnes and ingrafted into Christ DOCT. IX Errours condemned THerefore we condemne all Pelagians which teach the contrarie lifting up the power and strength of free-will against the grace of Christ And we detest and abhorre the opinion of the Manichees and all others which will have a man to be like a stock as if he had no judgement or libertie of will at all in civil matters CHAP. IX Concerning the Promise of Redemption and Salvation through Christ DOCTRINE I. That Christ the heavenly man was of grace promised to save us WHen a 1 Cor. 15.47 the first man which was of the earth earthy was b Gen. 3.17 fallen into such a miserable estate and condition by his own fault through disobedience and not he onely but together with him all his posteritie which sinned in him and were to be c Psalm 5â— 5 conceived in sin to be born d Eph. 2.3 the children of wrath We believe that God of his mere grace and mercie to Adam and Eve and in them to all mankind e Gen 3.15 Matt. 1.21 promised another man f 1 Cor. 15.47 from heaven of the true substance of man indeed but to be a Luk. 1.34 conceived without the seed of man and therefore to be b Isa 7.14 Matt. 1.23 Luk. 1.34 born of a Virgin c Heb. 4.15 without sinne in whom as in another head of mankind consisting of a divine and humane nature being the true d Heb. 1.3 expresse image of God the Father and filled with the holy Ghost that might be fulfilled which in the first head succeeded not through his own fault that is That he the second man in our name and for us which were to be e Rom. 6.5.11.7 grafted into him by his Spirit and by spirituall generation to be f Eph. 5.29 flesh of his flesh and bone of his bones might most perfectly g Rom. 5.19 obey God the Father and by his h Phil. 2.8 obedience and death take away sinne appease the wrath of God redeem us justifie us sanctifie us rule us by his Spirit set us at libertie give us grace and strength to that which is good and finally save us unto everlasting life and glorifie us DOCT. II. That the Promise Concerning the Redemption by Christ was necessarie FOr Adam not as a private person but as the parent and root of all mankind as he was indued at the first with righteousness that he might propagate it unto all his posteritie as in an inheritance for which cause it is commonly called Originall righteousness So by his disobedience he hath transmitted unto all men great unrighteousnesse in stead of righteousnesse and eternall death in stead of life eternall Necessarie therefore was it that there should be another head that is Christ from whom by reason of his obedience there might be derived on all his members true and heavenly righteousnesse holinesse and life DOCT. III. To what end the Promise was made presently after that the sinne was committed WE believe That therefore the promise was presently after the sinne committed made from the begining of the world and afterwards by the holy fathers was often repeated expounded and confirmed by divers wayes signes and seales That not only we which have been since the coming of the Messias but also all others from the foundations of the world as many as should believe this promise and by true faith embrace Christ to come might also be made partakers of redemption justification and salvation DOCT. IV. That from the beginning of the world as many as believed on Christ to come were saved WE believe That from the beginning of the world as many as believed on Christ promised and to come they were grafted into him by faith they were made partakers of his future obedience passion death and redemption they did eate his body which was afterwards to be delivered and drink his bloud which was afterwards to be powred out and last of all they were all Christians indued with the Spirit of Christ and saved unto everlasting life no lesse then we are DOCT. V. Errours condemned ANd further we condemne and detest their opinon which hold that no man was saved before the coming of Christ and that the Fathers which were before received no promise of eternall salvation but onely of things temporall CHAP. X. Concerning the Law DOCTRINE I. That the Law of Moses came between the promise of salvation by Christ and the fulfilling thereof and to what end BUt between the Promise of Redemption by Christ which was first made unto Adam and afterwards more manifestly declared unto others but especially unto Abraham sealed by the Sacrament of Circumcision and as it were confirmed by the death of Isaac the first born offered for a sacrifice and established by an everlasting covenant Between this promise I say and the fulfilling thereof the Law which was delivered by Moses came between the people which descended from the seed of Abraham of