4. he saith Chap. 4. v. 3. Euery spirit Qui soluit Iesum which looseth or diuideth Iesus i. e. to make two persons of him is not of God and so in many other places hee doth most plainely shew that the eternall word and our humane nature vnited vnto the same word is but one and the selfe-same Christ i. e. one Christ one person And this is confessed by all antiquity All our Creeds and all antiquity confesseth the same truth touching vnity of Christ his person for in the Apostles Creede we say that we beleeue in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord which was conceiued of the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary and therfore he is but one person because he which is said to be the onely Sonne of God is said also to be borne of the Virgin Mary the same is said in the Nicen Creed and in the Creede of Athanasius it is said that although Christ be both God and Man yet is he no more twaine but one Christ and that not by confounding of the substances but by the vnity of person i. e. by the vniting of both natures into one person What should I rehearse any more for the third Councell of Ephesus the great Councell of Chalcedon the Councell of Lateran and all the ancient Orthodoxe Fathers as Iustin Martyr Irenaeus Saint Basil Saint Nazianzen Saint Damascen Saint Hillary Saint Ambrose Saint Hierome Saint Augustine and the rest of them haue most truely confessed and most learnedly confirmed this truth that although Christ hath two natures the Word and the Flesh yet doe these two make but one person one Sonne of God one Sauiour of men What the Hereticks haue conceiued and most impiously thought concerning the person of Christ But against this Cerinthus and certaine of the Pelagian Hereticks and afterwards Nestorius seperating Iesus from Christ or rather Christ from Himselfe haue affirmed that Iesus was but meere man hauing not onely a humane nature but a humane person and afterwards to be made Christ at the time of his baptisme when the Holy Ghost descended vpon him in the forme of a Doue and therefore they conclude that as he consisteth of two natures so he is likewise two persons which notwithstanding may be said to be one in respect of their co-habitation affection operation and participation as hereafter I shall further shew vnto you Ob. 1 And to confirme this damnable errour against the inuiolable truth they doe obiect that our Sauiour said Destroy this Temple when he spake of his humanitie and therefore the God Christ Iohn 2.9 and the man Christ are two seuerall persons for hee doth not say destroy me but destroy this Temple and I will reare it vp in three dayes to shew vnto vs that the Temple and the dweller in the Temple or the raiser vp of the Temple are not the same but diuers persons Sol. To this I answere briefly that this alledged instance may well proue two natures to be in Christ but not two persons for the soule of man is said to dwell in the body as in a tabernacle because the nature of the soule is different from the nature of the body and yet man hath not two but one person which consisteth of both natures i. e. soule and body for Iob saith that men dwell in houses of Clay Iob 4.19 2 Cor. 5.1 and Saint Paul saith if this earthly house of our Tabernable be dissolued And therefore Saint Chrisostome vpon these words of Saint Iohn and he dwelt in vs doth most truely gather that in Christ there are two natures but from these or from any other places it can neuer be proued that in him there are two persons Ob. 2 Againe they doe obiect that the Sonne of Mary had an Angell to comfort him Matth. 27.46 Iohn 12.27 and said My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And againe Father Saluifica me ex hac hora Saue me from this houre and such like speeches which are not consonant and agreeable to the Sonne of God and therefore the Sonne of Mary is one different and another person from the Sonne of GOD. To this I answer with S. Cyrill Sol. that as there are many things which doe agree with him according to the forme of God which cannot be agreeable to him according to the forme of a seruant so there are many things that do agree with him according to the forme of a seruant which doe not agree with the Sonne of God absolutely considered because he is both a true God and a true man so vnited together as that the properties of neither nature are confounded as hereafter shall be shewed Cyrillus deffâ—nt 4. Anath contra Theodor. and therefore all such sayings and allegations which are said of him or be referred vnto him in respect of one nature which are not properly agreeable to the other nature doe onely shew and most rightly proue two natures but not two persons to be in our Sauiour Christ CHAP. III. Of the manner of the vnion of the two natures and wherein this vnion chiefly consisteth SEcondly Wherein the Hereticks haue affirmed the vnion of both natures in Christ to consist for the manner of this vnion of these two natures in one person or wherein chiefly it consisteth herein resteth the greatest difficulty For First the Nestorians and their followers say that both these natures are saide to bee one by the vnitie of 1. Co-habitation 2. Will and affection 3. Operation 4. Participation First by the vnity of Co-habitation because the Word dwelled in the man Christ as in his choicest House and Temple accocding to that saying of the Euangelist and he dwelt in vs. Iohn 1.14 Secondly by the vnity of will and affection because the will of Christ was alwayes agreeable to the will of God and this they doe illustrate by the example of Man and Wife which though they be two persons Math. 19.5 yet are they said to be one flesh in regard of their mariage knot and especially in respect of their vnanimous hearts so the Sonne of God and the Sonne of Mary are two persons say they and yet may be said to be one Christ in regard of that indissoluble spirituall coniunction and affection that is betwixt them Thirdly By the vnity of operation because the man Christ was the Instrument which the Word God vsed for the effecting of all those great workes that he did while hee walked here on Earth Fourthly By the vnity of participation because the Word God did impart vnto the man Christ his name and dignity that hee should be called God and the Sonne of God and should be worshipped of all Creatures not for his owne sake but for his sake to whom hee was thus vnited How falsly the Heretickes affirme the vnion of the two natures to consist in the aforesaid points But how false and fained are all these subtle infernall distinctions to misteach the
manner and the matter wherein the true vnion of these natures chiefly consisteth it will easily appeare if we doe but obserue that all this may and doth agree with all the Saints and faithfull seruants of God for First God dwelleth in his Saints as in his Temples for We are the Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6.19 and the Spirit of God dwelleth in vs saith the Apostle Secondly The Saints are one with God by will and affection 1 Cor. 6.17 Math. 6.10 for the Apostle sheweth vs plainely that he which is ioyned vnto the Lord is one spirit and wisheth rather that Gods will may be done then his owne as they doe daily in their prayers Thy will be done Thirdly That the Saints are Gods Instruments as be many times the wicked also whereby God worketh many excellent things the same Apostle sheweth where he saith That although there be diuersities of operations 1 Cor. 12.6 Rom. 15.19 yet it is the same God which worketh all in all Fourthly That the Saints are called The Sonnes of God and some of them also said to be Gods 1 Iohn 3.1 by the participation of many graces and titles which God hath giuen vnto them it is most plaine Psal 82.6 for I said you are Gods and the Children of the most High And so the Apostle sheweth Gal. 4.6.7 Gal. 4.6.7 and so in many other places And therefore seeing all the faithfull seruants of God may be truly said to be vnited vnto God in respect of the cohabitation of God in them and of their will and affection agreeable to the will of God and of the working of God in them and the bestowing of his names titles dignities and graces vpon them and that the vnion of this Word with our Flesh i. e. of the Diuine Nature with the humanity is farre otherwise then the vnion of the Saints with God it must needes follow that although it be true that there is a most perfect vnity of cohabitation affection operation and participation betwixt the two Natures of Christ yet this is not all but the vnion of them consisteth in a farre more excellent respect then any and all of these And therefore Secondly Brentius Smidelinus What the Lutherans teach concerning the vnion of the two natures of Christ and the rest of their Lutheran followers doe affirme this vnion of both these Natures to consist in the communication of the properties of the Deity to the humanity of Christ so as they are really transferred and the humanity inuested with the diuine properties And therefore they doe conclude that in respect of this reall communicating and transferring of attributes the manhood of Christ is omniscient omnipotent omnipresent and so forth But how grâ—sse this error is and how derogatory to the truth of Christian Doctrine it will easily appeare if we doe but consider those intollerable absurdities that of necessity must needes follow the same for First The absurdities that must needes follow the Lutheran Doctrine The Father and the Sonne should be hypostatically vnited one to the other and so be made one person for that it is most certaine as themselues must and doe confesse that the Father hath and doth communicate all his essentiall attributes and properties vnto the Sonne and therefore if the vnion of these two Natures consisteth in the communicating of properties the Father and the Sonne must be vnited into one person but this is most horribly absurd Therefore the other Secondly The whole Trinity should be incarnate because all the essentiall attributes of the Deity are common to the whole Trinity and to each person of the Trinity Thirdly The two natures of Christ could not be hypostatically vnited because there are certaine diuine properties which cannot be said to be communicated to the humanity of Christ as to be increated to be infinite to want beginning of time to be Ens independens an independant being and certaine things which Christ in respect of his Flesh had not before his passion and resurrection as to bee impassible immortall and such like Fourthly If this vnion consisted in the communicating of the properties then this transfusion of them must be reciprocall that is as the diuine properties are transfused into the humanity so the humane properties must bee likewise transfused into the Deity And then it must needes follow that as Omnipresency Omnisciency Vbiquity and such like are transfused into the humanity so passibility mortality and such like should be really transfused into the Deity but it were most absurd to say that the God-head is capable of humane fraileties And therefore it is as absurd to say that the Manhood was inuested with diuine Excellencies as they are Diuine And Fiftly If this were true then the humanity should be no humanity at all because freed from humane fraileties and inuested with diuine properties And therefore to expresse truly wherein this vnion consisteth Wherein the vnion of the two natures truly consisteth is shewed Thirdly We say that the vnion of these two Natures consisteth in the communicating of the subsistence of the Word with the humane nature that it assumed i. e. of the very being of the Word with the being of our Flesh so that it is an hypostaticall or personall vnion that is such an vnion as that both natures doe make but one person of Christ euen as the soule and body doe make but one person of man Jn Ep. Alex. Concilij anathem 2. for so saith the Councell of Calcedon the Councell of Lateran the Councell of Toledo Saint Cyril and all the Oxthodoxe Fathers that writ thereof Si quis non confitetur carni secundum subsistentiam vnitum Dei patris verbum anathema sit Whosoeuer confesseth not the eternall Word of the Father to be vnited vnto our flesh according to his subsistence let him be accursed And further wee say that the vnion of these two natures i. e. the God-head as it is limited to the second person of the Trinitie and the Manhood of Christ is 1. Inconuertible 2. Indiuisible 3. Inconfused 4. Inseperable Sixe speciall things obseruable in the vnion of the two natures of Christ 5. Substantiall 6. Ineffable First Inconuertible because neither the Diuine Nature is turned into the humanity nor the humanity into the Deity Secondly Indiuisible because the Natures are so vnited into one person that they can neuer be separated vnlesse we diuide the person of Christ which is most hereticall Thirdly Inconfused because the Natures remaine still intire without confounding either their Essence or their properties or their willes or any other operations whatsoeuer and therefore excepting onely his subsistence which is one that we make him not two persons with Nestorius we do affirme that in Christ there are two natures two willes two naturall proprieties and operations intire and vnmixed that we may not confound them with Eutyches for sith the natures are neither confused How the properties
iot of misery and therefore Saint Augustine saith very well that Sicut contra rationem nemo sobrius contra ecclesiam nemo Catholicus ita contra Scripturas nemo Christianus as no man that is sober will speake against reason no man that is a Catholike will kicke against the Church so no man that is a Christian will contradict any thing that is said in Scriptures For the second that is the Prophesie of Dauid we may obserue these three things 1. The Glory 2. The Victory 3. The Bounty of the Messias and the Sauiour of the world Iesus Christ Or else 1. The Ascention of Christ 2. The Subiection of our Enemies The whole Treatise diuided into three parts 3. The Donation of the Holy Ghost First The Glory of Christ or his Ascention is set downe in these words When he ascended vp on high Secondly The Victory of Christ or the subduing of our enemies is set downe in these words He led captiuity captiue Thirdly The Bounty of Christ or the sending downe of the Holy Ghost is set downe in these words He gaue gifts vnto men The first part hath two Branches Branch 1. BRANCH I. CHAP. I. Of foure sorts of ascenders and how each one of them ascendeth TOuching the first that is the Ascention of Christ I will by Gods helpe handle it two wayes First by way of explication of the words Secondly by way of application of the same vnto our selues And in the first respect we must consider these three points Three points to be considered touching the ascention of Christ 1. The person Ascending who he is 2. The Action or Motion of the person going vp 3. The Place where he is gone on high Thou art gone vp on high First the person ascending First For the person ascending the Psalmist saith in the second person ascendisti in altum caepisti captiuitatem accepisti dona Be-Adam Thou art gone vp on high thou hast taken captiuity and thou hast receiued gifts for the sonnes of Adam And the Apostle here in the 3. person saith When he ascended vp on high he led captiuity captiue et dedit dona and he gaue gifts vnto men Who is that thou or this he who is this King of glory that hath ascended vp on high and what a strange thing is this to find such difference in the Scriptures Iohn 3. he receiued gifts saith the Prophet he gaue gifts saith the Apostle Haud bene conueniunt We may say with Nicodemus How can these things be for the difference betwixt the Prophets saying he receiued gifts and the Apostles saying he gaue gifts I shall reconcile it hereafter when I shall come to speake of the 3. point i. e. the bounty of the Messias and therefore it resteth now that we should discusse onely of the person who he is that is here meant to haue ascended for Bonauenture saith that there be foure sorts of ascenders 1. Angels That there be foure sorts of ascenders 2. Diuels 3. Men both good and bad 4. The God and Man Christ Iesus First Gen. 28.12 To what end the good Angels doe ascend Iacob saw the Angels ascending and descending vpon a ladder whose foot was on earth and the toppe thereof reached vnto heauen carrying vp our prayers and supplications and presenting them vnto God as Raphael did the prayers of Tobias and bringing vnto vs the gifts and graces of God as Gabriel did the Message of saluation vnto the blessed Virgin not in respect of any office of Mediatorship that they should execute betwixt God and Man but in respect of that seruice which they are to doe vnto man at the command of God and therefore they are said to ascend and descend along the ladder that is through Iesus Christ for he is that ladder by whom we ascend and clime vp to God and through whom we receiue all blessings from God He is the Way the Truth and the Life Iohn 14.6 the two sides of this ladder are his two natures the staues are the proprieties of each nature and the knitting of them together is that indissoluble vnion of these two natures in the vnity of his Person Now when Iacob saw this vision of Angels ascending and descending vpon this ladder dormiuit supra lapidem Who they be that shall see the Angels descending for their comfort it is not said that he laid his hard head vpon a soft pillow but that hee laid his tender head for he was but a young man and as yet neuer vsed to any hardnesse vpon a hard stone to signifie vnto vs that not those which lay their hard hearts and stiffe neckes vpon beds of downe and lie wallowing in all the pleasures of this world but those rather which sleepe in sorrow and griefe for their sinnes and lie vpon the hard and rough stone of true repentance spending their time with Iohn Baptist in austere conuersation shall see the Angels of God descending downe to comfort them and ascending vp to carry their soules like Lazarus into Abrahams bosome Secondly Satan said in his heart Esay 14.13 I will exalt my selfe aboue the skies and I will be like vnto the most highest and of this fastidious and proud ascender Rupertus Tuicensis writeth excellently and largely in his bookes De victoria verbi Dei Bern in Psal qui habitat Ser. 12. and Saint Bernard saith that this wicked spirit doth emulate and imitate those heauenly Angels but most lewdly quia ascendit studio vanitatis How wickedly Satan doth ascend descendit liuore malignitatis because he ascendeth in a vaine desire of dignity to bee equall with God and hee descendeth with an odious heart full of wrath and malignity to destroy silly men sic mendax ascentio crudelis descentio est and so his ascending is but a lying vanity and his descending a cruell indignity Gregor in lib. 1. reg c. 17. pag. 279. c. or else as Saint Gregory saith they are said to ascend and descend quia ad expugnanda alâ—a per caeleste desiderium corda subuenire de innocentis vitae sublimitate nos deponere appetunt because they seeke to ouertop the Saints of God and to deiect their desires from the sublimity of heauenly things and to bring downe their hearts and affections to bee fixed on the things of this base and wretched world and therefore pro inani suo ascensu tam immane praecipitium sortitus est for such vaine ascending he hath obtained a most fearefull tumbling of himselfe into the bottomlesse pit of hell Such is the reward of pride But seeing their ascending and descending is to subuert vs and to cast vs downe to hell wee ought to bee very thankâ—full vnto him i. e. Iesus Christ at whose command the good Angels doe ascend and descend and continually attend vpon vs Bernar. de ascen ser 4. p. 199. to defend vs from them as Saint Bernard saith and to preserue vs in all
goodnesse teaching vs 1. To be afraid to sinne 2. Neuer to desp of Gods goodn 3. To imitate God in each one of the seauen forenamed points 3. By his iustice and that 1. Negatiuely not making the wicked innocent 2. Positiuely by visiting of the sins of the wicked 1. Vpon themselues 2. Vpon their children where is distinguished of 1. Parents 2. Sinnes 3. Children 4. Punishments This Treatise containeth 1. An Introduction of the excellency of the knowledge of Iesus C. wher is shewed that 1. his life is our chiefest direct 2. himselfe our onely consolatiō 2. An explication of that great mystery of the Incarnation of the Word where is handled 1. Who was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where is shewed 1. That there can be but one God and yet that there are three persons in the vnity of that one essence how these three persons are distinguished 1. By their personal actions 1. outward which are 1. Communic 2. Transcient 3. Voluntary 2. Inward which are 1. Permanent 2. Necessary 3. Incommunicable 2. By their nominall relation Father Son and Holy Ghost And that the person made is the second person of the blessed Trinitie To his father 1. Co-eternall 2. Co-essentiall 3. Co-equall And this is fully proued all obict plainely answered and from thence shewed 1. The greatnesse of Gods loue 2. The craftinesse of Satan 3. The peruersnes of hereticks 4. The vnthankfulnes of men 2. Three especiall things touching the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. 1. What 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth i. e. the Word 2. Why Christ is tearmed the Word 3. Why the Euangelist vseth this word 1. Because this name of Christ was best knowne to the Iewes and to the Gentiles 2. Because it was the fit st word that he could vse to make way for his subsequent discourse 3. The impulsiue and the finall causes of the Words incarnation and the reasons why the Word rather then the Father or the holy Ghost was to be incarnate 2. What he was made flesh where is shewed 1. The manner of his conception the reasons and the end thereof 2. The matter that hee assumed 1. All our humane nature i. e. body and soule 2. All our humane frailties both of body and soule sinne onely excepted And here is shewed many excellent lessons that we ought to learne in respect 1. Of God 2. Of Christ 3. Of our selues 3. How the Word was made flesh or how the two natures diuine and humane doe make but one person in Christ where is shewed 1. The distinction of the two natures diuine and humane that they doe still remaine intire and inconfused is fully proued and the chiefest obiections made to the contrary are plainly answered 2. The vnion of the two natures in one personis explained and 1. The confirmatiō of the truth of this point is shewed and the greatest obie made against it are sufficiently answered 2. The manner of this vnion wherein it consisteth is expressed viz. 1. Not as the Arrians say onely in respect of 1. Cohabitation 2. Will and affection 3. Co-operation 4. Participation of his names and dignities vnto the manhood 2. But in the communicating of the subsistence of the Word with the subsistence of the manhood where is shewed that this vnion is 1. Inconuertible 2. Indiuisible 3. Inconfused 4. Inseperable 5. Substantiall 6. Ineffable 3. The chiefest benefits effects of the said vnion is shewed and that 1. In respect of Christ which are 1. An exēpt from all sin 2. A collation of ineffable graces into the manhood of Christ 3. A communication of the properties of each nature to the person of Ch. Where the obiection of the vbiquit indeuouring to proue the manhood inuested with Diuine properties are fully answered 2. In resp of vs viz our vnion and reconciliation with God all the happinesse we haue in this life or doe looke for in the life to come This Treatise containeth 1 An introduction of the meditation of Christ his death which is 1. Acceptable vnto God 2. Profitable for vs. 1. To hinder sinne 2. To kindle our charity 3. To erect our hope 2. A declaration of the passion of Christ wherein is handled 4. 1. The person suffering which was 1. A Man 2. A iust Man 3. A good Man 4. A King 5. A Priest 6. A Prophet 7. A God whereis shewed who are subiect to most affliction 2. The sufferings of Christ 1. In the garden of Gethsemane 1. Alone where is shewed 1. How the affections of Christ differ from ours in respect of the 1. Obiect 2. Maner 3. Effects 2. The cause of his agony in respect of 1. obiect 2. subiect where is †Explained 1. What might grieue Christ 1. In respect of himselfe 1. The greatnesse of his paine and shame 2. The deferring of his death and punishment 2. In respect of others 1. Small account he saw they would make of his death 2. The greatnesse of their punishment which hee knew they must suffer for that their neglect 2. What Christ might feare 1. The waight of sinne 2 The malice of Satan 3 The wrath of God 2 By others where is shewed 1. The treason of Iudas where is shewed 1. what Christ had done for Iudas 2. why Iudas betrayed Christ 3. how Iudas betrayed him 2. The flight of all the followers of Christ 3. The taking and binding of Iesus Christ 2. Before his Iudges viz. 1. Before Annas where 1. He is examined 1. Of his Disciples 2. Of his Doctrine 2. he is strucken by the hie P. ser 3. he is denied by his stoutest Ap. 2. Before Pilate the first time where hee is accused 1. Of impiety against God 2. Of treaso against Caesar 3. Before Herod where the mystery of cloathing Christ in white is explained 4. Before Pilate the 2. time where his scourging crowning with thorns c. is expressed 3. In Golgotha where is expressed 1. Those things that he suffered on the Cros 1. An accursed 2. A shamefull 3. A painefull 4. a lingring D where also is shewed the generality of his suffering 2. The 7. gracious words that he vttered many other speciall obseruat full of comfort 3. The necessity of Christ his sufferings in respect of the causes viz. 1. Instrumentall 1. The enuy of Satan 2. The malice of the Iewes 3. The couetousnesse of Iudas 4. The desire of the multitude 2. Efficient God himselfe for our sinnes out of the loue he bare to man 3. Finall 1. In resp of men 1 To saue the Elect by the vertue of his death 2. To make the wicked without excuse for neglecting his death 2. In resp of God for the glory of his blessed N. where is shewed that this should teach vs 1. To compassionate his death 2. To make vs thankefull for so great a benefit 3. To cause vs to loue him aboue all things in the world 4. To make vs ready to suffer any thing with him and for his sake 4. The
the same they doe obiect Ob. 1. Concil Cal. act 1. post Ep. Cyrilli First the authority of some ancient Fathers alledged in the councell of Calcedon for Eustachius affirmeth that Saint Cyrill writ Non oportere intelligere in mysterio incarnationis duas naturas sed vnam naturam dei verbi incarnatam that wee must not vnderstand in the mysterie of the Incarnation two natures to be in Christ but one nature of the word God incarnate and made flesh Sol. How the Word may be said to be incarnate or made flesh James 1.17 I answere that the nature of the Word may be said to be incarnate if it be rightly vnderstood i. e. Non per conuersionem in carnem sed per vnionem cum carne in vna hypostasi Not by the conuersion of it into flesh which could not possibly be because God is immutable and without any shadow of turning but by the vniting of the same with the flesh in the same subsistence so the words of Nazianzen and Nyssen doe onely shew the vnion and coniunction of the flesh with the Dietie and not the conuersion of the manhood into the Godhead and for the words of Eustachius alledged out of S. Cyrill I say that they be none of the words of Eustachius but of Dioscorus or some other Eutychian Hereticke that hath most impiously and falsly inserted that sentence among the words of Eustachius Ob. 1. Secondly they do obiect that S. Iohn saith not that the Word did assume flesh but was made flesh and therefore as the water that is made wine hath no more two natures but onely one because the nature of the water is conuerted into the nature of the Wine so the Word though before his incarnation he had a nature different from the flesh yet now being made flesh hee hath onely the same nature with the flesh Sol. To this Theodoret answereth that the flesh was assumed of the word and he proueth the same out of these Scriptures where Saint Paul saith Phil. 2.7 that Christ being in the forme of God did take vpon him the forme of a seruant And againe where hee saith that he tooke not on him the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 but he tooke on him the seed of Abraham And againe Saint Iohn himselfe in this very Chapter and verse immediately after he had said that the Word was made flesh doth adde That Christ did assume our flesh that we should not thinke it to bee made by the conuersion of the Word into the flesh Et habitauit in nobis And he dwelt in vs for this is all one as if he had said the Word was made flesh because that hauing assumed and vnited our flesh vnto himselfe he began now to remaine and to dwell in our flesh for euer But the Holy Ghost fore-seeing that Nestorius would affirme Christ to consist of two persons Why the Euangelist saith the Word was made flesh as if the diuine person had assumed the humane person which is most blasphemous therefore he directed the Pen of the Euangelist to write the Word was made flesh and not to say the Word assumed the flesh to shew that he is no more twaine but one Christ And yet least we should fall into the error of Eutyches to say that Christ after his incarnation had but one nature because he had but one person he addeth and he dwelt in vs to shew vnto vs that he is not so made one by the conuersion of either nature into the other but that still each nature remaineth whole and intire without confounding either the substance or the properties of either nature for the humane nature of Christ is not deified by the cōuersion of the flesh into the nature of the word Aug. de heresibus heres 55. nor the Word made flesh by the conuersion of the same into the nature of flesh as Apolinaris taught but the flesh is said to be deified How the flesh is said to be deified and the Word incarnate and the Deity is said to be incarnate and made flesh by reason of the vnion and coniunction of the flesh with the word in one person euen as the soule and body remayning still two intyre natures without the conuersion of either into the nature of other are vnited together to make one person i. e. one man and therefore Saint Augustine saith that his diuine nature was not consumed when his humane nature was assumed Humana quippe natura accessit diuina non recessit homo factus Aug. ep 120. naturam suscipiendo nostram non amittendo suam Because the humane nature was adioyned and the Deity was not abolished but he was made man by taking our nature vpon him and not by leesing or casting his owne nature from him How Christ notwithstandin◠his incarnation remaineth still what he was before and the duine Poet Prudentius saith I de manet quod semper erat quod non erat esse incipiens What he was he alwayes is but is otherwise for our blisse And so the common distich hath it Sum quod eram nec eram quod sum nunc dicar vtrumque ignoras nisi me stirpe ab vtraque tenes I am what I was but I was not as I am for now I am both God and man and thou knowest me not if thou knowest not me to be of both these natures Nazian orat 3. de Theolog. and so Gregory Nazianzen saith Permansit quod erat assumpsit quod non erat Hee remained what he was and he assumed what he was not because the Word was made flesh Non deposita sed seposita maiestate Not by cancelling or laying away but as it were by concealing and laying aside for a time the most glorious appearance of his diuine Maiestie Emyssen hom 2. de natiuit as Eusebius Emyssenus doth most briefly and excellently declare How one thing may be made another thing three wayes And that we might the better vnderstand how this Word was made flesh Euthymius sheweth that one thing may be made another thing three manner of wayes First When one thing is turned and changed into another thing John 3.9 as when the meate that we eate is turned into bloud the milke into cheese Gen. 19.26 the water into wine Lots wife into a piller of Salt and such like and thus the Word was not made flesh because without any change hee remained still what hee was before Secondly when some accident only is added vnto the substance as when the brasse or stone or any other mettall is made a statue or receiues any other impression And thus likewise the word is not made flesh because the diety is incapable of any other forme but the forme of GOD and no accident can be in GOD. The Word is made flesh not by changing either nature into the other but by vniting the one to the other Thirdly when one substance is adioyned vnto
another and yet is not transferred or changed into the nature of the other as a Souldier putting on his armour is made an armed man or a man wearing on his garments is no more a naked but a cloathed man And so the Word is now cloathed with our flesh tâ—e same Word but after another manner before onely subsisting of the Deity now of both natures being made flesh not as water is made wine but as Aaron was made Priest and Dauid King not by changing him into a Priest or King but by beginning to be what they were not and not leauing to bee what they were or because this doth not so fully shew it the Priestly or Kingly dignity being but an accidentall title conferred vpon these persons as a naked man is cloathed and made an apparelled man or a Souldier harnessed and made an armed man when all his harnesse is put vpon him as Theodoret Theodoret in Dialog Saint Augustine and others doe declare And so you see that in our Sauiour Christ the two natures doe still remaine intire inconfused CHAP. II. Of the vnion of these two natures of Christ in one and the selfe-same person and some obiections answered SEcondly touching the vnion of these two natures the Deitie and the Humanity wee must know that although this eternall Word the Sonne of God was so made flesh i. e. a perfect man of the seed of Dauid as that still each nature remaineth intire and inconfused yet we must not imagine that he is therefore two sonnes or two persons as Nestorius thought but that he is one onely person consisting of both these natures And because this point of the vnion of these two natures is not of small moment but is a point full of comfort much opposed and of great difficulty I will diuide all that I meane to say concerning the same vnto these three principall heads First The truth hereof shall be confirmed Three things handled concerning the vnion of both natures in Christ and the obiections of our aduersaries shall be answered Secondly The manner of this vnion wherein it consisteth shal be shewed Thirdly The chiefe benefits and effects thereof shall be declared First for the vnion of these two natures A very good simily of Justin Martyr to expresse the manner of the vnion of the two natures in Christ the Word and the Flesh Iustin Martyr saith Sicut post vnitionem primigenij luminis cum solari corpore c. as after the collection and the vnition of the light with the body of the Sunne no man can plucke them asunder neither doth any man call the one a part the Sunne and the other the light but both of them ioyntly together we terme the Sunne euen so after the vnition of our flesh with this true light the Word No man will call the Word apart to be one Sonne of God and the Sonne of man to be another but he will vnderstand both these together to be one and the selfe-same Christ as by the name of Sunne we vnderstand both the light and the body which containeth the light and as the light and body of the Sunne are two seuerall natures so there be in our Sauiour Christ two distinct and seuerall natures Altera nostra altera nobis superior The one is ours the other is Gods and as the light is actually in the Sunne so that none can seperate it from that body wherein it is fixed and contained Hoc exemplo diuinae vnitionis adducto nos ad magis cognitionem confugimus si non omnino ipsá veritatem assequuti certe quandam similitudinem quae pâ—escrutantibus sufficiat Iustin Martyr de recta confess siue de coessent trinit yet we may easily discerne the nature and the proprietie of each one from the other Sic in vno filio dei vniuersam vim nemo seperauerit ab vnica filietate naturae tameÌ„ eius proprietatem ratione quiuis discreuerit So in that one Sonne of God no man can seperate his whole vertue i. e. of the Word and Flesh from that onely Sonneship and yet in our vnderstandings we may discerne the different proprietie of each nature And so saith the Father By this example we flie vnto the more holy cogitation of the diuine vnion of these two natures and if hereby we be not altogether able to attaine vnto the truth thereof as what can be fully sufficient to expresse so great a mystery yet certainly we haue herein a most excellent similitude which will greatly helpe and contentedly suffice the godly and moderate searchers of this truth The vnity of Christ his person most cleerly proued from Scriptures But indeed the holy Scriptures doe of all other writings most fully and cleerely shew that these two natures doe make but one person in our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ for when Christ asked his Apostles whom doe men say that I the Sonne of man am Saint Peter answered that he was Christ the Sonne of the liuing God Matth. 16.13 therefore he is but one person because Saint Peter confesseth the Sonne of man to be the Sonne of the liuing God Verse 16. And the Angel said vnto the Virgin that holy thing which shall be borne of thee Luke 1.35 shall be called the Sonne of God therefore hee is but one person because he which was born of the Virgin was is none other but he that is truly called and is the true Sonne of God And Saint Paul speaking of Christ as he was the eternall Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.3 in respect of his Godhead and as he was the sonne of Dauid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of his Manhood yet doth he not say of his Sonnes as of two but of his Sonne made and declared to be his Sonne to shew vnto vs that as before his making so now after his making he is still but one Sonne one person of the two distinct natures subsisting Iohn 20.31 And Saint Iohn more plainely saith that these things are written that you might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the Sonne of God that is that Iesus the Sonne of Mary is that same Christ which is the Sonne of God And in his first Epistle he doth almost nothing but confirme this truth that is 1 Iohn 1.1 that there is but one person in the God and man Christ Iesus For Chap. 1. he saith that which was from the beginning which we haue heard which wee haue seene with our eyes therefore he must needs be but one person for to see with their eyes that word which was from the beginning could no wayes be but onely in respect of the vnitie of the person So Chap. 2. he saith Chap. 2. v. 22. Who is a lyar but he that denyeth Iesus to be the Christ So Chap. 3. he saith Chap. 3. v. 16. In this we perceiue the loue of God that he laid downe his life for vs. So Chap.
of each nature doe remaine intire and inconfused to each nature nor transfused each into other the properties also must needes remaine intire to either Nature without that supposed transfusion of them each to other for that rule can neuer bee disproued Confundens proprietates essentiales confundit naturas Confound the naturall or essentiall properties of any things and you take away the nature of the things And therefore in that one and selfe-same subsistence of Christ there must needes be a diuine and a humane nature a diuine and a humane wisedome a diuine and a humane will and so of all other properties of each nature they must be as well inconfused as indiuisible And this Christ himselfe briefly sheweth where hee saith I lay downe my life and I take it vp againe John 10.17 for though the actions of each nature are inseparably ioyned together in respect of the person that is though the same person is said to doe the actions of each Nature yet are the actions neuer confounded but doe still remaine distinct and proper to each nature as to lay downe his life is the proper worke of the humanity and to take it vp againe is the proper worke of the Deity And this Damascene doth explaine by the example of a fiery Sword wherein both the natures of the fire and of the Sword and so likewise the actions and proprieties of each of them are preserued intire to each nature Damasc de fide orthodoxa l. 3. c. 15. Nam ferrum habet virtutem incidendi ignis vrendi For the Iron retaineth still and retaineth onely the power of cutting and the fire of burning Euen so it is in the person of Christ the Diuinity doth still retaine the propriety of working diuine operations and the humanity still retaineth the propriety of working all humane operations And Theodoret vseth the same similie though not in the like words Theodor. Dialog 2. f. 166. An example shewing how the two natures though vnited doe remaine inconfused yet to the very same effect saying Si ignis cum ferro comixtio quae ferrum ita ostendit vt etiam ea faciat quae sunt ignis eius naturam non mutat ita nec Dei cum corpore est mutatio corporis c. If the commixtion of the fire with the Iron doth make the Iron not onely to appeare like fire but also to doe the same things as to dry to heate and to burne which the fire doth and yet this fire changeth not the nature of the Iron Euen so the vnion of the Word with our Flesh doth not change the nature of our flesh but as a man hath his soule and body both vnited and inconfused Ita multo magis Christus habens diuinitatem cum corpore habet vtraque permanentia non confusa So much more Christ hauing his diuinity vnited with our flesh hath them both remaining intire and inconfused Fourthly Inseparable because the Natures are so inseparably vnited as that the humane nature which the Word assumed can neuer be separated from the same And therefore when Christ died Subtraxit visionem sed non soluit vnionem The soule parted from the body but the Deity was separated from neither as Leo saith For in respect of this vnion of the Deity with either part of Christs humanity Psal 16.11 When Christ died and body and soule were parted the Godhead parted from neither of them the Man Christ saith vnto the God-head Thou wilt not leaue my soule in Hell nor suffer thine holy one i. e. my body in the graue to see corruption but as a Tree cut in twaine the Sunne cannot be cutte but that it may still shine on either part so the body and soule of Christ being parted the Deity was still vnited vnto them both and could neuer be separated from the manhood after he had once assumed the same into the vnity of his person That there are three speciall kindes of vnion Fiftly Substantiall for as Bellarmine well obserueth diuers things may be vnited three manner of wayes First Essentially as when of many things is made one essence after which manner the matter and forme the kinde and difference are ioyned and vnited together And thus the vnion of these Natures in the words incarnation is not made first because that if it were so then there should be in Christ but one nature and that should be neither diuine nor humane but a certaine third kinde of nature out of them both And secondly because that this essentiall vnion is neuer made but of imperfect natures or if they be perfect then is it by a certaine corruption or conuersion of them but the natures of Christ are perfect and intire and therefore not essentially vnited Secondly Accidentally as when accidents are adioyned to the subiect or when a substance is ioyned to a substance but of that coupling ariseth nothing else but an accidentall forme as when of Timber and Stones we doe compose and frame a House and thus also the hypostaticall vnion of Christs two natures is not made because God is no accident nor the subiect of any accidents Thirdly Substantially as when a substance That the vnion of Christ his natures is substantiall which otherwise existeth of it selfe is drawne to the being of another suppositum i. e. of another of it selfe existing substance and dependeth on the same as a part thereof And thus is the vnion of the Word with our Flesh for wee say that the Word is substantially made Flesh i. e. a true and a perfect man whose being is no accident but a substance Sixtly It is ineffable so absolutely perfect That the manner of the vniting of the two natures is ineffable and so exceedingly mysticall that it can neuer be perfectly declared by any man for though the Fathers sought by many examples and similitudes to expresse and to illustrate the same as by the vnion of the body and soule of a branch ingraffed into a Tree of a fierie Iron and such like yet all come too short for the full expressing of this inexplicable mystery And therefore Saint Bernard compareth this ineffable mystery of the vniting of these two natures vnto that incomprehensible mystery of the Trinity and so indeede that of the Trinity is greatest and this of the incarnation is like vnto it farre exceeding mans capacity for his wayes are in the Seas his pathes in the great waters Psal 76.19 and his footesteps are not knowne And so you see how that these two natures doe make but one person of our Sauiour Christ and how they are really though ineffably vnited in that one and selfe-same subsistence of Christ CHAP. IIII. Of some of the chiefest effects and benefits of this vnion of these two Natures of Christ The effects and benefits of the vnion are of two sorts THirdly For the effects and benefits of this hypostaticall vnion of these two Natures we must vnderstand that they are
especially of two sorts 1. Some in respect of Christ 2. Others in respect of Christians First Those in respect of Christ are likewise three-fold 1. The benefit of the vnion of the two natures in respect of Christ is three-fold Esay 53.12 1 Pet. 2.22 1. An exemption of all sinne and corruption from Christ 2. The collation of ineffable graces into the humanity of Christ 3. The communication of the properties of each Nature to the person of Christ First We finde that although Christ appeared like a sinfull man and was numbred among the wicked yet in very deede he did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth for though In carnis assumptione condescendit mihi in culpae tamen vitatione consului◠sibi 1. To free the manhood from all sinne He assumed the true nature of man yet by reason of his pure conception and of this hypostaticall vnion hee was conceiued and liued without sinne and so as Leo saith Qui non alienus ab hominum genere alienus fuit à crimine He tooke vpon him the seede of man but not the sinne of man he vnited himselfe to our nature but he shunned all the iniquity of our nature Secondly The graces callated vnto the humanity of Christ by reason of this vnion of the two natures are very many especially these sixe 2. To inrich the manhood with these and the like speciall graces First His subsistence and that in the second person of the Trinity whereof it selfe as of it selfe is destitute Secondly An extraordinary dignity in that it is a peculiar Temple for the Deity of Christ to dwell in and the place where the Godhead shewes it selfe more manifestly and more gloriously then in any other Creature whatsoeuer for though God sheweth himselfe by his prouidence to be in all his Creatures and by his grace to be after a more speciall manner in his Saints yet is he onely most gloriously eternally inhabiting according to the fulnesse of his Deity by an hypostaticall vnion in the humanity of Christ for In him dwelleth the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily Collos 2.9 And as now in this life No man commeth vnto God but by Christ so hereafter in the next life No man can see God but in the face of Iesus Christ Thirdly A more neere familiarity with the Godhead then any other Creature whether Men or Angels either had or haue or can haue for that to all other Creatures he is adioyned onely by the presence of his grace or glory but to the humanity of Christ he hath personally vnited himselfe for euer So that as he said My Father and I are one that is one essence he may as truly say the Manhood and I are one that is one onely person for euer Fourthly An extraordinary measure without measure of habituall graces wisedome vnderstanding holinesse and the like such as dwels not in that measure in any other Creature whatsoeuer no not in the very chiefest Angels of God for to all them were giuen grace by measure but to the humanity of Christ Ephes 4 7. was giuen grace without measure Iohn 3.34 saith the Baptist euen so much as a Creature is any wayes capable of Fiftly A partner agent with the Godhead according to its measure in the workes of redemption mediation and such like Sixtly To be adored and worshipped with diuine honour not as it is considered in it selfe without respect vnto the Deity but as it is vnited with the Godhead Neque tamen creaturam adoramus Athanas Orat. 5. contra Arrianos Wee worship not the flesh alone considered but wee adore the person of Christ which consisteth of the Word and our Flesh absit sed dominum rerum creatarum incarnatum verbum deum adoramus And yet we adore no Creature God forbid but we worship and adore the Lord of all Creatures the incarnate Word God Iesus Christ saith Athanasius Nam veluti si quis nostrum c. For as if any one of vs should finde a purple roabe or a Kingly Diademe lying vpon the ground would he worship the same trow you but when the King is clothed and decked with the same he is guilty of death that despiseth and refuseth to worship and honour them together with the King that weareth them euen so in our Sauiour Christ wee doe not adore the sole and bare humanity Aug. de verbis Domini sec Joh. Ser. 58. but being vnited vnto the Deity whosoeuer shall despise to adore with diuine worship that onely Sonne of God true God and true man hee shall vndoubtedly suffer the paines of eternall death saith Saint Augustine 3. To haue the properties of each nature to bee indifferently predicated of the whole person of Christ Thirdly For the communicating of the properties we are to consider it First In respect of those properties which are common to both natures ioyntly considered Secondly In respect of those properties which are peculiar to either nature seuerally considered First The Office of a Mediator is ascribed to Christ in respect of both natures Quia totus Christus secundum diuinitatem humanitatem est Mediator Intercessor because whole Christ according to his Deity and humanity is our Mediator and Intercessor saith Saint Augustine Secondly The peculiar properties of either nature are said to be communicated when they are predicated or spoken of the whole person of Christ in the concrete and largest extent and this communicating of properties is nothing else but a forme of speech whereby those things are spoken of the whole person of Christ which indeede are proper to either one nature and not to the other for oftentimes it comes to passe that by reason of the personall vnion of these two natures each one of them doth interchangeably take the concrete names each of other in predication Acts 20.28 as when it is said That God purchased the Church with his owne bloud not that the Godhead shed bloud but because that person which was a God did shed bloud to procure redemption not which it had as God but which it had in respect of the Manhood vnited vnto it So the Sonne of man talking with Nicodemus Iohn 3.13 is said To be in Heauen not that hee was in Heauen as he was man while he was on earth but because that person which was the Sonne of man was by something that was in his person that is his Deity in Heauen So Saint Paul in the first Chapter to the Romans Rom. 1.4 Verse 3.4 doth giue vs a perfect patterne how to interpret all such alternate predications for there hee saith That the Sonne of God was made of the seede of Dauid but how not according to his diuine Sonneship or Deity which hee had from all eternity but in respect of his humane nature which was personally vnited vnto the Sonne of God And therefore though it be most vsuall in the Scripture to heare things properly appertaining to the
Manhood to be affirmed of our blessed God and Sauiour and also things properly belonging to him as he is God ascribed to the man Christ Iesus yet is it most hereticall to confound the one nature with the other as the Eutychians did or to communicate properly the speciall properties of one nature vnto the other as the Lutherans doe for in the concrete and not in the abstract as the Schooles doe speake wee say 1 Cor. 2.8 That they haue crucified the Lord of glory as noting that person which was and is the Lord of glory and vnderstanding it of his person not in respect of that nature whereby hee was the Lord of glory but in respect of the other nature personally vnited thereunto wherein hee was passible and might be crucified And so speaking of his person in respect of his other nature we say That the man Christ is Almighty because hee is so in respect of his diuine nature personally vnited vnto his humanity Pamas l. 3. c 3. 4 de fide orthodoxa Theodoret. in Dialog but as we may not say That they haue crucified the Godhead so wee may not say That the manhood of Christ is Almighty for when any thing is affirmed of Christ in respect of that one nature which properly belongeth vnto the other the meaning thereof is not to inuest the one nature with the properties that are peculiar to the other but thereby to shew the truth and certainty of the vnion of both natures in one person And we haue a good example hereof in man as hee consisteth of body and soule for wee may truly say that man is heauenly and immortall and that man is mortall and earthly And againe wee may say that the soule sleepeth and the body heareth whereas to sleepe is the property of the body and to heare is the property of the soule and yet they destroy the nature of man that would either turne the one of these natures into the other or confound one of these with the other or inuest the one nature really with the properties that are peculiar vnto the other Euen so we may say that God was borne of a Virgin and the Virgin to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Mother of God that God suffered and was crucified and did redeeme the Church with his owne bloud yet not simply Acts 20.28 Sâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in this or that respect that is in respect of another nature which God hath vnited vnto himselfe because God here is a concrete Word and not an abstract and signifieth the person of Christ and not the diuine nature of Christ And so we say that the man Christ is Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent c. yet not simply in respect of his manhood but in respect of the person which is the same God and man or of the other nature of the man Christ Iesus for that here man also is a concrete Word signifying the whole person and not the humane nature of Christ And so in this respect and after this manner the speciall properties of each nature may be predicated and affirmed of the other nature Quia vt Deus propter vnitatem propria ducit humana sic homo propter vnitatem propria ducit diuina Because that as the God Christ Cyrillus de incarn c. 26. in respect of the hypostaticall vnion of the two natures assumed all the humane properties so the man Christ in respect of the same vnion is partaker of all the diuine properties as Saint Cyril speaketh But on the contrary side we may not say that the Deity of Christ was borne of a Virgin or that Mary is the Mother of the God-head or that the diuinity of Christ was passible and mortall nor that the humanity of Christ is Almighty Omniscient Omnipresent or the like because the deity and humanity are abstract words i. e. such words as doe note vnto vs the two natures of Christ the one diuine the other humane and not the person of Christ And therefore if we doe but rightly distinguish betweene praedicata absoluta et limitata the things that are spoken absolutely in the largest sense and the things that are predicated by way of limitation in the strictest sense we shall easily see that the communication of the properties of both natures doe no wayes proue such a reall trans-fusion of the properties of each nature into the other as that the humanity of Christ should receiue into it selfe from the Deitie a power to be omnipotent omniscient or omnipresent in it selfe but as the natures are distinct so the properties of each nature are still distinct without trans-fusion or confounding the one with the other CHAP. V. Of certaine obiections and arguments endeuouring to proue the inuesting of the humanity of Christ with diuine properties answered and the effects of this vnion in respect of all Christians shewed ANd yet notwithstanding all this and all else that hath beene spoken by all the most famous Diuines of this latter time the Lutherans say that Christ did such miracles in his naturall body and that there are such things ascribed to the manhood of Christ as doe sufficiently proue that his humane nature is really inuested with the diuine properties For First they doe obiect that when the Iewes would haue Ob. 1 throwne him downe the hill he passed away inuisibly from amongst them all therefore the man Christ Iesus is inuisible To this Ludolphus answereth that this happened not Sol. by making the Body of Christ inuisible Ludolphus p. 1. c. 65. p. 155. but by the sudden striking of his enemies with such stupified blindnesse as were the Sodomites when they sought for Lots doore vntill they were wearied Secondly they doe obiect that Christ came into the roome Ob. 2 where the Apostles were the doores being shut therefore the body of Christ is voide of that grossenesse incident to a naturall body and is now made inuisible and inpalpable To this some doe answere that he came in Sol. the doores being shut i. e. at that time when the doores are vsually shut in euery place but this could be neither strange to the Apostles nor any extraordinary act of Christ Zanch. tom 8. p. 389. and therefore Zanchius doth more truely answere that this proueth not any mutation to bee in the body of Christ nor any inuestment of the same with Diuine properties but that by the omnipotent power of his Deitie he caused the doores to goe backe That the doores opened themselues to Christ and to open themselues vnto him to make way for the true and solyd Body of Christ to enter in as the stone was rolled away from the doore of the sepulchre to make way for the same solyd body to passe forth And we reade that to others he did the like to this for Saint Peter being in prison Act. 12.10 and the doores being shut they opened themselues vnto him and he came forth and all the Apostles
if we beleeue Master Harding came into the Chappell to helpe Saint Basil to say Masse though the doores were shut and therefore the opening of the doores by the power of Christs Deitie doth no way prooue the inpalpabilitie of his Body Ob. 3 Thirdly They doe obiect that he walked vpon the Sea like a Spirit Mar. 6.49 and therefore his Body was inuested with the leuity and agility of the Deity Sol. To this I answere that he walked vpon the Seas not by the alleuiating or making light his body or specially by the leesing of the properties of a true naturall body but by the consolidating and confirming or strengthening of the waters through the power of his Deitie to make them able to beare him vp and so they were strengthened to beare vp the body of Saint Peter vntill Saint Peters faith began to faile Ob. 4 Fourthly They doe obiect that the heauens must containe the Body of Christ vntill the restitution of all things Act 9.3 as Saint Peter saith and yet that Christ in respect of his humanity did appeare vnto Saint Paul Act. 22.6 as he went towards Damascus and therefore either the saying of Saint Peter cannot be true or Saint Paul did not see him or else his humanity by reason of the vnion with the Deity hath obtained those Diuine properties to be omniscient and omnipresent with the Deity Sol. To this some doe answere that Christ might for that time and to that end frame a body of the ayre to speake vnto Saint Paul as he did many times vnto the Fathers of the Old Testament and so the Heauens did containe the true and naturall body and he appeared vnto Saint Paul in a body that he assumed for that purpose Others thinke that Christ might for a short space of time leaue the Heauens and descend into the Ayre to speake with Saint Paul and yet the saying of Saint Peter to be still true thus vnderstood that the heauens vsually and alwayes without some rare and speciall dispensation doe containe him vntill the restitution of all things But it is vnlikely that he would assume any created forme vpon him after he had once really vnited himselfe to our nature and we haue no argument to proue that euer he did it and it is not probable that he would leaue his throne voide in heauen for the least moment of time after hee was once seated in that excellent Maiestie and therefore I thinke with Zanchius that Christ remaining in Heauen might appeare vnto Saint Paul as he did vnto Saint Stephen the heauens were opened and his eyes were indued with a most excellent sharpenesse of sight that he saw Christ standing on the right hand of God Act. 7.55 for Saint Paul doth not say that Christ appeared vnto him on earth That Saul saw no body on earth as he went to Damascus but that suddenly there shined round about him a light from Heauen and that he heard the voyce of the Lord saying vnto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and all this might be without any presence of Christs Body for Christ might speake in Heauen and cause that same voice to be head here on earth Matth. 3.17 or he might frame a voyce in the Ayre as the Father did at the baptisme of Christ where the voyce was framed and heard but no body seene nor assumed Fiftly They doe obiect that the Body of Christ doth viuifie Ob. 5 vs and raise vs vp and doe such other effects which are onely proper vnto the Godhead and therefore it is inuested with the properties of the Godhead To this Damascen answereth by this similitude Sol. Vrit ignitum ferrum non naturali ratione vstivam possidens actionem How the flesh of Christ is said to doe diuine operations sed ex vnione ignis ad ferrum illud obtinet That as a hot fiery iron will burne any thing not that it hath naturally the facultie or propriety of burning but by reason of the vnion of the fire vnto it So the humanity is said to doe many things not that it hath any property in it selfe to do theÌ„ but being vnited vnto the Deitie Damasc de fide orthodoxa l. 3. c. 17. it is said to doe the same though indeed as it is not the iron that burneth but the fire that is vnited vnto the iron So it is not properly the flesh that doth any of these but the Word vnto which the flesh is hypostatically vnited And therefore it is apparant mauger all that can be said against it that Christ by this communicating of properties hath neither lost the properties of a true naturall body nor that his humanity is really inuested with the properties of the Deity Secondly the benefits of the vnion of the two natures of Christ in respect of vs. Esay 1. Ephes 4.18 Secondly The other effects and benefits of the vnion of these two natures which are in regard of vs are our spirituall vnion with God and thereby the inriching of vs with all those graces that doe prepare vs and bring vs vnto euerlasting happinesse for our sinnes had seperated vs from God and made vs aliens and strangers from the life of God they were and are like a partition wall betwixt God and vs they keepe vs farre from God and make vs indeed to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without God in the world but now as God made the personall vnion of soule and body for the constitution and continuation of the whole and common nature of mankind So he vnited the Word with our flesh that our nature might be restored in the person of Christ and that they which before were at variance God and Man might now be reconciled through this vnion of God and man in the person of Iesus Christ for seeing Christ hath personally vnited our nature vnto himselfe he hath thereby naturally vnited vs vnto God Quia natura nobis est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because by nature hee is of the same nature with vs and we are of the same with him though we be not carnally in him but as we are ingraffed Et consortes Christi per fidem Basilius â—p 41. ad Caesariens and pertakers of Christ by faith as Saint Basil saith And so now by reason of this vniting of our nature vnto the Sonne of God and thereby our communion and fellowship with God we receiue as all the members doe receiue life and motion by reason of their vnion with the head all those gracious motions and gifts that are necessary for sustaining of our spiritull life and shall hereafter fully attaine vnto the blessed fruition of God for euer And so you see the particulars of this great mistery of the words incarnation How the word was made flesh CHAP. VI. Of certaine reasons why these deepe doctrinall points were so largely handled NOw if any man doth maruell as no doubt but many doe and blame me too perhaps
others will haue this phrase to signifie his abode conuersation here among men thirdly others will haue it to signifie the state and condition of the dead as if the comparison were made betwixt those parts of the earth wherein the liuing doe inhabit and that place wherein the dead are buried and so they doe expound that place of Esayas that hee was cut off from the land of the liuing and so cast into the land of the dead Esay 53.8 which they say the Apostle vnderstandeth by the lower parts of the earth and fourthly others say that he descended into the place of the damned not to suffer Iohn 19.30 because that was finished on the Crosse nor to fetch any Fathers out of Lymbe but to signifie and to shew not onely by words but also by presence that seing by his death and Passion the wrath of God was appeased Satan was to haue no more power ouer the Elect which hee held captiue that he was now made Lord of all and that all power was giuen vnto him and a name aboue all other names Collos 2.15 and not onely to declare the same vnto them but also to subdue them and to spoyle principalities and powers and as my Text saith to leade captiuitie captiue And this is the exposition of most of the ancient Fathers for mine owne part I am of Zanchius minde Laâ—ch in Ephes c. 4. that in the word descendit all these foure expositions may bee comprehended because he descended into his mothers wombe to be conuersant here among men into his graue and into Hell and our very Creede expresseth all these foure he was conceaued by the holy Ghost i. e. in his mothers wombe there is the first hee was borne of the Virgin Marie and hee suffered vnder Pontius Pilate there is the second he was dead buried there is the third and he descended into Hell there is the fourth and these be the foure degrees of his humiliation That Christ descended into Hell and this the Apostle seemeth plainely to vnderstand by the antithesis by the coherence and by the scope of the words because hee saith that hee ascended to the highest part of Heauen and therefore this also that he descended into the lower parts of the earth is literally to bee vnderstood that he descended into Hell because no place of the earth is lower then Hell Secondly Touching the exaltation of Christ Saint Paul setteth downe two things 1. He describeth the Person ascending he which descended 2. He expresseth the action he ascended He which ascended is the very same person which descended First he saith that it is he which descended that hath ascended i. e. he which was made man which suffered was buried he ascended and who is he but God the Sonne the second Person of the Trinitie for so our Sauiour saith I went forth from the Father and I came into the world and againe I leaue the world and I goe to the Father and therfore it is the very self same Son of God and none other which both descended and ascended And so by these few words we finde two great heresies quite ouerthrowne first of them which say hee brought his body from Heauen because the Apostle doth not say he which ascended descended though this be true being truely vnderstood for he ascended God and Man which so did not descend but as God alone therefore he saith he which descended he ascended secondly hereby is ouerthrowne the heresie of Nestorius which said our Sauiour consisteth of two persons for if he which descended is the very same that ascended then it is apparant that by his descention That in Christ there cannot be two persons i. e. by the assumption of our nature hee is no other person then he was before but still remaineth one and the selfe same person and that the humane nature doth adde nothing vnto the Sonne of God for the constituting or perfecting of his person for otherwise he that ascended had bin another and not the same which descended for hee had descended a simple person and ascended compounded hee had descended an imperfect person and ascended perfect which is most hereticall either to say or think And this is the cause why we affirme that the person of Christ cannot be said to bee compounded of two natures tanquam ex partibus as of two parts Christ still remaineth a most simple person i. e not compounded but as hee was before the assuming of our nature so also now hee is still a most simple and a most perfect person bearing our nature as on â—â—areth on his garment but neuer to put it off againe because it is assumed into the vnitie of his person and so Saint Augustine saith that Christ descended like a naked man and when he ascended he ascended the same person but clothed with our flesh and therefore as he is not another man that taketh on a garment so the Sonne of God is not another person because he tooke vpon him the garment of our flesh and if the humane nature assumed did neither change nor perfect nor compound the person of the Sonne of God because he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other then by the same reason it cannot be said that Christ tooke man vpon him i. e. a humane person as Nestorius taught But therefore he vnderstood not the same How Nestorius was deceiued about the person of Christ because on the one side hee held that true philosophicall principle that the actions are of the persons and not of the natures and on the other side he held another principle which is also true if it be truely vnderstood that of contrary effects there must bee contrary efficient causes and hee saw that in Christ there were diuers and contrary actions and therefore he did thence conclude that in Christ there must needs be diuers persons whereof the one should be passible and the other impassible and so he made that hee which descended was not the same but another that ascended for he considered not quod idem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 potest diuersa pugnantia opâ—rari secundam diuersas in eo naturas that the same subsistent or person may worke diuers and contrarie acts in respect of the diuers natures that are in it as a man according to his soule doth vnderstand and according to his body hee doth not vnderstand in respect of his soule he is immortall and in respect of his body hee is mortall and so through his ignorance hee hath abused these true philosophicall principles being truely vnderstood to denie the truth of the Scriptures and to wrong the person of the Sonne of God but the Fathers truely explaining the sayd principles did confute his error and confirme this truth that he which descended is the very same that ascended and none other But from hence it is apparant that the word descendit is not to be taken in
737 TI. No time mispent that is spent to know the person of Christ 305 Christ how made in time 400 Of the time when Christ was borne ibid. How time hath his fulnesse 401 The particular time of the words incarnation 402. Titillation and thoughts of sinne is sinne 14 TO Torments of Hell how intollerable 86 Not equall to all the damned 93 Not suffered by Christ 581 TR. That we doe not traduce sinnes from our parents 246 Transubstantiation hath a double contradiction 173 How full of absurdities ibid. Defenders of Transubstantiation how agreeable to the false prophets whereof our Sauiour biddeth vs to beware 548 What the Author thinketh of Transubstantiation 549 Treason of Iudas what it should teach vs. 463 Mysterie of the Trinity why not fully reuealed at the first 272 How darkly shewed in the creatures 273 Trismegistus what he said of the word 312 Morall truth what it is 312 Truth in vs not as it is in God ibid. Physicall truth what it is ibid. God is truth two wayes 213 All truths how they doe proceed 213 Truth of things of vnderstanding of words 213 214 Diuine truth measureth all things 214 Expressed truth is two-fold 215 Truth how excellent it is ibid. How like the light 215 How it expelleth errors ibid. Sheweth what euery thing is ibid. How it begets vs to God 216 God true in himselfe in his workes and in his words 216 The primarie expressed truth contained in the holy Scriptures 215 Truth to be sought whatsoeuer it cost 217 To be defended with the losse of all that we haue 217 How alwayes handled on earth ibid. How at last it will preuaile 218 How euery truth proceedes from God 222 How God loueth it ibid. How it should be alwayes spoken 222 231 How hardly found in these dayes 222 231 Truth makes vs like to God 231 Truth and iustice how they pleaded against man 319 TV. To turne from sinne turnes away all the wrath of God 195 TW Twelue apparitions of Christ after his resurrection 565 Twelue wonders in the Manna of the Israelites 703 Two things further the sinnes of the parents to continue in the children 246 Two-fold will in Christ 296 Two sorts of Mediators 296 Two reasons shewing why Christ was made flesh 320 Two things to be done for man before he could be saued 321 Two things to be considered touching the conception of Christ 333 Two signes of a true Teacher 466 Two reasons moued Pilate to condemne Christ 478 That there is a two fold hope 649 Two kindes of prayer 700 TY. Giuing of Canaan to the Israelites a type of giuing heauen to vs. 127 The three women seeking Christ a type of the Church 519 520 Typicall testimonies that Christ should rise the third day 554 To liue vnder the tyrannie of sinne how lamentable it is 635 VA. VAnities of the world how soone they passe away 129 Christ despised all vanities 260 Vaine-glory how it tainteth many of the Clergy 525 Valentinus his heresie 343 VB Vbiquity cannot be communicated to any creature 156 Vbiquitie of Christ his body ouerthrowne by the assertion of the Angell 543 Obiections of the Vbiquitaries answered 168 388 VE Veniall sinnes or the least sinnes bring death 41 Vertue is of an admirable beauty 47 Christ a patterne of all vertue 260 VJ. Victory of Christ ouer Hell Death Sinne and Satan 634 Villanies of Satan to be shewed and why 392 Villanies done to Christ not paralelled since the world began 474 Vineger how giuen to Christ to drinke 482 Christ why borne of a Virgin 334 The blessed Virgin still continued a Virgin to her death 336 Visitation of God two-fold 243 To visite what it signifieth 243 God visiteth the afflicted ibid. God visiteth the wicked 244 VN Vnderstanding of Adam in Paradise how excellent 57 58. Our Vnderstanding now how darkened through sinne 58 How quicke and sharpe in naturall things 59 How blockish in all Diuine mysteries ibid. Our vnderstanding of God very small 121 Vnion of Christ his natures expressed by a simily of Iustin Martyr 371 Wherin the Nestorian heretickes auouched the same to consist 375 Wherein the Lutherans affirmed it to consist 377 Wherein it doth truely consist 378 Vnion of the two natures inconuertible indiuisible c. 379 Vnion of things three wayes made 380 Vnion of Christ his natures substantiall 381 Ineffable ibid. What benefits it bringeth 282 283 c. We must be vnited to Christ if we will ascend to Heauen 627 Vnity of brethren 689 Want of vnity amongst vs. 691 Vnrepentant sinners shall neuer be absolued 242 VO Voice of the creature three-fold 705 WA WAight of sinne feared by Christ 545 Christ how he walked vpon the waters 388 Warre how lawfull 702 All wants supplied by Christ 262 Way to Heauen how said to be hard 98 And how easie 99 Three wayes of knowing God 120 Three wayes of expressing what God is Wayes of wickednes how hard and difficult 99 121 Best way to teach is to lay a good foundation 392 Way to saue man could neuer haue beene found but onely by the wisdome of God 393 WE Wealth what discommoditie it bringerh 524 WH White clothing of Christ what it signified 473 White an argument of innocency 478 WI. Wicked men delight in committing sinne 36 They are greedy to doe it ibid. And they haue their full content when they haue done it ibid. How they should be afraid to offend Gods power 179 They haue no part in the speciall mercy of God 188 Wicked men not loued of God 189 They are with held from many sinnes by the goodnesse of God 200 To giue vnto the wicked power to serue God God is no waies to doe it 210 The wickednesse of professors of the truth ought no waies to disparage the truth of God 219 220 The wicked how they abuse Gods goodnesse 22â— How punished in their children 245 That they shall be punished 244 Not euery sinne of the wicked is visited vpon their children 247 The wicked how they doe deceiue themselues 517 How it hapneth that they seeke not God 5â—1 How they are terrified and punished by the Angels 536 How they are said to ascend 6â—0 How still captiues vnto Satan 635 Wife of Pilate how she iustified Christ 475 Will of God reuealed in our consciences and in the scriptures 11 Wilfull sinners 33 How fearefull is their state ibid. They can pleade no excuse ibid. The will commandeth all the faculties of the soule 53 Will to sinne deserueth the punishment of sinne 55 Our will cannot be compelled by Sathan nor by any other outward enemie 55 57 Our owne will is the cause of all our woe 55 How our will to doe good is quite killed by sinne 56 It is drawne to sinne by our owne corruption 57 How it is guided by the iudgement 57 How we may be said to haue free-will 57 To will to sinne euer is a temporarie act 97 God cannot will things contrarie to his nature 153 To will a thing we
15 qud quad 19 Aetneum Aetnaeum 41 num nun◠124 seeing being 196 prestare praestare 438 Hillarius Hilarius 690 Psal pag. 695 Blando Blanda And some other mis-quotations which for want of the copie I cannot directly amend The first golden Candlesticke HOLDING The first greatest light of Christian RELIGION Of the misery of MAN ROMANS 6.23 The reward of sinne is death EVery man saith holy Iob is borne to labour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea necessitie enioyneth all mortall men to labour saith Euripides and euery labourer is induced saith Hugo Cardinalis to performe his worke with alacritie vpon the assured hope of iust reward and therefore the law required that no man should detaine the hyre of the Labourer vntill the morning but as soone as euer hee had done his worke Leuit. 19.13 to pay him his wages because as our Sauiour saith the Labourer is worthy of his hyre and we finde that according as the payment is Luc. 10.7 good or bad so are the Labourers willing or vnwilling to doe their worke for good and present payment makes a painefull and a cheerefull agent Now here the Apostle setteth downe a worke performed and the wages thereof not onely iustly deserued but also presently discharged the reward of sinne is death and in what day thou sinnest Gen. 2.17 in that day thou shalt die the death saith the Lord few words but full of matter Sinne and Death the two most common things vpon the face of the earth for all men sinned except Christ himselfe and all men died except Enoch and Elias and yet two of the most lamentable and most fearefull things in the world for what is more lamentable then sinne or what is more terrible then death Iudges 15.4.5 and yet as Sampsons Foxes were tyed together by the tayles and carried firebrands betwixt them to destroy all the Corne of the Philistimes so here sinne and death are indissolubly linked together with vnquenchable firebrands betwixt them to deuoure all the whole race of mankinde for the reward of sinne is death But I must seuer them for a time to examine these murtherers of men that all wee may hate them if we cannot shunne them and therefore according to the number of the words of this text The diuision of the Text. stipendium peccati mors I desire you to obserue the parts of this tragedie three words three parts 1 the worke performed Sinne. 2 the payment rendred Death 3 the equitie shewed the wages of sin is death All which well considered will shew vnto vs all the most wofull state and the manifold miseries of poore distressed miserable man CHAP. I. Of Originall sinne The first Part. and how the same is deriued from the Parents vnto the Children Of the worke that is done i. e. Sinne. HEre you see sinne is the roote of death and death is the fruit of sinne Sower must be the roote when the fruit doth proue so bitter and sinne must needes bee execrable when as death is a thing so lamentable and therfore sinne makes me quake to thinke of it and death should make you tremble to consider of it because death is the wages of sinne And sinne is either 1 originall Sinne is twofold 2 actuall the first is traduced vnto vs from Adam the second is daily committed by our selues For the first In what day thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and euill thou shalt die the death saith the Lord vnto Adam but you may eate Gen. 2.17 and you shall not die at all saith the Diuell vnto Euah she beleeued the Diuell and the man obayed his wife and so both would needes eate and therefore God cannot be true or else man must needes die and he must iustly die because he did vniustly eate i. Of Originall sinne Rom. 5.12 Here was the sinne committed by one and from him it was deriued vnto all for by one man sinne entred into the world and sinne went ouer all and spread it selfe like that far-spreading tree which Olympias dreamt shee bare or like a vile gangrene ouer all the face of the whole earth and corrupted all the race of mankinde for it is a schoole-point most infallible that Adam now stood not as a priuate person or as one particular man but as the roote of all the branches and as bearing in his person the nature of all mankinde And therefore if he had stood we had all stood Heb. 7.9 but as Abraham paying tythes Leui paid tythes in Abraham so Adam sinning we haue all sinned in Adam Et omnes peccauimus in isto vno homine quia omnes eramus iste vnus homo And wee haue all sinned in that one man because we all were that one man saith Saint Augustine And so both himselfe and wee all The dammage that we receiue by Adams fall is two-fold 1. A depriuation of all goodnesse doe by this fact of Adam receiue a double dammage 1. A depriuation of all our originall goodnesse the image of God in vs and the loue of God towards vs and therefore if at the losse of earthly treasures we shew our selues so much grieued O then how should our soules for the amission of such heauenly graces be continually perplexed vntill wee see the same once againe restored 2. An habituall naturall pronenesse to all kinde of wickednesse 1. A pronesse to all wickednesse and to commit sinne euen with greedinesse In respect of the first we are altogether vnable to doe any good for who can bring a cleane thing out of that which is vncleane how can wee being voide of grace bring forth any fruits of goodnesse and In respect of the second wee are naturally inclined to all kinde of euill like a stone tumbling downe a hill that can neuer stay it selfe vntill it come to the bottome So Medea saith Video meliora proboque deteriora sequor Though I see the good yet am I naturally driuen to doe that which is euill for our whole nature being defiled we are wholly inclined to fall from one wickednesse vnto another as the Psalmist speaketh And in respect of both these wee are said to bee conceiued in sinne borne in iniquiitie destitute of grace void of goodnesse nothing but flesh full of corruption children of darkenesse sonnes of wrath heyres of damnation slaues of death for the reward of sinne is death But here it may be questioned and it is not easily to be resolued how originall corruption is traduced from the Parents into the Children The question is not of the verity of the matter for it is plaine Ezech. 18. that our Fathers haue eaten sowre grapes and the childrens teeth are set on edge and euery one may truely say with the Prophet Psal 51.5 in sinne my Mother hath conceiued me but it is of the Mystery of the manner Iohn 3.9 as Nicodemus said to Christ how can these things be for How originall sinne
be the person of the other Secondly from these inward operations of these persons doe proceed the nominall relations of the one vnto the other as father Sonne and Holy Ghost which doe likewise make a true reall distinction of the persons for the Father is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Sonne and the Sonne is not a name of Essence but of relation vnto the Father and so the Holy Ghost proceeding is not a name of Essence but of relation to the Father and the Sonne and therefore these names are so proper to each person that the name of the one cannot be ascribed to the other But you wil say that the Sonne is called Father as Esay 9.6 Sol. he is said to be the Father of eternities I answere that the name of Father is taken two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essentially 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Personally Ob. First Essentially and so in respect of the creatures each person of the Trinitie may be rightly tearmed Father The name of Father is taken two-wayes Secondly personally and so the first person onely is Father because he onely doth beget his sonne And thus you see that although the Diuine Essence is onely one yet that there are three persons in this one Essence not that the Essence begets either Essence or person but because the person of the Father begetteth the person of the Sonne and both Father and Sonne doe eternally spire and send forth the person of the Holy Ghost Athana 2. Dialog de Trinit But for the manner how the Father begetteth the Sonne or how the Father and the Sonne doe spire and send forth the holy Spirit I must answere as Galenus did Galenus l. 15. de vsu partium 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a point farre inferior to this which is of infinite profundity How this is done if you enquire you will be taken for one that hath no vnderstanding either of your owne infirmity or of the power of the Creator And the Fathers doe often dehort vs from the curiosity of explaining the manner of diuine mysteries for that worthy Nazianzene saith You heare the generation of the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nazian orat 1. de theolog 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we should not enquire too farre into the manner of Diuine Mysteries be not curious to know the manner You heare The Holy Ghost proceedeth be not busie to enquire how And in another place he saith Let the generation of God be honoured with silence it is much for thee to haue learned that he was begotten As for the manner how wee grant it not to be vnderstood by Angels much lesse by thee If the Fathers of the Councell of Lateran had followed the councell of this Father they had neuer gone so farre to enquire how Christ is in the Sacrament and so positiuely to conclude it to be by that vnheard vnknowne incredible and impossible way of transubstantiation And therefore if we would not erre with them or beyond them in this point farre more difficult then that let vs not be too curious to enquire how these things can be but let vs faithfully beleeue them to be a Trinity of Persons in the vnity of the Diuine Essence and each person to haue the whole Diuine Essence so communicated vnto it as that all the three persons must needes be co-eternall co-essentiall and co-equall But because the second Person which is the Sonne and which the Euangelist here meaneth by the Word as hereafter I shall shew vnto you was incarnate and made flesh you must giue me leaue to insist chiefly vpon that person and to discusse these three especiall points concerning the same 1. Touching this person how excellent he is 2. Touching this name here vsed why hee is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Word 3. Touching this worke why he was incarnate and made flesh For the first I will onely shew these three things 1. That for time he is God Three things handled touching the person of the Son co-eternall 2. For nature co-essentiall and 3. For dignity co-equall vnto his Father CHAP. III. Of the Coeternity of the Word with his Father That the Word was before he was made flesh FIrst That this Word was before he was made Flesh the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first vsed here and the second in the fourth Chapter to the Galathians doth make it plaine for that they signifie one that first was and afterwards was made that which hee was not And therefore hee doth not say that the Word was made first and then was made Flesh but that the Word which in the beginning and before all beginnings was in the fulnesse of time was made flesh And this may be further proued by almost infinite arguments as First He is the Sonne of the Father the wisedome and the power of God and therefore either the Father was without a Sonne and then he could be no Father and God was without his wisedome and without his strength or else he was neuer without his Sonne but to say that God was without his wisedome or without his strength Aug. ep 6.6 is most absurd Ergo Non ex tempore genitus est qui cuncta tempora condidit And therefore he was not begotten in time which created all times saith Saint Augustine Secondly He is God for Si Dietas verbi non nostrae est insita carni tum Christus falsi corporis vmbra fuit Either Christ is God or he is no man nor any Sauiour of man and he is no titular God but by Nature God hee is the true Iehoua which was which is and which shall be And therefore euerlasting for thou art God from euerlasting and World without end But That Christ is a true God is proued That he is a true God both apparant Scriptures and vnanswerable reasons drawne from Scriptures doe make it plaine For First from Scriptures First The Scriptures call him the true Ieheua as we may see by the collation and comparing of these places viz. Exodus 3.2.13.4.14.24.20.2 and Acts 7.30.32 1 Cor. 10.4.9 c. And so the Scriptures call him God as Gen. 32.28 Psal 45.7 Esay 7.14 Mathew 3.3 Heb. 1.8 And therefore Saint Iohn saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And the Word was God And Christ himselfe saith Iohn 17.3 This is eternall life to know thee to be the onely true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ For these words are thus to be expounded that they know thee and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ to be the onely true God because these two persons are but the very selfe-same Essence So Thomas saith vnto Christ My Lord and my God Iohn 20.28 And so we finde the same truth expressed Acts 20.28 Rom. 8.5.1 Iohn 3.16 1 Iohn 5.20 1 Tim. 3.16 Psal 47.6 and in many other places of the Scripture which wee may
it were of the like nature with God Fourthly they affirme that although the word it selfe is not found in the Scriptures yet that the full sense and meaning of the word is plainely found Aug. tract 79. In Joh. Cyrillus l. 1. de trinit as Saint Augustine doth most excellently proue out of those words of our Sauiour I and my Father are one Iohn 10. And that it is deriued from the Scripture for it is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Essence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is deriued of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Lord saith of himselfe Ego sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am he that is or I am that I am Exod. 3. And therefore seeing this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their verball winde shakes no corne nor cannot derogate any thing from the coessentiality of this word with his Father they proceed against the matter And so Secondly they doe obiect against the truth of the matter declared by this Word And First they argue thus Whose wils are diuers their natures Ob. 1 and essences are diuers but the will of the Father and of the Sonne are diuers for the Sonne saith vnto his Father Father if it be possible Matth. 26.39 let this cup passe from me neuerthelesse not as I will but as thou wilt therefore their Essence must needes be diuers Sol. That Christ as he hath two Natures so he hath a two-fold Will. I answere that the proposition is to be distinguished for whose wils are diuers hauing the same natures their natures must be diuers but in Christ there are two natures diuine and humane and therefore that his will is diuers or not the same will as his fathers is in respect of his humane nature though it be alwayes subiect and agreeable to the same we easily grant but that his will in respect of his diuine nature is any wayes different or diuers from his Fathers will we vtterly deny and we say not that the whole person of Christ but that Christ in respect of his diuine nature as he is the second person of the Trinitie is co-essentiall vnto his Father and therefore though the will of Christ as he is the Sonne of man be not the same as his Fathers will is yet that doth not proue the will of Christ as hee is the Sonne of God to be not the same as his Fathers will is because Christ hath a two-fold will the one as he is the eternall Word and the other as he is made Flesh Ob. 2 Secondly they say he that is mediator betwixt God and men is not of the same essence with God but Christ is the Mediator betwixt God and men 1 Tim. 2.5 saith the Apostle therefore he cannot be of the same essence with God Sol. That there are two sorts of Mediators I answere that the proposition is to be distinguished for it is true of such a mediator as Moses was the Messenger of God to men but it is false of such a Mediator as reconcileth wicked men to God by appeasing his wrath and making satisfaction for their sinnes for that no man can do so but he that is God by nature Now Saint Paul sheweth Christ to be such a Mediator as doth appease the wrath of God and therefore he sheweth euen thereby that Christ must needes be a God by nature and of the same Essence with his Father Ob. 3 Thirdly they say Christ is a Mediator and an Aduocate with God but he is no Mediator nor Aduocate with himselfe therefore himselfe is not of the same Essence with God Sol. I answere that the Name of God is to be taken two wayes First Essentially and so Christ is a Mediator with God Secondly Hipostatically for any person of the God-head and so Christ also is Mediator with God if you vnderstand God for the person of the Father not excluding the Sonne or the Holy Ghost for otherwise it is false because he is not onely Mediator with the person of the Father but also with himselfe and the Holy Ghost So likewise in the conclusion if you take God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the person of the Father we yeeld Christ is not God because God the Sonne is not nor cannot be God the Father And to the minor I say That Christ reconcileth vs to himselfe that Christ may bee said to bee a Mediator with himselfe if we consider the office of mediation Nam sacrificij modum non sicut vnus quidam ex nobis sacerdotibus affert seruiliter For he doth not seruilely like some of vs or any vnder the Law bring the substance of our sacrifice vnto the Priests which should first offer for themselues and then for the sinnes of their people because he hath nothing herein common with vs that he should receiue it at our hands to offer it for vs but as he is our sacrifice himselfe Cyrillus l. de recta fide ad reginas Sic sibi ipsi conciliat per ipsum in ipso patri So he reconcileth vs vnto himselfe and through himselfe and in himselfe vnto his Father as Saint Cyrill saith Fourthly they say If he be of the same essence with the Father Ob. 4 then is he essentially in the Father but he is not essentially in the Father for the Word was with God and not in God John 1.1 saith the Euangelist but to be with God signifieth not to be in God but without him as a booke held in my hand is with me though it be not in me therefore Christ is not essentially in the Father consequently not of the same essence with the Father To this Fulgentius answereth diuers wayes Sol. 1. If all that is sayd to be with God be without God Fulgent in resp ad obiect Arrianorum and all that is sayd to bee in God bee within him then are wee neerer vnto God then the Sonne of God for here you see he is sayd but to be with God and we are sayd to be in God 1 Cor. 8. for there is but one God the Father by whom are all things and wee in him sayth the Apostle but this is most absurd to say that wee are neerer vnto God then the Sonne of God and therefore it is as absurd to say that all which is with God is without God and all that are sayd to be in him to be within him Secondly Hee proueth that to be with God or with man doth not alwayes signifie to bee without God or without man for it is sayd that the vngodly reasoned with themselues Wisd 2.1 but when a man reasoneth he doth it within himselfe and not without himselfe C. 4.1 and it is sayd that the memoriall of Vertue is immortall because it is knowne with God and with men but it cannot be knowne with men vnlesse the memorie thereof be within men John 14.15 and so our Sauiour Christ sayth If any man loue mee and will
God to communicate himselfe vnto all creatures by his presence and it was a greater kindnesse to communicate himselfe to all the godly by his grace but it is the greatest of all to vnite himselfe hypostatically by his spirit vnto our flesh And therefore this could not be done without infinite goodnesse and so in this respect we find this worke of the incarnation ascribed to each person for the Father sent me saith our Sauiour and I came into the world saith he of himselfe and the Holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer shadow thee whereby thou mayst conceiue saith Gabriel vnto the blessed Virgin And therefore seeing the whole Trinitie was the Maker of this Word flesh how can it be but that the whole Trinitie should be incarnate and made flesh Sol. That the Son onely assumed our Flesh I answere that this worke of the words incarnation is to bee considered 1. Inchoatiue 2. Consummatiue As it was inchoated and begun As it is consummated and finished In the first sense it is common to all the three persons of the Trinitie for it was made by them all three but in the second sense it was proper onely vnto the Word because it was assumed onely by the Word Aug. in Enchyrid C. 38. as Saint Augustine sheweth for as if three Maides should spinne and make a garment and then put it vpon one of them to weare all three should be the makers yet but one should be the wearer of the same Euen so though the Father did appoint Christ a body and this body was conceiued by the Holy Ghost yet neither the Father nor the Spirit did assume that body but only the person of the Sonne of God and therefore Saint Augustine saith truly Idem Ser. 3. de temp that Impleuet carnem Christi pater spiritus sanctus sed maiestate non susceptione The flesh of Christ was filled with the Maiestie of the Father and of the Holy Ghost but it was onely vnited to the person of the Word Ob. But then againe it may be obiected that seeing the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same for they be both 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the very selfe-same essence as I haue sufficiently shewed vnto you before and the whole diuine essence is in euery one of them therefore how can it be but the Sonne being incarnate the Father should be incarnate also Sol. To this we answere briefly that although the nature of the Father and the nature of the Sonne be the very same yet Aliter est in patre aliter est in filio This very selfe-same essence is otherwise or after another manner in the Father The diuine nature limited in the person of the Sonne was made Flesh and after another manner in the Sonne and therefore we say that the Diuine nature simply considered cannot be said to be incarnate Sed natura diuina determinata limitata in persona filij But the diuine nature limited and determined in the person of the Son And this Saint Augustine doth most excellently expresse against the Iewes saying O Iudae Cytharam respice c. Behold O Iew the Harpe when it yeelds sweet and pleasant tune there be three things that seeme to concurre alike the skill the hand and the string and yet there is but one sound heard Ars dictat manus tangit chorda resonat The Art or skill directeth the hand toucheth and the string onely soundeth Tria pariter operantur they doe all three worke alike and yet neither the skill nor the hand doe yeeld the sound but onely the string Sic nec pater Operatio in tribus constat sed quemadmodum ad solam chordam soni redditio sic pertinet ad solum Christum carnis humanae susceptio nec spiritus sanctus susceperunt carnem tamen cum filio pariter operantur So neither the Father nor the Holy Spirit did assume the flesh and yet they did all agree in the working and making of this flesh but as the string alone doth yeeld the musicall harmony so the word alone did assume the flesh the worke is seene in all three but as the sound of the musicke pertaineth vnto the string alone so the assumption of our flesh pertayneth to the word alone and if any incredulous Iew with Nichodemus demaunds how this Word should be made flesh of a Virgin without the helpe of man let him tell me how Aarons rod Aug. de incarnat Dom. cont Iudaeos being a drie sticke could blossome and beare ripe Almonds and I will tell him how the Virgin did conceiue and beare a Sonne but he cannot tell the former though the lesser miracle and therefore no wonder that I cannot expresse the latter which is so ineffable a mysterie saith Saint Augustine And so you see the first Branch of this Text touching the person who was made the Word the Sonne the second person of the blessed Trinity fully discussed BRANCH II. CHAP. I. Of Christ his apparition before his incarnation and of the conception of Christ the manner of it and the reasons why hee was so conceiued 2. Branch Tres misturas fecit omnipotens illa maiestas in assumptione carnis nostrae ita mirabiliter singularia singulariter mirabilia vt talia nec facta nec facienda sint amplius super terram SEcondly We are to consider what hee was made Flesh for the Word was made Flesh Saint Bernard saith God did three workes three mixtures as hee calleth them in the assumption of our flesh so singularly wonderfull and so wonderfully singular that the like were neuer made before nor shall be made hereafter vpon the face of the Earth Coniunct à quippe sunt ad invicem Deus homo mater virgo fides cor humanum For now are ioyned together God and our Flesh a Mother and a Virgin a diuine Faith and a humane Heart for the Word and Soule and Flesh haue met and made but one Person These three are one and this one is three not by the confusion of substance but in the vnity of person This is the first and most super-excellent mixture or coniunction The second is a Virgin and a Mother a thing so admirable so singular that since the World beganne it was neuer heard that shee which brings forth a Childe should be a Maide and that shee should be a Mother which still remaines a Virgin The third is Faith and Mans Heart Inferior quidem sed non minus forsitan fortis an inferior copulation but perhaps not deseruing much lesse admiration For it is a wonder to see how the Heart of Man can yeeld Faith and beliefe vnto these two and to beleeue that God should be made Man that shee should remain a Virgin which had borne a Sonne for as Iron and a Gally-cup can neuer be coupled together Bernard Ser. 3.
vnto her sonne and what is it to be the fruit of the wombe but to be of the same substance as his mother was of for how can that be called the fruit of a tree that neuer had the nature of a tree for I would suppose it to bee madnesse to call a Pomegranate the fruit of the Orange tree and therefore it was as great a madnesse to call Christ the fruit of Maries wombe if he had brought his body with him either from Heauen or from any other place and the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes saith Heb. 2.14 That for as much as the children were partakers of flesh and bloud he himselfe also tooke part of the same And againe Heb. 10.5 he bringeth in Christ himselfe saying Sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not but a body hast thou prepared me And therefore when the Apostles thought that they had seene a phantasme Luke 24.39 or a Spirit he said vnto them Handle me and see because a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as you see me haue and aboue all Gal. 4.4 the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by Saint Paul and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here vsed by the Euangelist which signifie to take our nature vpon him and to be made flesh if they be diligently marked and well vnderstood doe make it most apparantly plaine that the Sonne of God tooke vnto himselfe personally the true nature of man and the very substance of his mother for the Apostle doth not say Factus de muliere sed factus ex muliere Made in a woman but made of a woman as Nicolaus de Gorram well obserueth euen as the bread is made of the wheate and Wine of Grapes and therefore though Christ had his Principium formale His formall beginning from the Holy Ghost yet it is most certaine that hee had Principium materiale his whole matter and substance from the body of his Mother Thirdly the same truth is confirmed by the vniforme consent of all Orthodoxe antiquity as the great Councell of Chalcedon that had in it 630. Bishops Fulgentius l. 2. de persona Christi the Councell of Lateran the Councell of Toledo Tertullian in his booke De Carne Christi Fulgentius Saint Basil Saint Augustine Venerable Bede and diuers others whose pithy sayings Basilius in l. de hum Christi generat and vnanswerable arguments to confirme this point I might here alledge but that Theodoret Leo Vigilius and Gelasius haue so fully collected what the Fathers before them had written hereof Aug de trinit l. 13. c. 18. that more proofe neede not be required and more excellent arguments cannot be composed for the manifestation of any truth Beda in 11. Luc. l. 4. c. 48. and therefore not willing to write Iliads after Homer I referre my Reader vnto them if hee desires any further comprobation of this point And yet for all this Macedonius and Valentinus affirmed L. 2. de trinitate L. de diuina maiest humanitatis Christi that Christ brought with him a celestiall body from Heauen and that Dogge Seruetus and his fellow Memnon taught that the Body of Christ was begotten of the substance and essence of his Father and so Apelles Marcion and Apollinaris auouched that he had an aeriall body and a syderiall flesh So Gasper Swenkfeldius saith that Christ in respect of his humanity is a true God as if his very flesh had beene begotten of God as Seruetus said Bucanus lo. 2. p. 21. Loc. com so Manichaeus saith that he had but an imaginary body a phantasme only in shew and no true body in substance and so the Anabaptists of our time do now auouch it that he tooke not vpon him the very nature of man nor the very flesh of the Virgin but that he had onely the shew and phantasme of a man which passed the wombe of his Mother Cochlaeus in l. de erroribus Monaster Anabap. as water passeth through a Conduit and this is one of their most principall points as Iohannes Chochlaeus witnesseth And therfore to maintaine their damnable errors to obscure this cleere light of veritie and to shew themselues Grand Captaines of that Arch-Hereticke and aduersary of Christ and all Christians the Diuell they doe obiect Ob. 1 First that Christ himselfe saith No man ascendeth into Heauen but he that descended from Heauen Iohn 3.13 the Sonne of Man which is in Heauen And againe speaking of the Iewes he saith You are from below Iohn 8.23 1 Cor 15.47 I am from aboue you are of this world I am not of this world And that Saint Paul saith The first man is of the Earth Earthy but the second Man i. e. Christ was from heauen heauenly and therefore say they he had the substance of his flesh from Heauen and not from the substance of his Mother Sol. I answere that all these and the like places are spoken of the whole person of Christ to whom the properties of each nature in respect of the communication of properties which hereafter I shall more fully declare vnto you may be fitly ascribed and they teach vs that the Sonne of God descended from heauen not by any change of place but by his voluntary humbling of himselfe That we must not referre that to the body of Christ which is spoken of the whole person of Christ to receiue the forme of a seruant and that hee was conceiued after a Heauenly manner by the operation of the Holy Ghost and not after any Earthly generation and therefore they doe impiously and most falsly referre that to the substance of his flesh which is indeed spoken of the whole person of Christ and of the heauenly manner of his conception for though it be true that I should say I am a reasonable creature which doth both heare and vnderstand yet doth this no way proue that my Body alone without the soule is such or can doe either of these euen so though Christ saith that he descended from Heauen because he was a God that euer was in Heauen yet that doth no way proue that his flesh which he assumed on earth descended from heauen because hee had that from his Mother and brought it not downe from aboue And that he is not of this world but from aboue or from Heauen heauenly is nothing else but that he is not worldly minded or swayed with the lusts of the flesh or any wayes earthly affected and this though in a farre inferiour degree to him hee saith of the Apostles You are not of this world Iohn 15.19 because as Saint Paul saith of all Christians they minde not the things of this world but haue their conuersation in Heauen Phil. 3.30.20 Secondly they say that in what body he appeared to the Fathers Ob. 2 of the Old Testament he appeared in the like body to the Apostles and Disciples in the New Testament but he appeared vnto the Patriarchs in no true
that Christ was made man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the flesh and declared mightily to be the Sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Spirit of Sanctification for that according to his humane nature onely he was made of the seede of Dauid which according to his diuine nature was declared still to be the eternall Sonne of God So that here Saint Paul sheweth two natures to be in Christ that is his diuine and his humane nature still remaining entire after his incarnation because as hee was made onely of the seede of Dauid in respect of his manhood for that his God-head was not made of the seede of Dauid so was hee declared onely to be the Sonne of God in respect of his God-head for that his manhood was not the omnipotent and the eternall Son of God But against this place of the Apostle Ob. The most blasphemous subtilties of Heretickes to denie the truth of the two natures of Christ the Somosatenian Heretickes doe affirme that Saint Paul meaneth not hereby to shew a two-fold nature to be in Christ but a two-fold natiuity i. e. a carnall and a spirituall which we finde to be in euery faithfull Christian for to be made of the seede of Dauid say they according to the Flesh doth shew his carnall generation and to be declared to be the Sonne of God according to the Spirit of Sanctification is to shew his spirituall regeneration The first they seeke to confirme out of those places of Scriptures where the Apostle saith The Iewes were his Kinsmen according to the flesh and where hee calleth them Rom. 9.3 Israel according to the flesh for herein say they the Apostle meaneth by these words according to the flesh nothing else 1 Cor. 10.18 but according to the vulgar and common sort of generation And therefore to be made of the seede of Dauid according to the flesh is nothing else but to bee made of him according to his carnall generation And The second they seeke to confirme out of the words of Saint Iohn where he saith That the faithfull are not born of bloud Iohn 1.13 nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And therefore as these phrases and limitations according to the flesh It is a horrible thing to say that all those phrases which are true of vs ' must be likewise true of Christ in the same sence considered Rom. 1.2 Sol. and according to the spirit doe signifie the double natiuitie of euery faithfull man and doe no wayes proue a double nature to be in any man Euen so in Christ they signifie the same things that is two natiuities but not two natures To this I answere first that this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the flesh neither in the place vrged by me nor in any other place alledged by them doth signifie the common and carnall generation but doth imply a difference and distinction betwixt kindred according to the flesh and kindred according to the spirit for otherwise all Israel was in respect of their common generation kindred according to the flesh And therefore the meaning of the Apostle is to shew that although all of them were the children of Abraham according to the flesh yet that but few of them were the Children of promise Secondly I say that the miraculous and singular birth of Christ is not insinuated so much in the words according to the flesh as it is plainely shewed in the word made for the same being in the originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it doth most apparantly shew the extraordinary making of his flesh not after the vsuall and common sort of carnall generation by any humane seede but by a supernaturall generation through the virtuall operation of the Holy Ghost Tertul. l. cont Prax. Iraeneus l. 3. c. 32. Vigilius l. 5. contra Eutychet Aug. l. 1. c. 5. de trinitate as Tertullian Irenaeus Vigilius Saint Augustine and others haue obserued Thirdly I say that there is a great deale of difference betwixt the two-fold generation of the faithfull Saints and the two-fold generation of Christ for when they are said to be borne of the flesh and of the Spitit we confesse that not two natures are thereby signified That Christ was so borne free from all sinne that he needed no further sanctification or regeneration but two beginnings of their diuers births But this cannot be said of Christ because he was so sanctified in the first moment of his conception that he needed not any second regeneration neither is he said to be borne of the spirit in respect of any regeneration as we are but declared to be the Sonne of God according to the Spirit that is manifested to be a true God according or in respect of his owne sanctifying Spirit that is his God-head And therefore though such a limitation might proue a double generation in the rest of Gods Children yet this cannot shew a double generation of him in whom there is no double generation in respect of his manhood but it must needes shew plainely two natures to be in Christ for all other faithfull men are the Sonnes of God by adoption and grace but Christ is the naturall and the essentiall Sonne of God his Father He being the brightnesse of his glory and the engrauen forme of his person Heb. 1.3 And all other men are so borne that except they be borne againe they cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heauen Iohn 3.5 But Christ was so conceiued and borne that there was neither neede nor any possible way of any further sanctification of his person because that in him dwelled the fulnesse of the Godhead bodily But this truth of the two natures of Christ may be confirmed by most apparant and vnanswerable arguments for the Iewes said that he did not onely breake the Sabboath but also said John 5.18 that God was his Father making himselfe equall vnto God And Christ himselfe said I and my Father are all one Iohn 10.30 And therefore the Pharises did rightly collect that Christ by these words had affirmed himselfe to be a God And yet he saith John 14.28 My Father is greater then I but it cannot possibly be that Christ according to the same nature should be equall nay one with the Father and yet inferior to the Father And therefore it must needes follow that he hath one nature according to which he is equall to his Father and another nature in respect whereof hee is inferior to his Father Besides our Sauiour saith Before Abraham was I am John 8.58 And yet Saint Luke saith He was borne in the dayes of Augustus Caesar Luc. 2.7 but it cannot be that Idem secundum idem The same one in the same respect should be before Abraham and after Abraham All Orthodoxe antiquitie confessed two natures to be in Christ And
therefore hee must needes haue two natures in him according to one whereof he was before Abraham and according to the other he was after Abraham And further Vigilius l. 2. cont Eutych Philip. 2. we finde the same confirmed and confessed by all antiquity for Vigilius writing vpon those words of the Apostle who being in the forme of God tooke vpon him the forme of a seruant saith Mirum est c. It is a wonder to thinke why some are afraide to say that Christ had two natures when as the Apostle saith that he had two formes and the great oecumenicall Councell of Calcedon wherein were 630 Bishops Concil Calced Act. 5. in Symb. fidei left this confession vnto all posterity Confitemur in nouissimis diebus filium Dei vnigenitum in duabus naturis inconfuse immutabiliter indiuise inseparabiliter agnoscendum nunquam sublata differentia propter vnionem We confesse that the onely begotten Sonne of God which came in the last dayes to be incarnate is now to be acknowledged to be and to subsist of two natures i. e. Diuine and humane inconfused immutably inseperably and vndiuidedly vnited together and that the differences or distinction of these natures is neuer to be abolished and taken away by reason of the vnion of the same All the actions of Christ doe manifestly shew the two natures of Christ And so in very deed we finde all the actions of our Sauiour Christ while he liued here on earth to make inanswerable proofe of the same truth for as Saint Augustine saith Iacebat Christus quantum ad carnem mortuus in sepulchro mortuos suscitans in inferno vitam tribuens vniuersis in caelo Christ according to the flesh lay dead in his graue yet did he then in Hell i. e. in respect of his soule according to his Godhead raise the dead here on earth Aug. sup Mat. 5. contra Foelicem and giue life to all them that were in heauen Quia vt nec mundum dimittens ad coelum ascendit ita nec coelum deserens venit ad nos sed vno atque eodem tempore totum totus impleuit Because that as now he hath not left the world though he be ascended into Heauen so then he did not leaue the Heauens when hee came to be made flesh on earth but was wholly at one and the selfe-same time in all places replenishing and filling all things And Gregorie Nazianzen doth most excellently shew how the properties of both his natures concurred together and might be easily discerned in him from the very beginning of his dayes Luc. 2.7 to the last end of his being here on earth for he is borne of his mother and wrapped in swadling clouts as being a man but a starre doth manifest him Matth. 2.11 and the wise men adore him as being a God Matth. 3.16 he is baptized in Iordan as being a man but the Holy Ghost descends vpon him from Heauen as being a God he is tempted of the Deuill Mar. 1.12 as he is a man but he ouercomes and expels the Diuels Iohn 4.6 as he is a God he trauels and is thirstie he is hungry and is weary as he is a man but he refresheth the wearie hee feedeth the hungry Iohn 7. and he giueth drinke vnto the thirstie as hee is a God Matth. 24.26 he sleepes in the ship and his Disciples awake him as he is a man but he rebukes the windes and stilleth the rage of the Seas Matth. 8.20 as he is a God he is poore and needy and hath not an house to put his head in as he is a man but he is rich and mighty and cannot be contained in the heauens as he is a God he his sorrowfull and sad he weepes and he prayes as he is a man but he heareth our prayers and comforteth the sorrowfull Matth. 26. as hee is a God he is subiect to infirmities as he is a man Iohn 14. but he healeth all our infirmitie as he is a God he is whipped and crucified as hee is a man but he renteth the vaile of the Temple Esay 53. and causeth the Sunne to hide his face for shame to see him crucified as hee is a God he saith Eloi Eloi Lamasabachthani My God my God Matth. 27.46 why hast thou forsaken me as he is a man but hee saith vnto the theefe This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise as he is a God Luke 23.43 he dyeth and is buryed and lyeth in his graue as he is a man but he ouercommeth Death and destroyeth the Diuels Matt. 27.50.60 and raiseth himselfe vnto life againe as he is a God and being risen he appeares vnto his Disciples and eates and talkes with them Luke 24. v 15. 31. as he is a man but he vanisheth out of their sight and ascendeth vp vnto Heauen as he is a God and so now the Heauens doe containe him and he sitteth there on the right hand of God Psal 68.4 as he is a man but he sustaineth the Heauens and rideth vpon the same as vpon an horse as he is a God and so Fulgentius saith Fulgent ser de Epiphan Iste puer in praesepi quidem paruulus collocatur sed magnus in coelo mirabiliter operatur permittit se manibus in terra portari sed praecipit sibi coelestia famulari That little child is laid in a cratch i. e. as he is a man but he doth wonderfully worke in heauen i. e. as he is a God and he suffereth himselfe to be carryed in their armes as he is a man but he supporteth all things and commandeth all the hoast of Heauen to doe him seruice as he is a God And therefore it is most apparant that the person of Christ so subsisteth Vt cum in homine Christo videtur veritas hominis Idem de persona Christi l. 2. ad Tamrisi in eodem Deo Christo cognoscatur paternae veritas deitatis as when we see the veritie of the Manhood in the Man Christ Iesus we must know and acknowledge the eternall Deitie in the same God Christ Iesus because he is still a perfect God and a perfect man and of these two natures subsisting in one person inconfused But against this Eutyches and his followers What the Eutychian heretickes say against this truth haue and doe most impiously affirme that in Christ after his Incarnation there is but one onely nature made of the Word and of the flesh by the conuersion of the Deitie into the humanitie because the Euangelist saith that the Word was made flesh euen as when the Water was made Wine it was no more Water but was presently conuerted into Wine Nazian in Ep. ad Clidonium or else by the conuersion of the flesh into the Deitie because Gregory Nazianzen and Gregory Nyssen say that Caro Christi est deificata the flesh of Christ is now deified and to confirme
nothing to helpe our selues no not so much as to imagine which way to doe our selues any good God of his meere loue was moued through his wisedome to finde out this meanes of vniting the Word with our Flesh that we might be vnited vnto God againe O that wee would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse Psal 107.8 and shew the wonders that he doth for the Children of men That wee would offer vnto him The sacrifice of praise and thankesgiuing and shew forth his prayses from one generation to another Seuenthly Because hereby is shewed the difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell for that the Fathers vnder the Law did see these things darkely and beheld Christ through the grates and lattices i. e. vnder the types and shaddowes of the Law as it were with Moses in foramine petrae through the holes and clefts of the rocke to behold a few glympses of the glory of God but we with open face may see him as in a glasse for now the vayle is taken away from Moses his face Cant. 2.14.15 all types are now accomplished all ceremonies are abolished and all the mysts of darknesse The difference betwixt the Law and the Gospell errours and Heresies are now especially dispersed for that not onely the day-starre hath appeared but also the Sun of Righteousnesse hath risen and shineth ouer the face of the whole world and this great mystery of godlinesse is and hath beene long preached vnfolded and most plainely shewed vnto the Gentiles as the Apostle sheweth Heb. 5.11 And therefore it is a shame for vs if we be dull in hearing and vnapt to vnderstand all necessary truthes for though the Iewes of old might be excused for their ignorance because they sate in darkenesse and in the shadow of Death yet are we without excuse because the cleere light of truth is continually preached vnto vs and therefore it will be our condemnation if we loue darknesse more then light Iohn 3.19 and desire rather to be still groping in the twy-light of morality i. e. the precepts of morall men then to walke in the true light of Diuinity which is the Doctrine of Iesus Christ And yet such is the misery of our dayes and the dulnesse of our people that as the Church of Rome teacheth implicite faith to suffice a man for his saluation i. e. to beleeue what the Church beleeueth though he know no more what that is then Baalams Asse vnderstood her owne voyce Numb 22. 31. So many amongst vs whom God hath indued with sufficient capacities to vnderstand many mysteries of faith if they would apply their desire diligence to learne them are contented with confused or at the best very generall notions that Christ died for them and that they hope by him to be saued That many men are very ignorant of the chiefest points of Christianity and if you enter into the particulars concerning his person they presently frame vnto themselues false and erronious conceits thinking perhaps Christ to be a man by an humane person and so are Nestorians or to be a meere man and so are Arrians or to haue his natures confounded and so are Eutychians or else the properties of these natures confused and so are Lutherans and so are wrapped in many monstruous Heresies not for want of meanes but for want of desire or diligence to vnderstand these truths But if any will be such that is not looke vpon the light for feare of blinding his eyes let him take heede of that fearefull saying Qui ignorat ignorabitur He that will not know Christ 1 Cor. 14.38 shall not be knowne of Christ and yet I meane not that euery one especially of the meaner vnderstandings should labour for perfect or exquisite knowledge herein or more then their capacities are able to comprehend for as we must not be too carelesse so we may not be too curious in these vnsearchable mysteries but my meaning is that men should not satisfie themselues onely with inuolued implicite faith or some generall notions concerning Christ but should labour euery man according to the measure of vnderstanding that God hath giuen him to learne and know in some competent measure the particular mysteries of our faith And so much for the first part of this Treatise the summe and substance of the words Incarnation Part. 2. PART II. The chiefest circumstances that are requisite to be knowne for the vnderstanding of this mystery of the words Incarnation CHAP. I. Of the Ancestors and family from whence Christ descended And what we may learne thereby SEcondly the chiefest circumstances concerning the words Incarnation are especially these three First His family from whence he was descended Secondly His natiuity whereby hee was declared And Thirdly His testimony by which hee was approued vnto the world to be the true Messias First for the family from whence Christ should descend It was prophesied long before Matth. 1. that the Messias should come of the seed and linage of Dauid and the Euangelists say that Christ was borne of a Virgin Luke 1.27 whose name was Mary First of a Virgin to fulfill the prophesie of Esay Chap. 7.14 And that he might be conceiued without sinne because hee was to redeeme vs from sinne Secondly of a Virgin called Mary that the verity of the Story might appeare most manifest and that the certaintie of his pedegree might be the more easily shewed Ob. But it may be obiected that Christ was to be like Melchisedecke without Father and without mother and therefore the Sonne of Mary is not likely to be the Christ because he hath a mother Sol. I answere that some affirmed Melchisedecke to haue both a Father and a Mother Hieron ad Euagr. and is thought by Saint Hierome and diuers others to be Sem the Sonne of Noah but he is said to be without Father and without Mother because by that name and in that place where be is said to haue come and to haue blessed Abraham there is no mention made of his Father or of his Mother or of his beginning or of his ending but for mine owne part I answere as I shewed before that this Melchisedecke was Christ himselfe and that he may be truly said to be without Father and without Mother if we vnderstand the same aright for that as God hee hath no Mother and as man hee hath no Father because Ioseph was but his legall and not his naturall Father But you will say then Ob. that hee could not come of the seede of Dauid because Mary was the Daughter of Ioachim Aug. contra faust Man l. 23. c. 3. 4. Luke 1.36 a Priest of the Tribe of Leui as the Manichees and others haue affirmed because the Scripture saith Behold thy Cosen Elizabeth which was the wife of Zacharias the Priest To this diuers men doe diuersly answere for Sol. Origen thinketh that they were Cosens not in respect of
an vpright man and should not be hated of all men I But will the good and godly men hate them who doe confesse their sinnes and doe alwayes striue against their owne corruptions The wicked men may hate them but surely the godly will not I answere That the more godly men be the lesse they hate them yet because in them sinne stickes so close vnto them that although they confesse and detest it with their soules yet hath their flesh alwayes some loue and affection vnto the same in so much that Saint Augustine in one of his Meditations confesseth That in his spirit and soule he did so heartily pray against his sinne that his flesh and carnall desire was afraide God would heare the prayers of his soule and so depriue them of their delights Gal. 5.17 for in the best men The flesh lusteth against the spirit and drawes them oftentimes to doe what they would not doe And therefore as in the best men there is still remaining naturall corruption so the same will still oppose it selfe against all them that will seeke to dispossesse this olde Adam from their soules And therefore seeing Christ did suffer Christians suffer and that the more godly they be the more enemies they shall haue we should not iudge of men and especially of the Preachers of Gods Word according to their outward appearance of their enemies crosses and afflictions but we should iudge righteous iudgements And we that suffer may and should reioyce and be glad that We are counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ And so much for the Person suffering Part. 2 PART II. CHAP. I. Of the sufferings of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane Of the sufferings of Christ SEcondly We are to consider the sufferings of this Person Iesus Christ Thus it behoued Christ to suffer Well might it haue agreed with his excellent Nature to haue conferred benefits and to bestow gifts on the Sonnes of men but to suffer torments and to endure all indignities at the hands of sinnefull men is strange and admirable so incompetible is the Person and the Passion of Iesus Christ And yet if we diligently obserue all those Tragicall Scenes that are seene in the Records of the Euangelists and marke all the dolefull passages of his whole life euen from the first houre of his birth vnto the last moment of his breath we shall finde the same to be nothing else but a Mappe of miseries or a tempestuous Sea of all calamities for he was no sooner borne but hee beganne to beare our sorrowes he was cast into a Cratch That the whole life of Christ was but a continuall suffering the breathings of the Beasts perhaps did warme his cloutes to preserue his life and he liued not long but hee suffered the effusion of his bloud and the sharpenesse of circumcision He was no sooner circumcised but he was designed vnto the slaughter Herod seekes his life and hee will slay all the Children of Bethlehem or he will put this Childe vnto the Sword And therefore in the middest of Winter he must flie to Egypt to saue his life there hee liued a while and hee must needes liue poore for they that haue nothing among their friends may very well bee thought to haue lesse among strangers when he returnes he must retire himselfe into corners for feare of Archilaus Matth. 2.23 and when he begins to shew himselfe to the World hee must beginne to combate with the Diuell he is no sooner baptized Chap. 4.2 but he is tempted forty dayes together without meate without drinke without sleepe and he can no sooner beginne to publish the glad tidings of saluation but they presently accuse him of sedition His friends say hee is madde his enemies say he hath a Diuell All seeke his life Iohn 8.48 and this is the summe of his whole life Pouertie and miserie hunger thirst weakenesse wearinesse reproaches lyings slaunders and what not Yet all these sufferings were but flea-bitings Christs chiefest sufferings in these three speciall places they were but tastes of that bitter Cuppe whereof hee sucked out the very dregges and all 1. In the Garden of Gethsemane 2. In the presence of his Iudges 3. In the Mount of Caluerie These were the places of his torments and in all these places we must consider both the greatnesse of his griefe which is Paena sensus the paine of feeling and the smalnesse of his comfort which is Paena damni the paine of leesing And therefore by Gods assistance I will chiefly insist vpon those sufferings that he suffered in these places First It is concluded of all Diuines That Christ suffered both in soule and body that the sufferings of Christ was both in soule and body sorrowes of soule and paines of body for He hath carried our sorrowes saith our Translation our paines saith another to shew that whether wee regard his disconsolate soule or his tender body it was a painefull and a sorrowfull suffering so painefull and so sorrowfull that as it was well-neere intolerable vnto him so it is almost incredible vnto vs for though at the bringing of Christ into the world to bee the Sauiour and Redeemer of his Church the Prophet Esay saith Esay 52.7 How beautifull vpon the mountaines are the feet of them that bring these glad tidings of peace i. e. How ready is euery man to embrace this newes yet when he goeth about to expresse the manner of our diliuerance by such sorrowes paines and sufferings Esay 53.1 he makes a stand and saith Who beleeueth our reports For The first degree of Christs suffering was that he was made passible First I told you before that this sufferer was a God blessed for euer and the God-head is impassible no sorrow no griefe no paine could fasten vpon the Deity and therefore how could our Sauiour suffer To this the Prophet answereth Sacrifice and burnt offerings thou wouldst not haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leo Ser. 8. de Passione but a body hast thou ordained me as both the Septuagint and the Author to the Hebrewes hath it Nam cum mortis aculeum non possit accipere natura deitatis nascendo tamen suscepit de nobis quod pati posset pro nobis For seeing the Deity could not suffer death The Word was made Flesh that hee might goe the way of all flesh and make a passage vnto his Passion that so hee might really suffer Hillar de Trin. lib. 10. and not appeare to suffer as Saint Hillary otherwise a most excellent Author doth imagine And indeed Hoc primum tormentum magnum mysterium quod passibilis factus est This was his first suffering torment and an vnspeakeable mystery that he was made able to suffer torments That the Humanity onely suffered And we say that Christ suffered not in respect of his Diuine nature but in respect of his humane nature for though the Deitie was in the sufferer yet
indeed and therefore vpon that day he did rise that his enemies might be conuicted by the testimony of their owne watchmen and bee brought therefore either to confesse their faults or to remaine without excuse if they knowing the truth would notwithstanding seeke as they did to conceale and suppresse the truth Secondly Secondly of his disciples His friends and disciples vpon the foresaid apprehensions did expect his resurrection vpon this third day for so the two disciples trauelling towards Emaus after they had said many things concerning him Chrysost hom 9. in Matth. and that they trusted it had beene hee which should haue redeemed Israel they adde this as a most speciall obseruation besides all the rest Luk. 24.21 that to day is the third day since these things were done and therefore to confirme their weake faith and to comfort their disconsolate soules hee did rise againe the third day Thirdly of all Christians Thirdly We were all to reape and to receiue the fruits and benefits of his resurrection and therefore chiefly as hee rose so hee rose the third day in respect of vs all i. e. to confirme our faith and that especially in these foure respects The Resurrection of Christ the third day confirmeth our faith in foure respects 1. Touching the quality of his person 2. Touching the certainty of his resurrection 3. Touching the manner of our restauration 4. Touching the manifestation of our state and condition First Our Sauiour Christ consisted both of a Diuine and a Humane nature Humane that he might die and Diuine that he might rise againe and to shew his death it was requisite that he should rise no sooner then the third day because in lesse time then that a man cannot well bee saide to bee dead but may bee suspected to be in a sound or in a fit of an apoplexie How the third day was the fittest time for Christ to rise in respect of the person of Christ or some other fained fit and in respect of the Diuine nature it was vnpossible that he should be held of death any longer then three dayes for it is the opinion of most grounded vpon experience that in all dead carkasses and a wounded body especially putrefaction and corruption beginneth the third day so Martha saith of Lazarus he hath beene dead foure dayes and he stinketh then no doubt but he began to stinke the third day but the humane nature of our Sauiour Christ in respect of its hypostaticall vnion with the Deity euen then when it lay in the graue could not see much lesse feele corruption Psal 16.11 Act. 2.24 as the Prophet Dauid sheweth therefore it was vnpossible saith Saint Peter that he should bee holden of the paines of death i. e. be stayed so long by death vntill putrefaction or other like penalties and consequences of death had seized vpon him and therefore as in respect of his humane nature it was not conuenient he should rise any sooner so in respect of his Diuine nature it was vnpossible hee should be stayd any longer Christ stayed while the third day to shew the verity of his deâ—th â—nd no longer to shew the certainty of his resurrection Secondly Our Sauiour was to shew both the verity of his death and the certainty of his resurrection but if hee had risen sooner then three dayes the verity of his death might be called into question and if he had promised after a long time to haue raised himselfe againe as Mahomet said that after 800. yeares he would reuiue and reuisite his Sarazens againe then might the falshood thereof lurke in the length of time and indeed if he had staid in his graue any whit longer then he did it might be easily obiected and with some probability by his aduersaries that there was no certainty of his resurrection whether it was he that was crucified had raised himselfe or some other that appeared in his name or whether he had raised the same body that was buried or had assumed some other body like vnto the same because the countenance of a dead body is soone changed and our memory and knowledge of such is soone stupified as we see these three dayes time made most of them that they knew him not prima facie vpon the first sight therefore Christ to shew the verity of his death stayed while the third day and he would stay no longer to shew the certaintie of his resurrection Thirdly Christ rose the third day might paralell our creation Christ in our redemption was to paralell our creation and in many things this second Adam was to resemble the first Adam for Saint Paul speaking of Gods oeconomie and dispensation of his grace vnto vs sheweth how Almighty God purposing to redeeme mankinde did so sweetly dispose of the manner of our redemption that as by man came death so by man came the resurrection from the dead and so a due proportion and resemblance should be in many things betwixt the first and second Adam But we finde that the first Adam was formed out of the earth as from a sole mother without any Father by the Word of God and was both created and fallen in the sixt day the day before the Sabbaoth therefore the word God Amb. l. 5 ep 19. in the sixt age of the world was made the second Adam of a sole mother without a father and in the sixt day of the weeke the same day wherein Adam was created and transgressed and about the same hower that the first Adam sinned by eating the fruit of the forbidden tree was this second Adam crucified vpon a tree and in the same place as some doe thinke wherein the first Adam was buried and as the Father after his creation rested vpon the Sabbaoth so Christ after our purchase and redemption rested in his graue all the Sabbaoth and then as his Father â—pon the first day of the weeke had begunne the world so Christ vpon the first day of the weeke did beginne to renue the world and caused as Lactantius saith Omnia cum domino dona redire suo All graces to bee renued all men that beleeued in him to be reuiued and now to beginne againe to liue a new life vnto God with him And this was prefigured in the Law where Moses sheweth that the sheafe of their first fruits was to be brought vnto the Priest Leuit. 23.11 and the Priest was to waue the same before the Lord on the morrow after the Sabbaoth which was the Sabbaoth of the Passeouer Vers 15. to note vnto vs that Christ which is the true first fruites that is offered vnto God for vs all was to be waued and raised vp the immediate morrow after the Passeouer that as Adam was created the last day and then dyed and so begat Ecclesiam morientium a Congregation of sinners all subiect vnto death so Christ the first day of the weeke was raised vp and liues for euer to
Christ Thirdly He shall come though vnlookt-for by the wicked as a theefe in the night yet so apparantly that he shall be seene of all the world and with a great company of Angels 2 Pet. 3.10 Et cum milibus sanctorum and with thousands of his Saints as the Apostle saith for the chariots of God are twenty thousands Psal 68.17 euen thousands of Angels and the Lord shall be among them as in the holy place of Sinâ—y Fourthly he shall come with a blessing to reioyce the hearts of his Elect when he shall say vnto them Matth. 25. Come ye blessed of my Father receiue the Kingdome that was prepared for you before the beginning of the world And so much for the motion or his ascending vp CHAP. IIII. The place into which Christ ascended THirdly We are to consider terminus ad quem the place whether he ascended Quò inquit Augustinus nisi quô scimus Aug. in Psal 46. p. 174. b. 2. quô eum Iudaej non sunt secutâ— Where is hee gone but where wee know and where the Iewes shall not be able to follow after Quia in cruce exaltatum irriserunt ideo in coelum ascendentem non viderunt Because they mocked him being nailed on the Crosse therefore they saw him not when hee ascended vp to Heauen and where is he gone saith the Prophet Dauid but on high for thou art gone vp on high that is aboue all Heauens saith the Apostle And therefore by this one little sentence we find three damnable Heresies brought to death First Of them which said his body vanished in the aire Three heresies confuted before he ascended into Heauen for he ascended aboue all heauens Secondly Of them that said he ascended into the Orbe and Circle of the Sunne because it is said in solem posuit tabernaculum suum Psal 19.5 He hath set his Tabernacle in the Sunne which was the opinion of the Hermians and the Passionists as both Nazianzen and Saint Augustine doe affirme for here wee see hee is gone aboue all Heauens and therefore aboue the Orbe of the Sunne and they mistake that place of the Psalmist which is in them hath he set a Tabernacle for the Sunne and not he hath set his Tabernacle in the Sunne Thirdly Of them which teach an vbiquitary Heauen because he is ascended aboue such Heauens Ob. But then it may be obiected that if he be ascended aboue all Heauens then is he in no certaine place because as Aristotle saith Beyond Heauen Arist l. 1. de coelo there is no place Sol. I answere that the Scripture maketh mention of three Heauens That there be three Heauens First Of the Ayre as the Foules of Heauen Secondly Of the Coelestiall Orbes as the Starres of Heauen Thirdly Of the Receptacle of the blessed soules which is called the Kingdome of Heauen And this we must vnderstand to be either 1. Materiall 2. Spirituall 3. Supersubstantiall Christ ascended aboue the materiall Heauens First For the Materiall Heauen he is said to ascend aboue the same First In respect of Glory because the Body of Christ is more glorious then any Materiall Heauen Secondly In respect of the Continency because in nature it is infallible that contentuÌ„ superius est continente the thing contained must be higher then the place contayning Thirdly In respect of his blessed soule because the soule of Christ is more blessed then all things else whatsoeuer Christ ascended aboue the spirituall Heauens Secondly For the spirituall heauens i. e. all Angelicall or Heauenly perfections he is said to ascend aboue them all First In respect of perfection because the body of Christ is more noble and more excellent then any creature not in regard of his corporall substance but in regard of the hypostaticall vnion because it is vnited vnto the Godhead Secondly In respect of his humiliation because he hath vilified himselfe below all things therefore he is worthily exalted aboue all things Thirdly For the supersubstantiall Heauen i. e. God himselfe the place of God he is said in respect of his person to ascend into the same not that the humane nature is ascended to the equality of the Godhead for he is still inferiour to the Father and shall be still subiect to the Father as touching his Manhood but that the person of Christ God and Man sitteth on the right hand of God that is doth rest and raigne exalted aboue all things Vsque ad aequalitatem Maiestatis dei To be in all things equall vnto the Maiesty of God as Saint Augustine expoundeth it Descendit enim quo inferius non decuit ideo ascendit quo altius non potuit For he descended so low as it was not fit for him to goe lower and therefore he ascended so high as it was not possible for him to goe higher saith Saint Bernard And therefore Christ is ascended higher then all created things whatsoeuer Christ higher then all created things First In respect of the place because aboue all Heauens Secondly In respect of power Psal â— 6 because God the Father hath subiected all things vnder his feete i. e. as well things in Heauen as things in Earth Thirdly In respect of Dignity Heb. 1. because he is made more excellent then the Angels Fourthly In respect of this equality euen with God himselfe And so we see how Christ in respect of his person That Christ in respect of his manhood is in the highest part of the emperiall heauens is aboue all Heauens because he is an immeasurable and infinite person which the Heauen of Heauens cannot containe and therefore must needs be euery where but in respect of his humane nature assumed hee is in the highest part or place of the Emperiall Heauen which is the seate of the blessed soules for if he were in no place then much lesse should he be in the Earth in the Sunne or in euery place but Saint Augustine doth most excellently shew Aug. in ep ad Dardan that Vbi corpus ibi locum esse necesse est that wheresoeuer a body is there must needs be place because if we take away dimensions and places from bodies they shall be no where Et sinusquam erunt non erunt and if they be no where they shall not be at all and Saint Peter doth as plainely shew this truth when he saith that the Heauens shall and must containe him Act. 3.21 i. e. In respect of his Manhood for in respect of his Godhead it cannot vntill the restitution of all things and so we professe in our Creede that he sitteth on the right hand of God from whence he shall come i. e. in respect of his humanity for his Deity being euery where cannot be said to goe or to come any where to iudge both the quicke and the dead And therefore it is most certaine that the Body of Christ is in a place that is in the highest part of
of vs. 118 All the excellencies of Christs man-hood were created excellencies 146 God expressed to Moses what he is three manner of wayes 121 Examples of Gods mercy in seeking after sinners 181 We should carefully examine whether we loue God or not 189 Examples of Gods slownesse to punish sin 194 Good examples a great meanes to further godlinesse 360 Three sorts of men excluded from the Paschall Lambe 682 Excellency of diuine truth 215 EK The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether rightly translated created or not 287 FA. THree faculties of the soule of man 53 Euery faculty of the soule defiled by sinne ibid. Fathers how they extoll the power of God ibid. Faith seeth what reason perceiueth not 176 God called Father of mercies neuer called Father of vengeance and why 195 Faults of some not to be ascribed vnto all 221 God the Father alwayes begetteth the Sonne 275 The name of Father taken two wayes 278 God the Father of Christ not as he is our Father 291 The Father how greater then Christ 300 Father sent not Christ by way of command 301 Christ the fairest among the sons of men 353 Family from whence Christ descended 396 c. Faults of the Disciples Christ would not reueale 466 Faith foure-fold 647 Iustifying faith the properties of it 648 FE That we should feare our Lord. 131 That we should aswell feare Gods iustice as hope for his mercy 244 Feare is two-fold 355 Feare and sorrow how they differ 449 What Christ feared 450. 455 c. Whom we neede not feare 538 God in what sence to be feared 539 Magistrates and parents in what sence to be feared 538 Feare brought into the world by sinne 540 God how he ought to be feared 541 That we ought to feare in euery state of grace lapse and recouerie 441 FI. Fire and sinne cannot be concealed 20 Fire and sinne not resisted will necessarily increase 22 Christ in what respect sayd to be the first begotten Sonne of God 291 That we should striue to be the first in Gods seruice 590 Apostles onely filled with the holy Ghost on the day of Pentecost 658 Fiue kindes of kisses 460 FL. Flesh apt to conceiue sin 14 Flesh taken for the corrupted qualitie of man 8 Flesh of Christ made by all the three persons of the Trinity 325 Flesh diuers kindes 339 Our flesh assumed by Christ 369 Flesh of Christ how said to be Deified 369 How said to doe diuine operations 389 Christ how flouted by all men 481 482 Flesh the tenderer the more sensible of paine 483 FO Forgetfulnesse an infernall Fiend 60 To forbeare to punish sinne increaseth the number of sinners 90 Fore-sight of good and euill is not the cause of punishment or reward of either 95 Heathens fâ—lsly ascribed to Fortune what is true of God 139 To forgiue sinne the greatest worke of Gods power 140 God able to forgiue sinnes ibid. In the forgiuing of sinnes many particulars to be considered 183 God forgiuâ—th all sinnes or no sinne 184 God cannot forget to be mercifull ibid. Foâ—giuenâ—sse of sinnes our chiefest comfort 224 That wee ought to forgiue one another 236 And to foâ—get all iniuries ibid. Our foâ—e fathers how they exceeded vs in deuotion 731 To be in the forme of God is to be very G â— 280 To lay a good foundation the best way to teach 392 Fortitude of the women seeking Christ 521 Christ in heauen forgetteth not his seruants on earth 629 Foure points handled touching the power of God 13â— Foure sorts of men erre about the doctrine of Gods power 135 Foure speciall graces bestowed vpon the elect 204 Foure kindes of redemption 500 Foure sorts of ascenders 609 Foure-fold end of Christs ascention 639 Foure points considered about the gifts of God 640 Foure signes of fulnesse 665 Foure-fold feales or signes wherewith Saints are sealed 669 Foure sorts or receiuers of the Sacraments 680 FR. Christ assumed all our humane frailties 351 Friends of Christ how dearly he loued them 488 God expecteth not the like fruits from all men 602 The Saints are freed from all their enemies 636 Christ freeth vs from Satan to place vs in his owne seruice ibid. We are not freed from Satan to doe what we list 637 FV. Fury of the wicked restrained 178 All men are full of somethings 665 GA. WHy Christ went to the garden of Gethsemane to bee taken and what befell him there 441 Gaufredus Clareuallensis what he said 613 GI Gifts of God of two sorts 192 641 Hee giueth spirituall gifts to the godly ibid. And temporall gifts to the wicked ibid. Gifts of God are free gifts 640 Diuersly bestowed 523 Euery man should be contented with the gifts God giueth him 523 Diuersity of gifts among the Apostles and Fathers ibid. Gifts requisite for Preachers 641 Gifts to edifie the Church how giuen 657 Speciall gifts of God whereby the elect are saued vnpossibly to be knowne 646 Gifts of prayer the chiefest of all Gods graces 730 Gifts of the Magi what they shewed Christ to be 413. GE. Generation of Christ two-fold 288. Gentiles were not altogether ignorant of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 311 What they writ of this name of Christ 312 313 Gentiles how they might come to the knowledge of this word 313 3â—4 Gentiles expected the comming of the Messias 316 412 Generality of Christ his suffering 483 GO God how said to bee the Father of Spirits 6 Goâ—ly mens sinning differ in three things from the wicked 35 36 Godly life maketh a happy death 82 God loueth righteousnesse 90 No respect of persons 91 Most iust ibid. Iudgeth euery man according to his desert 92 How great and how mighty he is 102 How ineffable 125 A most faithfull performer of all his promises 127 How he guideth and gouerneth all things 138 Of his owne nature most intelligible 120 To vs incomprehensible 120 121 That there is but one God proued many wayes 269 270 God onely to be prayed vnto 710 Christ no titular but a true God by nature proued 278 279 280 c. To deny the God-head of Christ what a hainous sinne 305 God-head of Christ suffered not but sustained the man-hood to suffer 438 485 The godly how they doe ascend 614 Loue of goodnesse should make vs hate sin 66 Goodnesse of God to man how incomprehensible 101 103 Good and godly men ought to be cherished and promoted 110 Goodnesse what it is 196 Goodnesse of things two-fold 197 God good to all things 197 Perfectly absolutely and vniuersally good 198 Nothing absolutely good but God ibid. Goodnesse of God two-fold 198 Generall goodnesse of God seene in two things 198 All things made good in their kinde 199 Good for some vse yet not vniuersally good ibid. Goodnesse of God withholdeth the wicked from many sinnes suspendeth our iust deserued punishments 200 How it extendeth it selfe to all men 201 Yet not alike good to all men 202 Gods speciall goodnesse seene in two things 203 It preserueth the Saints