acceptione conceptum ipsamque Carnem Verbi incarnatione conceptam Doe thou assuredly beleeue and make no scruple of it at all that the Flesh or Humanitie of Christ was not conceiued in the Virgins womb before it was assumed by the Word but that the very Word God himself was conceiued in the taking of his flesh and that his flesh was conceiued in the Incarnation of the Word m Aug. Ep. 3. ad Volusianū Cū enim verbum Dei permixtum est Animae habenti Corpus Simul animam suscepit corpus Idem li. 1. 3. de Trinitate cap. 17. After all these comes Damascen in his third Booke de Orthodoxâ fide cap. 2. and m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Damascen ibid. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Id. lib. 3. cap. 22. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the same instant that the Humanity of Christ was flesh it was also the flesh of God the Word it was at the same moment liuing flesh indued with a reasonable Soule and vnderstanding The Ancients taught thus therefore 't is no nouell Doctrine And it is no vnsound Doctrine For besides that it is consonant to good reason and diuinitie wee haue not only all the followers of D. Luther that embrace it but others also as Peter Martyr in his exposition vpon the Creede on those words Conceiued by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary His words are these Spiritus Sanctus in eam sc Virginem descendit principali sua vi ex illius jam gratiâ purificato sanguine singularem perfectum Hominem creauit qui miraculosè fuit ab aeterno Sermone assumptus The Holy Ghost came downe vpon the Virgin and by his Operatiue power hauing now purified her blood by his Grace created an extraordinary singular and perfect Man which was miraculously assumed by the eternall Word The very selfe-same is deliuered by Amandus Polanus in Syntag. Theologico libro sexto cap. 14. which I forbeare for breuities sake to repeate vnto you neither may we maruaile seeing that the first Adam in a moment of the slime of the Earth was made by Gods power a man perfect and complete in all parts and faculties if that our Sauiour Christ the second and more excellent Adam was at the first moment of his conception made by the handyworke of God the Holy Ghost a perfect absolute man and not only perfect Man but perfect Christ that is King n Cyril lib. de Fide ad Theodosium in sine Aug. lib. 15. de Trin. ca. 26. Nazianzen Oratione 4. de Theologia Hieronym in Ps 132. Origen Hom. 1. in Cant. Fulgentius de Incarn cap. 10. Anselm in Cap. 1. ad Hebr alij complures Priest and Prophet as the Fathers doe truely teach vs. But against this which hath been deliuered some perhaps may pick a quarrell and say that Christ was not without all manner of sin for al that were in Adams loyns and are descended from Adam did sin in Adam for it is written Rom. 15. 12. By one man sinne entred into the World and by Sinne Death and so death went ouer all men for so much as all men haue sinned If all men haue sinned then Christ for Christ is man and according to the flesh was in the loynes of Adam as all others were and therefore S. Luke fetcheth his pedegree frō Adam Luke 3. last Therfore it should seem that Christ was not quite free clean from all sinne To which I answer first by denying that all and euery one that were in Adam did sin in Adam or were guilty of Adams sin The guilt of Adams sin laid hold on such only as were in him both according to the substance of their flesh and also Secundum rationem Seminalem according to the carnall way of Propagation by which man is begotten of Man Of all such the Apostle speaketh when he saith By one man sinne entred into the World and went ouer all men namely ouer all that were begotten and born of Man and Woman But Christ was in Adam according to the substance of his flesh only but not according to the ordinary way of Generation for he was conceiued by the Holy Ghost and born of a pure Virgin who neuer knew man carnally therefore he sinned not in Adam But yet S. Paul saith Rom. 6. last Death is the stipend of sin but Christ suffred death Therefore it seemes that he was guilty of sinne otherwise death durst not haue arrested him I answer Death did not arrest him by any lawfull warrant or authoritie of her owne because He had no sin He might haue brought an action of false imprisonment against her but he voluntarily and of his owne accord went to Death and suffered it to attach him that he might set vs free from sinne and death So saith Esay 53. Oblatus est quia o Christus de Adae propagine vnus extitit in quo Diabolus quod Suum diceret non haberet Qui dum in Eum saeuit Quē sub peccati lege non tenuit Ius impiae dominationis amisit Leo. de pass Hom. 12. D. Athanasius lib. 4. ad Antioch Antequam Caput inclinasset mors propiùs accedere verebatur voluit he was offered vp because he would for had Hee not beene willing none could compell or constrain him to it Wherfore Christ himself saith Ioh. 10. 17. I lay down my life that I may take it againe No man taketh it from me but I lay it downe of my selfe I haue power to lay it downe and I haue power to take it vp againe And therefore when he hangeth vpon the Crosse he staies not Deaths leasure till death come to take away his life but willingly and couragiously he meets him in the way and like a Champion that p Quantum voluit vixit quādo voluit tradidit spiritum Chrysost hom 104 Vide August Tract 120. in Ioann D. Hall Ser. de Pass 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 scornes to bee ouercome nay knowes he cannot be yeeldeth in the midst of his strength that He might by dying vanquish Death Therefore Saint Iohn 20. 30. saith that he bowed his Head and gaue vp the Ghost not bowing as commonly men doe because he had giuen it vp before but because he would doe it Nature in him was strong enough hee might haue liued but he gaue vp the ghost and would die to shew himselfe Lord of Life and Death Thirdly In the lifting vp of this Serpent is shadowed the Passion of Christ Moses did fasten the Serpent to a long Pole and so hanged it vp on high that all the whole Host of Israel might looke vp to it and looking be healed of the Serpents biting So Christ at his Passion was lift vp on the Crosse that q Leo Hom. 11. de passione all might looke at him with the eye of Faith and by vertue of his death might escape Death the wages of sinne and receiue health and Saluation Heere is the difference The
from the Law-giuer Iesus Christ who decreed instituted and ordained that Those Elements of Bread and Wine receiued on these conditions should bee powerfull and effectuall to deriue vnto me such and such Graces So that as the Land groweth not in the Lease yet I doe actually possesse and inioy it with all appurtenances by the Lease as by a Meanes and Instrument ordained to estate me in it So the Body and Blood of Christ Iesus are not within the Consecrated Bread and Wine and yet by them as by a Means or Morall Instrument ordained and appointed by God to confer such Graces vpon me I doe take as True and reall possession of Christ and all his merits as any Tenant hath true and firme possession of his Lands I hope that I am rightly vnderstood and that the simplest doe fully perceiue how grossely the Church of England is belyed when they giue out that we make the Sacraments no more but naked and empty signes So much for the fact or History I come now to the Mysterie or to the figure of the fact in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Sicut together with which ye must be intreated to take the Sic also The Anti-type with the Type for they relate one to another and cannot well be considered apart What then was pointed at and figured by this Brazen Serpent For there is no question but God could haue restored health by a thousand other meanes besides this Wherefore some great Mysterie was fore-signified in that his Wisedome who knoweth all things best made choice of this of the Brazen Serpent rather then of any else For our Sauiour Christ all along this Chapter had to doe with Nicodemus who was a Pharisee a great Doctour in Israel Ioh. 3. 10. and consequently well seene in the Lawes of Moses and therefore hauing before told him of his Godhead verse 13. heere hee comes to shew what his Manhood was to suffer And to make him beleeue it the more firmely he produceth the Figure of the Brazen Serpent For Nicodemus could not but imagine that some great Mysterie was fore-shadowed by that fact of Moses For none so simple but could vnderstand that a Brazen Serpent hanging on a pole had not in it selfe any power at all to cure the poysonfull bitings of liuing Serpents and that God who could by a thousand other meanes haue cured them did vpon Speciall and singular consideration command that because he in it would shaddow forth some deepe Mysterie that was to come To the end therefore that our Sauiour Christ might the better perswade his doctrine by the lifting vp of this Serpent he sheweth Nicodemus before-hand of his Passion That when it should happen he might not be scandalilized And howsoeuer it chiefly aime at his Passion yet to speake the truth there is not in all the Old Testament any one Type or Figure that doth more liuely represent all the parts of the Mysterie of Christ his comming in the flesh then this of the Serpent For first of all it shewes vs his Incarnation For that Serpent of Brasse was but a serpent in shew and shape only it was not a serpent in deed it had no poison or venome in it as other Serpents had So our Sauiour Christ albeit to many he appeared to be a sinfull Man and was reckoned among the wicked Esay 53. 12. yet the truth is Hee did no sinne neither was any guile found in his mouth 1. Pet. 2. 22. Euer since our first Parents did suck poison from the Old Serpent the Diuell euery one that issued from their loynes haue retained much of the Serpentine nature that is of the venome and poison of sinne Hence Dauid speaking of vnregenerate men saith The poison of Aspes is vnder their lips And Iohn the Baptist speaking to the principall of the Iewes Math. 3. 7. termeth them a Generation of Vipers And Vipers you know are Serpents But Christ had no poison in him at all For though he assumed the true flesh and nature of man yet together with the nature he did not take the sinne of man He was true man but not truly sinfull Man God sent his Sonne saith Paul Rom. 8. 3. in the similitude of sinfull flesh Similitudo non ad carnis veritatem sed ad peccati imaginem referenda est saith Cassianus collat 22. cap. 11. Where the word similitude hath relation not to Flesh for that was true but to this word sinfull for though to some he appeared a sinner in shew yet he neuer committed any sinne g In veritate quidem Corporis sed sine veritate peccati suscepit Dominus speciem peccatoris Ambros de Spiritu Sanct. li. 3. ca. 9. Non alienus ab Hominum genere sed alienus à crimine Leo. Hom. 11. de Pass Dom. And heerein the wisedome of the New Serpent went beyond the craft and subtiltie of the old Serpent the Diuell as h Leo de Pass Dom. ser 11. Christus vt humanum genus vinculis mortiferae praevaricationis absolúeret Et saeuienti diabolo Potentiam suae Majestatis occultauit Et infirmitatem nostrae humilitatis objecit Leo tels vs. For the Diuell because Christ was a Man in deed and truth albeit he were a very Holy-man thought that he was also guilty of Originall sin deriued from Adam because all else euen the best are so by naturall generation and also though sometimes he had seene the effects of his Deitie and Godhead and had confessed him to be God indeed Marke 1. 24. Yet at other times his vnderstanding was so dazeled that he did not stedfastly beleeue that in him all the fulnesse of the Godhead dwelt bodily Colos 2. 9. i Si. n. crudelis superbus inimicus consilium misericordiae Dei nosse potuisset Iudaeorum animos mansuetudine potiùs tēperare quà m iniustis Odijs studuisset accendere ne ominum Captiuorum amitteret seruitutem dum nihil-sibi-debentis persequitur libertatem Fefellit igitur eum Malignitas sua c. Id. Ibid. for had he known certainly that Christ had beene not only very Man without sinne but also very God in humane flesh no doubt but he would haue beene as wise as the Princes of this World And Saint Paul saith 1. Cor. 2. 6. That If the Princes of this World had knowne it they would neuer haue crucified the Lord of Glory Wherefore the Diuell not beleeuing firmely that Christ was very God and taking him to be but a man as others were subiect to sinne at least to Originall guilt he makes at him and vseth all meanes to put him to death And Christ comming to redeeme the World did imitate the Fishers k Damascenus lib 3. de Orthod Fide cap. 27. Gregor Nyssen orat Cat. cap. 23. Naturae nostrae integumento celatae fuit Diuinitas vt instar piscium cum escâ carnis simul attraheretur hamus Diuinitatis sic vitâ ad mortem introductâ Luce apparents in tenebris Luce vitâ deleretur
Then said he I am He. Therefore if yee seeke Mee let These goe their way that is If I that am but their Suretie must pay the debt then reason it is that the principals should bee discharged of it Sixthly Marke This Serpent which Moses hung vp on the Pole did not benefit or doe good to any but only to those which did looke vp to it Such as refused to looke vpon it dyed and perished in the Wildernesse So it is heere the Death and Passion of Christ is beneficiall to none but such as looke vpon it stedfastly with the eye of Faith and by that Faith apply it to their owne Soules Such as regard it not nor care to consider it but let it passe as a matter of no moment it healeth not but they perish in their sins For as in this Figure 3. things do concur 1. God 2. the Serpent 3. the looking on the Serpent God it is that giueth theÌ„ health life the Serpent is the instrument or means by which he coÌ„ferreth it vnto theÌ„ he that did behold the Serpent receiued this health So also 3. things meet together in the work of our Iustification First Christ he by imputing his Righteousnesse to vs doth make vs Righteous before his Father Secondly the means wherby he deriueth this righteousnesse to vs are his holy Word and Sacraments Thirdly the Instrument wherewith we don this robe of Righteousnesse vpon our soules is a liuely faith in Christ it is as it were the hand by which we buckle gird Christ his merits to our selues Gal. 3. 27. Seuenthly albeit the People of Israel whilst they trauelled thorow the Wlidernesse towards the Promised Land did encounter many more calamities and inconueniences yet wee reade not that they had any other externall Signe giuen them against those inconueniences saue only this Serpent against the mortall sting of the fiery Serpents So we men although we are obnoxious to a thousand Miseries bodily and ghostly as to Hunger and thirst Heat and cold weaknesse and sicknesse shame and infamie sorrow and feare c. yet we haue no signe giuen vs against these because none of these if we be cleare from sinne can doe vs any hurt no more then they hurt our LORD IESVS CHRIST But against the Biting of the Serpent that is against Sinne God gaue vs a signe to looke vpon viz. His Sonne hanging on the Crosse Concerning whom old Simeon fore-told his Mother Behold This Childe is appointed for a Signe Luk. 2. 34. And fitly is Sinne resembled to the biting of a Serpent For the Diuell is called a Serpent Gen. 3. 1. and from this Serpent this poison of sinne was first cast into our nature Secondly if a Serpent sting you in the heele the venome of the sting will poison your foote your legge thigh entrailes Heart Liuer Braine and all till the whole Body be infected of such a poisonfull contagious nature is sinne It infecteth both Body and Soule and that not in one or two parts as other diseases doe but in euery part in Reason Will Memorie affections and all and that not in one man alone but in all mankinde in euery Man and Woman descended from Adam by câ—mmon course of nature Thirdly the Biting of these Serpents was incurable no remedie in Nature could be found to cure it Therfore God gaue the Brazen Serpent not for a naturall but for a Morall means against it Such is Sinne All the Balme in Gilead and all the Phisicians in the World no not Aesculapius-selfe with his Serpent Nay all the Angels and Saints in Heauen Earth are not able to cure the infection of one sin Nothing is able to take away the poison and sting of that but only the Death and Bloud of the Sonne of God powred out for our health Saluation vpon the Crosse Lastly Let vs aske the question For whose sake was this harmelesse Brazen Serpent made and afterwards hung vp on the Pole was it for it selfe No in no wise It could reape no profit either by being made or hung vp in the Ayre exposed to all weathers and storms All the benefit redounded to them that were stung and could not otherwise be cured but by looking vp to it Let inquiry be made For whose sake was the glorious eternall SONNE of GOD contented to be made Man was it any honour or benefit to Himselfe Surely No. Exinaniuit seipsum Hee emptied Himselfe saith the Apostle Phil. 2. 8. It was a farre greater abasement for the Sonne of God to be made the sonne of Man then for the greatest Prince or Monarch to be made a crawling Worme nay a graine of dust He was made man then not for any good or profit that Hee could reape thereby but to benefit and honour vs. So saith Esay 9. 5. Vnto vs a Child is borne and vnto vs a t Symbol Nicen. propter nos homines propter nostram Salutem c. Athan. de beat Fil. Dei Chrysost Hom. 7. in Iohan. Cypr. de van Idol Prosper in Epigram Terrae rerumque Creator Me propter Sacra Virgine natus Homo est Sonne is giuen all the benefit of his conception and natiuity is Ours not his borne and made he was for vs. And for whose sake was he lift vp was he crucified and slaine was it any profit or honour to Christ thinke you to be put to such a painfull shamefull and dishonourable death No certainly Daniel saith 9. 26. The Messias shall be slaine but not for Himselfe If not for himselfe then for some others So S. Peter 1. Ep. 2. 21. Christ suffred for vs. So that the benefit of his Passion too is not His but Ours His was the paine and shame Ours the profit and honour If He had not beene lifted vp and put to death for vs Euery Mothers child liuing and dead had suffred euerlasting death in torments of Hell with the Diuell and his angels Our Sinnes the Sinnes of the World the Stinging of the Old Serpent could not be taken away by Man or Angell but only by the Bloud of the Lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the World Our Sinnes they were that put to death the Lord of Life The Price of them could not be bought out with gold or siluer or al the Treasure in the World they cost no lesse then the most precious Hearts-blood of Gods owne Sonne Your Soules then are bought at the highest rate Why doe you prize them so cheape so basely Dost thou beleeue in thy Heart that the Saluation of thy Soule cost the deare-deare price of Gods owne heart bloud and darest thou goe and stake and pawne it to the Deuill to Hell for a kisse of a Strumpet for a drunken Carouse for a little painted Vanitie for an handfull of glittering drosse for a little vnprofitable Profit and deceyueable gaine See then if with Iudas thou doe not sell thy Soule and the Redeemer of thy Soule for 30. pieces for thirty nay for twenty for ten many for one a matter of halfe a Crowne or lesse Nay many passe away their Soules to Satan for nothing at all for an oath for a stab a little Reuenge Oh take heed For such as did not feele the smart of the Serpents biting nor had any griefe or paine because of it Such neuer looked vp to the Brazen Serpent nor receiued any life or health from it only such as felt the smart and sting and earnestly desired to be cured they looked vp to it and were healed So it is heere Such as go on in their sin and feele no smart of it they thinke they stand not greatly in neede of Christ and therefore they heare of his death and bloud-shedding as a matter that little or nothing concernes them Such persons as yet are not capable of any benefit by Christs Blood They only that are wounded in Soule and feele the smart of their sins in their conscience Those only looke vp to their crucified Sauiour seek health and Saluation from him These only receiue comfort by Christ those only are healed of their sting Psalm 103. 1. And all that is within them praise His holy Name To whose Name be all Honour and Glory now and for euer Amen FINIS