Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 20 – Section 22
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE PERSONALL VNION OF THE TWO NATVRES IN CHRIST. XX.
VNTOUNTO THE FVLL VNDERSTANDING of thoſe things, which wee hauehave to beleeue concerning the perſon of Chriſt▪ it ſerueth to be needfull, that wee declare how it is, that hee conſiſting of two natures, is yet but one ſubſiſting perſon.
1 THe ſecond perſon of the Deity; namly, the word; did ſo neerelie vnite and appropriate vntounto himſelfe the humaine nature, that theſe two whole natures, & their proprieties vnited togeather, are but one ſubſiſting perſon, Ieſus Chriſt, true God and man: Yet ſo, as the humain nature doth ſubſiſt in the diuine. Wherfore this vniō is called an Hypoſtolicall, or a perſonall vnion.
2 In Chriſt therefore, there is not one Chriſt, and another Chriſt; that is, Chriſt God and Chriſt man: ſeeing the perſon is onelie one, but yet there is one thing, and another thing, that is, a diuine and an humaine nature, ſeeing the natures are diuers.
3 Now, although theſe two natures be inſeperable; yet in very deed, they remaine diſtinct, both in themſelues, and alſo in their eſſentiall proprieties, and their actions: And therfore, the diuine nature is ſeuerally, attributed vntounto the Deitie, and is humaine vntounto his humanity.
4 Wherefore, neither of the natures ſeuerally conſidered in it ſelfe, can be ſaid to be the other. For you cannot truly ſay, that the Deitie of Chriſt, is his humanity; or that his humanity is his Deitie.
5 Neither can the eſſentiall proprieties of the one nature, be more attributed vntounto the other ſeuerally conſidered, then the one nature can bee ſaid to be the other. For this is no true aſſertion, to ſay, that the Deitie was created, is finite; and contained within a place: Nor yet this; The humanitie is without beginning, infinite, and immeaſurable, or vncircumſcribed in a place; or that it can bee in many places at once, or eueryevery where, or yet any where indeed, any otherwaies, then as in a place.
6 Yet as they are joyned togeather, that is, in reſpect of the whole, wholie conſidered; the word is trulie ſaid to be this man, and this man to bee the worde; not that the one nature is transfuſed, or turned into the other; but becauſe, theſe two natures are one only ſubſiſting perſon, which the Schoole-men call the grace of vnion, or vniting grace.
7 In like manner, although the eſſentiall properties of the one nature, be not transfuſed into the other; yet is the word ſaid to be crucified and dead, not in it ſelf, but in the nature that was aſſumed. In like ſort, this man is ſaide to be Eternall, Infinite, Immeaſurable, and God himſelfe; not in it ſelfe, but in the aſſuming nature, or the nature that tooke fleſh.
8 The maner of ſpeaking, is called the communicating of properties, the which in reſpect of Chriſt, wholie conſidered; is Reall; or both in name and in deed: but in conſideration of the natures ſeuerallie conſidered, it is verball, or onelyonly in name.
9 The Deitie of Chriſt, borroweth nothing of the humanitie which it aſſumed: Whereas on the other ſide, the humanitie ſubſiſting in the Deitie, is perfected by it.
10 Nowe the humanitie of Chriſt, is fullie indued with ſo great ſtore of all qualities moſt excellent, (thoſe onelie excepted, which are ſo eſſentiall in God, as they can be in no wiſe communicated with any creature; and by the powring whereof, the humaine nature ſhould be ſwallowed vp, and become the Godhead) as in dignitie and glorie, hee doth farre ſurmount all Creatures; as being inferiour vntounto the Deitie onelie: The which fulnes of gifts, the Schoolmen call grace habituall, or fullie poſſeſſed.
11 Now this exceeding vertue and power, was powred by degrees vponupon the fleſh that was aſſumed; not at the very moment of the vniting togeather of both natures; In as much, as it behooued Chriſt to take vponupon him ſuch fleſh, as was in deede ſubject to all our infirmities (ſinne excepted) vntill that hee, hauing fulfilled whatſoeuer was neceſſarie vntounto our ſaluation, had obtained a name aboue al names, the Godhead onelie excepted.
Wee doe abhorre then, both the NESTORIANS, who deuide the perſon; and the EVTYCHIANS, who either confoūd the natures, or mingle their eſſentiall proprieties.
12 The glorifiyng of the humanitie of Chriſt, which is ment in the Chriſtian beleife, by aſcending into Heauen, and ſitting at the right hand of God, hath neither aboliſhed the eſſence, nor the eſſentiall properties of a true body.
Defended by STEPHEN BLOIVS of Angiers.
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE OFFICE OF CHRIST. XXI.
SEING THAT WE HAVE DONE ALREAdie with the perſon of Chriſt, it followeth now that we deale with his office. For theſe two are to be conſidered in him.
1 MAnkinde by reaſon of ſinne whereunto it wilfullie fell, was altogeather loſte: in ſuch ſort as it could in no wiſe by it owne ſtrength eſcape aeternal damnation.
2 But God, to the end that hee might affoorde a moſte cleare teſtimonie of his merciemercy, did appoint in his aeternal counſell, to deliuer men from this miſerie and calamitye. And to the end that this might bee done without anie impeachment of his juſtice, he appointed a Mediatour, who ſhould performe all theſe things that were required.
3 Therfore, ſeeing to auoide the curſe of the lawe, the lawe it ſelfe muſt bee fulfilled by men, and this can by no meanes be performed by them: it behooued the Mediator to effect this worke, and not to ouerpaſſe the very leaſt title of Gods Law.
The opinion of the PAPISTS therefore is very wicked, in attributing anie other merite vntounto any man, ſaue onelyonly the merite of Chriſts alone obedience.
4 Furthermore, ſeeing it behoued God which is moſte juſt, to puniſhe the ſinnes of men, that by this meanes his juſtice might be fulfilled: and men could not vndergo the weight of Gods anger, but they ſhould bee euerlaſtinglie ſwallowed vp thereby: It was the office of the Mediatour, ſeeing he bare the perſon of all men, to pay all their debts, and to ſuffer puniſhment for them all.
They are againe moſt wicked, who bring in any other Mediatour of ſatisfaction in the preſence of God, ſaue onlie this one.
5 And as Chriſt was vnderunder the law repreſented by Prophets, Kings and Prieſts: ſo beeing exhibited in his time, hee was annointed to bee a King, Prieſt and Prophet. In which three callings, his whole office is contained.
6 The Propheticall office of Chriſt is, to teach men the will of God, and clearelie to lay open vntounto them his decree concerning the ſaluation of mankinde, and ſo to put an end vntounto al propheſies: that is, to fulfill all thoſe things that were fore-tolde of him.
It is execrable wickednes therefore, to burden the conſcience of man, with new commandements added vntounto the worde, or to impoſe anie lawe vponupon the conſcience: and much more to adjoine vntounto the Goſpell, new ſupplies of ſaluation.
7 The Kingdome of Chriſt conſiſteth heerein, namely, that al his enemies beeing ſubdued vnderunder him, as Sathan, ſinne and death; he onelie may beare rule ouer his church, defend the ſame, and beſtowe all thinges needfull therevpon.
8 This Kingdome is not like vntounto other Kingdomes that are earthlie, but it is ſpirituall.
And therefore the Iewes are worthelie condemned, with all others, that thinke this kingdome, to conſiſt in a kinde of outward pompe, majeſtie and magnificence: And they are much more impudent then the Iewes themſelues, who will hauehave the tyrannie of the Romane Praelate, to bee a viſible repreſentation of Chriſts kingdome.
9 The office of Chriſts Preiſt-hood was, by ſome acceptable Sacrifice to pacifie God being offended with vsus: And becauſe no other Sacrifice, could bee found meet, and no other Prieſt worthie for this worke: hee who was without all ſpot, became both the Sacrifice and the Preiſt, now alſo making interceſsion for vsus in heauen.
Therefore the Papiſticall Sacrifizing Preiſts, are moſt groſſe ſeducers, who ſaye, that in the Sacrifice of their Maſſe, they offer Chriſt really, both for the quick and the dead.
Defended by BERNARD CASANOVA of Bearne
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING FAITH. XXII.
HAVING DECLARED THESE THINGS which appertaine vntounto the perſon of Chriſt: it remaineth that we ſpeak by what meanes, Chriſt with all his benefites, is applied vntounto vsus.
1 CHriſtian faith is that onelie hand, whereby wee take hold, or apply vntounto our ſelues, Chriſt being offered vntounto vsus, with all his benefites, that are neceſſarie vntounto our ſaluation.
2 This Faith, wee doe firſt of all diſtinguiſh, from that meere agreement of the vnderſtanding, whereby it commeth to paſſe, that we beleeue all theſe things to bee true which are contained in the holie Scriptures: the which agreement or aſſent, wee affirme that it may ariſe from the light of nature alſo, and the arguments that may be compaſſed by humane reaſon, without anie peculier lightning of the holie Spirite, ſeeing the verie vncleane Spirits themſelues do beleeue this.
3 We alſo diſtinguiſh this Faith from the aſſent, wherby ſome hauehave peculiarlie applied ſome peculiar promiſes made vntounto themſelues, that were diuerſe from the promiſes of aeternall life, who notwithſtanding were neuer made pertakers thereof.
4 The Faith therefore whereof we now ſpeake, we doe define to bee that aſſurance whereby, beyond the former aſſent, the godlie are caried vntounto Chriſt, and ſo particularlie apply vntounto themſelues the promiſe of ſaluation offered in him.
We do condemne therefore all ſuch ſophiſtrie as doth confound theſe two ſorts of faith, and eſpecially thoſe who taking Faith for the obedience that is yeelded vntounto Gods commandements, doe by that meanes mingle the one of them with the other.
5 We affirme this Faith to be the meere guift of God, peculiar only to the elect: and ſuch a guift as in no wiſe cā be repented off, or called back, or beeing the moſt ſure & immoueable remedie vntounto the ſaluation of all the elect.
Wee deteſt therefore all thoſe, who imagine that Chriſt and his ſauing grace may be receaued, by any merite, either praeparatorie, or fore-ſeene. And eſpeciallie all theſe who dreame, that Chriſt may be conuaied vntounto vsus, with the hand or mouth of the bodie.
6 We denie alſo that this Faith can euer vtterly be loſt, although at ſome times, euen in the moſt holie men, it bee a ſleepe, as the minde is in thoſe that are ouercome with drinke: and notwithſtanding that ſome hauehave, as it were, a ſhadow thereof begun in them.
7 This faith doth God creat, at what time, and in what meaſure it pleaſeth him, ſtrengthening and increaſing the ſame, by little and little, though neuer perfecting it while wee are heere; yet graunting ſo much of it in this life, as is needfull for the elect to obtaine the victorie: Nowe in the life to come, he doth fulfill in deede, that which we beleeued and hoped for, while wee were heere on earth.
We doe execrate and deteſt therefore, the CELESTINIANS, and the ANABAPTISTS, who dreame of a perfection of faith and righteouſnes in this life, and doe abolliſh the dailye growth of repentaunce, and our continuall praiers, which euen vntounto our laſt gaſpe, we are to make for remiſsion of ſinnes.
Defended by BENIAMIN C…ESSONIVS of Burgundy.