Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 47
PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER ALMIGHTIE. XLVII.
1 SEeing whole Chriſt, that is, Chriſt perſonally conſidered, or in reſpect that he is one ſubſiſting perſon, is ſaid to ſit, and that the action of ſitting, can not in the proper ſignification thereof, agree vntounto the Deitie in it ſelf: we muſt needs conclude; that ſitting, properlie taken, can in no wiſe agree vntounto the Deitie.
2 And although, it may be properlie applied vntounto that other nature of Chriſt, which is corporall; in that ſenſe, that ſitting is oppoſed vntounto the ſtanding or the moouing of the bodie: yet wee muſt not thinke, that that glorious bodie of his, though it be truly circumſcribed and contained in a place; doth either continually ſtand, ſit, or moue: For all theſe things are groſſe and curious matters, neither are they ſo particulerly to bee applied to the eſtate of that life.
3 That which is added concerning the right hand of God, is much more to bee taken Figuratiuelie, as whereby thoſe thinges are attributed vntounto God, which are proper vntounto man; ſeeing that God, who is without a bodie, hath neither right ſide nor left, as beeing altogeather immeaſurable and infinite.
4 By this kinde of ſpeach therefore, being taken from the cuſtome of Kings and Princes, who are wont to make a ſhewe vntounto their ſubjects of thoſe, whome they will hauehave to be in equall dignitie with them, and by whome they exerciſe their gouernment, by placing them in a moſt honorable ſeat; that is, at their right ſide, or at their left: by this kind of ſpeach, I ſay is meant, that Chriſt hath receaued all power both in heauen and in earth, as he himſelfe the beſt interpreter of his owne words doth expreſſe, MAT. 28.18.
5 This power as far as he is God, Coeternal with his father; he receiued not firſt, after the reſurrection of his fleſh, but enjoyed it from al aeternitie, common with his Father, of whome he receiued his Sonne-hood from aeternitie.
6 Yet becauſe, not in himſelfe; diſtinctly conſidered as far as he is God, but as far as he perſonally joyned to himſelfe the forme of a ſeruant, ſubject vntounto all our infirmities (ſin excepted) he ſeemed in ſome ſort, vntounto the time of his Aſcention, to hauehave caſt of his owne Majeſtie (which in the Scriptures is expreſſed by the word of Deſcending:) therefore, he is alſo in the ſame reſpect, ſaid to bee exalted vntounto the right hand of the Father; or reſtored (as far as it appertaineth to the manifeſting thereof) into the ſame Majeſtie, which he had with the Father before all worlds.
7 There is another conſideration of his humain nature, the which (hauing truly, and not in ſhewe, moſt powerfully accompliſhed the office of his infirmitie) became Conqueror, ruler, and triumpher; and hath gotten a perpetuall gouernment ouer all creatures, both for the preſeruation of his, & the perfecting by degrees the worke of their ſaluation, & alſo, for the vtter ouerthrow of his enemies, & this is it that is ment by his ſitting at the right hand of the father.
8 And euen as the hypoſtatical vniō is not therfore diſſolued, bicauſe the properties of the humanity ar diſtinctly attributed thervnto: euen ſo his glorification being diſtinctly conſidered in the ſaid humanity, doth not infer that there ſhuld ether be two chriſts, or ſitting at the right hād of God
9 Yet is not the humanitye by this meanes made equall with the worde, either in ſubſtaunce (which is the proper error of EVTYCHES) or in authority, as the Vbiquitaries do now hold: becauſe, that that gouernment, wherby Chriſt as hee is man, hath all things ſubject to himſelfe, as well in heauen, in earth, as vnderunder the earth, is limited within the compaſſe of Creatures; excepting him ſaith the Apoſtle, who hath made all things ſubject vntounto him; that is the Father, with whome, as the WORD hath the one and the ſame eſſence from aeternitie: ſo hath he the one and the ſame power fully in common with him, in ſo much, that, the Fathers hauehave ſaid trulye, that Chriſt in reſpect of this gouernment alſo, is both greater and leſſer then himſelfe.
10 Falſe alſo and blaſphemous, is that Vbiquitary and all preſent Majeſtie of the eſſentiall humanitie of Chriſt, which they ſeeme to hauehave ſharpelie gathered from this ſitting at the right hand of the Father; for beſides that, by this meanes the truth of the fleſh of Chriſt is manifeſtlie abolliſhed: It is a fooliſh thing, to reaſon from the power of his fleſh vntounto the eſſence thereof: that is, to holde that the eſſence of his humanitie, doth reach as farre as the power thereof, where as the very faith of that Centurion, ſo much commended by our Sauiour Chriſt, MATH. 8.10. doth on the contrarie ſide teach vsus, that it is meere folly to incloſe his power, within the bounds of his eſſentiall preſence.
11 Now this kingdome & gouernment, hath Chriſt alreadie perfectlie obtained, as hauing gotten a name aboue all names: but in his myſticall body, that is, in the church, it is but onelyonly in ſome ſort begun, neither ſhall it bee perfected in the ſaide bodie before that laſt day, (when as all the enemies of Chriſts glorie, and our ſaluation beeing aeternally ouerthrowen and caſt downe) God ſhall bee all in all, that is in his Saints; in whom now he is onelyonly but ſome thing, whether we reſpect them beeing a liue or dead.
12 That gouernement of Chriſt therefore, doth nowe conſiſt in two things; that is, partly in the ſubduing both of his owne children, and alſo of all their enemies; and partlie in bringing his, by little and little to perfection by the power of his Spirite, and the adminiſtration of that other part of his aeternall Prieſthoode; that is, in the ſtrengthening of them, by his intercesſion with the Father, euen vntill that he hath together with all his elect, celebrated an eternall triumph.
13 This intercesſion of his, conſiſteth eſpecially in that efficacie of that oblation of his, made once to his father; the force whereof is this, that the Father looking vppon all his elect in his Sonne, by whoſe blood he is reconciled vntounto them, doth imbrace them euermore with a Fatherlie affection: partly, in that as all the prayers of the Saints, being as yet Pilgrimes here vponupon earth, are conceiued in the name of Chriſt: ſo hee preſenting himſelfe vntounto his Father in heauen, as the onelie Mediatour, doth ſanctifie thoſe prayers, and make them acceptable vntounto God the Father.
14 VntoUnto theſe things is to bee adjoyned that ſtay and defēce which we hauehave by Chriſt, in that he hauing all creatures in his hand, doth by what inſtrument and meanes he thinketh good, moſt powerfully preſerue his Church, traueling as yet here vponupon earth, againſt all the furious inſurrections of all whoſoeuer.
15 Touching this ſitting at the right hand of GOD the Father, although in reſpect of the title thereof, it belonged vntounto the humanitie of Chriſt, from the verie firſt moment, of the perſonall vniting thereof with the Deitie: yet both in regarde, that this humanitie was to be throwen down vntounto the verie loweſt degree, for the performance of the worke of our reconciliation, and alſo becauſe this glorification of our head, was the crowne due vntounto the obedience he yeelded for vsus vntounto the Father, even vntounto the death of the croſſe, therefore it fell not vntounto him in deede and poſesſion, before he had ſuffered, riſen againe, and aſcended aboue all heauens.
Hence it followeth that this errour alſo of the Vbiquitaries is intollerable: namelie, in that they holde that this reall ſitting at the right hand of the father, began at the very firſt moment of the Lordes incarnation: offending heerein two manner of wayes. Firſt, in the wrong interpretation of this article: next in that they inuert the order of the articles of the beleife, which ought neceſſarilie to be retained.
16 In aſmuch as the place of this ſitting is expreſlie ſaid to be in heauen, and not vponupon earth, or any where els, and that Chriſt is not to depart from heauen before the laſt day: and alſo that he is endued with a bodie, though glorious, yet organical, & contained within the parts therof. Therfore that reall preſence of his vponupon earth, is ſhewed to be falſe, againſt all Tranſubſtantiators and Conſubſtantiators, euen by this ſitting of his in heauen, at the right hand of God.
Defended by FRANCIS PEFAVRIVS of Bearne.