Propositions and Principles of Divinity Disputed, Section 51
PRINCIPLES VPONUPON THE ARTICLE, I BELEEVE THAT THERE IS A COMMVNION OF SAINCTS. LI.
1 CHriſt can be fruitfull vntounto none, but by participation.
2 This participation is partly of Chriſt, and partlie of of his benefites, which doe flow from the participation of him.
3 That therefore, whereof wee are made partakers, is partly ſubſtantiall, and partly a quality.
4 The Subſtantial things, are both Chriſt himſelfe God and man, and alſo all thoſe corporall things which are beſtowed vponupon vsus, together with Chriſt, beeing participated vntounto vsus. The qualities are all thoſe gifts, both of the bodie and the mind, which in him we receaue in this life, and obtaine in the life to come.
5 Now wee are made partakers of the Deitie of Chriſt, onelyonly in force and operation, but of his humanity in verie deed, as far as he is our brother.
6 Nowe this participation, by reaſon of the moſt ſtrait bād, and the vnſpeakable efficacie therof (not that the one ſubſtance doth touch the other) is expreſſed by the names of vnion, engraffing, incorporation, and ſuch like.
7 The ſame is for three cauſes called ſpirituall: firſt of all, becauſe the true and the ſoueraigne cauſe thereof, is that power, and vnſpeakable force of the holy Ghoſt, the which, notwithſtanding the diſtaunce of place, doth moſt trulie, and moſt effectually joyne the Saints, (though here as yet vponupon earth) in a ſpiritual marriage with Chriſt, that they may be fleſh of his fleſh, & bone of his bones; althogh according vntounto this fleſh, they are not vponupon earth, but in heauen.
8 Secondly, becauſe again this conjunction with Chriſt himſelf, according to the fleſh is (in regard of vsus,) a worke, not of the bodie, but of the minde, which receiueth Chriſt by faith.
9 Thirdly, becauſe the end and the ſcope of this mutuall Communion is not to the end, that a kind of monſtruous bodie, ſhould ariſe from the vniting of his ſubſtaunce with ours, but that in this life, we ſhuld be gouerned by his Spirit, and that in the life to come, we ſhould liue an aeternall and a heauenly life with him.
10 Yet may this vniting, bee called a corporall vnion in a ſound meaning; ſo that, all ambiguitie and newnes of wordes be auoyded: namely, if that eſpeciall thing, which in this myſterie, (as before hath bin ſaid) we ſpiritually receiue by faith (and that is the verie humanitie of Chriſt) be conſidered: Next, if reſpect be had to the external means, which the holy Ghoſt vſeth, to beget and nouriſh faith in vsus; namely, both the outward word ſounding in our ears, and alſo, the Sacramentall elements and rites, that affect the reſt of our ſenſes.
11 Out of this ſpirituall vnion, ariſeth that myſticall bodie, wherof Chriſt is the head, both in reſpect of his preheminence ouer the ſame, and alſo, becauſe he doth wholie giuegive ſenſe and motion therevnto. Nowe, all thoſe that beleeue and are ſanctified, are called members vnderunder this head; in which ſenſe is the Church called by PETER, the Citie, & the ſpirituall temple of God, built of liuely ſtones; whoſe foundation and cheife corner ſtone is Chriſt, who ſuſtaineth and beareth vp the whole building.
It is no leſſe abſurd therefore to ſuppoſe, that there is a kind of faſtning, and a cleauing of Chriſts bodie within ours, or of ours within his; then it were to ſay, that the bodies of the Saints do ſubſiſt one within another: Seeing that the band of the Communion of Saints, is the very ſame that the vnion is, which they hauehave, both with themſelues, and with Chriſt.
12 Some of thoſe things, wherof we are made partakers in this myſterie, are altogeather proper to the elect: namelie, Chriſt himſelfe, (of whome none can be a member, except he be indued with true faith:) true faith, which is inſeparablie joyned with true hope; charitie: and laſt of all, that aeternall kingdome prepared from all aeternity, according to the free purpoſe of God vntounto the elect onelie: Some alſo are after a ſort, as the Lord thinketh good, common to the hypocrites and prophane, by reaſon that they ſeeme to bee ingraffed into Chriſt, as are the gifts of Propheſie, of tongues, and of healing, togeather with manie other notable gifts of the mind, and excellent benefites of this life: the which, as by the elect they are conſecrated to God, who is the giuer of them; ſo are they prophaned by the wicked.
13 Againe, theſe gifts (though not alwaies in the ſame meaſure) are partly common to all the Saints, as beeing neceſſarie to the ſaluation of all (of which ſort are the participation of Chriſt himſelfe, liuelie faith, ſteadfaſt hope, louelove vnfained, remisſion of ſinnes, and ſanctification by the holie Ghoſt, with ſuche like) and partlye, proper to euerie ſeuerall beleeuer; the which, the ſame holie Spirite doth diſtribute according to the diuers conſideration of the callings of men, vntounto whome, and in what meaſure hee thinketh good.
14 Euerie one of the Saints ſeuerallie conſidered, hauehave their peculier giftes, both in regarde of the poſſesſion of Chriſt himſelfe, and alſo of his benefits, as it is expreſſed in the ſimilitude of the talents. But in aſmuch as there is one GOD and Father of all, one Chriſt the Lord, one Spirite, whereof all the Saints are endued, one faith, one hope of the ſame calling, one baptiſme, one kingdome of heauen: and alſo, becauſe whatſoeuer graces beſtowed vponupon anie, is therefore giuen, that the vſe of them may bee common vntounto them all, and ſo, that they ſhould be the one and the ſelfe ſame bodie of Chriſt: therefore all the gifts beſtowed vppon any of the elect in particuler, are common vntounto all the Saints, in reſpect of the vſe, which is the communion of Saints in this life.
15 Yea, and the vſe of theſe graces, (if it may be) ought to reach euen vntounto them that are without, as farre as the glorie of God, and the edification of the Church doth permit, both becauſe often times, many of the elect lie hid amongſt them, and alſo, becauſe wee muſt bee like our heauenly Father, who maketh his Sunn to riſe vponupon the good and bad.
16 This Communion, begun here vponupon earth, ſhal then (after that thoſe thinges which belong vntounto the vſe of this life are abolliſhed) be perfected in that aeternall kingdom, when as faith being chaunged into a full knowledge, hope into the injoying of the thinges hoped for, and charitie being made perfect, God ſhall be all in all his Saints.
Now the Communion of Merites, either amongſt the Saints liuing heere togeather, or betweene the Militant and the Triumphant church, is both moſt falſe, and alſo blaſphemous, as alſo, the very opinion of merrites, is a meere forged vntruth.
Defended by IOHN WTENBOGAERT a Low-country man of Vtrick.