Collection of Discourses, Part 4
OF THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD. A confeſſion made by the fathers of the Church of Antioch againſt Paulus Samoſatenus.
Taken out of the Actes of the firſt Epheſ…e Coun…l….
WE confeſſe that our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, begotten of his Father before all worldes, but in the latter times conceiued by the holy Ghoſt of the virgin Mary according to the fleſh, is but one perſon, of the godhead & humane fleſh ſubſiſting Perfect God, & perfect man: perfect God euen with the fleſh, but not accordinge to the fleſh; perfect man euen with the godhead, but not according to the Godhead. Wholy to be worſh…pped, euen with the fleſh but not according to the fleſh: wholy worſhiping, even with the god…ead but not according to the godhead. …, euen with the bodie, but not according to the body. Wholy formed, or endued with ſhape & faſhion, euen with the divinity or godhead, but not according to the Diuinitie or godhead. Wholy coeſſenciall, that is of o…e and the ſelfe ſame nature togeather with God, even with the bodie, but not according to the body: as likewiſe he is not coeſſential to men according to his godhead, but being in his godhead he is coeſſētial to vsus according to the …. For when we ſay that he is conſubſtantial, or of the ſame nature togeather with the father according to the ſpirite, we ſay not that he is con…ubſtantial with men according to the ſame ſpirite. And contrariewiſe when we prea…h that after the fleſh he is cōſubſtantial to men, we do not preach that according to the fleſh he is coeſſential with god, for like as he is not coeſſētial with vsus after the ſpirite (for ſo he is coeſſential with God) euen ſo is he not according to the fleſh coeſſential to God, but conſubſtantial with vsus. But … pronounce theſe thinges to be different and … betweene themſelues, not to deuide that o…e vndeuided perſon, but to ſhew a diſtinction betweene nature and properties of the word and the fleſh, which can neuer be confounded: ſo we profeſſe and reverence that vnitie, which cauſeth this indiuiſible vnion and compoſition.
Vigilius in his 4. booke againſt E…tyches.
If the worde and fleſh bee of one nature, how commeth it to paſſe,Therefore contrariwiſe, if the fleſh bee found every where, how comes it that the nature of the fleſh & worde which is every where is not one? that the worde being every where, the fleſh alſo is not founde every where? for what time it was heere on earth, it was not then in heauen: and now becauſe it is in heaven, even therefore it is not in earth: ſo ſure wee are that it is not in earth, that even according to the fleſh we verily expect that Chriſt ſhall come from heavē, whom according to the word we beleeue to be with vsus alwaies here on earth. Wherfore (as your ſelues confeſſe) either the word togither with the fleſh is contained in ſome place, or elſe the fleſh togither with the word is in every place, for one nature is not in it ſelfe capable of contrarieties. But theſe two differ very far, to bee contained in ſome place, & to be in every place: and becauſe the word is every where, & the fleſh is not every where, it appeareth that one and the ſame Chriſt conſiſteth of both natures, & is in every place by nature of the godhead, and contained in ſome one place according to the nature of his humanity. So that the ſame Chriſt was both created & without beginning, ſubiect to death, and yet immortal, the one by nature of the worde as he is God, the other by nature of the fleſh, as the ſame God is alſo man. Being therefore both the ſon of God & man, he hath a beginning, was created, & is comprehēded in ſome place by nature of his fleſh, being otherwiſe before all beginning vncreated, and without limitation of place, according to the nature of his godhead. He is inferior to the Angels in reſpect of his fleſh, but equall to the Father as touching his Deity: deade ſometimes in his māhood, ever-living in his godhead. This is the catholique faith and confeſſion, which the Apoſtles delivered, martyrs co…firmed, and the faithfull to this day h…ue retained. W…rfore impiouſly, as tainted with the p…enous hereſie of E…yches you preſume to taxe Leo, whiles by the different actions of one Lorde Ch…ſt hee proveth the verity of both natures in him: ſo that what he wrought for demonſtration of the … of two natures, you pervert as if it were a proo…e of two perſons.