A Christian Instruction Containing the Law and the Gospel, Exposition 1 · Dialogue 8
The eyght Dialogue is of the communion betwene Ieſus Chriſte and man.
Of the communion of the nature, vvhichwhich Ieſus Chryſt hath with man, and not with angels, and how neceſſarie it is to mans ſaluation.
MATHEVV.
DEclare to mée the cauſe, why mā can not be ſaued, if Ieſus Chryſte had no cōmunion of nature with him?
P.
Why are not the angels alſo which ſinned, ſaued by the deathe and paſſion of Ieſus Chriſte, the whiche are called diuels in the holie Scriptures, as well as man, who hath ſinned, as they hauehave doone.
M.
Bicauſe that Ieſus Chriſt was not ſente by the Father to that effecte, and he alſo came not to ſaue them, but man only.
P.
For that cauſe alſo he hath not taken the nature of angels,Hebr. 2. d. to hauehave communication of nature with them, and to vnite it with his diuine nature, to ſatiſfie for them in their owne nature, as it pleaſed him to be vnited with man by vnion of nature, to ſatiſfie for them in their owne fleſhe, as though they themſelues did ſatiſfie in their owne perſon, the which he hath endured and repreſented before the iudgement of God.
M.
Thou wilte then ſaye, that it was neceſſarie that the ſon of God ſhould communicate with our fleſhe and bloud, by that ſame vnion of nature,Hebr. 2. … and yt without this vnion and cōmunication, we cannot be ſaued and redemed by him.
P.
If it hadde not ben neceſſarie that he ſhould hauehave had ſuch vnion and communication with vsus, to revnite vsus, and to cal vsus againe into the ſauour of God, it had not béen néedfull that he had beene made man.
M.
God hath then doone vsus an honour, and ſhewed vsus a fauour in the perſon of his ſonne, howe poore and wicked ſinners ſoeuer we be, whiche he hath not doone to the angels whiche ſinned?
P.
In that ſame we may know howe much he hath loued vsus of his owne goodneſſe, and howe great and infinite his charitie was towarde vsus. Wherefore we ſhould alſo by the ſame very meane, well learne to knowe howe well we ought to louelove him on oure parts.
Of two ſortes of vnion and communion vvhiche Ieſus Chriſte hath with man, without the which no man can obtayne ſaluation.
M.
BVt is it ſufficient for the ſaluation of man, that the ſonne of God was made man, to beare the iudgemente, the wrathe and curſſe of God in their owne nature, and their owne fleſhe?
Pe.
If that were ſufficient, al ſhold be ſaued indifferently, aſwel the reprobats as the elect, & the vnbeleuers as ye faithful, as we hauehave alredie touched it heretofore.
M.
Is there then any other maner of vnion & cōmunion, whereby we muſt be vnited & ioyned with Ieſus Chriſt, to obtein ſaluatiō by him?
P.
Thou mayſt iudge by yt which we hauehave alredy ſayd of the comuniō that we hauehave with him thorough faith, and of the iuſtification by the ſame.
M.
I do very wel remember, that thou haſt already ſomwhat touched it: but I woulde very gladly yt thou didſt expoūd the ſame vntounto me ſomwhat more largely.
P.
The communication of the which we hauehave nowe ſpoken, is natural, and therfore it is common to al men with Ieſus Chryſt, in ſo much as they be of the ſame nature, & of the ſame fleſh that he hathe taken for vsus.
Ma.
And the other?
Pe.
It is ſpirituall, and therefore it is more ſpeciall: for it is not generally common to al, but it is only propre to the elect and faithfull.
Of the ſpirituall marriage betweene Ieſus Chryſte and his Churche, and firſte of the vnion of nature that is required in this mariage.
M.
EXpound to me what this vnion and cōmunion conteineth more thā the firſt?
P.
I wil declare vntounto thée by ſimilitude of mariage,Ephe. 5. e. wherof S. Paul hath vſed to this purpoſe, in ye epiſt. to the Epheſiās.
M.
Expounde vntounto me then ye ſimilitude.
P.
Nature doth ſhew vsus & alſo teach vsus, ye aliāce & cōmuniō of mariage coulde not be betwene mā & womā,Geneſis. 1. …. if they were not both liuīg creatures of one very kind, and of one very fleſh & nature.
M.
Albeit that the brute beaſts hauehave ben created of the ſame very matter, whereof man and woman ar created as concerning the bodie: yet for al that, I know wel that there is greate difference touching the kindes, and that man and woman hauehave a farre other vnion and communion of fleſhe and nature together, thā wc other liuing creatures whiche we do call beaſtes.
P.
And therfore after that god had created Adam, and that his pleaſure was to giuegive him an ayde in mariage,Gene. 1. d &. 8. c. d Ephe. 5. g Matth. 19. d he woulde create thys ayde, whiche is the woman, of the verye fleſh and ſubſtance of Adam himſelfe, to the ende that they ſhuld be one very fleſh and one verie body: as in déede Adam did right wel know when he ſaw the womā immediately after that ſhe was ſo created. Wherfore he ſayd: This here is fleſh of my fleſhe, and bone of my bones: and therfore man ſhall leaue father and mother, and ſhall ſticke to his wyfe: If ther be great difference betwene the nature of the man and of the woman, and that of other liuing creatures cōcerning the very bodie, the difference is yet much more greate concerning the ſoule, forſomuche as the other lyuing creatures were not created to the image and lykelyneſſe of God,Geue. 1.8. c. d 1. Cor. 11. b. as man was, wherefore they hauehave not a ſoule of a heauenly and diuine nature as he hath.
P.
Thou ſéeſt then alredy here the vnion and communion of Nature that man and woman hauehave togither as well of body as of ſoule,Gene. 1. d. 8 c. d. 1. Cor. 11. b and the difference that is betwene them and all other liuing creatures in all theſe two pointes.
M.
I do nowe vnderſtande well this vnion and communion of nature whiche is betwene man and woman withoute the whiche they coulde not be allied togither by marriage as man and wife.
P.
Thou oughteſt in like ſorte to vnderſtande, that we maye hauehave alſo no communicatoin with Ieſus Chriſte, if we hauehave not firſt the ſame communion of nature with him, whereby he was made man lyke vntounto vsus, as touching the nature and ſubſtance of the fleſh.
M.
I hauehave well vnderſtood that which thou haſt alredy ſayde to that purpoſe,Hebr. 2. d. concerning the communion of nature, the whiche he hath of nature with vsus and not at all with the Angells.
Of an other more ſpeciall vniō and coniunction which is proper to marriage, vvhichwhich is betvvene Ieſus. Chriſt and his Churche.
M.
NOw it is not inough to be vnited & ioyned togither by mariage to be of one very humane nature, & that ye one be maſle & the other femaſle, but it is alſo requiſite, that there be a more neare and a more ſpeciall vnion and coniunction.1. Cor. 7. a.
M
What is that other coniunction?
P.
It is a coniunction which is made by aliance, by the whiche the man and the woman that are vnited & ioyned togither by the ſame, hauehave a ſpeciall communion betwene thē, the which the huſbande hath not with other women, nor the woman with other men.
M.
I do wel vnderſtand that ther is no ſuche coniunction and communion of body and goods and of al things among al other men and women that are not married togither, as ther is betwene the man and the wife, by the alliance and coniunction of marriage that is betwene them.
P.
It is very true. For this vnion and cō munion is ſuche, that the huſbande hathe not power of his owne body, but ye wife, as alſo the wife hath not power of hirs, but the huſband.
M.
If there be ſuch communion and coniunction of body, there is no doubte but it is alſo of all good & euill that may happē vntounto thē togither.
P.
It is euē ſo by ye ſpecial cōmuniō which Ieſus Chriſt hath with ye faithful, & that ye faithfull hauehave wt hym by the power of the holy ghoſt which ioyneth thē wt him, by true & lyuing faith.
M.
Thou meaneſt then that there is ſo great differēce betwene the cō muniō yt is betwéen Ieſus chriſt & ye faithful, in reſpect of ye vnfaithful as is betwen yt which is betwene the mā & the wife, in reſpect of other mē & womē?
P.
It is euen ſo. For ye only cōmuniō of nature maketh not cōmuniō of body & goodes betwene al men and women, as doth the coniunction of marriage, the whiche the huſband & the wife hauehave togither.
M.
Thou wilt thē ſay in like ſorte that the communion of nature the which Ieſus Chriſt hath commō with all mē, doth not carie wt it ſuch communiō of al things, as doth that which he hath ſpecial wt the faithful, by means of ye faith which thei hauehave in him.
P.
the vnbeleuers hauehave nothing cōmō wt Ieſus chriſt but yt thei ar mē of ye ſame human nature: but ye faithfull hauehave this more, which is ye principall, that all that they hauehave is common to Ieſus Chriſt with them, and that whiche Ieſus Chriſte, hath is common to them alſo.
M.
What is it that Ieſus Chriſte may take of them, forſomuch as they be all none other than poore and ſinfull men?
P.
He taketh vppon him their ſinnes,Pſal. 33. b. c. 1. Pet. 2. d 1. Iohn. 3. a and the paine whiche is due vntounto them, as though he himſelfe had committed them, and that he were guiltie, to diſcharge and delyuer them.
M.
He taketh then nothing of vsus, but onelyonly the euill whiche is in vsus?
P.
What other thyng may he take, ſéeing that there is none other thing in vsus? But the nature of the alliance and communion which we hauehave with him thorough faith, bringeth it: for otherwiſe, ther ſhould be no perfect communion, and ſo the alliance ſhoulde not be full, if there were no participation of good and euill, ſuche as it ſhoulde and oughte to be among thoſe whiche be allyed.
M.
Then on the contrary it muſte be, following the nature of this communion and alliance that wée receiue of Ieſus Chriſte, the good things which are in him, as he doth the euill yt is in vsus?
P.
It is ſo to be vnderſtode.
M.
Behold a communion and alliance which is greatly to our aduauntage.
P.
It is wholly to oure aduantage, and therfore it ſhould ſo much the more inflame vsus in the louelove of God, and rauiſhe and carrie vsus away in admiration of his goodneſſe, & of Ieſus Chriſt our Lord, and of that moſt exceſſiue louelove wherewith he hathe loued vsus.
M.
That ſame communion, is it the ſame that is in the Symbole of the Apoſtles, vponupon the whiche we are at this preſente, the communion of Sainctes?
P.
It is the verye ſame: And bicauſe it is made by the power of the holy Ghoſte, we will ſpeake more largely of it, when we ſhal ſpeake of the holy Ghoſt, and of the Churche.
How that Ieſus Chriſte can not be the ſauiour of mankinde, vnleſſe hee hauehave as well an humane ſoule, as an humane bodie.
M.
I Vnderſtand now well by that whiche thou haſt expoūded vntounto me concerning ye humane nature of Ieſus Chriſt that wée could hauehave no ſaluation by him, if he had not a verye bodie of oure fleſhe and ſubſtance, and that we were fleſhe of his fleſhe, and bone of his bones: and except we had ſuche alliance with hym, as ther is betwene the huſbād & the wife. But I would gladly yt thou diddeſt ſhew me ſomthing more plainly the cauſes for ye which it is alſo requiſite for our ſaluation that Ieſus Chriſte hauehave an humane ſoule as wel as an humane body.
P.
Euen as we could not be ſaued if he had not ſuffered in our humane fleſhe, and borne the paine for vsus whiche we hauehave deſerued by our ſinnes, it is euen the like concerning the ſoule.
M.
For what cauſe?
P.
For bicauſe that if he had ſuffred but in our bodie & in our fleſh, he ſhould not then hauehave ſatiſfied but in our fleſh and in our body, and for them only, and not for the ſoule: And ſo ſhoulde it hauehave come to paſſe, the bodie ſhould bée ſaued, and not the ſoule, from the whiche, ſinne cheefely doth procéede. For the bodie ſhoulde not ſinne at all, if ſinne were not firſte in the ſoule.
M.
Why ſayſt thou ſo?
P.
Forſomuch as the body is but as it were the inſtrument of the ſoule, by the whiche ſhe worketh, and dothe hir workes: wherfore if there be faulte in the worke, the faulte maye not be attributed to the inſtrument, but rather to the woorker whiche worketh, or elſe if there bée faulte in the inſtrumente, it is greater in the woorker, whiche woorketh euill.
Mathewe.
Thou wilte then conclude that it was neceſſarie, that Ieſus Chryſte ſhoulde ſuffer for vsus, not onelyonly in bodie, but alſo in ſoule?
Peter.
He hathe righte well declared it, when he ſayde: My ſoule is heauie,Matth. 16. Luke. 22. c. euen to deathe: and when he did ſweate bloud in great abundance, euen for very ſorrowe and anguiſhe that he felte in his ſoule, in the whyche hee hathe ſuffered, more than in his bodie, for ſo muche as he bare the iudgemente of God in the ſame chéefly, whyche the bodye coulde not apprehende, but in as muche as the féeling of it is come to it by the meane of the ſoule.
Mathew.
The paſſage whiche thou haſte euen now alledged, ſéemeth to me very cleare and plaine, againſt thoſe whiche eſtéeme the Godheade of Ieſus Chryſte to bée in ſteade of his ſoule.
Peter.
Ieſus Chryſte hym ſelfe hathe yet more confirmed that which thou ſayeſt, when he yelded vp his ſpirite vppon the Croſſe, and that he ſayde:Iohn. 19. c Matth. 27. f Father I commende my ſoule into thy handes.
M.
Luke. 23. f Matth. 1. d.This paſſage ſheweth playnely, that by the death of Ieſus Chriſt, there was a very ſeparation of ſpirite and bodye, and ſo conſequently of the ſoule, for ſo muche as the ſpirite is alſo taken for the ſoule.
P.
The matter is very plaine. For if the diuinitie of Ieſus Chriſt had ben in ſtead of his ſoule, without a very humane ſoul, he could not hauehave died of a very humane death, forſomuch as it can not dye, except there be very ſeparation of bothe bodye and ſoule in man.