Fifty Sermons Containing the Chief Points of the Christian Religion, Sermons 3 · 4 (cont.) · Sermon 6
¶ That the ſonne of God is vnſpeakeably begotten of the father, that hee is conſubſtantiall with the father, and therefore true God. That the ſelfe ſame ſonne is true man, conſubſtantiall with vsus, and therefore true God and man, abideing in two vnconfounded natures, & in one vndiuided perſon.
¶ The ſixt Sermon.
THe thinges themſelues and their order do require, that after I hauehave ſpoken generally of God, of his Vnitie, and of his Trinitie, I further entreat particularly of ye perſons of ye reuerend Trinitie, & firſt of al of our lord Ieſus Chriſt true God & man, then of the holy Ghoſt: wherewt if our minds be indued, all thinges whatſoeuer we ſpeake, and heare, ſhal tend to the glorie of Gods name, and to the ſaluation of our ſoules. Let vsus therefore pray, &c.
That euerlaſting father the originall and authour of all thinges, begott The ſonne i… begottēthe ſonne by an euerlaſting and vnſpeable begetting. For ye whole ſcripture of the Father, vnſpeakeablie from euerlaſting.with one agréement doeth call God, a father, yea truely, an eternall or euerlaſting father. But none is a father of his owne ſelfe, but a father of his ſonne: and for beecauſe he is the euerlaſting father, hee muſt therefore neceſſarily hauehave an euerlaſting ſonne, equall vntounto himſelfe in all reſpectes, coeternall, and conſubſtantiall with him. Sainct Paule vndoubtedly for the confirmation of this catholique veritie, alledgeth out of ye old teſtament two teſtimonies. VntoUnto which, ſayeth hee, of his Angels ſaid GOD at any time, Thou art my ſonne, this daye hauehave I begotten thee? And againe, I will be his father, and hee ſhalbe my ſonne: all which wordes he applyeth vntounto Chriſte Ieſus the ſonne of God. Of whome alſo Micheas beareth witneſſe, ſaying: And thou Beth-lehem Ephrata art little to bee amonge the …. 5.thouſandes of Iudah, yet out of thee ſhall hee come forth vntounto mee, that ſhalbe the ruler in Iſrael: whoſe goeinges foorth, (or ſpreadings abroad) hauehave beene from the beginning, and from euerlaſting. Wherevppon the ſonne of God himſelfe, in the Goſpell after Iohn ſayeth: Verilie I ſay vntounto you, before Abraham was, I am. And Iohn. ….Iohn ſayeth: In the beginning was the word, & the word was with God, Iohn. 1.and God was the word. But he doeth vnderſtand by, The word, not ye word which is ſpoken and ſo vaniſheth, not the counſell of God, but the perſon of the ſonne. For by and by hee addeth: And the woord beecame (or was made) ſleſh. And wée doe knowe that the ſonne of God, not the determination or purpoſe of God (as heretiques doe vainely imagine) was incarnate. But he which in time was incarnate, was with the father from euerlaſting and before all beginnings, and therefore alſo true God with the true God. For, The word (ſayeth hee) was with God, & God was the word: beecauſe in the beginning, namely from euerlaſting, he was with God. Theſe ſimple and plaine teſtimonies deliuered vntounto vsus out of the ſcriptures, & therefore moſt true, concerning the euerlaſting begetting of the ſonne by the father, are ſufficient, I thinke, for them that are not curious. For ye ſcripture doeth not héere fulfil the vaine deſires of curious men, neither yet reaſoneth of theſe poinctes ſubtilely, but rather deliuereth and ſetteth downe but a fewe thinges, in which it is our parts to beléeue. But that which the ſcripture either doeth not ſett downe, or elſe in fewe woords ſhadoweth out, either wee are ignoraunt of to oure health, or elſe ſtickinge to that that is ſett downe, wée ſéeke not further for more. The holy father Cyrill expounding that ſaying of the Euangeliſt Iohn, In the beginning was the word ſayeth: Let vsus not ſéeking thinges infinite and which cannot be conteyned within boundes, buſie our braines about a conſideration that cannot bée expreſſed, and neuer can hauehave an end. For neither will wee graunt a beginning of beginning, neither yet wil we yéeld that the ſonne was begotten of the father in time: but wee will confeſſe that he is with the father from euerlaſting. For if hee was in the beginning, what minde may be able at any time to clime beyond that WAS? Or when ſhall wee ſo comprehend in our minde that WAS, that it goe not before, or outreache, our thoughtes? Vppon good reaſon therefore & worthily the Prophete Iſaie béeing aſtonniſhed, cryeth out: And who ſhal declare *Or age, as other tranſlate it.his generation? For he, paſſing all capacitie of minds, and being farre aboue and beyond all reaſon of man, is vnſpeakeable. And anon after hée ſayeth: Beecauſe the ſonne is before all worldes, he cannot bée begotten in time: but hée is euermore in ye father as in a founteine: as he ſayeth of him ſelf, I went out and came from the father. For we do vnderſtād ye father as a founteine: in whome ye word is his wiſedome, his power, the ingrauen forme of his perſon, his brightneſſe, and his image. Wherefore, if there neuer were any time, wherin the father was without his wiſedome, his power, the ingrauen forme of his perſon, his brightneſſe, and finally his image, wée muſt of neceſſitie & force confeſſe, that the ſonne alſo is coeternall and euerlaſting with him, ſince hee is the wiſedome, power, &c. of the father euerlaſting. For how is he the ingrauē fourme of his fathers perſon, or how is he the moſt perfect image of his father, vnles he hauehave perfectly obteined and poſſeſſe ye beautie of him, whoſe image he is? And it is not abſurd that we ſaid, ye ſonne is to bée vnderſtood in ye father as in a founteine. For the name of founteine doth ſignifie nothing elſe than as from whome: And the ſonne is in the father & from the father, not flowing abroad, but either as brightnes from the Sunne, or as heate from the fire, wherewith it is indued. For in theſe examples we ſée one from one to be brought forth, and both to be ſo coeuerlaſting, that ye one can neither bee without the other, nor yet kéep and reteine ye qualitie of their nature. For how ſhall it be the ſunne if it bee depriued of his brightneſſe, or how ſhal brightneſſe bée, vnleſſe there be a Sunne from whēce it doth come? And howe ſhall that be fire that wanteth heate? Or from whence ſhould heate come, but from the fire, or elſe from ſomewhat elſe peraduenture not farre diſtant from the ſubſtantiall qualitie of fier? As therefore the qualities which procéed from theſe bodies are together with them from whence they do procéed, and euermore declare from whence they doe come: ſo is it to bee vnderſtood in the onelyonly begotten. For, he is vnderſtood to be of ye father, but he is beléeued to be likewiſe in the father: not differing from the nature of his father, neither yet next his father ſecond in nature: but alwayes in the father himſelfe, and with him, and from him, according to the manner of his vnſpeakeable begetting. Thus farre Cyrill. And theſe poinctes ſurely concerning the father, and ye vnſpeakable beegetting of the ſonne of God, are ſtedfaſtly to be beléeued according to the ſcriptures.
Furthermore, touching the ſonne of God, let vsus firmely hold & vndoubtedly A confeſſion concerning Ieſus Chriſt the ſonne of God our Lorde.beléeue, that he is conſubſtantiall (or, of the ſame ſubſtance) with his father, and therefore true God: that the ſelfe ſame ſonne beeing iucarnate for vsus, and made man, ſubſiſteth in either nature, as well of God, as alſo of man: howbeit ſo, that theſe natures are neither confoūded betwéene themſelues, nor yet diuided. For we do beléeue, one and the ſelfe ſame our Lord Ieſus Chriſt to be true God and true man. All & euerie one of which points throughout their parts we wil plainly and according to the meaſure of grace that God ſhall giuegive vsus, declare vntounto you.
About ye word Homoouſius, which the Latiniſts agréeably hauehave tranſlated That the ſonne is conſubſtā tiall with the FatherConſubſtantiale, conſubſtantiall, the Eccleſiaſticall hiſtorie, doeth teſtifie that there hath béene longe & much altercation among the auncient writers. What it ſignifieth, and howe it was taken of that moſt famous and ſolemne Synode of Nice, ye moſt learned and godly Euſebius Pamphili biſhop of Cęſarea, briefly and pithily expounded in this ſort. In that the ſonne is ſaid to be conſubſtantiall with the father, it hath an expreſſe ſignification: for becauſe the ſonne of God hath no ſimilitude or likeneſſe with creatures that were made, but is reſēbled and likened to the father alone who begat him: neither is he of any other ſubſtance, eſſence, or beeing, than of the father. And the ſame Euſebius anon after ſayth: VntoUnto which ſentence and opinion in this manner expounded, it appeareth wee maye well ſubſcribe: ſeeing wee doe knowe that the beſt learned and famous biſhops and interpretours among thoſe that were auncient, reaſoning of the Godhead of the father and the ſonne, vſed this word Homoouſius.
Theſe bee Socrates his woordes, in the firſt booke of hiſtories and the eighth Cap. Surely, the godly gouernours of churches, being conſtrained by the hypocriſie, craftineſſe, & malice of heretiques, did themſelues vſe and cauſed others alſo to vſe, woords moſt pithie, and as little doubtful as might be, whereby partly they might manifeſtly expreſſe the ſound truth, & partly diſcouer and reproue, yea, and alſo thruſt out the deceipts and malicious practiſes of heretiques. Arius confeſſed that ye ſonne of God was God, but in the meane while he denied that the ſonne was cōſubſtantial with his father: wherefore hee declared that hee did not ſincerely cōfeſſe the true Godhead of the ſonne. Neither makes it any great matter thoughe there be not expreſſed in the holy Scripture ſome apt and fit word to ſet out and declare the thinge in ſo many letters as it is written in another tongue, ſo that that be read to bee manifeſtly expreſſed in the ſcriptures, whiche by the word is ſignified. Wherefore, if wée ſhew that the ſonne is of the ſame ſubſtance or nature with the father, and ſo equal with and like vntounto God, and one with him, we hauehave then made ſufficient and plentifull demonſtration, that the ſonne i… Homoouſius or conſubſtantiall with the father. The prophete Zacharie, bringing in ye perſon of God ſpeaking, ſayth: Ariſe, O thou ſword, vppon my ſheepeheard, & vppon the man that is my fellow (or my coequall:) Smite the ſheepeheard and the ſheepe (of the flock) ſhalbe ſcattered abroad. Loe, God calleth the ſhéepheard that is ſmitten his fellow or coequal. And who is that ſhéepeheard y• was ſmitten, the hiſtorie of ye Goſpell doeth declare, poincting out vntounto vsus ye very ſonne of God himſelfe oure Lord Ieſus Chriſt. Neither doth it hinder, but further oure cauſe that Hierome readeth not, The man that is coequall with mee, but, The mā cleauing vntounto mee. For, as hée denieth not that Amith doeth ſignifie coequall, ſo hée ſetteth downe another woord no leſſe effectuall. For, when hee tranſlateth it, The man cleauing vntounto mee, hee would expreſſe the inward and very ſubſtantiall (that I maye ſo terme it) inherence or coequalitie of the father and the ſonne. For he addeth in his Commentaries: And the man which cleaueth vntounto God, who is it but euen he that ſayeth? I am in the father, and the father is in mee.
Againe, wee read in the Goſpell of Iohn: The Iewes therefore ſought to kill Ieſus▪ not onelyonly becauſe hee had broken the Sabboth day, (foreign,) but ſaid alſo that GOD was his father, (euen his proper, or verie owne:) making himſelfe (foreign) equall to God. Furthermore the Grecians expound foreign, that is to ſaye, Equall, by this woorde, foreign, that is to ſay, Like. Neither can that equalitie any where elſe hauehave place, than in the ſubſtance. For ye Iewes vnderſtand that, wherof the Arians will bée ignoraunt, that the Lord after a certeine peculiar and ſpeciall manner called GOD his father, to witt, foreign, his proper or verie owne father, by nature or by byrth, of whome the ſonne beeing naturally begotten, is naturall and conſubſtantiall with his father.
For it followeth: Making himſelfe equall to (or with) God, namely in vertue or power, in euerlaſtingneſſe and Eſſence. For the ſame Lord ſayeth in the ſame Euangeliſt: I proceeded and came from God. Hée did not ſay onelyonly I came: but, I proceeded. He procéeded from the father ſuch a one in ſubſtaunce as the father is, ſurely Light of light, Verie God of verie God. For he ſayeth againe to the Iewes: Verily I ſaye vntounto you, before Abraham was, I am. He doth not ſay, I hauehave beene, or, I wil bee, but, I am, alluding to the name of the Lord Iehouah, and declaring, that the ſubſtaunce of his Godhead is the verie ſame with the ſubſtaunce of the father, and that he is therefore conſubſtantiall with the father. For yet againe he ſayeth more plainely: I and the father are one. One, I ſay, not in concord or agréement, but in *Identitate et eſſentia.ſelfe-ſame-neſſe and Béeing. For in that place the power and Maieſtie of God are handled. And when the Iewes would, without further ſtaye, ſtone ye Lord to death hauing ſpoken theſe words, they declared plainly enough, after what ſorte they vnderſtoode his words. For they ſtoned blaſphemers to death, who with reuileings either empaired Gods glorie, or elſe vſurped and tooke the ſame vntounto themſelues.
Hetherto belongeth that whiche Paule ſpeaketh concerning the ſonne of God, ſaying: Who is the image of the inuiſible God, the firſt borne of all creatures, becauſe all thinges were created by him. For if hee be ye image of the inuiſible God, he muſt néeds be fellowe (or coequall) with God. For in another place Paule calleth the ſame Chriſt, The ingrauen fourme of god, and his expreſſe image, and aunſwearable in all reſpects moſt truely to his paterne or firſt figure. An image verily and likeneſſe is of things that are not vnequall or vnlike, but of things equall and like. And he is called The firſt borne, beecauſe hee is Prince and Lord, not that hee is reckoned amonge creatures. For all things that were made, by him they were made: therefore hee is no creature, but true God, to witt, of the nature and ſubſtaunce of God, one with the father. The ſame Apoſtle ſayeth to the Philippians, that the ſonne is in ye forme (or ſhape) of God. But to be in the forme (or ſhape) of God, is nothing elſe, than in all reſpectes to be fellowe (or equall) with God, to be conſubſtā tiall with him, and ſo in déede GOD himſelfe. For, what it is to be in the fourme or ſhape of God, is by the cō trarie clauſe verie manifeſtly declared. For it followeth: Hee tooke vppon him the fourme of a ſeruaunt. Whiche is againe expounded by that which followeth: Beeing made in the likeneſſe of men, that is to ſay, béeing made very man, vnlike in nothing to all other men, ſinne excepted: whiche in another place is plainely expreſſed. And here he addeth againe: And foūd in figure as a man. Therefore, to bée in the fourme of God, is to be coequal and conſubſtantiall with God. For he addeth: He thought it no robberie to be equall with God. For, robberie is ye taking away of that which another doth owe, for it is poſſeſſed by iniurie. The ſonne therefore is coequal wt the father, and true God, by Nature and after the moſt proper manner. And this is the meaning of S. Paule his woords: Albeit the ſonne were of the ſame glorie and maieſtie with the father, and could hauehave remayned in his glorie, without humiliatiō or debafement, yet had hee rather abaſe himſelfe, that is to ſay, take vntounto him the nature of a man, and caſt himſelfe into daungers, yea euen into death it ſelfe. For otherwiſe according to his godhead he ſuffered no chaunge. For God is vnchaungeable, and without variableneſſe. Since the caſe ſo ſtandeth, godly is the ſaying of S. Ambroſe in his booke De fide, againſt the Arians, and fift chap: Séeing therefore thou doeſt knowe this vnitie of ſubſtance in the father and the ſonne, not onelyonly by the authoritie of the prophetes but alſo of the Goſpell, howe ſayſt thou that Homoouſius, conſubſtantiall, is not founde in the ſacred ſcriptures? as though Homoouſius were ſomewhat elſe, than that he ſayeth: I went out from God the father: And, I and the father are one, &c. The ſcholer S. Auguſtine, following his maiſter Ambroſe, in his controuerſie had with Paſcentius, cō firmeth Homoouſius by places of ſcripture, and declareth that this is holily vſed in our fayth and religion. The ſame doth he alſo in his thirde booke againſt Maximinus biſhop of the Arians, and 14 chapter. But what néedeth heaping vp of more wordes? For I truſt it is plainely enough declared by euident places of holie Scripture, that the ſonne is conſubſtantial with the father, and that ſo it muſt be beléeued. We hope alſo that in the treatiſe following, this ſelfe ſame point ſhall not a little be made manifeſt by teſtimonies of Scriptures.
Arius with his complices denyed that the ſonne of God our Lorde Ieſus That the ſonne of god is tru… …nd verie GodChriſte is true God. But the moſt true Scripture doth ſo euidently proue and confirme it, that none which loueth the truth from his heart can doubt any thing at all thereof. We wil preſently cite ſome teſtimonies and arguments that are moſte plaine and apparaunt, whereby thorough the aſſiſtance of the holy ghoſt, our faith may be eſtabliſhed, and the Catholique and ſound trueth it ſelfe made manifeſt.
In the third chapter of Matthew, the heauens are opened to our Lorde as he was baptiſed by Iohn Baptiſt, and the holie Ghoſte came downe in the likeneſſe of a Doue, and allighted vponupon the heade of our Lord Ieſus Chriſte, and foorthwith was a voyce hearde out of the cloudes, pronounced by the glorious God in this ſorte: This is my beloued ſonne in whome Matth. 18.my ſoule is well pleaſed. And Iohn Iohn. 1.ſayth in his Goſpell: I ſawe the ſpirite deſcending from heauen, in the likeneſſe of a Doue, and it abode vponupon him: and I knewe him not, but hee that ſent mee to baptiſe with water, hee ſayde vntounto me: Vppon whome thou ſhalt ſee the ſpirite deſcending and abiding vponupon him, this is hee which doth baptiſe with the holy Ghoſte. And I ſawe and bare witnes that this is the ſonne of God. Herevnto belongeth that which Peter beeing aſked of the Lorde: But whome do ye ſay that I am? anſwered Matth. 16.in the name of all the Diſciples: Thou art that Chriſte the ſonne of the liuing God.
And againe, the Lorde obiecting this: Will you alſo be gone? Peter againe made anſwere in the name of them all: Lorde, vntounto whome ſhall Iohn. 6.we goe? Thou haſte the wordes of euerlaſting life, and wee beleeue and hauehave knowne that thou art Chriſte the ſonne of the liuing God. We alſo verily are called the ſonnes of god, howbeit by adoption: But Chriſte Chriſte is …he natu…all ſonne of God.not by adoption, neyther by imputation, but by nature. For in the 14. chapter of Marke, the high Prieſte ſaith vntounto our Lord: Art thou Chriſt the ſonne of the bleſſed? In Matthe we alſo the ſame high prieſt ſaith: I adiure (or charge) thee by the liuing God, that thou tell vsus, whether thou be the ſonne of the liuing God? Ieſus anſwered: I am, For ye ſhal ſee the ſonne of man ſitting at the right hand of power, and comming in the cloudes of heauen. Which appeareth to be repeted out of the ſeuenth chapter of Daniel. Furthermore, they bring this confeſſion of the Lorde before Pilate, as blaſphemous, and not to be ſatiſfied but with death, crying: Wee hauehave a lawe, and according to our lawe hee ought to dye: by cauſe Iohn. 19.he made him ſelfe the ſonne of God. But they them ſelues in the hiſtorie of the goſpel thunder out theſe words againſt the Lord: We are not borne of fornication, we hauehave one father, euen Leui. 14. 23 Iohn. 8.God.
It is certeyne therefore, that the Iewes accuſed our Sauiour for none other cauſe of high treaſon committed againſt Gods maieſtie, than for that he named him ſelfe the naturall, not the adopted ſonne of GOD. For the firſte did not deſerue death, but the laſt was worthie of death. For we read alſo in the firſt of Iohn, Therfore the Iewes ſought the more to kill him, not onelyonly bycauſe he had broken the Sabboth day, but alſo for that he ſayd that God was his father, making him ſelfe equall with God, (or Gods fellowe.) Loe, thou haſte the manner howe he called him ſelfe the ſonne of God, not by adoption, or reputatiō, but by nature & ſubſtance. For yet againe the Lord himſelfe obiecteth this to them that would hauehave ſtoned him: Many good works hauehave I ſhewed you frō my father, for which Iohn. 10.of theſe good works do ye ſtone me? The Iewes anſwered againe, ſaying: for thy good woorkes (or wel going) wee doe not ſtone thee, but for blaſphemie, namely, bycauſe thou being a man, makeſt thy ſelfe God. Loe, what could be ſpoken more plainely? Thou makeſt thy ſelfe God. And what (I praye you) had he ſpoken, whereof they gathered theſe thinges? I giuegive vntounto my ſheepe euerlaſting life, neyther ſhall they periſhe for euer, neyther ſhall any plucke thē out of my hande. My father whiche gaue them mee, is greater than all: and none can pull them out of my fathers hande. I and the father are one. To giuegive life euerlaſting, doth belong to the power of God: to preſerue, and ſo to preſerue that none may be able to plucke them out of his handes, belongeth to the ſame power. Nowe the Lorde proueth his ſaying with this argument or reaſon. None is able to pull the ſhéepe out of my fathers hands: therefore none can pul them out of my handes. The proofe of his antecedent: bycauſe the father is greater than all: that is to ſay, is the greateſt of all: whoſe diuine power is aboue all. The proofe of his conſequent: bycauſe I and my father are one, to wit, not in will and agréement onelyonly, but in maieſtie alſo and power, whereof we doe at this preſent entreate, not of concorde or agréement, but of power to make aliue and to preſerue. Touching whiche the Lorde him ſelfe moſt plentifully diſcourſeth throughoute the whole fifte chapter of Sainte Iohns Goſpell, ſhewing that he forgiueth ſinnes, that by his power he maketh aliue, and rayſeth vp from the deade, euen as his father doeth: therefore that he is of one and the ſame diuine power and maieſtie with God the father.
Theſe thinges are ſo euident, playne, and manifeſt, that albeit we had none other teſtimonies, yet theſe may aboundantly ſuffice to proue the aſſertion of the true Diuinitie or verie Godheade of the ſonne of God, that the ſonne indéede is true and verie God.
Againe, the ſelfe ſame our Lorde and Sauiour, with greate libertie of ſpeache, and playneneſſe of wordes, without all manner of riddle, darke ſentence, and obſcuritie of wordes, openly and expreſſely ſayth to his diſciples: Let not your hearte be troubled (or vexed.) You beleeue in God, Iohn. 14.beleeue alſo in mee. I am the way, the trueth, and the life. Hee that hath ſeene mee, hath ſeene the father. Doe ye not beleeue that I am in the father, and the father in mee? And certeine it is, that Chriſte our Lorde is the heauenly doctour or teacher, the moſte conſtant defender of the truth, who neyther hath ſeduced, neyther yet coulde ſeduce and leade out of the way, no, not ſo muche as one. But biddeth vsus beleue in him, as true and verie God. Therefore our Lorde and Sauiour is true and verie God. For in another place he ſayth moſte plainely: I am the liuely breade (or the breade of life) that came downe Iohn. 6.from heauen: Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlaſting.
He againe in the Goſpell playnely pronounceth and ſaythe: Father, the houre is come, glorifie thy ſonne, Iohn. 17.that thy ſonne may alſo glorifie thee. As thou haſte giuen him power of al fleſhe, that ſo many as thou haſte giuen him, hee might giuegive them lyfe euerlaſting. And this is euerlaſting life, that they ſhould knowe thee only true GOD, and whome thou haſte ſent Ieſus Chriſte. By whiche wordes hée hath expreſſely proued both the vnitie of GOD (that is to ſay, that there is but one GOD,) againſte the Ethnickes, who worſhipped many GODS, and notably touched the diſtinction of the perſons, in the meane while likewiſe declaring him ſelfe to be verie GOD with the father. For by and by he addeth: Glorifie thou me, O Father, with thine owne ſelfe, with the glorie which I had with thee, before this worlde was.
Héere I thinke muſt not be ouerſlipped of me the argument of Tertullian, whiche I will recite vntounto you (Dearely beloued) out of his booke De Trinitate, wherein he doth gather together verie many moſt ſound and ſtrong reaſons of Chriſte his diuinitie or Godheade. If (ſayth he) Chriſt be only man, why hath he appointed & ſet vsus downe ſuche a rule to beléeue, wherin he ſhould ſay: And this is life euerlaſting y• they might know thée y• onelyonly true (or very) God, and whome thou haſt ſent Ieſus Chriſte? If alſo he would not be knowne to be God, why doth he adde: And whome thou haſte ſent Ieſus Chriſte, but for that he woulde be taken alſo for GOD? Bycauſe, if he would not be knowne to be GOD, he would hauehave added: And whome thou haſte ſent the man Ieſus Chriſte: but nowe Chriſt neyther hath added, neyther yet hath deliuered vntounto vsus in doctrine that he is man onelyonly, but hath ioyned him ſelfe to GOD; to the ende he woulde be knowne by this coniunction or ioyning together, that he alſo is God, as indéede he is. We muſt therefore beléeue, according to the preſcript rule, in one Lord true and verie God, and conſequently in him whome he hath ſent Ieſus Chriſte: who had at no hande (as we hauehave ſayde) ioyned him ſelfe to the father, vnleſſe he would be knowne to be God alſo. For he wold hauehave ſeparated him ſelfe from the father, if he would not hauehave béene knowen to be God. For he would hauehave placed him ſelfe among men onelyonly, if he had knowne that he was man only: neither would be hauehave ioyned him ſelfe with god, if he had not alſo knowen him ſelfe to be God: nowe alſo touching as he is man he ſayth nothing, bicauſe no man doubteth that he is man: and he ioyneth him ſelfe to God not without good cauſe, that he might ſet down a forme of his diuinitie or godhead to them that ſhould beleeue. If Chriſte be onelyonly man, howe is it that he ſayth? And nowe gloriſie me with the glorie whiche I had with thee before the world was. If before the worlde was he had glorie with God, and poſſeſſed glorie with the father, then was he before the worlde. Neyther had he had glory, if he had not bene afore, that he might poſſeſſe glory. For none can hauehave a thing, vnleſſe he which poſſeſſeth the thing be afore. But Chriſte had glorye before the creation of the worlde, therefore he was before the creation of the worlde. For if he had not bene before the creation of the world, he could not hauehave had glory before the creation of the worlde, when he him ſelfe was not. But he coulde not as man hauehave glory before the creation of the worlde, who then was, when yt world was made: but Chriſt had glory, he was therefore before the world was made: he was not therefore man onelyonly, who was, before the world was made. Therfore he is god bicauſe he was before the world was made, and poſſeſſed glory before the world was made. After theſe words Tertullian doth ſhew, that theſe thinges are not ment of the Predeſtination, but of the ſubſtaunce of Chriſte. But thus farre of this.
S. Paule the Apoſtle in his Epiſtle to the Romanes declareth in plaine words not once or twice, yt our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt is true and verie God. For he ſpeaking of Chriſt in his ninth chapter, ſayth: Which is God, Rom. 9.in all thinges to be prayſed for euer. The words are very well knowne, which the ſame Apoſtle writeth in his firſt Epiſtle to the Corinth. and eight chapter. S. Iohn the Apoſtle and Euangeliſt doth ſo manifeſtly declare ye diuinitie or Godheade of the ſonne in his Canonicall Epiſtle, that he which ſéeth and perceiueth it not, is blinde both of body and mynd. In the end of the Epiſtle he ſayth: We knowe that 1. Iohn. 5.the ſonne of God is come, and hathe giuen vsus a mynde, that wee ſhoulde knowe him, who is true: and wee are in him that is true, in his ſonne Ieſus Chriſte. This ſame is true (or verie) God, and eternal (or euerlaſting) life.
Now it is God by whom we liue, moue, and hauehave our being, as Paule Actes. 17.witneſſeth: but by Chriſte our Lord we liue, moue, and hauehave oure being, (as he him ſelfe hath expreſly taught in the Goſpell after Iohn:) Chriſte therefore is true and verie God.
In the 43. & 45. chapters of Iſaie the Lorde ſaith: I am, I am the Lord, and there is no ſauiour without me. A iuſt God and a ſauiour, there is none beſide me.
But Ieremie in his 23. chapter calleth …. 23.Chriſt the ſonne of Dauid, Iehouah, and our righteouſneſſe. Likewiſe in Eſaie, the father ſpeaking of his ſonne, ſayth: I hauehave giuen (or made) thee the light of the Gentiles, that Iſaie. 49.thou mayeſt be my health vntounto the ende of the worlde. Moreouer, ſéeing there is none other God but one, none other ſaluation and righteouſneſſe ſaue that diuine righteouſneſſe only, it foloweth conſequently doubtleſſe, that Chriſte is true and verie God, in all reſpectes coequall with his father.
In the ſame Iſaie the Lord ſaith: Iſaie. 45.I hauehave ſworne by mine owne ſelfe, the worde of righteouſneſſe ſhall go out of my mouth, and it ſhall not be drawne backe againe: bycauſe euerie knee ſhall bow vntounto me, and all tounges ſhall ſweare (by my name.) And Paule ſayth: There is a name Philip. 2.giuen vntounto Chriſt which is aboue al names, that in the name of Ieſus euerie thing ſhoulde bow, of thinges in heauen, of thinges in earth, and of things vnderunder the earth: and that eueryevery tong ſhuld cōfeſſe that the lord is Ieſus Chriſt, to the glorie of God the father. It muſt néedes be therfore y• Chriſte is true and verie God. For ſeeing he is worſhipped and alſo ſerued, ſéeing we confeſſe him to be lord, that ſurely turneth not to the reproch and ignominie, but to the honoure and glorie of God the father. For in the Goſpell after Iohn thus ſayth the Lorde: The father hath giuen all Iohn. 5.iudgement (to wit, all iuriſdiction, and all gouernement, all glory, power, and authoritie) to the ſonne, that all might honour the ſonne as they honour the father. He that honoureth not the ſonne, honoureth not the father that ſent him. Herevnto therefore belongeth that whiche we reade in the Prophete Iſaie: I the Iſaie. 42.Lord, Hu (or, I my ſelfe) is my name, and my glory I will not giuegive to an other, (or to a ſtraunger, &c.) But he giueth his glory to the ſonne, he therefore in his ſubſtaunce, according to his diuinitie or Godheade, is not a ſtranger or ſeuered from the father, albeit he be acknowledged to be an other ſeueral perſon. What? doth the Lorde in the Goſpell after Iohn ſay? And now, O father, glorifie thou me with thine owne ſelfe, with the glory Iohn. 17.which thou gaueſt me with thee, before this world was. No, but, Whiche I had with thee yer the worlde was, I had, ſayth he, not, I receiued, albeit the ſcripture doth oftētimes vſe this worde for the myſterie of diſpenſation. In Micheas the Chriſtians ſay, All people (one with an other) walke in the name of their God: as Mich. 4.for vsus▪ wee will walke in the name of our God. Furthermore, they walke in the name & ye way of Ieſus Chriſt ſaying in the Goſpell: I am the way and the doore, I am the light of the Iohn. 10. 14. 8.world, Hee that followeth me, doth not walke in darkneſſe. That Chriſt therefore is God, who is he that can be ignoraunt? For the Lord ſayth in Ezechiel: I will feede my flocke my ſelfe alone. And anon he addeth, My Ezech. 34.ſeruaunt Dauid ſhall feede it, meaning Chriſt, the ſonne of Dauid, that onelyonly vniuerſall Paſtour or ſhepeheard of the Churche, and therefore true God. For the vniuerſall Paſtor or ſhepeheard, muſt be a king and a prieſte, muſte be euerlaſting, muſte knowe all thinges, muſt be omnipotent, muſt be preſent with all men in all places. The ſonne of God therfore is true and verie God, bycauſe he is the Meſſias.
Furthermore, what is more manifeſt and leſſe called in controuerſie, than that God only forgiueth ſinnes? It muſt needes be therefore, that nothing is more euident and leſſe doutfull, than that we beléeue Chriſt to be true and verie God, bycauſe He is the Lambe of God that taketh away the Mark. 2. Iohn. 2.ſinnes of the world.
Againe, whereas Paule truly calleth Chriſt Our hope: for Eſay foretolde, 1. Tim. 1.In him ſhal the Gentiles truſt, Iſai. 11.And wheras Ieremie cryeth, Curſſed be the man that putteth his truſt in Iere. 17.man, but bleſſed is the man that putteth his truſte in GOD, we muſte neceſſarily confeſſe that Chriſte is God. For in Iohn he oftentimes repeateth, Verily I ſay vntounto you, he that beleueth in me, hath euerlaſting life. I coulde bring innumerable examples of this kynd out of the ſcriptures, which witneſſe that the ſonne of God our Lord Ieſus Chriſte is of one and the ſelfe ſame nature with the father, and therefore is verie God of verie God: but I truſt that to holie hearers, and not giuen to contention, thoſe whiche I hauehave alreadie cited will ſuffice. It remaineth that we declare vntounto you, that the ſonne of God was incarnate for vsus, and was borne verie Of the incarnation or true humanitie of Chriſte.man of the Virgine Marie, conſubſtantiall, or of the ſelfe ſame ſubſtaunce with vsus in all pointes, ſinne excepted. The Lawe, the Prophetes, and the Apoſtles ſhewe vntounto vsus moſt manifeſt arguments, of the true fleſh or humanitie of the ſonne of God. For in the lawe the Lorde ſaith. The ſeede of the woman ſhall cruſhe the Gene. 3.ſerpents head. But who knoweth not that the heade of the ſerpent, is the kingdome, force, or power of the diuell? And that Ieſus Chriſte brake this power, the whole ſcripture doth witneſſe. And here he is called the ſéede of the woman. And truely he is called ſéed, to verifie his true humane nature: and he is termed the ſéede of the woman, not of the man, bycauſe of his conception by the holy Ghoſte, and his byrthe of the Virgine Marie. And bicauſe ſhe was the daughter of Dauid, of Abraham, and Adam, it followeth, that the ſonne of Marie was verie man. For as we hauehave heard it ſayd to Adam, The ſeede of the woman ſhall bruiſe the ſerpents heade: ſo alſo we read that the ſame promiſe was renued and repeated to Abrahā in theſe wordes: In thy ſeede ſhall al the nations of the world be bleſſed. Gene. 22.And Paule to the Galat. manifeſtly Gala. 3.ſayth, that this ſéede of Abrahā, wherin we hauehave obteined bleſſing, is Chriſt Ieſus. The ſame Apoſtle ſayth, For in no ſorte tooke he the Angels, but Heb. 2.he tooke the ſeede of Abraham. By Angels doubtleſſe excluding all manner of ſpirituall ſubſtaunces: by the ſéede of Abraham, vnderſtanding the verie ſubſtance it ſelfe of the fleſhe of man.
For he addeth: Wherefore in all things it became him to be made like Heb. 2.vntounto his brethren. And bicauſe they be partakers of fleſh and bloud, he alſo him ſelfe likewiſe tooke part with them (of the ſame.) Verily the Scripture draweth the lineall deſcent of Chriſte moſt diligently, from the loynes of Abraham vntounto Iacob, and frō him againe to Iudas, and from him in like ſort to Dauid. To him againe the promiſes of the incarnation of the ſonne of God are remied. For Nathan ſayth to Dauid: Thus ſayth the Lorde, When thy dayes bee fulfilled, 2. Reg. 7.thou ſhalt ſleepe with thy fathers, & I will ſet vp thy ſeede after thee, which ſhal procede out of thy body, and will ſtabliſh his kingdome: he ſhall build a houſe for my name, and I wil ſtabliſh the throne of his kingdome for euer.
Neyther is there any cauſe why any mā ſhuld interpret this of Solomon. For he was borne while his father Dauid liued, & his kingdome quickely decayed. But Nathan ſpeaketh of a ſonne, which ſhould be borne to Dauid after his death, When thou ſhalt ſleepe with thy fathers, ſayth he, I wil ſet vp thy ſeede after thee. And what maner of ſéede this ſhould be, he moſt euidently declareth, and ſayth: Whiche ſhall proceede out of thy bodie. For in the 132. Pſalme we reade, Of the fruite of thy body will I ſet vponupon thy ſeate. Furthermore, Marie the virgine deſcende lineally of the ſéed of Dauid, of whome Chriſt our lorde was begotten and borne, of whome the Angel ſpeaking, and expounding thoſe olde and auncient prophecies, ſayth vntounto the Virgine, And the lord Luke. 1.God ſhall giuegive vntounto him the ſeate of his father Dauid, and he ſhall reigne ouer the houſe of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome there ſhall be none ende. Herevnto alſo belongeth that which Elizabeth ſayth to the virgine which came out of Galilée into the hil countrie of Iuda, And whence commeth this to me, that the mother of my Lorde ſhould come to mee? Bleſſed art thou among womē, and bleſſed is the fruite of thy wombe. Truly Matth. 1.Matthewe and Luke drawe the lineall deſcent of Chriſte, from the loynes Luke. 3.as it were of Dauid, euen vntounto the virgine Marie, whiche conceiueth by the holy Ghoſte, that is, the holy Ghoſte making her fruitfull. She, when the moneths were fulfiled, that ſhe ſhoulde bee deliuered, brought foorth a ſonne: and he which is borne, in all reſpectes appeareth to be true and verie man: he is layde in a manger, wrapped in ſwathling cloutes, he grewe in ſtature, and increaſed in yeares, according to the manner of mans body, he is wearied, he is refreſhed, he is glad, he is ſad, he is hungrie, he is thirſtie, he eateth, he drinketh, he feareth, & to be ſhort, he dyeth. Whiche the trueth of the hiſtorie of the Goſpel in many words declareth.
Neyther is the Scripture it ſelfe aſhamed, to call Marie the mother of Matth. 1. Iohn. 2.our Lorde, not the putatiue or ſuppoſed, but the true and natural mother, whiche of the ſubſtaunce of her owne body gaue true fleſhe and ſubſtaunce of man, to the ſonne of God, the Angel of God ſo witneſſing with Eſaie and ſaying: A virgine ſhall conceiue Eſai. 7. Luke 1.in her wombe, and ſhall bring foorth a ſonne. Loe, he ſayth, In her wombe.
And againe, in Matthewe the ſelfe Matth. 1.ſame Angel ſaith, That which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghoſte. Wherevppon the Apoſtle vntounto the Galathians ſayth, that The ſonne of God is made of a woman, to wit, according to mans nature. For Chriſte Gal. 4.is the fruite of the body of Dauid, and of the virgine Marie, begotten and borne of the loynes of Dauid: and Iohn alſo the Apoſtle and Euangeliſt ſaithe, The worde was made fleſhe, and dwelt among vsus. In calling God Iohn. 1.fleſhe, doubtleſſe, he calleth him verie man. For the ſame Apoſtle in an other place fayth: Euerie ſpirite that confeſſeth that Ieſus Chriſte is come in the fleſhe, is of God: And euerie 1. Iohn. 4.ſpirit which cōfeſſeth not, that Ieſus Chriſte is come in the fleſh, is not of God. Therfore we fréely pronounce, that Valentinus, Marcion, Apolles, and Manichęus, denying the true and very fleſh of Chriſte, are of the diuell, and therefore that they by al meanes together with all their diſciples & ſectaries, are to be auoyded. This treatiſe of the true fleſh of Chriſt, we knit vp with theſe moſt plaine wordes of Paul: Whē Chriſt was in the forme of God, he made himſelfe of no reputation, Philip. 2.taking on him the forme of a ſeruant, and made in the likeneſſe of men, & found in figure as a man. He hūbled him ſelfe, made obedient vndeath, euen the death of the croſſe. Wherefore it is without doubt, that the ſonne of God tooke true and humane fleſh, and in the ſame is conſubſtantiall or of the ſelfe ſame ſubſtance with vsus in all points, ſinne excepted.
Neither did oure Lorde, after he was riſen againe from the dead, though The Lord after he was riſen, laide not a ſide his true and very body.he were glorified, put off or lay aſide his true body, which he had once taken and put on. And his glorification doth not take away the trueth of his nature. For he ſaith vntounto his diſciples, A ſpirite hath not fleſhe and bones as ye ſee me hauehave. Wherefore he carried that his true & verie fleſhe into heauē with him, in his true fleſh he appeareth alwayes for vsus in the ſight of good the father: in his true fleſh he will come to iudge the quick & the dead, in his true fleſh they ſhal ſée him which crucified him. Chriſt according to this nature (who in reſpecte of his Godheade is no creature, but a creatour:) is a creature. For the fleſhe of Chriſt hath beginning, & lineally deſcended from Adam, who is the creature of the liuing God. And albeit theſe thinges be ſufficiently fenced with the force of the ſcriptures, yet it ſhall not ſéeme yrckeſome vntounto you (dearely beloued) to rehearſe the opinion of the bleſſed father Cyril, which concerning the ſame matter he hath left written in his Epiſtle vntounto Succeſſus Byſhop of Iſauria Dioceſſe, in theſe wordes. Bycauſe I founde in your aduertiſement ſuch a kind of thing, as though the holie fleſh of Chriſte the ſauiour of vsus all were turned into the nature of his deitie after his reſurrection, ſo that now he ſhuld ſeme to be wholy & ſolie god, we thought good alſo to make anſwere vntounto this. And a fewe wordes after, After the reſurrection, certeinely it was the ſelfe ſame body, whiche ſuffered, but yet not hauing now in it ſelf mans infirmities. For we affirme not yt it abideth hunger, labour, or any ſuch like thing, but we confeſſe that now it is incorruptible: and not this only, but alſo that quickneth and giueth life. For it is a body that both hath and giueth life, that is to ſay, of the onelyonly begotten ſonne of God, and it is glorified with the moſt worthy brightneſſe of God, and it is knowne and taken to be the bodie of God. Therefore if any man ſay that that is Gods body, as the body of a man is mans body, he ſwarueth net from allowable reaſon. Wherevpon I thinke that moſt …leſſed Paule alſo ſayde, Though wee hauehave knowne 2. Cor. 5.Chriſt after the fleſh, now yet hencefoorth knowe we him no more. For being, as I ſayde, the proper body of God, it farre paſſeth all humane bodies. But a body made of earth could not abide to be turned into the nature of the Deitie or Godhead. For this is impoſſible: Otherwiſe we abaſe the Godhead, as if it were made, and as if it had taken ſomewhat into it ſelfe, whiche according to nature doth not properly belong to it. Hereby it is proued to be as much follie to ſay, that the body is turned into the nature of the Godhead, as that which is the worde to be chaunged into the ſubſtance of fleſh. For as this is impoſſible: bycauſe it is proued to be a bodye not able to be turned and chaunged: ſo alſo it is not poſſible, that any creature can be turned into the eſſence or nature of the Godhead, but fleſhe is alſo created. And therefore we ſay, that the body of Chriſt is diuine, bycauſe it is the body of God, and beautified with vnſpeakable glorie, and nowe let vsus confeſſe that it is vncorruptible, holy, and giuing life: but that it is chaunged into the nature of the Godhead, neyther hauehave any of the holy fathers ſo thought or taught, neyther doe we ſo thinke. Thus farre Cyrill.
And Theodoretus Byſhop of Cyrus, Dialog. 2. Eraniſt. ſayth, I will ſhewe, that the body of the Lorde, yea after the aſcenſion, was called a bodie. Heare Paule therefore, ſaying, Our conuerſation is in heauen, from whence wee looke for a Sauiour the Philip. 3.Lord Ieſus Chriſt: who ſhall chaūge our vile bodie, that it may be faſhioned like vntounto his glorious bodye. Therefore it is not chaunged into an other nature, but remaineth indéede a true & very body, repleniſhed wt diuine glorie, & caſting foorth beames of light. But if it be chaunged into an other nature, their bodies alſo ſhall likewiſe be chaunged. For they ſhall be faſhioned like vntounto him. But if the bodies of Saints kéepe the ſubſtance of their nature, the body of the Lord likewiſe hath his ſubſtance vnchangable. Thus farre Theodoret.
Furthermore, when we profeſſe that Chriſt hath true and verie fleſh, Chriſt …ath a reaſo…able ſoule.we doe not meane fleſhe withoute ſoule. For we muſt confeſſe, that Chriſte hath a reaſonable or humane ſoule, not voyde of a mynde. Arius taught, that the ſonne of GOD tooke fleſhe onelyonly without a ſoule, and that the worde was in place of the ſoule. And Apollinarius did attribute vntounto Chriſte, a ſoule, but hée toke away the minde, denying that it was reaſonable. The ſcripture doth both attribute vntounto Chriſte a ſoule, and taketh not away the minde from the ſoule. The Lord himſelfe ſayeth in the Goſpell: The ſonne of man came not to bee Matth. …0.miniſtred vntounto, but to miniſter, and to giuegive his ſoule a redemptiō for many. The ſame Matth. hath left written of him: He began to be ſorowfull and heauie, And Ieſus ſaid, My ſoule Matth. 26.is heauie, euen vntounto the death. And in another place the Lord himſelfe ſaith: Now my ſoule is troubled. And if ſo bee that this ſoule of Chriſte lacke the Iohn. 12.minde which is the chiefeſt part of the ſoule, how hath he a ſoule? how could he be ſorrowfull, and vnderſtand, deſire, and remember? With hartie Luke. 22.deſire (ſayth the Lord) hauehave I deſired, to eate this paſſeouer with you before I ſuffer. But this deſire came not from his godhead, neither from his fleſh only, nor from his ſoule wāting a mind, but from his perfecte manhood of body and minde.
Moreouer we read in the Goſpell that the Lord ſaid: The ſonne of man came not to deſtroy mens ſoules, but Luke. 9.to ſaue them. Therefore hee toke not fleſh onelyonly, but a reaſonable ſoule alſo. For man had periſhed both ſoule and body, therefore that he might bée ſaued both body and ſoule, oure ſauiour Chriſt toke a very mans body, & a reaſonable ſoule, that is to ſaye, a moſt perfecte man. Therefore bleſſed Athanaſius teaching vsus according to ye ſcriptures the cōfeſſion of true faith, ſaid, Chriſt is God of the ſubſtance of his father begotten before all worlds, and man of the ſubſtance of his mother borne in the world, perfect God, perfect man, of a reaſonable ſoule, and humane fleſh ſubſiſting. Thus farre in theſe wordes hauehave we ſhewed that The hereticall error and the ſounde truethe touchinge the myſterie of Chriſtes …ncarnation.Ieſus Chriſte our Lord, is very God, and verie man, conſubſtantiall or of the ſame ſubſtance with the father according to his Godhead, and conſubſtantial or of the ſame ſubſtance with vsus according to his manhood. For hée hath a reaſonable ſoule, and humane fleſh in very déed. We wil ſpeake furthermore of the coniunction or vniting of theſe natures into one perſon: in whiche matter hiſtories declare, that certaine auncient writers in old time fowlie erred. For Eutiches admitted one nature only in Chriſt, and the ſame made (that is) medled or confounded together of a diuine and humane nature: from whome the Monothelites were not farre beyond, acknowledging only one will in Chriſt. Neſtorius willing to auoyd a col…pitt, * Aprouer biall kind of ſpeache, whereby is meante that in avoyding a leſſe error, he fall into a greater.fell into a lime kill. For he confeſſing two natures, ſéemeth to affirme that there are ſo many perſons, teaching that the woord is not vnited to ye fleſh into the ſelfe ſame perſon, but that it onelyonly dwelleth therein: wherevppon alſo he forbad the holy virgin to be called Gods mother. Againſt whome the common aſſertion of the whole church holding opinion according to ye ſcripture, hath taught that two natures in Chriſt, and the properties of thoſe natures, are to be confeſſed, which are ſo coupled together into one vndiuided perſon, that neither the diuine nature is chaunged into the humane, nor the humane into the diuine, but either of them reteine or kéepe their owne nature, and both of them ſubſiſt in the vnitie of perſon. For Chriſt according to the diſpoſition of his diuine nature is one and the ſelfe ſame, immortall: according to the diſpoſition of his humane nature, mortall: and the ſelfe ſame immortall GOD and mortall man is the only ſauiour of the world. Of which thing we will ſpeake anon, by Gods grace, ſomewhat more largly and plainly. Touching the very cō iunction Of the vnitinge of Chrſte his Godhead and manhood.or vniting of the true Godhead and manhoode in Chriſt, the prophets and Apoſtles hauehave not crabbedlie nor craftilie diſputed. For they ſpeaking ſimplie ſaid, God was made man. Or God tooke on him man. For Iohn the Apoſtle and Euangeliſt ſayeth: The woord was made fleſh, that Iohn. 1.is, God was made man, or the word of God became fleſh. S. Paule ſayeth, God was made manifeſt in the fleſh. …. Tim. 3.And againe, The ſonne of God in no ſort toke the Angels, but he tooke the Heb. 2.ſeede of Abraham. Therefore wée according to the doctrine of the Apoſtles, expounding the myſterie of the coniunction of ye diuine and humane nature in Chriſt ſay, God was incarnate or made man, God toke on him man, God appeared or was made manifeſt in humane fleſh. He that will ſift out déeper matters than theſe, it is to caſt himſelfe into great daungers. Some there are who in expounding theſe pointes more fully, vſe the woordes of ſocietie or fellowſhipp, participation, and communion, or part-taking, and that not without authoritie of the ſcriptures, Paule ſaying, Foraſmuch then as the children are partakers of Heb. 2.fleſh and bloud, hee alſo himſelfe like wiſe toke part with them.
Neuertheleſſe wée muſt héere firſt of all take héede that we do not m…dle Chriſt reteineth both natures vnmeddled, or vnconfounded to gether.or confound the two natures ioyned together in one perſon, nor that wée robb them of their properties. For GOD of his owne nature is euerlaſting and vnchaungeable, God therefore remayning alwayes one and the ſelfe ſame, is not chaunged into an humane or into any other nature, but ioyneth, coupleth, taketh, yea and vniteth vntounto himſelfe the humane nature. Againe, vnleſſe in his humane nature he remaine a creature, and be the ſelfeſame which he is ſaid to be, it is not an humane nature, this therefore remaining in it owne ſubſtance is taken to the diuine nature. Therefore two natures remaine in the one perſon of Chriſt, ye diuine and the humane, & either of them doeth reteine their owne diſpoſition, and their owne propertie. Which we will now declare by ſome places of ſcripture. Iſaie in his ſeuenth chap. ſayeth: A virgine ſhall conceiue & bring forth a ſonne, & his name ſhalbe called Immanuel. …. 7.Hée acknowledgeth both natures in Chriſt, for according to his diuine nature hee is called Immanuel, that is to ſaye, God with vsus: according to his humane nature hee is conceiued and borne. The ſame prophete ſayeth, A child is borne vntounto vsus, and a ſonne is …ſai. 9.giuen vntounto vsus, &c. For hee is giuen, who is from euerlaſting: and hee is borne whoſe beginning and béeing is in the world. Wherefore one and the ſelfe ſame reteineth both the diuine and the humane nature. For Micheas alſo ſayeth: And thou Bethlehem …. 5.Ephrata art little in deede among the thouſands of Iuda. Out of the ſhall he come forth vntounto me, which ſhalbe the gouernor in Iſrael, whoſe out-goings hauehave beene from the beginning, and from euerlaſting. Loe what could be ſpoken more plaine? One and the ſelfe ſame hath two ofſpringes, for inſomuch as he is God, his generation is from euerlaſting, and as he is man, he is borne in Bethlehem. Wherefore one and the ſelfe ſame Chriſt, is very God, and very man. Againe in the Goſpel according to S. Matth. ye Lord aſketh the Phariſeis, ſaying: What Matth. 22thincke you of Chriſt? whoſe ſonne is he? They ſaid vntounto him, the ſonne of Dauid. He ſaith vntounto them, how then doth Dauid in ſpirite call him Lord? ſaying: The Lord ſaid vntounto my Lord, Pſal. 110.ſitt thou on my righte hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footeſtoole. If Dauid call him Lord, how is he thē his ſonne? As if he ſaid: Since Chriſt wtout doubt, is ye ſonne of Dauid, and hee calleth him Lord (not by humane affection, but by the holy ghoſt) that is to ſay, verie god of ye ſelfe ſame power with the father, the ſequele is ye Chriſt is verie man & verie God. The angel Gabriel noting no leſſe plainlie both theſe natures, ſaith to ye virgin Marie, That holy thing which ſhalbe borne, Luke. 1.ſhalbe called the ſonne of god. For of ye virgin he is borne, very man of very man: and this is ye ſonne of God. For Elizabeth alſo calleth ye virgin ye mother of the Lord, to wit, of God. Moreouer in the Goſpel of Iohn thou maiſt read verie many ſayinges of this ſort, which point out as it were with ye finger, both natures in the ſelfe ſame Chriſt. Ye beleeue (ſayeth the Lord) Iohn. 14.in God, beleeue alſo in mee. And againe, The father is greater than I. Alſo, I went out from the father, & came into the world. Againe, I leaue the world & go to the father. And againe in another place, The poore ſhall ye hauehave alwayes with you, but mee alwayes Marke. 14.ye ſhall not hauehave. And againe, Behold I am alwayes with you, euen vntounto the end of the world.Matth. 28.
W…ich ſentences truly, as it were cōtra… …annot be all true at once, vnleſſe … …nowledge that Chriſt reteyneth the properties of (both) natures vnconfounded or vnmingled. Paule vntounto the Romanes manifeſtly ſayeth, that He was called to be an Rom. 1.Apoſtle to preache the Goſpell of GOD, whiche hee had promiſed afore by his Prophets, in the holy ſcriptures, concerning his ſonne whiche was made of the ſeede of Dauid according to the fleſhe: and declared mightilie to be the ſonne of god, touching the ſpirite of ſanctification, by the reſurrection from the dead. The Apoſtle therfore acknowledgeth both natures in Chriſte. For according to the fleſh (ſayth he) Chriſt is the ſonne of Dauid: but if wee behold ye power of his myracles, his reſurrection from the dead, whiche giueth life, and that Chriſt ſendeth the holy Ghoſt, & ſanctifyeth all the faithfull, it appeareth that he whiche is the ſonne of Dauid after the fleſh, is alſo the ſonne of God according to his diuine power. The ſame Apoſtle in the ſecond chapiter to the Philippians, doeth no leſſe plainely and euidētly affirme both natures in Chriſt. But becauſe that place hath béene alreadie oftentimes alledged, I paſſe ouer to the citing of other.
Sainct Auguſtine expounding not onelyonly the confeſſion of his owne faith, The Natures in Chriſt are not mingled or cō founded.but of the whole church in all ye world which flouriſhed in his time, in his epiſtle to Dardanus 57. hath thus left written: Doubt not, that the man Chriſte Ieſus, is there nowe, from whence hee ſhall come: and hauehave in readie remembraunce, and faithfully hould the chriſtian confeſſion: becauſe he roaſe from the dead, aſcended into heauen, ſitteth at the right hand of the father, neither ſhall come from elſewhere, than from thence, to iudge the quicke and the dead: and in ſuch ſort ſhall he come, that voice of the Angel ſo witneſſinge, as hée was ſéene to goe into heauen, that is to ſaye, in the ſelfe ſame ſhape and ſubſtance of fleſhe, to whiche in déede hee gaue immortalitie, (but) toke not the nature away. According to this ſhape hee is not to be thought euerie where preſent. For we muſt beware leaſt we ſo fortifie y• diuinitie of man, that we take cleane away the trueth of his bodie. For it doeth not conſequently followe, that that which is in GOD, ſhould ſo be eueryevery where as God. For the ſcripture whiche cannot lye ſayth euen of vsus, that in him we liue, moue, and hauehave oure béeing, howbeit we are not eueryevery where as he is: but he is after another ſort man in God, béecauſe he is alſo otherwiſe God in man, after a certeine proper and ſingular manner. For one perſon is God and man, and both of them is one Ieſus Chriſt, euerie where in that he is God, but in heauen in that he is man.
And the ſame authour ſayeth a little after: Take away ſpace of places from bodies, & they ſhalbe no where: and beecauſe they ſhall be no where, they ſhalbe no bodies. Take the verie bodies from the qualities of the bodies and there ſhalbe no place for them to be, and therefore it muſt néeds be that they hauehave no beeing. And in the end of the epiſtle the ſame Auguſtine ſayeth: Doubt not that Chriſt oure Lord the onelyonly begotten ſonne of God, coequall with the father, beeing alſo the ſonne of man, whom the father excéedeth in greatneſſe, both to be preſent euerie where, as hée is God, and alſo to be in the ſame temple of GOD as God dwelling there. And yet to be in ſome certaine place of heauen according to the manner of his true body.
The ſelfe ſame thing, the ſame authour as yet expoūdeth more at large in his 50. treatiſe vppon Iohn. And Contra Faelicianum Arianum Cap. 9. 10. & 11. Alſo in his treatiſe De agone Chriſti Cap. 24. vntounto Cap. 27. To which wée will alſo ioyne the teſtimonie of the holy martyre Vigilius biſhopp of Trident. For he diſputing againſt Eutyches in the defence of both natures in Chriſt, ſayeth: If the nature of the woord and fleſh be one, how is it that ſince the word is eueryevery where, y• fleſh alſo is not found euerie where? For when the fleſh was in earth, ſurely it was not in heauen: and becauſe it is now in heauē, ſurely it is not in earth: and ſo farre is it from beeing in the earth, that according to fleſh, wee doe looke for Chriſt to come from heauen, whome according to the word wee beléeue to be with vsus on earth. Therfore acording to your opinion, either the word is conteyned with his fleſhe in place, or elſe the fleſh with ye word is in eueryevery place. Whereas one nature receiueth not into it ſelfe anye thing contrarie and vnlike. But it is contrarie & farre vnlike, to bee limitted within a place, and to bee euerie where: and béecauſe the word is in euerie place, but his fleſhe not in euerie place, it is euident that one and ye ſelfe ſame Chriſt is of both natures: and that he is euerie where according to the nature of his Godhead, and is conteined in place according to the nature of his manhood: that he is both created, and alſo without beginning: that he is ſubiect to death and alſo can not die: one of whiche is agréeable to him by the nature of the word, whereby he is God: the other by the nature of the fleſh, wherby the ſelfeſame God is man. Therefore one and the ſelfe ſame ſonne of God, being alſo made ye ſonne of man, hath a beginning by the nature of the fleſh, and hath no beginning by the nature of his diuinitie: by the nature of his fleſhe, hee is created: and by the nature of his diuinitie hee is not created: by ye nature of his fleſh he is limitted in place: and by the nature of his diuinitie he is not conteyned in place: by the nature of his fleſh he is inferiour alſo to Angels, and according to his diuinitie he is equall to the father: by the nature of his fleſhe hée died, but by the nature of his diuinitie he died not. This is the catholique faith, and Chriſtian confeſſion, which the apoſtles deliuered, the martyrs confirmed, and the faithfull euen vntounto this day doe obſerue and kéepe. Hetherto we hauehave rehearſed ye words of Vigilius, martyre and biſhopp, to this end, that the moſt notable agréement of the holy ſcripture, of the vniuerſall church, and of the moſt Godly and learned fathers in this principle might be vnderſtood, wherin we confeſſe, that the properties of both natures in Chriſte remaine vnconfounded. Againe, wée muſt by all meanes Chriſte in one perſō remaineth vndiuidedtake héede, leaſt thorough defending and reteyning the properties of the two natures, we diuide and pull aſunder the vnitie of the perſon: as though there were two Chriſtes, whereof the one ſhould be ſubiect to ſuffering and mortall, the other not ſubiect to ſuffering and immortall. For there is but one and ye ſame Chriſt, who according to his Godhead is acknowledged immortall, and mortall according to his manhoode. Neſtorius denied that the bleſſed virgin Marie was the mother of GOD. For he ſaid God was vnchaungeable, and therefore that hee could not be borne, and that he had no mother. Wherevppon ſprange a ſuſpicion, that he ſhould ſay ye Lord was bare man, and that hee ſhould mainteine the hereticall opinion of Paulus Samoſatenus, and Photinus. Whiche thing Socrates handleth at large, Hiſtoriarum Lib. 7. Cap. 32. But Neſtorius was iniurious to ye Scripture, and to true faith. For Elizabeth the wife of Zacharie and the mother of S. Iohn Baptiſt, béeing full of the holy Ghoſt, in expreſſe woordes ſaluteth the holy virgin (Marie) and calleth her the mother of the Lord, that is, the mother of God. And albeit his heauenly nature be without generation and corruption, yet notwithſtāding it is moſt certeine, that hee whome Marie brought forth was God in verie déede. For that whiche is borne of her, ſayeth the Angel, is the ſonne of God: therefore ſhee brought forth God, and ſhee worthily is called the mother of God. For if ſhe bare not God, ſhe brought forth bare man, neither hath the ſonne of GOD coupled man vnſeparablie to himſelfe. In like manner ſince God of his owne nature is immortall, truely he cannot die: but if any man for that cauſe ſhould abſolutely denie, that God was crucified and offered, yea and died for vsus, hee ſhould gaineſaye Paule, ſaying, Had they knowen it, they would not hauehave cr…cified the 1. Cor. 2.Lord of glorie. But who is ignorant that the God of glorie or glorious god cannot be crucified? In the meane while ſince he, which according to the fleſhe ſuffered, and was nailed on the croſſe, was God, not bare man onelyonly, wee rightly ſay that God ſuffered and was nailed on ye croſſe for vsus: though he which ſuffered, ſuffered according to that onelyonly, which could ſuffer. For Peter the Apoſtle ſayeth, Chriſt hath ſuffered for vsus in the fleſh. The firſt Toletane counſell, following him, decréed in theſe wordes, If any ſhall ſay or beleeue, that the God head may be borne, let him be accurſed. If any ſhal ſay or beleue, that the deitie of Chriſt may be turned, chaunged, or iubiecte to ſuffering, let him be accurſed. If any ſhal ſay or beleeue, that the nature of the Godhead and the manhoode is one in Chriſte, let him bee accurſed. And Damaſus biſhop of Rome ſayeth: If any ſhall ſaye, that in ſuffering on the croſſe, the ſonne of God & God ſuffered paine, and not the fleſh with the ſoule whiche hee put on in the fourme of a ſeruaunt, whiche he toke on him as the Scripture ſayeth, let him be accurſed. Therefore whereas Paule ſayeth, that God hath purchaſed Actes. 20.to himſelfe a Churche with his owne bloud, who is ſo madd to beléeue, that the diuine nature hath, or euer had bloud? In the meane while who is ſuch a dorrhead that he vnderſtandeth not, that the fleſhe whiche God toke hath bloud, and ſince that God accounteth not that as an others but his owne which he tooke vntounto him ſelfe, wee moſt truly ſay, that GOD with his owne bloud redéemed the world. Wherevppon Theodoretus alſo biſhopp of Cyrus Dialog. Eran. 3. a little before the end ſayeth. If Chriſt be both GOD and man, as both the holy Scripture teacheth, and as the moſt bleſſed fathers hauehave always preched, then as man hee ſuffered, but as God he was not ſubiect to ſuffering. But when wee ſay, the bodie or fleſhe or humanitie ſuffered, wee do not ſeparate the diuine nature. For as it was vnited to his humane nature, whiche was hungrie and thirſtie, and wearie: yea and ſlept alſo, yea and was vexed with ſorrowe and heauineſſe for the paſſion which hee ſhould ſuffer, abyding in deede none of thoſe, but ſuffering that to abide the affections & paſſions of nature: euen ſo was it ioyned vntounto him, when he was crucified, & permitted that his paſſion ſhould bee throughlie ended, that by his paſſion he might ſuffer death, not feling griefe truely by his paſſion, but making his paſſion agreeable & conuenient for himſelfe as the paſſion of his temple or dwelling place, & of his fleſh ioyned vntounto him, by the whiche alſo they that beleeue are called the members of Chriſt: he himſelfe is called the head of thoſe that beleeue. Thus farre hée.
This figure of ſpeache is called of ſome foreign alteration or chaunging, Of communicatinge of …ope…ties.of Iohn Damaſcenus foreign mutual giuing or an interchaunging of properties. That is wont to be called a communicating of properties, to witt, when that propertie is giuen to one nature, which is proper to another. As for example, No mā hath aſcended vp into heauen (ſayth ye Lord) Iohn. 3.but he that came downe from heauē, euen the ſonne of man whiche is in heauen. Truelie his humane nature was not then in heauen, when ye Lord ſpake this, but in earth: yet notwithſtanding beecauſe fleſh is taken into the fellowſhipp of his Godhead, that whiche is proper to this, is attributed to his manhood. And biſhop Fulgentius making mention of this interpretation, in his ſecond booke to kinge Thraſimundus, hath thus left written: He ſaid this, not that the humane ſubſtance of Chriſt is preſent in eueryevery place, but becauſe one & the ſelfe ſame ſonne of God, and ſonne of man, very God of the father, as hee is very man of man, though according to his true humanitie, hee was then locallie in earth, yet according to his diuinitie (whiche by no meanes can be conteined in place) hée did wholie fill heauen and earth. Thus ſayeth hée.
Wherefore the ſentences bearing witneſſe of Chriſt in the writinges of the Euangeliſtes & Apoſtles are diligētly to be marked. For ſome are peculiarly referred to his diuine nature, as are theſe: I and the father are one. Before Abraham was, I'am. In the beginning was the word, & the word was with GOD, and God was that woord. Hee is before all thinges, the image of the inuiſible God, by whom all thinges are made.
And ſome are particularly referred to his humane nature: or to the myſterie of his embaſſage or miniſtration: of whiche ſort are theſe: The father is greater than I. Thou madeſt Heb. 2.him a little inferiour to the Angels. My ſoule is heauie euen to the death. Againe there are teſtimonies whiche hauehave reſpecte to both natures, but to neither of them ſeuerally do they ſufficiently agree. Such are theſe: My Iohn. 6.fleſh is meate in deede, and my bloud is drincke in deede. I hauehave power to Iohn. 20.forgiue ſinnes, to raiſe to life whome I will, and to giuegive righteouſnes, and holineſſe. I am the ſheepeheard, the doore, the light, the waye, the trueth, & the life. No man cōmeth to the father, but by mee. For theſe doe ſett forth and commend vntounto vsus the verie ſubſtaunce of Chriſte, the perſon I meane of oure true ſauiour and mediatour God and man. For no man forgiueth ſinnes but God onelyonly. Againe, they are not forgiuen without death and ſheading of bloud as the Apoſtle witneſſeth in the ninth Chapiter to the Hebrues.
Againe there are teſtimonies, whiche cannot aptly bee declared, but by communicating of woords. Touching whiche I hope this is ſufficient. Againe, he doth not diuide the perſon The perſon of Chriſt is not diuided.of our mediatour God and man, whoſoeuer for the vnities ſake of natures doth not ſo farr extend his humanitie as his diuinitie is extended. For in the Goſpel after S. Matthewe, the Lord goeth not with his bodie into ye houſe of the Centurion, whereas yet notweſtanding Matth. 8.there is no doubt, that his Godhead being preſent & not abſent, the ſeruaunt of the Centurion was cured of his diſeaſe. And who will ſay that therfore the perſon is diuided by S. Matthewe, for that he hath not extended the humanitie of Chriſte euen vntounto his diuinitie? The Angels ſpeaking to the women concerning the bodie of Chriſt riſen from ye dead, and now glorified, ſay: He is not heere, he is riſen. But we are not ignorant that Marke. 16.his diuinitie is in eueryevery place. And yet the Angels diuided not his inſeparable perſon, in that they did not make equal in al reſpects the humane body of Chriſt with his Godhead. The Angels them ſelues doe not diuide the perſon of Chriſt, when his body being Actes. 1.taken vp from the mount Oliuet into heauen, they ſtanding on the earth teſtifie, that he ſhall come againe after the ſame māner, as they ſawe him depart from them.
But who dare denie that ye Lord was then alſo preſent with them? Therefore our Lord after the manner of his verie body, is in heauen not in earth: but according to his infinite godhead he is eueryevery where, in heauen and in earth. Man conſiſteth of ſoule and body, and theſe moſt contrarie in natures betwene them ſelues make one perſon, not two. And who ſo euer attributeth and defendeth that which is proper to eyther of them, doth not diuide the perſon. The body ſléepeth, the ſoule ſléepeth not: theſe properties of partes, make not two perſons. Herevnto ſéemeth to belong that whiche Theodoret hath left written in his 3. Dialogue, ſaying: We do not diuide the natural vnitie of the ſoule and the body, neyther ſeparate we the ſoules from their owne proper bodies: but conſider thoſe thinges which properly belong to their natures. Therefore when the ſcripture ſayth, And deuout Actes. 8.men carried Stephan to his buriall, & made greate lamentation ouer him, wilt thou ſay that his ſoule was buried with his body? I thincke not. And when thou ſhalt heare Iacob the Patriarch ſaying: Burie ye me with my fathers, thou doeſt vnderſtand that to be ſpoken of his body, not of his ſoule.
Againe, thou doeſt reade, There they buried Abraham and Sara his wife, &c. In whiche ſpeach the ſcripture doth not make mention of the body, but in al points ſignifieth the ſoule and body together. But wee rightly diuide and ſay, that the ſoules are immortall, and that the bodies onelyonly of the patriarches are buried in the double caue. Euen ſo we alſo are wont to ſay, In this or that place, this or that mā was buried. We do not ſay, This mans bodie, or that mans bodie, but this man or that man. For whoſoeuer is wel in his wits knoweth we ſpeake of the bodie. So wheras the Euangeliſtes ſo oftentimes make mention of Chriſtes bodie buried, at the lengthe they ſett downe the name of the perſon and ſay, that Ieſus was buried & layd in the graue, &c. Thus farre Theodoret.
And ſince it is without controuerſie, that this faith and doctrine, from Chriſtes time euen vntounto our age, hath flouriſhed in the holy Church of God, and againſt innumerable aſſaultes of ſathan and heretiques, hath remained moſt ſtedfaſt, and the ſelfe ſame is deliuered and confirmed by teſtimonies of ſcripture, and conſents of holy coū ſels, I exhorte you (dearely beloued) that calling on the name of Chriſte, you may perſeuere & continue in the ſame doctrine, and béeing … by true faith and obedience to Chriſte, verie God and man, you may giuegive continuall thanks, worſhipping him that reigneth for euer.