The Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 2 · Chapter 13
The .xiii. Chapter. ¶ That Christ toke vponupon him the true substance of the flesh of man.
NOW, vnlesse I be deceiued, it were superfluous to entreate agayne of the godhed of Christ, whiche hath alredy man other place ben proued with playne & strong testimonies. It remayneth therefore to be seene, how he beyng clothed with our flesh, hath fulfilled the office of Mediatour. The truth of his humaine nature hath in the olde time ben impugned both by the Manichees and the Marcionites: of whome, the Marcionites fained a ghost in stede of the body of Christ, and the Manichees dreamed that he had a heauenly flesh. But bothe many and strong testimonies of the Scripture do stand against them both. For the blessing is promised neyther in a heauenly seede, nor in the coun…erfaite shape of man,Ge. …. & xii.xviii. & xxvi.iiii. Psal. x…v.vii. Mat. i.i. Rom. i.iii. Rom. ix.v but in the sede of Abraham and Iacob. Neither is the eternal throne promised to a man made of ayre, but to the sonne of Dauid and to the frute of his wombe. Therefore beyng deliuered in the flesh, he is called the sonne of Dauid and Abrahā: not bicause he is only borne of the wombe of the Uirgin, & create in the ayre, but bicause (as Paule expoundeth it) he is accordyng to the flesh made of the seede of Dauid: as in an other place the Apostle teacheth, that he descended of the Iewes. For whiche cause the Lorde himselfe not contented with the bare name of man, doth oftentimes call himself the sonne of manne, meanyng to expresse more plainely that he was man truely issued of the seede of mankinde. Sithe the holy ghoste hath so oft by so many meanes with so great diligence and simplicitie declared a thinge not obscure of it self, who would hauehave thought any men to be so shamelesse as to presume yet to spred mistes to darken it? And yet we hauehave other testimonies at hand, if we listed to heape vp more of them. As is that sayeng of Paule:Gal. iiij.iiii. that God sent his sonne made of womā. And innumerable other places, whereby appereth that he was subiect to hungre, thirst, colde, and other infirmities of our nature. But out of many these are chiefly to be chosen, that maye moste auaile to edifie our mindes in true cōfidēce.Heb. i… xvi As, where it is sayd, that he gaue not so great honour to the Angels, as to take their nature vponupon him: but toke our nature, that in flesh and bloud he might, by death, destroy him that had the power of death. Agayne, that by benefite of that communicating we are reckened his brethrē.Heb. i.xi, ….xvii. Hebr. iiii.xv. Againe, that he ought to hauehave ben made like vntounto his brethren, that he might be made a merciful and …aith…ull intercessour: that we hauehave not a Bishop that can not be compariont of our infirmities. And such like. And for ye same purpose serueth that whiche we touched a litle before, that it behoued that the sinnes of the world should be cleansed in our flesh: Whiche Paule playnely affirmeth. And truely,Ro. viiii.iii what so euer the …ather hath geuen to Christ, it doth therefore belong to vsus, bicause he is the head, from whiche the whole body beyng knit together, groweth into one. Yea, & otherwise that will not agree together,Ioh. i.xvi. whiche is sayd: that the Spirit was geuen him without measure, that all we shoulde drawe of the fulnesse thereof. For asmuch as there is no greater absurditie than to say, that God is enriched in his essence by any accidentall gifte.Ioh. xvii.xix. And for this cause Christ sayth in an other place: I do sacrifice my self for them.
As for the places that they bryng forth to confirme their errour, they doe to vnaptly wrest them, and they nothyng preuayle by their triflyng suttelties, when they goe about to wipe away those thinges that I hauehave alleged for our part. Marcion imagineth that Christ did put on a fantasticall body in stede of a true body, bicause in some places it is sayd,Phil. ii.vii that he was made after the likenesse of man, and that he was found in shape as a manne. But so he nothing weyeth what is Paules purpose in that place. For his meanyng is not to teach what manner of body Christe toke vponupon him, but that whereas he might hauehave shewed …orth his godhed, he made none other shewe of himself, but as of an abiect and vnregarded man. For, to exhort vsus by his example to submission, he sheweth, that for asmuch as he was God, he might hauehave by and by set forth his glory to be seene to the worlde: but yet that he gaue ouer some of his owne right, and of his owne accord abaced himself, bicause he did put on the ymage of a seruant and contended with that humilitie, suffred his godhed to be hidden with the veile of the flesh. He doth not here teache what Christ was, but how he behaued himselfe. And also by the whole processe of the texte it is easily gathered, that Christ was abaced in the true nature of manne. For what meaneth this, that in shape he was founde as manne, but that for a time the glorie of his godhed dyd not shyne forth, but only the shape of manne appered in base and abiect estate? For otherwise that place of Peter coulde not stande together,i. Pet. iii.xviii. that he was dead in the fleshe, but quickened in the spirit, yf the sonne of God had not ben weake in the nature of manne: whiche Paule expresseth more plainely in sayeng,ii. Cor. xiii iiii. i. Cor. xv.xlvii. that he suffred by reason of the weakenesse of the fleshe. And hereunto serueth the exaltation: bycause it is expressely sayd, that Christe atteyned a newe glorie after that he abaced himselfe, whiche could not well agree to be spoken of any, but of a man hauing fleshe and soule. Manichees framed Christ a body of ayre, bycause Christ is called the seconde Adam, heauenly of heauen. But neyther in that place doth the Apostle bryng in a heauenly essence of the body, but a spirituall force whiche beyng poured abrode by Christ, doth quicken vsus. Nowe, as we hauehave alredy seene, Peter and Paule doe seuer the same from his fleshe. But rather that doctrine whiche is receiued among the true teachers, concernynge the flesh of Christ, is v…ry well proued by that place. For if Christ had not all one nature of body with vsus it were a very vaine argument, that Paul with such vehemencie …oloweth:i. Cor. xv.xvi. that yf Christ be risen agayne, we shal also rise agayne: and y… we do not rise, then that Christ also is not risen. By what cauillatio…s so euer eyther the olde Ma…ichees or their newe Disciples goe aboute to escape, they shall not winde thēselues away. It is a fowle shifte, that thei fondly say, that Christ is called the sonne of manne, in so much as he is promised of menne. For it is playne, that after the Hebrewe phrase, very man in deede is called the Sonne of manne. And Christ without doubte kepte the phrase of his owne tonge. Also it ought to make no question, what ought to be vnderstanded by the children of Adam. And (not to goe farre of) the place of the .viij. Psalme, whych the Apostles apply to Christ, shalbe sufficient enough: What is man that thou arte myndefull of him, or the sonne of man, that thou visitest him? In this figure is expressed the true manhode of Christe. For though he were not immediatly begotten of a mortall father, yet his race came from Adam. For els that place could not stande whiche we hauehave alredy alleged, that Christ is made par…aker of fleshe and bloud,Hebr. ii.xiiii. that he might gather to him yonge childrē to the seruice of God. In which wordes it is plainely determined, that Christ is made fellow & partaker of all one nature with vsus. In whych meanyng also he sayth, that bothe the authour of holinesse and they that are made holy, are all of one. For it is proued by the processe of the text, that the same is referred to the felowship of nature: bicause he by and by addeth, Therefore he is not ashamed to call them brethren. For if he had sayd before, that the faythfull are of God in so great dignitie, what cause should there be to be ashamed? But bicause Christ of his infinite grace doth ioyne himselfe to the base & vnnoble, therfore it is sayd, yt he is not a shamed. But in vaine the… obiect, that by this meane ye wicked shal become the brethern of Christ: bycause we know that the children of God are not borne of fleshe and bloud, but of the holy ghost by fayth. Therfore only fleshe maketh not a brotherly ioyning. But although the Apostle geue this honour to the faithful only, to be of one with Christ, yet it foloweth not, but that the wicked maye be borne of the same originall. As when we saye that Christ was made man, to make vsus the sonnes of God: this sayeng extendeth not to all men, bicause fayth is the meane whiche spiritually graffeth vsus into ye body of Christ. Also they foolishly moue a brawle about the name of First begottē.Rom. viij.xxix. They saye that Christ should hauehave ben borne of Adam streight at the beginning, that he might be the first begotten among brethren. For the title of First begottē, is not referred to age, but to the degree of honour,Hebr. ij.xvi. and excellence of power. And more colour hath that whiche they bable, that Christ toke to him man and not Angels, bicause he receyued mankinde into fauour. For, to set out more largely the honour which God vouchesaued to geue vsus, he compared the Angels with vsus, which were in this behalf set behinde vsus. And yf the testimonie of Moses be well weyed, where he sayth that the seede of the woman shall breake the serpentes head,Ge. iii.xv it shal vtterly ende the controuersie. For only Christ is not there spoken of, but all mankinde. Bicause the victorie was to be gotten by Christ for vsus, he generally prounounceth that the posteritie of the woman should get the vpperhand of the Deuell. Whereupon foloweth, that Christ issued of mankinde, bicause it was Gods purpose there to rayse vp Eue, whom he spake vntounto with good hope, that she should not fainth with sorrow.
They do no lesse wickedly than foolishly entangle with allegories these testimonies where Christ is called the seede of Abraham, and the frute of the wombe of Dauid. For if the name of Seede had ben spoken in an allegorie, truely Paule wold not hauehave left it vntolde, where he plainely and without figure affirmeth, that there are not many sonnes of Abraham redemers,Gal. iii.xviii. but one Christ. Of like sort is it that they allege: that he is no otherwise called the sonne of Dauid, but bicause he was promised and at length in his dewe time deliuered. For after that Paule had ones named him the sonne of God: in that he by and by addeth,Rom. i.iii. Accordyng to the fleshe, he truely meaneth of nature. And so in the .ix. chapter callyng hym the blessed God, he sayth seuerally byside, that accordyng to the fleshe he descended of the Iewes. Nowe if he were not truely begotten of the seede of Dauid, to what purpose shalbe this sayeng, that he is the frute of his wombe? What meaneth this promise?Ps. cxxxii, xi▪ Out of thy loynes shall he descende, that shall abide in thy seate. Now in the Genealogie of Christ, as it is rehersed of Matthew, they do Sophistically mocke. For though he do not reherse the parentes of Marie but of Ioseph, yet bicause he speaketh of a thyng sufficiently knowen abrode among the people, he reckeneth it enough to shewe that Ioseph came of the seede of Dauid, whē it was well knowen that Marie was of the same stocke. But Luke more presseth them in teachyng that saluation brought by Christ, is cōmon to all mankinde: bicause Christ the author of saluation proceded from Adam the common parent of al. I graunt in deede, that by the Genealogie it can none otherwise be gathered that Christ was the sonne of Dauid, but in so much as he was begotten of the Uirgin. But the newe Marcionites to colour their errour do to proudely, in this that to proue that Christ toke his body of nothyng, they affirme that women are sedelesse, and so they ouerthrow the principles of nature. But bycause that is no questiō of diuinitie, and the reasons that they bring are so fickle, that they maye very easily be confuted: therefore I will not touch those thinges that belong to Philosophie and Physike, and will hold me contented to wipe away those thinges that they alleage out of Scripture: that is, that Aaron and Ioiadah toke wiues of the tribe of Iehuvah, and so the difference of tribes had then ben cōfounded, if woman had engendryng seede in her. But it is well enough knowē, tha…s touchyng ciuile order, the kinreds are reckened by the seede of the man, and yet the excellēcye of the kinde of man aboue woman proue…h nor the contrarie, but that in generation the sede of woman mu… …te. And this solution extendeth to all the Genealogies. Oftentimes when the Scripture reckeneth vp a Genealogie, it nameth the m…n only: shal we therfore saye, that the womē are nothing? But very children do know, that women are comprehēded vnderunder the name of men. And after this sort it is sayde, that women bryng forth to their husbandes, bicause the name of the household alway remayneth with the males. Nowe as this is graunted to the excellencie of the male kinde, that the children are compted noble or vnnoble, according to the estate of their fathers: so also in the state of bōdage the issue foloweth the womb, according to the iudgemēt of the Ciuile lawiers. Whereby we maye gather, that the issue is engendred of the seede of the woman. And it hath of long time ben receyued in common vse of all natiōs, that the mothers are called Genitrices, that is engendrers. Wherewith Gods lawe also agreeth, whiche els should wrongefully forbidde the mariage of the vncle with his sisters daughter, bicause there were no consanguinitie betwene them: and also it were lawful for a man to marry his sister by the mothers side, so that she were begotten of an other father. But as I graunte that there is a passiue power as…ribed to women, so do I answer that the same thing is indifferently spoken of them that is of men.Gal. ….iiii. And Christ himselfe is not sayde to be made by the woman, but of the woman. But some of theyr companie shakyng of all shame do to lewdely aske, whether we will saye that Christ was engendred of the menstruall sede of the Uirgin, for I will likewise aske of them, whether he did not congele in the bloud of his mother, whiche they shalbe cōstrayned to confesse. Ther…ore it is fitly gathered of Matthewes wordes, that bicause Christe was begotten of Marie,… he was engendred of her seede: as a like eng…ndring is meant when it is sayd, that Booz was begottē of Rahab. Neither doth Matthewe here describe the Uirgin as a condu… pipe through whiche Christ passed: but he seuereth this maruellous manner of generatiō from the common maner, for that by her Christ was begotten of the seede of Dauid. For euen in the same sort, that Isaac was begotten of Abraham▪ Salomon of Dauid, and Ioseph of Iacob, likewise it is sayd, that Christ was begottē of his mother. For the Euangelist so frameth the order of his speache, and willyng to proue that Christ came of Dauid, is contented with this one reason, that he was begotten of Marie. Whereby it foloweth, that he toke if for a matter confessed, that Marie was of kinne to Ioseph.
The absurdities wherewith they would charge vsus, are stuffed ful of childish cauillations. Thei thinke it a shame & dishonour to Christ, if he should hauehave taken his original of men: bicause so he could not be exempt from the vniuersall lawe that encloseth all the ofspryng of Adam, without exceptiō, vnderunder sinne. But the comparison that we reade in Paul doth easily assoyle this doubte:Ro. v.xii. that as by one mā came sinne, and by sinne death, so by the righteousnesse of one man grace hath abounded.i. Cor. xv.xlvii. Wherewith also agreeth an other comparison of his: the first Adam of earth, earthly and natural, the second of heauen, heauē ly. Therefore in an other place,Rom. viii.iii. the same Apostle, where he teacheth that Christ was sent in the likenesse of sinfull flesh to satif…ie the law, doth so expresly seuer him from the common estate of men, that he be very man without fault and corruptiō. But very childishly they trifle in reasonyng thus: If Christ be free from all spot, and was by the secret workyng of the holy ghost begotten of the seede of Marie, then is not the womans seede, but only the mans seede vncleane. For we doe not make Christ free from all spot, for this cause that he is only engē dred of his mother without copulatiō of man, but bicause he is sanctified by the holy ghost, that the generation might be pure and vncorrupted, such as should hauehave ben before the fall of Adam. And this alway remayned stedfastly determined with vsus, that so oft as the scripture putteth vsus in minde of the clennesse of Christ, it is meant of his true nature of manhode: bicause it were superfluous to say that God is cleane. Also the sanctificatiō that he speaketh of in the .xvii. of Iohn, could hauehave no place in the nature of God. Neyther are their fayned two sedes of Adā, although there came no infection to Christ: bicause the generatiō of man is not vncleane or vicious of it self, but accidentall by his fa…lyng. Therefore it is no maruel, if Christ, by whome the estate of innocencie was to be restored, were exempt from common corruption. And whereas also they thrust this vponupon vsus for an absurditie▪ that yf the Worde of God did put on flesh, then was it enclosed in a narrow pryson of an earthly bodie: this is but mere waywardenesse: bycause although the infinite essence of the Worde did growe together into one person with the nature of man: yet do we fayne no enclosyng of it. For the Sonne of God descended maruellously from heauen, so as yet he left not heauen, it was his will to bee maruelously borne in the Uirgins wombe, to be conuersant in earth, & hange vponupon the crosse, yet that he alway filled the world euen as at the beginnyng.