A Cure for the Cankering Error of the New Eutychians, Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. Queſtions and Anſwers about Chriſt.
Queſt. 1. WHat doth this word Chriſt ſignifie?
A. It ſignifieth Anointed, becauſe he was anointed with the oyl of gladneſs above his fellows, Joh. 1.14. Pſal. 2.6. & 110.4. Iſa. 61.1.as we reade in Pſal. 45.8. And indeed he is that King, that only Prieſt and Prophet which was promiſed unto mankind.
Q. 2. Doth his name Chriſt ſignifie his Nature, or his Perſon?
A. His Perſon ſubſiſting in both his Natures, and not this or that Nature alone: for it is a name concrete, as the Grammarians ſpeak, and not abſtract.
Q. 3. What do you call a word concrete, and what an abſtract?
A. This word concrete, in the diſcourſe of Chriſt, is ſaid to be that which ſignifieth the nature together with the ſubject, and doth comprehend in his ſignification both the thing, and the ſubject wherein the thing is, (that is to ſay), it doth define the Perſon of Chriſt, as he is the Son of God; becauſe the Son of God doth not ſimply ſignifie the Nature of God, but the Perſon of the Son of God; So the Son of Man,See Bucan. Inſtitut. Theolog. loc. 2. or pag. 14. when it is ſpoken of Chriſt, ſignifieth the Perſon, and not his Humanity ſimply. But this name abſtract, is a word that ſignifieth the Nature ſimply: as the Divinity of Chriſt, the Humanity of Chriſt.
Q. 4. How many things are eſpecially neceſſary to know Chriſt, and which be they?
A. Two: his Perſon, and his Office.
Q. 5. What is Chriſt?
A. He is the only begotten Son of God,Joh. 1.14. Tit. 3.4, 5. Heb. 2.16. Luk. 1.31. Luk. 1.35. Heb. 2.16 Heb. 2.14. Mat. 26.29 & 27.50. Heb. 2.17. & 4.15. who of his meer love towards mankind, did create unto himſelf, of the Seed of the Virgin Mary, being Sanctified by the Holy Ghoſt, and by creating aſſumed, and did perſonally and inſeparably for ever unite a true humane Body indued with a reaſonable Soul. And ſo being true God, became true Man, like to us in all things, ſin only excepted.
Q. 6. What things are we eſpecially to conſider in the Perſon of Chriſt?
A. Four: 1. That Chriſt is God. 2. That the ſame Chriſt is Man. 3. That he is God and Man in one Perſon. 4. The Phraſes and the uſual Speeches which are affirmed of Chriſt in the Scriptures.
Q. 7. By how many, and by what kind of teſtimonies do you prove that Chriſt is God?
A. By three: 1. By apparent and manifeſt ſentences of Scripture, wherein the Divinity of Chriſt is averred. 2. By his Works, which were altogether Divine. 3. By the worſhip and honour which was yielded unto Chriſt, both of the Saints that believed, and of the Angels.
Q. 8. Shew ſome pregnant teſtimonies whereby you can prove that Chriſt is God.
A. I ſhall, Iſa. 9.6. This is the Name whereby they ſhall call him (ſpeaking of the Meſſias) to wit, the Mighty God, the Father of Eternity. Jer. 23.6. The Name whereby the Branch of David ſhall be called, ſhall be the Lord our Righteouſneſs. Judg. 6.11. &c. That Angel which appeared to the Holy Patriarchs, call himſelf Jehovah. In the New Teſtament, Matth. 16.16. Thou art Chriſt the Son of the living God. Joh. 20.28. My Lord and my God. Rom. 9.5. Chriſt being God, was of the fathers according to the fleſh of his Mother, who is God for ever. 1 Joh. 5.20. And we are in his Son Jeſus Chriſt, who is very God, and life Eternal. 1 Tim. 3.16. God is manifeſted in the fleſh. In which places Chriſt is abſolutely called God, and the name Jehovah, ſo given him, not by a Trope, or Symbolically, by reaſon of the preſence of God, as Exod. 17.15. It is given to the Altar. Pſal. 24.8. It is given to the Ark. Jer. 33.16. It is given to Jeruſalem.
Q. 9. Which be the teſtimonies of the ſecond ſort?
A. The works which none can do but God alone, which are aſcribed to him, to wit, to create and preſerve, to redeem, to blot out iniquities, to ſearch the heart, to hear our prayers, to quicken, to judge; moreover, the Miracles which he wrought by his own power, according to that Propheſie, Iſa. 53.5, 6. unto which alſo even Chriſt himſelf ſendeth us, and for the working whereof he gave power to his Apoſtles; moreover, thoſe Attributes which do agree only to the Nature of God, and aſcribed unto him; as Eternal, Almighty, Infinite, King of Kings, Saviour, and the reſt, teſtifie him to be God by Nature. See theſe Scriptures following, Joh. 1.3. & 5.17. Col. 1.16. Heb. 1.23. 1 Cor. 1.30. 1 Theſſ. 1.10. Matth. 9.6. & 9.4. Mar. 2.8. & 14.13. Joh. 14.14. & 5.27. & 5.22. & 10.25. Matth. 11.45. & 10.8. Mic. 5.2. Joh. 1.1. & 17.5. & 3.31. Phil. 3.21. Matth. 18.20. & 28.20. Rev. 19.26. Matth. 1.21. Acts 4.12.
Q. What is the third kind of teſtimonies?
A. The worſhip and honour which is performed unto Chriſt, namely, Invocation, Adoration, Faith, Hope. Pſal. 72.11. All the Kings of the Earth ſhall worſhip him, & all People ſhall ſerve him, Iſa. 11.10. and Rom. 15.11, 12. All Nations ſhall call upon him, and truſt in him.Rom 14.11. Phil. 2.10. Pſal. 2.12. Bleſſed are they that put their truſt in him: every knee ſhall bow unto him. And Joh. 14.1. Ye believe in God, believe alſo in me. Acts 7.39. Lord Jeſus receive my Spirit. All which do prove that he is true God.
Q. Why is it neceſſary that Chriſt the Redeemer ſhould be God?
A. For two cauſes eſpecially, whereof of former is the greatneſs of the evil wherewith all mankind was overwhelmed, which could be taken away by no creature: The later is the greatneſs of the good,Mat. 19.17. which could be reſtored by none to man again, but by God, who alone is truly good.
Q. What is the greatneſs of the evil?
A. It ſtandeth in Four things, which be theſe; The greatneſs of man's ſin, the infinite and unſupportable weight of God's anger; the power of Death; the tyranny of the Devil; which to take away, to aboliſh, to appeaſe, to overcome, none was able but God alone.
Q. What is the greatneſs of the good, which could be reſtored by no creature?
A. The reſtoring again of the Image of God: therefore Chriſt (1 Cor. 1.31.) is made to us Wiſdom, Righteouſneſs, Sanctification and Redemption; Col 3.10.not only by revealing and teaching of them, but by performing and reſtoring of them.
Q. Why is he called the Word?
A. Becauſe it is he that ſpake the Word, and all things were made.
Q. According to which Nature is he called the Image of God? Col. 1.15.
A. Not according to his Humane Nature alone, as man is ſaid to be made after the Image of God; but eſpecially according to his Divine Nature, but manifeſted in the fleſh,2 Tim. 3.16. or ſo far forth as God hath truly manifeſted himſelf in Chriſt: whereupon he is called, The brightneſs of the Glory of the Father, Heb. 1.3. and the Character or ingraven form of his Perſon; becauſe he is not ſome vaniſhing repreſentation, but ingraven and durable.
Q. Prove that Chriſt is very Man.
A. I will; Gen. 3.15. The Seed of the Woman is promiſed, which ſhall break the Serpents head. Gen. 22.17. God promiſed Abraham, that in his Seed all the Nations of the Earth ſhould be bleſſed. 3 Sam. 7.12. It is promiſed to David, that his Son muſt ſit upon his Throne and Reign for ever. Iſa. 7.14. Behold, a Virgin ſhall Conceive and bring forth a Son. Beſides all this, the Hiſtory of the Goſpel doth plainly prove that Chriſt was conceived, *Luke 1.31. & 2.7. — 21. & 22.20. Heb. 2.4. Mat. 26.38. & 4.2. Joh. 19.29. & 19.34. Mat. 27.50. & 9.36. Joh. 2.17. & 11.33, 35. Mat. 26.37, 38. Acts 1.9, 11.born, circumciſed, had a true Body and Soul, was hungry, thirſty, ſhed his blood, that he died, and that he had all the Properties and Affections of man's Nature, yet without ſin, that he aſcended viſibly and locally into Heaven, and thence that he ſhall come again to Judgment.
Q. Why muſt Chriſt needs become Man?
A. 1. The Juſtice of God required it ſhould be ſo, that the diſobedience committed in our fleſh, might in the ſame be repaired, Rom. 5.17, 18, 19. Heb. 2.14.
2. The reaſon of our Adoption: for it pleaſed the Son of God to take the Nature of Man upon him, and to become our brother, and ſo by that means to become our neareſt kinſman, and moſt near allied unto us, that we being made his members, might be made the Sons of God, Gal. 3.16. and that he might have right to redeem and ranſom us. Hence is matter of comfort in every kind of temptation. Therefore the Apoſtle to the Hebrews, Heb. 2. 17. & 4.5. ſaith, He took not upon him the Nature of Angels, but the Seed of Abraham; and in all things became like to his brethren, that he might have compaſſion of his brethren.
3. For the confirmation of our Reſurrection: for in that Chriſt took on him our Nature, and hath raiſed it up, and given unto it immortality, and hath exalted it in Heaven: by vertue of that Communion (which we have with him) ſhall we be raiſed up at the laſt day, and this our vile body ſhall be made conformable to the glorious Body of Chriſt, Phil. 3.21. & 1 Cor. 15.22. As in Adam all are dead, ſo in Chriſt ſhall all be made alive.
Q. Why was neither the Father nor the Holy Ghoſt incarnate, but the Son?
A. 1. Becauſe it was meet that the World ſhould be redeemed, and all things reſtored by him, by whom all things were created; or, that man ſhould be redeemed from death by him, by whom he was firſt created, and ſhould have been brought unto life eternal if he had not ſinned.
2. It would have been unconvenient, that there ſhould be two Sons; one in the Divine Nature, another in the Humane Nature.
3. It was the Eternal Decree of the Father, whereby he purpoſed to ſave mankind by his Son. Heb. 2.10.
Q. Whether is Chriſt God and Man, divided or joyned together?
A. Joyned and uniced, but not divided.
Q. By what kind of Ʋnion?
A. Not by inhabitation only, as God dwelleth in the Saints;Joh. 17.21. not by conſent only, as the Faithful are one in the Father and the Son: not by Mixture, as when Water is mingled with Wine; not by Combination, as two boards be joyned together: laſtly, not by Compoſition, whereby of the mixture of two things, there ariſeth a third: but by Perſonal Union, which (as it's ſaid) the Greeks call Incorporation, becauſe neither the whole Deity, nor any part of it, is ſubjectively communicated to the Humanity of Chriſt, but only the Humane Nature was aſſumed of the Son of God into the ſame Perſon, Heb. 2.16.
Q. What is the Perſonal Ʋnion in Chriſt?
A. It is that whereby the Perſon of the Son of God, being a Perſon from all Eternity exiſting, did aſſume the moſt pure Nature of Man, wanting all perſonal exiſting of its own, into the unity of his Perſon, and made it his own, the properties of each Nature being preſerved. Or, as Paul defines it, Col. 2.9. whereby in Chriſt doth dwell all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily; whereof we have a manifeſt reſemblance in the union of the Soul and the body; And therefore the Apoſtle doth well call it a great Myſtery of Godlineſs, 1 Tim. 3.16.
Q. How is this Union made?
A. Without all confuſion, Without all converſion of one Nature into another, indiviſibly, inſeparably. The difference of the Natures by no means being taken away by the union: but rather the propriety of either Nature being ſaved, and joyned together, or concurring into one Perſon, and one ſubſiſting, as the Calcedon Synod ſpeak in the Hiſtory of Evagrius, lin. 2. cap. 4. And from that time that the Word did aſſume our Humane Nature, he never left it, no not in his death. And to this purpoſe make theſe Verſes; I am that I was, not I was that I am, now both am I called; Thou knoweſt me not, except thou know me ſubſiſting of both Natures. — See Mr. John Tombes his Expoſition upon the Calcedon-Council concerning the two Natures in Chriſt aſſerted, in his Book, intituled Emmanuel, or, God-man. Sect. 15.
Q. By what teſtimonies will you prove, that the Divine and Humant Nature in Chriſt, did joyn together in one and the ſame Perſon?
A. Iſa. 7.14. & 9.6. Luk. 1.35. That which ſhall be born of thee, ſhall be called the Son of God. Joh. 1.14. And the Word was made Fleſh: not by Sacramental-union, in which reſpect Chriſt was ſaid to be a Rock: not by confuſion of the Natures: nor by commutation, as Water is turned into Wine, Joh. 2.14. but by aſſuming the fleſh into the unity of this Perſon. The Voice of God ſpeaketh thus of Jeſus Chriſt the Son of Mary: This is my beloved Son, Matth. 3.17. He that deſcended is even the ſelf-ſame that aſcended above all Heavens, that he might fill all things, Eph. 4.10. God ſent his Son, born of a Woman, Gal. 4.4.
Q. Why is it neceſſary that Chriſt ſhould be both God and Man in one and the ſame Perſon?
A. 1. To die end he might reconcile God and Man, or that he might make God and Man one.
2. That he might be a fit Mediator between God and Men,2 Tim. 2.5 Heb. 8 6 by reaſon of his Participation and Affinity with them both.
3. That he might reconcile God unto us by his death, which if he had been God alone, he could never have ſuffered; if only Man, he could never have overcome.
4. That the work of Redemption performed in the fleſh of the Son, might become of ſufficient price for ſin, whereby God, that infinite good, was offended. For, although certain actions do properly proceed from the Divine Nature, and ſome are done by the Humane Nature, yet all of them do equally receive their price and worthineſs from the Divine Nature. So the fleſh of Chriſt hath power to quicken, becauſe it is the fleſh of that Perſon who is God: the obedience of the Man Chriſt doth Juſtifie, becauſe it is the obedience of that Perſon who is God: the blood of Chriſt redeems the Church, becauſe it is the blood of God, Acts 20.28.
Q. What is the Communication of Properties?
A. It is ſuch a manner of Predication, whereby thoſe things which be proper to Natures are indifferently attributed to the Perſon of Chriſt which is but one: and that becauſe Chriſt in his two Natures is both, to wit, perfect God, and perfect Man; to whom therefore theſe things are truly and indeed attributed, as well thoſe which are proper to God, as thoſe which be proper to Man. Therefore it is well and truly ſaid; God, or elſe the Son of God, was born of the Virgin Mary, ſuffered, was crucified; and God purchaſed unto himſelf the Church with his own blood, 1 Cor. 2.8. Acts. 20.28. Not ſimply, principally, and by himſelf, as he is God, but by accident, and in another reſpect, or in regard of another thing: becauſe that which is proproper to one Nature, namely, to be conceived born, crucified, to die, is not attributed to his Divinity, but to the Perſon taking the name of one, namely, of the Divine Nature. For this word, the Son of God, or God (which is the ſubject of the Propoſition) is the concrete and not the abſtract, and ſignifieth not the Divine Nature, but the Perſon, who is God and Man. Therefore it is well ſaid; The Son of Man, or Chriſt-Man is Eternal, Almighty, All-preſent; ſaveth, raiſeth the dead, giveth Eternal Life. And, Joh. 3.13. No man hath aſcended into Heaven, but he that came down from Heaven: both in reſpect of the Union, ſeeing that the ſelf-ſame Perſon is both Man and God: for as God, by reaſon of the unity, doth account thoſe things which belong to the Humane Nature proper to himſelf; ſo as he is Man, by reaſon of the union, doth account thoſe things which belong to the Divine Nature to be proper to it ſelf: and alſo becauſe the Son of Man is a word concrete, which ſignifies the Perſon of Chriſt, being but one, conſiſting of the Divine and Humane Nature; and therefore whole Chriſt is every where preſent, but not all that is in Chriſt. On the contrary, it is wickedly ſaid, That the Divinity of Chriſt was born of the Virgin, ſuffered death, and that the Humanity of Chriſt is Eternal, every where preſent, Almighty; for the Divinty is a word abſtract, which ſimply ſignifieth the Divine Nature in Chriſt, which is moſt free from all manner of ſufferings. Now the Predication of divers Natures by reaſon of the Hypoſtatical (or Perſonal) Union, is of no force, but in thoſe things which are ſignified as whole and perfect: for as we do not uſe to ſay, the Body is the Soul, or the Man is the Soul: ſo neither do we ſay, this God (Chriſt) is the Body of Chriſt, or the Soul of Chriſt, but only God is Man.
Q. Is the communication of Properties verbal only, or real?
A. It is a true and real ſpeech, becauſe the Perſon of whom, by the trope Synechdoche, as well the Divine as the Humane, either names of Proprieties, or Effects, are indifferent and equally affirmed, containeth all thoſe things in it ſelf truly and indeed, which do agree to very God, and very Man: thoſe things which be Divine; as he is God: thoſe alſo which be Humane as the ſame is Man, but not in reſpect of both Natures, but according to the one and the other. For then ſhould be brought in the Eutychian Hereſie of the confounding of the Natures or Properties, and it ſhould ceaſe to be a ſpeech by Synechdoche, (viz. wherein a part is taken for the whole, or the whole for a part.)
Q. But thoſe Titles which belong to the Office of Redemption, are they to be attributed to the Natures ſeverally aſunder, or to the Perſon?
A. To the Perſon: as Chriſt is a Mediator, Paſtor, Prieſt according to both Natures, although each of them in that work retaining his own proper efficacy or operation.
Q What is the Effect of that Perſonal Ʋnion?
A. The beſtowing of gifts, whereby the Humane Nature in the Perſon of Chriſt is adorned, and whereby it excelleth all other Creatures in Wiſdom, Goodneſs, Holineſs, Power, Majeſty, and Glory; which the old Fathers call the Deifying of the Fleſh: the Schoolmen, Habitual Grace, of the Communion of Properties (which is mutual one of another, and the reciprocation of the Names) altogether diſtinct.
Q How manifold is the ſtate of Chriſt?
A. Two-fold: one of Humiliation, whereby he willingly undergoing the burdens, reproaches and puniſhments of our Nature, did humble himſelf to the death of the Croſs; the Divinity in the mean while (according to Irenaeus) reſting or hiding it ſelf, that he might be crucified, and die. The other, of Exhaltation, whereby after his death, his Humane Nature did lay aſide all the infirmities of it, (but not the Eſſential Properties) and was wonderfully exalted above all Creatures unto the greateſt honour, yet not in any caſe match'd, and equalled to the Divine Nature of Chriſt, Phil. 2.7, 9.
Q. What are the Doctrines contrary to this?
A. The firſt Hereſie of Macedonius and Valentinus, who affirmed, That Chriſt brought with him a Celeſtial body from Heaven: As alſo of Apelles, who ſaid, His Body was aiery, his Fleſh ſtar-like, and that he paſſed from the Virgin as Water from a Pipe.
2. Of the Marcionites, who feigned unto him an imaginary Body.
3. Of Apollinaris, who denyed that Chriſt did aſſume a reaſonable Soul, but that his Divinity was unto him inſtead of his mind.
4. Of Eunomius, who affirmed Chriſt to be meer man, and that he was called the Son of God by Adoption: And of Eb…oni, who ſaid, that Chriſt was born by Humane generation.
5. Of Neſtorius, who taught, That as there be two Natures in Chriſt, ſo there are two Perſons; and that the Divinity is preſent with the Humanity by circumſtance and combination, but not by Perſonal union. Therefore he denyed that Mary was the Mother of God, or brought forth God; and affirmed, that Man, not God, was crucified of the Jews.
6. Eutyches Hereſie, contrary to the former: for he taught that the Humane Nature after the Union, was indued with the properties of the Divinity, (viz. the Divine Nature was turned into fleſh.)
7. Of the Manichees, who avouched that Chriſt had but one only Will; and not two, a Divine, and a Humane Will.
8. Of the Ʋbiquitaries, who attribute to the Humanity of Chriſt the Eſſential properties of the Divinity, altogether forgetting that ſaying, He that taketh away the Properties, taketh away the Nature: and on the contrary, He that attributeth the Proprieties, attributeth the Nature: and of whatſoever the Eſſence cannot be affirmed, no more can the Eſſential Proprieties thereof be affirmed of the ſame.
Now I have here briefly given you an account of theſe Eight Opinions about Chriſt as aforeſaid. And by theſe you ſee St. Peters words fulfilled, 2 Pet. 2.1. But there were falſe Prophets alſo among the People, even as there ſhall be falſe Teachers among you, who privily ſhall bring in damnable HERESIES, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themſelves ſwift deſtruction. And many ſhall follow their pernitious wayes, by reaſon of whom the way of Truth ſhall be evil ſpoken of. Acts 20.28. For St. Paul ſaith, Take head therefore unto your ſelves, and unto all the Flock, over which the Holy Ghoſt hath made you Overſeers, to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchaſed with his own blood: for I know this, that after my departing, ſhall grievous Wolves enter in among you, not ſparing the Flock; alſo of your own ſelves ſhall men ariſe, ſpeaking perverſe things, to draw away diſciples after them. So Iſa. 9.21. ſaith, That Manaſſes againſt Ephraim, and Ephraim againſt Manaſſes, and both againſt Judah. Alſo Herod againſt Pilat, and Pilat againſt Herod, and both againſt Christ: even ſo, here is the Eunomians, (or Socinians, or Bidelians) againſt the Eutychians, and both againſt Christ; for the one denyeth his Divine Nature, and the other his Humane, contrary to Matth. 22.45. and Rev. 22.16. I am the root and off-ſpring of David; and ſo by conſequence both deny the true Chriſt. For the Devil knoweth there is no Salvation for us without Faith in him who is David's Lord, and David's Son. Acts 4.12. Neither is there Salvation in any other, for there is none other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we muſt be ſaved, Acts 4.12. And now, Brethren, that I may, as the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, Acts. 20.26. be clear from the blood of you all: for I have and will declare unto you all the counſel of God (that I know) touching this matter; but as the Apoſtle ſaith, 1 Cor. 13.9. So ſay I, for we know in part, and we propheſie in part; for now we ſee through a glaſs darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then ſhall I know even as alſo I am known. 2 Pet. 3.17. Ye therefore beloved, ſeeing ye know theſe things before, beware leſt ye alſo being led away with the Error of the wicked, fall from your own ſtedfaſtneſs. For ſome of you have been as brands pluck'd out of the fire, Jude 23. (I mean out of the Eutychian Hereſie,) which doth not only deny Chriſt to be truly David's Son, but ſaith, That he that was truly David's Lord and Creator was mortal and died, contrary to 1 Tim. 1.17. Now unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Inviſible, the only Wiſe God be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen.
And now becauſe the right knowledge of Chriſt, and union of his Natures, is ſo abſolutely neceſſary to Salvation, I will add ſome Queſtions, and propound them for the Eutychians conſideration.