The Mystical Union Between Christ and Believer, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
Millions in the Church miſcarry for want of Ʋnion with Chriſt: This is cleared from the two Covenants, of Works and Grace; from the two heads Adam and Chriſt; from the two ways and periods of mankind. Two Ʋnions with Chriſt, one in appearance, another in truth: this latter is a myſtery, it carries a reſpect to the Ʋnion of the Sacred perſons in Trinity, and to the hypoſtatical Ʋnion of two natures in Chriſt; it depends on them, it reſembles them, it is that the hypoſtatical Ʋnion aims at; it is not to be meaſured by human Reaſon, but by Scripture.
GREAT preparations are made in the Goſpel, for the ſalvation of men; there God proclaims himſelf in rich titles of grace and mercy; Chriſt is ſet forth as an All-ſufficient Saviour and Redeemer: His blood is a Laver able to waſh away all ſin; his treaſures of grace are enough to ſupply all wants. In his precepts we have the true way of holineſs and righteouſneſs manifeſted to us; in his Promiſes we have an heaven of life and immortality opened before our eyes; all things are ready on Gods part, one would think they ſhould be ſo on mans, whoſe elective faculty and inſtinct after happineſs might in all reaſon prompt him to accept of ſo great an offer. Nevertheleſs, Millions in the boſom of the Church utterly miſcarry; their ſins are unpardoned, their ſouls are unſanctified, the pure way of holineſs is forſaken, Heaven the region of bliſs is loſt; and, which is the prodigy of corrupt nature, they run into perdition, as if it were, what it is impoſſible to be, their choice or option.
The reaſon of this is, becauſe they are not, nor will be united to Jeſus Chriſt. We find them drowning in ſenſual pleaſures, or earthing themſelves in worldly profits, or breathing after popular air and vain-glory; but they will not come to Chriſt to waſh in his Blood, or ſubject to his Scepter, or tread in his holy ſteps, that they may live for ever; ſo they periſh, as if there were no Sayiour or Goſpel. Two or three things will make this evident.
There are Two Covenants, the one of Works, which runs thus, Do this and live; the other of Grace, which runs thus, Believe and live: the firſt in congruity to man in his primitive integrity, calls for perfect ſinleſs obedience; the other in condeſcenſion to man in his fallen eſtate, asks only faith. All men, as ſinners, being ſhort of the firſt Covenant, none can be ſaved but by the ſecond; nor by that neither, unleſs they be united to Chriſt; the Charter of ſalvation gives nothing to thoſe who are in a ſeparate eſtate from the fountain: the unbeliever, who is ſo, is condemned already; condemned by the firſt Covenant, and not ſaved by the ſecond.
There are two Heads, Adam and Chriſt, both communicate to thoſe who are theirs; Adam communicates ſin and death to his poſterity; Chriſt communicates righteouſneſs and life to his believing ſeed. There being nothing but ſin and death from the firſt Adam, none can be ſaved but by the ſecond; nor by him neither, unleſs they be in conjunction with him. He is the Saviour of the body, there is no condemnation to thoſe who are in him, nor nothing elſe to thoſe who are out of him.
There are two ways, and two periods of mankind; thoſe who are in Chriſt, walk after the ſpirit in the pure way of holineſs, and ſo paſs on to that Heaven which is the center of ſanctity; thoſe who ſtay in the firſt Adam, in a ſtate of corruption, walk after the fleſh, in a way of diſobedience, and ſo paſs on to that Hell which is the center of iniquity.
Hence it appears, That Union with Chriſt, is the critical point upon which eternal life and death depend; upon this account the Apoſtle exhorts us to examine our ſelves in this great concern, Know ye not, that Jeſus Chriſt is in you, except you be reprobates? 2 Cor. 13.5. Which is as much as to ſay, if Chriſt took our fleſh, and we have not his ſpirit; if he were a propitiatory Sacrifice, and we are not ſprinkled with his blood; if he roſe again from the dead, and we are dead in ſins and treſpaſſes, he profits us not at all: To us, as an*Sunt quibus nondum natus eſt Chriſtus, nondum eſt paſſus, non ſurrexit uſ que adhuc. Bern. de Reſurr. Dom. Ser. 4 Ancient ſpeaks, he is not yet born; he hath not yet ſuffered; he is not yet riſen; That is, he is of no effect to us, we are no better than reprobates, rejectaneous perſons, ſuch as God will put away as the droſs of the earth. Memorable are the words of the Learned Zanchy, *De Verâ Diſpenſat. 4.Tota verae juſtitiae, ſalutis, vitae participatio ex hâc perneceſſariâ cum Chriſto foreign pendet: The whole participation of true righteouſneſs, ſalvation, life, depends on that very neceſſary Union with Chriſt.
Union is a very extenſive term, the Philoſophers reckon up many kinds of it; ſome learned men diſtinguiſh Unity, Unition and Union. Unity is of one individual thing; Union is of more than one met in conjunction; Unition is the act of the efficient, which joins things together. Union is the ſtate of the united, which is produced by the unitive act. There may be Union without Unition; between the perſons in the ſacred Trinity there is an Union, but (it being an eternal one) Unition (which imports a temporal act) can have no place therein; but in all temporal Unions an Unition cannot be wanting, that being it which tacks things together, and of two makes them in a ſort to become one. In Union both the extremes are united, but both are not always changed: Thus in the Union of the Divine nature in Chriſt with the humane; the change is not in the Divine nature, but only in the Humane, which is taken into one perſon with the Divine.*In 3. Part. Aq. Art. 7. In Queſt. 2. Medina (taking Union ſo largely as to comprehend Unition in it) obſerves in Union three things; firſt the action by which things are united; then the Union of the things united; laſtly, the relation which ariſes between the extremes, from the two former; the conjunction of the extremes depends upon the unitive act, the relation between them reſults from both the unitive act and the conjunction. Union with Chriſt, is union with him who is, foreign, God and man in one perſon; were he only God, the union of a faln creature to him (being immediate and without a Mediator) would be impoſſible; were he only man, the union of a faln creature to him (being but a creature and ſo uncapable to be a Mediator) would be unprofitable and to no purpoſe. God-man is the Sponſor, Mediator, Head; God-man obeyed, ſuffered, ſatisfied for us; with him it is that the union is.
A double union with Chriſt may be noted; the one is, foreign, in appearance only: Thus the meer profeſſor is united to him; living in the Church and coming to the Ordinances; he looks like a member of Chriſt, and is (as our Saviour ſpeaks, Joh. 15.6.) foreign, a quaſi, branch in him; he ſeems to be ſuch, but in truth is not ſo; he hath not the Spirit of Chriſt, and ſo is none of his; he is in union with ſin, and in that ſtate cannot be in union with Chriſt. What fellowſhip hath righteouſneſs with unrighteouſneſs? what communion hath light with darkneſs? Bellarmine, who holds hypocrites to be members of Chriſt, confeſſes, that they are but membra mortua, dead members; which is as much as to ſay, they are but equivocal members, or rather none at all. Membrum mortuum eſt membrum pictum, ſaith Ariſtotle, a dead member is but a painted one. Upon this account other learned Papiſts (as Melchior Canus) will not have them to be members at all, but only parts; members (ſay they) cannot be without life, but parts may. St. Auſtin beſt of all ſaith,*Tract. 3. in Epiſt. Joh. That they are but as evil humours in the body, Aut in membris ſumus, aut in humoribus malis; either we are among the members, or among the humours: hypocrites are but as corrupt duplicate page duplicate page humours in the Church, they do not fill up the Body of Chriſt, but corrupt and deturpate it; putatively they belong to Chriſt, but really to Satan.
The other is, foreign, in truth and reality; thus belivers are united to him; as ſubjects they are under him; as living ſtones they are built on him; as a dear Spouſe they are joined to him; as fruitful branches they are implanted into him; as myſtical members they are incorporated into him; there is a kind of ſpiritual continuity between him and them; that holy Spirit which reſides in him, falls down in a meaſure upon them: The Scripture ſignally ſets forth this Union, He dwells in believers, and they in him, Joh. 6.56. He abides in them, and they in him, Joh. 15.4. He is in them the hope of Glory, Col. 1.27. And they are in him that is true, in Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Joh. 5.20. He lives in them, and they live by the faith of him, Gal. 2.20. He partakes with them, Heb. 2.14. And they partake of him, Heb. 3.14. Eternal life is in him; and they having the Son, have life, 1 Joh. 5.11, 12. He is one fleſh with them, and they are one ſpirit with him. Theſe things ſhew, that there is a real union between them.
This real union (which is what I aim at) is by Divines ſtiled a myſtical one, and that upon very good reaſon; the Holy Ghoſt, in Scripture, calls it a myſtery; that is, it is a Divine Secret, or holy Arcanam, above humane reaſon, and only conceivable by a ſupernatural light.De Eccleſ. viſib. 464. The Learned Whitaker ſaith of this union, that it is, myſtica & plane mirifica, myſtical and plainly wonderful. The noble Sadeel calls it,De ſpirit. Mand. 226. magnum & adorandum myſterium, a myſtery great and to be adored, as being above nature and all humane bonds.Life of Chriſt. 462. Dr. Reynolds ſtiles it, one of the deep things of God, which are not diſcernable without the Spirit.
There are three admirable Unions; the eſſential union of three perſons in the Sacred Trinity. Theſe three are one, 1 Joh. 5.7. That is, one in eſſence. The hypoſtatical Union of the Divine and Humane natures in the perſon of Chriſt; Great is the myſtery of godlineſs; God was manifeſt in the fleſh, 1 Tim. 3.16. The myſtical union which is between Chriſt and his Church; We are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones; this is a great myſtery; but I ſpeak concerning Chriſt and the Church, ſaith the Apoſtle, Epheſ. 5.30, and 32. Touching theſe three unions, *Chriſtus habet in ſe Patrem, cum quo eſt unâ ſubſtantia, habet aſſumptum hominem, cum quo eſt una perſona, habet adhaerentem ſibifidelem animam, cum quâ eſt ſpiritus unus. Bern. de Verb. Pſal. 23. fol. 415.an Ancient hath obſerved, That all three may be ſeen in Chriſt; he hath a Father (I may add, and a Spirit) with whom he is one ſubſtance; he hath an humane nature, with which he is one perſon; he hath adhering Believers, with whom he is one Spirit: Unto this obſervation I ſhall add another; the myſtical Union (which is the laſt of the three) bears a reſpect to the two former. Two or three things will manifeſt this:
Firſt, The myſtical union depends upon the two former; a hint of this we have in the words of our Saviour, who (ſpeaking of himſelf as God-man, and of giving his fleſh for the life of the World) ſaith, As the living father hath ſent me, and I live by the father; ſo he that eateth me, even he ſhall live by me, Joh. 6.57. Here are, tres viveatis, three livers one under another; the Father, who is, fons Trinitatis, the fountain of the Trinity, lives of himſelf; Chriſt lives by the Father: as he is the Word, he hath life from him by the eternal generation; as he is man, he hath it by the hypoſtatical union. The believer who ſpiritually eats Chriſt, lives by him: Conjunction with the Father, is that by which Chriſt lives; conjunction with Chriſt is that by which the Believer lives: were there no eſſential union, there could be no hypoſtatical one; which ſuppoſes, that the ſecond Perſon in the Trinity doth aſſume an humane nature made by all three. Incarnation (ſay the Schoolmen) is effectivè, belonging to the whole Trinity; but, terminativè, it is peculiar to the Son, who is the alone term unto which the humane nature is aſſumed: were there no hypoſtatical union, there could be no myſtical one; which imports, that belivers are united unto God-man. Were he only God, how ſhould we fallen creatures ever have an immediate approach unto him? or if we could, what uſe would there be of a Mediator? It is through him, as Mediator, that we have acceſs to the Father, Eph. 2.18. The way into the holy of holies, lies through the vail of his fleſh. Were he only man, to what purpoſe ſhould we be united to a meer creature? or how ſhould we dare to fix our faith on ſuch an one? To truſt in a meer man, is a curſe; to worſhip a meer creature, a piece of Idolatry: Believers therefore are united to God-man; the myſtical union depends upon the hypoſtatical, and the hypoſtatical upon the eſſential. Without a Sacred Trinity, there would be no God-man; without God-man, there would be no fit perſon for Blievers to be united unto.
Again, There is in the myſtical union, a ſhadow or dark reſemblance of the two other unions: There is a reſemblance of the eſſential union. This is hinted in our Saviours Prayer, As thou father art in me, and I in thee, that they alſo may be one in us, Joh. 17.21. From which words St. Hilary concludes,De Trinit. Lib. 8. That the union between Chriſt and Believers, is not meerly a moral union of will and affections; for then our Saviour (who is the eternal Word, and knew how to ſpeak) would have prayed thus, Pater, ſicut nos unum volumus, ita & illi unum velint, & unum per concordiam ſimus omnes. Father, as we will one and the ſame thing, ſo let them alſo do, and let us all be one by concord; But (inſtead thereof) our Saviour prays thus, As thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they alſo may be one in us. The particle (as) notes ſome kind of ſimilitude; the words (thou father art in me, and I in thee) note out the foreign, or mutual inexiſtence of the Father and Son; a reſemblance of which we have in the myſtical union, which in Scripture is expreſſed by the mutual inexiſtence of Chriſt and Believers; he is in them, and they in him; he dwells in them, and they in him: Very remarkable are the words of our Saviour, I am in the father, and you in me, and I in you, Joh. 14.20. We have here in one Text mentioned the high myſtery of the Sacred Trinity, and the myſtical union together. Firſt, The inexiſtence of the Son in the Father, and (which is implied and to be underſtood) of the Father in the Son, is ſignified; and then immediately follows the mutual inexiſtence of Chriſt and Believers; which ſhews that in this latter there is a reſemblance of the former. Again, there is in the myſtical union a reſemblance of the hypoſtatical one; this I gather from the likeneſs of thoſe Scripture-phraſes which expreſs both the unions; Chriſt was conceived of the Holy Ghoſt, Matt. 1.20. And Believers are born of the ſame holy Spirit, Joh. 3.5. In Chriſt dwells all the fulneſs of the Godhead bodily, Col. 2.9. And Believers are filled with all the fulneſs of God, Eph. 3.19. The word dwelt or tabernacled among us, Joh. 1.14. And touching Believers it is ſaid, The tabernacle of God is with men, Rev. 21.3. which is in part attained in this life, and in full accompliſhed in the other. In Chriſt the Godhead anointed the manhood; and in every ſupernatural act of Believers, weakneſs is anointed with power. The Schoolmen note in Chriſt a threefold Grace, the grace of union, in that his human nature was united to the Deity; the grace of unction, in that his humane nature was anointed with the holy Spirit; the grace of headſhip, in that he is head unto the Church. Suitably in believers may be noted a threefold grace, the grace of union, in that they are united unto Chriſt; the grace of unction, in that they are anointed with the holy Spirit; and the grace of memberſhip, in that they have all their graces from Chriſt their Head. Moreover, the three Sacred perſons in the bleſſed Trinity are for ever perfectly happy in the eſſential union; nevertheleſs, it was the eternal pleaſure, that in one of the three there ſhould be an hypoſtatical one; the Son of God aſſumed an humane nature, but he reſted not there; Corpus Chriſti naturale fuit ſacramentum corporis myſtici; beſides his natural body, he would have a myſtical one; he came in the fleſh that he might dye for us; and he died, that he might gather together in one the Children of God that were ſcattered abroad, Joh. 11.52. foreign, into one myſtical body. The hypoſtatical union aimed at a ſatisfactory paſſion, and that paſſion aimed at a myſtical union.
This Union being a myſtery, and that depending on two greater myſteries than it ſelf; two concluſions offer themſelves to us.
The one is this; The myſtical union is not properly to be judged or meaſured by humane reaſon: Nay, a learned man ſpeaking of it, ſaith, Ne Angelica mens, Cam. de Eccl. 222.the Angelical mind cannot comprehend it in its full dignity. To explain this, I ſhall lay down ſome diſtinctions:
There is a double ſphear, one of meer nature, another of ſupernatural revelation; in the firſt, it is proper for humane reaſon to ſearch out things, and dive into the cauſes and effects thereof; yet in doing of it there is many a Nonplus, and things are ſeen rather in their garb and inveſting accidents, than in their pure and naked eſſence. In the ſecond it is proper for faith to come and ſubſcribe to the ſacred Oracle, even in things above Reaſon, without ſo much as asking any how's or why's. It is an argument of infidelity (ſaith an Ancient) foreign, to ſay, touching God, how can this or that be? it is the genius of ſaith to ſeal to all that God ſaith, upon account of his infallible teſtimony and veracity.
There is a double ſtate of man; one of primitive integrity, which God ſet Adam in at firſt; another of Apoſtacy, which is derived from Adam fallen. In the firſt there was, foreign, right reaſon; the undeniable dictate of which is, That nothing can be more juſt, and purely rational, than for our intellect to do homage to its original, and to ſubject it ſelf to infinite truth in all that it ſpeaks to us: ſuch a Reaſon, I am ſure, cannot without loſing its own rectitude, uſurp a dominion over Divine myſteries. In the ſecond there is, foreign, a ſpurious, adulterate Reaſon, ſuch as is the black fountain of all hereſies; this is ſo far from being fit to ſit in judgment upon holy myſteries, that it is worthy to be captivated and crucified, as being indeed not Reaſon, but the ruſt and corruption of it.
There is a double furniture of Reaſon, one natural, which ſtands in thoſe common maxims or principles, whoſe truth is inviolable, and at the very firſt ſight apparent to all rational minds; and withal, in thoſe concluſions, which by conſequences and trains of argumentation are duely and regularly inferred from thoſe principles. Another ſupernatural, which ſtands in the irradiations of the holy Spirit, to make us diſcern ſpiritual things ſpiritually. Take Reaſon with its right natural furniture; ſupernatural myſteries cannot contradict it, no more than one light can oppoſe another; yet they do exceed it, as much as ſupernatural light doth natural: Hence it appears, that Reaſon in this ſenſe (being not contradicted by ſupernatural myſteries) is a kind of negative meaſure of them, yet (being much exceeded by them) is not, nor indeed can be a poſitive one. Take Reaſon as illuminated by the Holy Spirit, it hath no propenſity or aptitude to ſit in judgment upon holy myſteries; it hath no propenſity to do ſo, becauſe the illumination lets in ſo much of the ſpiritual glory of them as commands an intellectual ſubjection to them; it hath no aptitude to do ſo, becauſe (the illumination, being but in part) it cannot dive into the bottom of them, or ſee them in their full compaſs and latitude.
There is a double judgment, one diſcretive or perceptive only; another authoritative or dictative. Reaſon in ſupernatural things may have the firſt, but not the ſecond; it may gather up out of Scripture ſupernatural notions, but in this it is but a Miniſter or Inſtrument, as Hagar upon Sarah, it is to wait upon the holy Oracles; if it ſubmit not it ſelf to them, then (as an Ancient adviſes) ejice ancillam, Clem. Strom.we are rather to caſt it out, than to loſe the holy myſteries. It is indeed of uſe as it miniſters about them; but if once it grow magiſterial, all will be out of frame; the Divine teſtimony will no longer (as becomes it) go alone or be received for it ſelf; the holy myſteries, how ſublime ſoever, will be drawn down to our model; and as ſeems good to us, they muſt be myſteries or nullities. Faith, as excellent a grace as it is, will fall out of its orb, and no more give God the glory of his Veracity; we will believe myſteries no longer upon the Divine Teſtimony, but ſo far only as they are congruous to Reaſon; that is, in plain terms we will not believe at all: our faith (its ultimate reſolution being not into God and his authority, but into our ſelves and our own reaſon) is a meer nothing. Hence St. Auſtin, when the Manichees would believe only what they themſelves pleaſed,Contr. Fauſt. lib. 17. c. 3. tells them, Vobis potiùs quam Evangelio creditis, ye believe your ſelves rather than the Goſpel. This is that horrible confuſion which immediately enſues, as ſoon as humane Reaſon gets into the Chair, and falls a judging ſupernatural things: the very Heathen teach us much better Divinity than this, in their fable of the Golden Chain, which did not draw down Jupiter from Heaven, but attracted men thither. It is not for us to humble and draw down Divine myſteries to our Reaſon; but it becomes us to elevate and lift up our minds in faith unto them.
The other is this; The proper meaſure and judge of the myſtical union, is the holy Scripture; this is the grand Principle of Divine Knowledg; this is the infallible Canon of Faith; here God, who is Truth it ſelf, ſpeaks unto us; here ſupernatural myſteries are revealed; and in particular that of the myſtical union. Without the Scripture, who could have apprehended a Sacred Trinity? or, that being known, who could have ſtarted a thought of the hypoſtatical union? or, that being revealed, who could have carried on his thought from thence to the myſtical one? or, ſomewhat of that being manifeſt, who would have preſumed, of his own head, to have expreſſed it in ſuch high and wonderful terms as the holy Scripture hath done? The Doctrine of this Union purely depends on Scripture; there's the holy ballance which weighs it; the Divine Lamp which diſcovers it. If Scripture be ſilent, who can ſpeak? If that ſpeak, who may diſſent? To ſpeak of myſteries unrevealed is a meer vanity; to receive them being revealed, is a neceſſary duty. We ſee the Sacred Rule, which in this point we are to apply our ſelves unto;*Nolo argumento credas, Sancte Imperator, & noſtrae diſputationi, Scripturas interrogemus; de fide. lib. 1. cap. 4. St. Ambroſe would not have the Emperor believe his Arguments, but ask the Scriptures; the holy Oracle will give a ſure anſwer to thoſe who ask counſel of it. St. Chryſoſtom would not have us to look for another Maſter, and adds this Reaſon,*In Coloſs. bom. 9. foreign, thou haſt the Words of God, none teacheth thee like them; our plain duty is to hear and acquieſce in what the holy Scripture tells us; though it exceed and tranſcend our capacity, yet are we to ſubſcribe and ſeal to the Divine Truth. In ſuper-rational things, Faith ſucceeds in the place of Reaſon, and ſtands upon that infallible Truth, which is a much ſurer foundation than Reaſon can afford. The incomprehenſibleneſs of the object is no bar to Faith, which is an foreign for its firmneſs, even when the thing for its inevidence is not ſeen; though the thing exceed our minds, yet Faith will purely reſt on the infallible Word.
To conclude, in all myſteries, and in particular in that of our Union with Chriſt, it becomes us to ſee what the holy Oracle ſaith, and thereupon to ſubject our underſtandings to it. Abraham at Gods call obeyed and went out of his Countrey, not knowing whither he went: In like manner Believers, who are his ſpiritual Children, are to follow the conduct of Scripture in thoſe things which are above our capacity, becauſe the Reaſon of God himſelf (which is much greater than our own) comes forth to us in thoſe myſteries, to make us ſubject our minds to him who is truth it ſelf.