The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · Christ's two natures · Subsection 1
1. Whether there be two natures in Chriſt our Mediatour.
Two natures in Chriſt.THat there are two natures in Chriſt, this one reaſon ſhewes by good demonſtrance: Eſſentiall properties which are oppoſite, cannot be in the ſame, nor be affirmed of the ſame thing in reſpect of the ſame nature or cauſe. Vigil.Vigil. lib. 4. One nature doth not receive in it ſelfe a thing contrary and diverſe. But in one and the ſame Chriſt are, and are affirmed of him properties diverſe and contrary, divine and humane, finite, infinite, paſſible, impaſſible, and ſuch like: Therefore there muſt needs be divers natures in him, humane and divine. And that the very divine nature, Creatreſſe of all things, is in Chriſt, hath been already proved. It remaineth that we ſhew, a true humane nature to be in him, and that ſuch as ours is, and perfect, conſiſting of a body, and a reaſonable ſoule, of which, Chriſt true man, and of our kind and nature.as of eſſentiall parts, is made a third ſubſtance, to wit, this particular humanity, which the Word, having taken once into the unity of the perſon, doth never lay away againe. Which we are to hold againſt Hereticks both old and new, Marcionites and Swenkfieldians; whereof ſome deny Chriſts fleſh to have been formed of the Virgins ſubſtance, but will have it brought down from heaven into the Virgin, or begotten in her, of the ſubſtance of the holy Ghoſt. Others fancie Chriſt to have, inſtead of true fleſh, the likeneſſe, ſemblance, and apparency of a mans body. Others acknowledge indeed, that he hath a true body, but not an humane ſoule, the roome whereof is ſupplied by the Word united unto the body.
Againſt theſe and the like errors,The truth of Chriſts humane nature is proved: the ſentence and doctrine of the Church is confirmed By plaine places of Scripture, which teſtifie, Chriſt, Maries By Scripture. Luke 1.31.Son, to have been made like unto us in all things, that is, in eſſence, in properties, in infirmities, ſin only excepted. Loe, thou ſhalt conceive in thy womb, and beare a Son. Seeing then the Virgin conceived this her Son in her womb, bare it untill the uſuall time of delivery, and was delivered of it, as other women uſe to be of their children; it followeth, that his fleſh was nor brought from heaven, or elſe-where taken, which ſhould but paſſe onelyonly through the womb of the Virgin, but was formed in the Virgins womb, of her ſeed and ſubſtance. He that ſanctifieth, and they which are ſanctified, are all of one: Hebr. 2.11, 14, 15, 16.wherefore he is not aſhamed to call them brethren. And a little after: For as much as the children were partakers of fleſh and bloud, he alſo himſelfe likewiſe took part with them. Againe, In all things it became him to be like to his brethren: Therefore he hath a humane nature of the ſame kinde wholly with ours: Hereof he is called, The fruit of Maries womb, Luke 1.42. & 2▪7. Gal. 4.4. & 3.16. Rom. 1.3. & 9.5. Luke 3.The firſt begotten Sonne of Mary, Made of a woman, The ſeed of Abraham, Made of the ſeed of David, Borne of the Jewes concerning the fleſh, The Sonne of Abraham, of David, and the Sonne of man. And alſo his pedegree and ſtock, concerning the fleſh, is deduced unto Adam: Therefore he was begotten of the ſubſtance of his mother, and iſſued from the ſame ſeed of Adam, from which we did. Chriſt proveth himſelfe to be a true man, and not a ſpirit, by this, that a ſpirit hath no fleſh and bones, as he hath, and retaineth, even after his reſurrection. Apollinaris the Heretick ſaid,Luke 24.39. The errour of Apollinaris refuted That Chriſts body indeed was a true body; but inſtead of a ſoule, he had the Word onelyonly. But this man is eaſily refuted, becauſe Chriſt ſhould not then have been like unto his brethren in all things, except ſinne. And Chriſt himſelfe doth plainly confeſſe,Mat. 26.38. Luke 2.52. John 10.18. My ſoule is very heavie, even unto the death. He is ſaid to have increaſed in wiſdome, and ſtature, and in favour with God and men: and, to lay downe his ſoule, and take it againe. But, to increaſe in wiſdome, and, To be heavie and ſad, doe neither agree unto a body, which is a reaſonleſſe thing: neither unto the Godhead, which is not obnoxious to changes and paſſions. Hitherto belongeth alſo that, Father, Luke 23.46.into thine hands I commend my ſpirit. And when he had thus ſaid, he gave up the ghoſt. This cannot be ſaid of Chriſts God-head: For, that being immenſe and infinite, is every where; neither doth a removing from one place to another agree unto it: it is not laid downe, and taken up againe; that is, it never departed, or was ſevered from the body, but remaineth alwayes united unto it. Wherefore, there muſt needs be in Chriſt, beſides his body and his God-head, a true humane ſoule, which did truly ſuffer and abide in Chriſt theſe changes, and the like.
By divine promiſes and prophecies. Gen. 3.15. Eſay 7.14. Matth. 1.1. Luke 1.42. Rom. 1.3.It is confirmed by divine promiſes and prophecies. For the Meſſias in the Old Teſtament was promiſed to be ſuch a one, as ſhould be the ſeed of the woman, of Abraham, Iſaac, Jacob, &c. But this Jeſus, the Son of the Virgin Mary, is that promiſed Meſſias: Therefore he muſt needs be the true man, iſſuing of the bloud and poſterity of the Woman and the Fathers, and therefore to have been indeed begotten of the ſubſtance of Mary, and to have taken true fleſh.
By his office of Mediatourſhip.The office of the Mediatour confirmeth the ſame. The ſinne of men, in reſpect of Gods truth and juſtice, could not be puniſhed in any other nature, than in a humane nature, which ſhould be of the ſame kind with ours. But in the Mediatour, which is Jeſus Chriſt alone, our ſinnes were to be puniſhed: Therefore he muſt needs be true man who hath humane fleſh, not created of nothing, or borne elſe-whence, but ſprung from the bloud of Adam, as well as ours. Moreover, it was neceſſary for Chriſt, not onelyonly to take, but alſo to retaine our nature for ever: becauſe God hath decreed to beſtow, and doth beſtow the benefits, which Chriſt by his death hath purchaſed for us, by this man Chriſt, upon them onelyonly who are, and remaine ingraffed into his maſſe and fleſh, as members into their head, or branches into their Vine.1 Cor. 15.21. John 15.6. For ſince by man came death, by man came alſo the reſurrection of the dead. If a man abide not in me, he is caſt forth as a branch, and withereth. Laſtly, It behooved Chriſt to be made, and to continue our brother for ever; that as he is fleſh of our fleſh, ſo we alſo of the other ſide might be fleſh and bones of his fleſh and bones, by the ſame ſpirit dwelling in us.Epheſ. 5.30. John. 5.56. Epheſ. 4.12, 16. Rom. 8.11. We are members of his body, of his fleſh, and of his bones. Wherefore, except Chriſt had indeed taken our nature, without which he cannot be our brother, we ſhould loſe that comfort ever needfull and neceſſary for us, which conſiſteth in the brotherhood onelyonly of Chriſt with us: I am of his fleſh, and of his bones.
Object. 1. The fleſh of Adam (that is, humane fleſh iſſuing from Adam by generation unto his posterity) is ſinfull. The fleſh of Chriſt is not ſinfull: Therefore the fleſh of Chriſt is not the fleſh of Adam. Anſw. The Major propoſition hath a fallacy of the accident. For it is not neceſſary, that of whatſoever the accident of a thing is denied, of the ſame, the thing alſo, or ſubject of the accident ſhould be denied: becauſe an accident doth ſo cleave to the thing wherein it is, as it may be ſeparated from it.Sin is not of the nature of mans fleſh, but an accident only thereof Sin is not of the eſſence and nature of humane fleſh (for that was created pure of God) but ſin came otherwiſe, by the defection and falling of our firſt Parents from God. Seeing then the fleſh of Adam is ſinfull only by an accident, it followeth that the fleſh of Chriſt is onelyonly in reſpect of that accident, not the fleſh of Adam, but is, as touching the ſubſtance, the ſame fleſh with the fleſh of Adam. Wherefore, they deale like Sophiſters, who deny the fleſh of Chriſt, for that it is void of ſinne, to be the ſame in ſubſtance, or eſſence, or kind, with the fleſh of Adam. For he that could in the beginning create humane fleſh pure of nothing, he is able alſo by his omnipotent power, and ſpeciall working, ſo to form it of the ſubſtance of the Virgin, being a ſinner, as withall, to let and ſtop any iſſuing of ſin thereunto; that is, to make it pu…e and holy. There is no new or ſtrange thing therefore, if the omnipotent Lord hath taken humane ſubstance, without the accident ſinne, into the unity of his perſon. Wherefore this their argument ſhall be rather thus inverted: The fleſh of Adam is true fleſh. Chriſts fleſh is the fleſh of Adam: and therefore Christs fleſh is true fleſh, and, by a conſequent, Chriſt is true man.
See the explication of the 35 Queſtion of the Catechiſme.Object. 2. That which is conceived and begotten of another, is of the ſame ſubstance with him. The fleſh of Chriſt was conceived of the holy Ghost: Therefore the fleſh of Christ is no creature, but came downe from heaven, iſſuing from the ſubſtance of God. Anſw. There is a fa…acy in the diverſe underſtanding of the particle of: For that in the Major ſigni…eth the matter or materiall cauſe, in the Minor the efficient cauſe onelyonly, that is; That which is conceived or begotten of another, transfuſing, or paſsing his ſubſtance, or part of his ſubſtance into the thing begotten; this is of the ſame eſſence with him who begot it: Chriſts fleſh was conceived by the holy Ghoſt; not that he transfuſed, or paſſed his ſubſtance into fleſh begotten, but becauſe in miraculous ſort he formed in the Virgins womb of her ſubſtance the body of Chriſt, ſo that it ſhould not be contaminated or polluted with originall ſin.
Object. 3. In God are not two natures. Christ is God: Therefore there are not two natures in him. Anſ. Meere particulars doe in force nothing. For if the Major be taken univerſally, it is falſe: Whoſoever is God, in him are not two natures: this generall propoſition is falſe. The Major therefore is true, as touching God the Father, and God the holy Ghoſt, but not as touching God the Son incarnate. Repl. 1. But nothing can be added unto God, by reaſon of the great perfection and ſimplicity of his nature. Chriſt is God▪ Therefore the humanity could not be added to his divine nature. Anſw. Nothing can be added to God by way of perfection, that is, whereby his eſſence may be changed and perfected: but by way of copulation or union. Now, in that God the Word joyned the humane nature unto him perſonally, there came no change or great perfection thereby to the Word which took it, but to the nature which was taken. Repl. 2. Humane nature cannot come unto him, 1 Tim. 6.….who dwelleth in the light that none can come unto. Anſw. This is true, if ſo God of ſpeciall grace doth not aſſume and take it unto him. Repl. 3. But it is ignominious for God to be a creature. Chriſt-man, is God. Anſw. The changing of the God-head into a creature, would have been ignominious and reproachfull unto the Word, but that the God-head ſhould be united unto a creature, is moſt glorious unto God, as who by that meanes hath demonſtrated and made knowne his infinite both goodneſſe, and wiſdome, and juſtice and power, to the whole world.