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ation and change of their natures which is pleaded for. Neither is the Word made flesh by alteration, but by union.

4. It is confessed that the soul is not said to be made the body, nor the body said to be made the soul, as the Word is said to be made flesh; for the union of soul and body is not a union of distinct substances subsisting in one common subsistence, but a union of two parts of one nature, whereof the one is the form of the other. And herein is the dissimilitude of that similitude. Hence will that predication be justified in Christ, " The Word was made flesh," without any change or alteration, because of that subsistence whereunto the flesh or human nature of Christ was assumed, which is common to them both. And so it is in accidental predications. When we say a man is made white, black, or pale, we do not intend that he is as to his substance changed into whiteness, etc., but that he who is a man is also become white.

5. It is true that the soul is not a person, nor the body, but a person is the exurgency of their conjunction: and therefore we do not say that herein the similitude is [to be] urged, for the divine nature of Christ had its own personality antecedent to this union; nor is the union of his person the union of several parts of the same nature, but the concurrence of several natures in one subsistence.

6. That it is" of necessity that Christ's human nature should of itself constitute a person," is urged upon the old account of begging the thing in question. This is that which in the case of Christ we deny, and produce all the proofs before mentioned to make evident the reason of our denial; but our great masters here say the contrary, and our under-catechists are resolved to believe them. Christ was a true man, because he had the true essence of a man, soul and body, with all their essential properties. A peculiar personality belongeth not to the essence of a man, but to his existence in such a manner. Neither do we deny Christ to have a person as a man, but to have a human person: for the human nature of Christ subsisteth in that which, though it be in itself divine, yet as to that act of sustentation which it gives the human nature, is the subsistence of a man; on which account the subsistence of the human nature of Christ is made more noble and excellent than that of any other man whatever.

And this is the whole plea of our catechists from reason, that whereto they so much pretend, and which they give the pre-eminence unto in their attempts against the deity of Christ, as the chief, if not the only engine they have to work by. And if they be thus weak in the main body of their forces, certainly that reserve which they pretend from Scripture, whereof, indeed, they have the meanest pretence and show that ever any of the sons of men had who were necessitated to make a plea from it in a matter of so great concernment as that now under Consideration, will quickly disappear. Thus, then, they proceed:

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Q. Declare, also, how it is repugnant to Scripture that Christ hath a divine

nature.

A. First, Because that the Scripture proposeth to us one only God by nature, whom we have above declared to be the Father of Christ. Secondly, The same Scripture testifieth that Jesus Christ was by nature a man, whereby it taketh from him any divine nature. Thirdly, Because whatever divine thing Christ hath, the Scripture plainly teacheth that he had it by a gift of the Father, Matt. xxviii. 18; Phil. ii. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 27; John v. 19, x. 25. Lastly, Because the same Scripture most evidently showing that Jesus Christ did not vindicate and ascribe all his divine works to himself, or to any divine nature of his own, but to his Father, makes it plain that divine nature in Christ was altogether in vain, and would have been without any cause.'

And this is that which our catechists have to pretend from Scripture against the deity of Christ, concluding that any such divine nature in him would be superfluous and needless,-themselves being judges. In the strength of what here they have urged, they set themselves to evade the evidence of near fifty express texts of Scripture, by themselves produced and insisted on, giving undeniable testimony to the truth they oppose. Let, then, what they have brought forth be briefly considered:

1. The Scripture doth indeed propose unto us "one only God by nature," and we confess that that only true God is the "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;" but we say that the Son is partaker of the Father's nature, of the same nature with him, as being his proper Son, and, by his own testimony, one with him. He is such a Son (as hath been declared) as is begotten of the essence of his Father; and is therefore God, blessed for ever. If the Father be God by nature, so is the Son; for he is of the same nature with the Father.

2. To conclude that Christ is not God because he is man, is plainly and evidently to beg the thing in question. We evidently discover in the person of Christ properties that are inseparable adjuncts of a divine nature, and such also as no less properly belong to a human nature. From the asserting of the one of these to conclude to a denial of the other, is to beg that which they are not able to dig for.

3. There is a twofold communication of the Father to the Son:(1.) By eternal generation. So the Son receives his personality, and therein bis divine nature, from him who said unto him, "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." And this is so far from dis

1 "Doce etiam, qui id repugnet Scripturæ Christum habere divinam naturam.— Primum, ea ratione, quod Scriptura nobis unum tantum natura Deum proponat, quem superius demonstravimus esse Christi Patrem. Secundo, eadem Scriptura testatur, Jesum Christum natura esse hominem, ut superius ostensum est; quo ipso illi naturam adimit divinam. Tertio, quod quicquid divinum Christus habeat, Scriptura eum Patris dono habere aperte doceat, Matt. xxviii. 18; Phil. ii. 9; 1 Cor. xv. 27; John v. 19, x. 25. Denique cum eadem Scriptura apertissime ostendat, Jesum Christum omnia sua facta divina, non sibi, nec alicui naturæ divinæ suæ, sed Patri suo vindicare solitum fuisse, planum facit, eam divinam in Christo naturam prorsus otiosam, ac sine cani causa futuram fuisse."

proving the deity of Christ that it abundantly confirms it. And this is mentioned, John v. 19-23. This Christ hath by nature. (2.) By collation of gifts, honour and dignity, exaltation and glory, upon. him as mediator, or in respect of that office which he humbled himself to undergo, and for the full execution whereof and investiture [where]with glory, honour, and power were needful; which is mentioned, Matt. xxviii. 18, Phil. ii. 9, 1 Cor. xv. 27: which is by no means derogatory to the deity of the Son; for inequality in respect of office is well consistent with equality in respect of nature. This Christ hath by grace. Matt. xxviii. 18, Christ speaks of himself as thoroughly furnished with authority for the accomplishing of the work of mediation which he had undertaken. It is of his office, not of his nature or essence, that he speaks. Phil. ii. 9, Christ is said to be exalted; which he was in respect of the real exaltation given to his human nature, and the manifestation of the glory of his divine, which he had with his Father before the world was, but had eclipsed for a season. 1 Cor. xv. 27 relates to the same exaltation of Christ as before.

4. It is false that Christ doth not ascribe the divine works which he wrought to himself and his own divine power, although that he often also makes mention of the Father, as by whose appointment he wrought those works, as mediator: John v. 17, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work;" verse 19, "For what things soever the Father doeth, these also doeth the Son;" verse 21, " For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will." Himself wrought the works that he did, though as to the end of his working them, which belonged to his office of mediation, he still relates to his Father's designation and appointment.

And this is the whole of our catechists' plea from reason and Scripture against the deity of Christ. [As] for the conclusion, of the superfluousness and needlessness of such a divine nature in the Mediator, as it argues them to be ignorant of the Scriptures, and of the righteousness of God, and of the nature of sin, so it might administer occasion to insist upon the demonstration of the necessity which there was that he who was to be mediator between God and man should be both God and man, but that I aim at brevity, and the consideration of it may possibly fall in upon another account, so that here I shall not insist thereon.

Nextly, then, they address themselves to that which is their proper work (wherein they are exceedingly delighted),—namely, in giving in exceptions against the testimonies produced for the confirmation of the truth under consideration, which they thus enter upon:

Q. But they endeavour to assert the divine nature of Christ from the Scrip

tures.

A. They endeavour it, indeed, diverse ways; and that whilst they study either to

evince out of certain scriptures what is not in them, or whilst they argue perversely from those things which are in the scriptures, and so evilly bring their business to pass.1

These, it seems, are the general heads of our arguments for the deity of Christ; but before we part we shall bring our catechists to another reckoning, and manifest both that what we assert is expressly contained in the Scriptures, and what we conclude by ratiocination from them hath an evidence in it which they are not able to resist. But they say,

Q. What are those things which they labour to evince concerning Christ out of the Scriptures, which are not contained in them?

A. Of this sort is, as they speak, his pre-eternity; which they endeavour to confirm with two sorts of scriptures:-1. Such as wherein they suppose this preeternity is expressed; 2. Such as wherein, though it be not expressed, yet they think that it may be gathered from them."

That we do not only "suppose," but have also as great an assurance as the plain, evident, and redoubled testimony of the Holy Ghost can give us of the eternity of Jesus Christ, shall be made evident in the ensuing testimonies, both of the one sort and the other, especially by such as are express thereunto; for in this matter we shall very little trouble the reader with collections and arguings, the matter inquired after being express and evident in the words and terms of the Holy Ghost himself. They say, then,—

Q. Which are those testimonies of Scripture which seem to them to express his pre-eternity?

A. They are those in which the Scripture witnesseth of Christ that he was in the beginning, that he was in heaven, that he was before Abraham, John i. 1, vi. 62, viii. 58.3

Before I come to the consideration of the particular places proposed by them to be insisted on, I shall desire to premise one or two things; as,

1. That it is sufficient for the disproving of their hypothesis concerning Christ if we prove him to have been existent before his incarnation, whether the testimonies whereby we prove it reach expressly to the proof of his eternity or no. That which they have undertaken to maintain is, that Christ had no existence before his conception and birth of the Virgin;—which if it be disproved, they do not, they cannot, deny but that it must be on the account of a

1 “Atqui illi e Scripturis illam divinam in Christo naturam asserere conantur?—Conantur quidem variis modis; idque dum student aut e scripturis quibusdam evincere quæ in iis non habentur, aut dum ex iis quæ in scripturis habentur perperam ratiocinantur, ac male rem suam conficiunt."

2 44 Quæ vero sunt illa quæ illi de Christo e Scripturis evincere laborant quæ illic non habentur?-Est illius, ut loquuntur, prææternitas, quam duplici scripturarum genere approbare nituntur. Primum ejusmodi est, in quo præ-æternitatem hanc expressam putant. Secundum, in quo licet expressa non sit, eam tamen colligi arbitrantur."

3 "Quænam sunt testimonia Scripturæ quæ videntur ipsis eam præ-æternitatem exprimere ?-Sunt ea in quibus Scriptura testatur de Christo, ipsum fuisse in principio, fuisse in cœlo, fuisse ante Abrahamum, Joh. i. 1, vi. 62, viii. 58.”

divine nature; for as to the incarnation of any pre-existing creature (which was the Arians' madness), they disavow and oppose it.

2. That those three places mentioned are very far from being all wherein there is express confirmation of the eternity of Christ; and therefore, when I have gone through the consideration of them, I shall add some others also, which are of no less evidence and perspicuity than those whose vindication we are by them called unto. To the first place mentioned they thus proceed:

Q. What dost thou answer to the first?

A. In the place cited there is nothing about that pre-eternity, seeing here is mention of the beginning, which is opposed to eternity. But the word "beginning” is almost always in the Scripture referred to the subject-matter, as may be seen, Dan. viii. 1; John xv. 27, xvi. 4; Acts xi. 15: and therefore, seeing the subjectmatter here is the gospel, whose description John undertakes, without doubt, by his word "beginning," John understood the beginning of the gospel.

This place being express to our purpose, and the matter of great importance, I shall first confirm the truth contended for from thence, and then remove the miserable subterfuge which our catechists have received from their great apostles, uncle and nephew.

1. That John, thus expressly insisting on the deity of Christ in the beginning of his Gospel, intended to disprove and condemn sundry that were risen up in those days denying it, or asserting the creation or making of the world to another demiurgus, we have the unquestionable testimony of the first professors of the religion of Jesus Christ, with as much evidence and clearness of truth as any thing can be tendered on uncontrolled tradition; which at least will give some insight into the intendment of the Holy Ghost in the words."

2. That by ỏ Aoyos, howsoever rendered, Verbum or Sermo, or on what account soever he be so called, either as being the eternal Word and Wisdom of the Father, or as the great Revealer of his will unto us (which yet of itself is not a sufficient cause of that appellation, for others also reveal the will of God unto us, Acts xx. 27, Heb. i. 1), Jesus Christ is intended, is on all hands confessed, and may be undeniably evinced from the context. This Aéyos came into the world and was rejected by his own, verse 11; yea, expressly, he "was made flesh," and was "the only-begotten of the Father," verse 14.

"Quid vero ad primum respondes ?-In loco citato nihil habetur de ista prææternitate, cum hic principii mentio fiat, quod præ-æternitati opponitur. Principii vero vox in Scripturis fere semper ad subjectam refertur materiam, ut videre est, Dan. viii. 1; Joh. xv. 27, xvi. 4; Act. xi. 15: cum igitur hic subjecta sit materia evangelium, cujus descriptionem suscepit Johannes, sine dubio per vocem hanc principii, principium evargelii Johannes intellexit."

Iren. adv. Hæres. lib. iii. cap. xi.; Epiphan. lib. i. tom. ii. hæres. 27, 28, 30, etc., lib. ii. tom. ii. hæres. 69; Theod. Epitom. Hæret. lib. ii.; Euseb. Hist. lib. iii. cap. xxvii. "Causam post alios hæc scribendi præcipuam tradunt omnes (veteres), ut veneno iu Ecclesiam jam tum sparso, authoritate sua, quæ apud omnes Christianum nomen profitentes non poterat non esse maxima, medicinam faceret."-Grot. Præfat. ad Annotat. in Evang. Johan.

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