Clause 3

Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles

Genes. 3. I will put enimitie betweene thee and the Woman, and betweene thy seede, and her seede. It shall bruise thy heade, and thou shalt bruise his heele. To the Gala. 4. But when the fulnes of time was come, God sent forth his sonne made of a woman, &c.

That the sonne of God must take the nature of man of the stocke of Abraham

Genes. 22. In thy name shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Gala. 3. Act 3. in the ende, and Luke. the 2.

That the stocke was restrained to the tribe of Iudah, and here somewhat concerning the time that the Messias should be giuen

Genes. 49. The tribe shall not desist from Iehudah, nor the Lawgiuer from the middest of his feete: vntill his sonne come, and obedience of peoples be made vnto him: fulfilled in the 2. of Luk. ver. 1. Where the whole worlde is taxed, and therefore nowe the scepter was departed from Iuda, when the tribe of Iudah was taxed of Augustus, and therefore also Marie together with Ioseph. And herevnto belong those prophesies, which are to be seene in the 6. of Zacharie, ver. 11. Take therefore siluer and gold, that thou maist make crownes, and put them vpon the heade of Iehoschuhh the sonne of Iehosadac the high Priest: Thou shalt say vnto him after this manner, so saith the Lord God of hoastes, in saying: Beholde a man whose name is a slippe, who shall bud foorth out of his place, and hee shall builde the Temple of the Lorde of hoastes: Hee I say, shall build a temple to the Lorde of hoastes, and the same shall beare away comelines, and shall sit and beare rule vppon his seat, and hee shall be a priest vpon his seat, and the counsell of peace shall be betwixt both. And let there be crownes for euerie one, for Helē, for Tobiah and Iedaiah, & to Hen, the son of Zephaniah for a memoriall in the temple of the Lorde of hoastes: and they that are farre of shall come and builde in the Temple of the Lorde, &c. And Ezechiel the 21. So hath the Lorde God of Hoastes saide: Remoue awaie the Diademe and the crowne: This which is nowe, shall not be that. I will aduaunce the humble, & will throw drowne the proude, I will ouerturne, ouerturne, ouerturne it, and it shall be no more vntill hee come whose right it is, and I will giue it him. Of the time of the comming of the Messiah, note both these diligently, that hee must be borne, when the scepter shoulde be taken away from Iehudah, as hath beene shewed: and yet notwithstanding whilest the Temple and Priesthood should yet stande: as Daniel saith in the 9. Chapter. After 62. weekes Christ shall be cut off, and there shall be none to helpe him, and the people of that Capitaine to come, shall scatter that citie and that sanctuarie.

Of the place of his birth, touching the flesh; & also of his comming forth from the dayes of eternitie in respect of his diuine nature

Michee 5. And thou Bethlehem Euphratah art little to be among the thousands of Iudah: yet out of thee shall hee come foorth vnto me, that shall be ruler in Israel Whose goings foorth haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting. With what a wonderfull prouidence of God was this prophesie fulfilled: Whilest Ioseph and Marie by the edict of Augustus, are called into Bethlehem, where shee brought foorth Christ? See Luk. 2. in the beginning of the chapter, and with what a wonderfull prouidence the wise men were lead vnto the place, being holpen of Herod and of the Scribes. See the seconde of Matthew.

Of the holinesse of his conception

Ieremie 23. Beholde the dayes come, saith the Lord of hoastes. And I will raise vp a braunch to my seruaunt Dauid, and this is his name whereby they shall call him. The Lorde of hoastes our righteousnesse. The prophesie is fulfilled. Luke 1. verses 31.22.33.35. Daniel in the 9. Chapter foretolde that the holinesse of holinesses must be annointed, whereby in verie deede he sheweth plainely and cleerely, that his conception must be holy, and must be the seconde Temple yet standing. What, that the Prophet Isaiah, and Haggeus foreshewed that it shoulde come to passe, that the glorie of the seconde Temple should be much greater then the glorie of the first, it shoulde be euerlasting: was it not truely fulfilled in this most pure conception of the Sonne of God,¹ in which by the power of the holy Ghost, that same euerlasting worde hath personally vnited the humaine nature, and hath begon to dwell in it, as in his owne Temple? As also Christ himselfe nameth his body a Temple. Ioh. 2. So both the prophesies are fulfilled, not as in a temple of stone, or a figure, whose glorie was much lesse then the glorie of Salomons Temple, neither did that Temple continewe euerlastingly, but after the Messiah was exalted, to wit, that same true Temple was taken away into the fathers glorie, neuer after to be builded againe. The prophesie of Isaias is playne in the 60. Chapiter, vers 13. The glory of Lybanon shall come vnto thee, the firre tree, the elme, and the boxe tree together, to bewtifie the place of my sanctuary: For I will glorifie the place of my feete. And in the same place, I will make thee an eternall glorie, &c. The Prophesie of Haggai in the second Chapiter is more notable: So saith the Lorde there. Speake nowe vnto Zerubbabel, the sonne of Shealtiel, Prince of Iudah, and to Iehosua the sonne of Iehozadak the high Priest, and to the residue of the people saying, who is lefte among you that sawe this house in her first glorie, and howe do you see it nowe? Is it not in your eyes in comparison of it, as nothing? Yet now saith the Lorde of hoastes, strengthen thy selfe Zerubbabel, &c. And a litle after: Thus saith the Lord God of hoastes, yet a little while, and I will moue the heauen and earth, and the the sea, and the drie land: and I will moue all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with glory saith the Lord of hoastes. Siluer is mine, and golde is mine, saith the Lorde of hoastes. The glory of this last house shalbe greater then the first, saith the Lorde of hoastes.

Of the virgines bringing forth a childe

Isay Chapter 7. The Lorde shall giue you a signe: Beholde a virgine shall be with childe, and shall bring forth a sonne, & thou shalt call his name Immanuell. Thou hast the fulfilling of it, in the 1. of Mathew verses 22.23. To which adde the Prophesie of Isay. Chap. 9. A litle childe is borne vnto vs. A sonne is giuen vnto vs, and the gouernement was vpon his shoulder, and he shal cal his name wonderful, Counsailour, the mightie God, father of euerlastingnes, Prince of peace. Fulfilled in the 2. of Luke. ver. 11.14.

The meaning of the wordes: which was conceaued by the holy Ghost, borne of the virgine Marie

The meaning is, that the euerlasting Sonne of God of the same substance with the Father, without any putting off, of his diuine nature, without any conuersion or commixtiō, was made that which he first was not, to wit man, which the Scripture enterpreteth. He tooke the seede of Abraham, that is our flesh of the virgine Marie, and his verie humane soule, and that by the power of the holy Ghoste, that he might be like vnto his brethren in al things, sinne onely excepted, Ioh. 1. And to the Hebr. 2. and the fourth: 1. Tim. 3. Rom. 1.

The consolation which a faithful man conceaueth by this pure conception

We conceaue hereof this consolatiō: first, yᵗ we haue an vndoubted and true mediator with God, in al thinges that we haue to do wᵗ him, as who hath not onely the communiō of one, but of both natures, to wit diuine and humane. Againe that he is such a Mediator, whose bodie and soule in the verie conception were sanctified: first that he might be a pure and holie sacrifice, through which all our corruption might be cleansed, that it might not be laide vnto our charge. Heb. 7. verses 26.27. Rom. 7. verse 20. and the 8. verse 1. Moreouer to yᵉ end that yᵉ efficacie of his fulnes, might by litle and little sanctifie this defiled lumpe of ours, vntil he deliuer vs fully from that same natural corruption, and by the same holie spirite, whereby that substantial worde hath sanctified both soule and bodie, euen from the wombe, might also reforme our soules and bodies in the time appointed of God, according to his owne image, Io. 1. verse 16. & the 1. Cor. 15. verse 45.47.48.

The drifte and purpose of this article, and how necessarie yᵉ true vnderstanding therof is

This same article concerning the person of Chirst, which consisteth of two natures, the humane & the diuine, knitte together by a personal vnion, euerlastingly, & yet the proprieties of either being kept euerlastingly, containeth the foundation and piller of the kingly Priesthood of Christ, and consequently of his euerlasting priesthood betwixt God and men. For it is mans happines, to be ioyned with God, the fountaine of al goodnes, 1. Ioh. 1. Contrariwise it is the greatest vnhappinesse to be separated from God. But man had separated himselfe by sinne from God, and had entred into couenant with the deuill. Euen like as therefore there was a certaine person by whom sinne entred into the world, and by sinne death, and so became as it were the cause and foundation of falling away from God, & ending into league with the diuel: so also must there be a certaine person appointed of God, that might be the foundation and cause of reconciliation, and of neuer breaking that same coniunction with God, the fountaine of all happinesse. Now this person is the euerlasting sonne of God, with all the proprieties of the diuine nature, and very man, with all the proprieties of mans nature. And euen like as there must both these natures, true and sound, the proprieties of either being kept in one person of Christ to reconcile man to God, and to strike this couenant: so also to kepe this couenant, that according to the promise & oath of God it may be euerlasting, both natures must remaine for euer sound with their proprieties, vnlesse we will haue the couenant, in the verie piller and foundation to be shaken. Therefore Satan hath alwaies gone about, and yet doth by his instrumentes, either altogether to denie one of the natures, in the Mediator of the couenant, or else vtterly to ouerthrow it. For euen like as when the roote of a tree is hurt, the braunches also wither, and no fruite can be hoped for: euen so the doctrine being corrupt, concerning the person of Christ, and the two natures in the same person, together with their distinct proprieties, the doctrine also of the Priestly, and Kingly office of Christ remaineth corrupt, which are, as it were yᵉ fruits of the doctrine concerning the person.

The causes of this foundation, and first, why the mediator must remaine verie man, and that euerlastinglie, keping the proprieties of the humaine nature

The end of once taking & neuer putting off againe mans nature, was that God might declare his vnchangeable righteousnes and wrath against sinne, and his mercie towardes vs. His iustice, I say, and his wrath whilest he will not so make his couenant, that he be found vnrighteous and a lyer, who had truely and righteously pronounced: in what day soeuer you shall eate of that tree, you shall die the death. And Psal. 5. Thou art not a God that wilt iniquitie. Therefore he punished sinne, in the flesh of man, yea in the flesh of his onely begotten sonne: that his high and vnchangeable righteousnesse, truth, and wrath against sinne, might be manifest to the whole worlde: His mercy, whilest he punisheth not our sins in our selues, which notwithstanding he might iustly do, but deriueth his wrath vpon his onely begotten sonne, that he might in very deede declare his infinite mercy towardes vs. Therefore wonderfully, and with great wisedome, the righteousnesse and mercy of God do meete and agree together, or rather that same loue towards mankinde in Christ Iesu. I will speake more largely that the matter may be more euident. God going about to enter into couenant with man, or willing to reconcile man euerlastingly vnto himself, wold yet so shew his mercie, yᵗ he denied not his righteousnes, which is essētial vnto him, & which he can no more denie, thē he can denie himself. Now the seuere & exact righteousnes of God required yᵗ forasmuch as corruption and transgression cleaued in mans nature, that is to say both in our soule and bodie: so also in the same, that is in the nature of man taken of the sonne of God, of yᵉ same substance, and like in all thinges vnto vs (sinne onely except, which neither belongeth to the substance nor to the properties of man as he was created of God) there should be a satisfaction, and repaire. For like as by one man sinne hath entred into the worlde (as the Apostle saith to the Rom. cap. 5.) and by sinne death, and so death hath passed vpon all men, in as much as al haue sinned: and as by the disobedience of one man manie are made sinners: so by the obedience of one many are made righteous. Also. If by the sinne of that one many are dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift through grace, which is of one man Iesus Christ, hath abounded towardes many. Wherefore Christ must be very man both in soule & bodie, who by obedience euen to death, and to the death of the crosse, might satisfie the vnchangable righteousnes of God, who would not punishe that in Angels, because men had sinned, but in the verie nature of man, therefore the sonne of God tooke not Angels, but the seede of Abrahā, that is, the very nature of man of the seede of Abraham. Heb. 2.

Secondly, it behoued the mediator of the euerlasting couenant to bee brotherlie affected towardes vs, and therefore he must be our verie brother in deede, and abide so for euer, with all the proprieties of a verie brother in deede, as is plainely taught in the second chap. to the Hebrues: He that sanctifieth, and they which are sanctified are al of one. For which cause he was not ashamed to cal them brethren, saying, I will declare thy name vnto my brethren: in the middest of the Church I will sing praises vnto thee. And that we may knowe, that like as the Sonne of God was not ashamed, to become once our brother, with brotherly affection, & other verie humaine properties: so also yᵗ he is not now ashamed of vs, neither that he hath put off nature or affectiō, and other very properties of man, and of a brotherly nature, the Scripture saith in the end of the Chapter. Wherfore in al things it behoued him to be made like vnto his brethren, yᵗ he might be merciful & a faithfull hie priest in thinges which were to be don with God, that he might make reconciliation for the sinns of the people. For in that he suffered, whē he was tempted, he is able to succour them which are tempted. And least any man should cauil, that Christ after his ascension into heauen begā to be ashamed of vs, and to put off the nature of a brother, that is that verie nature of man, and the properties thereof: Heare what the spirite of trueth saith farther in 4. cap. of yᵉ same Epistle. Hauing therfore an high priest which hath entred into the heauens, euen Iesus yᵉ sonne of God, let vs hold fast our profession. For we haue not an high Priest, which cānot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in al thinges tempted in like sort, yet without sinne. Let vs therfore go with confidence (now he set the foundation of confidence to be in this, that we haue an highe Bishop, who not onely hath the nature of God, but also of man, a very brother in deed, hauing not put of the properties of nature, so yᵗ he can haue compassion vpon vs) to the throne of grace, that we may obtaine mercy and finde grace to helpe in the time of neede.

Thirdly, God hath confirmed by oath, that the fruite of the loines of Dauid, should raigne for euer. Psal. 133. and the 89. It must needes be therefore that Christe this king be of the substance and loines of Dauid: and continue an euerlasting kinge, and very man; not onely in name, but in the very substance and properties of a naturall fruite sprong from the loines of Dauid, and abiding and raigning worlde without end, in the throne of Gods maiestie in the highest heauens. Hebr. 1. Which thinge bringeth vs exceeding ioye in euerlasting life, for that we shall behold our nature, in our brother and heade Christ, to be adorned with so great glorie in all eternitie.

Causes, for which it must needes be, that the mediator of the couenant, be very God, with all the properties of God

The causes for which it is necessarie that the mediator be not onely very mā, but also very God, be these. The chiefe cause is, because God would declare his infinite loue. And this is the meaning of that, So God loued the worlde (so I say) that he gaue his only begotten sonne, &c. The second cause is next vnder this: because he had receaued a commandement of the father, that required an almightie worker (to wit a commandement, by his merite and vertue to saue the elect.) Nowe there is but one Almightie, euen God. Ioh. 10. vers. 18. Out of this same second cause, which properly belongeth to Christ, these endes are deriued: The first concerning desarte. For therefore must the Mediator be verie God, that, that same obedience of Christ, whereby so great a person, which is equal to the father, humbling himselfe in the nature of man, that the curse might be made in it, might be from the beginning of the world for al eternitie to come a matchable price, or rather a price of redemption for the sinnes of all the elect of the whole worlde, euen that the price might wey downe our sinnes. Therefore in the 20. of the Actes it is saide, That God redeemed his Church with his bloud. And in the 9 to the Hebrues, Also, grace hath abounded aboue the fault. This obedience of the Sonne when it is made a sacrifice for vs, it surmounteth all obedience of Angels, and al other creatures.

The second end is, that seeing he must be a Sauiour, no lesse in vertue then in merite: he must first in himselfe ouercome our sinne, the wrath of God and death: Nowe that the waight of the infinite wrath of God in the manhoode might stand & ouercome, and moreouer that he might raise himself frō death, it was necessary yᵗ he that should suffer, should be very man in such sort, that he might together be infinite, that is the true and euerlasting God: that is, that his manhod should be personallie & inseperablie vnited to his godheade, of which it should vpholden, that our saluation might not by any meane be in danger, seeing it is impossible that yᵗ vnion should be dissolued. For God alone could not die (as one of the auncient fathers haue wittilie said) neither could man alone ouercome death. Therefore to the Romans Ca. 1. he saith yᵗ he is declared to be the sonne of God by the power of his resurrection. Moreouer by his power, it behoued him also to ouercome sinne and death in vs (Ioh. 5.) to witte by giuing faith, whereby that merite might be applied vnto vs, and the holy Ghoste through, whō he might restore in vs the image of God, and quicken vs euerlastingly, and also maintaine that saluation so gotten: Now forasmuch as all these things are of nature belonging to him who is almightie, it was necessary that he by nature should be God almightie. For who could haue performed that, but he through whom man in the beginning was made after the image of God? Coloss. 1.3. who could haue giuen the holy Ghost which is God, but he which is God himselfe? who could haue restored euerlasting life, but yᵗ same word, the sonne of God, in whō life is from yᵉ beginning? Io. 1. Finaly forasmuch as God hath said, I am yᵉ Lord, & besides me there is no sauiour it was necessarie that our sauiour Christ, which by the decree of God was appointed, to obtaine and bestowe saluation, should be very God, with all the properties of the Godhead, omnipotencie, eternitie, infinite maiestie and glorie, without which he could neither be a Sauiour, nor abide for euer.

Why those same two natures must be vnited in the Mediator

That the foundation of that same couenant of grace, or rather of that coniunction betwixt God and vs might be firme, GOD would haue these two natures in Christ to be knit together after a wonderful manner, to wit, by the vnion of persons. Now when we say yᵗ the diuine and humaine nature of Christe are personallie knit together, we vnderstand yᵗ the sonne who is God, hath taken mans nature into the vnitie of his person, and so God is manifested in the flesh, and made man, but in the person of the sonne, and so as the proprieties of both natures remaine safe, aswel that the saluation of men might be obtained by that meane, that he had appointed: as also that it might be maintained and continued for euer. For saluation could not haue ben obtained, vnlesse mans nature, and the nature of God had bene knit together in a personall vnion: First, because it had not beene the bloude of the Sonne of God, that was to be shed: and so it had not bene a sacrifice worthie enough, for the sinnes of the whole worlde. Moreouer, the humanitie could not haue beene able to sustaine the wrath of God, neither haue abolished the sinnes that were laide vpon it, vnlesse the diuinitie had ben coupled vnto it, into the vnitie of the person, by a most firme and altogether vnlooseable knotte: both which, that same man Christ by the power of his diuinitie, being personally knitte vnto him, hath perfourmed. Acts 20. Philip. 2. Hebr. 19.14. Coloss. 1. vers. 14.15. And much lesse also might saluation nowe obtained be maintained, vnlesse they were knit together, and might so remaine for euer. For euen like as it was required for the entry to that priesthoode, and for the prouiding of full satisfaction, that there should be the body and soule of the sonne of God, in which there might be satisfaction: so also that the priesthoode might be euerlasting, and an euerlasting intercession be made for vs, it must be, that that same humane nature be properly belonging to the sonne of God, which he must shewe before the face of the father in heauen, in which, as our sinnes are once cleansed, so it might be the pledge of our reconciliation for euer. Psal. 110.1. and the 4. Matth. 22. vers 44. Moreouer that same man Christ, could not by his vertue and power be a sauiour, vnlesse also he had the diuine nature ioyned vnto him, into the vnitie of person, from which, together as also from the father proceedeth the holy ghoste, who bringeth vs into the possession of Christ, engraffeth vs into Christ, and begetteth vs againe into euerlasting life. 1. Cor. 15. verse 21.45. Rom. 8. verse 8.9. And surely as they can not any more fall from euerlasting life, whiche are truely once engraffed into Christe by the holy Ghoste: so that very worde, the euerlasting Sonne of God, of the substance of the Father, to wit, that same very fountaine of life, in which life was from the beginning,² Iohn 1. taken in the nature of man to endure euerlastingly, must dwell bodily, that is to say, personally. For seeing that same highe maiestie of God, was moste farre separated from our wretched condition, and yet notwithstanding, hee had appointed for his infinite loue toward vs moste wretched castawayes, through grace to ioyne his diuinitie, which is the fountaine of all happines, to the end it might endure for euer, it was needefull, that hee should also ioine our humane nature taken out of the lumpe of mankinde vnto his diuinitie by a personal vnion. Col. 1. verse 9.10. Otherwise we should not haue had neerenes enough, nor sufficient stedfast kinred (as it were) with God, which might assure our faith, that God doth truely dwel with vs, & that Christ is, and euerlastingly should be, Immanuel, that is, God with vs. Isai. 7. Mat. 1.

What the personal vnion is, and wherefore it is that the properties of both natures must remaine whole and sound in it

The personall vnion, is the knitting together of two natures in Christ, to wit, of the diuine and humane: in which, admitte that the one be and remaine the maker, and without beginning: and the other be and remaine created, and therefore haue a beginning: one be of the same substance together with the Father; the other be of the same substance with vs: one be almightie, because it is God; the other be not almightie because the creature is not the creator, neither are there two almightie ones, but one almightie one: one be and remaine infinite, but the other be not infinite but finite, hauing a finite head, armes, feete, &c. Admitte (I say) that these natures are most diuerse, and remaine euerlastingly distinguished in their properties (for as much as the creator will euerlastingly remaine distinct from all creatures, yea from that same lumpe which it hath taken) yet notwithstanding, they are so coupled together, that they make one Indiuiduum, to wit, Christe. All this may be seene by the conception, in which that same personall vnion was once perfectly made, neither was it euer afterwardes otherwise made. Ioh. 1.3. cap. 14. Hebr. 2.16. Seeing therfore that the couenant of saluation, betweene God and men, is euerlasting, it must needes be concluded that in the person of Christ as in the foundation, these two natures are so euerlastingly vnited together, that in meane season the trueth of either nature, remaine for euer with their properties, and that neither be swallowed vp of the other, vnlesse we would haue the couenant to be weakened and plucked vp from the very foundations. For euen like as for yᵉ entring into the couenant and reconciliation with God, that both those natures in the mediatour, must be true and sound, keeping their properties: so also forasmuch as the couenant & coniunction must endure in all euerlastingnes, that this same our true and very flesh and bones may enioye the same happines, & yᵗ after our resurrection, Philip. 3. it behoueth also that in the foundation, to wit in the mediator, vpon whome the office of sauing vs, is euerlastingly laide, there remaine for euer the same whole humaine nature both soule and body, flesh and bones. For the nature of any one beeing ouerthrowen, or the properties thereof denied, the couenant it self falleth, that is, it can neither be entred into, nor be preserued, as before is shewed

Footnotes

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