WHERE FIRST THE PERSON OF CHRIST is to be spoken of.

1. GOD would not have the felicity of man to consist, in that first estate wherein he was created (for then had his felicity been earthly, and in some sort, subject unto change) but he placed it in a more firm and a more excellent estate, whereby he might live a heavenly {42} life, and such, as from the which, he could in no wise fall.

2. Now, that man might be brought unto that perfect estate, he fell by his own fault; yet not without the providence of GOD, and so was made subject unto the death, both of his soul and body: to the end, that being delivered from sin and death, he might pass unto a better life, and so might become a most certain precedent of the justice and mercy of God.

3. Our restoring again, consisteth in that, that we should be freed from sin and death, and also from all the effects of both, and should be preferred unto the dignity of that righteousness and that immortal life, which is far more excellent and permanent.

4. Our delivery from sin, is wrought by the abolishing of sin, which is done two manner of ways:  First, by taking away, both the guilt and punishment thereof, by the mercy of God.  Secondly, by the regeneration of a new life, which is opposed unto the corruption of nature, and by the which, Sanctification is so begun in this life, as it shall be fully perfected in the next.

5. Our delivery from death is, when as we are assured, that God is not angry with us; yea, and do hope, and also feel him so appeased towards us, that we know ourselves to be safe from the eternal destruction of body and soul, and from all other miseries.

6. These, and all other gifts which God bestoweth upon the elect, are given unto us in Christ Jesus only.  Now, that we may be truly partakers of them, there are two things to be considered: namely, his person, and his office.

7. The person of Jesus Christ, is the Son of God, who hath personally united unto himself, the human nature, which he took of the seed of DAVID: for he who is God from all eternity, began to be man, when he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and incarnate: that from the very moment of his conception, he should continue for ever true God and true man.

8. Now although this work of the restitution, as well as of the Creation, doth agree unto the whole Trinity; yet the {43} several persons are distinguished.  For the Father sent the Son, the Holy Ghost did incarnate him, and the Son made himself of no reputation. [John 5.30; Matt. 1.20, Luke 1.35; Phil. 2.7.]

We condemn therefore, the CERINTHIANS, EBIONITES, PHOTINIANS, SAMOSATENIANS, ARTEMONIANS, and SERVETIANS, who affirmed Christ to be but a bare man; [also] The ARIANS, EUNOMIANS, BONOSIANS, and ORIGENISTS, who held him to be a God that was created, and that he was the Son, not by nature, but by grace and adoption; [also] The MARCIONITES, and the VALENTINIANS, who denied him to be true man; [and also] The APOLLINARISTS, who denied him to be endued with a true soul, and would have his divinity to serve instead thereof: To be short, we detest all those, that do any ways, either directly, or indirectly, withstand the purity of the foresaid doctrine.

Defended by WILLIAM MOGNES of Niverse.

UNTO THE FULL UNDERSTANDING of those things, which we have to believe concerning the person of Christ, it serveth to be needful, that we declare how it is, that he consisting of two natures, is yet but one subsisting person.

1. THE second person of they Deity; namely, the word; did so nearly unite and appropriate unto himself the human nature, that these two whole natures, & their properties united together, are but one subsisting person, Jesus Christ, true God and man: Yet so, as the human nature doth subsist in the divine.  Wherefore this union is called an Hypostatical, or a personal union.

2. In Christ therefore, there is not one Christ, and another Christ; that is, Christ God and Christ man: seeing the person is only one, but yet there is one thing, and another {44} thing, that is, a divine and an human nature, seeing the natures are divers.

3. Now, although these two natures be inseparable; yet in very deed, they remain distinct, both in themselves, and also in their essential properties, and their actions: And therefore, the divine nature is severally, attributed unto the Deity, and his human unto his humanity.

4. Wherefore, neither of the natures severally considered in itself, can be said to be the other.  For you cannot truly say, that the Deity of Christ, is his humanity; or that his humanity is his Deity.

5. Neither can the essential properties of the one nature, be more attributed unto the other severally considered, than the one nature can be said to be the other.  For this is no true assertion, to say, that the Deity was created, is finite; and contained within a place: Nor yet this; The humanity is without beginning, infinite, and immesasurable, or uncircumscribed in a place; or that it can be in many places at once, or everywhere, or yet anywhere indeed, any otherways, than as in a place.

6. Yet as they are joined together, that is, in respect of the whole, wholly considered; the word is truly said to be this man, and this man to be the word; not that the one nature is transfused, or turned into the other; but because, these two natures are one only subsisting person, which the Schoolmen call the grace of union, or uniting grace.

7. In like manner, although the essential properties of the one nature, be not transfused into the other; yet is the word said to be crucified and dead, not in itself, but in the nature that was assumed.  In like sort, this man is said to be Eternal, Infinite, Immeasurable, and God himself; not in itself, but in the assuming nature, or the nature that took flesh.

8. The manner of speaking, is called the communicating of properties, [communicatio idiomatum], the which in respect of Christ, wholly considered, is Real, or both in name and in deed; but in consideration of the natures severally considered, it is verbal, or only in name. {45}

9. The Deity of Christ, borroweth nothing of the humanity which it assumed: Whereas on the other side, the humanity subsisting in the Deity, is perfected by it.

10. Now the humanity of Christ, is fully endued with so great store of all qualities most excellent, (those only excepted, which are so essential in God, as they can be in no wise communicated with any creature; and by the pouring whereof, the human nature should be swallowed up, and become the Godhead) as in dignity and glory, he doth far surmount all Creatures; as being inferior unto the Deity only: The which fulness of gifts, the Schoolmen call grace habitual, or fully possessed.

11. Now this exceeding virtue and power, was poured by degrees upon the flesh that was assumed; not at the very moment of the uniting together of both natures; In as much, as it behooved Christ to take upon him such flesh, as was indeed subject to all our infirmities (sin excepted) until that he, having fulfilled whatsoever was necessary unto our salvation, had obtained a name above all names, the Godhead only excepted. [Phil. 2.9.]

We do abhor then, both the NESTORIANS, who divide the person; and the EUTYCHIANS, who either confound the natures, or mingle their essential properties.

12. The glorifying of the humanity of Christ, which is meant in the Christian belief, by ascending into Heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God, hath neither abolished the essence, nor the essential properties of a true body.

Defended by STEPHEN BLOIVS of Angiers.

SEEING THAT WE HAVE DONE ALREADY with the person of Christ, it followeth now that we deal with his office.  For these two are to be considered in him.

1. MANKIND by reason of sin whereunto it wilfully fell, was altogether lost: in such sort as {46} it could in no wise by its own strength escape eternal damnation.

2. But God, to the end that he might afford a most clear testimony of his mercy, did appoint in his eternal counsel, to deliver men from this misery and calamity.  And to the end that this might be done without any impeachment of his justice, he appointed a Mediatour, who should perform all these things that were required.

3. Therefore, seeing to avoid the curse of the law, the law itself must be fulfilled by men, and this can by no means be performed by them: it behoved the Mediator to effect this work, and not to overpass the very least tittle of God’s Law.

The opinion of the PAPISTS therefore is very wicked, in attributing any other merit unto any man, save only the merit of Christ’s alone obedience.

4. Furthermore, seeing it behoved God which is most just, to punish the sins of men, that by this means his justice might be fulfilled: and men could not undergo the weight of God’s anger, but they should be everlastingly swallowed up thereby: It was the office of the Mediatour, seeing he bare the person of all men, to pay all their debts, and to suffer punishment for them all.

They are again most wicked, who bring in any other Mediatour of satisfaction in the presence of God, save only this one.

5. And as Christ was under the law represented by Prophets, Kings, and Priests: so being exhibited in his time, he was annointed to be a King, Priest, and Prophet.  In which three callings, his whole office is contained.

6. The Prophetical office of Christ is, to teach men the will of God, and clearly to lay open unto them his decree concerning the salvation of mankind,[1] and so to put an end unto all prophesies: that is, to fulfill all those things that were fore-told of him.

It is execrable wickedness therefore, to burden the conscience of man, with new commandments added unto the word, or to impose any law upon the conscience: {47} and much more to adjoin unto the Gospel, new supplies of salvation.

7. The Kingdom of Christ consisteth herein, namely, that all his enemies being subdued under him, as Satan, sin, and death; he only may bear rule over his church, defend the same, and bestow all things needful thereupon.

8. This Kingdome is not like unto other Kingdoms that are earthly, but it is spiritual.

And therefore the Jews are worthily condemned, with all others, that think this kingdom to consist in a kind of outward pomp, majesty, and magnificence: And they are much more impudent than the Jews themselves, who will have the tyranny of the Roman Prelate to be a visible representation of Christ’s kingdom.

The office of Christ’s Priest-hood was, by some acceptable Sacrifice to pacify God being offended with us: And because no other Sacrifice could be found meet, and no other Priest worthy for this work: he who was without all spot, became both the Sacrifice and the Priest, now also making intercession for us in heaven.

Therefore the Papistical Sacrificing Priests, are most gross seducers, who say, that in the Sacrifice of their Mass, they offer Christ really, both for the quick and the dead.

Defended by BERNARD CASANOVA of Bearne.

Footnotes:

1. See chapter 43, section 18, about the relation of Christ’s death toward the elect in particular.—JTK.