Entry 3

Thus much of the fourth title. Now followes Christs incarnation, in these words, Conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the Virgin Marie. And they containe in them one of the most principall points of the doctrine of godlines, as Paul saith, without cōtrouersie great is the mysterie of godlines, which is,¹ God is made manifest in the flesh, iustified in the spirit, &c. And that we may proceede in order, in handling them, I will first speake of the incarnation generally, and then after come to the parts therof. In general we are to propound fiue questions, the answearing whereof will be very needefull to the better vnderstanding of the doctrine following.

The first question is, who was incarnate or made man? Answer. The second person in Trinitie, the sonne of God alone, and it is set downe in this article according to the Scriptures.² Saint Iohn saith, The Word was made flesh: and the angel saith, The holy one which shall be borne of thee, shalbe called the sonne of the most highest.³ And Paul saith, that Christ Iesus our Lord was made of the seede of Abraham according to the flesh. And there be sundrie reasons, why the second person should rather be incarnate then any other. 1. By whome the father created all things, and man especially, by him man beeing fallen is to be redeemed, and as I may say, recreated: now man was at the first created of the father by the sonne: and therefore to be redeemed by him. 2. It was most conuenient, that he which is the essentiall image of the father, should take mans nature that he might restore the image of God lost and defaced in man:⁴ but the second person is the essentiall image of the father, and therefore he alone must take mans nature. 3. It was requisite that that person which was by nature the sonne of God, should be made the sonne of man, that we which are the sonnes of men, yea the sonnes of wrath, should by grace be made the sonnes of God: nowe the second person alone is the sonne of God by nature, not the father, nor the holy Ghost.

As for the father, he could not be incarnate. For to take flesh is to be sent of an other, but the father cannot be sent of any person, because hee is from none. Againe, if the father were incarnate, hee should be father to him which is by nature God, and the sonne of a creature, namely the Virgin Marie, which thinges can not well stand.

And the holy Ghost could not be incarnate: for then there should be more sonnes then one in the Trinitie, namely the second person the sonne of the father, and the third person the holy Ghost, the sonne of the Virgin Marie.

It may be obiected to the contrarie on this manner, The whole diuine essence is incarnate, euery person in Trinitie is the whole diuine essence, therefore euery person is incarnate. Answer. The whole Godhead indeede is incarnate, yet not as it is absolutely considered, but so farfoorth as it is restrained and limited to the person of the sonne; and to speake properly, the Godheade it selfe is not incarnate, but the very person of the sonne subsisting in the Godhead. And though all the persons be one and the same essence, yet doe they really differ each from other in regard of the peculiar manner of subsisting: and therefore mans nature may be assumed of the second person, and be not assumed either of the father or of the holy Ghost; as in the like case the soule of man is wholly in the head and wholly in the feet, yea wholly in euery part: and yet the soule can not be said to vse reason in the feete or in any other part, but onely in the head.

Againe it may be alledged, that the incarnation beeing an outward action of God to the creature, is not proper to the sonne. For the rule is, that all outward actions of God are common to al the persons in Trinitie equally. Ans. The incarnation stands of two actions, the first is the framing & creating of that manhoode which was to be assumed by Christ:⁵ & this is cōmon to all the three persons equally: the second is the limiting or the receiuing of it into the vnitie of any person, and in respect of this action, the worke of incarnation is peculiar to the Sonne. To this purpose Augustine speaketh,⁶ that creature which the Virgin conceiued & brought▪ foorth, though it appertaine to the person of the sonne alone, yet was it made by the whole Trinitie: as whē three mē weaue one and the same garment, and the second onely weares it.

The second question is, what manner of man the sonne of God was made? Ans. He was made a proper or particular man, and a perfect or a very man. I say that he was a particular man, to shew that he tooke not vnto him the generall forme or idea of mans nature cōceiued onely in mind, nor the cōmon nature of man as it is existing in euery man: but the whole nature of man▪ that is, both a bodie and a reasonable soule, existing in⁷ one particular subiect. I say further that he was and is a true and perfect man, beeing in euery thing that concerns mans nature like to Adam, Abraham, Dauid, and all other men, sauing onely in sinne. For first of all hee had the substance of a true bodie and of a reasonable soule: secondly, the properties of bodie & soule: in the body, length, breadth, thicknes, circumscription, &c. In the soule, the faculties of vnderstanding both simply and compounde: will, affections; as loue, hatred, desire, ioy, feare, &c. the powers also of hearing, feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting, moouing, growing, eating, digesting, sleeping, &c. Thirdly, he tooke vnto him the infirmities of mans nature, which are certaine naturall defects or passions in bodie or minde, as to be hungrie, thirstie, wearie, sadde and sorowfull, ignorant of some things, angrie, to increase in stature, and wisdome, and knowledge, &c. yet this which I say must be vnderstood with two caveats. The first is, that infirmities be either certaine vnblameable passions, or else such defects as are sinnes in themselues; nowe Christ takes the first onely, and not the second. Secondly, infirmities be either generall, or personall; generall, which appertaine to the whole nature of man, and are to be found in euery man that comes of Adam: as to be borne vnlearned, and subiect to naturall affections, as sorrowe, anger, &c. Personall, are such as appertaine to some particular men, and not to all, and arise of some priuate causes and particular iudgements of God, as to be borne a foole, to be sicke of an ague, consumption, dropsie, pleuresie, and such like diseases. Now the first sort be in Christ, and not the second: for as he tooke not the person of any man, but onely mans nature, so was it sufficient for him to take vnto him the infirmities of mans nature, though hee tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans person. And the reason why Christ would put on not onely the substance and faculties of a true man, but also his infirmities, was; that hee might shewe him selfe to be very man indeed, also that he might suffer for vs both in bodie and soule, and that he might giue vs an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gods glorie and the good of our neighbour.

Now the things which may be alleadged to the contrarie for the infringing of the truth of Christs manhood, are of no moment. As first, because Christ appeared in the forme of a man in the old testament; beeing no man: therefore he did so at his comming in the newe testament: but the reason is not like. For Christ in the old testament as the angell of his father in some speciall affaires, tooke vnto him the bodie of a man for some space of time;⁸ but he did not receiue it into the vnitie of his person; but laid it downe when the busines which he enterprised with men was ended. Now in the fulnes of time he came from heauen, as the angell of the covenant, and for that cause he was to vnite into his owne person the nature of man. And when as Paul saith that Christ came in the similitude of sinnefull flesh, his meaning is not to signifie,⁹ that he was a man onely in resemblance and shewe, but to testifie that beeing a true man indeede void of sinne, was content to abase himselfe to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearing the punishment for our sinne. For Paul doth not say that he tooke vpon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh, but of the flesh of sinne or sinnefull flesh.

The third question is, why the sonne of God must become man? Answer. There be sundrie reasons of this point, and the most principall are these. First of all it is a thing that greatly standes with the iustice of God, that in that nature in which God was offended, in the same should be a made satisfaction to God for sinne: nowe sinne was committed in mans nature, Adam sinned first and in him all his posteritie: therefore it is very necessarie that in mans nature there should be a satisfaction made to Gods iustice, and therefore the sonne of God must needes abase himselfe and become man for our sakes. Secondly, by the right of creation euery man is bounde in conscience to fulfull euen the very rigour and extremitie of the morall lawe. But considering man is nowe fallen from his first estate and condition, therefore it was requisite that the sonne of God should become man, that in mans nature hee might fulfill all righteousnes which the law doth exact at our handes. Thirdly, hee that is our redeemer must die for our sinnes; for their is no remission of sinnes without shedding of bloode: but Christ as he is God can not die. For no passion can befall the Godhead. Therefore it was needefull that hee should become man, that in mans nature hee might die and fully satisfie Gods iustice for mans offence. Lastly hee that must make reconciliation betweene God and man, must be such an one as may make request or speake both to God and man. For a Mediatour is as it were a middle person making intercession betweene two other persons, the one offended the other offending. Therefore it is necessarie that Christ should not onely be God, to speake vnto the father for vs and to present our praiers vnto him; but also man, that God might speake to vs, and we to God by Christ. For howsoeuer before the fal, man could speake to God euen face to face, yet since the fall, such feare possesseth mans corrupt nature that he cannot abide the presence of God, but flieth from it.

Nowe whereas I say that it was necessarie that the sonne of God for the causes before alleadged must become man; the necessitie must be vnderstood in respect of Gods will, and not in respect of his power. For if it had so pleased God hee was able to haue laide downe an other kinde of way of mans redemption, then by the incarnation of the sonne of God:¹⁰ and he appointed no other way, because he would not.

Thus much of the Incarnation in generall. Now followe the duties which arise of it. And first wee are taught hereby to come to Christ by faith, and with all our heartes to cleaue unto him. Great is the deadnesse and sluggishnesse of mans nature: for scarse one of a thousande cares for him or seekes unto him for righteousnesse and life euerlasting. But wee shoulde excite our selues euerie way to drawe neare to him as much as possibly wee may: for when hee was incarnate, hee came neare unto us by taking our nature upon him, that wee againe whatsoeuer wee are, might come neare unto him by taking unto us his divine nature. Againe,¹¹ when Christ was incarnate, he was made bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh; & therfore proportionally we must labour to become bone of his bone, & flesh of his flesh: which we shall be, when we are mistically united unto him by faith, & born anew by his spirit. Moreouer Christ by his incarnation came down frō heauen to vs, that we being partakers of his grace might ascend vp to heauen by him. And thus we see how the meditation of Christs incarnation should be a spurre to pricke vs forwarde still more and more to come to Christ.

Secondly, Christs incarnation must be a patterne vnto vs of a most wonderfull and straunge humilitie. For as Paul saith, Beeing in the forme of God and thinking it no robberie to be equall with God,¹² made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the forme of a seruant: and humbled himselfe and became obedient to death, euen to the death of the crosse. Yea so farrefoorth abased hee himselfe, that (as David saith) he was a worme and no man.¹³ And this teacheth vs to lay aside all selfe-loue and pride of heart, and to practise the dueties of humilitie, as the Apostle exhorts the Philippians in the same place: and that shall wee doe when we beginne to cast off that high opinion which euery man by nature conceiueth of himselfe, & become vile & base in our own eyes. Secure and drowsie protestants thinke themselues blessed, and say in their hearts as the Angell of the Church of Laodicea said, I am rich and increased with golde, and haue neede of nothing;¹⁴ whereas indeede they are most miserable and wretched, and poore, and naked, and blinde. And the same fond opinion possesseth the mindes of our ignorant people, who chaunt it in the very same tune, saying, that God loues them, and that they loue God with all their hearts, and their neighbours as them selues: that they haue perfect faith in Christ, and euer had, not once so much as doubting of their saluation: that all is well with them, and that they are past all daunger whatsoeuer, in the matter of their saluation, and therefore neede not take so much▪ care for it. Thus ye may see how men are commonly carried away with vain and fond conceits of their own excellencie. And truely so long as this ouerweening of our owne righteousnes raignes in our hearts, let Preachers speake and say what they will, wee will neuer become followers of Christ in the practise of humilitie. Some will say peradventure, that they neuer had any such opinion of their owne righteousnesse; but I answeare againe, that there was never yet any man descending of Adam, saue Christ; but hee had this proude phantasie ruling and raigning in him, till such time as God giue grace to chaunge and altar his heart: and this inwarde pride the lesse wee discerne it, the more it is: and the more we discerne it the lesse it is. Therefore though as yet thou see it not in thy selfe, yet labour both to see it and to feele it, and to striue against it, casting downe thy selfe for thine owne miserie after Christes owne example, who beeing God abased him selfe to the condition of a miserable man. For thou shalt neuer be filled with the good things of God, till thou be emptied of selfe-loue and selfe-liking. For this cause let us purge and emptie our selues of all conceit of our owne righteousnesse that God may fill our heartes with his grace.

Furthermore, the Incarnation of Christ is the ground and foundation of all our comforte, as the names of Christ seruing to expresse the same doe testifie. Iaakob in his last testament saieth,¹⁵ that the scepter shall not depart from Iudah till Shilo, that is, the Messias come. Now the name Shilo signifieth the tunicle or skinne that lappeth the infante in the mothers wombe,¹⁶ called by the Phisitians the Secundine: and by a kinde of figure it is put for the Sonne of God in the wombe of the virgine made man. And Iob to comforte him-selfe in his affliction saieth, I knowe that my redeemer liveth. Now the worde which he useth to signifie his redeemer by,¹⁷ is verie emphaticall, for it signifieth a kinsman neere allyed vnto him of his owne flesh that will restore him to life. And the Lorde by the prophet Esai calleth Christ Immanuel, that is, God with vs: which name importeth verie much, namely, that whereas by nature we haue lost our fellowshippe with God, because our sinnes are a wall of partition severing vs from him:¹⁸ yet neverthelesse the same is restored to all that beleeue by the Mediatour Christ Iesus: because his divine nature is coupled to mans nature, and so the word is made flesh. And this strait coniunction of two natures into one person, ioynes God to men and men to God: yea by Christ wee are brought to God and haue free accesse unto him, and againe in him wee apprehend God and are made one with him.

And further whereas Christ beside our nature tooke our infirmities also, it is a wonderfull comforte unto Gods Church: for it shewes, that hee is not onely a Sauiour, but also a verie compassionate and pitifull Sauiour. As the holy ghost saith, In all things it became Christ to be like vnto his breethren that hee might be mercifull and a faithfull high priest in things concerning God.¹⁹ Let a man be sicke of a grievous disease, and if a friend come that hath hene troubled with the same disease, hee will shewe more compassion then twentie others: and so Christ hauing felt in his owne soule and bodie the anguish and the manifolde perplexities that wee feele in our temptations and afflictions, hath his bowels as it were earning towards vs, euermore being prest and readie to relieve vs in all our miseries. In the daies of his flesh he wept ouer Ierusalem when he saw it a farre off, because she continued in her old sins, & did not know the time of her visitation: and no doubt, though now hee be exalted in glorie in heauen, yet his compassion to his poore members upon earth is no whit diminished.

Nowe wee come to speake of the incarnation more particularly: and the Creede yet further expresseth it by two partes; the first is the conception of Christ in these wordes, Conceived by the holy Ghost: the second is his birth, in the words following, Borne of the virgine Mary.

The conception of Christ is set downe with his efficient cause, the holy ghost, as the Angell saide to Ioseph, Feare not to take Marie for thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the holy ghost. Here it may be demanded why the conception of Christ shoulde be ascribed to the holy ghost alone,²⁰ which is common to all the persons in Trinitie, as all other such actions are. Answere. It is not done to exclude the Father or the Sonne himselfe from this worke: but to signifie that it comes of the free gifte and grace of God (which commonly is tearmed by the name of the Holy Ghost: that the manhoode of Christ being but a creature, shoulde be advaunced to this dignitie,²¹ that it shoulde become a parte of the sonne of God. And againe, the Holy Ghost is the authour of this conception in a speciall manner: for the father and the sonne did cause it by the holy Ghost: but the holy ghost did cause it from them both immediatly.

In the conception of Christ wee must obserue and consider three things. The framing of the manhoode, the sanctifying of it, and the personall union of the manhoode with the godheade. And howsoeuer I distinguish these three for orders sake, yet must wee knowe and remember, that they are all wrought at one and the same instant of time. For when the Holy Ghost frames and sanctifies the manhood in the wombe of the virgine: at the verie same moment it is receiued into the unitie of the second person.

In the forming of Christes manhoode two things must be considered, the matter and the maner: the matter of his body was the very flesh and bloud of the virgine Marie; otherwise he could not haue beene the sonne of David, of Abraham, and Adam according to the flesh. As for his soule, it was not deriued from the soule of the virgine Mary as a part therof, but it was made as the soules of all other men be, of nothing by the power of God, and placed in the bodie; both of them from the first moment of their being, hauing their subsistance in the person of the sonne. And here we must take heede of two opinions: the first is of the Anabaptists, which hold, that the flesh of Christ came downe from heauen, and passed through the virgine Marie as through a pipe, without taking any substance from her: the places which they alledge for their purpose are manifestly abused. For whereas Christ saith of himselfe that he descended from heavē, his speech must be understood in respect of his godheade,²² which may be saide in some sorte to descend, in that it was made manifest in the manhoode here upon earth. And whereas Paul calleth him heavenly & the Lorde from heaven, it is not in respect of the substance of his bodie,²³ but in respect of the glorious qualities which he received after this resurrection. The other opinion is of the Papistes that hold the bread in the sacrament to be turned substantially into the bodie of Christ: which thing if it be true, then the bodie of Christ is made of bread kneaded and tempered by the hand of the baker, and not of the substance of the virgine Mary.

As for the manner of the making and framing of the humane nature of Christ, it was miraculous▪ not by generation according to the ordinarie course of nature, but by an extraordinarie operation of the holy Ghost aboue nature: and for this cause it is not within the compasse of mans reason either to conceiue or to expresse the manner and order of this conception.²⁴ The Angell ascribes two actions to the holy Ghost in this matter; the one to come upon the virgine Marie;²⁵ the other, to overshadow her: by the first is signified the extraordinarie worke of the holy ghost in fashioning the humane nature of Christ, for so much the phrase else-where importeth. The seconde signifieth,²⁶ that the holy ghost did as it were cast a cloud ouer hir, to teach vs, that we should not search over much into the mysterie of the Incarnation.

It may be obiected against this which hath beene saide, that if Christ be in this manner conceiued by the holy Ghost, then the holy ghost shalbe father to Christ, and Christ his sonne. Answer. The reason is not good. For hee that is a father is not a bare efficient cause, but one which in the effecting of any thing conferres the matter vnto it from him selfe whereof it shall be made. Now the holy ghost did not minister any matter vnto Christ from his owne substance; but did onely as it were, take the masse and lumpe of mans nature from the bodie of the virgine Mary, and without ordinarie generation made it the bodie of Christ: as Basill saieth, Christ was conceiued not of the substance,²⁷ but of the power, not by any generation, but by the appointment and benediction of the holy ghost.

The second pointe in the conception is the sanctifying of that masse or lumpe which was to be the manhood of Christ. And that was done upon speciall cause: first, that that it might be ioned to the person of the Sonne which coulde not haue beene if it had beene defiled with sinne. Secondly, Christ was a Saviour as hee is both God and man: now then beeing man, if hee had beene sinnefull himselfe, he could not haue saued others, but should haue stood in need of a Saviour for himselfe.

This sanctification hath two partes: the first is, the stay and stoppage of the propagation of originall sinne, and of the guilt of Adams sinne; which was on this manner. God in the beginning set downe this order touching man, that what euill or defect soever he brought upon himselfe, hee shoulde deriue the same to euerie one of his posteritie begotten of him: and hereupon when any father begets his childe, hee is in the roome of Adam, and conveyes unto it besides the nature of man the verie guilt and corruption of nature. Now for the preuenting of this euill in Christ, God in great wisdome appointed that hee should be conceiued by the holy ghost without any manner of generation by man. And by this meanes he takes substance from the virgine without the guilte and corruption of the substance. But it may further be obiected thus. All that be in Adam haue sinned in him: but Christ was in Adam as hee is man: therefore he sinned in him. Answer. The proposition is false, vnlesse it be expounded in this manner: All that were in Adam haue sinned in him so be it they come of him by generation. Paul saith not, that, out of one man, but, by one man sinne entred into the world, to shewe,²⁸ that hee propagates his corruption to no more then he begets. Againe, Christ is in Adam not simply as other men are, but in part: namely in respect of substance which hee tooke from him, and not in respect of the propagation of the substance by ordinarie generation: other men are both from Adam and by Adam, but Christ is from him alone and not by him as a begetter or procreant cause. The second parte of sanctification is the infusion of all purenes and holinesse into the manhood of Christ, so farre forth as was meete for the nature of a redeemer.

The duties to be learned hence are these: First, whereas Christ was sanctified in the wombe of the virgine Mary, we likewise must labour to be sanctified in our selues, following the commandement of God, Be ye holy as I am holy.²⁹ S. Iohn saith, that he which hath hope to be with Christ in glorie in heaven, purifieth him-selfe even as he is pure: no doubt setting before himselfe the exāple of Christ as a patterne to follow in all his waies. And because our hearts are as it were seas of corruptiōs, we must daily clense our selues of them by litle & litle, following the practise of the poore begger that is alwaies peecing and mending, and day by day pulles away some ragges and puts better cloath in the roome. And if we shall continually indeauour our selues to cast off the remnants of corruption that hang so fast on, and make a supply thereof by some new portions of Gods heavenly grace; we shalbe vessels of honour sanctified & meete for the Lorde, and prepared unto euerie good worke. Christ could not haue bin a fit sauiour for us vnlesse he had first of all bin sanctified: neither can we be fit members vnto him, unlesse we be purged of our sinnes & in some measure truly sanctified.

The comfort which Gods people may reape of the sanctificatiō of Christs manhood is great. For why was he sanctified? Surely if we marke it well, we shal find it was for the good & benefit of his elect. For Adā & Christ be two roots as hath bin shewed. Adam by creation, first received Gods image, and after lost the same for himselfe & his posteritie. Now Christ to remooue the sinne of man is made the secōd Adam, & the roote and very head of all the elect. His manhoode was filled with holinesse aboue measure: that from thence as from a storehouse it might be deriued to all his members. And therefore by his most holy conception, our sinnefull birth and conception is sanctified, and his holinesse serves as a cover to hide our manifold corruptions frō the eyes of God. Yea it serues as a buckler to awarde the temptations of the deuill: for when he shal say to our hearts on this maner? no uncleane thing can enter into the kingdome of heauen; but thou by reason of the remnants of originall sinne art uncleane: therfore thou canst not enter into the kingdome of heauen: we returne our answere, saying, that Christs righteousnesse is our righteousnesse seruing to make us stand without blame or spot before God. And as Iacob put on Esaus garments that he might get his fathers blessing: so if by faith we doe put on the white garment of righteousnes of our elder brother Christ Iesus & present our selues in it unto our heauenly father, we shall obtaine his blessing, which is eternall happinesse.

Now remaines the third and last part of the conception, which is the uniō of the godhead & the manhood: concerning which, many pointes are particularly to be handled. The first is, what kind of union this is? Ans. In the Trinitie there be two sortes of unions: vnion in nature, and vnion in person. Vnion in nature is, when two or moe things are ioyned and united into one nature, as the Father, the Sonne, the holy ghost being and remaining three distinct persons, are one and the same in nature or godhead. Vnion in person is, when 2. things are in that maner vnited, that they make but one person or subsistance: As a body created by God & a reasonable soule ioyned both togither make one particular man as Peter, Paul, Iohn, &c. And this second, is the union whereof we intreat in this place: by which the second person in Trinitie the sonne of God did vnite unto himselfe the humane nature that is the body and soule of man: so as the godhead of the sonne and the manhoode concurring togither make but one person.

The second point is, in what thing this union doth consist. Ans. It consists in this, that the second person the sonne of God doeth assume unto it a manhod in such order, that it being void of all personall being in it selfe, doth wholly and onely subsist in the same person. As the plante called Mistell having no roote of his owne both growes & liues in the stock or body of the Oke or some other tree:³⁰ so the humane nature hauing no proper subsistance, is as it were ingrafted into the person of the sonne, and is wholly supported & sustained by it so as it should not be at all if it were not sustained in that manner. And for the better understanding of this point, we must consider, that there be foure degrees of the presence of God in his creatures. The first is his generall presence, and it may be called the presence of his providence,³¹ whereby he preserueth the substances of all creatures, and giueth unto them to liue, moove, and haue beeing: and this extendeth it selfe to all creatures good and bad. The second degree is the presence of grace, whereby he doeth not onely preserue the substance of his creature, but also giueth grace unto it: and this agreeth to the Church and people of God upon earth. The third degree is the presence of glorie peculiar to the saints and Angels in heauen: and this standes in three things, for God not onely preserues their substances, and giues them plenty of his grace, but also admittes them into his glorious presence, so as they may behold his maiestie face to face. The fourth and last is that, whereby the godhead of the sonne is present and dwelles with & in the manhood giuing unto it his owne subsistance. Wherby it comes to passe that this manhood assumed is proper to the sonne, and cannot be the manhoode of the father, or of the Holy Ghost, or of any creature whatsoeuer. And this is a thing so admirable and so unspeakeable, that among all the workes of God there can not be found another example hereof in all the world.

Hence it followeth necessarily that the manhoode of Christ consisting of bodie and reasonable soule, is a nature onely and not a person: because it doth not subsist alone as other men, Peter, Paul, Iohn doe; but wholly dependes on the person of the worde, into the unitie whereof it is receiued.

The third point is, in what order the divine and humane nature of Christ are vnited togither.³² Answere. The common consent of divines is, that, albeit all the partes of the manhoode and the godhead of Christ be united at one instant: yet in respect of order hee unites unto himselfe first and immediatly the soule, and by the soule the body. For it seemes not to be meete that God being a most simple essence should immediatly be ioyned to a compound bodie: and therefore he is united unto it by the more simple parte of man, which is the soule. Againe the manhood of Christ is first and immediatly ioyned to the person of the sonne himselfe, and by the person to the godhead of the sonne.

The fourth point is, whether there remaine any difference or diuersitie of the two natures after that the union is made. Answer. The two natures concurring make not the person of the sonne to be compounded properly, but onely by analogie: for as bodie and soule make one man, so god and man make one Christ: neither are they turned one into another, the godhead into the manhood or the manhoode into the godhead, as water was turned into wine at Cana in Galile: nether are they confused and mingled togither as meates in the stomacke: but they are and so remaine without composition, conversion, or confusion really distinct and that in three respectes. First in regard of essence. For the godhead of Christ is the godhead and can not be the manhood: and againe, the manhood of Christ is the manhood and not the godhead. Secondly they are distinguished in proprieties: the godhead is most wise, iust, mercifull, omnipotent: yea wisdome, iustice, mercie, and power it selfe: and so is not the manhood, neither can it be. Againe, Christ as hee is God hath his will eternall and uncreated, which is all one with the will of the father and the holy ghost. And as hee is man he hath another will created in time, and placed in his reasonable soule: and this Christ signifieth when he saith, Not my will but thy will be done. Thirdly, they are distinct in their actions or operations; which though they go together inseparably in the worke of redemption: yet they must in no wise be confounded but distinguished as the natures themselues are. Christ saieth of himselfe, I have power to lay downe my life,³³ and I haue power to take it up againe: and hereby he shewes the distinction of operations in his two natures. For to lay downe his life is an action of the manhoode, because the godhead can not die: and to take it up againe is the worke of the godhead alone, which reunites the soule to the bodie after death.

The first and last point is, what ariseth of this union? Ans. By reason of this hypostaticall union, though the godheade receiue nothing from the manhoode, yet the manhoode it selfe, which is assumed, is thereby perfected and enriched with unspeakeable dignitie. For first of all it is exalted aboue all creatures whatsoeuer, euen angels themselues, in that it hath subsistance in the second person in Trinitie. Secondly, togither with the godhead of the sonne, it is adored and worshipped with diuine honour, as in like case the honour done to the king himselfe, redounds to the crowne on his head. Thirdly by reason of this union, the godheade of Christ works all things in the matter of our redemptiō, in & by the manhood. And hereupon the flesh of Christ though it profit nothing of it selfe, yet by the vertue which it receiueth from that person to which it is ioyned, it is quickning flesh and the bread of life.

Againe from this union of two natures into one person ariseth a kind of speech or phrase peculiar to the scriptures, called the communication of proprieties when the propertie of one nature is attributed to the whole person or to the other nature, as when Paul saith, that God shed his blood, that the Lord of glorie was crucified.³⁴ And when Christ saith that he talking with Nichodemus was then in heauen.

The use of the personall union is threefold. First it serues to shew the heinousnesse of our sinnes, and the greatnesse of our miserie. For it had not bene possible to make a satisfaction to Gods iustice in mans nature for the least offence, vnlesse the same nature had first of all bene neerely ioyned to the godhead of the sonne; that thereby it might be so far forth supported and sustained that it might ouercome the wrath of God. Secondly it sets forth unto us the endles loue of God to man. For whereas by reason of Adams fall wee are become the vilest of all creatures, except the deuill and his angels: yet by his mysticall coniunction, our nature is is exalted to such an estate and condition as is farre aboue all creatures euen the angels themselues. Thirdly it is as it were the keye of all our comfort: for all sound comfort standes in happinesse, all happinesse is in fellowship with God, all fellowshippe with God is by Christ, who for this cause beeing verie God, became verie man, that he might reconcile man to God and God to man.

Thus much of the conception of Christ: now followes his birth: whereby in the ordinarie time of trauell according to the course of nature hee was brought forth into the world by the virgin Mary. And it was the will of God,³⁵ that Christ should not onely be conceiued, but also borne, and that after the maner of men, that hee might be knowen to be verie man indeede. In the birth we may consider foure things; the time, the place, the manner, the manifestation of it.

The time was in the last daies, toward the end of the 70. weeks of Daniel,³⁶ which are to be accoūted from the end of the captivitie of Babylō, & make in all 490 yeres: or more plainely 3900. yeeres and more from the beginning of the world, and as Paul saith in the fulnesse of time. And the Euangelists haue noted of purpose the time to haue bene when Augustus Caesar taxed the Iewes and all nations under his dominions;³⁷³⁸ to signifie that Christ was borne at the verie time foretold by Iacob, when the crowne and scepter was taken from Iuda: and withall, to shewe that his kingdome was not of this world. And it was the good pleasure of god that Christ should not be borne either later or sooner, but so many ages from the beginning of the worlde. And this consideration of the verie time it selfe serues greatly for the confirmation of our faith. For thus may we reason with our selues. If God who in the beginning made a promise to our first parents concerning the seede of the woman, deferred it almost 4000. yeres, and yet at length accomplished the same to the verie full: then no doubt God hauing promised the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting, will in his good time bring them to passe, though as yet wee see them not. And thus by the accōplishment of al things past, should we confirme our hope concerning things to come.

The place was not Hierusalem nor Nazareth, nor any other citie, but onely a village of Iuda called Bethleem, that the prophesie of Micheas might be fulfilled, Thou Bethleem Ephrata art little to be among the thousandes of Iuda, yet out of thee shall he come forth vnto me, that shall be the ruler in Israell. And here we may obserue a memorable example of Gods prouidence which ouer-ruleth the procedings of cruell tirants, to the accomplishing of his owne will, they themselues for their parts intending nothing lesse. Augustus not so much as dreaming of the birth of the Messias, gaue commandement that euery man shoulde goe to his owne city to be taxed: and hereupon Ioseph and Mary take their iourny from Nazareth to Bethleem: which iourney God himselfe appointed and disposed to this end, that the Messias might be borne in the place which he preordained and foretold by his prophet.

The manner of Christs birth was verie base and poore: for the place where hee was borne was a stable, and the cradle where he lay was a cratch. And he willingly tooke upon him this povertie for sundry causes. I. That the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, that he should be the shame and contempt of the people:³⁹ and that ye shall grow vp as a roote out of a drie ground and have neither fourme nor beauty.⁴⁰ II. That hee might afterward from this base condition be exalted euen in his manhood to that rich and glorious estate in which he should manifest himselfe to be Lord of heauen and earth. III. He was borne in exceeding pouertie that he might shame the wise men of this worlde, who exceedingly esteeme of their riches, power, and glorie, perswading themselues that without such meanes no good thing can be done. And yet for all this they can not so much as reconcile one man to God by all their might and wealth: whereas Christ himselfe hath done the same both in povertie and weakenesse; and can enlarge and preserue his kingdome without earthly helpes. When he hung upon the crosse the soldiers stript him of his garments: and beeing naked he brought that to passe which all the monarches of the earth in all their roialties could neuer haue perfourmed. And whether Christ lie in the manger betweene the Oxe and the Asse, or in the pallace of the king, it matters not in regard of our saluation. IIII. He came in this maner that there might be a difference betweene his first comming in the flesh and his last comming to iudgement. In the first he came onely for this end, not to make any outward alterations in the worlde, but to change the conscience and to put in execution the worke of our spirituall redemption: and therfore he hath reserued the ouerturning of all earthly estates with the manifestation of his owne glorie to the latter. V. Lastly hee was borne in a poore estate that hee might procure true riches for vs in heauen: and withall, sanctifie vnto us our pouertie upon earth. As Paul saith, Ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ,⁴¹ that he being rich for your sakes became poore, that ye through his povertie might be made rich. Hee was content to lie in the manger that wee might rest in heauen.

This serues to teach us to be content to beare any mean condition that the Lorde shall sende upon vs: for this is the verie estate of the sonne of God him-selfe. And if for our cause he did not refuse the basest condition that euer was, why should we murmure at the same: for what is the best of vs but miserable sinners, and therefore utterly unworthy either to goe or lie upon the bare earth? and though wee fare and lie better then our Lorde himselfe; yet such is our daintinesse, we are not pleased therewith: whereas hee for his part disdained not the manger of the Oxe. And if the Lord of heauen and earth comming into the worlde finde so little entertainment or fauour, we for our parts being his members, should willingly prepare our selues to take as hard measure at the hands of men.

The last point is the manifestation of Christes birth that it might be knowen to the worlde.⁴² Where consider two circumstances, the first, to whome? namely to poore shepheards tending their flockes by night, and not to great or mightie men, louers of this worlde, nor to the priests of Ierusalem contemners of Gods grace; and that for two causes: one, because the shepheards were the fittest persons to publish the same at Bethleem: the other, it was Gods pleasure to manifest that in the birth of Christ which Paul saith, Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mightie,⁴³ not many noble are called: but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. The second is, by whome? by the angell of the Lorde appearing in great glorie unto the shepheardes. For the priests of Ierusalem and the rulers of the synagogues, to whome this office did belong, helde their peace, beeing blinded in their manifolde errours and wicked waies.

The duties to be learned of the birth of Christ are these. First wee are admonished hereby to magnifie and praise the name of God, saying with Mary, My soule doth magnifie the Lord, and my spirite reioyceth in God my saviour. And with Zacharie, Blessed be the Lorde God of Israel for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And with the angell of the Lord, Glory to God in the highest heavens. For in this birth is made manifest the wisedome, the truth, the iustice and mercie, and goodnes of God towards us, more then euer it was before: yea as Christ God and man, is more excellent then the first Adam created according to Gods own image, and as the spirituall life is better then the naturall life, and as the eternall and most holy mariage of Christ the husband and his spouse the Church rising as it were out of the bloode that trickled out of his side, is more wonderfull then the creation of Eue of the rib of Adam. Lastly, as it is a far greater matter by death to overcome death, and to turne it into eternall life, then to command that to exist and be which was not before: so is the worke of redemption begun in the birth of Christ more unspeakeable and admirable then the first creation of man. Hereupon not 6. cherubims as in the vision of Isaiah, not 24. elders as in the Apocalyps, but a great multitude of Angels like armies were heard to praise God at the birth of Christ:⁴⁴ and no doubt the like sight was not seene since the beginning of the world. And the angels by their example put vs in minde to consider aright of this benefite, and to praise God for it. But alas, this practise is verie rare in this fruitlesse and barren age of the worlde, where sinne and iniquitie abounds, as may be seene by experience for by an old custom we reteine still in the Church the feast of the nativity of Christ, so commonly called: which neuerthelesse is not spent in praising the name of God that he hath sent his sonne from his owne bosome to be our redeemer, but contrariwise in rifling, dicing, carding, masking, mumming, & in all licentious libertie for the most part, as though it were some heathen feast of Ceres or Bacchus.

Secondly Christ was conceiued and borne in bodily maner, that there might be a spirituall conception and birth of him in our hearts, as Paul saith,⁴⁵ My litle children of whome I travell till Christ be formed in you: and that is, when we are made new creatures by Christ and performe obedience to our creatour. When the people said to Christ that his mother and his brethren sought him, he answered, He that doth the will of God is my brother, my sister and mother.⁴⁶ Therefore let us go with the shepheards to Bethleem, and finding our blessed sauiour swadled and lying in the cratch, let us bring him thence and make our owne heartes to be his cradle: that we may he able to say that we liue not, but Christ liues in vs: and let vs present unto him ourselues, our bodies and soules as the best gold, myrrhe and frankincense that may be: and thus conceiuing him by faith, he remaining without change, we shalbe changed into him and made bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. The world, I know, neuer so much as dreameth of this kind of conception and birth, for as Dauid saith, Men travell with wickednesse, conceive mischiefe, & bring forth a lye. And S. Iames saith,⁴⁷ Men are drawn away by their owne concupiscense, which when it hath conceived bringeth forth sinne. And these are the ougly and monstrous birthes of these daies. But let us, I pray you, contrariwise waile and mourne for the barrennesse of our heartes that doe so little conceiue the grace of Christ in heart, and bring it foorth in action. The mother of Christ vndoubtedly was a blessed woman: but if shee had not as well conceiued Christ in her heart as shee did in her womb, shee had not beene saved: and no more can wee, unlesse we doe the same.

The birth of Christ to them that haue touched hearts, is the comfort of comforts, and the sweetest balme or confection that euer was. Behold say the angel to the shepheards we bring tidirgs of great ioy that shalbe to all people: but wherein stands the ioy? they adde further,⁴⁸ vnto you this day is borne in the citie of Dauid a Sauiour, which is Christ the Lord. And no maruaile: for in that birth is manifested the good will of God to man, and by it wee haue peace, first with God, secondly with our selues in cōscience, thirdly with the good angels of God, fourthly with our enemies: lastly, with all the creatures. For this cause the angels sang, Peace on earth, good will towards men.

In the last place the Creede notes unto us the parent or mother of Christ, the virgine Mary. And here at the verie first it may be demanded, how he could haue either father or mother; because he was figured by Melchisedech who had neither father nor mother. Ans. Melchisedech is said to be without father & mother,⁴⁹ not because he had none at all. For according to the ancient and receiued opinion, it is verie likely that he was Sem the son of Noe:⁵⁰ but because where he is mencioned under this name of Melchisedech in the 14. chapter of Genes. there is no mention made either of father or mother: and so Christ in some sort is without father or mother: as he is man he hath no father, as he is God he hath no mother. And whereas Christ is called the son of Ioseph,⁵¹ it was not because he was begottē of him, but because Ioseph was his reputed father: or, which is more; because hee was a legall father, namely according to the Iewes laws: in that (as sundry divines think) he was the next of his kin, and therfore to succeed him as his lawfull heire.

Mary became the mother of Christ by a kind of calling thereto which was by an extraordinarie message of an angell concerning the conception and birth of Christ in and by her: to which calling and message shee condiscended, saying, Behold the handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy word. And hereupon shee conceiued by the Holy Ghost. This being so, it is more then sensles folly to turne the salutatiō of the angel, Haile freely beloved, &c. into a praier.

And she must be held to be the mother of whole Christ God and man:⁵² and therefore the ancient Church hath called the mother of God: yet not the mother of the godhead.

Furthermore the mother of Christ is described by her qualitie, a virgine, and by her name Mary. Shee was a virgine, first that Christ might bee conceiued without sinne and be a perfect Sauiour: secondly, that the saying of the prophet Esai might be fulfilled,⁵³ Behold a virgin shal cōceiue & beare a sonne: according as it was foretold by god in the first giuing of the promise, the seed of the woman, not the seed of the man, shall bruise the serpents head. Now the Iewes, to elude the most pregnant testimonie of the Prophet say, that Alma signifieth not a virgin, but a young womā which hath knowne a man. But this is indeede a forgerie. For Esay there speakes of an extraordinarie worke of God aboue nature, whereas for a woman hauing knowne man to conceiue, is no wonder. And the worde Alma, through the whole bible is taken for a virgin,⁵⁴ as by a particular search will appeare.

As Marie conceiued a virgin, so it may be well thought that shee continued a virgin to the end, though we make it no article of our faith. When Christ was vpon the crosse, he commended his mother to the custodie of Iohn;⁵⁵ which probablie argueth, that shee had no child to whose care and keeping shee might be commended. And though Christ be called hir first borne, yet doth it not follow that shee had any child after him: for as that is called last after which there is none, so that is called the first before which there was none. And as for Ioseph,⁵⁶ when he was espoused to Marie, he was a man of eightie yeares old.

And here we haue occasion to praise the wisdome of God, in the forming of man. The first man Adam was borne of no man; but immediatly created of God: the second, that is Eue, is formed not of a woman, but of a man alone: the third and all after, begotten both of woman and man: the fourth, that is Christ, God and man, not of no man as Adam, not of no woman, as Eue; not of man and woman as we: but after a new manner, of a woman without a man he is conceiued and borne.

And hereupon our dutie is not to despise, but highly to reuerence the virgin Marie, as beeing the mother of the sonne of God, a prophetisse vpon earth, a Saint in heauen. And we doe willingly condiscend to giue hir honour three waies, 1. by thanksgiuing to God for hir,⁵⁷ 2. by a reuerent estimation of her, 3. by imitation of hir excellent vertues: yet farre be it frō vs to adore hir with diuine honour, by praier to call vpon hir, as though she knew our hearts, and heard our requests, and to place hir in heauen as a queene aboue the sonne of God.

The name of the mother of Christ is added, to shew that he came of the linage of Dauid, and that therefore he was the true Messias before spoken of. It may be obiected, that both Matthew and Luke set downe the genealogie of Ioseph, of whome Christ was not. Answer. Matthew sets down indeed in Christs genealogie, the naturall descent of Ioseph, the husband of Marie, hauing Iacob for his naturall father: but Luke taking an other course, propounds the naturall descent of Marie the mother of Christ: and when he saith that Ioseph was the sonne of Eli, he meanes of a Legall sonne.⁵⁸ For sonnes and daughters in lawe are called sonnes and daughters to their fathers and mothers in law: Marie her selfe and not Ioseph, beeing the naturall daughter of Eli. And whereas Luke doth not plainely say, that Marie was the daughter of Eli, but puts Ioseph the sonne in law in hir roome, the reason hereof may be, because it was the manner of the Iewes to account and continue their genealogies in the male and not in the female sexe, the man beeing the head of the familie, and not the woman. And though Ruth, and Rahab, and other women be mentioned by Matthew, yet that is onely by the way: for they make no degrees herein. Againe it may further be demaunded, how Christ could comes of Dauid by Salomon, as Mathew saith, and by Nathan as Luks saith; they twaine being two distinct sonnes of Dauid. Answer. By vertue of the law, whereby the brother was bound to raise vp seede to his brother:⁵⁹ there was a double discent in vse among the Iewes, the one was naturall, the other legall. Natural, when one man discended of an other by generation, as the child from the naturall father. Legall, when a man not begotten of an other,⁶⁰ yet did succeede him in his inheritance; & thus Salathiel is the naturall sonne of Neri, and the legall sonne of Iechonias. Now Saint Luke sets downe the naturall descent of Christ from Dauid by Nathan: and Saint Matthew the other descent, which is legall, by Salomon; whome Christ succeeded in the right of the kingdom, being borne the king of the Iewes: none that could possibly be named, hauing more right to it then he.

By this discent of Christ we haue occasion to consider, that Christ was euen in his birth the most excellent and noble man that euer was, descending of the eternall father as he is the sonne of God, and as he man, descending of the Patriarks, and of the renowmed kings of Iudah. And this his nobilitie he conuaies in part to his members, in that he makes them the sonnes of God, a royall priesthood, and a peculiar people to himselfe: inriching them also with the reuenewes of the whole world, and with the title and right to the kingdome of glorie in heauen, as their inheritance.

And withall, Christ beeing the liuely patterne of true nobilitie, by his example men of blood are taught not to stand so much on their pedigree, and their ancetours, as though nobilitie stood in this, that man descends of man: but to labour with all that they may to be the sonnes and daughters of God by regeneratiō in Christ. This in deede is the ornament of the blood, the best part in the noble mans skutchin, and the finest flowre in his garland. And though a man be neuer so noble or great an estate, yet if he be not a repentant sinner, he is base and vile, and his nobilitie stinks in the nostrils of God. Christ in his genealogie doth not so much as vouchsafe to name those his ancetours that ruled wickedly; and hereupon Saint Matthew omitteth three kings of Iuda, Achaziah, Ioas, & Amaziah: whereas neuerthelesse hainous offendours that repented are mentioned, as Ruth, and Thamar, and Bathshabe.