Rogers on Article II: Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very Man

The propositions.

1. Christ is very God.

2. Christ is very man.

3. Christ is God, and man, and that in one person.

4. Christ is the Sauiour of mankinde.

1. Proposition. Christ is very God.

The proofe from Gods word.

IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God ¹. This is written of Christ. Therefore Christ is God.

Christ was begotten of the Father from euerlasting ². Therefore verie God.

This is life eternall, that they knowe thee to be verie God, and whome thou hast sent, Iesus Christ³.

They shal call his name Emanuel, which is by interpretation, God with vs ⁴.

Christ he is the brightnes of the glorie, and the engraued image of (the Father) his person, and beareth vp all things by his mightie hand ⁵. Therefore verie God.

And this both hath bin of the auncient Christians ⁶, and is the Faith of the reformed Churches ⁷.

The Errors, and adversaries vnto this truth.

Miserably therefore doe they erre, which either denie, or impugne the deitie of our Sauiour, as did certaine old heretikes. viz.

The Arrians, whereof some were called the Douleians, because in scorne they tearmed the onely begotten of God, the Fathers seruant ⁸.

The Cerinthians ⁹.

The Ebionites, among whome some said that Christ Iesus was a meere man; others acknowledged him to be God, but not from euerlasting ¹⁰.

The Eunomians ¹¹.

The Samosatenians, who thought that Christ was not the Sonne of God, before his incarnation ¹².

The Nestorians, whose opinion was, that Christ became God by merit, but was not God by nature ¹³.

The Macedonians, which vtterly denied the Sonne to be of one substance with the Father ¹⁴.

The Agnoites, who held that the diuine nature of Christ was ignorant of some things ¹⁵.

Againe, some late heretikes euen to the death neuer would acknowledge Christ Iesus to be the true and verie God, as namely.

Certaine Catabaptists ¹⁶.

Blandrat ¹⁷.

Matthew Hamant (burnt at Norwitch an. 1579. one of whose heresies was that Christ was a meere, and sinnefull man ¹⁸.

Francis Ket (burnt also at Norwitch an. 1588.) who most obstinatelie maintained that Christ was not God til after his resurrection.

Dauid George, sometime of Basil, who affirmed himselfe to be greater for power then euer Christ was ¹⁹.

In oppugning the deitie of our Sauiour with these heretikes ioyne the Iewes ²⁰, and Turkes, which say that Christ was a good man, such as Moses and Mahomet were ²¹, but not God. Hence Amurath. the great Turke in his letters vnto the Emp. Rodolph. the second, an 1593. tearmed our Sauiour in derision, The crucified God; vnto whome may be added the Familie of Loue ²².

2. Proposition. Christ is very man.

The proofe from Gods word.

HOlding the humanitie of Christ wee ioyne with the blessed Prophets, and Euangelists, who either prophecied of his future incarnation ²³, and conception in the wombe of a virgine ²⁴, or plainely auouched, and writ, both that the virgine Marie was his mother ²⁵, and that, as verie man, he grewe, and increased in strength ²⁶, endured hunger ²⁷, and thirst ²⁸, wept ²⁹, and slept ³⁰, and suffered death ³¹.

Hence the auncient Fathers, and Christians,

I beleeue in God, the Father almightie, &c. and in Iesus Christ, &c. which was conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the virgine Mary, suffered vnder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried ³².

The right faith is, that we beleeue and confesse, that our Lord Iesus Christ, the Sonne of God, is God and man. God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the world; and man, of the substance of his mother, borne in the world. Perfect God, and perfect man, of a reasonable soule, and humane flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead; and inferiour to the Father, touching his manhood ³³.

I beleeue in one God, the Father almightie, &c. and in one Lord Iesus Christ &c. who for vs men, and for our saluation came downe from heauen, and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the virgine Marie, and was made man, &c ³⁴.

The verie same testifie Gods people in Heluetia ³⁵, Basil, ³⁶, Bohemia ³⁷, the Lowe countries ³⁸, France ³⁹, Ausburgh ⁴⁰, Wittemberg ⁴¹, Suevia ⁴², with many moe besides ⁴³.

The Errors and adversaries vnto this truth.

Therefore most wicked were the opinions of those men which held, viz. that,

1. Christ really, and indeed had neither bodie, nor soule, but was man in appearance onely, as the Manichies ⁴⁴, the Eutychians ⁴⁵, the Marcionites ⁴⁶, and the Saturnians ⁴⁷.

2. Christ had a bodie without a soule; as thought the Eunomians ⁴⁸, the Arrians ⁴⁹, the Apollinarians ⁵⁰, with the Theopaschites ⁵¹.

3. Christ tooke not flesh of the virgine Marie; so did the Valentinians thinke ⁵², and so thinke the Anabaptists ⁵³, and the Familie of Loue, who make an allegorie of the Incarnation of Christ ⁵⁴.

4. Christ tooke flesh onely, of the virgine, but no soule; as the Arrians ⁵⁵.

5. Christ tooke flesh not of the virgine onely, but by the seede of man too; so said Ebion ⁵⁶, and Carpocrates ⁵⁷.

6. The flesh of Christ was spirituall, and his soule carnal; so dreamed the Valentinians.

7. The carnal bodie of Christ was consubstantial with the Father; as published the Apollinarians ⁵⁸.

8. The humane nature of Christ before his passion, was deuoide of humane affections; so thought the Seuerites ^{59 60}.

3. Proposition. Christ is God, and man, and that in one person.

The proofe from Gods word.

THat the Diuine, and humane natures of Christ, are vnited in one person, it accordeth with the holy Scripture. For, The worde was made flesh, and dwelt among vs (and wee sawe the glorie thereof, as the glorie of the onely begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth, saith the Euangelist Iohn ⁶¹. And Matthew: Iesus when he was baptized &c. loe, a voice (came) from heauen, saying, This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am well pleased ⁶².

He that descended, is euen the same that ascended, farre aboue all heauens, that he might fill all things, saith S. Paul ⁶³.

Againe, Christ Iesus, being in the forme of God, thought it no robberie to be equall with God, he made himselfe of no reputation, and tooke on him the forme of a seruant, and was made like vnto men, and was found in shape as a man, &c. wherefore God hath also highly exalted him, &c. that euery tongue should confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord, vnto the glorie of God the Father ⁶⁴.

And the same Apostle: There is one God, and one mediator betweene God and man, euen the man Christ Iesus; who gaue himselfe a ransome for all men ⁶⁵.

Vpon these, and the like grounds.

I beleeue in God, the Father almightie, &c. and in Iesus Christ his onely Sonne our Lord, which was conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of the virgine Mary ⁶⁶.

The right faith is, that wee beleeue and confesse, that our Lord Iesus Christ, the Sonne of God, is God and man, &c. who although he be God and man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One not by the conuersion of the Godhead into flesh; but by taking of the manhood vnto God. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by vnitie of person ⁶⁷. I beleeue in one Lord Iesus Christ, the onely begotten sonne of God, begotten of the Father before all worldes, God of God, light of light, very God of very God; begotten not made; beeing of one substance with the Father, by whome all things were made: Who for vs men &c. came downe from heauen, and was incarnate, &c. He suffered, and was buried, &c. and he shall come againe &c ⁶⁸. say the ancient and first Christians.

The very same is the beleefe, and confession of all the reforformed Churches at this present and alwaies hath bin ⁶⁹.

Errors, and adversaries vnto this truth.

Detestable therefore is the error,

Of the Acephalians; who denied the properties of the two natures in Christ ⁷⁰.

Of the Seuerites ⁷¹; of Eutiches and Dioscorus, who affirmed the diuinitie, and humanitie of Christ to be of one, and the same nature.

Of the Monothelites; who denied that two wils, viz. a diuine, and humane, were in Christ ⁷²,

Of Theodorus Mesechius; who said that the word was one thing, and Christ another ⁷³.

Of Nestorius; who denied the two natures of Christ to be otherwise vnited, than one freind is ioyned to another ⁷⁴, which onely is in good will, and affection.

Of Seruetus; who said of Christ, that he was the patterne of all things, and but a figure of the Sonne of God; and that the body of Christ was compact of three vncreated elements ⁷⁵, and so confounded, and ouerthrewe both natures.

4. Proposition. Christ is the Sauiour of mankinde.

The proofe from Gods word.

Christ to be the Sauiour of mankinde we finde it perspicuously in the holy Scripture, which teacheth vs that Christ was crucified, dead and buried ⁷⁶; and that to reconcile his Father vnto vs ⁷⁷; and to be a Sacrifice for all sinnes of men ⁷⁸.

Hence, I beleeue the forgiuenes of sinne ⁷⁹.

He suffered for our saluation ⁸⁰.

For vs men, and for our saluation, he came downe from heauen ⁸¹ say our forefathers in their confessions: as doe also our brethren through-out Christendome ⁸².

Errors, and aduersaries vnto this truth.

Wicked then are all opinions, and assertions, contrarying, & crossing this truth: as;

That the Father, in his deitie, not the Sonne, in his humanity, did suffer, which error the Patripassians did hold ⁸³.

That Christ, aswell in his diuinitie, as in his humanitie, suffered for mankind: an error of Apollinaris of old ⁸⁴; and of Islebius, and Andreas Musculus, of late yeares ⁸⁵.

That the whole and holy Trinitie was crucified; as said Petrus Antiochenus.

That Christ really, and indeed hung not on the crosse: for his passion was in showe onely, said the Cerdonites ⁸⁶, the Euticheans ⁸⁷, and the Manicheans ⁸⁸: and another man, said the Theopaschits ⁸⁹, and Basilides ⁹⁰, yea the very Deuils, and not Christ, said the Manichies ⁹¹, suffered, and hung on the crosse.

That the whole passion of Christ is to be vnderstood allegorically, and not according to the letter; as the Familie of Loue doe thinke ⁹².

That Christ on the Crosse hath suffered 1 for the redemption of mankinde, and shall suffer againe for the saluation of the Deuills; such heretikes there haue bin ⁹³; 2 as Iesus, but shal againe suffer as Iesus Christ (which was one of Francis Ket his heresies, for which he was burned); 3 for men, but one mother Iane is the Sauiour of women, a most execrable assertion of Postellus, the Iesuite ⁹⁴.

The fantasies of the Iacobites ⁹⁵, and Turkes ⁹⁶.

The popish doctrine touching the Masse, praiers vnto Saintes, Pardons, and Purgatorie, which make the passion of Christ either of none effect, or to put away but originall sinne onely ⁹⁷.

That albeit our Sauiour hath suffered for all men in generall: yet both each man must suffer for himselfe in particular ⁹⁸; and the workes of one man may satisfie the iustice of God for another ⁹⁹: which are popish errors.

That Christ died not for the sinns of all men; and that some sinnes are so filthie, and enormous, as Christ his blood vpon true repentance of the delinquents part, cannot wash them away: which was Kains ¹⁰⁰, Fr. Spiras ¹⁰¹, and other desperate persons error.

That whatsoeuer is written touching Christ his sufferings, must in vs, and with vs be fulfilled; the false doctrine of H.N. ¹⁰²

Footnotes

1. Ioh. 1.1. ↩

2. Psal. 2.7. Acts 13.33. Heb. 1.5. ↩

3. Iohn 17.3. ↩

4. Matth. 1.23. ↩

5. Heb. 1.3. ↩

6. I beleeue in God the Father &c, and in Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord. Symb. Apost. The godhead of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost is all one: the glorie equall, the maiestie coeternall. Such as the Father is, such is the Sonne. The Father vncreate, the Sonne vncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Sonne incomprehensible. The Father eternall, the Sonne eternall. The Father is almightie, the Sonne almightie; the Father is God, and the Sonne is God; the Father is Lord, and the Sonne is Lord. Symbol. Athanas. I beleeue in God the Father almightie &c. and in one Lord, Iesus Christ, the onely begotten Sonne of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, light of light, very God of very God; begotten, not made; beeing of one substance with the Father. Symbol. Nicen. ↩

7. Confess. Helvet. 1. ar. 11.2. cap. 11. Bohem. cap. 4.6. August. ar. 6. Gal. ar. 13, 14. Belg. ar. 10. VVittemb. cap. 2. Suevica ar. 2. ↩

8. Theod. haeret. fab. lib. 4. ↩

9. Irenaeus. ↩

10. Euseb. eccles. hist. l. 3. c. 27. ↩

11. Basil. l. 5. contra Eunom. ↩

12. Concil. Bracar. cap. 2. ↩

13. Liberatus. ↩

14. Theodoret. l. 4. haeret. fab. ↩

15. Gregor. epist. 22. l. 8. ↩

16. Zuing. lib. contra Catabap. ↩

17. Beza, epist. 19. ↩

18. Holnis. chron. 12[?]99. ↩

19. Hist. Dauidis Georg. ↩

20. Lud. Caret. l. divinor. visor. ad Judaeos. ↩

21. Policie of the Turkish Emp. c. 5. p. 16. ↩

22. Display of the Fam. of Loue. H. 7. a. ↩

23. The seed of the woman shall breake thine head. Gen. 3.15. The Scepter shall not depart &c. vntill Shiloh come. Gen. 49.10. ↩

24. Behold, a virgine shall conceiue, and beare a sonne. Esa. 7.14. ↩

25. Math. 10.18.23. Luk. 1.27.31.34. ↩

26. Luk. 2.40. ↩

27. When he had fasted 40 daies, and 40 nights, he was afterward hungrie. Mat. 4.2. ↩

28. Ioh. 4.7. He said, I thirst. Ioh. 19.28. ↩

29. Luk. 19.41. ↩

30. Mark. 4.38. ↩

31. Math. 27.50. Mark. 15.37. Luk. 23.46. Ioh. 19.30.33. ↩

32. Symb. Apost. ↩

33. Symb. Athan. ↩

34. Sym. Nicen. ↩

35. Confess. Helv. 1. ar. 11. & 2. c. 11. ↩

36. Confes. Basi. ar. 4. ↩

37. Confess. Bohem. c. 6. ↩

38. Confess. Belg. ar. 18. ↩

39. Confess. Gal. ar. 14. ↩

40. Confess. August. ar. 3. ↩

41. Confess. VVittemb. c. 2. ↩

42. Confess. Suevica. ar. 2. ↩

43. Harman. confess. praef. ↩

44. August. l. 14. contra Faust. ↩

45. Niceph. l. 18. c. 52. ↩

46. Philast. Beza, epist. 81. ↩

47. Iren. l. 1. c. 22. ↩

48. Basil. contra Eunom. ↩

49. Theodoret. haeret. fab. l. 4. ↩

50. Ruffin. lib. 2. c. 20. ↩

51. Niceph. l. 18. c. 53. ↩

52. Iren. l. 1. c. 1. ↩

53. Confess. Belg. ar. 18. ↩

54. H.N. prophecie of the Spir. c. 19. sent. 9. ↩

55. Epiphan. ↩

56. Eusch. eccles. hist. l. 3. c. 27. ↩

57. Iren. l. 1. c. 24 ↩

58. Athan. lib. de incar. Christ. ↩

59. Tertul. lib. de car. Christ. ↩

60. Niceph. lib. 17. c. 29. ↩

61. Ioh. 1.14. ↩

62. Math. 3.17. ↩

63. Eph. 4.10. ↩

64. Phil. 2.6, 7, 9, 11. ↩

65. 1. Tim. 2.5, 6.
    ↩

66. Symbol. Apost. ↩

67. Symbol. Athan. ↩

68. Symb. Nicen. ↩

69. Confess. Helv. 1. c. 11. & 2. ar. 11. Basi. ar. 4. Bohem. ar. 6. Gal. ar. 15. Belg. ar. 19. August. ar. 3. VVittem. c. 2. Suevica, ar. 2. Harmon. confess. praef. ↩

70. Hartman Schedel. ↩

71. Niceph. l. 16. cap. 33. ↩

72. Volater. l. 17. ↩

73. Magdeburg. eccles hist. Cen. 6. c. 5. fol. 319. ↩

74. Niceph. l. 18. c. 48. ↩

75. Beza epist. 81. Confess. Gal. ar. 14. ↩

76. Math. 27.26. &c. ↩

77. We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. Rom. 5.10. God hath reconciled vs vnto himselfe by Iesus Chr. 2. Cor. 5.18. by his crosse, Eph. 2.16. It pleased the Father &c. by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe. Colos. 1 19, 20. ↩

78. He hath borne our infirmities, and carried our sorrowes. Esa. 53.4. He is the lambe of God, which taketh away the sinne of the world. Ioh. 1.29. Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law, when he was made a curse for vs. G[?]l. 3.13. God h[?]th made him sinne for vs, which knew no sinne, that we should be the righteousnes of God in him 2. Cor. 5.2. He is the reconciliation for our sinne, and not for ours onely, but [?]lso for the whole world. 1. Ioh. 2.2. ↩

79. Symb. Apostol. ↩

80. Symb. Athanas. ↩

81. Symb. Nicen. ↩

82. Conf[?]ss. He[?]vel. 1. c. 11. & 2. ar. 11. Basil. ar. 4. Bohem. ar. 6. Gal. ar. 13.16.17. Belg. ar. 20.21. August. ar. 3. Saxun. ar. 3. VVittemb. c. 2. Suevica. Harmon. confess. praef. ↩

83. D. August. de Trin. l. 5. ↩

84. Magdeburg. eccles. hist. Ce[?]. 4. c. 5. ↩

85. Beza, epist. 60. ↩

86. Iren. l. 1. c. 23. ↩

87. Nic. l. 18. c. 52. ↩

88. August. contr. Faust. l. 15. c. 10. ↩

89. Antoni[?]. tit. 13. c. 5. § 3. ↩

90. Theod. Tert. ↩

91. August. lib. de Fide, c. 32, 33. ↩

92. H.N. Instr. ar. 4. sent. 17.29 ↩

93. VVitnes Tho. Aquin. on 1. Pet. 3. ↩

94. Iesuits Catec. 1. book. c. 10. ↩

95. Niceph. l. 18. c. 52. ↩

96. Lonic. Tur. hist. tom. 1. l. 1. ↩

97. See art. 22.31. ↩

98. Test. Rhem. in. Rom. 8.17. ↩

99. Ibid. in. Col. 1.24. ↩

100. Gen. 4. ↩

101. Hist. Fr. Spir. ↩

102. Prophet. of the Spir. cap. 19. sent. 3. ↩