232 Communion of the Son with the Father BOOK V. in that he is the Son of God; secondly, in that his human Ch. liv. 2. nature hath had the honour of union with Deity bestowed upon it; thirdly, in that by means thereof sundry eminent graces have flowed as effects from Deity into that nature which is coupled with it. On Christ therefore there is bestowed the gift of eternal generation, the gift of union, and the gift of unction. [2.] By the gift of eternal generation Christ hath received of the Father one and in number the selfsame substance, which the Father hath of himself unreceived from any other. For every beginning 3 is a Father unto that which cometh of it; and every offspring is a Son unto that out of which it groweth. Seeing therefore the Father alone is originally that Deity which Christ originally 5 is not, (for Christ is God by being of God", light by issuing out of light 7,) it followeth hereupon that whatsoever Christ hath common unto him with his heavenly Father 8,the same of necessity must be given him, 66 66 66 66 2 Nativitas Dei non potest non eam ex qua profecta est tenere naturam. Neque enim aliud quam "Deus subsistit qui non aliunde quam ex Deo Deus subsistit." Hilar. de Trin. lib. v. [§. 37.] "Cum "sit gloria, sempiternitate, virtute, regno, potestate, hoc quod Pater est, omnia tamen hæc non sine "auctore sicut Pater, sed ex Patre tanquam Filius sine initio et æqua"lis habet." Ruffin. in Symb. Apost. cap. 9. [ad calcem Cypr. Fell. p. 19.] "Filium aliunde non deduco, sed de substantia Patris, ... omnem a Patre consecutum potestatem." Tertull. contra Prax. [c. 4.] 66 66 66 3 66 Ephes. iii. 15. πᾶσα πατριὰ, quicquid alteri quovis modo dat esse. [So the Vulgate, Om"nis Paternitas." Tertull. contra Prax. c. 8. "Omnis origo parens 66 est, et omne quod ex origine pro- Jac. i. 17. Pater luminum, Yioù 66 * Απαύγασμα της δόξης. Heb. i. 3. Εστιν ἀπόῤῥοια τῆς τοῦ παντοκράτορος δόξης εἰλικρινής — ἀπαύ yaopa-pwròs aïdiov. Sap. vii. 25, 26. 8"Nihil in se diversum ac dissi"mile habent natus et generans." [" Neque rursum dissimilis esse possit natus et generans."] Hilar. de Syn. advers. Arian. [§. 22.] “ In "Trinitate alius atque alius, non “ aliud atque aliud." Vincent. Lir. cap. 19. [in Bibl. Patr. Colon. iv. 242. B.] in Respect of His eternal Generation. Ch. liv. 3, 4. 233 but naturally and eternally given 9, not bestowed by way of BOOK V. benevolence and favour, as the other gifts both are. And therefore where the Fathers give it out for a rule 10, that whatsoever Christ is said in Scripture to have received, the same we ought to apply only to the manhood of Christ; their assertion is true of all things which Christ hath received by grace, but to that which he hath received of the Father by eternal nativity or birth it reacheth not. [3] Touching union of Deity with manhood, it is by grace, because there can be no greater grace shewed towards man, than that God should vouchsafe to unite to man's nature the person of his only begotten Son. Because 11" the Father "loveth the Son" as man, he hath by uniting Deity with manhood, "given all things into his hands." 12 It hath pleased the Father, that in him "all fulness should dwell." 13 The "name" which he hath "above all names" is given him. 14 As the Father hath life in himself," the "Son “in himself hath life also" by the gift of the Father. The gift whereby God hath made Christ a fountain of life is that 15 "conjunction of the nature of God with the nature of man" in the person of Christ," which gift," (saith Christ to the woman of Samaria 16,) " if thou didst know and in that respect "understand who it is which asketh water of thee, thou "wouldest ask of him that he might give thee living water." The union therefore of the flesh with Deity is to that flesh a gift of principal grace and favour. For by virtue of this grace, man is really made God, a creature is exalted above the dignity of all creatures, and hath all creatures else under it. 66 [4] This admirable union of God with man can enforce in 9" Ubi auctor æternus est, ibi et nativitatis æternitas est: quia "sicut nativitas ab auctore est, "ita et ab æterno auctore æterna "nativitas est." Hilar. de Trin. “ lib. xii. [§. 21.] "Sicut naturam præstat Filio sine initio Gene"ratio: ita Spiritus Sancti præstat "essentiam sine initio Processio." Aug. de Trin. lib. v. c. 15. 66 10 Οσα λέγει ἡ γραφὴ ὅτι ἔλαβεν ὁ Υἱὸς καὶ ἐδοξάσθη, διὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα αὐτοῦ λέγει, οὐ τὴν θεότητα. 234 Glorification of Man's Nature in Christ. BOOK V. that higher nature no alteration 17, because unto God there is Neither is it a thing impossible that the Word being made [5] But may it rightly be said concerning the incarnation of Jesus Christ, that as our nature hath in no respect changed his, so from his to ours as little alteration hath ensued? The very cause of his taking upon him our nature was to change it, to better the quality, and to advance the condition thereof, although in no sort to abolish the substance which he took, nor to infuse into it the natural forces and properties of his Deity. As therefore we have shewed how the Son of God by his incarnation hath changed the manner of that personal subsistence which before was solitary, and is now in the association of flesh, no alteration thereby accruing to the nature of God; so neither are the properties of man's nature in the person of Christ by force and virtue of the same conjunction so much altered, as not to stay within those limits which our substance is bordered withal; nor the state and quality of our substance so unaltered, but that there are in it many glorious effects Ch, liv. 6. Communion of Christ with God in respect of Unction. 235 proceeding from so near copulation with Deity 18. God from BOOK V. us can receive nothing, we by him have obtained much. For albeit the natural properties of Deity be not communicable to man's nature, the supernatural gifts graces and effects thereof are. The honour which our flesh hath by being the flesh of the Son of God is in many respects great. If we respect but that which is common unto us with him, the glory provided for him and his in the kingdom of heaven, his right and title thereunto even in that he is man differeth from other men's, because he is that man of whom God is himself a part. We have right to the same inheritance with Christ, but not the same right which he hath, his being such as we cannot reach, and ours such as he cannot stoop unto. Furthermore, to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life; to be the Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, Resurrection; to be the Peace of the whole world, the hope of the righteous, the Heir of all things; to be that supreme head whereunto all power both in heaven and in earth is given: these are not honours common unto Christ with other men, they are titles above the dignity and worth of any which were but a mere man, yet true of Christ even in that he is man, but man with whom Deity is personally joined, and unto whom it hath added those excellencies which make him more than worthy thereof. Finally, sith God hath deified our nature, though not by turning it into himself, yet by making it his own inseparable habitation, we cannot now conceive how God should without man either exercise divine power 19, or receive the glory of divine praise. For man is in both an associate of Deity 20. [6.] But to come to the grace of unction: did the parts of our 18 [* Ον μὲν νομίζομεν καὶ πεπείσμεθα ἀρχῆθεν εἶναι Θεὸν καὶ Υἱὸν Θεοῦ, οὗτος ὁ αὐτολόγος ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ αυτοσοφία καὶ ἡ αὐτοαλήθεια· τὸ δὲ θνητὸν αὐτοῦ σῶμα καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἐν αὐτῷ ψυχὴν, τῇ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον οὐ μόνον κοινωνίᾳ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑνώσει καὶ ἀνακράσει, τὰ μεγιστά φαμεν προσειληφέναι, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου Θεότητος κεκοινωνηκότα εἰς Θεὸν μεταβεBnkéval. Orig. cont. Cels. iii. 41.] 19 METÉXEL аvoрwπivη Tys delas évepyeías. Theod. [Eran. ii. p. 172. from Apollinarius.] 20 Ἡ δεξιὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ ποιητική τῶν ὄντων τῶν πάντων, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Κύριος δι ̓ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, αὕτη τὸν ἑνωθέντα πρὸς αὐτὴν ἄνθρωπον εἰς τὸ ἴδιον ἀνήγαγεν ὕψος διὰ τῆς ἑνώσεως. Gregor. Nyss. apud Theod. [Dial. ii. p. 152. t. iv. pars i.] ̓Απὸ τῆς φύσεως τῆς σῆς λαβὼν ἀπαρχὴν ἐκάθισεν ἐπάνω πάσης ἀρχῆς Kai govoías. Chrys. in Psal. xli. [t. i. p. 614. ed. Eton. 1612.] Ch. liv. 7, 8. 236 Divine Unction of our Lord, both in Soul and Body: BOOK V. nature, the soul and body of Christ, receive by the influence of Deity wherewith they were matched no ability of operation, no virtue or quality above nature? Surely as the sword which is made fiery doth not only cut by reason of the sharpness which simply it hath, but also burn by means of that heat which it hath from fire 21, so there is no doubt but the Deity of Christ hath enabled that nature which it took of man to do more than man in this world hath power to comprehend; forasmuch as (the bare essential properties of Deity excepted) he hath imparted unto it all things, he hath replenished it with all such perfections as the same is any way apt to receive 22, at the least according to the exigence of that economy or service for which it pleased him in love and mercy to be made man. For as the parts, degrees, and offices of that mystical administration did require which he voluntarily undertook, the beams of Deity did in operation always accordingly either restrain 23 or enlarge themselves. [7] From hence we may somewhat conjecture how the powers of that soul are illuminated, which being so inward unto God cannot choose but be privy unto all things which God worketh, and must therefore of necessity be endued with knowledge so far forth universal 24, though not with infinite knowledge peculiar to Deity itself. The soul of Christ that saw in this life the face of God was here through so visible presence of Deity filled with all manner graces and virtues in that unmatchable degree of perfection, for which of him we read it written, "That God with the oil of gladness "anointed him above his fellows 25." [8.] And as God hath in Christ unspeakably glorified the nobler, so likewise the meaner part of our nature, the very bodily substance of man. Where also that must again be remembered which we noted before concerning degrees of the influence of Deity proportionable unto his own purposes, |