nature, in and by the same nature.) For if the Lord had been incarnate, for any other disposition, (that is, cause, reason, or end,) and had brought flesh from any other substance, (that is, cœlestial or ætherial, as the Gnostics imagined,) he had not recovered men, brought our nature into an head in himself, nor could he have been said to be flesh. He therefore himself had flesh and blood, not of any other kind; but he took to himself that which was originally created of the Father, seeking that which was lost." The same is observed by Austin, lib. de fide, ad Petrum Diaconum. Sic igitur Christum Dei Filium, id est, unam ex Trinitate personam, Deum verum crede, ut divinitatem ejus de natura Patris natam esse non dubites; et sic eum verum hominem crede, et ejus carnem, non cœlestis, non aeriæ, non alterius cujusquam putes esse naturæ, sed ejus cujus est omnium caro; id est, quam ipse Deus, homini primo de terra plasmavit, et cæteris hominibus plasmat. "So believe Christ the Son of God, that is, one person of the Trinity, to be the true God, that you doubt not but that his divinity was born (by eternal generation) of the nature of the Father; and so believe him to be a true man, that you suppose not his flesh to be aerial, or heavenly, or of any other nature, but of that which is the flesh of all men; that is, which God himself formed in the first man of the earth, and which he forms in all other men." That which he speaks of one person of the Trinity, hath respect unto the heretical opinion of Hormisda the bishop of Rome, who contended that it was unlawful to say that one person of the Trinity was incarnate; and persecuted some Scythian monks, men not unlearned, about it, who were strenuously defended by Maxentius one of them.

It carrieth in it a great condecency unto divine wisdom, that man should' be restored unto the image of God, by him who was the essential image of the Father, as it is declared in our discourse: and that he was made like unto us, that we might be made like unto him, and unto God through him. So speaks the same Irenæus, lib. 5. Præfat. Verbum Dei Jesus Christus, qui propter immensam suam dilectionem, factus est, quod sumus nos, ut nos perficeret quod est ipse. "Jesus Christ the word of God, who from his own infinite love, was made what we are, that he might make us what he is; that is, by the restoration of the image of God in us." And again, lib. 3. cap. 20. Filius Dei existens apud Patrem, et homo factus, longam hominum expositionem in scipso, recapitulavit; in compendio nobis, salutem præstans, ut quod perdideramus in Adam, id est, secundum imaginem et similitudinem esse Dei, hoc in Christo Jesu reciperemus, quia enim non erat possibile qui semel victus fuerat et elifus per inobedientiam, replasmare et obtinere bravium victoriæ ; iterum autem impossibile erat ut salutem perciperet, qui sub peccato ceciderat, utraque operatus est filius verbum Dei existens, a Patre descendens et incarnatus, usque ad mortem descendens, et dispensationem consummans salutis nostræ. "Being the Son of God with the Father, and being made man, he reconciled or gathered up in himself, the

long continued exposing of men (unto sin and judgment,) bringing in salvation in this compendious way, in this summary of it, that what we had lost in Adam, that is, our being in the image and likeness of God; that we should recover in Christ. For it was not possible that man, that had been once conquered and broken by disobedience, should (by himself) be reformed, and obtain the crown of victory; nor was it again possible that he should recover salvation who had fallen under sin. Both were wrought by the Son, the Word of God, who, descending from the Father, and being incarnate, submitted himself to death, perfecting the dispensation of our salvation."

And Clemens Alexandrinus to the same purpose, Adhort. ad. Gentes, Ναι φημι ὁ λόγος ὁ τε Θες άνθρωπος γενομενος, ίνα δι καὶ συ παρα ἀνθρωπε μαθης, πη ποτε ἄρα άνθρωπος γενηται Θεός. "The Word of God was made man, that thou mightest learn of a man how man may become (as) God." And Ambrose, in Psal. cxviii. Octon. 8. Imago id est, verbum Dei, ad eum qui est ad imaginem hoc est, hominem venit, et quærat imago eum qui est ad similitudinem, ut iterum signet, ut iterum confirmet, qui amisit quod accepit. The image of God, that is, the word of God, came into him who was after the image of God, that is man. And this image of God seeks him who is after the image of God, that he might seal him with it again, and confirm him, because he had lost that which he had received." And Austin in one instance gives a rational account why it was condecent unto divine wisdom, that the Son, and not the Father or the Holy Spirit, should be incarnate; which we also inquire into, lib. de Definition. Orthodoxis, cap. 2. Non Pater carnem assumpsit, neque Spiritus Sanctus, sed Filius tantum ; ut qui erat in divinitate Dei Patris Filius ipse fieret in homine, hominis matris Filius; ne Filii nomen ad alterum transirit, qui non esset æterna nativitate Filius. "The Father did not assume flesh, nor the Holy Spirit, but the Son only; that he who in the Deity was the Son of the Father, should be made the Son of man, in his mother of human race; that the name of the Son should not pass unto any other, who was not the Son by an eternal nativity."

I shall close with one meditation of the same author, concerning the wisdom and righteousness of God in this mystery. Enchirid. ad Laurent. cap. 99. Vide-universum genus humanum tam justo judicio divino in apostatica radice damnatum, ut etiam si nullus inde liberaretur, nemo recte possit Dei vituperare justitiam; et qui liberantur, sic oportuisse liberari, ut ex pluribus non liberatis, atque damnatione justissima derelictis, ostenderetur, quod meruisset universa conspersio, et quo etiam istos debitum judicium Dei duceret, nisi ejus indebita misericordia subveniret. "Behold, the whole race of mankind by the just judgment of God so condemned in the apostatical root, that if no one were thence delivered, yet no man could rightly complain of the justice of God; and that those who were freed, ought so to be freed, that from the greater number who are not freed, but left under most righteous condemnation, it

might be manifest what the whole mass had deserved, and whether the judgment of God due unto them would lead them, if his mercy, which was not due, did not relieve them." The reader may see what is discoursed unto these purposes: and because the great end of the description given of the person of Christ, is that we may love him, and thereby be transformed into his image. I shall close this preface with the words of Hieron, concerning that divine love unto Christ which is at large declared. Sive legas, saith he, sive scribas, sive vigiles, sive dormias, amor tibi semper buccina in auribus sonet; hic lituus excitet animam tuam, hoc amore furebundus; quære in lecto tuo, quem desiderat animo tuo. Epist. ad Pamach, cap. 4. "Whether thou readest or writest, whether thou watchest or sleepest, let the voice of love (to Christ) sound in thine ears; let this trumpet stir up thy soul; being overpowered, (brought into an ecstacy) with this love, seek him on thy bed, whom thy soul desireth and longeth for,"

ΧΡΙΣΤΟ ΛΟΓΙΑ:

OR,

A DECLARATION

OF THE

GLORIOUS MYSTERY

OF THE

PERSON OF CHRIST, &c.

CHAP. I.

PETER'S CONFESSION, Matth. xvi. 16. CONCEITS OF THE PAPISTS THEREON. THE SUBSTANCE AND EXCELLENCY OF THAT CONFESSION.

OUR blessed Saviour inquiring of his disciples their apprehensions concerning his person, and their faith in him, Simon Peter, as he was usually the forwardest on all such occasions, through his peculiar endowments of faith and zeal, returns au answer in the name of them all, Matt. xvi. 16. 'And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art Christ the Son of the living God.'

Baronius, and sundry others of the Roman church, do affirm, that the Lord Christ herein did prescribe the form of a general council. For here,' say they, the principal article of our Christian faith was declared and determined by Peter, whereunto all the rest of the apostles,' as in duty they were obliged, 'did give their consent and suffrage.' This was done, as they suppose, that a rule and law might be given unto future

ages how to enact and determine articles of faith. For it is to be done by the successors of Peter presiding in councils, as it was now done by Peter in this assembly of Christ and his apostles.

But they seem to forget that Christ himself was now present; and therefore could have no vicar, seeing he presided in his own person. All the claim they lay unto the necessity of such a visible head of the church on the earth, as may determine articles of faith, is from the absence of Christ, since his ascension into heaven. But that he should also have a substitute whilst he was present, is somewhat uncouth. And whilst they live, they shall never make the Pope president where Christ is present. The truth is, he doth not propose unto his disciples the framing of an article of truth, but inquires after their own faith, which they expressed in this confession. Such things as these will prejudice carnal interest, and the prepossession of the minds of men with corrupt imaginations, cause them to adventure on, to the scandal, yea, ruin of religion.

This short, but illustrious confession of Peter, comprizeth eminently the whole truth concerning the person and office of Christ. Of his person, in that although he was the Son of man, under which appellation he made this inquiry, ('Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ?') yet was he not only so, but the eternal Son of the living God. Of his office, that he was the Christ, he whom God had anointed to be the Saviour of the church, in the discharge of his kingly, priestly, and prophetical power. Instances of the like brief confessions we have. elsewhere in the Scripture, Rom. x. 9. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.' 1 John iv. 2, 3. Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is of God. And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God.' And it is manifest that all divine truths have such a concatenation among themselves, and do all of them so centre in the person of Christ, as vested with his offices towards the church, that they are all virtually comprised in this confession. And they will be so accounted unto all who destroy them not by contrary errors and