The ofthe [reede. Incarnation. 177 ~~--~~--~--~. and perfect man, bedng ineuery thing that conccrnes mans nature like to Ad:~m, Jbr,- 1>•• D""UI and all other men, fauing only in fmn~. For firil ofall,he had-the fub(hnce ofa rrue body, andofa reafo8able foule : Second– ly,the properties ofbodyand f01;le: m the bo– dy,length, breadth, thickne£fe, mcumfcnptt– on,&c. in the foulc,the faculties of':'ndcr£lan– ding both fimplc and compound: wtll,affech– ons,as loue,hatred,d::!irc,ioy,kare, &c. the powers alfo ofhearing,foeling, feeing, fmel· ling,rafting,moouing, growing,eating, dige– lling,lkeping,&c. Thirdly, hee took: YntO him the infirmi~.ics ofmans nature, whtch are ccruinenaturalldefech or paiSions in body or mind, as re' be hungry, thirfry, wearle, ' lgnofidde and forrowfull, (c) ignorant of fome raT~u~ . things, angry,to increafe in ftature, a~d wife– =~::,~'" l dome,and knowledge,&c.yetthis whtch I lay · · muft bee vnderfiood with two caueats. The ;:aJf;o. I fidt is, that infirmities be eithercertaine vn– litionu. blameable pafsions, or clfe filch defects as are ftnnes in themfc:lues : now Chrift taketh the iirtl onely, and not the fecond. Secondly, in– firmities be either generall, or per!Onall; ge– nerall, which appertaineto the whole nature ofman,andaretobefoundin euery man that commeth of Ad•m : as to bee borne vnlear– ned, and fubicdto naturall affections, asfor– row,anger,&c. Perfonal,are fuchasappertain to fome particular men, and not to all, and a– rifeoffome priuate caufes & particular iudg– mencsofGod, astobcbornca foole, to bee ft:ke ofan ague,confUmption, dropfte, pluri. fte,and fuch like difeafc:s.Nowthe firft fort be in Chritl,andnot the fecond: for as he tooke nottheperfon of any man, butonely mans nature, fowas it fufficient for him to take vn– rohim the infirmitiesofmans- nature, thGugh hec tooke not the priuate infirmities of any mans perfqn. And the reafon why Chrill would puton not onely the fob£1ance and fa– culticsofa true man, butalfohis infirmities, was; that he might £hew himfelfe to be very mm indeed, alfo that he might futfct for vs b?th in body and foule , and that hee might glUe vsan example of patience in bearing all manner <>feuill for Gods glory, and the good ofour neighbour. Now the things which may be alleadged to the contrary for the infringing of the truth ofChrillsmanhood, areofno moment. As firft, becaufe Chri£l appeared in the forme of a man in tht old tellament beeing no man : therdore hedid foatbis ~ming in the new te£lament : but the reafon is not like. For Chritl in theold te£lament, Gen. 18·9·13· as theangel ofhis Fatherin fome fpecial aff>ires, tooke vnto him the body of a man for fome fpace oftime ; but he did not receiuc it into the vnity ofhis perfon, but laid it down when the bufinefii: which he cnterprifed with men Was ended. Now in the fulnefleof time hee came from heauea as the angell of the coue– nant, and for thJ.tcaufe he was to vnitc into A his owne perfon the nature of man, which thing was neuer done before. And when as P•ul faith,Rom.8. 3• rhat Chri£l wndntbe fi mit.tude •f fin[•~fl•Jh,his meaning is notto fig– nilie. that he was a man onely in refernblance and £hew; but toteilifie,thatbdnga true man whicll wasindeede void oflinne,he was con– tent to abafe himfelfe to that condition in which he became like to a'miferable finner in bearing the puni£hment for our finne : For P..,.J dothnot fay that he tookevpon him the ftmilitude offle£h limply as it is Ac£h, but of the fle£h offinne or finfull. The third que£lion is, why the Sonne of God mull become man I .A•fw. There bee B fundry reafons of this point , and the moll principal! are thefe : Fir£10fall, it is a thing that greatly llands with &ho iu£lice of God, I • thatin·thatnature in which God was offended, in the fame £hould a fatisfadion be made toGod for finne : now finne was committed in mans nature : Ad4mfir-med firfr, and in him all his po£1erity : therefore it was noce£f.ry that in mans nature there fhould be a fittisfa– c'tionmade to Gods iu£lice, and for this caufe the Sonne of God mu£l needes abafc himfelfe and become man for our fakes. Secondly by the right of creation enery man is bound 2 • in confcicnce to fulfill enen the very rigvur & extremitieofthe moralllaw. But conGdering man is now fallen from his lirfr elbate and C condition,thtreforeit wasrequiftte, that the Sonne of God £hould become man, that in mans natu'e be might fitllill all righteou£,e£fe Which the law doth exactat our hands. Thirdly, hcethatisourredeemer muftdyefor cor 3• fins; for there is no remi&ion of fins without £hedding ofblood : but Chrifr as hec is God cannot die: forno pafsion can befall the god-· head.Therefore it wasneediull,that he £honld become man, that in m~nsnature hec might die and fuliy fatislie Gods iu£lice for mans of– fence. Latlly,herhatmu£1make rcconciliati. on berweene God and man , mull beefuch an 4· one as 111ay make reque£lor fp<lke both to God and man. For a Mediatour is as it were ~ middle perlon making intercef;ion betweene D twootherperfons,the one offended, theother off<nding. Thrrfore it is necef!ary that Chri£l £hould not onely be God, to fpeake vnto the ·Father forvs,and to prefent our prayers Yoto him; but alfo man, that God might fpeak< to vs,&we to God by Chrill.Forhowfoeuer before the fall , man could fpeake to God cuen face toface,yetftnce the fall,fuch feare po£fef. feth mans corrupt nature, that he cannot abide theprefenceof G 0 D, butflyeth from· ir. Now whereas I fay, that itwas necelfary that the Sonnc of God for the caufcs bdore alleadged mull become man : the ncctGlti, mu£1 bee vnderfl:ood in refped ofGods will and.not in refped of hisabfolute power. Fo; ifithad fo pleafed God, heewas able tohauc !aidedowne an other kinde of wayof man s Q..• redemption,. _ _ _ •
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