The vvay of lyfe A Christian, and catholique institution comprehending principal poincts of Christian religion, which are necessary to bee knowne of all men, to the atteyning of saluation. First delyuered, in the Danish language for the instruction of those people, by Doctor Nicolas Hemmingius, preacher of the Gospell, and professor of diuinitie, for the Kynge of Denmarcke, in his Uniuersitie of Hafnia: and about three yeares past, (for the commoditie of others) translated into Latine, by Andrew Seurinus Velleius: and now first, and newly Englished, for the commodity of English readers: by N. Denham, this yeare of our redemption. 1578.

Of the third point or Chapter.

IN THE THIRD PLACE, wee haue proponed of Christe, that hee is VERY MAN, And, why it was needefull, that the Mediatour should bee man. The whole vniuersall Churche, as it beleeueth, Christe, to be borne, very man: So, that he al∣so, at this day, is, and for euer shall remaine, ve∣ry man, it doth, godlyly confesse.

Genes. 3. The seede of the woman, which shall breake the head of the Serpent, is promised. By the name of, THE SEEDE OF THE VVOMAN, without all doubt, the nature of man, which our Mediatour, at the time appoin∣ted by the father, should take vnto him, is signi∣fyed. GOD promised to Abraham, that in his seede, all nations should be blessed.

Hee promised also, to Dauid, that his sonne should sit vpon his seate, and reigne for euer.

Esaie. 7. Beholde a virgin shall conceiue, and bring foorth a Sonne, and thou shalt call his name EMA∣NVEL, (that is to say) which shalbe GOD and MAN.

* 1.1With these Prophecies agreeth, the whole History Euangelicall. The Angel, beeing sent to the virgin Marie, saith: Beholde, thou shalt con∣ceiue in thy wombe, and shalt bring foorth a Sonne, and thou shalt call his name IESVS, he shalbe great, and shalbe called the Sonne of the hyest. VVhiche thing when she had heard, she meruayled, and saide, How can this thing bee, forasmuch as I knowe not man: And the Angell aunswered vnto her: The ho∣ly Ghoste shall come vppon thee, and the power of the moste hyest, shall ouershadowe thee: (that is to say.) Thou shalt conceiue, and bring foorth, not, by the seede of man, or, after, the common lawe of nature: but, by the power and wise counsaile of GOD. And, so the Angell conclu∣deth his oration, with this sentence worthy to be remembred: with GOD, nothing shall bee im∣possible.

The eight day, after his natiuitie, hee was Circumcised according to the lawe, after, the manner obserued in other Infantes of the Iewes. He was brought vp, by Ioseph, and Mary, hee greewe in wisedome, and in fauour, with GOD, & men, & was he found altogether, a naturall man, hauing body, and soule, and all condition and properties of humane nature, sin onely excepted.

This is the summe of the Christian fayth, touching the manhood of Iesu Christe, as wee confesse in the articles of the Symbole, when we say: I beleeue in IESVS CHRISTE, our Lorde, which was conceiued by the holy Ghost, borne of

the virgin Mary. But why was it needfull,* 1.2 that the Mediatour should be VERY MAN. Foure causes may be rehearsed, out of the holy Scrip∣tures, why it was needefull, that the Messias should bee man.

• 1. The Iustice of GOD.
• 2. The restoring of the Image of GOD, in man agayne, which, through Sinne was lost.
• 3. The manner of Adoption.
• 4. The assurance of our Resurrection, frō death.

First, THE IVSTICE OF GOD re∣quired, that the disobedience, in our flesh com∣mitted, should bee amended in the same. For it was agreeable, to the order of the Iustice of GOD, that in asmuch as mankinde, in one A∣dam, had firste offended: so some body in man∣kinde, fre from sinne, should sustaine the paiues, whiche should bee the price for the rest. Our Lorde therefore tooke mans nature vnto him, & was made man, shewing forth, as it were,* 1.3 the person of Adam himselfe, whose name is also at∣tributed vnto him: y^t he might thorowly satisfie the punishment of sinne in the flesh, beeing in flesh committed.

Therefore Paule Rom 5. saith: If, by the sinne of one, death reigned, by the meanes of one, (namely Adam:) much more, they which receiue abundance of Grace, and of the gifte of Righteousnesse, shall reigne in life, by the meanes of one Iesus Christe. Item: As by the disobedience of one, (Adam), ma∣ny, (All men) became sinners: So, by the obedience of one (of Christe) many are made righteous.

Item 1. Corin. 15. For, by a man (Adam) came death: And, by a man (Iesus Christe) came the resurrecti∣on from Death.

Hebr. 2.

Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh, and blood, he himselfe also, in like case tooke parte with them: that through death, he might abo∣lish him, which had the rule of death, (that is to say) the Deuill.

Heerevnto also appertaineth that saying of Irenaeus: It behoued him, whiche should begin, to slea sinne, and to redeeme man, which was guiltie of death: to be made the selfe same thing, (that is to say) Man.

And Augustine saith: flesh, had blinded thee, flesh doth heale thee: because Christe came in such wise: that by fleshe, he might quench the corruptions of the flesh.

The second cause is, THE RESTORING OF THE IMAGE OF GOD, according vnto which, man was created: This thing could by no meanes bee doone, but, by the naturall Image of GOD (that is) the euerlasting and onely begotten sonne of GOD: which therfore tooke mans nature vnto him, that he might a∣gaine restore the Image of God, in all those, which, through a liuely faith, are, into his body, ingraffed Whereof Athanisius saieth: It was conuenient, that the Sonne should take man his na∣ture vnto him: that this person whiche is the sub∣stantiall Image of the Father, might restore againe, the Image of GOD in vs.

The thirde cause was, that the reason of

our ADOPTION did require the same. For the Sonne of God, did therefore take the na∣ture of man vnto him: that hee might make vs the Sonnes of God. He would therfore, by the societie of nature, bee ioyned vnto vs, and be∣come our brother: that we, beeing become his members, might be made the sonnes of God. For, we are therefore called, and are the Chil∣dren of God: because wee are, (by faith) in CHRIST, whiche is the naturall sonne of God. For, in him alone, wee are beloued,* 1.4 and Sonnes.

Iohn. 1.

To as many as beleeued on his name, hee gaue power to be made, the Sonnes of GOD.

Gal. 4.

VVhen the fulnesse of time was come, GOD sent his Sonne, made of a woman, & made bond vnto the lawe, that he might redeeme those, which were vnder the lawe, that we might receiue the Adoption of Sonnes. Because ye are the Sonnes of GOD, therefore GOD hath sent the Spirit of his Sonne into our hearts, crying Abba Father.

In this sentence also speaketh Irenaeus: VVe could not be (saith he) partakers of the Adoption of his Sonnes, vnlesse, we had receiued the same, by his Sonne, (that is to say) vnlesse his Sonne had beene made man.

The fourth cause: THE ASSVRANCE,* 1.5 force, and efficacie of OVR RESVRREC∣TION consisteth in this, that our Mediatour is man. For, the only hope and assurance, which we haue of the Resurrection of our bodyes, is, that Christ our Mediatour, hath taken vnto him

our flesh. For, the fleshe which wee doe now beare about vs, subiecte to corruption, is al∣ready,* 1.6 raised vp in Christe, as in the first frutes: and is entred into the possession of the king∣dome of heauen, and is there become immortall. By the vertue therefore, of that societie, which we haue with the gloriouse body of Christe, we shall be raysed vp in the last day, and shalbe in∣dowed * 1.7 after the flesh, with immortalitie: so, that beeing like vnto Christe our brother, wee may enioy with him, eternall ioy, and saluation.

This thing Paule purposeth to showe 1. Cor. 15. when he sayth: CHRISTE is risen from the dead, the first frutes of them which sleepe: for by a man came death, and by a man came the resurrection of the dead: for as in Adam all men dye, so in Christe shall all men be made aliue. Therefore when so∣euer temptation falleth in, willing to driue vs to doubt of the resurrection of the fleshe: let vs lifte vp our heartes to Iesus Christe, already raysed vp from death: hee bothe can, and will raise vp vs also from the dead, forasmuch as he is God almightie, and also our brother, fellowe of the same humane nature with vs.

Therefore Paule sayth, Philip. 3. Our conuersa∣tion is in Heauen, from whence also wee looke for the Sauiour, euen the Lorde Iesus Christe, whiche shall transforme our vile bodye, that hee may make it like to his glorious body, by the mightie worke∣ing, whereby he is also able to subdue all things vn∣to himselfe.

Thus, I haue recited, foure moste weightie

causes, whereby it is shewed, that it was highly needefull, that the Mediatour betweene GOD and man, should haue beene Man, and haue ta∣ken humane nature vnto him, and in the same, be made like vnto vs.

Let vs continually in our heart, beare about with vs these causes, that we may be stirred vp to earnest thankfulnesse towards GOD, which would haue his sonne, whē he was riche, to be∣come man, and verely a pore man: that through his pouertie, wee might be riche, in the posses∣sion of saluation, and life euerlasting.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Luke. 1.
• * 1.2

  The seconde parte of the prepostion.
• * 1.3

  1. Cor. 15.
• * 1.4

  Ephe. 1.
• * 1.5

  The cause & assurance of the rysing againe at the last day.
• * 1.6

  1. Cor. 15.
• * 1.7

  Or, in our flesh.