A collection of certaine learned discourses, written by that famous man of memory Zachary Ursine; doctor and professor of divinitie in the noble and flourishing schools of Neustad. For explication of divers difficult points, laide downe by that author in his catechisme. Lately put in print in Latin by the last labour of D. David Parry: and now newlie translated into English, by I.H. for the benefit and behoofe of our Christian country-man

OF THE INCARNATION OF THE WORD. A confession made by the fathers of the Church of Antioch against Paulus Samosatenus.

Taken out of the Actes of the first Ephes••e Coun••••l••.

WE confesse that our Lord Iesus Christ, begotten of his Father before all worldes, but in the latter times conceiued by the holy Ghost of the virgin Mary according to the flesh, is but one person, of the godhead & humane flesh subsisting Perfect God, & perfect man: per∣fect God euen with the flesh, but not accordinge to the flesh; perfect man euen with the godhead, but not according to the Godhead. Wholy to be worsh••pped, euen with the flesh but not accord∣ing to the flesh: wholy worshiping, even with the god••ead but not according to the godhead. 〈…〉〈…〉, euen with the bodie, but not according to the body. Wholy formed, or endu∣ed

with shape & fashion, euen with the divinity or godhead, but not according to the Diuinitie or godhead. Wholy coessenciall, that is of o••e and the selfe same nature togeather with God, even with the bodie, but not according to the body: as likewise he is not coessential to men ac∣cording to his godhead, but being in his god∣head he is coessētial to vs according to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. For when we say that he is consubstantial, or of the same nature togeather with the father accor∣ding to the spirite, we say not that he is con••ub∣stantial with men according to the same spirite. And contrariewise when we prea••h that after the flesh he is cōsubstantial to men, we do not preach that according to the flesh he is coessential with god, for like as he is not coessētial with vs after the spirite (for so he is coessential with God) euen so is he not according to the flesh coessential to God, but consubstantial with vs. But 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pro∣nounce these thinges to be different and 〈◊〉〈◊〉 betweene themselues, not to deuide that o••e vndeuided person, but to shew a distinction be∣tweene nature and properties of the word and the flesh, which can neuer be confounded: so we professe and reverence that vnitie, which causeth this indiuisible vnion and composition.

Vigilius in his 4. booke a∣gainst E••••tyches.

If the worde and flesh bee of one nature,

how commeth it to passe,* 1.1 that the worde being e∣very where, the flesh also is not founde every where? for what time it was heere on earth, it was not then in heauen: and now because it is in hea∣ven, even therefore it is not in earth: so sure wee are that it is not in earth, that even according to the flesh we verily expect that Christ shall come from heavē, whom according to the word we be∣leeue to be with vs alwaies here on earth. Wher∣fore (as your selues confesse) either the word to∣gither with the flesh is contained in some place, or else the flesh togither with the word is in every place, for one nature is not in it selfe capable of contrarieties. But these two differ very far, to bee contained in some place, & to be in every place: and because the word is every where, & the flesh is not every where, it appeareth that one and the same Christ consisteth of both natures, & is in e∣very place by nature of the godhead, and contai∣ned in some one place according to the nature of his humanity. So that the same Christ was both created & without beginning, subiect to death, and yet immortal, the one by nature of the worde as he is God, the other by nature of the flesh, as the same God is also man. Being therefore both the son of God & man, he hath a beginning, was created, & is comprehēded in some place by na∣ture of his flesh, being otherwise before all begin∣ning vncreated, and without limitation of place, according to the nature of his godhead. He is in∣ferior to the Angels in respect of his flesh, but e∣quall

to the Father as touching his Deity: deade sometimes in his māhood, ever-living in his god∣head. This is the catholique faith and confession, which the Apostles delivered, martyrs co••firmed, and the faithfull to this day h••ue retained. W••••r∣fore impiously, as tainted with the p••••enous he∣resie of E••••yches you presume to taxe Leo, whiles by the different actions of one Lorde Ch••••st hee proveth the verity of both natures in him: so that what he wrought for demonstration of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of two natures, you pervert as if it were a proo••e of two persons.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Therefore contrari∣wise, if the flesh bee found eve∣ry where, how comes it that the nature of the flesh & worde which is e∣very where is not one?