Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 19. What he thought of Christs in∣carnation.

1. BVt I had before farre o∣ther thoughts: concei∣ving onely of my Lord Christ, as of a man of excellent wise∣dome, whom no man could bee equalled unto; and in this re∣gard especially, for that be∣ing so wonderfully borne of a Ʋirgine, (giving us an exam∣ple how to contemne world∣ly things for the obtaining of immortality;) that divine care of his seemed to have de∣served so much authority, as to be the Master over us. But what Mystery this might carry with it, The Word was made flesh, I could not so much as imagine. Thus much I collected out of

what is a come to us being written of him, how that he did eate, and drinke, and sleepe, and walkt, and rejoyced in spirit, and was heavy, and preached: that, flesh alone did not cleave unto thy Word, but our humane soule and minde also with it. E∣very body knowes thus much, that knoweth the unchangeable∣nesse of thy Word: which I my selfe now knew, (as well as I could) nor did I at all make any doubt of it. For, for him to move the limbes of his body by his will, and other-whiles not to move them; now to be stir∣red by some affection, and at an∣other time not to bee affected; now to deliver wise sentences, and another while to keepe si∣lence: all these be properties of a soule and mind that are muta∣ble. And should these things be falsely written of him, all the rest verily would be in suspicion

of being a lye, nor should there be left at all in those Bookes a∣ny safenesse of Faith for man∣kinde.

2. Because therefore none but Truths are there written, I even then acknowledged a perfect man to bee in Christ. Not the body of a man onely, a sensitive soule without a rationall, but a very man, whom, not onely for his being a person b of Truth, but for a certaine extraordinary excellency of humane nature that was in him, I judged wor∣thy to be preferred before all o∣ther men. As for Alipius, hee imagined the Catholikes to have beleeved, God to be so cloathed with flesh, that besides God and flesh, there was no soule at all in Christ, and that they had prea∣ched there was no soule of man in him. And because hee was verily perswaded, that those Actions which were recorded of him, could not bee perfor∣med

but by a vitall and a rati∣onall Creature, he was the slow∣er therefore in moving towards the Christian Faith. But under∣standing afterwards, that this was the errour of the Apollina∣rian Heretikes, hee was better pleased with the Catholike faith, and better complyed with it. But something later it was, I confesse, ere I learned, how in this sentence, The Word was made flesh, the Catholike Truth could be cleered of the heresie of Photinus. For, the confuting of the Heretikes, makes the o∣pinion of thy Church more emi∣nent, and the Tenet which the sound doctrine maintaineth. For there must be also Heresies, that they which are approved, may bee made manifest among the weake.

Notes

• a

  Scripta trade ren∣tur. Here the Popish Translator, (a•• every where hee do••••) takes occasion to diminish the authori∣ty of the Scripture: noting, that it came to us by tra∣dition. It did so: but not onely so: we have hi∣story also for every booke of it: and it selfe brings light with it to shew it selfe by: as by the light of the sunne we see and know the Sunne. Have Popish Traditions eyther of these two proofes?
• b

  Now is he falne frō the Mani∣chees, who held Christ not to have a true, but a fantastical body or per∣son onely: and to have excellent gifts of na∣ture, but no truth of hu∣mane na∣ture.
• 1 Cor. 11. 19.