A learned and very useful commentary on the whole epistle to the Hebrews wherein every word and particle in the original is explained ... : being the substance of thirty years Wednesdayes lectures at Black-fryers, London / by that holy and learned divine Wiliam Gouge ... : before which is prefixed a narrative of his life and death : whereunto is added two alphabeticall tables ...

§. 140. Of Heresies against the Apostles description of Christs Humane nature.

THis description of Christs Humane nature, He also himself likewise took part of the same, meets with sundry Heresies that have been broached against the Hu∣mane nature of Christ.

a 1.1 The Proclianites held that Christ came not in the flesh at all. How then did he take part of the same flesh and blood that we have?

b 1.2 The Manichees maintained that Christ was not in true flesh, but that he shewed forth a feigned species of flesh to deceive mens senses. If so, then did he not likewise take part of the same with us.

c 1.3 The Cerdonians denied that Christ had flesh at all. This is like the first Heresie.

d 1.4 The Valentinians taught that Christ brought a spirituall and celestiall body from above. Then did he not likewise take part of the same flesh and blood that we do.

e 1.5 The Apolinarists say that Christ took flesh with∣out a soul. Among other Arguments they produce this and other like texts, where mention is made only of flesh & blood. But the Apostle here speaketh of the visible part of man: comprising the invisible part, which is his soul by a Synecdoche, under the visible, which is flesh and blood. But this phrase, He also him∣self likewise took part of the same, sheweth, that as our flesh and blood is animated, with a reasonable soul, so also Christ was. By the; like reason they might say that Christs body had no bones, because it is said, The Word was made flesh, Ioh. 1. 14. Yea by the like reason they might say, that the Israelites which went down into Egypt had no bodies, because it is said of them, All the souls, Gen. 46. 15.

* 1.6 An ancient Father attributed this Heresie to the Arians also, and for refutation thereof produceth all those texts of Scripture which make mention of the* 1.7 soul of Christ, whereby he proveth that Christ had a soul as well as a body.

f 1.8 The Ubiquitarians hold that the Divine proper∣ties, as Omnipotency, Omnisciency, Omnipresence, &c. are in the humane nature of Christ; which if so, Christ took not likewise part of the same flesh and blood that we do. The like may be said of Popish Transubstan∣tiation.

There are other sorts of Hereticks, namely the h 1.9 Samosatenians, who broached this Heresie, That Christ then only began to be, when he came indued

with flesh; whereby they imply that he was not before. But this phrase, He took part of the same, sheweth, that he was before he took part of flesh and blood.

Our Divines from a like phrase do inferre the eternity of the Word. The phrase is this, In the beginning was the Word, John 1. 1. Because the Word was in the be∣ginning, it is necessarily implied, that he did not then first take his beginning, but was before.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Proclianitae, Christum non in carne venisse dicunt. August. de Haeres. ad Quod∣v•…•…lt Deum. Haere. 60.
• b 1.2

  Manichaei, Christum non fuisse in carne vera, sed si∣mulatam speciem carnis lu∣dificandis humanis sensibus praebuisse. ibid. Haer. 46.
• c 1.3

  Cerdoniani negant Chri∣stum habuisse carnem. ibid: Haer. 21.
• d 1.4

  Valentinianl asserunt Chri∣stum a profundo spiritale vel caeleste corpus senum attu∣lisse. ibid. Haer. 11.
• e 1.5

  Apolinaristae dicunt Chri∣stum carnem sine anima suscepisse. ibid. Haer. 55.
• * 1.6

  Aug. contr. Serm. Arian. cap. 9.
• * 1.7

  ^g Papistae asserunt per conse∣crationem panis & vini con∣versionem fieri totius substan∣tiae panis, in substantiam cor∣poris Christi domini nostri: & totius substantiae vini, in sub∣stantiam sanguinis ejus. Con∣cil. Trident. 3. Sess. cap. 4.
• f 1.8

  Ubiquitarii affirmant Christum secundum huma∣nam naturam potentiae divi∣nae, id est, omnipotentiae par∣ticipem factum esse; & scien∣tiae infinitae, id est, omniscien∣tiae: & Christi corpus esse ubi{que} praesens. Eckhard. fa∣scic. controv. Theol. c. 6. q. 10.
• h 1.9

  Samosateni docēt, ab eo dun∣taxat tempore quo Christus carne praeditus advenit, esse caepisse. Epip. adv. haer. to. 2. l. 2