Propositions and principles of diuinitie propounded and disputed in the vniuersitie of Geneua, by certaine students of diuinitie there, vnder M. Theod. Beza, and M. Anthonie Faius ... Wherein is contained a methodicall summarie, or epitome of the common places of diuinitie. Translated out of Latine into English, to the end that the causes, both of the present dangers of that Church, and also of the troubles of those that are hardlie dealt vvith els-vvhere, may appeare in the English tongue.

PRINCIPLES CONCERNING THE SIT∣TING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER ALMIGHTIE. XLVII.

1 SEeing whole Christ, that is, Christ personally con∣sidered, or in respect that he is one subsisting per∣son, is said to sit, and that the action of sitting, can not in the proper signification thereof, agree vnto the Deitie in it self: we must needs conclude; that sitting, properlie ta∣ken, can in no wise agree vnto the Deitie.

2 And although, it may be properlie applied vnto that other nature of Christ, which is corporall; in that sense, that sitting is opposed vnto the standing or the moouing of the bodie: yet wee must not thinke, that that glorious bodie of his, though it be truly circumscribed and contai∣ned in a place; doth either continually stand, sit, or moue: For all these things are grosse and curious matters, neither are they so particulerly to bee applied to the estate of that life.

3 That which is added concerning the right hand of God, is much more to bee taken Figuratiuelie, as whereby those thinges are attributed vnto God, which are proper vnto man; seeing that God, who is without a bodie, hath neither right side nor left, as beeing altogeather immeasu∣rable and infinite.

4 By this kinde of speach therefore, being taken from the custome of Kings and Princes, who are wont to make a shewe vnto their subjects of those, whome they will haue to be in equall dignitie with them, and by whome they ex∣ercise their gouernment, by placing them in a most hono∣rable seat; that is, at their right side, or at their left: by this

kind of speach, I say is meant, that Christ hath receaued all power both in heauen and in earth, as he himselfe the best interpreter of his owne words doth expresse, MAT. 28.18.

5 This power as far as he is God, Coeternal with his fa∣ther; he receiued not first, after the resurrection of his flesh, but enjoyed it from al aeternitie, common with his Father, of whome he receiued his Sonne-hood from aeternitie.

6 Yet because, not in himselfe; distinctly considered as far as he is God, but as far as he personally joyned to him∣selfe the forme of a seruant, subject vnto all our infirmities (sin excepted) he seemed in some sort, vnto the time of his Ascention, to haue cast of his owne Majestie (which in the Scriptures is expressed by the word of Descending:) there∣fore, he is also in the same respect, said to bee exalted vnto the right hand of the Father; or restored (as far as it apper∣taineth to the manifesting thereof) into the same Majestie, which he had with the Father before all worlds.

7 There is another consideration of his humain nature, the which (hauing truly, and not in shewe, most powerfully accomplished the office of his infirmitie) became Conque∣ror, ruler, and triumpher; and hath gotten a perpetuall go∣uernment ouer all creatures, both for the preseruation of his, & the perfecting by degrees the worke of their saluati∣on, & also, for the vtter ouerthrow of his enemies, & this is it that is ment by his sitting at the right hand of the father.

8 And euen as the hypostatical vniō is not therfore dissol∣ued, bicause the properties of the humanity ar distinctly at∣tributed thervnto: euen so his glorification being distinctly considered in the said humanity, doth not infer that there shuld ether be two christs, or sitting at the right hād of God

9 Yet is not the humanitye by this meanes made e∣quall with the worde, either in substaunce (which is the proper error of EVTYCHES) or in authority, as the Vbiqui∣taries do now hold: because, that that gouernment, wher∣by Christ as hee is man, hath all things subject to himselfe, as well in heauen, in earth, as vnder the earth, is limited within the compasse of Creatures; excepting him saith the Apostle, who hath made all things subject vnto him; that

is the Father, with whome, as the WORD hath the one and the same essence from aeternitie: so hath he the one and the same power fully in common with him, in so much, that, the Fathers haue said trulye, that Christ in respect of this gouernment also, is both greater and lesser then himselfe.

10 False also and blasphemous, is that Vbiquitary and all present Majestie of the essentiall humanitie of Christ, which they seeme to haue sharpelie gathered from this sit∣ting at the right hand of the Father; for besides that, by this meanes the truth of the flesh of Christ is manifestlie a∣bollished: It is a foolish thing, to reason from the power of his flesh vnto the essence thereof: that is, to holde that the essence of his humanitie, doth reach as farre as the power thereof, where as the very faith of that Centurion, so much commended by our Sauiour Christ, MATH. 8.10. doth on the contrarie side teach vs, that it is meere folly to inclose his power, within the bounds of his essentiall presence.

11 Now this kingdome & gouernment, hath Christ al∣readie perfectlie obtained, as hauing gotten a name aboue all names: but in his mysticall body, that is, in the church, it is but onely in some sort begun, neither shall it bee per∣fected in the saide bodie before that last day, (when as all the enemies of Christs glorie, and our saluation beeing ae∣ternally ouerthrowen and cast downe) God shall bee all in all, that is in his Saints; in whom now he is onely but some thing, whether we respect them beeing a liue or dead.

12 That gouernement of Christ therefore, doth nowe consist in two things; that is, partly in the subduing both of his owne children, and also of all their enemies; and partlie in bringing his, by little and little to perfection by the power of his Spirite, and the administration of that o∣ther part of his aeternall Priesthoode; that is, in the streng∣thening of them, by his intercession with the Father, euen vntill that he hath together with all his elect, celebrated an eternall triumph.

13 This intercession of his, consisteth especially in that efficacie of that oblation of his, made once to his fa∣ther; the force whereof is this, that the Father looking vp∣pon

all his elect in his Sonne, by whose blood he is recon∣ciled vnto them, doth imbrace them euermore with a Fa∣therlie affection: partly, in that as all the prayers of the Saints, being as yet Pilgrimes here vpon earth, are concei∣ued in the name of Christ: so hee presenting himselfe vnto his Father in heauen, as the onelie Mediatour, doth sancti∣fie those prayers, and make them acceptable vnto God the Father.

14 Vnto these things is to bee adjoyned that stay and defēce which we haue by Christ, in that he hauing all crea∣tures in his hand, doth by what instrument and meanes he thinketh good, most powerfully preserue his Church, tra∣ueling as yet here vpon earth, against all the furious insur∣rections of all whosoeuer.

15 Touching this sitting at the right hand of GOD the Father, although in respect of the title thereof, it be∣longed vnto the humanitie of Christ, from the verie first moment, of the personall vniting thereof with the Deitie: yet both in regarde, that this humanitie was to be throw∣en down vnto the verie lowest degree, for the performance of the worke of our reconciliation, and also because this glorification of our head, was the crowne due vnto the o∣bedience he yeelded for vs vnto the Father, even vnto the death of the crosse, therefore it fell not vnto him in deede and posession, before he had suffered, risen againe, and as∣cended aboue all heauens.

Hence it followeth that this errour also of the Vbi∣quitaries is intollerable: namelie, in that they holde that this reall sitting at the right hand of the father, be∣gan at the very first moment of the Lordes incarnation: offending heerein two manner of wayes. First, in the wrong interpretation of this article: next in that they inuert the order of the articles of the beleife, which ought necessarilie to be retained.

16 In asmuch as the place of this sitting is expreslie said to be in heauen, and not vpon earth, or any where els, and that Christ is not to depart from heauen before the last day: and also that he is endued with a bodie, though

glorious, yet organical, & contained within the parts ther∣of. Therfore that reall presence of his vpon earth, is shewed to be false, against all Transubstantiators and Consubstan∣tiators, euen by this sitting of his in heauen, at the right hand of God.

Defended by FRANCIS PEFAVRIVS of Bearne.