The summe of Christian religion: deliuered by Zacharias Vrsinus in his lectures vpon the Catechism autorised by the noble Prince Frederick, throughout his dominions: wherein are debated and resolued the questions of whatsoeuer points of moment, which haue beene or are controuersed in diuinitie. Translated into English by Henrie Parrie, out of the last & best Latin editions, together with some supplie of wa[n]ts out of his discourses of diuinitie, and with correction of sundrie faults & imperfections, which ar [sic] as yet remaining in the best corrected Latine.

2 Whether Christ be one person, or mo.

IN Christ are two perfect natures, whole, and distinct: and double properties also and operations naturall: but one person, which subsisting in both these natures, diuine and humane, is truely designed by the concrete termes or voices of both natures. For it was requisit that one & the same should be Mediator both by merit, & by power. But they who make two persons, make also two Christs with Nestorius, the one a man passiue and crucified; the other God, not crucified, and onelie assi∣sting the man Christ by his grace.

1 Obiection. Jn whom are two things which in themselues make two whole persons, in him also are two persons. But in Christ are two things which make two whole persons; namely the Word,

which is by it selfe a person, subsisting from all eternitie, and the bodie and soule, which beeing vnited make likewise a person. Therefore in Christ are two persons. Aunswere. We denie that part of the Maior, to wit, That the bodie and humane soule doe, as in other men, so also in Christ concurre to make a cre∣ated person of the humane nature, and diuers from the person in∣create and eternall of the Woordc. For albeit the humane nature in Christ compounded of a bodie and a reasonable soule, is an indiuidual and particular or singular substance, as being from other indiuiduals of the same nature distin∣guished by certaine properties and accidents: yet neither was it or is it a person or subsistence.

For first, A person is that which is not onelie a particu∣lar or singular thing, but also it selfe consisteth and subsisteth in it selfe, and by it selfe, not susteined in or of anie other. But CHRISTS humane nature, now from the verie first beginning thereof dependeth and is susteined by the person of the Word. For it was at once both formed and assumed of the Word into vnitie of person, and made proper vnto the Word: before and without which assumption or personal Vnion, it nei∣ther was, nor had beene, nor shoulde be, so that this Vni∣on being dissolued and loosed, it must needes follow that that this flesh and this soule should be brought to nothing. Therfore Christs humane nature hath not any subsistence or person proper vnto it selfe. Secondly, Jt belongeth to the nature or definition of a person, that it be an indiuidual incommu∣nicable, and also no part of another. But the nature which the Word took and assumed belongeth to the substance of one Christ, a part also of whom it is after a sort. Therefore in it selfe and by it selfe it is no person. Reply. That which appertaineth to the substance of a person, and is a part thereof, cannot be a person. The word appertaineth and belongeth to the substaunce of Christ, and is after a sort a part of him, as well as the humanitie. There∣fore neither shall the word be by this reason a person.

Ans. The Maior proposition, if it bee vnderstood sim∣plie or vniuersally, is false. For a reasonable soule, existing in the bodie, is not a person, but a part of an humane per∣son, which the soule together with the bodie doth make: yet notwithstanding the same soule, being loosed from the bodie, is a person by it selfe, not that compound and mor∣tall

person, whereof it was a part, that is, an humane person, but a person most simple and immortall, such as are the Angels: because it subsisteth out of the bodie by it self, neither is part of another. So may it be said of the Word, if it be constred aright & with indifferencie, that the Word in it selfe, and by it selfe is not the whole person of Christ or the Mediatour, as he is Christ and Mediatour; that is, is not that whole thing, which is Christ, who is not onely God, but also man; and yet is in it selfe and by it selfe the perfect and whole person of the Godhead, truelie subsisting before the flesh was, that is, the onelie begotten sonne of God. For this selfe same person existing in it selfe from euerlasting, and remaining for euer most simple and vncompound, is, by the assuming of hu∣mane nature, made in time after a sort compound, that is, the Word incarnate. Wherefore in respect of the person conside∣red in Vnion, or incarnate, the Word is rather considered as a na∣ture, and both it selfe, and the humane nature may be called as it were the parts of whole Christ, & are so called also of many of the auncient Fathers which were sound in faith, not that the flesh assumpted did adde any part to the subsistence of the Word: or as if of the Persons of the Word, and the hu∣mane nature, as being vnperfect parts, was made another perfect person of a certaine third Essence, consubstantiall with neither of those natures of which it is compounded: but because the person of the Word altogether one and the same, which before the flesh was taken consisted in the diuine nature onely, doth now after the taking of the flesh, subsist in two perfect natures, diuine and humane, suffe∣ring no commixtion, confusion, or mutation: that is, The person of the Mediatour is saide to bee constituted of two na∣tures, diuine and humane, as it were of partes, because those two are necessarilie required, and doe concurre to the absoluing and accomplishing of the woorke of our redemption. In this sense therefore both by auncient, and latter Diuines, and also by Schoolemen are vsed well and without daunger these Phrases and speeches: Christs person is compounded: The two nature are, as it were the partes of Christ: The person of Christ is, consisteth, is constituted, is made of or in the two natures of God and man: the two natures concurre, come together into one person and subsistence: they make one hypostasis or subsistence:

Both natures belong, and concur to the substance of one Christ: Both are of the substance of Christ: the humanitie with the Worde, or contrarie, the diuine person or subsistence with the humane nature doth constitute or make the substance of one Christ. Of the worde and the flesh assumpted, as of substantial parts doth one Christ con∣sist. By these and the like phrases of speech, vsed of this my∣sterie singular, and surpassing all capacitie of mans wit, the Orthodoxal, that is, men of a right and sound iudgement in pointes of faith will signifie and some way expresse this onely: that the two natures are so vnited and linked in that one person of Christ, as that they exist wholy in the same person or sub∣sistence, which is, perfect and whole, proper vnto the word from euerlasting by nature, and is, whole, made in time the person of the humanitie also now assumpted and destitute of the proper persona∣litie thereof: and this it is made by grace of vnion, so that the di∣uine subsistence or person of the Word, being in it selfe most simple and most perfect, doth notwithstanding subsist truely and indiuidu∣allie in the two natures. Wherefore seeing the thing it self is cleare & agreed vpon among them who are of right iudge∣ment and sound in faith, wee are not odiously to iar about words, especially since that concerning these supernatural thinges, no wordes of humane speech can be found, which way at all suffice for the expressing of them. But as it is not well said, the person took the person, or the nature took the person: So these speeches are true & agreeable to faith, The person tooke the nature: Likewise, the Nature tooke the Nature. For the diuine Nature is not here considered absolutely or essentially, but in the person of the word, or personallie.

2 Obiection. That which subsisteth not by it self is more vn∣perfect than that which subsisteth by it selfe. Christes Humanitie doth not subsist by it selfe: and ours doth subsist by it selfe: there∣fore Christs humanitie is more vnperfect than ours. Aunswere. First, if, that which subsisteth by it selfe, be opposed to an acci∣dent, which existeth by being in another: this part of the Minor Proposition is false, that Christs humanity doth not subsist by it selfe: because that also is a substance. But in this disputation, Subsisting by it selfe, is opposed to that, which is indeede substance, but yet dependeth of another, and con∣sisteth in another. So we say that mankinde, and the vni∣uersall or generall kindes of all thinges doe not subsist in

themselues, but in their singulars, as the common na∣ture of all men consisteth not by it selfe, but in particular men. Wherefore for further aunswere wee say, that the Maior proposition, beeing simplie, and generallie taken, is false. For the soule of man beeing loosed from the bo∣die, dooth subsist by it selfe; the same, while it remaineth in the bodie, consisteth not by it selfe, but vnited with the bodie: Neither yet is it therefore to bee thought more vnperfect, when this rather dooth most make to the perfection thereof. For it is created of GOD to this purpose, that it shoulde together with the bodie consti∣stute and absolue the Essence of man, and shoulde bee a part thereof. So the soule and bodie of CHRIST were created to that ende, as to bee the proper soule and bodie of the sonne of GOD, and to depende perso∣nallie of him. That therefore CHRISTS huma∣nitie hath his subsistence not in a created person pro∣per vnto it by nature, but in the eternall hypostasis and person of the Worde: it is so farre from bringing any imperfection thereunto (for the subsistence or man∣ner of subsisting doth not change the nature or essence of a thing) that rather the greatest ornament, glorie, and eminencie commeth thereby vnto it: and this is the chiefe and principall difference, whereby it differeth and is discerned from all men, and also from the blessed Angels.

3 Obiection. A dead and an euerliuing thing are not the same subsistent or person. Christ was dead, and yet euer-liuing. Therefore hee is not one person. Aunswere. The Maior is ei∣ther particular, or beeing taken generallie it is false. For one and the same subsistent, truely and indiuidually sub∣sisting in diuers natures, euen as Christ is, may bee saide dead and euerliuing: as one and the same man is both mortall and immortall in respect of diuers natures where∣of he is made and doth consist.