Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

What is the communication of proprieties?

IT is called of the Grecians 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which cannot well be englished; and it is not the effusion of the proprieties of one nature into the other, or a mutuall confusion of proprieties: but the attributing, by Synecdo∣che, a part for the whole, or an affirmation one of the other, where∣by (because in Christ the two natures and one person is* 1.1 one thing and another; and not one person and another) that which is proper to one nature in Christ, is attributed not to the other nature, but to the person, taking the name of one of the natures, whether it be

the diuine or humane. As Theodoret saith: Those things which be common to the person, are made proper to the natures by reason of the i∣dentitie of the person: (as Damascene saith) and the affinitie of the na∣tures one towards another, and because there is but one person, Orthod. fid. lib. 3. cap. 3. & 4. Or else it is such a manner of predication whereby those things which be proper to the natures are indiffe∣rently attributed to the person of Christ which is but one: and that because Christ in his two natures is both, to wit, perfect God and perfect man, to whom therefore those things are truly and indeed attributed as well which are proper to God, as those which be pro∣per to man.

Therefore it is well and truly said: God, or else the Son of God was borne of the Virgin Marie, suffered, was crucified: and God purchased vnto himselfe the Church with his owne bloud. 1. Cor. 2.8. Act. 20.28. Not simply, principally, and by himselfe, as he is God, but by accident, and in another respect, or in regard of ano∣ther thing: because that which is proper to one nature, namely, to be conceiued, borne, crucified, to die, is not attributed to his diui∣nitie, but to the person taking the name of one, namely, the diuine nature. For this word the Sonne of God, or God (which is the sub∣iect of the proposition) is the Concrete and not the Abstract, and signifieth not the diuine nature, but the person, who is God and man.

Therefore it is well said: The Sonne of man or Christ man, is e∣ternall, almightie, al-present; saueth, raiseth the dead, giueth eter∣nall life. And Ioh. 31.13. No man ascendeth into heauen, but he that commeth downe from heauen: both in respect of the vnion, seeing that the selfe same person is both man and God: for as God by reason of the vnitie doth account those things which belong to the humane nature proper to himselfe, saith Cyril of the incarnation of the onely begotten, cap. 26: so as he is man by reason of the vnion, doth ac∣count those things which belong to the diuine nature to be proper to it selfe: and also because the Sonne of man is a word Concrete, which signifieth the person of Christ, being but one, consisting of the diuine and humane nature: and therefore whole Christ is euery where present, but not all that is in Christ.

Totus Christus, non totum Christi est vbique.

On the contrarie, it is wickedly said, that the diuinitie of Christ was borne of the Virgin, suffered, and that the humanitie of Christ is eternall, euery where present, almightie: for the diuinitie is a word abstract, which simply signifieth the diuine nature in Christ, which is most free from all manner of suffering. Now the predication of diuerse natures by reason of the hypostaticall vnion is of no force, but in those things which are signified as whole and perfect Suppo∣sita: for as we do not vse to say, the bodie is the soule, or the man is the soule: so neither do we say, this God (Christ) is the bodie of Christ, or the soule of Christ, but onely God is man.

Notes

• * 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Dial. 3.