A Golden Chain

And the reason why Christ would put on not only the substance and faculties of a true man, but also his infirmities, was; that he might show himself to be very man indeed, also that he might suffer for us both in body and soul, and that he might give us an example of patience in bearing all manner of evil for God's glory and the good of our neighbour.

And the reason why Christ would put on not onely the substance and faculties of a true man, but also his infirmities, was; that he might shewe himselfe to be very man indeede, also that he might suffer for vs both in bodie and soule, and that he might giue vs an example of patience in bearing all manner of euill for Gds glory and the good of our neighbour.

Now the things which may be alleged to the contrary for the infringing of the trueth of Christs manhood, are of no moment. As first, because Christ appeared in the form of a man in the old testament, being no man:¹ therefore he did so at his coming in the new testament: but the reason is not like. For Christ in the old testament as the angel of his father in some special affairs, took unto him the body of a man for some space of time; but he did not receive it into the unity of his person; but laid it down when the business which he enterprised with men was ended. Now in the fullness of time he came from heaven, as the angel of the covenant, and for that cause he was to unite into his own person the nature of man, which thing was never done before. And when as Paul saith,² that Christ came in the similitude of sinful flesh, his meaning is not to signify, that he was a man only in resemblance and show; but to testify, that being a true man which was ⟨p. 281⟩indeed void of sin, he was content to abase himself to that condition in which he became like to a miserable sinner in bearing the punishment for our sin. For Paul doth not say that he took upon him the similitude of flesh simply as it is flesh, but of the flesh of sin or sinful flesh.