A Golden Chain

The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is, that both his body and soul were beautified and adorned with all qualities of glory. His mind was enriched with as much knowledge & understanding as can possibly befall any creature, & more in measure then all men & angels have: and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his will and affections: his body also was incorruptible, & it was made a shining body, a resemblance whereof some of his disciples saw in the mount: and it was endued with agility, to move as well upward as downeward• as may appear by the ascension of his body into heaven, which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion, but by a property agreeing to all bodies glorified. Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caveats: first, that he did never lay aside the essential properties of a true body: as length, breadth, thickness, visibility, locality which is to be in one place at once and no more, but keepeth all these still, because they serve for the being of his body. Secondly, we must remember that the gifts of glory in Christs body are not infinite but finite: for his humane nature being but a creature, and therefore finite, could not receive infinite graces and gifts of glory And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false, which hold that Christs body glorified, is omnipotent and infinite, every way able to do whatsoever he will: for this is to make a creature to be the Creator.

The second thing required in the exaltation of Christs manhood is, that both his bodie and soule were beutified and adorned with all qualities of glorie. His mind was inriched with as much knowledge & vnderstanding as can possibly befall any creature, & more in measure then all men & angels haue: and the same is to be said of the graces of the spirit in his will and affections: his bodie also was incorruptible, & it was made a shining bodie, a resemblance whereof some of his disciples sawe in the mount: and it was indued with agilitie, to mooue as well vpward as downeward• as may appeare by the ascension of his bodie into heauen, which was not caused by constraint or by any violent motion, but by a propertie agreeing to all bodies glorified. Yet in the exaltation of Christs manhood we must remember two caueats: first, that hee did neuer lay aside the essentiall properties of a true bodie: as length, breadth, thicknes, visibilitie, locallitie which is to be in one place at once and no more, but keepeth all these stil, because they serue for the being of his bodie. Secondly, we must remember that the gifts of glorie in Christs bodie are not infinite but finite: for his humane nature beeing but a creature, and therefore finite, could not receiue infinite graces and gifts of glorie And hence it is more then manifest that the opinion of those men is false, which hold that Christs bodie glorified, is omnipotent and infinit, euery way able to doe whatsoeuer he wil: for this is to make a creature to be the Creator.