The Institution of Christian Religion

As for the places that they bring forth to confirm their error,§2 they do to unaptly wrest them, and they nothing prevail by their trifling subtleties, when they go about to wipe away those things that I have alleged for our part. Marcion imagineth that Christ did put on a fantastical body in stead of a true body, because in some places it is said,¹ that he was made after the likeness of man, and that he was found in shape as a man. But so he nothing weigheth what is ⟨image 165⟩Pauls purpose in that place. For his meaning is not to teach what manner of body Christ toke upon him, but that whereas he might have showed •orth his godhead, he made none other show of himself, but as of an abject and unregarded man. For, to exhort us by his example to submission, he showeth, that forasmuch as he was God, he might have by and by set forth his glory to be seen to the world: but yet that he gave over some of his own right, and of his own accord abased himself, because he did put on the image of a servant and contended with that humility, suffered his godhead to be hidden with the veil of the flesh. He doth not here teach what Christ was, but how he behaved himself. And also by the whole process of the text it is easily gathered, that Christ was abased in the true nature of man. For what meaneth this, that in shape he was found as man, but that for a time the glory of his godhead did not shine forth, but only the shape of man appeared in base and abject estate? For otherwise that place of Peter could not stand together,² that he was dead in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit, if the son of God had not ben weak in the nature of man: which Paul expresseth more plainly in saying,³ that he suffered by reason of the weakness of the flesh. And hereunto serveth the exaltation: because it is expressly said, that Christ attained a new glory after that he abased himself, which could not well agree to be spoken of any, but of a man having flesh and soul. Manichees framed Christ a body of air, because Christ is called the second Adam, heavenly of heaven. But neither in that place doth the Apostle bring in a heavenly essence of the body, but a spiritual force which being poured abroad by Christ, doth quicken us. Now, as we have already seen, Peter and Paul do sever the same from his flesh.