A25294:195
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…
The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian catechism in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy labourer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian catechisme in LII lectures on chosen texts of Scripture, for each Lords-day of the year, learnedly and perspicuously illustrated with doctrines, reasons, and uses / by that reverend and worthy laborer in the Lord's vineyard, William Ames ...
London: printed by T. Mabb for Thomas Davies, 1659
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Doct. 2. The nature of God and the nature of man were conjoined in Christ into one person.
Doct. 2. The nature of God and the nature of man were •onjoyned in Christ into one person.
This is gathered from these words, was made manifest in the flesh, for thereby is signified the conjunction of the divine with the humane nature, so that God, because not conspicuous in his divine nature, was made manifest in his humane. This communication in respect of the divine nature, is rightly called an Assumption, Incarnation, Manifestation in the flesh, as in this place.
But in respect of both natures together, it is called an union personal, because these two natures are together united in the same person. In respect of the humane nature, it cannot be called an Assumption (actively understood, that is an assuming, but passively only, that is a being assumed) nor a Deification, because the divine person existed from eternity, and took unto himself and adjoined the humane nature (not the person) in time, because the humane nature assumed, did never exist apart, and by it self, and therefore never had in it self the formal reason of a person; and therefore also it cannot be said to have assumed the nature, or person divine, but only to have been assumed by it; Seeing actions are of suppositions or persons, and not of the nature: But the divine person (not the ⟨p. 41⟩nature properly) is said to have assumed the humane nature, not the person. Therefore the humane nature cannot so properly and rightly be said to be deified, as either the divine nature or person is said to be incarnate, or made man; for that is equivalent to made flesh, which the Scripture often useth. We read then in this place, and its like that God was made manifest, or visible in the flesh, that is, in the nature of man (for flesh there) by a Synecdoche signifies the whole nature of man, as well the soul as the body, and to the like sense we read that the Word was made flesh,