CHAPTER VIII.

Of the Ufe of the Incarnation, and the Ob jections that were made to the Doctrine.

IT is not my defign in this work to treat largely concerning the ufe of the doctrine of the incarnation, as I have already done it in what I have advanced concerning the doctrine of atonement, in my Hiftory of the Corruptions of Chriflianity. But having felected a few paffages which may throw fome farther light on the subject, from the works which have lately gone through my hands, it may not be amifs to infert them in this place.

The great and immediate object of the doctrine of the incarnation of the logos was the exaltation of the perfon of Chrift; but it was foon found to answer another purpofe, and this was to enable the philofophizing chriftians to conceive how man fhould conquer death, and the devil, which they fay he could not have done, without

the affiftance of divinity. For this purpofe they fuppofed that the divine nature of Chrift was fo mixed with the human, that the actions of the one were attributed to the other; and they also conceived the human nature of Chrift to be, as it were, the reprefentative of mankind in general. They were likewife ftruck with the idea of the fame being that made the world coming to restore it.. "There is nothing abfurd,” fays Athanafius, " in fuppofing that the Fa "ther faved the world by the fame perfon by whom he made it*." "It was neceffary," fays Job, the monk, "that the ma"ker of the world fhould reform and renew his own workmanship, which had "received injury †."

རྨ

Equal ftrefs was laid both upon the divinity and the humanity of Chrift, in order to accomplish this end. "God," fays Irenæus, "fhall judge the Ebionites; for

* Ουδεν γαρ εναντιον φανησείαι, ει δι 8 ταυτην εδημιέργησεν ο πα Τηρ, εν αυτω και την ταύτης σωτηριαν ειργασαίο, De Incarnatione Opera, vol. 1. p. 54.

† Ως εχρην τον δημιεργον και πλάτην, αυλον και αναπλάσαι καὶ ανα Ramai aurigifer to onspynua. Phot. Bib. fect. 222, p. 582.) .. how

S 2

* how can they be faved, unlefs it be God
"who works out their falvation upon
"earth; and how can man go to God, if
"God do not come to man
*?" But it was

equally neceffary that Chrift should have a proper human nature, that it might be a man who conquered his own enemies. "Man," fays Athanafius, "was corrupted " and deftroyed, wherefore the logos made "ufe of man as an inftrument, and con❝ formed himself in all things +.' "The "human nature of Chrift," fays Gregory Nyffen," by which the whole of human « nature was mixed with the Deity, is « taken out of all human nature, as the "firft fruits of the common mafst." Alfo Gregory Nazianzen fpeaks of Chrift as re

Ανακρίνει δε και τις Ηβιωνες . πως δύνανται σωθήναι ει μη ο Θεος

ο την σωτηρίαν αύλων επι γης εργασαμενος• η πως ανθρωπος χωρησε εις Θεόν, ει μη ο θεος εχωρήθη εις ανθρωπον. Lib. 4. cap. 59. p. 358.

† Αλλ' ο ήδη γενόμενος ανθρωπος εφθειρείο και παραπολλυίο. οθεν εικότως ανθρωπινω κεχρήθαι καλώς οργανω, και εις πανιά εαυτον ηπλώς De Incarnatione, Opera, vol. 1. p. 98.

σεν ο λόγος.

- Εκ πάσης δε της ανθρωπίνης φύσεως η κάλεμιχθη τον θειον, οιον απαρχή τις τε κοινε φυραμάνος ο καλα χρισον άνθρωπος υπέση, δι ४ προσέφνη τη θεοτητι πάν το ανθρωπινον. Opera, vol. I. p. 844.

prefenting

presenting human nature, when he hung upon the cross, and says, that in this capacity he said, My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me; not meaning that he him"felf was deferted either by the Father, or "by his own divinity, but only that human nature was in a deferted and despised state *."

Chryfoftom, fpeaking of Chrift bidding his difciples to handle and feel him, that they might be fatisfied that he was no fpirit, and of his reproof to Peter about his fuffering death, fays, that "his human "nature was that on which our falvation "chiefly depended; for thus death and fin "are deftroyed, the curfe abolished, and a "thousand bleffings introduced. He there"fore chose that his humanity should be "believed in the first place, this being the "root and foundation of innumerable good "things." He alfo fays, that “when

* Ου γαρ αυτο εγκαταλελειται η υπο τε παΐρος, η υπο της εαυτό θεότητα - Εν εαυτω δε οπερ είπον τυποι το ημέτερον . ημεις γαρ ημεν οι εγκαταλελειμμένοι και παρωραμενοι πρότερον, ελα νυν προ σειλημμένοι καὶ σεσωσμένοι τοις τε απαθές πάθεσιν. Opera, p. 581.

Or. 36.

+ Μαλλον δε της υπερ ημων σωτηρίας το κεφαλαιον [τελο] καὶ δι Η πανία γεγενῆται καὶ κατορθώνας . ενω γαρ και θανατος ελύθη, και αμαρτια

S3

ανηρέθη,

«Chrift was led by the fpirit into the « wildernefs, and conquered the devil, it « was not his divinity that did it; for that « it would have been difgraceful to the "Deity to fay, I have conquered*." He alfo fays, that + Chrift faves us, and makes « interceffion, as a man f.

1

Theodoret makes it the ftrongest objection to the doctrine of Eutyches, that, upon his fcheme, “ we have no advantage from « the incarnation, nor any pledge of our - own refurrection. For it will not fol"low, that becaufe God rofe from the " grave, therefore man will, the difference of • 'the natures is fo great. Arguing againft ανηρέθη, και καθαρα ηφανίσθη, και τα μυρία εισήλθεν εις την βίον ημών αγαθά. διο μαλιτα εβαλείο πιτεύεσθαι την οικονομίαν, την ριζαν καὶ πηγήν ημιν των μυρίων γενομένην αγαθων, οικονόμων δε τα θεια συστ κιαζεσθαι ηφιει. In John. Hom.30. Opera, vol. 8. p. 155.

* Ανήχθη υπό το πνευμαῖος πειρασθήναι, και ενίκησε τον διάβολον, εχ η θεολης . Ύβρις γαρ ην τη θεο ηλι το ειπειν ενικησα. De Sp. S. vol. 6. p. 21-6.

+ Πως σώζει Παντοτε ζων, εις το εντυγχάνειν υπερ αυίων. όρας ανθρωποηία. In Heb. 7. Gpera, vol. 1ο. p. 1846.

Η Ινα δε την της μανιας υπερβολην καταλιπωμεν. εκείνο σκοπήσωμεν, ως δεν ημιν ο φίλος εκ της ενανθρωπήσεως γεγονε, και της ημετερας ανατάσεως εδεν εχεγγυον εχομεν, εδε γαρ ει θεος εκ νεκρών εγηγερίας, πανίως και ανθρωπος ανατησεται. πάμπολυ γαρ των φύσεων το δια φορον. Hær. Fab. lib. 4. cap. 13. Opera, vol. 4. p. 373. Ed. Halæ.