Agobard attributed even a vivifying power to the flesh of Chrift *.

In favour of his opinion, that the body of Chrift came from heaven, Apollinarius urged John's faying the word was made flebt. And it is observed by Athanafius, that this was a text, which "both the anci"ent and modern heretics took advantage of." To this fcheme it was answered,

that by making the body of Christ con"fubftantial with the logos, they made a "fourth perfon in the deity, and fo compofed a quaternity, and not a trinity §."

* Felix foli divinitati tribuit vivificationem, dicens dominum fecundum divinitatem vivificantem quos vult; et non recordans quod et caro vivificatoris verbi, vivificatrix credenda eft, beato Cyrillo docente ita. Adverfus Felicem, fect. 32. p. 40.

† Quemadmodum argumentantur Appollinariftæ vel quicunque funt alii, adverfus animam domini, quam propterea negant quia fcriptum legunt, verbum caro factum eft. Si enim et anima inquiunt, ibi effet, debuit dici, verbum homo factus eft. Auftin de Anima, Opera, vol. 7. p. 1159.

† Το δε ο λογος εγενετο (αρξ ειρημενον, υπερφυως τε και υπερ επαινον, εξελέξαντο και οι παλαι καλα τας αιρεσεις πολεμιοι. και οι νυν αντιδικοι, Opera, vol. 2. p. 296.

§ Ουλως το ομοσιον σωμα το λογέ εκ ετιν αυτός ο λογΘ, αλλ έλερον προς τον λόγον. έλερς δε G, εται κατ αυτε η αυλων τριας τε Tpas. Epiphanius. Hær. 77. Opera, vol. I. p. 1004.

CHAPTER

VIII.

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

IT

T is not my defign in this work to treat largely concerning the use 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 Chriftianity. But having felected a few paffages which may throw fome farther light on the fubject, 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 person of Christ; but it was foon found to anfwer 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

sha

the affiftance of divinity. For this purpose 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 representative of mankind in general. They were likewise struck with the idea of the fame being that made the world coming to restore it. "There is nothing abfurd," says Athanafius, “in supposing that the Fa"ther faved the world by the fame perfon

by whom he made it *.” "It was necef"fary," fays Job, the monk," that the ma"ker of the world fhould reform and re"new his own workmanship, which had "received injury +.”

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

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* Ουδέν yap ενανλιον φανησεται, ει δι 8 ταύτην εδημιεργησεν ο πα πηρ, εν αυτω και την ταύτης σωτηρίαν ειργασαλο. De Incarnatione Opera, vol. 1. p. 54.

+ Ως εχρην τον δημιεργον καὶ πλάτην, αυτον και ανάπλασαι καὶ ἀναnamiga σvilgicev to dispa. Phot. Bib. sect. 222, p. 582.

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"how

"how can they be faved, unless 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 fhould 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 "first fruits of the common mafs." Alfo Gregory Nazianzen speaks of Christ as re

"

* Ανακρίνει δε και τες Ηβιωνες, πως δυνανται σωθήναι ει μη ο θεος ην ο την σωτηριαν αυλων επι γης εργασάμενος• η πως άνθρωπος χωρήσει εις θεον, ει μη ο θεος εχωρήθη εις ανθρωπον. Lib. 4. cap. 59. p. 358.

† Αλλ' ο ηδη γενομένος ανθρωπος εφθειρείο και παραπολλύλο. οθεν εικοτως ανθρωπινω κεχρήται καλως οργανω, και εις παλιά εαύλον ηπλώς Evo Aoyos. De Incarnatione, Opera, vol. 1. p. 98.

- σεν ο λόγος.

* Εκ πασης δε της ανθρωπινης φύσεως η καλεμιχθη τον θείον, οιον απαρχή τις τε κοίνε φυραμάνος ο καλα χρισον ανθρωπος υπέση, δι κ προσέφνη τη θεοτητι ταν το ανθρωπινον. Opera, vol. I. p 844.

prefenting

upon

prefenting human nature, when he hung the cross, and fays, that in this сараcity he faid, My God, my God, why haft thou "forfaken me; not meaning that he him"self was deserted either by the Father, or 'σε by his own divinity, but only that hu"man nature was in a deferted and despised state *"

Chryfoftom, speaking 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

* Ον αυτο εγκαταλελεπναι η υπο το παΐρος, η υπο της Εν εαυτω δε οπερ είπον τυποι το ημείερον . ημεις

γαρ ημεν οι εγκαταλελειμμένοι καὶ παρεωραμένοι πρότερον, ελα νυν προ σειλημμένοι και σεσωσμένοι τοις τε απαθες πάθεσιν. Opera, p. 581:

Or. 36.

δι

+ Μαλλον δε της υπερ ημων σωληρίας το κεφαλαιον [τε] καὶ 3 πανία γεγενῆναι καὶ κατορθώναι. εγω γαρ και θανατος ελύθη, και αμαρία,

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