Reformed Covenanter
Cancelled Commissioner
I am not the world's biggest fan of Richard Hooker, though I did come across part of this extract in William Lyford's The Instructed Christian or The Plain Man's Senses Exercised, which I am currently reading. I seem to recall W. G. T. Shedd also quoting Hooker with approval on this point:
... Notwithstanding, for as much as the Word and Deity are one Subject, we must beware we exclude not the Nature of God from Incarnation, and so make the Son of God incarnate, not to be very God. For undoubtedly, even the Nature of God it self, in the only Person of the Son, is incarnate, and hath taken to it self Flesh. Wherefore, Incarnation may neither be granted to any Person, but only One, nor yet denied to that Nature which is common unto all Three. Concerning the cause of which incomprehensible Mystery, for as much as it seemeth a thing unconsonant, That the World should honour any other as the Saviour, but him whom it honoureth as the Creator of the World, and in the Wisdom of God, it hath not been thought convenient to admit any way of saving man, but by man himself, though nothing should be spoken of the Love and Mercy of God towards Man; which this way are become such a Spectacle, as neither Men nor Angels can behold without a kind of Heavenly astonishment, we may hereby perceive there is cause sufficient, why Divine Nature should assume Human, that so God might be in Christ, reconciling to himself the World.
And if some cause be likewise required, why rather to this end and purpose the Son, then either the Father, or the Holy Ghost, should be made man, Could we which are born the children of wrath, be adopted the Sons of God, through Grace, any other then by the Natural Son of God, being Mediator between God and us? It became therefore him, by whom all things are to be the Way of Salvation to all, that the Institution and Restitution of the World might be both wrought by one hand. The World’s Salvation was without the Incarnation of the Son of God, a thing impossible; not simply impossible, but impossible, it being presupposed, That the Will of God, was no otherwise to have it saved, then by the Death of his own Son. ...
For more, see Richard Hooker on the Trinity and Christ’s person.
... Notwithstanding, for as much as the Word and Deity are one Subject, we must beware we exclude not the Nature of God from Incarnation, and so make the Son of God incarnate, not to be very God. For undoubtedly, even the Nature of God it self, in the only Person of the Son, is incarnate, and hath taken to it self Flesh. Wherefore, Incarnation may neither be granted to any Person, but only One, nor yet denied to that Nature which is common unto all Three. Concerning the cause of which incomprehensible Mystery, for as much as it seemeth a thing unconsonant, That the World should honour any other as the Saviour, but him whom it honoureth as the Creator of the World, and in the Wisdom of God, it hath not been thought convenient to admit any way of saving man, but by man himself, though nothing should be spoken of the Love and Mercy of God towards Man; which this way are become such a Spectacle, as neither Men nor Angels can behold without a kind of Heavenly astonishment, we may hereby perceive there is cause sufficient, why Divine Nature should assume Human, that so God might be in Christ, reconciling to himself the World.
And if some cause be likewise required, why rather to this end and purpose the Son, then either the Father, or the Holy Ghost, should be made man, Could we which are born the children of wrath, be adopted the Sons of God, through Grace, any other then by the Natural Son of God, being Mediator between God and us? It became therefore him, by whom all things are to be the Way of Salvation to all, that the Institution and Restitution of the World might be both wrought by one hand. The World’s Salvation was without the Incarnation of the Son of God, a thing impossible; not simply impossible, but impossible, it being presupposed, That the Will of God, was no otherwise to have it saved, then by the Death of his own Son. ...
For more, see Richard Hooker on the Trinity and Christ’s person.
