and Christ is our Advocate to the Father, but never represented in Scripture praying to the Son or holy Spirit, but the Father only: which dispensation is carefully to be observed, from which we must not depart upon any vain speculation, which humane curiosity might suggest.
A Mediatour must be a middle person, equally distant, and equally drawing nigh to both parties betwixt whom he doth mediate.Bellarm. de Christ. l.5.c.2. $. Preaeterea.
Illes solus est verè medius inter Deum & hominem, cum utriusq́, naturam habeat. And thus Christ God incarnate is a fit middle person, for he draws as neare to the Father as God, as to us as man, and is as farre distant from God as he is man, as he is from us as God: and he comes as neare to the Father, as he departeth from us: and comes as neare to us, as he doth to the Father.
But Christ as a just man is not so a middle person, for he comes not so nigh to the Father as just, as he doth to us as man; nor is so farre distant from us as just, as he comes nigh to us as man. Then as Mediatour he should be joyned to the Father in will only, but in nature dis-joyned: and be distant from man not in nature, but in quality only: then should he be Mediatour, not as substantially one with the Father, but only as he is united to him in will.
If it be alleadged, that if Christ be Mediatour as God incarnate, then he is Mediatour to himselfe, because he is God, and then also he should differ from himselfe, because a Mediatour is a middle person.
We answer,Iun. ibid. cap. 5. not. 1,3,5,15. it is not necessary a thing should differ from the extreames according to all that in respect whereof it is of a middle condition, but it is sufficient if it differ in some thing from one, and in some thing from another, as is before explained. So the Son of God incarnate by voluntary dispensation differeth not only from the Father and the holy Ghost, but from himselfe as God only: scil. as man he differeth from himselfe as God, and as God from himselfe as man. The whole Trinity being offended with us for sin, was to be pacified, but the Scripture teacheth, Christ was our Mediatour to the Father: and we must silence our conceits, and learne of God what to believe. And assuredly if the Father be reconciled, the whole Trinity is reconciled. And further it may be added, that he who according to absolute essence or nature is the partie offended, may according to voluntary dispensation sustaine the person and doe the office of a Mediatour: and soChrist
