entered into the union with Christ, and the latter has not. And upon this union everything
depends; it makes a difference in men, as between heaven and hell.
Nor may it be said, on the contrary, “That a regenerate person, even without the union
with Christ, is other or better than an unbeliever”; for this puts asunder what God has joined
together. Outside of Christ there is in man born of a woman nothing but darkness, corrup-
tion, and death.
Hence we firmly maintain the indissoluble oneness of these two: “There is no regenera-
tion without establishing, the mystical union with Christ”; and again: “There is no mystical
union with Immanuel but in the regenerate.” These two may never be separated; and on
the long way between the first act of regeneration and completed sanctification, the unio
mystica may not for a moment be lost sight of.
326The Ethical theologians will probably assent to all that we have said on this subject; and
yet, according to our deepest conviction, they have wholly bastardized and misapprehended
this precious article of faith. Assuredly they strongly emphasize the union with Christ; they
even tell us that they do this more than we, maintaining that it is immaterial whether a man
is sound in the Scripture or not so long as he is united with Christ. In that case there is no
more need of any formula, confession, articles of faith, or even faith in the Scripture. A
prominent Ethical professor at the University of Utrecht has openly declared: “Altho I should
lose the entire Scripture, yea, tho the truth of not one of the Gospel narratives could be
verified, I would not be in the least affected, for I would still possess union with Christ; and
having that, what more can a man desire?” And this has such a pious ring, and taken in the
abstract is so true, that many a conscience must agree with it, not having the faintest suspicion
of the apostasy from the faith of the fathers contained in it.
If one should ask us whether we do not believe that the soul united with Jesus possesses
all that can be desired, we would almost refuse an answer, for he knows better. No, indeed,
favored soul, having thatyou need no more; depart in peace, thrice blessed of God.
But because the mystical union with the Son of God is so weighty and precious an article
of faith, we desire that every man should treat it most seriously, and examine whether the
union which he says he possesses is actually the same mystical union with the Lord Jesus
Christ which the Scripture, promises to the children of God, and which they have enjoyed
throughout the ages.
XXIV. Implanting in Christ