so much as touched onywhitte with the false tales of men For she onely is excellently chaste of whome the fame is aschamed to speake euyll And therfore this mystery was hydde kepte secrete a longe season For it is lykely that Marie and Iosephe dyd kepe these misteries in theyr herte vntyll suche tyme that after the sendyng of the holy ghost froÌ„ heuen the gospell dyd sprâ—ade abrode his lyghte thrugh out the hole worlde Considre therfore now how many thyngê we haue learned by this article coÌ„preheÌ„ded in few wordes fyrste that Iesus Christe is very god of god the same to haue ben borne very maÌ„ of a woman a virgine without the helpe or workynge of man But by the worke of the diuine spirite And that he hathe come in to this worlde nat only to redeme the worlde The causes of Christes comyng into the worlde but also to teache and instructe vs with moste full auctorite to kendle enflame vs with diuerse argumeÌ„tes vnto the loue of the heuenly lyfe Now considre me I praye the howe many horrible heresies erroures the lyghte of this verite hathe driuen awaye yt is very sore agaynst my wyl to reherce the detestable and abominable blasphemes with the vnhappy names of the authoures of them but yet thys thynge shal profyghte and healpe wel hereunto that we may bothe more fastly hold and kepe our beleâ—â—e and also geue thankes the more abundantly to god whiche hathe vouchesaued to open and shewe so greatte lyghte vnto vs. That many dyd erre and holde wronge opinions aboute his diuine natiuite of his father it is lesse to be meruayled Carpocrates Câ—rinthus Ebion Paulus Samosatensis Photinus But it is a poynte of more madnesse that his humane natiuite which hathe ben proued and declared by so many and so euident argumentes hathe ben assailed with so many monstres of opinions Carpocrates Cerintyusâ— Ebion Paulus Samosatensis and Photine in name but Scotine in very dede do graunte that Christ was a very man But they saye that he was a pure a mere man borne betwene man and woman after the maner of other menâ— albeit he had the soule of a prophete These men do mutilate and mayme the persone of Christ of more than the one halffe The same men do saye that Christe is called the son of god but by free adoption lykewise as other good vertuose men are And that he was nat at all afore that he was borne of the virgine These heretikes sayncte Iohan euaÌ„geliste dothe openly refelle and coÌ„fute pronouncyng plainly Iohan. i. That the selfe same worde which in the begynnyng was with god and was god to be made fleshe And in the same euangeliste our lorde hymselfe speaketh openly in this wyse Afore that Abraham was made Iohan. viii I am Agayne Paule in the .ix. chapiter to the Romaynes saythe Roma .ix. ☞ Of whome Christe cam as touchyng his body whiche is god ouer all thynges blessed for euer more Neither are the Manicheis any whitte lesse madde than these afore reherced which do gyue vnto Christ som parte of the diuine nature Manicheisâ— but they do styfly affyrme that he toke vpon hym mannes body nat a very body in dede but only a phantasticall body lykewise as we do rede that aungels and fendes haue otherwhiles apered iÌ„ bodily shape and lykenesse vnto men These persons do make Christe a iuglere or a trogeter and a wonderfull deceiuer of men But a phantasme is nat borne of a woman Neyther can a phantasme or spirite do those thynges whiche our lorde dyd so many yeres space throughout all hys lyfe tyme eatyng drynkyng slepynge waxyng wery hungrieng thurstynge speakyng beyng conuersaunte among men at none dayes geuynge hymselfe to be touched and handled to be crucified slayne He hymselfe also sayde to his disciples in the laste chapiter of Luke whaÌ„ they were astonied abashed because they thought that they had sene a spirite or a ghoste Luc. xxiiii ☞ Wherfore are you troubled saythe he and why do thoughtes and musynges ascende into your hertes Beholde my handes and my fete for it is euen myne owne selfe Handle me se for a spirite hathe neyther fleshe ne bones so as you do se that I haue Ualentine Nexte after these cometh Ualentine the framer forger of worldes whiche imagined Christe nat to haue ben gendred of the substauÌ„ce of the virgine but to haue broughte with hym a celestiall body from heuen or els which thyng madde Appelles dothe wene raither to be true a body taken of the elementes in the ayre Appelles and so to haue passed thrugh the body of the virgine lykewyse as liquoure and lyghte passethe through a pype of lede or throughe a cranel or hole But this is nat proprely to be borne but to passe throughe for neyther dothe the cranel or hoâ—e gendre or brynge forthe the sonne be alme but the sonne itselfe neyther dothe the pype gendre the liquoure but the fountayne or sprynge dothe it But whan Paule the apostle saythe vnto the Romaynes these wordes Ro. i. Qui factus est ex semine Dauid secundum carnem .i. Whiche as touchyng fleshe was made of the sede of Dauid and in the .iiii. chapiter to the Galatianes Misit deus filium suum factum ex muliere .i. Gala. iiii God sente his son made or gendred of a woman By these wordes he dothe openly professe that Christe dyd take the substaunce of his body of the substauÌ„ce of the virgins body Neither euery thynge whiche ony maner way is bredde or gendred of man is forthwith a man for els lyse sholde be called men But that thynge whiche is conceyued in the matrice or wombe of a woman of the very substauÌ„ce of man and in due and lawfulle tyme is borne broughte forth by naturall membres in all markes and tokens lyke a man and whiche is called a sonne that thynge veryly is a man Arrius Nexte cometh Arrius by soo muche the more wretched and madde in opynyon by howe muche he dothe more subtely craftily geue vnto Christ the body of a man taketh from hym the sowle of man saynge that the godhed was in stede of soule soo that in Christ after his opinion there were but two natures that is to witte the bodye of man and verbum id est the worde whiche same worde for all that Arrius willeth to be a creature in dede more excellent than all other creatures but yet a creature But with what face do they confesse grauÌ„t hym to be a man from whome they doo take awaye the better parte of man For who doth not know that man is made of .ii. separable substaÌ„ces that is to witte of the body as of the materiall substauÌ„ce and of the soule as of the fourme wherfore yf ony spirite doth moue the body of a deade man no man wyll calle it a man that he seeth but a wondre or monstre But
seynge that our lorde hymselfe in so many places of scripture doth make meÌ„tion of his â—oule and doth call hymselfe the sonne of man as whan he sayth Mat. xxvi ☞ My soule is heuy euen vnto the death And whaÌ„ he sayth Father into thy handes I do coÌ„mende my soule And Luce. xxiii Iohan. x. Iohan. viii Noman doth take my soule or lyfe from me but I do laye it froÌ„ me you do seche to slee me beynge a man whiche haue spoken the trouthe vnto you And seynge that Paule witnesseth the same sayinge i. Timot. ii The mediatoure betwen god men the man Christe Iesus yf they do geue credeÌ„ce to the scriptures how or with what face dare they deny that thynge whiche the scriptures done so manyfestly expresse pronunce yf they do not beleue the scriptures howe may they for shame desyre to be accompted taken for ChristeÌ„ men yf they wolde seme to be philosophers who euer ones dreamed that that thynge myghte be called a man whiche lacketh the fourme of man whiche fourme I meane the soule whaÌ„ it is presente causeth one to be a maÌ„ whaÌ„ it goeth away caused that thynge whiche was before a man than to lese the name of a man Those men whiche haue so wondrefull madde opinions they stonde in daunger them selues and not vnworthyly leste they may seme not to be men Neither was the opinion whiche Apollinarius dremed muche wiser than these aforereherced whiche dothe suffre a soule to be geuen to Christe Apollinarius but so that he dothe take froÌ„ the sayd soule the mynd or vnder standynge for in quicke plantes there is a certayne lyfe for els they sholde not growe neither sholde they els be sayde to dye whan they do widder or drye vp And in brute beastes also there is a lyfe and soule for els they shold haue no fealynge or perceyuyng But mynde or reason and vnderstondynge amonge al sensyble creatures is onely to man This mynde is the princypall power of the soule by whiche it dothe dyscerne and iudge euery thynge from other by whiche it dothe ioyne or knytte together or els diuide and departe thyngê in sondre and by whiche it gathereth or concludeth one thynge of another by argumeÌ„tation and reasonynge But howe may they for shame professe Christe to be a man whiche do take awaye from hym that thynge by whiche man dothe cheflye and principallye dyffre from other beastes DIS Dyd than the mynde of Christe by reasonynge of thynges knowne gather and conclude suche thynges as were vnknowne to hym MA. There was nothynge vnknowne to Christe and yet as concernynge the condition and state of nature he hadde a reasonable soule For not aungelles neither do vnderstonde by reasonynge so as we do nether shall we our self fes vnderstonde in the general resurrection so as we do nowe But perfection added to nature doth not take awaye the veryte of nature For els the bodyes gloryfyed sholde be no bodies And yet is it none heresye or erroure to saye that the soule of Christe beganne to knowe certayne thynges whiche by the presence of the godhede it dyd afore perfyghtelye â—ee and perceyue I saye begane to knowe the same thynges otherwise after the maner of men not for that he knew theym not before But because the maner of his knowynge now was sondry and diuerse from the maner of his knowynge before Iohan. i. He had seen Nathanael whan he was vnder the Figge tree because he dyd knowe it more certaynly than we do those thynges whiche we do see with our iyes But afterwardes whan he saw hym with his bodyly eyes in dede he dyd not learne ony newe thyng whiche he knew not before but he sawe otherwise the same thynge that he hadde sene before Appollinarius Apollinarius addeth another madde opynyon that the worde dyd not take vnto it fleshe or body but that somewhat of the worde was tourned into fleshe mysunderstondynge the wordes of sayncte Iohan. Iohan. i. ☞ Et verbum caro factuÌ„ est id est and the worde was made fleshe that is to say after his false interpretation the worde was chaunged into fleshe lykewyse as the ayer condensated and made thycke or grosse is tourned into water and as the water raryfied and made fyne and subtyle is tourned into ayer But a man is not made of a countrefayte worde tourned into an humayne bodye but man is made of a reasonable soule and a mortall body yf by the worde they do vnderstonde the sonne of god god as he is made of nothynge soo can he not be tourned into ony thynge nor ony thynge into it yf we wyll speke proprely And yf philosophers do deny that fiere maye be tourned into water which are both creatures how much more agaynste all reason is it a thynge increated to be tourned into a thynge created But you wyll saye they make the worde a creature but a more excellente creature than all aungelles But yet euen betweÌ„ an aungell and the body of man there is more dyfference than is betwen fyar and water But this erroure conceyued folyshely of the euaÌ„gelystes wordes the wordes immediately folowynge do refelle and confute Iohan. i. Et habitauit in nobis that is to say and he hathe dwelled amonge vs. For that thynge is not sayde to be conuersaunte in body whiche is transformed into body But the body is well aryghte called the dwellynge place of the soule And man is well and aryghte called the temple of god Eutyches in greke is as muche to say as happie whiche is no righte name for that vnhappy wretched heretike And nowhitte wiser is the erroneouse opinion of falsenamed Eutyches whiche dyd putte in Christe to be but onely one nature compost and made of diuine and humane nature hothe to gether yf he hadde sayde that one syngulare persone hadde ben vned of two natures and that euen one persone indiuiduale as the terme of logicions is some what he hadde ben to be herde and beleued for it is certayne and vndowted that there was in Christe two or also thre sondrye natures and distincte eche of them from other Man is composte and made of a soule and a bodye But the diuine nature because it is moste syngle it refuseth all names or wordes of composition It vned or dyd knytte it selfe into one hypostase or persone by the meanes of the soule beynge ioyned and cleuynge to the bodye but it was not confused or mengled into the same nature Nestorius whiles he dothe dylygently eschewe Nestorius this lymekylle he felle into the colekylne professynge in Christe to be two perfighte natures the nature of god and the nature of man Prouerbe but he maketh than as manye persones denyenge the worde to haue ben vned and knytte to man into one persone but onely to haue inhabited maÌ„ by grace wherfore he gathereth and concludeth that in one Christe there is one persone of man
and another person of god and that Marie is not well called the mother of god but onâ—ly the mother of man all be it that the anngell in Lukes Gospel dothe saye to the virgine Luce. i. ☞ For that holye thynge whiche shall be borne of the shall be called the sonne of god For the vnite of the personage causeth that by a certayne idiomatuÌ„ .i. communione of proprietes of speakynge euen those thynges whiche do not agree but onely vnto the humane natu re maye also be sayde aryghte of god but onely in the voyces concrete God was borne of a virgine but not the godhed God suffred but not the godhede and Man is god but not the Nature of man is the godhed But because there is none ende of errouxes I wyll make an ende of this rehersall and I feare leste I haue allredye made the werye with rehercynge soo manye erroures DISCIPLE Uerylye I haue pitie on these heritikes Howe be it yet there madnes hathe doone me good by reason of whome it is caused that bothe I do more clerely perceyue and see the trouthe and also do more fastly beleue it MAG The heretikes are worthy no thaÌ„ke herefore but god is very greatlye to be thanked whose goodnes hath tourned the malyce and wickednes of other men vnto his seruauntes in to the lucre and encreace of godlynesse DIS Why is not than the symbole or Crede made in the synode holden at Constantinople contented to saye natus ex Maria virgine id est borne of the virgine Marie but addeth et homo factus est that is to say and was made man MAGI For they which wold dispute ony thynge subtyly of Christe allthough they be holden with diuerse sondry erroures yet in this one thynge they do al agree that they do deny hym to be man in as muche as they do take from hym some thynge whiche yf we haue not none of vs sholde be called truely a very man Therefore is this expressed Et homo factus est that is to saye And he was made man that no man sholde come to baptisme beynge infected with the poyson of them For els what man is so farre without coÌ„mune iudgemeÌ„te and reason that whan he hereth saye that the two Gracches were borne of Cornelia wyll aske the question whether the two Gracches were men DIS Whereof come it than that these men were soo meruaylously blynde MAG Ueryly because they had leuer make serche and dispute of the diuine matters than symplely to beleue theÌ„ The scripture sayth that we shal haue none vnderstondynge or perceyuynge excepte we wyll beleue But they wold perceyue and vnderstonde by the prowde philosophie of the worlde afore that they wolde beleue Lette here therfore be the ende of this coÌ„munication that after thou haste recorded these thynges with thy selfe in thy mynde and haste geuen thankes to the diuine spirit thou mayste retourne the more cherefull and lusty to learne the residue that is behynde The fourth in struction DISCIPLE IT foloweth ☞ He suffred vnder Ponce pilate was crucified deade buried M. Those men that geue vnto Christe an imaginarye and phantasticall body the same men do saye that all suche thynges as it is red that Christe dyd suffre in hys humane nature he dyd nat suffre them in very dede but only phantastically and apparently But we whiche taughte by god do beleue that he was a very man do also beleue that he did suffre verily and mater in dede both in mynd in body and that he was verily crucified deade and buried The deathe of a naturall man is the separation of the soule from the body whiche separation whan it is ones made all we do knowe what maner a thyng the deade body is than but the soule be cause it is iÌ„mortal though the body be decayed and fallen awaye yet hathe it styll beynge lyuynge with Christe if it departed froÌ„ the body with faythe and lokynge after the resurrection and risynge agayne of her owne body D. What difference is there betewne an aungell and a soule that is separated from the body The differeÌ„câ— betwene an aungell and a soule separated frome the body M. Uerily this that a soule is in dede a mynde lykewise as aungels are but so created of nought whan it is putte into the body that it is naturally apte to geue life to gouerne and to moue nat euery maner body but that body only to whiche it is spicially appoynted and ordayned by god This diâ—fereÌ„ce is there betwene the deathe of Christe and the deathe of one of vs The differeÌ„ce betwene Christes deathe and oures that our soule by the violence of sicknesse and disease orels thorowe defaulte and wante of humoures is driuen out from our body But our lorde willyngly layde from hym his soule and lyfe euen lykewise as he dyd wylfully com to the crosse and passion A token hereof and an euidente argumente is Math. xxvii that he gaue vp the ghoste vpon the crosse immediately after a greate and a strong crye Ye moreouer his owne selfe also saythe in the gospell of Iohan. Iohan. x. ☞ Noman taketh away my lyfe from me but I do laye it froÌ„ mine owne selfe D. But where was in the meane season the word or the seconde ê‘sone of the godhed whiche thou saydest to be so vned knytte to man that both together made one persone was it in the soule departed from the body orels was it in the deade body M. SaiÌ„t Augustine deuotely dyd beleue suppose that the godhed was neither separat froÌ„ the body neither froÌ„ the soule but was psente with theÌ„ both But it is bett not to entre into the coÌ„bre some mase of such maner questions out of whiche it is harde to fynde ony waye to gete out Now we do teache onely rudimentes and princyples and not the moste hyghe poyntes we do caste a fundation or grounde of our warke we doo not finishe and make it full perfighte for we do instructe a nouyce newely conuerted and not a diuine and to make an ende we doo informe a ionge soldier to faythe beleffe not an olde worne chauÌ„pion to battayle and fyghte DISC. Why do we adde these wordes passus est that is to say He suffred seyng that the sayde wordes are not â—â—ded of them in the olde tyme Dothe he not suffre who so euer is crucified MAG It appereth that this particle also was added agaynste certayne men whiche dyd imagine that the worde dyd as it were swalowe vp the body that it toke vnto it selfe and transfourming it after a certayne maner into it selfe dyd make it suche a maner body that it could nat fele any payne or greffe They say that Galanus was the authoure of this opinion Galanus But the scripture on euery syde speaketh openly agaynste this Fyrste Esaie the prophete saythe Esaie liii◠☞ He hath verily taken vpon hym our sycknesses and our sorowes and greffes he hathe borne
churche with some haynouse and manifeste crime not as I wene for that they dyd take awaye from suche maner men all hope of saluation but that they myght beryue them the honoure of the felowshyp or coÌ„pany to the puttynge of other men in feare of doynge the lyke whiche thynge saynâ—t Augustine doth wytnesse and recorde euidently of those persones whiche after beynge ones reconciled to the church by penauÌ„ce had falne agayn into the same or els into lyke cryme trespasse Man may shytte to man the dores of the churche but heuen no man may shytte but onely god So in the old tyme those persones which beynge prestes or deacons had committed an euident and manifeste cryme were put out of the clergy without any hope of commyng in agayne The same thyng was done to the byshopes But this seuerite or sharpenesse of correction also was mitigated of them that came after Concernyng coÌ„fession and satisfaction bothe there hathe ben greate stryfe in tymes passed and also now these dayes is renewed agayne Nota But I doo thynke and iudge it both most surest waye and also most mete to the sauyng and kepyng of the commune concorde with symple obedience to folowe that thyng which the auctorite of the church hath taught vs that is to say according to the prouerbe of the Brekes to bowe and lene towardes the better syde and to abstayne and forbere from such thynges wherof thou doste stande in doubte Now resteth and is behynd the last part of the Symbole or crede The risyng agayn of the fleshe Here thou heareste the endynge of the world whan Math. xiii Math. xxv good men shal be disseuered and sundred from euyll men so that the wycked and vngodly persones shall Apo. xxi haue no hope to haue an ende ones of theyr payne and tourmentes neyther the good and godly persones shall haue any sorow or greffe no nor yet haue any feare of euyl Roma viii whan also the very creature which doth now mourne with vs shalbt delyuered and set free from all maner incommodytes or displeasures How al thynges shall â—e new after the resurrection All thyâ—ges than shal be newe not by chauÌ„gyng of theyr substaunce but by the reason that theyr qualite shal be chaunged Fleshe By the name of fleshe here in this particle is vnderstanded and mente the body of man by Rysynge agayne rysyng agayn is mente reuiuyng and waryng lyue agayne All the articles of the Crede in very dede are to be holdeÌ„ and kept by faste and stable belefe The article of resurrectioÌ„ of all other is most firmely to be beleued but this article most specially of all other is firmely to be beleued which doth brynge moste chefly solace comforte to good vertuose men beyng in tribulation and aduersite here in this world and also on the other seyd agayn dothe putte wycked men moste in feare and drede which els wolde fall without measure or ende into all maner abominations and synnes if after this lyfe both good men and badde sholde not be the one rewarded the other ponyshed accordingly to theyr deseruynges This is the fundation and grounde of all our whole faythe whiche ought to be moste stronge and stable whiche if it be loose and vnstable al other thynges wel nere are beleued in vayn Let the wretched Sadduceâ—s therfore goo theyr waye Sadduceâ— which in so muche do not beleue the rysyng agayn of the bodyes that they do neyther Math. xxii Actuum xxiiâ— beleue that there are aungelles no nor yet any spiritê as who shold saye that there were nothynge verily beyng in the nature of thynges but onely that which is open and perceyueable to the bodyly senses from which senses nothing is more farre away than is the very godhed Fare wel they also whiche do professe that the soules shall ryse or reuiue agayne but the bodyes in no wyse where as in very dede the soule in as much as it is immortal can no more reuiue and ware alyue agayne than it can dye But they do call it the resurrection of soules whan they shall be called forth to blysse out of the secrete places in whiche after theyr madde dreames they had for a certayne tyme and season lyen hydde Fare well they also whiche do denye that this selfe same bodye whiche we do beare about with vs shall reuiue and lyue agayne but do say that to euery man shall be gyuen another body much more excellent and better than this is But we shal not be the same meÌ„â— if we shall not receyue agayne the same bodyes And I pray you what nede is it to create newe bodyes whan god by his almyghty power is able to restore these same bodyes to most perfyght clarite and bryghtnesse and also to blessed immortalite not chaungynge the substance of the body but chaungynge the qualites of the body into muche better Chiliaste Fare well also the Chiliastes whiche of the reuelation of sayncte IhonÌ„ misconstrued and wronge vnderstonded dyd dreame that we shall ones reuiue and lyue agayne and that by the space of a thowsand yeres we shall vse and enioye plentuosly all the delicies and voluptes of this wordle But we gyueng credence to the wordes of blessed Iob. Iob. xix And I shal be coumpased agayne rounde about with myne owne skynne and in myne owne fleshe I shall see my god whome euen I myn owne selfe shall see and not another person and also herkenyng and beleuyng saynâ—t Paule which wrote in this wyse ☞ He that hath reysed vp Iesu Roma viii shall rayse vp vs also with Iesu. We I saye vpon the faste credence and belefe of these aforereherced auctorites do recken our selfe moste sure and out of doute that all men shall reuiue and lyue agayne in the ende of the worlde with the same bodyes whiche they doo beare about in earth and that they shall none otherwyse ryse agayn than Christ hymselfe dyd ryse agayne whiche shall conâ—forme and make lyke our bodyes to his owne body glorified The immortalite of the bodyes shal be commune bothe to good men and badde men But to the wycked ê‘sones immortalite shall bryng or cause euerlastynge tourmentes and to the good and godly persones it shall brynge or cause eternal ioye and blysse How be it yet it ought rayther more truely to be called the eternall deathe of wycked men than the immortalite of them And therfore that particle euerlastyng lyfe whiche certayne persones haue added and put to out of the masse crede appertayneth onely to the good godly men where as the word of resurrection doth egally appertayn bothe to the good and to the badde Howe be it yet this worde resurrectioÌ„ also is so vsed otherwhyles Howe this word resurrection is takeÌ„ other whyles in the scriptures that it dothe appertayne onely to good men as for example whaÌ„ our lord sayth in the gospell of IhonÌ„ I
Sanctam ecclesiam catholicam I beleue the holy churche c. MAS Here thou haste the .iiii. parte of the Symbole which describeth the misticall body of Christe that is the church Nowe if thou take Christ whol there are but thre portioÌ„s And the holy churche very well coÌ„ueniently is annexed ioyned to the holy ghost For by the gyfte and benefyghte of this ghoste is holy what so euer creature is veryly and truelye holy where fore of sayncte Paule it is called the spirite of sanctifycation Rom. i. This is that spirite of the spouse whiche neuer departeth or goeth awaye from the bosome of the spousesse And because Ecclesia in the Grek doth betoken a congregation Ecclesia by this spyrite doth cleaue togyther what so euer is well happely ioyned or knytte to gether This is that vnspeakable cyrcle whiche ioyneth or coupleth to gether the .iii. persones amonge them selues whiche with them also gâ—ueth good auÌ„gels and good men all together in one For the name of the churche maye comprehende also the blessed spirites all be it that god came not to redeme theÌ„ whiche contynued stable in that good and blessed state in whiche they were created But mankynd because it was falleÌ„ from the state in which it was made in the fyrst parentes Adam Eue it neded to haue a redemer But nowe go forth on with the resydue of the Crede DI. Sanctorum coÌ„munionem The coÌ„munion of saiÌ„ctes thre maner wayes taken and expouÌ„ded The coÌ„munion of saynctes MAG This parcell certayne men do so vnderstoÌ„de that it doth by apposytion expound the nexte parcell goynge before whiche is sanctam ecclesiam catholicam The holy catholike churche For this worde Ecclesia id est Churche is a name of societie and felowshippe and it is a contynuall a faste vnlowse able ioynynge to gether of all the membres of Christ amonge themselues eche with other How be it certayne other men do thynke rather that the .vii. sacramentes of the churche are be tokened by these wordes And certayne other agayn do thynke by these wordes to be sygnyfyed the coÌ„mune felowshyppe or parte takynge eche with other of all good workes D. Bemissionem peccatorum I beleue remission forgyuenesse of synnes MAG Here thou dost here what is the policie and good ordre of this cytie or coÌ„munaltie in this worlde in which worlde as there is no perfyghte felicyte euen so is there in it neither perfyghte puryte and clennes neither full saturyte and satisfyeng of mannes mynde And therfore it happeneth often tymes that they whiche haue greuously fallen in to synne haue nede of a remedie and that they whiche are weake and feble haue nede of strength and hartenynge Now either of these .ii. thyngê doth the grace of god geue sufficientlye vnto vs both by other meanes but pryncypally and especyally by the Sacramentes of the churche And therfore whan thou hearest remission and forgeuenesse of synnes thou hearest a double medicine or salue the one by the holy and blessed bath of baptisme and the other by the sacrament of penaunce Remission of synnes thorw baptisme and pâ—naunce DISC. Carnis resurrectionem I beleue the risynge agayn of the body MA. Here is opened shewed vnto the the ende of our warre and the consummation and perfection of the church aâ—d either the eternall felicite or els the eternall calamite miserie of the whole man that is to witte both in body and soule DI. Et vitam eternam And euerlastynge lyfe MAG Here thou heareste the vncomparable hiâ—re or wage and rewarde whiche our capitayne hathe prepayred and ordayned for his soldyers yf they warrynge faythefully accordyng to the ensaumple of theyr capitayne vnder his standerde or banner shall haue behaued them selues manfully euen vntyll theyr death Thou hast now all the pryncypalle and generall partes of this holsome tale or Comedy thou hast also all the actes and stenes of that heuenly order and setter forthe of this coÌ„medie sette in ordre by a wondre fulle and vnspekable dispensation DIS Are there ony that make a more subtile diuision of the Crede than this MA. ye there are certayne men of later tyme whiche in stede of .xii. artycles do make xiii Some there are agayn whiche make .xiiii. not accordynge to the ordre of the the texte But folowynge this consideration that all the artycles doo belonge either to the diuine nature of all the persones or els to the humaynâ— nature of Christ or els to the misticall body of Christe to euery one of these they do applye certayne artycles or parcelles so are there made .xiiii. articles But this distinction or diuision helpeth but smally and is of litle wayghte or value to the purpose that we haue in hand For after this maner myght men ymagyne also other diuisions accordynge to the diuersite of mennes wittes and to the diuerse considerations that may be made of the same thynges But that is the princypall heed poynt of all that he sayth here the world to haue ben myghtyly created of god and of the same god by his sone to haue ben wysely mercyfully redemed the begynnyng decourse of the churche the holy ghost gouernyng it by his secret inspiratyons breathynges the coÌ„summation and perfection of the churche whan the sonne shall delyuer his kyngdome hole perfyghte and quiete to his father DI. Certayne men doo assygne and geue to euery one of the Apostles one artycle of this Crede MAG yf they that so do saye true than are they disceyued whiche had leuer make .xiiii. artycles For what intente it was deuised that the Apostles made ech one of them one articule of the Crede But yet neuer the lesse this was profyghtably deuysed fownde out to thentente doutlesse that suche as were vnlettred myghte at ones with one laboure as it were by ymages sette in ordre emprynâ— and graue faste in thyr remembraunce both the names of the Aposteles also euery one of the articles For it shold be very conueniente and accordynge that all the parlers and closettes of Chriâ—ten men were decked adourned with such maner tables as these DIS O good lorde how copyouse philosophie or wisdome is comprehended in this so lytle and so shorte a symbole MAG But iâ— is very probable lykely that amonge theÌ„ in olde tyme the crede was yet shorter than this For it sholde seme that they made an ende of the crede with this clause Inde venturus est iudicare viuos et mortuos From thence shall he come to iudge the quycke the deed This may we gather of the symbole of Athanasius whiche though he doth declare this symbole yet doth he touche none of these thyngê Neither doth the symbole whiche is reherced in the canones for the symbole made in the couÌ„cell holden at Nice go ony further than the aforesayde clause saue onely that it addeth these wordes Et in spiritum sanctum And in the holy
in god fyrste he dothe hate and defie certayne paganes whiche do nat beleue that there is any god at al. And he dothe no lesse hate them which do number and recken vp vnto vs manye and many folde goddes It is all one thyng in effecte to saye that ther are many goddes and to saye that there is no god at all where as in so sayenge they do graunte that there is no god at al. For if there be many goddes than is there some what where in one of them dothe differ from another now if that be any good thyng he is no god that lacketh or wanteth any thynge that good is And if it be an euill thing than can he nat be god that hathe any euill in hym Lykewyse he dothe hate them whiche do thynke nothyng to be at all saue only suche thynges wherof they haue perceiuynge by theyr bodyly senses Anthropomorphite To whome the Anthropomorphites are nat muche vnlyke whiche because they do rede in the scriptures of the eyes the face the mouthe the haÌ„des the harte the arme the wâ—mbe and the breste of god they dyd wene that god is a bodily thynge made of manes shape manes membres whan in very dede nothynge is forther frome all sensible matter thaÌ„ god is Iohan also dothe wryte IohaÌ„nis .iiii. ☞ That god is a spirite Moreouer he dothe abhorâ—e the Epicureis which do so grauÌ„te one god or mo than one to be The opinion of the Epicures that yet they do deny hym or them to care any whitte what is done in the worlde These that be of this opinion do make god eyther impotente orels folishe in that they do recken hym eyther nat able to gouerne that whiche he hathe created orels so euell wyll that he wyll nat do it orels so folyshe and dronken that he dothe nat retche therfore These thynges if they were sayde agaynste any mortall prynce they were wordes full of blasphemy How moche more than if they be spoken agaynst god But our lorde in the gospell sayeth playnly Math. x◠☞ That there dothe nat so muche as a litle sparowe fall vpon the ground without the wyll of the father And also that all the heares of his discipâ—es hedes are noumbred * So that nat so moche as one lyâ—le heare dothe peryshe excepte it be by his wyll And sayncte Peter agreably vnto these wordes of his mayster sayeth i. Petri. â—◠☞ Castynge all your care and thought vpon hym for he hathe care and mynd of you The same doth also detestate the blasphemy of the Ieues whiche do professe one god The erroure of the Iewes but they do deny the sonne the holy ghoste whan in very dede the substaunce or essence of god is so one that it is euen the same and to speake after the maner of logicions eadem numero the same in noumbre The substance of the godhed is al one and the same iÌ„ all the iii. persones Bothe in the sonne whiche was begotten of the father and also in the holy ghoste procedynge from them bothe The father cryeth from the cloudes This is my welbeloued sonne Math. xvii et Luce. iii. and the Iewe crieth agaynst it that he hathe no sonne The same father crieth by the mouthe of his prophete Iohel Iohelis iiâ— I shall poure out of my spirite vpon all fleshe And the Iewe crieth there agaynste god hathe no holy ghoste but is solitary Agreyng vnto this madnes was folyshe and ignorant Noetus Noetus and the wicked heretike Gabelliê° Gabellius of whom sprong the heresy secte of them which were called Patrispassiaâ— The patrispassianes whiche dyd deuide the substauÌ„ce of god nat into thre ê‘sones but into thre voyces or names The father sayne they created the world the same in the name of the soÌ„ne toke vpon hym the nature of man and suffred passion The same agayn onely his name changed and nowe called the holy ghoste cam down vpon the disciples Here wittyngly and gladly I passe ouer the dremes more than blasâ—hemouse of Basilides Basilides and Mercio Marcio The Origenistes Origenistes also doo come verye nere vnto the impiete and wicked erroure of the Iewes which do make the sonne of god a creature and the holy ghoste the minister of that creature Cosen to these also is Arrius whiche graunted that the father hath a sonne but onely of wyll and lykenes Arrius and not of nature Howe be it he wyll also this similitude to be vâ—perfighte after suche facion as the shadow is lyke to the bodye because he dothe thynke that betwen the creatoure the creature ther can not be but a slendre an obscure similitude Eunomius But Eunomius doth farre excede the heresy of this sayd Arryus whiche taughte that the sonne is in all poyntes vnlyke to the father because that there is none affinite or lykenesse and agremeÌ„te betwen the creatoure and the creature nomore than is betwen a thyng that is infinite a thyng that is finite From this Eunomius Macedonius doth so dyssente Macedonius that yet he doth not assente vnto the doctryne of the church For he graunteth the sonne to be in all poyntes lyke vnto the father but he sayth that the holy ghoste hathe no poynte coÌ„mune with the father the sonne Manicheis Of the Manicheis we haue touched somewhat all redye whiche whils they doo make duo principia id est two principles coÌ„trarye the one to the other of the one of which visible thynges as they saye were created as â—uyll thyngê of an euyl pncyple of the other inuisible thyngê were created as good thiÌ„ges of a good pnciple without dowt they do of one god make two goddê the one good the other euel eueÌ„ likewise as do the heretikes called Gnostici Synerus Synerus whils he maketh tria principia .iii. princyples he maketh as many goddê agayn those that do seperate departe the sonne or the holy ghost from god where as in very dede they do cleue vnto hym by natur they doo go abowte to thruste vnto vs a maimed or an vnperfight god Also ther are some which in stede of god Nature do reckeÌ„ nature to be the cause of al thyngê whiche yf it be eternall almighty forsoth than it is god yf it be not such one than is it the minister of god a creatur made of god The same thyng is to be iudged as I supose of the second causes how be it iÌ„ my iudgemeÌ„t it is more agreing to the ChristeÌ„ religioÌ„ what so euer either nature or els the secondary causes doo worke The secoÌ„dari causes all that to ascribe geue vnto the efficacy mighty workyng of god onely which yf it shold ceasse neither the soÌ„ne shold geue lyghte neither the fyre shold be hot but all thyngê shold be sodaynly brought to nought he doth also execrat Selencus which doth
xâ— and that thou shalte haue chowed thye coode lyke a cleane beast that is to saye after that thou shalte haue dylygently recorded these thynges and called them well to remembraunce than haue recourse hether agayn vnto me ¶ The thyrde instruction Disciple I Do fele and perceiue that mustarde sede whiche thou haste sowed in my mynde Mat. xiii to vtter and shew forth his vertue and strengthe more and more MA. I praye god that whan I haue planted and watred it the lorde maye vouchesaffe to geue it increacynge growynge euen vnto lawful and full ripenes i. Corin. iii. DISC. But as I considred and called to remembraunce what had ben coÌ„muned sayde betwen vs this one scrupule or dowte troubled my mynde for what cause it sholde be that where as in all other dyscyplynes and scyences they do begynne with the moste easy lyght thynges and suche as are famylyarlye knowne to our senses this heuenly phylosophye dothe forthwith at the begynnyng speke of god which is the hyghest thynge that can be and moste fartheste from all mannes seâ—ses MA. Ueryly because this phylosophy is a discyplyne of beleffe and not of disputation and reasonynge for disquisition or reasonynge doth lede maÌ„nes mynde farre abowt by many compasyng and wyndyng wayes and often tymes also doth begyâ—e it and lede it out of the ryghte way But fayth compendyously and spedâ—lye doth carye and conuaye vp to the hyghest and setteth oure mynde as it were in a hyghe totyngehyll froÌ„ which it may more certaynlye and perfyghtelye dyscerne and iudge these inferyoure thynges referrynge all thynges to god in whome is the begyâ—nynge the increace and the perfection and full ende of all thynges The bodylye seÌ„ses do other whiles deceiue vs. The knowledge which riseth of the senses otherwhiles is vncertayne because the bodyly senses do ofteÌ„tymes deceyue vs as for exauÌ„ple whaÌ„ the soÌ„ne semeth â—o vs two foote brode where as in very dede it is greatter than the hole earthe and whan we see the lyghtenyng afore that we here the thundre and yet for all that the syghte and the hearynge are the cheffe and principall among the out warde senses or wittes No nor yet the knowledg which is gathered of the causes or principles of demonstrations is alwayes certayne for as muche as we do see the professoures of wisdome other whiles to dowte euen of the principles also But in as muche as fayth comyng from god doth passe the certaynte both of the senses and also of all pryncyples The sureâ—te most coÌ„pendiouse easiest knowledg iâ— had by fayth geuen of god there is no more sure knowledge than is by fayth and none also more compendiouse and more easye wylte thou haue a sure token here of Howe many weuers are there nowe a dayes both men and women which do talke aud coÌ„mune more wysely of god and godly thynges thaÌ„ dyd the cheffest of the phylosophers Plato and Aristotel of the whiche two the former that is to witte Plato how many mad opinions hath he of the principal or heeâ— goddes of the sprytes the soÌ„nes of the godê of world made of the spretê of the soullê faleÌ„ down froÌ„ heueÌ„ And the letter of the two that is to witte Aristotell because he goeth abowte to come vp from the lowest thynges to the higheste by how many longe ambages and coumpasses doth he lede the witte how longe doth he tarye them and kepe them backe in maters of Logike of Poetrie of Rethorike of Naturall Philosophie of highe and celestiall thynges afore that he do come vnto the supernatural thynges And yet for al this doth he not come to the knowledg of god for whose cause he hadde layde these so many steppes or stayres vnto which knowledge now by faythe yongemen are promoted both shortely easily ye beynge instructed with no maner humayne dysciplines Ioan. xvi◠☞ The cheffeste philosophye whiche purchaseth true beatitude vnto man is to knowe god and Iesus Christe sente of hym To the learning of this philosophy because it is most agreable and accordynge to nature euery sexe euery age is apte and docyle but that age inespecyall and moste cheffly which is not yet infected with croked and lewed affections and desyers And verylye relygyon is in so muche accordynge to nature that some certayne perceyuyng and fealynge therof is beleued to be in Elephantes and other brute beastes Plinius in naturali historia D. But who so euer dothe sympely beleue those thynges which are writen or taught concernyng god that man shall nat be able to match with philosophers and heretikes in disputacion MA. Trouthe it is Neque enim haâ—c philosophia iliscitur ad palestram sed ad piam vitam Quid autem arrogâ—â—tius istis qui rationibus humanis de diuina nâ—tura â—isputant quuÌ„ nullus sit illoâ—â— qui cuâ—icis aut araâ—eoli naturaÌ„ valeat ad plenuÌ„ assequi quis haec quotidie videâ—nt Qui scrututor est magestatisâ— opprimitur a gloria non aliâ—er â—uam qui solem intentis immotisque oculis diutius intuentur caecutientes disceduÌ„tâ— vt iam interdum impingant in palum obuuium Fidei veroâ— simplex columbinus ' The eye of faythe is a simple eye nat curiouse to est oculus hac reuerenter contemplans Deum qua nobis voluit innotescere ' to enserche such thynges as god wolde to be hydde vnknoweÌ„ to vs whils we lyue in this worlde For this philosophie is nat learned for to helpe to disputation but to good and godly lyuynge Nowe what more presumption can there be than is in them whiche with worldly reasons do dispute of the nature of god whan there is none of them all whiche is able fully and perfightely to knowe but euen the nature of a gnatte or of a lytle spyeder all thoughe they do dayly se these ☞ who so euer is an ensercher of goddes maiesty is oppressed of the glory None other wyse than they which do stare one whyle on the bryght sonne with theyr eyes stedfastly set and vnmoued do go awaye dased and halfe blynde in so muche that otherwhyles they do stomble and stryke themselues vpon a stake beyng in theyr waye But the eye of faythe is a symple doues eye reuerently beholdynge god that waye whiche waye it is hys pleasure to be knowne of vs but nat curiously enserchynge those thynges whiche it is his wyll to haue hyd from vs in the meane season vntyll we shall come to that heuenly theatre in whiche he shall gyue hymselfe to be seen more nere and more clerely to our eyes beynge than more purged cleane In thys lyffe it is sufficiente that thou knowest that there is god and that he is one in nature and thre by distinction of persones Thou perceiuest and knowest that the sonne is begotten and cometh of the father and that the holy ghoste ê“â—edeth from them bothe Thou knowest that god is nat a body but
in body and soule But what sholde a man stryue agaynste them that doo denye the euidente scripture and agreynge with it selfe in so many places For nothynge hathe ben taughte more diligently of the Euangelystes than the argumentes and proffes of the resurrection And saynte Paule dothe not onely confirme the resurrection in euery place but he dothe also describe the maner of the resurrection to the Corinthianes and to the Thessalonianes i. Cor. xv i. Thessa. iiii For as for the opinion of them that were called Chiliaste Chiliaste whiche dyd dreame that by the space of a thousand yeres after the risynge agayn of our bodyes we shall enioye plentuosly in this world all suche maner pleasures wherewith the bodyly senses are delyted and pleased it is not worthy to be called an opinion but raither a prodigiouse and a wondrefull madde erroure And as for all the cauillations whiche maÌ„nes witte dothe engendre howe or by what meanes the same bodye whiche hath ben so manye maner wayes chaunged from one thynge into another can be restored agayne the very same in noumbre these cauyllations I saye are shaken of and putte awaye by faythe and beleffe by whiche we do beleue that he is god and that he is almyghty whiche worketh all these thynges that he is not subiecte vnder the lawes of nature whiche dyd create and make nature And what meruayle is it yf he dothe restore the body of that thynge that is whiche dyd fyrste at the begynnynge make heuen and earth and aungelles all of nothynge And seynge that we do dayly see soo many miracles in the workes of nature as for exauÌ„ple of a very lytle sede to ryse a great strong tree and of a gressehoper nowe beynge olde by castynge of his skynne to flye forthe a yonge one of a Eruoa id est cankerworme redy to dye to lepeforthe a lusty and a swyfte Papilionem .i. butterfly why sholde ony thynge seme vnbeleueable which god that is almighty dothe worke contrary to the lawes and course of nature It foloweth he asceÌ„ded into heueÌ„ and sytteth on the ryghte hande of god the father Ioan. iii. NomaÌ„ sayth saynte Iohan goeth vp into heueÌ„ saue he whiche hathe come downe from heuen the sone of man that is in heuen The worde or sone of god came downe from heuen not that he departed from the father or chaunged his place for as muche as the diuine nature is so in euery place that yet that notwithstandyng it is coÌ„tayned in no place but the same worde whiche by dyspeÌ„sation dyd come into the wombe of the blessed virgine after that he hadde finished the mystery of our redemption Actuum .i. beynge than incarnate dyd in verye dede ascende vp into heuen withdrawynge the syghte of his body from his disciples and caryeng or conuayenge vp the myndes of them to heuenly thynges that they sholde geue themselues mete vessells and apte to receyue the spirite that was to come Neither dyd he laye from hymselfe the body whiche he hadde taken vnto hym and leue it in the sonne soo as wretched Salencus dyd fondlye ymagine Salencus So he whiche as touchyng his diuine nature was alwayes in the same glorye with his father is nowe with his humane nature also sette in the glorye of his father beynge made lorde of all thynges whiche are in heuen and in earthe D. It semeth not vnreasonable nor vnmet to assygne or geue vnto Christe a ryght parte or a lefte parte as concernynge his body But in the father to ymagyne ony suche maner thynge it semeth too come nere and to be agreynge vnto the erroure of the Anthropomorphites MAG To sytte on the ryghte hande of the father is spoken not without a trope or fygure so that thou moste vnderstande by this maner of speakynge that he is egal in honoure and felow in raygnynge with the father what is meaÌ„t whan it is sayde that Christ sitteth on the fathers righte hande DISC. But why dyd they not rayther expresse this sentence and meanynge by playne and propre or mete wordes sayenge he wente vp into heuen where he raygnethe egall to the father MAGS I haue tolde the alredye that the scripture dothe oftentymes shape and apply her language vnto our affectioÌ„s Nowe the crede doth here coÌ„trefait the worde of the holy scripture for thus speaketh the holy ghoste in the psalmes of god the father of Christe glorified Psal. c.ix ☞ The lorde sayde to my lorde sytte thou on my right hande And our lorde hymselfe sayth in the Gospell Math. xxvi ☞ But yet for all that I say to you hereafter you shal see the son of man syttynge on the ryghte hande of god Lykewyse Peter the Apostle speakynge of Christe saythe i. Pet. ii ☞ whiche is syttyng in heuen at the ryghte hande of god In lyke maner saynte Paule writeth to the Ephesyanes Ephe. i. ☞ Accordynge to the workynge of his myghty power whiche he wroughte in Christ Iesu settynge hym on his owne ryghte hande in heuenly thyngê aboue all rule power myghte and dominatiâ—ns and aboue euery name whiche is named not onely in this worlde but also in the worlde to come Moreouer saynte Steuen in the Actes sawe Actuum .vii. the heueÌ„s open and Iesu standynge on the ryghte hande of god DISC. Howe dyd saynte Steuen see hym stande How Christe is sayd to syt and howe to stande on the righte hande of the father whiche in other places is sayde to sytte MAG Here also know thou to be a trope To sytte is a poynte of one that resteth of one that raigneth and of a iudge To stande belongeth to one that succurreth or helpeth He sytteth whiche without care gouerneth all thynges He standeth beynge redy to helpe al those that desyre helpe of hym In that he is a iudge he is sayde to syt in that he is an aduocate He is sayd to stande i. Ioan. ii we haue saythe saynte Paule an aduocate in heuen DIS But Christe as concerâ—ynge his humane nature is not egall to the father MAG How coulde that that is but a creature be egall to the creator But for cause of the vnyte of the person all those thyngê are well and a ryghte geuen to Christe whiche are agreynge to hym as touchynge his humane nature soo that we doo vse the names or vocables of the persone or vocabulis suppositi as some other men do call it DISC. In as moche as Mat. xxviii Christe dothe promyse that hymselfe wyl contynue and abyde with vs vnto the ende of the world Actuum .i. why was he lyfted vp into heuen bodyly in the syghte of al his disciples M. To this question dothe the apostle make aunswere in the thyrde chapiter to the Colossianes ☞ Seche you those thynges that are aboue where Christe is sittyng on the ryghte hande of god This syght was shewed to the bodyly eyes of them to th ende that he wolde kendle and
partener with them of rewarde and ioye D. If all the men women which haue ben by the space of so many thousand yeres syns the creation of the worlde shall stande afore Christes seate of iudgemente I beseche you what courte shall that be able to receiue and coÌ„tayne so great a multitude Or what tyme shal be sufficiente to the discussyng and examynynge of so many mennes dedes M. The scripture forsothe as I haue tolde the heretofore dothe attempre and shape her speche accordyng to the affections of men applyinge her selfe to our dull slowe vnderstondyng whan she saythe that Ro. xiiii all men shall be presented and broughte forthe vnto the iudgemente seate of Christe Lykewise and after the same maner as it saythe that ☞ some men shall be in daunger of iudgemente Mar. v. and other some in daunger of a couÌ„sayle and other agayne in daunger of hel fyere And also whan it saith that of euery idle worde an accompâ—e is to be geuen at the daye of iudgement Math. xii Agayne whan it telleth what the iudge shall saye to them that shall stande on the ryghte hande and what they shall auÌ„swere to hym agayne Math. xxv lykewise what they shall aunswere or what shall be sayde to them whiche shall sâ—and on the lefte hande The iudgemente of god is done farre after another maner thaÌ„ the iudgemente of men is done And yet shall it nat therfore nat be verily done because it shall nat be done after the maner of men This is very true that Christ shall appere in his body glorified vnto all men to good men vnto theyr solace and coumforthe to wicked men to theyr feare and discoÌ„forthe For this thynge do the aungelles expressly saye in the actes Actuum .i. whiche dyd appere forthewith after that our lorde was ascended into heuen This Iesus which is taken vp froÌ„ you into heueÌ„ euen after the same maner shall he com as you haue seen hym goyng He shall com euen the very same he shall be sene in the shape of maÌ„ but than shynynge with the glory of immortalyte The generall iudgemente shal be don in the twyncâ—iÌ„g of an eye But all this busynes shall be done in a momeÌ„te and as you wolde say in the twynclynge of an eye Neither shall there than nede ony longe or dylygente eâ—amination or tryall whan all the secretes of meÌ„nes hertes shall be open and whan euery maÌ„nes owne conscience shall condemne hym And the bodyes beynge than chaunged to immortalyte shal not thaÌ„ as they do now occupye space of place as touchynge to the thre maner dymensions that is to witte lengthe bredthe and depthe but innumerable bodyes shall may than be contayned in a very lytle space Forels maÌ„nes witte myghte greatly meruayle howe it may be that helle whiche they do prouably putte too be in the loweste partes of the earthe shall be able to receyue so many bodyes DISC. why dothe the quiere in the Crede that they do synge adde here these wordes Cuius regni non erit finis that is to saye of whose kyngdome there shal be none ende MAG This particle was added out of the wordes of the aungell which as we do rede in Luke Luce. i. spake in this wise to the blessed virgine ☞ And the lorde god shall geue too hym the seatte of his father and he shall raygne in the howse of Iacob for euermore why in the Crede of the masse it is added Cuius regni noÌ„â—rit finis And of his kyngdome there shall be none ende And this particle was added and putte to because of certayne men whiche dreamed certaine wonderfull blasphemies of the periodes and reuolutions of yeres whiche Plato dyd put of whiche Origene toke his eroure yf it be so that he dyd thynke that thynge in very dede Origenes whiche he hathe recyted reherced rayther than affirmed with asseueratioÌ„ in his bokes that is to witte that after certayn thousandes of yeres of fendes shall be made aungells and of aungells be made fendes And that they whiche are damned in the fyere of helle shal ones be delyuerde from theyr paynes and beynge purged shall retourne agayne to felycyte and blysse and finally that Christe shal be crucified agayne And so that the kyngdome whiche Christe hathe purchaced and gotten too hymselfe by his deathe sholde ones haue an ende This is a more fonde and folyshe blasphemye than that it is worthy to be confuted But yet because there were some amoÌ„g the Grekes whiche dyd somewhat easteme and regarde this dreame or tryflynge opinion the churches of the easte dyd adde this particle ☞ And of his kyngdome there shall be none ende The kyngdome of the deuyll is dissembled for a season whiche euen nowe also dothe rebell warre agaynst the kyngdome of Christe Lykewise the raygne of Antichriste shall laste but a while but the kyngdome of Christe after that it shall be clensed and ridde clene from all rebellion of the euyll persones it shall continue and endure for euer soo as the Prophete Daniell hat euideÌ„tly prophecied in the .vii. chapitoure For after that he hathe fyrste described his comynge with maieste and with many thousandes of aungels and by by after hathe described the dredefull iudgemente he addeth consequently these wordes ☞ And he hathe geuen to hym power Dani. vii honoure and kyngdome and all peoples and tribes and languages shal do seruice to him The power of him shal be an eternall power which shal not be taken away froÌ„ hym and his kyngdome shal be a kyngdom which shal not be corrupted or destroyed thus farforthe this Crede was sufficieâ—te yf the worlde had by symple faythe holden and kepte fast that whiche was taughte them But for as muche as the peruersite of heretikes dyd brynge in certayne wicked heresies erroniuse opinions of the thyrde persone whiche is the holy ghoste and because it semed to haue ben somewhat to darkely spoken and to obscure signification to haue ben geuen of the dispensation of the churche in this worlde therefore was this parte added whiche bothe dothe more clerely and euidently chalenge and mayntayne to the holye ghoste the diuine nature which he hath coÌ„mune to hym with the father and the sone and also doth playnly and lyghtesomly expresse and declare what gouernaunce is in Christes mysticall bodye by the holy ghoste it dothe therefore repete agayne the thyrde persone sayinge I beleue in the holy ghoste that by the same wordes professyng hym in the thyrde place it myght declare the distinction of the .iii. persones as touchynge to theyr ê“preties the egalyte eueÌ„nes of theÌ„ as touching to theyr nature lyke wise as no maÌ„ doth beleue with a chrsteÌ„ beleffe no man doth sette his moste coÌ„fidence and trust in a creature but in the onely god alone He that ê“fesseth hymselfe to beleue in the holy ghost dowtles he professeth hym to be god that noâ— another god
â—hynge is without body by a generall name is called spiritus a spirite or ghoste Iohan. iiii So is god in the gospell called a spirite whiche name is commune to all the thre persones as concernynge the diuine nature but whan we do ê“prely and specially meane signifie the thyrde person By what names the holy ghoste is called in the scripture we do call hym the holy spirite or ghoste the spirite of god the spirite of Christe spiritum paracletum .i. the spirite that is coÌ„forter or aduocate and the spirite of trouth And agaynst them whiche denyed that the prophetes made theyr prophecies by the inspiration of the holy ghoste but by a phanaticall or madde and vayne spirite the Synode of Nice or of Constantinople hathe added this particle Qui locutus est per prophetas that is to saye which spake by the prophetes that we sholde vnderstonde haue in knowledge that bothe testameÌ„tes were â—aughte and geuen by one and the same spiriâ—e and that iâ— was none other spirite whiche spake by the mouthe of the holy prophetes thaÌ„ euen the very selfe same Luce. iii. whiche descended vpon our lord in the lykenesse of a dowe and in the lykenesse of fyere cam vpon Actuum .ii. the disciples and which euen this daye resteth betwene the brestes of the spousesse the churche A notable question DI. Dyd the holy ghost take vpon hym the body in which he appered so as Christe toke his body vnto hym M. Aunswere No verily for Christ toke an humane body into the vnite of personage It was no. natural body that the holy ghoste appered in but the holy ghoste dyd so take vnto hym a body as aungels do oftentymes appere in the lykenesse of a man Those are but bodyes assumpte and nat naturall bodyes The same synode dyd adde these wordes also ☞ Qui cum patre et filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur .i. Whiche is worshipped and glorified together with the father and the son to thenteÌ„â—e that they myghte the more exclude the blasphemy of them which do make the holy ghoste inferiour to the son For creatures are glorified honoured but with the father the son nothiÌ„g is honoured saue only that that is god Under god and for godes sake holy men also are honoured but with god nothynge is honoured or glorified but that which is all one with hym And for the same purpose also is added this clause ☞ Qui ex patre filioque procedit that is to saye whiche procedethe of the father and the sone For as the sonne is argued and proued to be of the same substaunce with the father because he is begotteÌ„ of the father euen so is it concluded gathered that the holy ghoste also hath the same nature with them bothe for as muche as he prosedeth cometh forth of them bothe how be it these wordes filioque .i. and of the sone semeth to haue ben added of the Latyne men lykewise as in the symbole of Atanasius for as muche as this particle neither is hadde in the Greke symbole whiche we hadde set afore the newe testamente in our seconde edition of it neither yet in ony symbole whiche is recited in the canon lawe for I suppose it was not than yet receiued namelye in the churches of the easte that the holy ghoste dothe procede from bothe neither was the confession knowlegynge here of exacted of Christen men but it was sufficient to professe that he procâ—ded frome the father and that he dyd contynue and abyde in the son as it is expressed in the lyfe of sayncte Andruâ— the apostle Nat for that they dyd deny hym to procede also from the son but for that they durste nat fastly affyrme this thynge vntyll that our lorde dyd reuele and shewe it also vnto them For nat euery thyng that is sente of any persone dothe forthwith procede frome the substance of hym of whome it is sente A temporall sendynge is one thynge and an eternall procession or comyng forth is another thynge D. Seynge that the fathers with so many wordes dyd study and go about to exclude inequalite why dyd they nat breffly and expressly pronounce that the holy ghoste dyd procede beyng god of god in as moche as they haue diligently expressed of the son that he is god of god lyghte of lyghte very god of very god Deum de deo luâ—â—en de lumine deum verum de deo vero For so sholde all cauillations vtterly haue ben excluded M. To this I can nat tell what aunswere I sholde make saue only that the meruailouse religion and feare The religion drede that the olde fathers had to speake of diuine thinges whiche the olde fathers hadde to speake of the diuâ—ne matters and the wicked babling and talkatiuenes of certayne persones was the cause why they had leuer shewe and demonstrate by circumlocution the name of god than to expresse it to then tente that both the godly myndes shold vnderstonde and perceiue the mysterie and wicked persones sholde nat be prouoked to blasphemy But that thynge which that Synode dyd vtter by circuÌ„locution sayncte Athanase doth eâ—pressly pronounce saying ☞ The father is god the son is god the holy ghoste is god And yet are nat ther thre godes but there is but one god D. Why do they attribute and assigne to the holy ghoste goodnes and charite why goodnes â—harite are attributed to the holy ghoste M. Because vnto goodnes or benignite two thynges do belong that is to wytte for geuenes of synnes geuyng of gyftes vnto charite appertaineth conglutination or ioynyng together Lykewise as the membres and lymmes of our body do cleue together whole by the beâ—â—fight of the spirite euen so the misticall body of Christe is ioyned and knyt together by the holy ghoste Christe in the spirite of god dyd caste out deuils Luc. xi Math. xii And he calleth the holy ghoste the spirite of god But by synne wicked spirites do raigne in a man as our lorde dyd manifestly teache in the parable ☞ of the spirite that was driuen out whiche retourned agayn into his empty house with seuen spirites more wicked than hymselfe Lâ—c. xi Math. xii Therfore the good spirite is conueniently sayde by abolishyng and puttyng away synnes to dryue out euyl spirites Which whan it is done it doth nat suffre the house to be empte or voyde but doth garnishe and adourne it with diuerse gyfâ—es or graces that the vices driuen out shold haue none entrauÌ„ce in agayn And therfore Math. xiiâ— that blasphemy whiche is committed agaynst the holy ghoste is sayde in the gospel to be irremissible and suche as can nat be forgeuen For what hope of remiâ—â—ion dothe that man leue to hymselfe whiche dothe prouoke the authour of remission forgeuenes For charite as sayth say nete Peter dothe couer or hyde the multitude of synnes i. Petri. iiiâ— And to that synfull woman of
but the same god Erroneouse opinions concernynge the holy ghoste Certayn men haue sayde that the holy ghoste is not a substauce but that he is noughte els but the concitation or styrrynge of a godly mynde But this motion or styrrynge of our mynde is in dede caused and cometh of the holy spirite but it is not the verye holye goste selfe lykewise as imagination cometh of the soule but yet is it not the very soule selfe For the sayde motion or styrrynge of the mynde in vs is an accidente but that thynge that is god is neyder accidente neyther is it mengled to ony accidente Other some agayne haue sayde that the holye ghoste is a creature added as a minister or seruaunte to the sone whome also they do make a creature And these men do openlye denye the holye ghoste to be god Mat. xxviii But our lorde whan in the forme and maner of baptisyng he dothe ioyne the father the sone and the holy ghoste all .iii. together he dothe not mengle or ioyne a creature with the creator neither an accidente with a substaunce but he hathe expressed thre persones all of one essence But because the erroures coÌ„cernÿng the holy ghost haue not very greatly trobled and encombred or febled the churche of Rome but haue moste specially and chefly raged amonge the Grekes The errores coÌ„cernynge the holy ghoste raged moste in Grece londâ— therfor hath the symbole which was made in the councell holden at ConstaÌ„tinople added put to certayne wordes of the holy ghost callynge hym dominuÌ„ lorde and viuificatorem .i. quickener or maker alyue why the holy ghoste is called lorde In that it doth call hym lorde it doth make hym egal to the sone excludyng the name of a minister or seruaunte for there are not many lordes for the sone is not called lorde of the holy goste but the lorde of all thynges created whiche dominum or lordshippe is coÌ„mune to all .iii. persones Howe be it this greke word Kyrios is not alwaies a worde of dominion or lordshyppe Kyrios but otherwhiles it is a worde betokenynge authorite nowe is the holy ghoste authour of all those scriptures whiche the churche accoÌ„pâ—eth for diuine scriptures and of which the auâ—horite is inuiolable but because the father hath in the gospel testified wâ—tnessed of the sone Math. iii. This is my welbeloued sone herken to hym geuynge to hym most soueraigne highe authorite leste ony man shold thynke or suppose that the authorite of the holy spirite were lesse than the authorite of the sone they dyd adde put to Pneuma kyrion .i. the spirite the authour in that it doth cal hym viuificatoreÌ„ .i. quickener or lyfegeuer Et spuÌ„m dominum whythe same ghoste is called quickener it doth agayne make hym egall to the sone to the father for our lorde saith in the gospell of Iohan. As the father doth raise quicken vp and make alyue those that are deade Ioannis .v. so doth the sone also quicken make alyue whoÌ„ he lyste Leste ony man therfore sholde thynke that the holy ghoste were here excluded they added â—t viuificanteÌ„ .i. quicknyng or makyng alyue The differeÌ„ce betwen the speakynge of the sone the speakynge of the holy ghoste the differeÌ„ce betwen the qckenyng or raisyng vp deade men of the one of the other And lykewise as this difference there is that the sone hathe spoken openly in fleshe the holy ghost hath spokeÌ„ by the prophetes the same dayly dothe speke secretly by the churche euen so dyd the sone bodily raise vp deade men beynge both the authour also the fyrst frut of resurrection but the holy ghost by pardonynge forgeuyng synÌ„es doth spiritually quickeÌ„ make alyue for synne is the death of the soule froÌ„ which to reuoke call agayne ony man is a greatt thyng than it was to raise vp Lazarê° beiÌ„g .iiii. Ioannis .xi. dayes deade out of his graue saue onely that al thyngê are lyke muche or egally easy to be done of god But because this outward spiriâ— or breathe is a thynge inconstante waueryng vnstable leste ony man sholde ymagyne ony semblable and lyke thyng of the holy ghoste they called hym Kyrion that is to saye of substanciall and stronge inuiolable authorite Ioan. xv And in the gospell of Iohan our lorde hymselfe calleth hym the spirite of trouthe Thus muche as touchynge difference Quickener Nowe on the other syde because by the sendynge forthe and receyuynge in agayne of breath or ayer by course we do lyue bodyly the holy ghoste very conueniently and accordyngly is called spiritus viuificator .i. a quickenynge spirite whiche doth geue vnto vs causeth that we do lyue as touchynge the better parte of vs that is to witte the soule Agayne because this breathe or wynde seameth a certayne cruel and vnmercifull thyng whan it dothe rayse or styrre vp waues in the see whaÌ„ it doth cause the earthe to shake or quake and whan it tearethe trees in sondre they do geue to the holy ghoste goodnesse DI. why he is called the holye spirite Why is he called holy MA. For a difference from other spirites for we do rede in the scriptures that Saul had an euyll spirite sente of the lorde and that a lyinge spirite was in the mouthe of the prophetes i. Regum xix and .xvi. We rede also of the spirite vertiginis of the spirit of sothesayers of the spirite of gelosy we Leuit. xx Actuum .xvi. rede these wordes spirituÌ„ pessimuÌ„ .i. the moste euyll spirite the spirite of fornication Actuum xix spiritum nequam .i. the wicked spirite the vnclene spirite the spirite of this worlde the spirite of Satan we rede also the proude and highe spirites of man as in the .xvi. chapitoure of the prouerbes Ante ruinam exaltabitur spiritus .i. Afore his decaye and fall his spirite shall be lyfted vp in pride what meruailouse chaÌ„ges the holy gost worketh in maÌ„nes soule From all these spirites is the holy ghoste separated and disseuered whiche maketh men for proude and highmynded meke and mylde whiche ryddeth and delyuereth men from all companie and felowshippe of Satan whiche inspireth to mâ—n the very despisynge of this worlde whiche by faythe purifieth and clenseth the hertes of men whiche driuethe awaye all i. Cor. xiii malice and wickednesse whiche geueth true charite that is not misdemyng neyther i. Cor. ii thynket ony euyll which openeth the secreth misteries of the scriptures whiche ledeth into euery verite trouth D. Iohan. xvi Are nat aungelles also called spiritus sancti id est holy spirites MA. Yes verily and so are they in very dede So also the spirite of man is well called holy but there is but one spirite alone whiche is by nature holy and which of it selfe dothe sanctifie and make holy all thynges that are verily holy Spiritus What so euer