vs chiefly on hande to knowe howe he is mynded towardes vs. Quest That thou maiest knowe this what considerest thou chiefely in God. Ans Perfect iustice and perfect mercye Quest VVhat callest thou iustice and what callest thou mercy Ans These thinges are not in God as qualities But by gods iustice I meane that Gods nature is so pure and sounde of it selfe that he vtterly hateth and most seuerely punisheth all vnrighteousnes And by the name of perfecte mercye I meane that whatsoeuer he bestoweth vpon vs and specially the benefit of euerlasting life procedeth wholy of his mere free gift and grace Quest But these thinges agree not together For how is he a most sore punisher for those thinges which hee giueth of his mere grace Ans That these thynges doo very well agree the father hath well shewed in his sonne who hath made full satisfaction for our sinnes and is giuen vnto vs fréely by the father Quest Did not the father then or the holy ghost aby the death for vs Ans No truely none of them both but alonely the sonne whom the father sent and whom the holy Ghost teacheth and sealeth fast in vs. Quest Is not the Sonne verye God by nature and consequently the immortalitie it selfe as well as the father and the holy Ghost Ans Yes Neither were he our sauior if he were not God. Quest How then could he die Ans Where as by his godhead he was the eternall life it selfe he became man that he might die in the flesh Quest But the sonne is god vnchangeable how then is he become man Ans Not by minglyng the natures or properties together nor by any chaungynge of God into man or of man into God of whiche thynges none of bothe is possible but by so straite and familiar knittyng of the Sonnes Godhead to the nature of man taken vnto it that the Sonne of God béeyng very God and very man is henceforth one person Iesus Christ Quest And what maner of vnion is this Ans In gréeke it is called hipostaticall and in English Personall and so it is in déede Quest. I pray thee describe it that it may be vnderstoode at leaste wise after a sorte Ans The thinges are sayd to bée vnited in nature whiche come together into one nature whether the same be done without any growyng together mixyng together or turnynge one into another like as the three persons of the Godhead are one moste single substance or whether it be don by only knitting together like as the soule and body méete together as essentiall partes in making that which is man or whether it be by meanes of som mixture or turnynge of the one into the other like as befalleth in the interchange of the elements in thinges that be mixed And thinges are saide to be vnited personally which are ioyned in suche wyse as there ryseth therof but one selfsame person like as the body soule are so vnited to make the one nature of man that they close together into one person or particular Of this sort is also the vnion of the two natures in christ which ioyne together not to make some one third thing as Eutiches misweened but to make both one person without any confusion either of the natures themselues or of the essentiall properties And I sayd an vnion of natures but not of persons least it might be surmised that two persons were growen into one whereas in Christ there is one nature whych a man may see is peculiar to the woord it selfe and in that nature resteth also the other nature that was taken to it that is to with the nature of man For the person of god tooke not to it the person of man but the diuine nature and that in the onely person of the sonne that is to saye in respecte that the same godhed was the sonne and not in respecte that it was eyther the father or the holy ghost toke vnâ—o it mannes nature destitute of it owne â—ersonship as I myght terme it Therefore to bee short lyke as in the Godhead â—here bee three persones coming together â—n one selfesame nature euen so in christ â—here be two natures ioyned together in the one persone of the Sonne so as the â—hree persons are not three gods but one God by reason of the most single vniting of the three persons into one selfsame nature neyther are there two Christes but â—ne Christ by reason not of two perfect persons but of two perfect natures ioyned together not to make some one third nature but vnited into the person of the â—onne in which person both the natures â—re vphilde Quest Neyther comprehend I this secrete Ans Then yet agayne reuerence thou the thing that thou comprehendest not For all the whole Scripture cryeth out that it is moste true And if it were not so he shoulde not bee a Iesus that is to saye a sauiour to vs nor yet Christ that â—s to saye annoynted as our Soueraigne â—nd euerlasting Kinge Prophete and Préeste Quest. But coulde not God haue saued man by som other meane lesse remoued from our capacities Ans Certesse he could But this was the moste conuenient meane for him to shew as well his singular iustice as his singular mercy Quect How so Ans Because that if he had either saued vs without full satisfaction or exacted the same satisfaction of any other than of the nature that was indetted he might haue séemed to haue béene vnmindefull of his iustice and therfore it was requisite that our sauiour should bée a man But had he ben but only man hée shoulde neuer haue discharged gods wrathe and so consequently he should not haue ben able to winde himselfe out of it and muche lesse to deliuer vs And therfore it behooued that the flesh whiche was taken shoulde be sustayned and borne vp by the nature of the godhead most perfectly vnited vnto it Furthermore as concernyng mercy could there be geuen any surer euidenter yea or more diuine assurance of most perfect mercifulnesse thaÌ„ that the father hath euen his owne only sonne for his enemies and the sonne likewise geuen his â—wne life willyngly for vs that are most â—nworthy Quest It is euen so But was not Christ â—imselfe giltlesse An â–ª Yes forsoothe And therfore he was â—onceiued by the holy Ghost in the virgin â—ary not onely without any spot of vnâ—eannesse but also endewed with moste â—ingular sowndnesse and purenesse in his â—eash For otherwise he himselfe shoulde â—aue had néede of an other to bee his sauiâ—ur neither could his oblation haue pleaâ—â—d God neither truely coulde God haue â—ounde in his hart to haue vnited himself â—o so vncleane a nature Quest Coulde it then stand with the naâ—ure of the soueraigne Iustice to exacte â—unishmeÌ„t for other folks sinnes at the â—ands of a man that was moste giltlesse â—ea and also most holy An. In déede the father might haue séeâ—ed
is to wit both to his soule his body but this maner of spéech â–ª Peter is the soÌ„ of Ionas agreeth to him as he is whole togither as he is considered to be some hole thinge y is to wete as he is considered by vnitie of person and not to bothe the seuerall partes of him sauyng in respecte of the one parte onely namelye of the body except perhaps thou thinkest that the soule also is begotten It is a like forme of speche when we terme any man a mortall creature or a reasonable creature â–ª which terme doubtlesse doe fitly agree to the whole man as he is whole by reason of the vnite of his person and yet that is but in respecte of some one of his partes only Yea truly the force of this personal vnion is so great that a man may speake of it in the same phrases of spech stil eueÌ„ after it is dissolued as if a man shoulde say Peter lyeth buried at Rome for we wil put the case to be so the proposition shal be trew and yet but in respect of his body onely albeit that Peter that is to say the whole person be named Quest VVherfore dost thou then term it a comunicating of properties if there be no comunicating of natures and essentiall properties in dede An. By communicating of properties wee meane not the very personall vnion or the maner of the vnion but the report that is made by reason of the personall â—…nion of the two natures in whiche reâ—ort the essentiall propertie or the opeâ—ation that agreeth to some one of the naâ—ures is attributed to the person in ioint â—esse and not in seueralnesse And forâ—smuch as this report is true ther must â—eedes also be truth contained vnder it Howbeit in the aforesayd respect that is â—o saye of the whole persone considered â—oyntly together Quest Then coÌ„cludest thou again that Christ as concerning his flesh is departed verely and in dede out of the earth vp aboue all the heauens and therefore is absent from vs that are vpon earth An. So is it And yet I graunt that Christ being man is still present wyth vs howbeit in another respect than of his manhod that is to wete in that the selfe same Christ which is man is God also yea and if thou wilt I graunt thee thus much more that Christes manhood also is present howbeit in other respect that is to wit not in it selfe or in it owne substaunce but in respect that it cleaueth by personall vnion vnto the word which is euery where therfore also is in verye deede in his supper Quest VVhat doth Christ then auail â—… now as touching his fleshe if hee hauâ— forsaken vs A. Nay he hath not forsaken vs in aâ— muche as euen now also in his glorifyed fleshe he disposeth althinges both in heauen and earth and hath receiued a namâ— that is aboue all names at hys fatherâ— hand By vertue of which aucthoritie he quickneth cherisheth and gouernetâ— his church in this worlde by hys secret vnutterable power â–ª and ther withal reigneth in the mids of al his enemies And in heauen he maketh intercession to hys father vntill the time that the laste enemye namely death be vtterly put to flight Q. I pray you what maner of intercessioÌ„ is this that you speake of A. He maketh intercession first in pacifiyng the father towardes vs by the continuall freshnes of his owne innocencie and obedience and secondly because we cannot call vppon the father aright but in his name so as he steppeth euermore as an attonemeÌ„t maker betwixt vs and the father to the end that whatsoeuer we offer to the father may be well accepted 〈…〉 for the sute that som men dream that â—ist should make with knéeling down â—is fathers feete it is but fond deuicâ— suche menne as haue no skill to put a â—…erence betweene Christe when hée â—…s in weaknesse and Christe beinge â—…w in glory nor finally to discerne heaâ—…nly thinges from earthly thinges â—uest VVhat thinkest thou then of â—…em which do so wilfullye maintaine â—…at Christ is not a mediator in respect 〈…〉 both his natures â—ns I thinke them to be the deuils Inâ—…uments prepared to hinder the work 〈…〉 the Lord whiche thinge experience yt â—…lfe hath taught vs. â—uest But to be a meane betokeneth a â—…ace beneath the highest and it belonâ—eth to the lesser persoÌ„ to make meanes â—o the greater person Hereuppon I gaâ—her that they seeme too bee Arrianes â—hiche holde opinion that Christe is a â—eane and a meanemaker or mediator â—s touching his godhead also Ans I shoulde wonder that in so great â—…ght of the Gospell there coulde be any â—ound that woulde suffer themselues too be beguyled with so tryfling toyes if 〈…〉 deede it selfe bewrayde not that they nâ—uer folowed gods Gospell with a rygâ—â— zeale I speake of the wilfull sorte aâ—… of suche as are condemned by their own iudgement Quest But this is no answering An. The shamefulnesse of the matteâ— compelleth mee to bruste out into theâ—â— wordes because I see so manye haâ—… shrunke away vppon so small occasion 〈…〉 none first vnto the heresye of Arrius afterwards to the surmized opinioÌ„ of thrâ—… Gods finallye to the deuelishe dotagâ—… of Samosetane Go to therefore let vâ— enquire of them seuerally in order Quest Thinkest thou then ihat to beâ—… meane is another thiug than to be a mâ—…diator or meanemaker An. Yea truly For the word Meane maâ— betoken but the qualitie or state of a persone and so the thinge that is betwixtâ— two vttermore thinges maye bee deeâ—med a meane or a middle thinge But â— mediator or meanemaker betokenetâ— an Vmper or attonementseker Whiche are thinges so far diuerse that one mayâ— be a mediator or meanemaker whyche notwithstandinge is not of a meane or â—…ddle degree as when we seeke to set â—…en at one and contrarywise one maye of a meane or middle degree and yet shall not followe of necessitie that he is â—ediator Quest But Christ is both a meane and mediator An. I graunt it Quest If he be a meane in that he is the â—ord or the sonne theÌ„ it foloweth that â—â—e sonne is inferior to the father name â—…e as if hee were endewed with some â—…ind of Godhead that were a mean beâ—wene the godhead of the father the â—ature of man. An. Then wilt thou haue Christe to be meane as touchinge the one of his naâ—ures onely that is to wit as touchynge is manhod or els to be no meane at all Quest Nay but aunswer mee first to my â—emaund An. I answere then that haue thou an â—ye to whither of his natures thou list â—lone by it selfe christ caÌ„not be said to be â— mean for in that he is the sonne he is equal with the father and in that he is man he â—s equall with the residue of men Therfore stoode the manhood on hand of necessiâ—â— to borow this effectuall workinge at 〈…〉 hand
them doothe nowe and then dryue men too dispaire and too horible factes Now then that men féele not as yet the horriblenes of the euerlasting fyre anye fullyer it is to be imputed to Goddes forbearinge who as yet delayâ—th his wrath Therefore let vs rather â—éeke by what way wée come too it that â—ée maye holde the waye of lyfe and let â—â—s settle ourselues in the things that the â—orde hath opened vnto vs concerninge â—hose matters in his worde namely that â—he happinesse of the Godly and the vnâ—appines of the vngodly shal be so great â—hat the maner and measure of none of â—hem both can bée comprehended by vs â—s nowe Quest Then which is the way to eternall â—â—fe An. Euen Christ as he himselfe witnesâ—eth neyther is there any other way that â—â—adeth vnto life Quest And yet he quickeneth not all â—en An. I graunt that he quickeneth none â—ut those that walke in this way And to â—alke in this way is to ioyne a mannes â—elf vnto christ yea after a sort to incorâ—orate himself into him by beléeuinge Quest What callest thou fayth An. The fayth or beliefe whereby the â—hildren of light differ from the children of darknesse is not simply that Insight which the deuilles haue aswel as they wherby it commeth to passe that a man acknowledgeth the thinges to bee true which are contained in the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles but moreouer it is a stedfast assent of the mind accompanying the same Insight wherby it cometh to passe that eche man applieeth particularly to himselfe the promise of euerlasting life in Christ in cace as iâ— he were in full possession of it already Quest VVhither doth nature yeelde vs this faith or doth grace geue it or wheâ— ther doth partly nature partly gracâ— geue it An. Only the mere grace of god which begetteth vs anew Que. Are there not common Insightes and felings of god in the nature of maâ— though he bee corrupted An. Yes verely be there howbeit eueâ— as som rubbices of a very princely buâ—â—ding Again I say thus much that thiâ— faithe is not grownded in naturall Iâ— sights but theremust further bee addeâ— the things that god hath disclosed to thâ— world peculiarly by his Prophetes aâ—â— Apostles which things fleshe and bloude â—uld neuer haue once thought of Lastly â—is thinge also is to be marked wherin â—â—nsisteth as it were the speciall and peâ—uliar difference of fayth namely that â—he man must apply the promis of eterâ—all life in Christe peculiarly to himself â—y beléeuing which testimony the scripâ—ure calleth assured perswasion Quest â—pray you let vs step a litle aside to disâ—ourse of maÌ„s corruptioÌ„ First I demauÌ„d â—hat thing thou thinkest to be corruped in the nature of man and secondlye â—hat maner of corruptioÌ„ the same is â—â—stly what remedie there is against it An. To the first demauÌ„d I answer that â— who le man is corrupted yea so corâ—pted y S. paules saying namely that â—e bée dead in our sinnes is to be vnder â—â—oode of either part of man. Quest Doth this corruption touche the â—ery substance of him Ans Yea in déede doth it as concerâ—inge the bodye which euen therfore is â—ecome mortall But of the Soule wée â—ust thinke otherwise Quest VVhat shall wee thinke then of â—â—e corruption of the soule Ans That it is corrupted in qualities whiche for instructions sake I make to be two namely reason and will. Quest Doest thou then place qualities in the soule Ans I doe so howbeit agréeable to a spiritualll and single nature Otherwise if a soule or a spirite be nothinge else buâ— a substaunce then let vs make as many vnder goddes as there be soules of menâ— But to the ende wée may eschew many crabbed schoole pointes at once yee shall vnderstande that I admit but one soulâ— in a man for I read not that there werâ— anye moe created and I déeme it an absurditie that anye one bodye shoulde be indewed with any moe soules than one Also by the qualities of the Soules I meane two thinges That is to wit firâ—â— the powers grounded in the soule whiâ—â— I saye are no lesse to be distinguished howbeit by suche distinction as agréeâ— to a spirituall nature from the very suâ—stance of the soule it selfe than the powâ—â— of drawing stéele is distinguished froâ— the substaunce of the Adamant And sâ—condly the soundenes or the rightnes 〈◊〉 as Moyses termeth it the goodnes 〈◊〉 the same powers which I saide to bee twoo Que. VVell then considering that the fall of man can neuer be sufficiently vnderstoode and discribed They that auouche originall sinne to consiste onely sin accidents or qualities seeme to take â—it but for som superficial blemish that sticketh as it were but to the skin Ans These be fond conceites of foolishe men and after the same sort did Sathan in times past beguile some men that wold néedes wrest the christian principles to the ragged rule of their own most folish reason By those qualities I meane not some accidentes or byfalles but thinges that sticke in the very nature it selfe and yet may be disseuered from the very substance and as it were from the grounde worke it self wherin they be not in very déede but by reason and in thought Quest Your saying theÌ„ in effecte is that the qualities of the soule are corrupted and not the substance of it An. I say so and I saye further that the â—ontrary oppinion is the certain and the â—pen waye to Epicurishnesse that is to â—ay to mainteine the mortality or dying of the soule For graunte we once neuer so little corruption of the substaunce of the soule we must néedes confesse that y soule it selfe is in dauÌ„ger of dying Again if the whole soule be corrupted theÌ„ must the whole soule néedes dye out of hand But if the corruption be but in som part of the soule how can there be anye diuision of partes in a single substance suche as the soule is Therefore whosoeuer will maintaine this so awk and wicked opinion had néede to be starke mad and no lesse blinde had they néede to bee that should giue eare to him Quest Let vs leaue this geere for those to delight in vpon whom the lord shall execute his rightfull iudgements Now proceede and tell me what the same corruption is Ans Neyther reason nor wyll is taken away as I sayd euen now for had they ben taken quite awaye the soule of man must needes haue perished or vtterlye ben none at all But both these powers are so sore defaced that whereas the eye of vnderstandinge oughte too haue béene moste cleere according also as it was before the fall nowe â—pecially in matters perteyninge to God and concerninge â—yghte conscience it partlye seeth nothing at al no not euen when the light of the creator is set before it according as it is too bée séene in the chéefe points of
finde â—hat the ablenesse to bée willinge to reâ—eiue is geuen vntoo vs and also that â—ée bée willinge to receiue bothe togeâ—her in one selfe same moment For oâ—herwise the grace were in vaine Therâ—ore as many as impugne this manner â—f togither workinge as though it were â—epugnant too the grace of God they â—ewray their owne vnskilfulnesse many â—ayes consideringe that this selfsame â—ogether workinge is the gyfte of Gods grace and woorketh in such wise together with it as that in order of causes it is in déede the latter like as it foloweth immediatly after the cause that woorketh the effecte by reason whereof all thinges are fathered whollye vppon the onely grace of God and yet notwithstandinge God at once and in one selfsame moment bringeth to passe both that through grace wée may know and throughe grace wée doo knowe in déede that through grace we may 〈…〉 and through grace we do wil in deedâ—… and finally that through grace wee mâ—… doo and through grace wee doe indeedâ—… For the efficient cause in possibility caâ—… not be called efficient in working vntâ—… it be performed in very déede Moreouer sith there is not taken froÌ„ man neyther the ability of vnderstanding nor thâ—… abilitie of willing as I haue saide aforâ—… but onely the ability to vnderstand rightly and to will rightly it cannot bee denidâ—… but that at least wise ther is in him a natural together working bycause the wheâ—… as the first disposing grace is not receiueâ—… but of one that hath vnderstaÌ„ding wil and men by nature do generally vnderstand and will man receyueth the offered grace not as a block but as one that is endewed with vnderstanding wil and so farforth as he doth but vnderstand and will he worketh together with god his maker at whose hande he hath receyned those natural powers But in respect y he vnderstandeth well and willeth wel that must bee wholly attributed too the newcome grace whereby it commeth too passe that he prepareth to make himself ready to vnderstand aright to will aâ—ight and to doo aright when he hath reâ—eiued the grace and also that he vnderâ—…andeth willeth dooth rightly indeede Quest And what is it to be thought of â—…e effectes of the first grace An. That the first grace is effectuall it 〈…〉 to be imputed to Gods seconde grace â—…r wée should straytwaies fall from the â—…rst if there folowed not another immeâ—iatelye after to make the former effecâ—ual and so must ye procéede on stil from â—race to grace Que. But it could hardly be denied but â—hat assone as we haue receiued the first â—race we worke together with the rest â—f the graces folowing so consequeÌ„tâ—y that the later graces are bestowed for merit or desert of the former grace An. Away with the names of desert and merit which fight ful but against grace â—ow much so euer the halfe pelagian Soâ—histers prate to the contrarye He that â—enyeth vs to woorke together with the â—…rst grace denieth the efficacy of the first grace And looke what I haue sayde of the first grace the same doo I say of the graces that insew For that the fyrste grace is so effectuall as that wée vse 〈…〉 well wée may thanke the second graâ—… for it For were not the seconde graâ—… present yea both freely geueÌ„ freeâ—… effectual we shold not only not goe forward but also goe quite backe againe into a far worse state then wee were iâ— before Then as for this toogether working which as I said procedeth whollâ—… of the insewing grace what hath it inâ—… that may merite or deserue anye recompence at al Nothing at al for euen theâ—… when wee after a sorte doe vse it wellâ—… which thinge also if the matter be weâ—… lookte vppon is throughe grace wâ—… doo rather vse it amisse I confesse then that the faithefull seruauntes haue Talentes committed vntoo them But yet agayne it is of men grace that the woorkinge of those Seruauntes is allowed and that they bâ—… taken for faithfull Seruauntes anâ—… finally that rewarde is geuen vntoâ—… them which is not dewe vntoo them iâ—… anye other respecte than bicause iâ—… was freely promysed and is freely performed Quest But I woulde fayne learne this oâ—… you also How this corruption is spread to mankinde Namely whither it bee 〈…〉 nature or by imitacion â—… Forasmuche as ye bée sure inough 〈…〉 it is come in ye shoulde rather haue â—…ed how it might be driuen out again â—…euerthelesse because of many noysom â—…ours I will endeuer to satisfie you in â—…s behalfe also I answere therefore â—…t the maladie is first spread abrode by â—…ture and afterwarde confirmed by â—…itation â—â—est How can you prooue that â—…s By many textes of scripture when 〈…〉 wyll and speciallye by Paules arguâ—…nt grounded vpon effectes For euen â—…y also do die whiche could not imitate â—…am by reason they are not of yeres of â—…reaton but deathe is the rewarde â—…inne ergo all men are in originall â—…ne â—â—est VVhat if I shoulde saye that the â—…te death whiche is the seperation of 〈…〉 bodie and the soule and the looseâ—…ge of the same bodye againe into his â—…t groundes is naturall For all comâ—…unded thinges are naturally subiecte 〈…〉 dissolution An. God himselfe speakinge by Moysâ— wil disprooue you Besides this your aâ—gument holdes not of necessitie For â— thoughe the thinge that is compoundeâ— maye of it owne nature be dissolued yâ— notwithstandinge it is not dissolued â— verye déede vntill the cause that coâ—pounded it do first cease to mainteineâ— together What absurditie then is thâ— in my spéeche when I say that maÌ„ wâ— in such wise created of soule and bodyâ— yea that mans body was in suche wâ— compounded or compacted togither of â— elementes as the creator of them wolâ— haue maintained them togither for euâ— had not sinne stept in by the waye Quest I graunt then that mortal bodiâ— are begotteÌ„ of mortal bodies But whâ— is that to the corruptioÌ„ of the soule oâ— lesse thou think that the soules also aâ— conueied ouer from one into anotheâ— Ans What opinion manye of the olâ— wryters haue had concerning this mâ—ter I passe not neither will I greatlâ— striue about it so it be agréede vpon thâ— originall infection is spredde into vs â— nature Yet thinke I it not good too dâ— semble this that the doctrine of conueyiâ— ouer of the soule seemeth very awk to me for either must the whole soule or at least some péece of it be conueied ouer Nowe if the whole bée conueyed then doubtlesse must the partes of it néedes be quite dispatched out of hand But if there bée but some péece of it conueyed howe can anye péece of it bée cut away from an Essence that is most single Quest If the soule come not of the corrupt father but of him that is the father maker of spirits how coms it by that corruptioÌ„ Is it by infection of the body
that is knit vnto it like as an ointment the better it is the soner it takes a tange of the vncleane vessell Ans Truely me thinkes your reason is sufficient to satisfie al modest wits But how so euer the case standeth let thys suffice that like as Adam receyued the Image of god for himselfe and his so lost he it froÌ„ him and his and god accordinge as he had threatned forsaks their soules as sone as he hath created theÌ„ and sheded them into the bodie wherby it comes too â—asse that al of theÌ„ are borne the children â—f wrath namely as heires of corruption â—nd of their forefathers guiltinesse Que. Now then let vs returne to the only remedye of this mischeefe that is to wit to christ taken hold vpon by faith which is the gifte of god Therefore I wold haue you to declare vnto me what you meene by taking hold ingreffing incorporating communicating with Christ Ans They that imagine there is any ioyning or linking togither of the substances after what maner so euer they dreame it to be they be vtterly deceiued and iudge fleshly of spirituall and misticall thinges Ageine they that auouch Christes onely operacion or efficacie to be the thing wherof we be made parttakers seeme not to haue weyed sufficieÌ„tly the expresse textes of the scripture wherin Christ himselfe is plainly sayd to bee giuen vnto vs and also his workfulnesse in vs is described To the intent therefore that this coÌ„municating may be vnderstoode me must set downe twoo thinges Wherof the first is this y christ himself is made ours by the benefite of the father so as all beleuers may say this thing that is to wit christ the sonne of god manifested in the flesh is mine by the graunt and fréegifte of the father that I might in ioye it Quest Here I pray you giue me leaue to say a litle by the waye Surely he that so speketh is owner or maister of the thiÌ„g that was geuen him are we then owners or maisters of Christ and not rather hee the owner maister of vs Ans Seing that the father hath giuen vs vnto Iesus Christ that Christe himselfe hath redemed vs by giuinge himselfe for vs if any maÌ„ deny Iesus Christ to be the owner maister of vs yea and y of verye good right accursed be he Therefore when I say he is ours y is to wit which beleue I mene not the there is giuen vnto vs any superioriti ouer him but I say the he is géeuen and borne vnto vs or for our sakes As for example a maÌ„ takes a wife which must obey him be seruisable to him yet on the other side the wife may say like as I am this mans wyfe my father hath giuen me vnto him too haue aucthoritie ouer me so on the other side he is my husband and hath giueÌ„ him self to me to inioy him verely to the end he may loue me and cherishe mée as hys wyfe Whiche similitude thou knowest well ynough that the prophetes and the apostles do ordinarily vse to betokeÌ„ this communicating of Christ The other point of this communicating is y he is ours in suche wise as no coniunction of bodies whither it be naturall or artificiall may bee compared with it Yet notwithstanding it tendeth not to this end y there shold be made but one substance of his ours or but one person of his ours all which thinges are most grosse forgeries vtterly wide from the kingdome of heaueÌ„ but it tendeth to this end only y his spirituall workfulnes should be the more certein the more néere the more effectuall in vs And yet by the way this is certein y he in such wise becommeth ours y he be commeth one thing with vs in deede and the head members of any body cleaue not so fast to gether by nature as this coniunction of Christes is fast and streit knit vnto vs insomuch as we be fleshe of his fleâ—h bone of his bones howbeit it is wholly spirituall and misticall Quest I pray you shewe mee why you call it spirituall Ans I call it spirituall not in respect of the thing that is communicated for it is certeine y Christ is communicated vnto vs not onely in spirit but also in his whole manhod nor also as though this communication were imaginatiue and consisted onely in thought without the thing it self to settle vpon nor finally as though we were said to be become one thinge with Christ only in respect of coÌ„sent after which maner Luke saith that y beleuers where all of one hart and one mind But bicause all this takinge hold is done altogither by the mind by faith bicause the holy ghost is the partie by whose linking these thinges are knit togither which are so farre a sunder in respect of distance of place and y in such wise as that in this spiritual copulation Christ is as the head the churche is as his body drawing spirituall life froÌ„ him hir onely head And therfore all the whole reall growing together of the very substances into one aboute the which so many men haue striued now longe ago with so much ado and by meanes wherof that monstar of transsubstantiation and consubstantiation was afterwarde brough into the Lordes supper is a grosse forgery of mannes fondnes by no meanes agréeinge either with the spirituall life or with the verines of Christs body or with the proportion of faith Que. I heere well that Christ himselfe is receiued of the faithfull by faith I here that the church is spiritually cuppled to hir head by the bonde of the holye Ghoste but yet perceyue I neuer the more how these thinges that are so far a sunder should be vnited Quest I grauÌ„t so For it is not for nought that Paule crieth out that it is a greate mistery Rightly therfore dooth one giue warning that we shoulde rather labour to féele Christe liuinge in vs than to be made priuie to the reason of thys communion as whiche surmounteth our capacitie althoughe wee bee sure that it is spirituall and that faythe is the instruement in doinge of it Quest VVhat if wee shoulde say that Christe is communicated vnto vs onely as touchinge his force and efficacie and that wee should referre this place of Paules we bee members of his bodie of his fleshe and of his bones Vnto Christes incarnation â—n Concernyng Christes beyng one â—ith vs so as we may afterward drawe â—fe out of him being vnited with vs the â—ripture speaketh more manifestly of it â—an that it may bee applyed to his oneâ—â— operacion or working in vs in as â—uche rather as it is the foundation â—â—th of the effectuall intercommuning â—nd of the benefite of imputation which â—inge appeereth euen by the proportiâ—ablenesse that is betwene it bodely â—rrishment wherof Christ himselfe is â—e author For like as if a man will reâ—yue