no couÌ„terfet but the bryghtnes of the euerlasting lyght the vndefiled mirrour of Gods maiestie the liuely image of the fathers substauÌ„ce And for asmuch as he is the image of the father he is not one personne with hym no more then the Image of your personne is your selfe or the image of my father William Hutchynson is my father or the Image of our noble kyng Edward the .vi. is the kyng God graunt that vertue knowledge may mete in his roial heart to the coÌ„fusion of euil doers heretikes They be .ii. persons not .ii. gods For y e kinges Image is called the kyng and yet they be not two kings S. Iohn speaketh after the same maner of all thre together there are thre which bear record in heauen the father the worde and the holy ghost these thre are one Doth he not teache vs plainly that God is a trinitie Thus to conclude this chapter if the father be both the sonne the holy ghost he toke our nature vpon hym he was tempted of the deuil he suffred hunger thirst he was buffeted and scourged of the Iewes and put to death cruelly and he also came downe in the lykenes of a doue and in the similitude of fyrie tongues he begat himself he sent himself he graunted himself a seate of the right haÌ„d of himself he is an Image he is greater then himself he is God to himself If he can not be these thinges we may easely perceiue that he and his sonne and the spirit be distinct and vnconfounded persons and that this worde persone in the glorious trinitie doth not signifie a difference of vocation The .xxij. Chapter ¶ A persone is no outward thing what a persone is in the Godhed why the churche hath vsed this word concerning God THis word also is vsed for all suche thynges as doe cause fauour parcialitie regard and frendship or anger hatred displeasur enmitie both in the old new TestameÌ„t as for riches authoritie office countrey beautie and pouertie bondage scarcitie deformitie After this signification and acception king Iosaphat a worthy prince an earnest promoter of godlines and learning witnesseth that with God ther is no vnrightuousnes no regarding of persones S. Paul also telleth the Gallathians that he loketh on no mans persone and that w t out parcialitie he regardeth both Iewe and gentil bond and fre man woman And Iames biddeth vs to auoid such coÌ„sideration and regard But in the gloriouse trinitie a persone is nether any outward thing nether any condition or difference of vocation but as we may gather of the scriptures as meÌ„ learned in theÌ„ teach a persone in the Trinitie is an vnconfounded substauÌ„ce or as other define with many wordes A persone is a singuler substaunce indiuisible not confouÌ„ded declaring vnto vs a distinctioÌ„ of the godhead not a trinitie of Gods I suppose it necessary for y e vnderstanding of this definitioÌ„ to declare for what coÌ„sideration skil the faithful congregation hath euermore vsed this word For as much as y e scripture teacheth vs our belief telleth vs y t god is thre thei thought it necessary to declare what thre God is who is not thre fathers for nether Christ is the father nor y e holy coÌ„forter nor thre sonnes for y e father is not the son nor the holy ghoste nor thre holy comforters Then what thre is God Hear an example wheÌ„ we sai Sydrack is not Mysak nor Misack Abdenago we graunt they be .iii. but if we wil know what .iii. they be we must find out a more general word that is .iii. men Likewise Mary our sauiour Christs mother Mary Magdalene Mary of Iames be .iii. if we be further demauÌ„ded what thre they be we answer with general word that they be .iii. women Euen so y e congregatioÌ„ answereth this questioÌ„ what thre is God with this general word person to declare y t ther is a destinctioÌ„ betwene Christ his father â— the holy spirit For a person is a general word beloÌ„ging also vnto men for as much as one man is a substauÌ„ce vnconfounded with another as Abraham is not Isaac he is not Iacob ne Iacob is AbrahaÌ„ But here we must â—ote that as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob ar one sustaunce touching mans nature y t so God albeit he be .iii. persoÌ„s yet he is not .iii. substauÌ„ces but only one substauÌ„ce If ther be .iii substauÌ„ces ther be thre Gods Som clatâ—er prate y t no such wordes as substauÌ„ce persone be found in gods boke therfore that thei be not to be vsed coÌ„cerning God What if I shew find theÌ„ in gods boke in the Bible boke wilt thou then vse theÌ„ I wil shew this first after I wyl proue that the meaning of these wordes may be gatherd of infinit textes of scripture Thirdly finally concerning this treatise of a persone I wil paint the Trinitie by corporall similitude whose nature it self is ineffable and vncomprehensible We fynd the word substaunce spoken of God in Pauls letter to the Israelites where he recordeth that our Sauiour Christ is a liuely image of y e fathers substaunce Also in his letters to the CorinthiaÌ„s he witnesseth that to God only that belongeth which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latinistes est saying Non est in illo est non sed est in illo est We may fynd in the same Apostle the word persoÌ„ in the foresaid cception and signification for in his letter to the CollossiaÌ„s he writeth of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him in Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse of y e godhed corporally or bodily that is Christe is a diuine person For corporally in this place is asmuch to say as that we call in the gloriouse Trinitie personally as the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth manifestly proue We fynd also y e word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spokeÌ„ of the godhead in the boke of the second lawe otherwise named Deuteronomie Moyses exhorting the people vnto obedience and fulfilling the lawe saith The Lord spake vnto you out of fier and you heard his voice but you saw no Image Where the latin texte of these words ye sawe no Image is Corpus non vidistis For the Grecians in whose language S. Paule did wryte this letter at y t time vsed this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which we call nowe a persone and as we say there be thre personnes so they acknowleged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thre bodies Therfore as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a person so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must nedes signifie personally But because many heretiks racked this word to proue y e thre persons to be of corporall form and shape the successors of the Apostles were constrayned to vse another worde for the same meaninge and so they vsed for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
the chiefest It ordreth the mynde gouerneth the body directeth al our workes and affaires teaching vs what ought to be done what is to be left vndone without whiche nether a kyng can rule his subiectes nor the captaine guide his armie nor a Byshop enstruct his flocke ne any man of science or craftes man shewe forth and practise his arte or occupation Nowe if we recount other thynges to be of great price and value your wysdome knoweth that the knowledge of God surmouÌ„teth so farre all other sciences as God hymselfe excelleth all other creatures And thesame without denay is most profitable and necessary both vnto kynges Dukes Erles and Lordes as appereth Psalm ii Deute xvii Esay xlix where they be named the nourses of Religion and also vnto gentlemen marchauntmeÌ„ yeomen husbandmen to al degrees spirituall and temporal Vaine are all men which haue not the knowledge of God sayth the wyseman and Paul testifieth that because it semed to them not good to haue the knowledge of god god gaue them vp into a leude minde to their own heartes lust and to all vnclennes For if he be lyght suche as know not hym do stumble in darkenes if he be the waye they that be ignoraunt haue loste theyr waye if he be the truth al suche as haue no acquaintaunce with hym be blinded disceiued if he only be good we must borow craue all good thinges of hym alone if al science be the lordes we must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods scholers if he only be almighty all our power strength and habilitie cometh froÌ„ him if he be life the end of such as be ignorauÌ„t wil not seke to know the Lord shal be eternal death For our sauiour mercie stock saieth y t this knowledge is eternal lyfe This is eternal life to know thee Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 〈◊〉 be y e true God But we must fetch the right knowledge and true description of hym out of holy wryte whiche as the Apostle telleth is profitable to teache to controll to amende and to instructe in all rightuousnes I haue made this treatise of hym out of the same and forasmuche as my entent and matter herein is to portray and paint our sauiour Christ who is the bryghtnes of the euerlastyng lyght the vndefiled glasse and liuely Image of the diuine maiestie I doe call it the Image of GOD. Or els because suche thinges be here opened and discouered which be necessary to be beleued and knowen of the laye and vnlearned people I would not haue them vtterly lacke Images name it if ye wyl the laye mans boke for images wer wont to be named Libri laicoruÌ„ the bokes of the laitie I am not the fyrst that hath painted Christ Paul painted hym longe sithe to the Galathians as he wytnesseth I haue paynted Iesus Christ before your eyes and haue cruâ—â—fied him amongst you and all the other Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes were painters My mynd is not to portraye any newâ— â—â—raunge or vnknowen Image but to renew and repayre again the olde Image that Paul made which hath bene so darkened with gloses and is so bespotted with coloures of mans witte so stayned through shamefull couetousnes libertie and gredy ambicion that marueyle it is to se men so vnreuerent towardes the maiestie of God their maker Seneca a wise and sage Phylosopher willeth y t mete giftes be not vnmeetely geuen to vnmete persons as armour to women nettes to studentes wyues to boyes and Christ the wysdome of God commaundeth Geue not that which is holy to dogges neyther caste ye pearles before swyne meaning therby that all kynd of giftes ought to be agreable and answerable to their degrees and vocacions to whome they are geuen Nowe what thyng coulde bee deuised more agreable to your graciouse estate then his Image whose glory honour you haue alwayes sought to aduaunce not without great daunger of your goodes and lyfe for whiche you are bound to render hym moste harty thankes that he chose your grace for a blessâ—â— instrumente to sweepe cleane his house and churche to redresse all abuses and to restore agayne his fallen and decayed glorye maugre the head of all ennemies Therfore I do presente and dedicate this Image honorable father vnto your grace bothe for the worthines of the matter whiche is incomparable for the metenes of your person for a perpetual monument of my good wyll towardes your Lordship and also for a testimony token and declaration of my zeale and beneuolence to my contrey men If I shal se it to be profitable to them I shall be encoraged to take mo fruitfull matters in hande in whiche I desyre continually to occupy my selfe but the worlde is so euyll so vnkynde so vnthankefull to studentes that pouertie causeth them to remitte and slacke their studies and to seke the worlde to maynteine their necessities Aboundaunce and wealth dwelleth only with those whyche haue Gods houses in possession whiche eate vp hys people lyke bread and are not content to lyue vpon theyr owne sweate but doe lyue vpon other mens goods and laboures vpon the church goodes which are the pores I do meane all suche as in the papistical tyme were wont to lyue of their landes to kepe good hospitalitie to mainteine scholes and houses of almes and nowe they be purchessars and sellers awaye of the same vsurers rent raysers grasiers and farme mongers wherby hospitalitie tillage and many good houses be decayed in Englande and the Realme is vnpeopled and disfurnyshed Besydes some be berebrwers some fermers of benefices some persons some vicares byers of improparations some deanes of colledges some prebendaries and officers also in the kynges house Agayne priestes which should be preachers and distributers of the holy sacramentes be lawiers commissaries chauncellors officialles proctors receiuers stewards the office of saluacioÌ„ is vnregarded through couetousnes And lawiers whiche be no priests be parsons vicars prebendaries against the ordinauÌ„ce of God of whiche saynt Paule recordeth Euen so dyd the Lorde ordeine that they whiche preache the gospel should lyue of the gospel and no other neither kynge Lorde Gentleman ne lawier And 〈◊〉 this mingle maÌ„gle of spirituall and temporall regiment and offices is suffered as if ther were nether god ne magistrate ordeined of god to redresse suche abuses What marueile is it if mans ordinaunces and statutes be broken wher the ordinaunce of God is plainly resisted and not receiued Other some that pretend they be true preachers of Gods word and are counted holy and discrete men reteined the kynges chapleines and with other lordes both spirituall and temporall be in deede benefice mongers prebend mongers haue many archdeaconships deanries and they do not the office of one of their vocatioÌ„s some once a yere or twise peraduenture doth preach a sermon before the kyng or at y e spittle or at Pauls crosse to delude and paynte the worlde and to
earth and al the glorious fairnes of them they brought the children of Israel out of the house of bondage they preserued them from the tyranny and oppression of the Heathen they gaue also vnto the Heathen prosperitie and aduersitie peace war pouertie and riches â–ª they gouerne the vniuersal church whose workes be vnseparable Wherfore I thinke it necessary to declare what God is and what a persone signifieth in the deitie for as much as the commen sort of peple are ignoraÌ„t of their maker and gouernour and the signification of a persone is applied to diuerse things And because these two pointes be darke and hidden misteries and no lesse necessary to be knowen of al men then hard to teach I wil shape my speach after such a perceiuable fashioÌ„ that I may by Gods help make an Image of God for the capacitie of y e simple and vnlearned God spake to the Israelites out of the fire in the mount Oreb it is writteÌ„ y t they heard a voice but they sawe no Image because they should make none after it For it is a dishonor to God a derogation and defaming of the diuine nature to make any similitude therof ether of gold siluer stone wood or in thought and minde We must hear his voyce we must learn what God is out of Gods boke not of mans wisdome For if al thinges which be vnder the sunne be to hard for man as the wyse maÌ„ telleth how much more be the secretâ—â— of Gods nature hid from his eies of the whiche Esay wryteth Truly Lorde thou art hidden from vs counting himselfe one of the ignoraunt Simonides a famous clarke among the HeatheÌ„ teacheth vs how feble maÌ„s wyt is in declaring this misterie who when he was enquired of king Hiero what a thing God was he asked a day respite and the next day when he was enquired again he asked two daies more when they were expired he asked more not ceassing to double his daies vntil Hiero required of him why he did so For because said Simonides the more I consider it the darker it is vnto me And no maruel for as no man knoweth what is in man but y e spirit of maÌ„ so al men be ignorant what God is except thei be taught of y e spirit of God For seing Paul saith the eie hath not sene nor the eare hath not heard ne yet haue entred into the hert of maÌ„ the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him howe much more doeth he himself surmount our capacities But it foloweth God hath opened them vnto vs by his spirit for the spirit searcheth al things yea the botom of gods secretes And this spirit speaketh breatheth on vs in the scriptures as it is written My wordes are spirit and life Experience doth teache vs and the Apostle warneth vs how saÌ„tastical our heads be in searching Gods misteries For some imagine God to be a corporal thing of maÌ„s shape and forme because the scripture doth grauÌ„t in diuerse places vnto God hands fete eares eies mouth tong called comenly Anthropo morphites Read the .x. boke of the tripartite historie .vii. chap. and there you shal finde a great contention coÌ„cerning this matter betwene the monkes of Egipt and Theophilus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria albeit the sect of the Epicurus held this assercion long before as it appereth in the first bok of Tullie De natura deoruÌ„ wher this opinion is eloquently confuted by Cotta a Senatour of Rome Other rob God of his glory geue it vnto his creatures worshipping y e Sun the Mone the fier yea and mortal men for the immortal God and vnreasonable beastes for the authour of al reason wisdome and vnderstanding And some dishonor him by honoring of dead saintes and worshipping of bread and wine without any coÌ„maundment of the scripture any exaÌ„ple in the old or new testament any authoritie of the doctors I wyll not stand in rehersing the sundry phantasies of men as touching God What is the cause of al these phansies diuersities but that for which Esay controleth vs saieng The oxe knoweth his Lord and the asse his masters stall but we know not god Come therfore good christen people harken to the wordes of the Lorde I wil shew you in them y e maiestie of God himself his face countenaÌ„ce his magnificeÌ„ce highnes which cannot abide the felowship of any creatures Paul vnto the Hebrues warneth vs that we be not caried away with diuerse and straung doctrine which 〈◊〉 much to say as if he shuld coÌ„maunde vs to flie mans doctrine For mâ—n be the strauÌ„gers whose doctrine he biddeth vs flie as Peter witnesseth â—early beloued I besech you as straungers Pilgâ—ims c. Paul also expouÌ„deth hâ—mâ—elf saying that Abraham Isaac and Iacob confessed themselues to â—e straungers and Pilgrimes vpoÌ„ the 〈◊〉 dwelling in tentâ—s And Christ saith that his shâ—pe hear not the voice of straungers that is the doctrine of men the whiche in the viii of Marâ—â—e is called the leauen of the Pharisies and of Herod Wherfore if we be shepe of his pasture and people of his handes let vs folow his counsel for he is our shepeheard our head and the truth and of his Apostles for they are his labourers and workemen remembring that Dauid saith vnderstanding is good to them that doe after it For he that knoweth his maisters wil and will not folow it he shal be more greuovsly punished Christ saith vnto a woman of Samaria at Iacobs wel besides Sichar y t she her people worshipped they knew not what for they leaned to custume fathers rather then to the text of Gods word saiyng our fathers worshipped in this mountain But the Ieweâ—â—leauing vnto Gods word and worshipping in the temple knew what they worshipped the whiche was written for our enstruction that we shuld repare vnto the scriptures in all doutes and controuersies the which is the only touch stone to examin and trie al doctrine the forged pretensed and false from the sincere germane true The weapons of our warre saith Paul are not carnal thinges but the power of God to cast down strong holdes to ouerthrow inuentions that is to vanquish heresie to destroy all il doctrine Verely the Gospel is that power of God for so Paul tearmeth it vnto saluation to all them that beleue The Gospel is the spiritual swerd that shall preuaile against Sathan much more against heretikes and his members this swerd shal ouercome Antechrist whom god shal sley w t the breath of his mouth With this swerd Christ confounded the deuil mainteined his disciples sclaundred of the Phariseis as Sabboth breakers proued the resurrectioÌ„ against the Saduces taught a certain yong man y e way to heauen contented the Phariseis touching mariage with this swerd the Apostels in diuerse assembles confuted the Iewes after Christes
For he maketh them to walke speake eate and drinke If he should do these thinges in his owne nature he should be lyke vnto man and so not almighty Christ telleth a maÌ„ whose sonne was vexed with a domme spirit y t al thinges are possible to hym that beleueth much more al thinges are possible vnto God But thou wilt say If I beleue nothing is impossible vnto me theÌ„ only God is not almighty Nothing is impossible vnto beleuers notwithstanding they be not almighty because they can do nothing of themselues which 〈◊〉 an infirmitie and no almightines but liue moue and be in him S. Paul in his letter vnto the Philip. saieth that he can both cast doun himself excede be hungry suffre nede yea y t he caÌ„ do al thing but thorow y e help of Christ which streÌ„theneth him without whoÌ„ we can do nothing Wherfore Christ is almighty therfore God by nature not by nuÌ„cupation only We read in Paul to the Heb. Impossibile est eos qui semel c. That it is impossible y t thei which wer once lightned haue tasted of y e heueÌ„ly gift were become partakers of y e holy ghost c. If they fal shuld be renued again vnto repeÌ„tance crucifiyng vnto theÌ„selues again y e son of God making a mock of him If this be impossible wher is gods almighty hand omnipoteÌ„t arme Impossible in this text is not to be taken for y t which can not be or come to pas but for that which seldome and very hardly is done for Paul speaketh the very same thing again straight way in a similitude that the earth whâ—ch drinketh in y e raine that cometh oft vpon it and bryngeth forth â—earbs conuenient for them that dresse it receiueth blessing of God but that the ground which beareth thornes and bryers is reproued and nigh vnto cursing The barren ground here whiche resembleth man with thornes and thistles resembling sinne is not all ready accursed but rebuked and nigh vnto cursing â–ª so the man which falleth after he is lightened is not without al possibilitie of amendement but in great perill of damnation For as the barren grouÌ„d bering thornes thistles may become fruitful so such one may be renued rise againe Me thiÌ„ke Paul by this similitude which immediatly doth folow sheweth what he meaneth by this worde impossible Wey the similitude the purpose why it is brought I thinke you wil not refuse this interpretatioÌ„ The disciples vse the same word in effect vnto Christ askyng him who can be saued which is as much to say as it is impossible for any to be saued But he aunswereth theÌ„ that with men it is impossible but not with God teaching vs y e rich mâ—n haue hard accesse vnto heauen for these words w t men it is impossible before he saith children how hard is it for them that trust in rychesse to enter into the kingdome of God Wherfore it is not against the phrase of the scripture to cal y e impossible which is hard and seldom The Nouatians Anabaptistes and Catharoi abuse this place to proue that all such as do fal after baptisme can not rise again but ar dampned and not recouerable I trust my exposition do more accord to y e truth then this dampnable assertion against which I think it necessary somwhat to speake for I haue heard say that ther be many of this opinion in Englande and partly I doe beleue it After the triumphaunt deliuerauÌ„ce of the Israelites out of Egipt God ordeined two maner of offringes among them one for synnes done of ignoraunce an other for trespasses done willingly promising forgeuines vnto both If some Anabaptistes say that these were not done after baptisme for the Israelites lacked baptisme Paul answered him saying Brethren I wold not ye should be ignoraunt of this how our fathers were all vnder a cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptised vnder Moises in the cloud and in the sea c. Wherfore after baptisme God forgeueth sinne done both of ignoraunce and also willingly If he say that vnder the law suche might be restored but not vnder grace I would know of hym whether the mercy of God be augmented or diminished through the comming of our sauiour Christ. Epiphanius an auncient writer and of famouse memory telleth that one Meletius an archeretike spread this opinion ouer a great part of Egipt and Siria and preuailed against Peter byshop of AlexaÌ„dria who was slaine afterward of the cruel tirauÌ„t Maximine But thankes be to God there be innumerable examples whiche notably confute vanish it and among all none more worthy then one in the history of S. Ihon the beloued Apostle Eusebius in his third booke and .xxiii. Chap. writeth of him that he turned maruelously a certain yong man from stealing vnto Christ whiche had fallen from Christ to stealing In the old Testament the Patriarkes conspire the death of Ioseph and rise again Ruben defileth his fathers bed Iudas committeth fornicatioÌ„ Moises displeaseth God at the waters of strife Dauid falleth into aduoutrie Manasses into Idolatrie in the new Peter denieth his master thrise the Galathians folow another Gospell and ar recouered by Paul Peter exhorteth Simon Magus vnto amendment Paule desireth the CorrinthiaÌ„s to receiue him againe whom he had excomunicate Christ byddeth vs forgeue our brethren seuenty times seuen times the angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner These examples and authorities be very plaine against y e blasphemy of the Nouatians Anabaptistes which wold bring men vnto desperation infidelitie If they cleauing to this word impossible refuse to take it for that which is hard as it doth signifie often in the scriptures yet this place maketh nothing for their desperate opinioÌ„ but rather destroyeth vanquisheth it as y e circumstaunce of it declareth For Paule denieth that he which is baptised can be rechristened so that these wordes it is impossible that they should be renued again be the same in effect which he hath in an other place One Lord one faith one baptime And that it is so and no otherwise I wil proue with .iii. manifest reasons One is because as the words immediatly before do teach he speaketh there of doctryne pertayning to y e beginning of a Christen man as the foundation of repentaunce from dead workes and of fayth toward God and of the doctrine of baptisme of laying on of handes of resurrection and iudgement and mounteth afterward vnto perfection that is toucheth Christes euerlasting priesthod his death and the disanulling of the law By which words he teacheth vs that he speaketh not of repentaunce alone but of the whole foundatioÌ„ of a christen man which is baptim and those thinges whych he doeth anex vnto baptim For in y e primatiue church as this place â—ther sheweth men fyrst were moued
could not ouercome shalbe vanquished by hym y t fighteth not with swerd but w t wood word Christ gaue not the father by breathing he descended not in the likenes of a doue or fire he coÌ„mauÌ„deth not Peter to go with Cornelius seruauÌ„tes he was not born vpoÌ„ the waters he is not his own finger wherfore he is not the holy ghost But albeit nether Christ nor the almighty comforter be confouÌ„ded with y e father yet they ar of one the selfsame substaunce with him For the scriptures teach Christ to be the hand of God the holy ghost to be his finger The body y e hand finger ar one substauÌ„ce yet the finger is not the hand nor the hand the body nor the finger the body If therfor the scripture do graunt to Christ to y e holy ghost to the father y e meaning of the word person that is to say that y e father is a substaunce Christ is a substaunce y e holy ghost is a substaunce and that the father is vnconfouÌ„ded Christ vnconfouÌ„ded the holy ghost vnconfounded as I haue proued it must nedes folow y t they be thre persones for a person is an vncoÌ„founded substaunce This is the catholique faith the confession of martirs the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles Euangelists The .xxvii. Chap. ¶ Corporal similitudes of God made in the scriptures why he is named light fire the sun c. the image of God in mans soule NOw gentle reader seing I haue declared what a persone is out of the boke of holy scriptures and also proued with infinite authorities that there be three persons that is thre vncoÌ„founded distinct in propertie I wil disclose the diuine blessed nature of the almighty Trinitie by corporal earthly similitudes that y u mayst behold as it were in a glasse and with a paire of spectacles those thinges which exceade surmouÌ„t the capacities of all creatures The inuisible thinges of God saith Paul that is y e eternal power Godhead are vnderstand sene learned of his workes from the creation of the world As long as we coÌ„tinue in this tabernacle and mortalitie we shal neuer haue perfit vnderstanding of the eternal God forasmuch as the heartes of al meÌ„ and women be vncleane Blessed be the clean hearted sayth Christ for they shall se God Our life is a warfar a night a purifiyng of our hearts from synne and ignoraunce through charite and faith We walke in faith saith y e Apostle and se not with this only ladder we ascende to the intelligence of the secretes of God thinges supernatural can not be perceiued with natural light Cherubin Seraphin and al the blessed company of auÌ„gels are ignorauÌ„t of the maiestie of God for they knowe not the day of Christes glorious returne yet they haue more pleÌ„tiful knowledge then we forasmuch as they be pure mindes and were neuer nether blinded through sin ne hindred through any earthly mansion and corruptible body Scrutator maiestatis opprimetur a gloria Whosoeuer is an ensearcher of Gods maiestie is oppressed of y e glory No man is able fully and perfitly to know the nature of a gnat or a litle spider Be not displeased then if I shew the the Trinitie in his visible creatures as it were in a glasse but glorifie God and be not vnthankeful to him which hath opened him self in them to thy capacitie feding the with mylke because thou art not able to disgest stroÌ„g meates And because no man shal be offended with this maner of teaching I wyl make no similitudes of the Trinitie but out of the pleÌ„tiful storehowses of the scriptures The best and most liuely glasse that euer I beheld the Trinitie in is the vision whiche appeared to Abraham in the oke groue of Mamre For as there thre waifaring men shew them selues vnto Abraham so God is three persones and as these thre men are called one Lord not Lords so the thre persones are one God one Lord one substaunce And as Christ and the almightie comforter ar sent of the father So here one seÌ„deth twain vnto Sodom and Gomorre and as the father is vnsent so he is not sent but sendeth And as the twaine whiche are sent to destroy Sodom are called one Lord of Lot so the faithful congregation confesse beleue Christ the alknowing comforter to be one God I touched this similitude before because it is so notable I thought it not vnworthy to be rehearsed again Ther be many similitudes declaring certein properties of the trinitie and some agreable in one point and some in another but none doth so paint and portray it before our eies as this vision doeth We may find an image of the trinitie in the sun for God is called by the name of the sun in the boke of wisdom Sol iusticie intelligencie non est ortus nobis The sun of rightuousnes vnderstanding arose not vpon vs. There is but one sun only not many so there is but one God The sun shineth vpon both good euill men so the liberalitie of almighty God mainteineth both The mone al the sterres haue not their light of themselues but of the sun so the congregation godly meÌ„ which are called by the name of y e mone and starres in y e scripturs haue no light no crom of vertue no goodnes of them selues but by participatioÌ„ of the deuine nature They whiche gase vpon the sun ar blinded with his clear light so al searchers of Gods glory beyond the scriptures are ouerwhelmed with the maiestie therof The presence of the sun chereth al thinges when he is absent nyght cometh and darkenes nothing would growe if he did not ryse on theÌ„ So wheÌ„ God hydeth his face they are sorowfull and die when he loketh on them they wax yong and lusty like an Egle. And as Democritus and other Philosophers holde opinion that the sun is infinite so al things be infinite in God He is of an infinite arme of infinite maiestie of infinite wisdom As the sun is the fountain out of which cometh both the light and the heat so is the father the fountain out of which issueth the sonne holy ghost And as nether the lyght nor y e heat doth send the sun but the sun send them so y e father is sent nether of Christ nor of the holy ghost but he sendeth them And as of the sunne and of the beames both together cometh the heate or warmnes so from the father and the sunne both together procedeth the alâ—nowing comforter But as the sun light by diuision is in mani places so the blessed trinitie filleth places without diuision nether conteyned in place nether moued in tyme. Now if the sunne were without begynnyng and ending eternal beames wold come out of hym and euerlasting heat wold procede out of y e sun his beames Wherfore in asmuch as God the father