I and the father be al one Mat. 28. if in this point they be diuers how can it stande that al power both in heauen and yerth is gyuen vnto hym Iohn iii yf this be not in his power and knoweledge howe is it that the father hath gyuen hym all thynges into his handes yf this be out of his handes and power to tel Shall he be the hyghe iudge when that daye and houre commeth Iohn v. and yet knoweth not wheÌ„ it shal be Iohn i. Dyd he make all thynges and nothynge was made withoute hym and yet knoweth not of that day and houre Abydeth in hym all plenytude and fulnes of the deite Collo ii corporallye that is substanciallye naturallye from the begynnynge with the father not spiritually and through fayth only as in sonnes by adopcyon and yet laboureth he with this defecte and wante Dothe he knowe the father euen as perfectlye and as deeplye as the father knoweth hym Iohn v. and yet knoweth he not this point of his councell Dothe he gyue lyfe euerlastynge Iohn v. and yet knoweth not the daye and houre when he shall perfourme it Yes no dought as perfectlye and assuredlye as the father doth All if in this place in consyderacyon of his humanytie and to declare that the secretes and councels of God are beyonde mans vnderstandynge and knowledge he sayth of that day and houre no man knoweth neyther the Aungels which at in heauen ne the son but the father onely For he one beynge both God and maÌ„ knoweth and knoweth not knoweth as God knoweth not as man Both partes are apparaunit by the scriptures that are alleaged in so apparaÌ„t mater therfore dought not any lenger throughe ignorance to be deceaued it is excusable but vppon knowledge to be obstynate what shall excuse you Your thyrde texte is this Arri. WHY callest thou me good noone good but God Proct. MAgister bone good master sayde the yonge man what shal I do to optayne lyfe euerlasting whiche questian proceded from hym whiche stoode some what in his owne conceyte and moued this questyan to th ende he wolde rather be commended in that whiche he had donne theÌ„ in deede to lerne what he shulde do Mar. x. And therefore Chryst beynge as it were offended with that Arrogaunt name layde vnto hym what callest thou me good none good but God As yf he sayde why call ye me good whiche surname is aboue the dignitye of man and yet ye beleue not that I am veray God and the naturall sonne of God the father sente emongest you in the shape of a seruaunt for the redempcyon of mankynde He wold be called Good and acknowledged God or els he wolde none of bothe And all thoughe in this place for causes rehersed he semeth to rebuke the yonge man for callynge him good master yet shall ye fynde that in an nother place he vouchesauethe that name yea and calleth hym selfe good shepeherde Iohn x. Admytte the one and refuse not the other But and if ye thynke it proper for God to be called good lette hym be man in that he refused to be called good master in th one let him be God which calleth him selfe good shepeherde in thother And beleue assuredlye that it is not vnsyttynge for hym to be called good with the father whiche truely sayth Ego pater vnum sumus I and the father be all one yf bothe but one Why bothe not good aswell as one Arri. Gloryfye thy son c. Ioh. xvii Proct. IF this dothe proue that Chryst is not God then by the same it foloweth that the father is not god also for the sentens wholy recited which you seldome do importethe no les Clarifica filium vt et filius clarificet te Ioh. xvii Father sayth Christ gloryfie thy sonne that thy sonne also may gloryfye the. And in another place he saythe Ioh. xix Ego te clarificaui super terram I haue gloryfied the vpon the earth ye see then that this is but borowed ware it cummeth and goeth betwixt the father and the son with iust retorne if therfore Christ maye not be god because he is gloryfyed of the father neither the father must be god because he is gloryfied of the sonne for eche of them gloryfieth an other as ye haue herde Howe be it if a man wolde axe ye what is meaned by these wordes gloryfye thy son and what gloryficacion Chryst spake of I dought not but that your answere shuld vtter your folly and confirme my saieng vnles ye wolde euer of purpose and malycyouslye aunswere contrarye to your knoweledge and coÌ„science For in the same Cha. wherhens ye had this ye reade playnely these wordes Ioh. xvii Clarifica me pater apud temetipsum claritate quaÌ„ habui priusquam mundus fieret apud te That is glorifie me thou father with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had or euer the worlde was made If Chryst hadde glorye with the father or euer the worlde was the was Chryst with the father ab eterno eternallye from the begynnynge as Iohn dothe wytnes also in the begynnynge of his Gospell that he was yf Chryst was eternally from the beginninge with the father then was not Chryst any creature yf he was no creature then was he God Thus is Chryst true god euermore gloryous and the Lorde of glore Pauls wordes prouinge 1. Cor. 1. Si cognouissent nnncquam dominnm gloriae crucifixissent .i. If they had knoweÌ„ they had neuer crucified the lorde of glory Notwithstanding being also maÌ„ in his manhead as he could be crucisied so mought he be gloryfied likewise Acknowledge at leÌ„gth that in whom one semblable claryficacyon is in them is no dyfference of power Arri. ALL are yours you ar Christes and Chryst is Gods Cor. iii. This place of saint Paul Athanasyus that auncyent wryter dothe expounde in this wyse All thynges are yours onelye for that God hath subierte all thynges vnto you and haue ordeyned all thinges to serue your commoditie and pleasure You are Chrystes throughe your creacion seruitude Christes is Gods because he was before the wordle with the father and was of the same essence and substance that God the father is of And hereunto all the olde fathers agre and of our late doctors I knowe none that dissent in this poynt so that it is euydente that ye haue soked this out of your owne brain only as to contend that Christ is not god or of the saine nature with the father because Paule sayeth Christe is Gods or of Godâ— Vpon which wordes Bullinger writeth thus Christ is gods that is to saye sayeth he Christ is coequall with the Father and vnto him the Churche is subiect not as to man but as to the lyuynge God If ye marke well S. Paules wordes or rather the right meanyng of them ye shall not fynde Christê deuinitie denyed but rather manifestlye auouched as who in the same place and
and subiect to oure vnderstandinge and therefore ye aske howe may it be true religion c. To th ende ye wolde lerne howe and by what meanes Chryst coulde be both god and man visible and inuisible mortall and immortall Trulye he that were perswaded that gods couÌ„cell workynge and wyll are incomprehensible in explycable wolde neuer aske howe this or that myght stande with true religion touching Gods misteris For as muche therfore ye nowe aske howe and beinge in dought of the matter in deede otherwyse your howe myght be allowed and tofore by grauntinge hym to be incomprehensible in all his doynges dyd condemne such doughtfull and curyous questyons howe may it be thought the contrary but your tonge can and wyl sound mere contrarieties touching one matter But concernynge this questyon of youres because ye be in doughte thereof in deede you haue not wytte ynoughe to lerne the truthe thereof and I lacke cunning to teach it you vnles ye firste beleued and then ye wolde aske how For I tell you such howe 's touchynge gods instrutable mysteries are nether laudable nor profitable vnles it be in faythe If ye be not in faythe yf ye stedfastlye beleue not before ye aske how your howe can not be resolued Aske not howe with Sacarye lest ye receaue punyshement for your incredulytie Aske howe with Marye the moste blessed virgin and mother of Iesus Chryste then ye shall receaue fruite of your question She asked howe but beleued firste and therfore she receaued an Aunswere that contented her He also required howe but beleued not seekynge rather to vnderstande then to beleue rather by argument to learne then by faythe And therfore in stede of an aunswere he receauid condingne punyshemeÌ„t for his vnbeleefe Therfore my aduise and couÌ„cel to you is that ye ley a syde suche curyous and vayne inquisicions concernynge Gods dyspensacion suspect your reason for it wanteth right iudgement mistruste your wyt for it lackethe wysedome condemne your sences for they haue not experyence to decide iudge and determine any one iote of gods misteries Cuius sapieÌ„cie non est inuestigacio Esay 40 .i. whos 's wisedome is inuestigable sayth Esay And as Hieremy dothe wryte Hier. 32. Magnus est concilio et incoÌ„prehensibilis cogitatu .i. God is greate in councell and incomprehensible in thoughte And measure God and Godes councell accordynge to the rule prescribed in the holy scriptures searche after the vnderstandinge of his wyll and doynges by such meanes as he wolde be searched for then shal ye attaine such knowledge of his Godhead that vnderstandyng of his wyl and coucelles as shal be suffycient for your saluacion euerlastinge In the olde lawe God dyd open and reuele him selfe vnto his people by worde and syngne that is to wyt by the voyce of the lawe and promyce of reconciliacion gyuen vnto them And also by wonderfull miracles amongest them at that tyme wrought to th end they shuld not toose and tugge their braynes in vayne cogitacions and endlesse inquisicions what he was howe and by what meanes he dothe this that but referre their myndes wholly to this woorde and testimonye And by this woorde and testimony tunderstaÌ„de how thei shuld acknowledge honor and inuocate that God which opened him selfe to them by that worde and testimony As in the fyrste precepte he byndeth them to the worde which sounded to their eares in the mount Sina and to the testimony exhibited in coÌ„ductyng leadyng them out of Egipt Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus qui eduxi te de terra Egipti That is I am thy lord thy god which brought the furthe of the lande of Egypte He made with them also a promyse of a medyatoure that shulde come throughe whome the worlde shulde be saued Byndyng them to cal vppon that God which dyd leade them out of Egipt and couenauÌ„ted with them of a medyatour Nowe that mediatour beynge come crucyfyed and resurged the lyght of the Gospell knowen he wylleth vs to fyre our eyes and set our myndes wholy vpon him that by hym as most surest testymony we may knowe what God is and his wyll He leadeth vs directlye into the knowledge of the father yf he leade vs not we can not but straye al together out of the ryght path we cannot avoide darknes but wander therein to our vtter confufyon Nether haue we nowe receaued a prerogatyue by Chryst to be inquisitiue in Godes matters to be curyous in searchynge out the causes of Gods operacions councelles as to try out what the deuyne nature is in it selfe how God the father begatte the son Iesus Chryst howe the holye ghost proceded from them both Howe one Chryst could be bothe God and man and howe this and that commeth to passe Yea he condemneth suche speculacion in man vehemently alloweth no questyon to be moued in his hye mysteries especiallye out of fayth that is to saye vnlesse we beleue assuredlye first the wordes of hym as Marye dyd for when Gabryell saluted her she replied with these wordes Quoâ—odo fiet esse istud Luc .i. howe maye this be Yet dyd she not mystruste or dought whether it coulde come to passe or not but beleued sertenlye that it bothe myght and wolde be consyderynge and faythfully credetynge all impossybilities to be most possible and veraye easye to hym whose wordes sounded to her eares contrarye to Zacharye Nicodeme and the Capharnites Luc .i. Iob iii. Ioh .vi. Who in their incredulitie serched after Gods mysteries and thereby procured Gods displeasure vnto them Philip was veray besy with Chryst and required hym to shewe his father But Christ was with hym quickely rebuked him disalowed his question and reuocated his mynde from such inquisicion saienge Qui vide◠〈◊〉 videt patrem meum Ioh. xiii .i. He that feeth me seeth my father He wylleth vs not to comber our braines with such fon and vncerten speculacions But earnestlye to leye hande on hym the true and naturall sonne of God the father Before promised and nowe exhybited vnto vs to our inestimable comforte ioye and solas And by hym to knowe God and the way to come vnto hym for none knoweth God the father but by hym none commeth to the father but by hym Who so euer is a searcher of Gods misteries with other instrument theÌ„ fayth and loue by other meane then the son Iesus Christ he is opprest of his glory and no otherwise the if he had directely and intentiuely somewhyle looked in the son departeth as blynde as a haddorke for as the scripture saythe Tenebre eum non apprehendunt Ioh .i. Nowe syr yf ye be at this poynte yf ye wyll thus captyue youre senses and submytte your selfe to faythes doctryne then aske of me howe c And I dare teach you this lesson with many mâ— so perfectlye that ye shall not neede to dought agayne thereof But yf ye wyll not leane hereunto but wylfully and stouburnly persist in your folye trustynge to your vnreasonable iudgemente indescreete
be companyons of darkenes with them But Chryst brought lyghte into the worlde made open the veritie whereby he healed all They entysed and allured them to all abhominacioÌ„ and wickednes But Christ toke away the synnes of the worlde They tumble downe into the pyt of hell theyr worshyppers But Chryst auaunceth his into heauen Satan also is called god but Chryste and he gods far vnlyke Thone author of all goodnes thother author of al wyckednesse th one peace maker thother soweth dyssension and stryfe wheresoeuer he is receyued Thone treated al thinges good in the right vse thother laboureth to make all thinges yll by abuse Th one sauâ—th thother leeseth Th one calleth to euerlastynge lyfe thother to euerlastynge fyre The bely is called God likewise yea so is Couetousnes or auacies a great god now a dayes to whome much blasphemy idolatry is committed euerywhere If Paule douted not to call auarice idolatrye If Christ in the Gospell doth set manimon agaynst God as an other god I maye boldlye auouche them to be blasphemers and idolaters whiche serue the same which do more estâ—me their money then the true God As this auarice of money is the cause of muche mischief so it engendreth one wonderful yl thyng betwent the Princes of therth and their people I meane flatery adulacion wheâ— by the subiect perswadeth the 〈◊〉 oftenymes that he is Gods felow attributeth deuine honor vnto him driueth in to his head that all thyng is well godly what so euer he shall attempte all if it be directly against God and all to creepe in to fauour to aspiere to promocion and wealth And the Kyng or Prince of thother parte is not offended therwithall but taketh vppon hym what suche kynde of men ascribe vnto him So that it chaunceth somtymes that the people in stede of a good Christian Kyng haue a very tyraunt a spoyler oppressor of the Comen weale mainteyners of all iniquitie vyce reynyng ouer them And the Kyng agayne in stede of honest subiectes and graue councelours hath flatterers pyckthankes and holders vp yea and nay Finally what so euer ye preferre before God and his holy preceptes that same ye make a god But if it had lyked you to haue compared theire deedes as well as the name and the cause whoe they are called gods with Christis doingê the cause why he is god ye mought haue benne soner a shamed of your leude comparison And sayde with Dauid Non est similis tui Domine non est secundum opera tua That is None lyke vnto the O Lorde and none accordyng to thy workes Seekest thou honor and renoume he giueth the euerlasting glory Desyrest thou souereigntie he admitteth the into his kyngdome wherof shall be no ende Requirest thou richesse in him thou maist possesse all thynges who only is Lorde of all Seekest thou oracles or the certeintie of thynges Thou hast the scripture of most certen truthe in which he true God speaketh vnto the oute of his priuie closet as ofte as thou lyst Wylt thou haue pleasure he only gyueth perfect ioye whiche no man can take away Delyrest thou ease he cryeth mercifully Omnes qui laborati onorati estis venite ad me ego reficiam vos That is to say All ye that laboure and are laden come ye to me I wyl refresh you If to your gods this may be worthely applyed then out of doute your comparison was right and ye may iustly affirme them true gods as Iesus Christe is to whome the Scripture dothe ascribe this with much more mightely prouyng him to be God not in name only but in power and vertue deuine To conclude I say therfore with s Paule that though there be whiche are called goddes whether in heauen or in erthe as there be many goddes and lordes many yet vnto me there is but one God which is the Father of whom ar all thyngê we in him one Lorde Iesus Christ by whome are all thynges and we by hym This sentence of s Paule your selfe brought in but curtailed as ye vse all the rest for ye lefte oute the laste parte therof and good cause why for it made all agaynst your wicked purpose Therfore in any case see ye alleage not one worde as nyghe as ye can that may make agaynst your but wring and wrest tosse tugge mangle and heaw euery part therof vntyll ye frame it to your mynde if ye caÌ„ not leaue it cleane out a gods name take that which wyl serue And to theude the Christian Reader may vnderstande that ye are youre craftê maister in this point ye haue craftely practysed the same in all the places almost which ye haue hither vnto hereafter wyl alleage for the maintenauÌ„ce of your blasphemous error And where as the former sentence out of Paule ye curtayled now ye alleage another place of S. Paule but the myddes the bodye of the same cleane left out onlye ye bryng in the head and the tayle the rest discharged whiche is the effecte and chiefest parte of all it is out the .ix. to the Rom. and this is your alligacion S. Paule calleth Christ God blessed for euer But betwene God and blessed for euer S. Paul hath these wordes ouer al thinges and this is his saiyng Christ which is God ouer all thynges blessed for euer Amen Blessed s Paule wolde putte vs out of doubte that Iesus Christ was God not in name only as other are but in deede not in opinion but in nature power true God and therefore he added ouer all thynges for to be God ouer all thynges is only agreable to the omnipotent nature But S. Paule his mynde yours is not lyke And therfore no meruell if ye agree not in woordes He mynded to declare him to be true God and therfore he sayeth Christ God ouer al things but you wolde perswade that he is God only in name as other manye are and therfore ye say Christ god blessed for euer leauyng out ouer all thinges which wordes strongly only proue in that place the true Godhead in Christ For to be called God or to be blessed for euer is no proufe that he is true GOD The Prophetes with other were called goddes Dyuers were blessed foreuer yet none of bothe true goddes therby But to be called God and God ouer all thynges yea by the mouth of S. Paule what double can there remayne in any Christian mans herat but that Iesus Christ is true God And the place of S. Iohn Iohn xx which ye also reciâ—e doth confirme Pauls menayng and confounde your wicked opinion very plainly Yet can ye lyke pourselfe bryng it in craftely for contirmacioÌ„ and probacion of your iniquitie it is not to be denyed that Christ studyed to auoyde the crime of blasphemy But what dyd he therfore graunte that he had committed blasphemye in callynge God Fathe Or dyd he deny that he was the naturall Sonne of God the father