here iustly say that euerlasting fier is taken for a long fier albeit the latin word eternum bee some tyme taken so Prodâ—uturno for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is neuer taken but for euer more world without end As for their argument that the punishment must be no greater then the fault I answer that our least fault deserueth euerlasting fier because it is committed against GOD who is euerlasting all be 〈◊〉 the fault be begonne and ended in tyme so that he is more to be considered against whose diuine wil it is done then what is done For the scriptur denieth him y e kingdom of heauen that breaketh one of the least coÌ„mauÌ„dements Doth it not cry that in hel there is no redemptioÌ„ And in death who remeÌ„breth thee And who wil geue thee thankes in hell And where the tree falleth there it shall lie The continuance of hel fier is described notablie of Christ where he coÌ„maundeth vs to cut of our hand our fote and to pluck out our eie that is to prefer heauenly thinges to our fathers and mothers familiar frindes saying if thy hand offend thee cut hym of It is better for the to enter into lyfe maimed then hauing two handes to go into hel into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goth out What caÌ„ be more plainli more vehemently spokeÌ„ of the endles pain of the wycked then these wordes into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goeth out whiche termes in y e same place be repeated twise more afterward If there be no redemption in hell how is it written in the boke of the kynges our Lord bryngeth folke doune into hel and bryngeth theÌ„ again we read also that Anania Azaria and Misaell blessed the Lorde for delyuering them out of hel and sauing from y e power of death This worde hel in the first place doth not signifie that which is commenly ment therby but a graue or pit that is digged for the Hebrue worde is sheol If any euill chaunce vnto my sonne Ben Iamin in the land whether you go you shal bring down myne hore heares with sorow vnto hel that is into my graue In Daniel it signifieth aduersitie trouble and misery as in many other places The .xi. Chapter ¶ God is ful of rightuousnes and of the prosperitie of euill men and the affliction of good men This endles punishment of the wicked is no derogacioÌ„ to Gods great mercy but rather a mirrour of his rightuousnes for as he is merciful so is he rightuouse as the mercy endureth for euer toward thâ— good so his rightuousnes endureth no lesse time toward the euil Dauid testifieth him to be iust in al his waies holy in al his workes By his rightuousnes he hated Cain Esau the thief on the left hand by his mercy he loued Abel Iacob hym that hong on y e right hand thorow these two happened the blindnes of y e Iewes and the fulnes of the Gentils If he be vnrightuous how shal he iudge y e world His sainctes iudgements be rightuous he shutteth the vnrightuous out of heauen he rewardeth right dealers wherfore he himself must nedes be a rightuous God Thou wilt say why theÌ„ doth he suffer the wicked to prosper geuyng them riches honour and children And why doth he punish the godly with pouertie sicknes and al kind of misery Why doth he suffer wicked Manasses to murder cruelly Esai Why doth he let Ieremy be slaine of Apires Zacharie of the hie priestes Iohn Baptist of Herode Christ of Pilate Why doth he suffer the Deuil to plage y e pacient maÌ„ Iob with al kind of aduersitie Why wyll he al good meÌ„ to bear a crosse in this world S. Paul telleth vs when we ar iudged we are chastened of the Lord lest we be damned with the world And it is good for me said Dauid that I haue bene in trouble that I may learn thy statutes Here two causes be rehearsed why God layeth affliction trouble and the crosse vpon the shulders of his elect that they may auoid dampnation and learne to kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts for trouble geueth vnderstanding Lord saith Esay in trouble they cry vnto thee the aduersitie which they suffer is a lesson vnto theÌ„ When the outward man perisheth the inward is renued day by day Moreouer God hath set at the entring of the garden of pleasure Cherubin with a fyrie sweard mouing in and out to kepe y e way to the tree of life to which there is no accesse but by affliction which is porter as it is written we must enter thorow much trouble into the kingdom of heauen Wherfore God loueth them whom he troubleth and he scourgeth euery sonne y t he receiueth they that are vnder no correctioÌ„ ar called bastards no sonnes Cato when Pompey was ouerthrowen of valeaunt Iulius Ceasar began to be angry w t God thinking hym percial but we christen mâ—n may not do so knowing aduersitie to be a token of Gods fauour an occasion of vnderstandiÌ„g a cause of ameÌ„dmeÌ„t These scripturs teach vs y t God punisheth his elect for their erudicion and coÌ„moditie nor for any vnrightuousnes albeit y e holiest man that euer was deserueth a crosse in this life His rigtuousnes enpouerisheth vs plageth vs and condempneth vs hys mercy enricheth vs healeth vs crouneth vs. But it is written of Iacob Esau that or they were borne or they had done good or euil God loued the one hated the other which was contrary to al true iudgement S. Paul in the same place compareth God to a potter and men to clay The potter hath power ouer the clay to make euen of one the same lompe one vessel vnto honour and another vnto dishonour And hath not God power ouer vs which be but clay that is naught the children of wrath to condempne or to saue The Latin worde here declareth more plainly what we be which is Ex eodem luto We be al becom durt by the faul of the first Adam If he croune durt it is his mercy thorowe the second Adam If he coÌ„dempne it he geueth right iudgement Thou wilt say then why blameth he vs For who can resist his wyl He made thee not clay that is the child of death but after the Image of God without sin Thou art durt and clay thorow the sinne of Adam not because of thy creation For God wold haue al meÌ„ saued And why be thei not the cause is not in hym but in vs not that we be able to withstand his wil but bycause he will saue none against their wil he wil saue al that is al that wil take it when it is offred them al that refuse not the saluation of their own souls as the Israelites did For Christ saieth vnto them that he wold haue
tormenting and desperat conscience and that a ioyful quiet mery conscience is heauen and that deuils ar euil thoughtes good aungels good thoughtes First if this doctrine be true we beleue in vaine the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies which is grouÌ„ded of scripture nothing els so y t if you beleue scripture this is a false pretensed damnable doctrine If our bodies shal not ryse then is Christ not risen saith Paul al preachiÌ„g is vanitie but our bodies be dead through y e syn of AdaÌ„ shalbe raised through the rightuousnes of Christ Iesus By a man came death of soul body and by a man cometh resurrection of soul body Were not many christen men baptysed ouer dead mens graues in the primatiue church in token that the dead should rise againe S. Paul in his .xv. Chapter to the Corinthians the first letter doth nothing els but confute this damnable opinion of the Saduces denying the resurrection which now the Libertines begin to renew But our Saduces grauÌ„t the resurrection they say we must rise froÌ„ syn if we wil come to heaue which is a mery and ioyful conscience There be two sortes of resurrections expressed in Gods word of which it is written Lykewise as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ death by y e glory of the father Euen so we also should walke in a new life This new life is resurrection from sinne Christes raising is the other resurrection that is of the body which began in Christ the first fruits of the dead For Paul saith He that raysed vp Christ from death shal quickeÌ„ our mortal bodies in another place it shall rise a spiritual body Our Saduces because they ether wil not or can not perceaue the difference betwene these two sortes of resurrection which both are in scripture grauÌ„t in words deny in dede both heauen hel both good aungels il defending al resurrection to be from sinne to vertue froÌ„ vice to godlines froÌ„ vnclennes to sanctifitation Resurrection from sinne is but a figure of the other resurreccion For Paul saith Christ being once raised from death not from synne who neuer sinned dieth no more Likewyse imagen ye also that ye are dead coÌ„cerning sinne but are aliue to God TheÌ„ it disanulleth not resurrection of bodies but fortifieth the same forasmuche as if there be a shadow there must nedes be a body Now let vs search what the scripture teacheth vs of good aungels beleue them For a scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to control to amend and it is truth No maÌ„ can deny aungels to be creaturs and almighty Gods workmanship as Paul witnesseth He maketh his aungels spirites and his ministers flames of fyre How then are they inspirations Luke regestreth that at Christes birth a multitude of heauenly souldiours which wer angels song glory to God on high and peace in earth and reioysing to men Therfore they be no inspirations Did an inspiration appeare to priest Zacharie burning inceÌ„se in the temple Did an inspiration shew him that Elizabeth his wife shuld beare him a sonne Did an inspiration make him specheles No truly for the aungel telleth what he is saying I am Gabriel that standeth in the syght of God and am sent to speak vnto thee In y t he saith I stand I am sent he declareth that he is a substauÌ„ce And if Gabriel be a substance y e rest be also substaÌ„ces They reioyse ouer euery sinner y â— repenteth they behold the face of the father in heauen they assist beare vs vp in their hands thei cari Lazarus into Abrahams bosome they minister vnto Christ after his temptation they deliuered y e law vnto the Israelites thei shal come to the generall Iudgement with Christ and after the resurrectioÌ„ they shalbe made like vnto them If they be inspirations tell me how speaking singing staÌ„ding seÌ„ding ioye seing punishing handes helpe and infinite other things which the scripture geueth to Angels can be in an inspiratioÌ„ and without a substaunce Me thinke this assercion hath affinitie with the doating opinion of transubstaÌ„tiation For our Romanistes although they more stubburnely then truely and more obstinately then deuoutly defend that no bread remaineth after the consecration yet they cannot deny but that many accidents remaine as the culloure of bread the tast of bread bredth length and other the which cannot be in y e comfortable and swete flesh of Christ wherfore either the substauÌ„ce of bread remayneth or els we must sai with the papists that these things be without a substauÌ„ce the which is as if we should say there is sickenes and there is helth there is cold and heat moisture drith but ther is no such thing as a body An angel of y e Lord comforteth Agar y e Egiptian besyde the well of Seer and commauÌ„deth her to returne to her mistris Abraham promiseth his seruaunt that an Angel shall ayd and further him in his iourney Iacob when he blesseth Ephraim Manasses prayeth y t the Angel of y e Lord which had ben his succour at all times might blesse and multiplie them We read that an Angell gouerneth y e hostes of the Israelites an Angel of the Lord killeth thousaÌ„ds of the Assyrianes Angelles certifie women of Christes resurrectioÌ„ and the disciples of his glorious returne Wheafore they be no inspiratioÌ„s no mocioÌ„s cuÌ„ming from God but spiritual substauÌ„ces and ministring spirites sent to minister for their sakes which shalbe heyrâ—s of saluation Now as I haue spoken of good Angels so I thinke it no lesse nedefull somwhat to speake of euil Angels For ther be many late borne Saduces which haue perswaded theyr owne wauering myndes and allure the consciences of others to y â— to the foresaid opinion that the deuill is nothing but Nolitum or a filthy affecton of the flesh and swaruing from honesty vertue and godlines I thinke such haue either already said in their harts ther is no God or y t they may as easely be brought thervnto as Cherea was vnto Pamphila Cherea durst not ieopard in his owne apparell but fained himself to be anoteer Euen so our late Saduces Libertines will not reason these thinges stifly for disturbing y e coÌ„monwelth or rather for losing their lyues But it is to be feared that vnder the coloure of christians they say they reason in the way of disputation when they speake from y e bottom of their hearts If any man winch at my wryting he declareth y t he is a Saducie If there be a God as we most stedfastly must beleue verely ther is a deuill also if ther be a deuill there is no surer argument no stronger profe no playner euidence that ther is a God Be not al euill angels spirits Then ar they not sensual motioÌ„s but spiritual substauÌ„ces But I will leaue argumeÌ„ts call truth to
image of God not in sinful flesh through any sinne of man But his posteritie and of spring ar born babes forasmuche as they are borne in sinful flesh as Dauid witnesseth saying Ecce enim in iniquitatibus c. Beholde saith Dauid I was born in wickednes and my mother conceaued me in synne Vnreasonable beastes as the calf the little lambe the whelpe as sone as they ar borne can go runne fynde out their mothers teates and sucke them without any helpe of other only man when he is borne can nether ocupy his tongue in speaking nor fete in going nor his haÌ„ds to fynd and except his mother or nourse thrust her breast vnto his lyps he knoweth not where they are nor what to do and would crie for hunger yea famyshe before he â—ould suck of his own accord This infirmitie is in our bodies when we be young because Adam and Eue sinned when thei were old forasmuch as then our mindes also be weake blynd through thesame sinne that the feblenes of the body might be agreable to the ignoraunce of the minde For as both body and soul sinned in eating the apple y e mynd in lusting the body in taking so both are punished the body with infirmitie the mind with ignoraunce Nowe our Sauiour Christ albeit he were not borne in sinful flesh yet because he was not borne in the likenes of this synfull flesh he was borne a babe not of perfect bygnes like Adam his flesh was not sin ful in dede but holy and vndefiled yet it semeth sinful in that he toke both this al other humane infirmities as hunger thirst cold heate pouertie death vpon hym which ouerflowed the world thorow sin Misit deus filium suum God sent his sonne His comming is his incarnation and his sending lykewise The father is not sayd to come or to be sent because he was not incarnate That the comyng and sending of Christ is to be taken of his incarnation we may perceiue by this For who cometh there wher he is alredy Or who is sent thether But Christ is euery wher touching his diuinitie for he is the wisdome of the father which reacheth from one end to another mightily and ordreth all thinges louingly Seing therfore he is euery where how cometh he where he was not by appearing in his humanitie But it is a great question why God sent his sonne Cum venit plenitudo temporis in the fulnes of time why he came no soner but in the endes of the world If he had com long before many had ben saued which haue perished For sith his incarnation many mo haue beleued him then did in tyme past â–ª for he is the light â–ª shining in darknes Truly he came when he sawe his coming should be moste profitable not being moued therunto through the consideration of our merites but of his own voluntary goodnes for our deseruinges did not constraine him to come Wherfore we can not blame him for the losse before his in carnation for it was not vndeserued it was a iust losse Cain y e thief blame the iudge for condeÌ„pninge him according to the law Or is the Phisition to be blamed coming of his own accord to heale the pacieÌ„t if he tary loÌ„g He came therfore when it pleased hym wheÌ„ he knew he shuld be most welcom If thou help one before his nede he doth not take it so thankefully as when thou succourest him in great nede The hungry maÌ„ who hath nede of meat wil thaÌ„k the more for it then he which hath plenty The poore wil giue the more habundaunt thankes for thy money then the rych Before y e time of Christes coming men were not nedy they were not hungry but thought themselues rightuous rich in al good workes true kepers of y e lawe Wherfore it was necessary that y e preching of the law should go before his coming by whiche men should learne that they had nede of a Phisicion For by the law cometh knowledge of sinne The lawe is Sicuris ad arborem posita The axe which shal hewe down al those that bring not forth good fruites The lawe is a glasse wherin we may beholde our nakednesse our vnclean thoughtes our filthy liuing Lex subintrauit The lawe sayth Paul entred in that synne should encrese where aboundaunce of sin is there as he recordeth also is more plentuousnes of grace of the part of the giuer and more thanke of the part of the pacient for asmuch as the sicke thaÌ„keth the Phisicion not the hole man Wherfore Christ the Phisition of our soules wouâ—â— not come but to helpe the wounded man to cal sinners vnto repeÌ„taunce to seke the shepe which was lost For this cause God the sonne of God equall with his father in the ende of the world humbled himself to our nature to deliuer vs from the bondage of the spitual Pharao the deuil who held vs prisoners perforce vntil Christ entred into his house which is the world and bouÌ„d him 〈◊〉 him of his goodes This is the fulnesse of tyme of which Paul speaketh saying When the fulnesse of time was come God sent his son borne of a woman The warriour which wyll deceiue his ennemies putteth away his own apparell and clotheth him selfe in their apparel that he may safely go into their region and behold all their prouision and afterward easely ouercom theÌ„ so our sauiour Iesus Christ in the later end of the world did deck and cloth him self with our nature to deceaue and conquere the deuyll who had seduced and conquered mankinde in the likenes of a serpent which policie is figured long before in Iacob who stealeth away the blessing froÌ„ his brother Esau in his brothers raiment Did the father and the holy ghost take our nature vppon them were they borne of a woman were they conceaued of the holy ghost were they borne litle babes Did they vse this policy to deceaue the deuil If not then is Christ vnconfounded with them Christ also was baptised not the father nor the holy ghost For the father sounded these wordes at his baptisme This is my beloued sonne in whom is my delite and y e holy ghost descendeth like a doue sitteth vpoÌ„ him Wherfore is he christened not for any spot of sinne any crom of vnclennes in him but for our eruditioÌ„ and ensamble For if he came to be baptised of Iohn his seruaunt how necessary is baptisme for vs which be his seruaunts and defiled with original actual trespaces If he required baptisme of him disdaine not thou to be christened of thi inferior dispise not baptisme be thou neuer so holy neuer so perfit haue no light opinion of it If it were a light thinge Christ wold not haue required it for our exaÌ„ple Christ also fasted after baptisme and was tempted of the deuill he fasted for our example and was teÌ„pted for our victory He was tempted
burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Thou mayest escape the punishement of man but thou canst not escape Gods hand who punisheth more greuously then man Whâ—ther wilt thou flie from God surely thou canst not flie from him but by flying vnto hym thou canst not escape his wrath whiche is his righteousnes but by appealyng vnto his mercie Dauid compared God to a man that draweth a bowe the farther he draweth his shaft whiche is his punishment the greater is the stroke therof There is a great altercation nowe a daies whether God be in the sacrameÌ„t or not he must nedes be ther for he is in al places But whether is he ther by his diuinitie or humanitie Christ warneth vs that in the latter age there shall aryse many false Prophetes and Pseudochristi that is false anointed which be the Byshop of Romes gresed butchers and sacrificers which shal say lo here is Christ and there is Christ. These Pseudochristes be not they of whom they speake afterward in thesame chapters many shall come in my name saying I am Christ but another sort for these shall not chalenge this to them selues but direct maÌ„ to other and of these false anointed that shal point vs to other he saith Nolite credere beleue theÌ„ not and therfore I dare not say that he is there after his humanitie least I be a false Prophet for this is spoken of his humanitie not of his diuinitie Touching his diuinitie I say vnto you good people lo here is Christ and there is Christ for it is here there in the towne in the citie in the chappel in the church and wildernes and euery wher as I haue declared The papistes say y t this place maketh not against y e presence of Christes body vpoÌ„ earth but against false Prophetes which should preach in the last age false doctrine True it is Christ speaketh here against suche But what false doctrine shal they teach Shal ther come two at one time in one age of which false prophets shal say he is christ and an other shal say no this is Christ pointing to some other There were neuer yet two in one age which both were said to be Christes of any false prophets nor the scriptures do not mencion or regester any such thing to come for the veritie saith y t many such shal come Now we neuer read that many haue reported and said here is Christ and there onles we take it to be spoken of the papistes whiche shewe Christ vâ—to vs in many places at once in euery chapell and on euery Aultar Many shall say of them selues that they are Christ but these be other doctours compare their wordes together and thou shalt fynd that I say true the one text doth not expounde the other but they be two dyuerse prophecies of two diuerse things This false doctryne then is nothynge els but to teach Christes body after his ascentioÌ„ to be vpon the earth visibly or inuisibly Pighius who calleth Gods worde a nose of ware wresteth this text to another purpose taking Christe here for his church Lo here is Christe and there is Christe saith Pighius that is heretikes shal say here is the church and there is y e church O wyse exposition shall heretikes saye that Christ is here there touchyng his members and church No verely this is no heresy for Christes church is in many places in deserts and other If Christ must be taken for his church in this text then we are compelled also to vnderstaÌ„d the church by him in the text which immediatly foloweth where he saith beleue them not Christe that is the church shall come as lightnynge we must take Christ for the same thorow out the chapter Read diligently examen the circumstaunce whych is chieflye to be regarded in the exposition of doubtful places open the scripture with the key not with the pykelocke that is expound it by tt selfe not by priuate interpretation and y u shalt fynd that Christe there is taken for Christ not for y e church as Pighius wold straine the place making of y e scriptures a nose of wax You wil ask me then whether we receiue Christes body yea truly from heauen from the right hand of the father not out of y e bread nor in y e bread For onles we eat his flesh and drink his bloud we shal not dwell in him we shall not arise at the last day we shal not haue eternall life Christes humanitie is the mean wherby we must obtein al things the way by which we must clyme vp to heaueÌ„ the ladder that Iacob sawe going vnto Mesopotamia reaching vp to heauen with aungels ascending and descending vpon it Christ teacheth this vsing not only his word and commaundemeÌ„t in raising the dead as God but also his flesh as a help and meane to the same In raysing the doughter of one of the chief of the synagoge he toke hir by the hand and raysed her When he cured one full of the leprosy he stretched out his hand and touched hym When he entred into the citie of Naim meetinge a dead man caried out the only sonne of a wydowe hauyng compassion on her he touched the bere and raised him from dead Ther be infinit places of scripture which teach vs that Christes flesh geueth lyfe deliuereth from death expelleth vice but this is notable forasmuch as this wydowe signifieth the church and her dead sonne representeth mankynd dead thorowe the sinne of Adam Christ is a vyne and we ar the brauÌ„ches as he witnesseth himselfe Ego sum vitis vera c. I am the true vyne and my father is a husbaÌ„d man vos estis palmites The brauÌ„ches cannot lyue onles they take norishment of the substaunce of the vyne and of his iuice Euen so the soul of a christen man must nedes be fed with the swete fleshe and comfortable bloud of Iesus Christe If we be braunches we be nouryshed of the vyne I wold learn whether he be the vyne after his humanitie or by his diuinitie He is not the vyne touching his diuine nature for the vyne is not equall with the husband man but at his commaundement Christ touchinge his diuinitie is the husbandman and equall with his father Marke he is the vyne therfore coÌ„cerning that nature in which he is inferior to his father which is his humanitie If then Christe be the vyne not by his diuinitie but by his humanitie and we the brauÌ„ches then we must be refreshed of the vyne that is of his humanitie This metaphore hath ben abused to many euill purposes as to proue Chryste not to be God because he is the vyne it hath ben racked also to proue that these words hoc est corpus meum This is my body is a lyke phrase a like speach as when Christ saith ego sum vitis I am the vyne They be no like phrases
doe nether fede nor norish S. Augustin also subscribeth vnto them saying Accedat verbum elemento fit sacramentum he saith not succedat but accedat whiche is this much to say Let the word be added to the element and then it is made a sacrament Thus it is euident that y e bread and wyne which is the element remayneth and is not traÌ„substanciat both by autentical scriptures whiche do alowe thre similitudes and also by the consent of al the doctors and elder fathers For out of doubt Athanasius Basil Nazianzene Hierome Chrisostome and other both Latinistes and Grekes do not disagre with these Moreouer the rock was a sacrament of Christes bloud yet not transubstanciat They we drinke one spiritual drinke as Paul recordeth Likewise Manna was a sacrament of his body without any such mutacion You wil aske me then whether our sacramentes be better then the sacraments of the old testameÌ„t Yea truly but not of their own nature but thorow y e grace of God thorow the fulnes of time bicause in this testament the face of Christ is more clearly discouered and knowen and not thorow any transubstanciation These be y e daies which the Patriarkes Prophets desired to come the daies of saluation the acceptable time I haue opened the true meaning of Christes words this is my body and declared the necessitie the vse the fruit the mary and swetenes of the holy communion which fruit is incomparable For if all they whiche did but touch the hem of Christes garment receiued their perfect health How much more shall we be made strong and conforted if we haue Christ in vs. This holy communion geueth lyfe destroyeth death quickeneth our bodies lighteneth our soules banysheth synne and encreaseth vertue For as a litle wax powred vpon other wax is made al one with it euen so they that receiue this sacrament worthely abyde in Christ and Christ in them A little leauen sowreth a whole batch but the seldome receiuing of this sacrament if I say it be receiued worthely bryngeth remission of sinnes purgeth our soules maketh cleane our herts amendeth our vnderstandinges but the oftener the better All you that approch vnto this table and desyre to be braunches of the vyne and to be sealed into the felowship of the congregation forsake your sinfull lyuing entend to leade a newe conuersacion from the bottom of your hearts pourge out the olde leauen and become newe dough burie al affections and liue vnto vertue otherwyse ye nether eat Christes flesh nor drink his bloud He that eateth Christes flesh hath eternall life Yea mary saith the Papistes if he eat it digne worthely adding vnto the text or els making it false but he may receiue it vnworthely as Iudas did Examen this exposition with the touchstone opeÌ„ the scripture with the key not with the pick lock and thou shalt finde that Christes flesh is not receiued vnworthely In all the scriptures this word indigne vnworthely is but once read concerning this sacrament and there marke the bread the wyne is said to be receiued vnworthely not Christes most coÌ„fortable flesh and bloud Quicunque manducauerit paneÌ„ hunc c. He that eateth of this bread drinketh of this cup saith Paul vnworthely he shal be gilthy of the body and bloud of Christ. Lo he saith he that eateth of this bread vnworthely and drinketh of this cup not of the body bloud of Christ which alwaies be receiued vnto health Chose nowe gentell reader whether thou wilt beleue y e papistes which teach that Christes flesh is receiued of euil meÌ„ vnworthely â—r Paul which saith he that eateth of this bread that is not commen bread not dayly bread but sacramental bread that is ment by the word this If they can shew in any place of scripture where this word vnworthely is ioined with the body of Christ as I haue shewed where it is coupled with bread I will be of their opinion Christes flesh is meat according to his own saying Caro mea vere est cibus c. My flesh is very meat and my bloud is very drink Now meat doth hurt where it findeth a bely corrupt with naughtie humores Euen so this spiritual fode if it find a man defiled with sinne encreaseth his dampnation bryngeth hym vnto destruction not of the nature of it but thorowe the default of hym that receceiueth it Yea if we be defiled with corrupt humors we be no partakers of these deinties But peraduenture the Papistes wil reply if it be meat then is it receiued both of good and euil men for nether of both sortes can lyue without meat To this I auÌ„swere it is the meat of the soul not of the bodie the fode of the spirit not of the flesh and therfore it is not receiued of euill persones because the meat is good and they be euill so that this is a strong argument Christes flesh and bloud is meat ergo it is not receiued of euil men Moreouer Christes flesh and bloud is the vine as I haue proued before and we be the braunches Only the brauches be fed of the vine Euil men be not braunches of the vine Ergo euil meÌ„ be not partakers of y e vine Which is Christes flesh and bloud Therfor let no Iudas no SimoÌ„ Magus no man with a cloked mind thinke that he is fed with these deinties If it were not lawful for the vncircumsised in flesh to eate the figuratiue paschal lambe how much more is it vnlawful for y e vncircumcised vnclean in heart to tast of these deinties If he that despised Moises law was condempned without any mercy vnto death vnder two or thre witnesses how more greuously shall he be punished which treadeth vnder fote the sonne of God couÌ„teth the bloud of the new testameÌ„t as an vnholy thing wherwith he is sanctified Purge out y e old leuen or els thou maist not nor thou canst not eat this swete bread Paul testifieth that many among the CorinthiaÌ„s for y e abusing of this sacrameÌ„t were punished with weakenes with sicknes yea many stroken with death the whiche he wrot for our enstruction Against the coÌ„ming of our frend we make cleane our houses and loke diligeÌ„tly that al things be trym And are we negligent in puryfying of our mindes against the coÌ„ming of the great king who hath promised to dwell with vs after the receiuing of this holy meat I wold wysh that men wold geue thankes more customably immediatly after the receyuing therof vnto God for the redemption of mankinde and for all his benefites syngyng the C. Psalme O be ioyfull in the Lorde all ye landes serue the Lord in gladnes and come before his presence with a song And the Psalme that beginneth O com let vs sing vnto the Lorde let vs hartely reioyce in the strength of our saluacion let vs come before his presence with thaÌ„kes geuing
With the C.iii. Psalme Praise the Lord O my soull For who coÌ„meth to the table of any man departeth without any thaÌ„kesgeuing it is called also a sacrament of thankesgeuing I wold men wold as diligently dispose them selues to receiue this sacrament as they do eftsones delight to talke of it if they would prepare them selues to receiue it more oft the holy Ghost would enstruct them and becom their scolemaster for wysdom entreth not vnto a soul subdued into sin But I heare some say I wil not come to receiue the sacrament for I can and do receiue the bodye and bloud of Christ at home in the field and in the church yea euery where withoute the sacrameÌ„t beleuing vpon his passion Truly if thou be godly mynded and do call his death to remembrauÌ„ce trusting to haue pardon of thy sinnes by the effusion of his bloud thou dost eat his body and drinke his bloude But thou art not godly mynded but carnall the seruaunt of sinne if thou dispise the ordinaunce of God and his coÌ„maundement who biddeth the take and eat and carnall and vngodly men do not receiue the body of Christ but the spirituall and godly Thou maist say likewyse I wil not com at the minister for remission of my sines and for absolution for God is not bouÌ„d to his sacramentes he pardoneth without the ceremony of ministration as he did y e thief Mary magdalen and other Sure it is God forgeueth thy sinnes before thou come to the priest if thou haue earnest repentaunce and true entent of amendement for he sayth In quacunque hora. c. In what hour soeuer y e vnrighteous man doth repeÌ„t c. and yet neuertheles he himself coÌ„mauÌ„deth y e to come to them for he hath geuen them authoritie to louse to bynd and to blesse and curse â–ª Now what their lousing blessing and absolution is shalbe declared herafter in the .xvii. Chapter So albeit Christes body be receiued in fayth withoute the sacrament yet thou must come vnto the sacrament because thou arte commaunded or els thou art an euill man It is not inough to receiue it spiritually we must receiue it also sacrameÌ„tally yea he that will not receiue it sacramentally neither doth he neither can he receiue it in faith spiritually for I haue proued before y e euill meÌ„ do not eat these dainties The .viij. Chapter ¶ God is full of vnderstanding GOD is also full of vnderstaÌ„ding If any man lack wysdom Iames biddeth him aske it of god which geueth to al men indifferentlye and castethe no manne in the teth and it shall be geuen him if he aske it without wauering without mistrust Dauid asking with a sure fayth obteyned his request in so much that he had more vnderstanding then all his teachers was wyser then the aged but what foloweth for because I kepe thy commaundements Thou askest not in fayth without keping of Gods commaundements ostende mihi fidem tuaÌ„ ex operibus shew me thy faith saith Iames of thy workes Kepe them he wil geue the vnderstanding His testimonies are a lanterne and geue light euen vnto the babes He gaue Salomon an vnderstanding heart to iudge his people and to discerne betwen good and bad so that ther was none lyke hym neyther before nor after He gaue him also honour and ryches and long lyfe which be his gyftes He opened the myndes of his discyples that they might vnderstand the scriptures He toke Paul vp into y e third heaueÌ„ and taught him things which cannot be vttered He â—â—lled Besaliell and Ahaliab with the spirite of God with wysdome vnderstanding and knowledg to fynde out curiouse workes to worke in golde and syluer brasse to karue in wood to graue in stone to make y e tabernacle of witnes the Arke y e mercy seat the table the pure candlestickes the alter of incense vestiments to minister in and the holy garments for Aaron the priest Wherfore he himself must nedes be full of all wysedome and all vnderstanding But these thinges as they were coÌ„mauÌ„ded to them of the ould law so we of the new lawe are not bouÌ„d to them because we haue no commaundement For as Paule writeth vnto his nation we haue an aulter wherof thei mai not eat which serue in the tabernacle The priesthod of the leuites ther sacrifices and ther lawes be disanulled Christes euerlasting priesthod hath made an end of all the Leuites priesthod yea and of all other priesthod saue onlye that whych belongeth to all Christen men The oblation of his body once for all vpon the aulter of the crosse which was a slayne sacrifice for our sinnes abolisheth all other and the lawe of his Gospel hath blotted oâ—t the lawe of the carnall commaundement But oure Romanes allege the prophet Malachy for the defence of the sacrifice of their masse and for their Popish priesthod by whom God saith I haue no pleasure in you and as for an offring I will not accept it at your hands For from the rysing of the Sunne vnto the going down of the same my name is great amongest the gentils yea in euery place shal there sacrifice be done and a clean offring offered vp in my name Albertus Pighius one of y e byshop of Romes chief knyghtes laboureth to proue that this text is ment of the oblacion of the masse whose reasons be these First that it cannot be taken for the oblation of Christes body on y e crosse for God promised here such a sacrifice that should be offred in al places and of the Heathen That was offred in one place in Iewry only and of the Iewes Moreouer it can not be such a sacrifice as Dauid coÌ„mended that a troubled spirit a broken and a contrit heart is a sacrifice vnto God for the Prophet speaketh here of a cleane sacrifice vnto God all that we offer vnto God is spotted vnclean and defiled as the clothes stayned with the flours of a woman The Prophet also speaketh of a new sacrifice that was not before but should be vsed among the Heathen and offred only of the priestes But we haue the sacrifice that Dauid praiseth commen with them of the old law and it is to be offered of all christen men and womeÌ„ wherfore it must nedes be spokeÌ„ of the masse This is Pighius reason yea the principal argument of al the papistes vnto which I besech you hear paciently my answer I entend to wryte a comentary to Malachie but I wil take it out of gods word and I wil open scripture with the key I defend that Malachie meaneth none other sacrifice then an oblacion of a pure and contrite heart and I proue it thus First Malachie speaketh of such a sacrifice as shall be offered in all places vnto God as vndoubtedly this hath bene shal be to the worlds end He speaketh also of a cleane sacrifice Is not y e oblacioÌ„ of
this was no audible voyce no sounding or transitory noyse commyng from the lightes but God said be there light fyrmament c. that is to saye God made these thinges by his saying â–ª by his word by his voice which is christ as it is writteÌ„ In y e beginniÌ„g was y e word that is in y e father was christ al thiÌ„gs were made by it and nothing was made without iâ— as Moises teacheth very wel repeting these wordes Deus dixit God sayd in y e creatioÌ„ of euery thiÌ„g And why is Christ called his fathers word Truly bicause he is his image and no man cometh to the knowledge of the father but by the sonne And as we do open manifest and declare our mindes one to another by our words and communication so God is disclosed opened and discouered by Christ. No man hath sene God at any time thonly begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him in his sermons he is sincerely published and plainly painted and portraied For this cause he is surnamed y e saying of God and an audible and a traÌ„sitory word not properly but by a metaphore and borowed spech And this traÌ„sitory word made al thinges vpholdeth al thinges gouerneth al things Nowe touching the holy spirit we read in the first Chapter of generation spiritus domini ferebatur the spirit of y e Lord was born vpoÌ„ the waters Many do expouÌ„d by the spirit in this text the wynd but it can not be taken so for many causes First the wynd is the exhalatioÌ„ or spirit of the waters this was y e spirit of God as the text doth say Moreouer y e wind then was vncreat vnmade For I think no man wil defend that the wind was made before the first day which is made after these wordes And others do read for ferebatur super aquas fouebat vel exclu debat aquas the spirit did bring forth or hatch the waters so in dede the word signifieth in the Sirian tonge wherfore was borne vpon the waters is no blast of wind but a metaphore of the hen and a borowed speach The hen is borne of her egs and sittteth vpon them and so hatcheth her yong and so the holy ghost was borne vpoÌ„ the waters sat vpon theÌ„ brought forth and hatched all creatures which there are called waters For as it is wrytten when thou lettest thy spirit go forth they are made Basil who for his great learning was surnamed magnus expoundeth this text thus sayth that his predecessors toke it so and S. Austen is of the same mind and Philip MelancthoÌ„ aloweth their interpretatioÌ„ Thus it is euident y t the vniuersal world is the workmaÌ„ship of the whole trinitie whose workes be inseperable as they be inseperable and one almighty euerlasting inuisible vnsercheable god of one substaunce and nature power and maiestie who gathered the waters together as it werin a bottel who maketh y e cloudes his chariot and goeth vpoÌ„ the winges of the wind and who spreadeth out heauen like vnto a curteyn After that he had finished al his workes he beheld theÌ„ and â—o they were exceading good Now there be many thinges not good vnprofitable vnfrutful perilouse for thornes and thistels prick vs the gout greueth vs the pocks the canker consumeth vs the sciatica payneth vs spasmes palsies feuers noy vs serpentes doe poysen vs flies do bite vs cats do scrat vs flees do eat vs mouÌ„taines weary vs snow doth let vs thonders do fear vs the cocodrils do kil our bodies the deuyl our souls God made not these thinges for al that he made was good and if he made not these he made not al thinges The earth bringeth forth thornes and thistels and other venemous herbes not by nature but thorow the synne of man vnto whoÌ„ God speaketh Because thou hast obeyed the voyce of thy wyfe and hast eaten of the tree of which I commaunded the not to eat Cursed be the earth in thy worke In sorow shalt thou eat therof al the daies of thy lyfe and it shall beare thornes and thistels vnto thee and thou shalt eat the herbes of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread Before sinne we read not that the earth brought forth thistels bushes vnfruitful trees but grene gras fruitful trees herbes bearing holsome sedes The fal of Adam also caused al maner of griefs panges sicknes disease which then began to torment man when God had said In sorow shalt thou eat therof all the daies of thy life By this word sorow al such thinges be ment and signified If you aske me why God suffred the earth to bring forth thornes and vnfruitful trees my answer is not to pain the earth with theÌ„ which feleth no pain but to admonish vs of our synne to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of our fault to be a warning vnto vs as often as we se theÌ„ to take hede that we synne no more For if he punish the earth for our sinnes how much more will he punishe vs Wherfore this memory shall continue vntyll the sting of death which is sinne be taken away vntil that be brought to passe that is written death is consumed into victory death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory by vnfruitful trees he warneth vs y t we be not vnfruitful For as husbandmen forsake their trees not doÌ„ging not watring theÌ„ when they be baren but to burn them euen so God ceaseth to poure his blessinges vpon the vnfruitfull for he is a husbandman herken what his only son saith whom we are coÌ„maunded to hear I am the true vine and my father is the husbandmaÌ„ He that abideth not in me is cast forth as a braunch and is widdered and men gather it and cast it into the fier and it burneth This fruit we may gather and learn of the vnfruitfull tree By siknes partly he scurgeth vs for our sinne partly he trieth vs and lerneth vs his will as it is wrytten the ouen proueth the potters vessell so doth temptation of trouble try rightuous meÌ„ Now we are come to those whiche demaund who made serpentes Cocodriles flies wormes c. Of which much harm and no profite coÌ„meth Verely he who made al thinges Although they be hurtful vnto vs for our disobedience yet be they exceading good in their own nature and profite vnto the furnishing of the whole world no lesse then the other which we recount more profitable and preciouse If an ignoraunt man chaunce to go into a conning mans shop and happen to see many â—oles there that he knoweth not he thinketh them either to be vnprofitable or not necessary Euen so we in almightie Gods shop which is the world do iudge many thinges to be naught because we are ignoraunt The Cocodrill the litle flie the small flee haue their coÌ„moditie albeit we know it not Our
The scripture answereth these four questions We learne who forgiueth synne of it saiyng Who can forgiue synne but God only And for whom we are pardoned our misdedes S. Paul teacheth vs writing to his countreymen of Christ For this cause is he mediatour of the new Testament that through death which chaunsed for redempcion of those transgressions that were in the first Testament they which were called myght receaue the promise of eternall inheritaunce And to the Romains He which spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs al how will he not w t him giue vs al things also If God giue vs al things for Christes sake we haue remission of our sinnes also by him By whoÌ„ god for geueth Christ telleth vs saying whose sinnes ye forgeue shalbe forgeuen and whose ye holde shalbe holden whiche words be spokeÌ„ to ministers Somtime he doth forgeue without the certificat of the minister for he is not bound to his sacramentes but worketh what he will how he will Paul after he had heard Christ speak was sent to a minister yet he was lightened froÌ„ aboue before Ananias who layd handes on hym knewe therof The thief which hung on y e right hand was straight caried into Paradise without any ceremony of ministration which God hath ordeined for our infirmities not that it is a necessary mean vnto him Now he promiseth forgeuenes to all those which repent and intend to lead a new conuersation and to make their bodies a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice â—nto him as the coÌ„ming of Iohn the christener before our sauiour Christ teacheth vs who began his preaching at repentaunce saiyng repent for the kingdom of heauen is at hand He baptised many in Bethabara beyoÌ„d Iordan but they confessed their sinnes first He reuiled the Phariseis and Saduces and bad them do fruites worthy repentaunce Christ also wheÌ„ it was told hym that Herod had laid hands on Iohn coming to the coasts of Zabulon Nepthalem begaÌ„ne with thesame not only that but he commaundeth his Apostles to begin with it when he doth auctorise them to preach He sendeth by and by after them other seueÌ„ty to preach thesame I would our magistrates were as diligent in sending forth preachers but they haue no leasure to muse of the common wealth they ar so gredy of priuat welth In the acts many being pricked in their hearts through Peters preaching aske him and the other Apostles what they should do to achiue and get remission of their sinnes and Peter aunswereth theÌ„ saying RepeÌ„t and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of synnes Of whiche textes examples it is euident that God doeth not forgiue our synnes pardon our trespasses and wype out our misdedes and offences vnlesse we haue an earnest purpose feruent mynd to crucifie our old man and to become new dowe sweet bread albeit the minister lay handes on vs an C. times for he regardeth the hert not the ceremony of ministration searching the botome and ground of it and trying the reines rewarding euery man according to the fruit of his counsels The .xviij. Chapter ¶ God only is almighty whether he can syn die or lie with other mo properties THe next propertie belonging to the maiestie of the Godhead is that he is almighty and can do what him list in heauen earth as the booke of wisdome telleth vs Vnto thy almighty hand that made the world of nought or as other translate of a confused heape it was not vnpossible to send among them a heape of beares or wood lions or cruel beastes of a straunge kynd such as ar vnknowen spouting fire or casting out of a smoking breath and shoting horrible sparkes out of their eyes whiche might not only destroy them with hurting but all so kyl them with their horrible lokyng Lyke as the smal thing that the balauÌ„ce wayeth so is the world before him yeâ— as a drop of the morning dewe that falleth down vpon the earth for he hath power of al thinges The glorious and famous deliueraunce of Israel shewe hys hand to be almighty his arm to be stroÌ„g and infinite who raised vp Pharao for this only purpose to shew his might on him that his name which his power rightousnes might be declared through out al the world He punished the vngodly that woulde not knowe hym with strauÌ„ge waters hailes raines frogges lice flies moren sores grashoppers thik darkenes He drouned Pharao in the reed sea and led his people through the middel therof he fed them with aungels fode and sent them bread from heauen He toke away the heritage of kinges gaue it them We read that the aungell answered the holy virgin Mary asking how she could conceiue sithen she knew no maÌ„ that y e powre of the highest shuld ouershadowe her and that by the same power her cosin Elizabeth should haue a sonne in her age for with God can nothing be vnpossible Christ sayth it is easier for a great Cameâ— to go through the eie of a nedel â–ª then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heauen notwithstaÌ„ding many riche meÌ„ haue entred thither as Abraham Isaac and Iacob king Dauid the pacient man Iob in the old TestameÌ„t and Mathue Zacheus and Ioseph of Aramathie in the new We may gather them that God can easely cause a mighty camel to go thorow the eye of a fine nedle wherfore al thinges be possible to him as Iesus teacheth his disciples that with men to be impossible but not with God for with him all thinges are possible Some deny him to be almighty for he can not sinne he can not lie he can not be disceiued he can not die Ye rather he is almighty because these thinges haue no stroke in him which be infirmities not powers include a certain wekenes feblenes and no omnipotencie If he could ether sinne or die or be deluded and lie he wer not almighty for he that sinneth becommeth the seruaunt of sinne Remembre ye not sayth Paul that to whomsoeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye ar to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto rightuousnes Christ also answereth the Iewes denying that they were bond but Abrahams sede verely I say vnto you whosoeuer coÌ„mitteth syn is the seruaunt of sinne S. Augustin a noble member of the christian congregation saith Magna dei potentia est non posse meÌ„tiri It is a great power of God y t he can not lie The same may be sayd of deceauing of al sinne of dying the which can not be in God because he is almighty Other reply that we can doe many thinges whiche the deitie can not As walke speake eate and drinke to which I aunswer that albeit God by himself do not these thinges yet he worketh theÌ„ al in his creatures
vnto repentaunce â–ª then vnto faith in Christ then sealed with the sacrament of baptisme then confirmed w t laying on of hands and last of all certâ—fied of the resurrectioÌ„ and generall iudgement and y t al at the time of their christening Nowe after y t he hath declared this maner of christniÌ„g begiÌ„ning of a christen man this form fashioÌ„ of y e primatiue church he saith incontineÌ„t that it is impossyble for such as faâ—â—e after this lightening to be renued again vnto repentaunce Who doth not se considering what goeth before and whi these words be brought in that he speaketh of the whole order and forme of Baptisme denieth that this forme and fashion can be Iterate My next reason is that he must nedes mean so because y e text doth not say that it is impossible for such to repent but Rursus renouari to be renued vnto repentaunce requiring a renuyng with the repentaunce What is to be renued then to be borne again the whiche is done only by baptisme We may repent without baptisme before and after but renued vnto repentauÌ„ce we can not be without this noble sacrament Wherfore S. Paul in this place forbidth al iteration of baptisme not of repentaunce Thirdly it appereth to be so also of these wordes Rursum crucifigentes sibimet ipsis filium dei Crucifying vnto them selues againg the sonne of God and making a mock of him For al such as wil be christened more than once crucifie Christ again in a figure and scorne his death as insufficient to take away their synnes For baptisme is a figure of it as s. Paul witnesseth saying RemeÌ„ber ye not that al we which be baptised in the name of Iesus Christ are baptised to die with Christ. Wherfor as Christ died but once making ful satisfactioÌ„ for sins so baptisme is but once to be ministred but they denie this also If any man wold know the vse of the primatiue churche in this poynt Eusebius regestreth that Alexander byshop of Alexandria calling a couÌ„sel of learned men enacted that all those which Athanasius christened in the way of pastime being chosen byshop by a coÌ„pany of laddes and being but a boy him self ought not to be rechristened The Anabaptistes alledge the .ix. of the Actes where it is written that Paul findyng certen disciples at Ephesus whiche had not receiued the holy ghost baptised theÌ„ again in the name of the Lord Iesu. Paules baptising in this place is nothiÌ„g but geuing the holy ghost by laying on of hands as the text expouÌ„deth it self For first Paul is said to baptise them in the name of Christ and then these wordes according to the vse of scriptures be expounded with them whiche folow that is Paul laid handes vpon them and the holy ghost came on them If thou think that Baptisme can not be taken for geuing of the holy Ghost harken what Iohn the Baptist sayth of our Sauiour Christ and him self I baptise you in water in token of repentaunce but he that commeth after me shal baptise you with the holy ghost and with fyre Christ nevâ—r baptised any with water and yet the scripture sayeth he baptised because he gaue the holy ghost In this significatioÌ„ Paul baptised them again in the name of Iesus Christ without all iteration of the sacrament Melanâ—thon taketh this place vnto the Hebr. which the late Nouatians would wrest to maintein theyr opinion to be of the synne against the holy ghost out of which no man can rise for it is neuer forgeuen Thou hast now gentle reader two interpretations of the terrible saying of S. Paul folowe that which thou iudgest to be most true But to retourne to our matter may deny Gods omâ—ipotencie because he can not reuoke that which is past The Greek Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The power of God doth faile in nought saue this To make vndone that thing that once done is Yes truly God can do this if he wil albeit we iudge contrary of his infinite might power but it shal neuer come so to passe because it is to be supposed that God neuer wyl that thing to be vndon which he hath once done For he worketh al thinges and that without repentaunce If he would that thing to be vndone which is gone past or that word to be vnspoken which is spoken repentaunce shuld take place in him Yet can he do it albeit it be impossible vnto our vnderstanding The infirmitie is in vs which can not compreheÌ„d such a power such a maiestie not in him Through like infirmitie the Heathen supposed there were many gods because it semed to theÌ„ impossible for one to rule gouerne all things Therfore they deuided the gouernaunce of y e world betwene â—hre geuing heauen earth to Iupiter y e seas to Neptune the low places hel to Pluto Theâ— craued plenty of corn of Ceres riches of Plutus wine of Bacchê° Luck in huÌ„ting of Diana good fortune in woing of Venus and Cupido learning and vtterauÌ„ce of Mercury and victory in battaile of Minerua and Mars Through like infirmitie the Papistes brought in pilgrimages dedicatioÌ„s praiyngs to saintes thinking God ether not so able or â—ls not so wylling and merciful to hear our requestes and accomplishe them Some because they will rather deny his omnipotencie then confesse their own infirmitie say that he is called omnipotent because he can do whatsoeuer he wyll not all thinges I had rather acknowledge my infirmitie then diminishe his omnipotencie The .xix. Chapter ¶ God is defined out of his scriptures THere be many other things also belonging only vnto y e deitie meÌ„cioned in the scripture as I am the Lorde thy God whiche brought thee out of the land of Egipt the house of boÌ„dage and slauery the name of the Lord is a strong castell the rightuous flieth vnto it and shalbe saued and it is God that iustifieth God worketh in vs both â—he wyll and the dede God is a consuming fier God is light God is charitie thou shalt worship the Lord thy God him only shalt thou serue when I cal vpon the Lord he heareth me for nothing is to be honoured called vpon nothing heareth our praiers nothing is charitie light consuming fier nothing iustifieth and saueth y e rightuous saue God only The scriptur doth attribute these properties to no maner of creature Hitherto leuing all superfluous questions whiche haue rather curiosite then profit I haue applied my kynd of wryting to the capacities of the congregacion of which y e most part be lay declared what God is out of his most sacred and holy word which is the only way leading vs to the knowledge of him the only light illumining our darknesse the only fier and haÌ„mer that breaketh the hard stone that is vanquisheth il doctrine and confouÌ„deth al heresies They which seke him without it not coÌ„tent
with y e holsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ nor with the doctrine of Godlinesse go out of theyr way walke in darknes ouerwhelm theÌ„ selues with reasons of mans wisdome â–ª learn always neuer can get the knowledge of hym wast their braynes about vnprofitable questions strife of words wheâ—of spring enuy railinges euill surmisings vaine disputacioÌ„s of men with corrupt myndes destitute of the truth Wherfore as the child before he is born into the worlde abideth in his mothers wombe and taketh all nourishment of her so we must learn what God is with in the boundes of his worde not at rouers vntil he mercifully deliuer vs from this bondage and out of the dungion of the body and graunt vs to behold hym face to face Now gathering a summe of my sayinges I wyll define what God is not that any perfect definition can be made of him for he is vnsercheable but for the capacities of the laytie for whose sakes I write this that they may behold him in a glas and a shadow who caÌ„ not be sene in this life perfectly God is a spirituall and pure substaunce or nature immutable inuisible vnsearcheable fyllyng heauen and earth ful of vnderstanding of truthe and rightuousnesse of mercy of wysdom of al maner of goodnes without beginning without ending not create not made and maker of al thinges subiect to nothing and gouerning al thinges knowing al things yea euen the inward thoughtes ententes and heartes of men forgeuing sinne only to be honoured called vpon only hearing iustifying and sauing vs of an almighty arme and maiestie the father vnbegotten the sonne bâ—gotten the holy spirit proceading from them both I haue declared before all these thinges to be attributed vnto God in hys holy worde and the scripture doeth not only not deny but eftsones graunt the same al and euery one vnto Iesus Christ our sauiour and to the holy ghost our comforter as it shall appeare more euidently hereafter Whervpon it must nedes folow that both Christ is God and the almighty conforter also by nature not by name only as thei of whoÌ„ it is writteÌ„ Ego dixi dii estis I haue spoken you are Gods The .xx. Chapter ¶ In what order he wil write of a persone NOw seyng that I haue shewed what God is accordynge to the talent of my knowledge I thinke it conuenient vnto my matter to declare what this word persoÌ„ signifieth in this place forasmuch as the signification therof is referred to diuerse things And because many heretikes do mistake and wrongly expouÌ„d this word in the glorious blessed trinitie as they know which haue read auncient chronicles of times past I wil first shew what a person is not the which is easier and with thesame that there be thre persons in y e supergloriouse deitie For we must learne weightie hard matters by foreknowledge of easy thinges This done I wil shew what the word persone doth signifie in the godhed then I wil applie the definitioÌ„ therof to Christ and then I wyl referre the same to the holy comforter I wil proue Christ to be a substauÌ„ce and I wil fortifie the holy spirit to be a substaunce and Christ to be vnconfounded and the holy spirit to be vnconfounded Finally I will portray paint the thre persons â—hat is the trinitie by corporal similitudes whose nature in it self is ineffable and vnsearcheable And albeit these thinges be profound and high misteries and as hard as they be necessary and vnknowen and neuer yet disclosed in our mothers tonge yet I wil so shape and order my oration and speache after such a homely perceiuable fashion as shalbe most mete agreing to the capacitie of those that be simple The .xxi. Chapter ¶ A persone is not a difference of vocation and office and that the fathers of the old testament worshipped a Trinitie THe PatripassiaÌ„s SabelliaÌ„s after them Phoâ—inus of late Seruetus define a person to be a certain coÌ„dition differeÌ„ce of office as wheÌ„ we say Rosâ—ius somtime susteined the persone of Achilles somtime of Blisses or y t a king a prophet be diuers persons For as one man may represent y e person of Achilles Vlisses nothing letteth but one maÌ„ may be a king a prophet as Dauid was so thei say that y e father is the son y e holy spirit also that they be not thre seueral persons The story of Christes christening banisheth this opinioÌ„ wher we se a notable difference of the thre persons The father soundeth these wordes this is my beloued son The son is sene staÌ„ding in Iordan y e holy ghost lighteth vpoÌ„ him in y e likenes of a doue If the father the son the holy ghost be thre names one thing as of this heretical definition of a person it must nedes folow then the father both souÌ„deth the forsayd words was baptised of IhoÌ„ in y e famous riuer of Iordan appeared also in y e likenes of a doue But this doctrine is contrary to the truth of the gospel Wherfor a persone is not a differeÌ„ce of office Furthermore the Apostles are coÌ„maunded to christen in the name of the father the son the holy ghost If the father be all thre he is named thrife so it is Tautologia ociosa a folish and vain repeticioÌ„ And this of S. Paul likewise Grace be with you peace from God our father froÌ„ the Lorde Iesus Christ who vseth this maner of salutatioÌ„ in al his Epistles the which is vain superfluous if we credit this dampnable opinion Hearken what he saith in an other place Vnto vs there is but one God whiche is the father of whom are al things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ. By whom are al thinges we by him Doth not he teach vs here that there be two persons one of the father the other of the son not confouÌ„ded together and that these two persons be but one God Christ saith My doctrine is not myne but my fathers which sent me Wherfore he and his father be seueral persons not one thing Isaac was a figure of Christ For as Abraham at the coÌ„maundement of God led him vnto his death So Christ was sent of God to be slayn for our sinnes And Sampson likewise many others but Abraham Isaac Manoad Sampson were seueral persones wherfore the father and Christ be not all one thing But I wil speake of al the thre persons of the glorious Trinitie And forsomuch as many hold opinion that they of the old Testament nether worshipped ne knew any Trinitie but honoured only an vnitie and sought no further I will fyrst begyn with the testimonies of the olde Testament â–ª that it may appeare that this doctrine was preached from the creation of the worlde The begynning of the boke of generation teacheth vs
wytnesse let vs aske the scripture what the deuill is let vs enquire of Peter Paul let the Prophets the Euangelists testifie S. Peter saith that our aduersari the deuil walketh about like a roaring lion seking whome he mak deuour He compareth him to a Lion he walketh he seeketh And the chosen vessell Paule warneth vs to put on y e armour of God that we may stand stedfast against the crafty assaults of y e deuil forasmuch as we wrestle noe against flesh bloud but against rule against power against worldly rulere of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse for heauenlye things He maketh a difference betwene the deuill his assaults which be beastly affectioÌ„s saieng against y e crafty assalts of the deuill and he calleth them rulers powers wherfore thei be no fleshly motions But you will say he calleth them spirituall wickednesses a wickednesse is no substauÌ„ce So Terence calleth Dauus Scelus Tully calleth Cateline Pestis so the scripture caleth God loue truth and light il men darknes We read in y e story of Iob y t wheÌ„ y e seruauÌ„ts of god came stode before the Lord Satan came also among them God talketh w t him and he aunswereth that he had walked through the land and craueth of God to suffer him to scourge Iob without whose leaue he could do nothing After he rayseth the Sabees against Iob he kylleth his seruaunts he slayeth his childreÌ„ he smiteth him with marueilous sore byles froÌ„ the sole of his fote vnto his croune so y t he scraped away the filth of them with a potsherd Did an affection worck these things or a spiritual rule and substauÌ„ce To deceiue wycked king Achab he promiseth that he wil be a liyng spirit in the mouth of .iiii. C. prophets he vexeth kiÌ„g Saul Christ seeth him as lightning falling doun from heauen he blyndeth all those that beleue not the Gospel he worketh al iniquitie he seduced Adam and Eue he is y e enemy which soweth tares to destroy the sede of euerlasting life y t is of Gods worde he is the strong harnessed man and spirituall Pharao ouercomeÌ„ of our sauiour Christ he is the gouernour that ruleth in the aier and king of this world he setteth Christ on the pinacle of the temple and on a high mountain sheweth hym the glory of y e world he buffeteth S. Paul leâ—t he should be exalted out of measure through the abuÌ„daunce of reuelations he striueth w t Mighel the Archaungell disputeth about the body of Moises he shal cast the faithful congregation into pryson for .x. days he is the dragon cast out of heaueÌ„ by the bloud of the lambe and pursuing the woman Then he is no fleshly motioÌ„ vnles our sauiour Christ had such beastly motions vnlesse also heaueÌ„ were ful of such which was ful of traiterous angels In the countrey of the Gargasites two deuils seing christ cried out what haue we to do with thee O Iesu son of God art thou come hether to torment vs before y e time And they besech him of leue to go into the herd of swine Do affections cry talke kil smite fall from heauen tempt Christ pursue the church Christ telleth vs they shalbe punished in the fyre with the wicked saying depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and hys aungels S. Peter sayeth that God spared not hys aungels that synned but cast them downe into hell and delyuered them in to chaynes of darkenes to be kept vnto dampnation Paull commaunded the Corinthians to deliuer him which helde his fathers wife to SataÌ„ for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh He meaneth not that thei should giue him ouer to the lustes of the flesh suffer him to abide in vaine pleasures Wherfore deuels ar no fleshly lustes carnal motions sensuall affections Deuels beleue tremble saith Iames. They confesse Christ to be the sonne of God as in the EuaÌ„gelists we may read more theÌ„ once or twise But I think our Saduces wilbe edified more by a coniurer theÌ„ by the words of godlines wherfore I send theÌ„ to coÌ„iurers sorcerers enchauÌ„ters charmers witches which wyl learn and perswade theÌ„ that there be deuils and that they be not lustes of the flesh but spirituall substaunces spirits created for vengeaunce which now in y e end of the world shall powre out theyr strength to plucke the Lambe of God out of the myndes of al men If therfore al angels both good and euil be substauÌ„ces and not Godly or beastly lustes much more God the holy ghost maker of al spirites knower of thoughtes gouernour of the church forgeuer of syns hatcher of y e creaturs filler of al places is a spiritual substaunce no inspiration The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Christ is vnconfounded why he became man why he was borne of a woman he toke both the soule and body of man why he chose a virgin to be borne of and why a virgin hand fasted and maried why he was a babe at his beginning not an able man as Adam was at his first creation why he came so long after Adams fal why he was baptised tempted crucified c. NOw albeit both Christ be a substaunce and the holy ghost also yet it doeth not folow that thei be two persons in the supergloriouse trinitie for they may be both one as the Sabellians do teache Wherfore now I wil proue that they be vnconfounded y t which being proued no man can doubâ—e hereafter but thei be two persones for a persone is an vnconfounded substaunce We may learne out of Gods boke that nether the father nor the holy comforter toke mans nature vpoÌ„ them but Christ only For as through a natural man we were banyshed out of paradise made the children of euerlasting damnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie nether by an aungel or Archaungel but by a natural man to restore vs againe make vs heires to saluation as Paul witnesseth by a man came death by a man commeth resurrection of the dead For as by Adam al die eueÌ„ so by Christ al be made aliue And the will of God was that he shuld be born of a woman God sent his son Factum ex muliere borne or made of a woman But why was Christ born of a woman Truly because syn death ouerflowed the world through y e first woman he worketh the misterie of life and rightuousnes by an other woman y t the blame of sinne should not be imputed to his creature which is good but to y e will by which Eue sinned For seing he is a sauiour both of men and women he becoÌ„meth man forsomuch as maÌ„ is the better kind yet he is borne of a womaÌ„ y t we shuld beleue him to be a sauiour of women also so that his birth of a woman his becomming maÌ„ declareth him
with the grosse lompe of the body And that we shuld firmly beleue stedfastly credit Ex quibus Christus est secundum carnem that he is of the fathers concerning the flesh S. Mathew S. Luke reken his kinred fetch his stock and generation from Adam Enok Noe Abraham Dauid Salomon Roboam Zorobabel c. Moreouer Christ came not only to dye fâ—r our synnes but also to be an ensample vnto vs and a perfect patern of good lyuing as shalbe declared afterward Forsomuch theÌ„ as we be partakers of flesh bloud he also Participauit eisdem toke part with vs. If he toke other flesh not made of his mother but of what matter it pleased him he toke no part with vs nether doeth his ensample belong vnto vs. He is our brother For S. Paul saith he is not ashamed to call theÌ„ brethreÌ„ saying I wil declare thy name vnto my brethren Now brethren be of one nature substauÌ„ce touching their flesh and body Therfor she that denieth Christ to haue taken his flesh of his mother is not the sister of Christ but the eldest first borne doughter of Antichrist Yet she pretended that she beleued that Christ was a true natural man but in dede she denieth his maÌ„hod for if he had any manhod or humanitie as no doubt he had he had it vndoubtedly of his mother or els he was no man If he had it not of his mother define shew froÌ„ wheÌ„ce he had it Yea they say it is vnknoweÌ„ and vndefined in the scripturs How theÌ„ can we warrant Christes humanitie against heretikes if we make it vncertain wherof he toke it and if it be vnknowen wherof it was shapen But albeit he toke fleshe of his mother yet it was holy flesh not synful flesh that he toke for so much as it was coÌ„ceiued and wrought by the ouer shadowing of y e holy ghost Al be it the seed and flesh of other be sinfull yet hers was not so but sanctified bi the holy spirite most cleane for to her it was said Benedicta tu inter mulieres Blessed art thou amongst women He is Lapis de monte excisus sine manibus comminuens c. The stone of which Daniell recordeth that was cut out of y e hil without hands which hath shal breake into pouder the goldeÌ„ siluer brasen and yron kingdâ—mes that is the .iiii. Monarchies and Empyres of the Caldies and Babilonians of the Medies and Persies of the Macedonians Grekes and of he Romains The hill out of the which this stone is taken is the tribe house of Iuda which dwelt was situate vpoÌ„ mouÌ„t Sion in Ierusalem and by the wordes without hands is ment that this stone without mans seed mans help nature came out of y e foresaid hil in that he toke his flesh on no earthly father but onelie of the substaunce of Marye his mother of whose breastes the said flesh was nourished afterward Christ was conceaued of the holy ghost not the father who touching his humanitie hath no father vpon earth as concerning his diuinitie he hath no mother in heauen Further he was borne of a Virgin for somuch as Virginitie is a far more honorable thing then wedlocke The blessed Virgin Credendo non concum bendo grauida facta est was made fruitful by faith not bi mans help by the spirite not by lechery For it was seeming that the vnspotted lambe Iesus Christ who shoulde blot oute our sinnes as the fyer melteth the waxe that he should be born without all originall sinne NotwithstaÌ„ding was borne Ex Virgine desponsata of a Virgin handfasted and maried partly y t the yong Virgin shuld not be destitute of a helper a keper a nourysher in her aduersitie and trauayle her progresse into Egipte partly also that none shuld recount wedlocke vnelean or matrimonie vn pure forsomuch as he vouchsafed to be borne therin Neither is it any dishonor any defacing to y e diuine nature that Christ who filleth all y e world filled the woÌ„be of y e blessed virgin no not if her flesh had bene sinful vnsanctified For his diuinitie is not defiled therbi no more then y e son shining vpoÌ„ carrein filthy â—akes is dishonoured or defyled through their stinking sents or rather much lesse for he made the sun For the diuinitie is said to be vndefilable not because it toucheth no thing vnclean but because it coÌ„tinueth cleane whatsoeuer it toucheth Wherfore he was not defyled with the Virgins womb but saÌ„ctified it halowed it with his presence made it most clean and chose himselfe a mother in earth because before he had a father in heaueÌ„ If ani man think because Christ was borne of the holy ghost that he is y e holy ghost sonne let him not be deceaued for it is no sure reason if any thing be born of an other to make it straight the son therof as for example We are borne of water and yet we are not the sonnes of water we are borne of the holy ghost yet we are not the sonnes of the holy ghost but the sonnes of our heauenly father Also lice heares lumbrykes are bred gendred of man â–ª yet no body calleth them the sonnes of man Likewise many ar called the sons of some and yet they cannot be said to be born of them as Eschinus is son to Mitio and yet not borne of him And y e scripture calleth them Filios Mortis the sonnes of death the sonnes Belliall the children of the deuill the children of sin perdition the soÌ„nes of wrath the soÌ„nes of hel which wer neuer born of it but made vnto ignominie and Filios dilectionis y e soÌ„nes of loue y e soÌ„nes of light of promise of strength of the kingdome not borne of it but such as shalbe felowe heyres with Christ are prepared for y e kingdom So our sauiour Christ is said to be conceaued of y e holy comforter and borne of him yet he is not his soÌ„ne but thonli soÌ„ne of God y e father vnto whom we be also sonnes but we be the sons of promise he is y e soÌ„ne begotteÌ„ we be sons through adoption Christ is the sonne of God by nature for asmuch as the scripture is that he was coÌ„ceaued of the holy ghost who being God became man We caÌ„not gather therof y t he is Christes father for touching his humane nature he was borne without a father as touching his other nature he lackeâ— a mother but rather we may reason that he is his mother for y e mother coÌ„ceaueth not the father and so he shall haue .ii. mothers the whiche is vnpossible wherfore he is the onlie sonne of God the father But why is he borne a babe a litell one not an able man as Adam was Adam was made an able man because he was made after the
in al sinne and ouercommeth teaching vs by his example how to ouercome The deuil teÌ„pteth him with the lustes of the flesh with lust of the eies and with the desyre of worldly promocion with lust of the flesh saying If thou be the sonne of God speake that these stones be made bread But Christ answereth teaching vs to fight in like case Man shal not liue by bread only but by euery word that coÌ„meth out of the mouth of God He teÌ„pteth him bidding him cast himself down from the pinnacle because it was written that angels had charge ouer him Christ answereth thou shalt not tempt thy Lord thy Ged He tempteth him with desire of promotion with the lustes of the eies carying him into the mountain promising him the glory of y e world But he who made al the world refused worldly honor and teacheth vs that God only is to be worshipped Al sinne is conteined in the deuils thre temptacions and al vertue in Christes aunswers The deuil with thre proposicions wold inuegle Christ in all heresies but Christ confuteth him with thre scriptures And that thou shouldest not thinke that Christ is the holy ghost touching his incarnation he is sayde to be coÌ„ceiued of the holy ghost and in his baptising the holy comforter descendeth vpon him and when he is tempted the spirit leadeth him into wildernes wherfore he is vncoÌ„founded with y e holy gost Christ also suffreth death to deliuer vs from the tiranny of death not the father nor the holy ghost for he offred his flesh an odoriferous and swete smelling sacrifice to the father The cause why he humbled him self vnto death is forasmuch as our first parentes lost Gods fauour through pride for it was said vnto them taste and ye shal be as Gods For this cause it pleaseth Christ to ouercome the deuil by humilitie who through pryde entised vs from God and we also must ouercome by humilitie recouer Gods fauour by humilitie enter into the kingdom of heaueÌ„ through humilitie Doun therfore proud stomack down peacocks fethers down hygh mountaine and become a lowe valley The Lord wil breake down the house of the proude he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted as we may learne of the Publicane and the Pharisey We must returne to paradise by humilitie which we lost by pride Humilitie is the porter of heauen gates Fâ—ctus est obediens vsque ad mortem crucis He became obedient to the death of the crosse But why is Christ crucified for our sinnes Why did he chose this kind of death before other Truly because this kind of death is accursed and al that die of it as it is written cursed is euery one that hangeth on tree For so it commeth to passe that Christ was accursed for vs to deliuer vs from Gods curse as Paul saith Christ hath deliuered vs from the curse of law in that he was made accursed for vs. Only he rose from death to lyfe only he ascended into heauen in the sight of his disciples not the father nor the holy ghost Some searching wittes demaunde whether Christ could not deliuer vs but by assumpting our nature by suffring moste cruell tormentes He could but he would not He toke our nature because he came to deliuer our nature that nether kind shulde thinke they are dispised he became man was born of a woman that the serpent which seduced both man and woman might be ouercome through both Moreouer he came not only to deliuer vs but also to be an example of good liuing We be desirous of riches he preferred pouertie we hunt for promotion he would not be a king we are careful to make heires to leaue many children after vs he dispised such fashion we disdaine to suffer wroÌ„g he suffred al wrong we can not abide to be reuiled he held his tong we hate our ennemies we ar vnpainful in doing our duties he was scourged and whipped of his own wil for vs we be sore afrayd of death he died for vs. He was sent also to heale our infirmities by well doyng which came through sinne How caÌ„ our couetousnes he healed but by his pouertie How can our furiousnes be cured but by his pacience How can our vnkindnes be recompeÌ„sed but by his loue How can our timâ—rousnes be boldened but by his resurrection Further howe could he more set forth his exceading loue toward vs theÌ„ in dieng for vs. A greater loue then this hath no man then to bestowe his life saith Christ speaking of his own death The deitie suffreth no infirmitie which is impossible wherfore it was necessary that he should take our nature vpoÌ„ him who came to heale our infirmities and to teach vs to cure them through wel doing If he had takeÌ„ them in any other nature theÌ„ we might think that he dispised our nature that he loued vs not that the example of his life belongeth nothing vnto vs. For if he had ben tempted in another nature or died how could we learn to withstand the deuil to ouercome teÌ„ptacions to dispise death of him Wherfore there was no way lyke this to redeme maÌ„ He is wisdom wherfore he toke the most wysest way The .xxvi. Chapter ¶ The holy comforter is vnconfounded how and why he descended in the likenes of a doue rather then of any other bird NOw that I haue proued Christ to be vncoÌ„founded mine order requireth to fortifie thesame thing of the most glorious and holy coÌ„forter the which is done partly already for in that we haue proued that Christ is not the holy ghost the blessed almighty comforter is vncoÌ„founded with him He is vncoÌ„founded also with the father in that he procedeth of the father in that he leadeth Christ into the wildernesse in that he is sent of the father as Christ saieth WheÌ„ the comforter shal come whoÌ„ the father shal sende in my name and in that he is sent of Christ also as it is written When the comforter shal come whoÌ„ I wyll sende in my fathers name For Christ sendeth him the father sendeth both him and the almighty comforter but he himselfe is vnsent That he sent Christ the Apostle testifieth When the time was ful come God sent his sonne borne of a woman and made bonde to the lawe the which must be vnderstand of the father because he sayth God sent his sonne Wherfore Christ himself sayeth I went out from the father and came into the worlde His sendyng and his comming is hys incarnation as I haue proued before So the almyghtie comforter is sayde to be sent bycause he appeared in visible formes as in the lykenes of a Doue and Fyre not that he became a Doue and Fyre as Christe became very man but that it pleased hym to worke his graces and benefites by a doue and fier that our harts might beleue his preseÌ„ce and know his power