such as bee baptized and dead they become actions of thankes-giuing for such as were exceeding good and peace offrings for such as were not exceeding euill albeit for such as bee exceeding euil these helpes preuail not at al after they are dead howsoeuer they which be liuing do take comfort thereby And to whom soeuer these things shall bee auaileable they bee either auaileable to the full remission of their sinnes or else that thereby their damnation may be the more easie and tolerable Animaduersions vpon the 110. Chapter How far forth the godly workes of the liuing doe releeue the dead Neither is it to be denyed that the soules of the dead c. SAint Augustines greatest blemish in all this booke is contained in this Chapter as Danaeus saith this error of his growing out of the doctrine of Purgatorie which of a little sparke grewe to a great fier the opinion of that time being that the soules of men being not reprobats were after death releeued and purged from their sinnes by the charitable prayers of the godly that liued Which opinion was rather destroyed then founded out of the word of God Howbeit hereupon afterwardes grewe praiers for the dead Masses Anniuersaries and indulgences the cause thereof being imputed to a booke which Augustine did write touching the care that was to bee had of the dead the same being â—reduced by the fauâ—tors of that error of praying for the dead that his book being writteÌ„ to those onely and chiefly who were desirous to knowe whether it were auaileable to a christian after death that his body should be buried apud sanctialâ—cuâ—us memoriam his meaning therein being corrupted by other mens interpretations And howsoeuer hee thinketh in this Chapter yet Augustine was not permanent in that opinion For he writeth in other places That there can bee no helpe of mercy performed by the â—ust to the soules of the deceased although the godly were neuer so much inclined to mercy in that case because the sentence of GOD is immu 〈…〉 being alreadie pronounced of them at their death For saith hee in an other place Gods iudgement hangeth not in suspence touching the soules of the dead but is instantly giuen and certainely set downe Because as hee affirmeth as euery man dyeth so is hee iudged of God neither can Gods sentence be altered corrected or diminished Seeing therefore Augustine is not constant herein himselfe wee ought not to bee mooued by his assertion because it wanteth the true leuain of Gods word and assurance or warrant of faith Danoeus moreouer affirmeth that in the celebration of the Lords supper at the first there was a commemoration of the dead Martyrs of God who dyed memorablie and triumphantly for the name of CHRIST to incourage others to bee resolute and constant in the profess on of the Gospell Afterwards in time the memorie of them beganne to be celebrated in that 〈◊〉 of the L. supper which were no martyrs at all but dying desired that they might bee remembred in the celebration of the same And so at length euery one that was baptized was remembred therein as Austin writeth in this place wher he calleth the Lords supper a sacrifice because as hee saith in his 10. booke De ciuitate Dei and 20. Chapter It is the Sacrament of the sacrifice of Christ For it is the commemoration of Christ his death and our thansgiuing for so great a benefit at Gods hand Anselmus also saith that which men call a sacrafice is a signe of the true sacrifice In which sense the auncient writers called the Lords Supper a Sacrifice not because Christ himself should again be offered vp by any mortall Creature This appellation therfore doth nothing at all releeue either the Papists or their Masse Besides it appeareth in many of Saint Augustines writings what hee calleth a Sacrifice that is to say either workes of mercy towards our selues or towards our neighbours which bee rendred vnto God as also the prayses celebration of Gods name In other places of scripture and of his owne workes hee sheweth by what reason euerie Christian is a Prâ—est The frequent deuotions vsed in the Church is the principall reason mouing Saint Augustine to thinke the soules of the godly deceased to bee releeued by the almes and prayers of the liuing because they began to be commonly and vsually performed in the Church for the dead Howbeit M. Caluin asketh how or by what warrant out of Gods word or example men dare do this Against whom if it bee replyed that in the 2. Maccabees 23. v. 44. it is written That it is godly to pray for the dead I aunswere that the excuse of the author is to be read appearing in the 15. Chapter From thenceforth it is not said that Iudas did sacrifice for the dead And these words Pium est ergo it is godly therefore be contained in the glosse and are no part of the text The ancient writers vsed fower reasons or arguments chiefely to make them beleeue that these things were truely obserued in the Church for the dead The first was drawen from that which Luke doth write touching Lazarus and the rich glutton To which I aunswere that that whole storie or narration was but a parable and if any the like reason be collected from that place for reliefe of mens soules by the liuing after death I may as well gather out of the same that soules haue teeth a tongue and an hand Augustine himselfe affirming that this argument is weake and noddeth The second argument is this Why say they doe men that dye make wills if they can receiue no helpe or reliefe by the liuing This matter is aunswered againe by Augustine writing vppon the hundred and eighâ—th Psalme Because there is saith hee a naturall care of posteritie ingrafted in all the godly while they liue vsing no wayes the crewell and profane speach of Nero saying When I am dead Let there be a confusion of heauen and earth The thirde argument is this why say they shuld the soules of the godly being dead appeare vnto the liuing if they felt not an effect of the workes of the liuing or that the liuing againe had none affinitie with them or did not belong vnto them I aunswere to this that the soules themselues are not sent but that these visions if GOD will so haue them appeare are presented vnto them by the dispensation of his prouidence for the comfort of the godly and terrour of the wicked being done by the operation of Angels and sometimes also by the power of Satan And where Augustine saith in his booke De cura pro mortuis cap. 15. that certaine which were dead we set vnto those which were liuing namely Samuel And on the contrarie amongst the liuing Paule was taken vp to Paradise I say plainely saith hee that this reason is weake and reeleth Their fourth and last reason is this The godly be taken out of this world before those euils which God meant to
yet the first death whereby the soule is compelled to forsake his body nor the second death whereby the soule is not suffred to depart out of the body that shall bee punished should euer haue happened to man if no man had sinned And truely the punishment of such persons shall be most easie who besides the guilt of originall sinne haue not added more thereunto of themselues and amongst those additionall sinnes euerie mans damnation shall be the more tolerable by how much the lesse hee hath sinned in the first life TOVCHING ETERnall life CHAP. 94. That the blessed in the state of eternall life which by Gods mercie they shall obtaine shall most fully perceiue the force of Gods grace WHen the reprobate of Angells and men shall remaine and haue their being in the place of euerlasting punishment then shal the blessed more sensibly feele and vnderstand what the fauour and grace of God hath voutsafed vpon them Then shall appeare in the euidence of things themselues that which is written in the Psalmes To thee O Lord shall I sing mercie and iudgement Because no man is deliuered from euerlasting destruction but by a mercie not due vnto vs by any specialtie of debt nor any againe condemned to eternall death but by a iudgement duely inflicted vpon him CHAP. 95. In the life eternall wee shall knowe why rather they then the other were the chosen of God AT that day it shall bee reuealed which now is concealed as touching the two infants whereof the one through the mercie of God was to bee chosen the other in his secret iudgement to bee refused in which iudgement hee that shall bee elected shall vnderstand what in iustice was due vnto him vnlesse mercy had holpen him why he rather then the other was elected wheÌ„ the cause was alike to both Why miracles or strange works were not done amongst some which if they had beene done such persons should haue repented and yet were done amongst those concerning whom God did know that they would not beleeue For the Lord doth plainely affirme Woe to thee Corazin Wo to thee Bethsaida for if in Tyre and Sidon those great workes had been done which were doâ—e amongst you they had long sithence repented in sacke-cloath and ashes Neither therefore would not God vniustly haue them to bee saued when as they might haue beene saued if they woulde Then shall that appeare in the clearest light of wisedome which the godly in this world doe apprehend by faith That is to say howe certaine immutable and most effectuall the will of God is how much he can do and yet will not and that he willeth not that thing which he cannot performe as also how truely it is sung in the Psalme Our God which is in heauen aboue hath done all things in heauen earth which hee would Which assertion is not true if hee would haue had somthings yet did theÌ„ not and which had been more derogatorie did not therfore accomplish it by reason the wil of man did hinder the performance of that which the omnipotent would haue done And therfore there is not any thing acted vnlesse the omnipotent would haue it so either in suffering it to be done or effecting it himselfe TOVCHING GODS Omnipotencie CHAP. 96. That God is said to be omnipotent because all thinges that bee are by his wil or permission neither can hee bee crossed by any creature NEither ought wee to doubt that God doth well in suffering of euills whatsoeuer to bee done For his permission thereof is not without a iust iudgement And no doubt but that euerie thing is good which is iust Although therefore these thinges which be euill in that they are euill cannot be also good yet is it good that there be not onely good but euill actions also For if this were not good that there should be also euils the Almightie who is good would not by any meanes suffer the same To which Almightie as it is no doubt easie to doe what hee will so is it as easie for him not to permitte that which hee will not haue done Which vnlesse wee doe beleeue it shaketh the verie foundation and beginning of the confession of our faith whereby wee doe confesse that we do beleeue in God the father almightie Neither is he truely called omnipotent for any other cause but because he can doe whatsoeuer hee will Neither is the will of the Almightie interrupted by the will of any creature TOVCHING GRACE and Predestination of the Saints CHAP. 97. The question is whether certaine things which God would haue done may bee crossed by men that they cannot take effect WHeÌ„refore wee are to consider how it is said of God in that which the Apostle most truely affirmed Forasmuch as God would that al should be saued For seeing not all but the most part or greater number is not saued it seemeth therefore that that which God wold haue done is not done mans will forsooth resisting Gods will For when the cause is examined why all bee not saued it is wont to be aunswered because they themselues will not haue it so Which saying cannot bee extended to infants in whom ther is no power to will or nill For that which infants do by instinct of nature if the same were ascribed to their wil when in baptisme they resist and shrinke from that water as much as they can by that reason wee should affirme that they were saued against their wils But the Lord speaketh more plainely in his Gospel talking with the wicked Citie How often sayth he would I haue gathered together thy children euen as the henne doth her chickens and thou wouldest not as though Gods will were ouerruled by mans will and that men being most weake of all creatures by their vnwillingnes hindering the same the most mightie could not accomplish that which hee desired Where then is that his omnipotencie whereby hee did all things in heauen and in earth which hee would if hee would haue brought home the lost children of Israell and did it not Or rather would not that Citie that hee should bringe home her Children and yet notwithstaÌ„nding whether shee would or noe did not the Lorde reduce such of them as hee would for as much as both in heauen and in earth hee did not will certaine thinges and doe them not dooing some other things which hee would haue done but hee did whatsoeuer hee would CHAP. 98. Albeit God can when hee will conuert the euill dispositions of men yet doth hee iustly although hee doe not reforme the same and when hee turneth them vnto him hee doth it of his owne meere grace and mercie WHo moreouer is so wickedly vnwise as that hee will affirme that God cannot make good when hee will the euill dispositions of men which of them hee will when he will and where hee will Howbeit when hee doth it hee doth it of his owne mercy and when hee doth it not he doth it not by reason of
vpon the onely motion of his owne will yet so that which soeuer of these he should choose Gods will should bee fulfilled either by him if man chose the better or vpon him if hee chose the worse Whether of these two hee is to make choyse resteth in Gods will comming certainly either from or of God Therfore because man would rather fulfill his owne will then Gods God did in like sort execute his will vpon him who of the selfe same Masse of perdition deriued from his own stocke and progenie doth make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour that to honour by his mermercie the other to dishonour through his iudgemente to the ende that no man might make too great estimate of the condition of man or thereby consequently of himselfe CHAP. 108. Our saluation is so certainely of God as that we could not haue beene saued by Christ vnlesse as hee was made man so also hee had beene God FOr neither should wee haue been redeemed by that onely Mediatour betweene God and man the man Christ Iesus vnlesse also he had been God When Adam was created that is man in his righteousnes at that time he needed no mediatour But when sinnes had made a separation between God and man wee stood in need of the helpe of a Mediatour to reconcile vs to God being such an one as was solely born without sin and so liued was slaine vntil the day of resurrection of the flesh to life euerlasting to the ende that the pride of man might bee reprooued by the humilitie of God and therby made whole as also to make man knowe how farre hee was departed from God when as he was to be brought backe againe by God incarnate and that disobedient man must be taught obedience by the exāple of God being made man As also that the fountaine of mercie should be opened by the onely begotten taking vpon him the forme of a seruant who had not by any former action deserued such indignitie And that also the redeemer himselfe should goe before and shew vnto vs in his own person the resurrection promised to the redeemed And that the Diuell should be subdued by the same nature which he reioyced that he had deceiued Notwithstanding al which man was not to boast least pride should be eftsoones reuiued in him and if any thing else can be inwardly conceiued or said concerning so great a mystery of the Mediator by such as growe and increase with the increasings of God or onely may bee conceiued in thought if it cannot be vttered in speech TOVCHING THE Place and State wherin our soules remaine after this life CHAP. Cix That the soules of men presently after death remaine in certaine receptacles vntill the later day THe time that is betweene the death of man and the resurrection doth containe the soules of the deceased in certaine secret and vnseene receptacles accordingly as euerie of them haue deserued rest or paine by the deeds of the flesh whil'st they liued Animaduersions vpon the Cix Chapter That the soules of men presently after death remaine in certaine receptacles vntill the later day HOwsoeuer Augustine in this Chapter affirmeth that the soules of men after death remain in certaine receptacles vntill the day of doome being drawen to that opinion as is thought by Irenaeus a most auncient writer who as Danaeus setteth downe in his Comment vpon this Chapter sayeth plainely That the soules of Christes Disciples for whome hee had wrought these happinesses or eternall blessinges should depart away into an inuisible place appointed vnto them by God where they should remaine vntill the resurrection and that being done should afterwardes put on their bodies againe and rise in greater perfection Yet afterwards in an other place Augustine doth make a question thereof being doubtfull of that doctrine and thinketh it may be for certaine affirmed that the soules of the godly be transported presently after death into that place which is more glorious and excellent than mortall bodies or any shapes of bodies that place being aboue all the heauens and that heauen where Christ is dwelling Afterwards writing vpon S. Iohn Tract 49. vpon better iudgement hee would haue the soules of the godly after they be out of this body as touching the place to be with Christ according to that of Iohn Cap. 17. ver 24. Father I will that they which thou hast giuen me be with me euen where I am c. And Luk. 23. v. 43. This day shalt thou bee with me in Paradise And more plainely Augustine in his fift Sermon touching Saints saith that the soules of the holy are to be beleeued to be with Christ And afterwards discoursing of Paradise whether it were locall or spirituall hee saith That the Lotte ordained for the godly is called Abrahams bosome Which his opinions being laid together lot the later and better bee preferred before the worse looking into Saint Augustines booke of Retractations wherunto Danaeus dot brefer those who would be better satisfied of him in matters wherein he was either ledor misled by the error of himselfe or of that Age. CHAP. Cx. How farre-forth the godly workes of men while they liue bee auaileable NEither is it to be denied that the soules of the deceased are releeued by the godlinesse of their liuing friendes when as either the sacrifice of the Mediatour is offered for them or almes distributed in the Church But these thinges bee auaileable but onelie to such who when they liued did meritorious workes to make them auailcable vnto thē For there is a kinde of life neither so good but that it needeth these helpes after death neither so euill but that it may bee benefited by them And there is a kinde of liuing so good as needeth not these helpes and there is a kinde of liuing so euill that it can receiue no helpe or benefit by these when the course of this life is finished Wherefore in this life man procureth a possibilitie of being releeued after this life or subiecteth himselfe to a necessitie of greeuous and helpelesse punishment For let no man hope when hee is dead by any after-merite to redeeme his neglect of well dooing while he liued with God Therfore these deuotions which the Church doth sooftē vse in praying for the dead bee not repugnant to that sentence or assertion of the Apostle wherin it is said for we shal al appear before the tribunal of Christ to receiue iudgement according to our deedes in the flesh as they haue beene either good or euill Because euery man while hee liued in the flesh did such thinges as deserued this fauour of God that the prayers of the Church might bee effectuall for him after his departure death For they are not auaileable for all And wherefore are they not auaileable for all but in respect of the diuersitie of euery mans action in this life When as therefore either the sacrifices of the altar or of any sort of almes be offered for all
there is life without death truth without error and felicitie without interruption we ought not to doubt that the cause of good effects or things pertaining vnto vs doth growe out of any other ground than of the goodnesse of God and that the reuolting will first of angels and afterwards of men reiecting an immortall good and imbracing the contrarie was the originall cause of euill or sinne CHAP. 24. There be foure secondarie causes of euill namely Ignorance Concupiscence Sorrow and Pleasure THe first and originall euill which happeneth vnto man beeing a reasonable creature is his priuation of good Afterwards also ignorance in the actions of this life did creepe in whether man would or no as also a concupiscence or feruent desire of things hurtfull and pernicious with whom as companions be brought in priuily error and griefe or sorrow Which two euils after they be sensibly perceiued to hang ouer our heads that motion of the minde which mooueth vs to shun theÌ„ is called feare Moreouer the mind after it hath obtained the things it earnestly desireth although they bee hurtfull and friuolous yet the same beeing voide of sense and vnderstanding therof by reason of error wherewith it is blinded or else beeing bewitched with a contagious delight and pleasure therein it is carried as it were this way and that way with a false conceit of ioy From which fountaines as it were of corruption not of fulnesse but of enptinesse all mans miserie and wretchednesse doth spring OF THE SINNE OF Adam CHAP. 25. That the damnation both of angels and men because they sinned was iust howbeit their punishment not alike or the selfe same Also what was the condition or state of man before he fell into sinne WHich nature notwithstanding amidst his miseries could not leese his desire to obtaine eternal life Howbeit these euils were generall both to meÌ„ and angels who were damned in respect of their malice by the iustice of God But man hath his peculiar punishment in the death of his body For the Lord did threaten death vnto him in case hee sinned And God so induing him with free-will as that yet hee would haue him subiect to his will and kept in awe to fall for feare of destruction did also place him in the blisse of Paradise as it were in the shadow of life from which he should haue beene aduanced to greater felicities if hee had kept himselfe righteous CHAP. 26. The sinne of the first man and his punishment fell not onely vpon Adam but flowed also to all his posteritie And so by one man sinne came into the world HEreupon Adam after he had sinned beeing a banished man did binde ouer vnto death and destruction his whole posteritie and off-spring whom by sinning hee did pollute in himselfe as in the roote insomuch as whatsoeuer issue was begotten in the concupiscence of the flesh in which a punishment of quality like to disobedience was inflicted by Adam and his wife who was the cause of his transgression being ioyntly damned should draw original sinne from them by which also they should be drawen by errors and many agonies into those endlesse punishments with the reuolting Angels the corrupters of mankind the possessors of that infernall place and with their consorts companions Thus came sinne into the world by one maÌ„ and death by sinne and so it is conuaied into all mankinde all hauing sinned in and through one For the Apostle in that place calleth the world All mankinde CHAP. 27. It was wrought by the onely and great mercy of God that onely men of sinnefull nature should hope for reformation that is to say redemption which hope is not either in the angels that sinned or in the diuels IT followeth therefore that the whole masse and lump of maÌ„kind lay damned in sinnes or rather wallowed therein and ran head long from vices to vices and beeing combined with the angels that sinned receiued most condigne punishment for their wicked reuolting Whatsoeuer therefore the wicked doe wittingly commit in their blinde and vnbridled concupiscence whatsoeuer punishments they do outwardly suffer in the face of the world against their wils is to bee imputed to the iustice of Gods wrath neither doeth the iustice of God cease to giue life and strong coÌ„stitution to the wicked angels who die if his diuine helpe bee withdrawen And likewise to giue forme and life vnto the â—eedes of men in what progenie or stocke soeuer beeing either defiled or damned fashioning the limbes and parts of the body betweene times quickening the senses by degrees and in their places as they lie in the body and giuing them inward nutriment For hee thought it better to drawe goodnesse out of euils rather than not to tolerate any euills to be at all And in case it had beene his will not to haue had any reformation in man to make him better as it was in wicked angels in whome there is no amendment might it not very condignely haue comne to passe that that nature which hee hath spurned vnder his feete by abusing the power or will hee had giuen him the commandement of his Creator and transgressed the same which he might very easily haue obserued which hath blemished the image of his Creator being in him by a contemptuous turning away from the light thereof which wickedly violated by the power of free-wil the wholsom seruitude that hee should haue performed to his lawes should vniuersally therefore bee forsaken of him and sustaine an euerlasting punishment by due desert Truely thus hee should haue done if he had beene onely iust and not mercifull also and had not giuen more euident demonstration of his mercie which he was no waies bound by promise or duty to haue performed especially in the redemption of such as were vnworthy thereof OF THE FALL AND sinne of the Angels CHAP. 28. The reuolting and wicked angels did all of them sinne together dwell together perpetually damned But the good angels and such as cleaned vnto God doe inioy eternall felicitie CErtaine therefore of the angels which left God by their sinfull pride were throwen downe from the high habitation of heauen to the vttermost darkenes of the ayre or element belowe and the number of angels which remained had their dwelling with God in euerlasting happinesse and holinesse For neither were the rest of the angels begotten of that one angell which fell and was damned whereby originall sin did binde them as it did mortall creatures in the chaines of guiltie posteritie drawing the whole multitude into the punishments due to the offenders But that one Angell who exalted himselfe with his associates impitie and is therefore made a diuel by that his pride and exaltation is cast downe with them the rest which cleaued vnto God in godly obedience receiuing a certaine light and knowledge which the others had not wherby they rested assured of their eternall and permanent estate CHAP. 29. To supply the places of the Angels that fell certaine are
that it is not in him that willeth but in God that sheweth mercy because the wil of man doth not simply and alone accomplish that worke why is it not of the contrary truely inferred that it is not in God that sheweth mercy but in mā that willeth because Gods mercy doeth not solely performe that action Furthermore if no Christiā dare affirme that it is not in God that sheweth mercy but in man that willeth lest hee should most plainly gainesay the Apostle it followeth thē that we take this his saying Viz. That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy to be true in as much as the whole work is to be attributed vnto God who both prepareth that good will which is in man as standing in neede of his assistance and afterwards also helpeth the same beeing so prepared For the good will or will to doe good in man goeth before many of Gods gifts but it is not precedent to all And when it followeth commeth after Gods gifts yet is it a companion amongst them For it is both waies read in holy scripture viz. Both his mercy shall goe before me also his mercy shall follow me It preuenteth or goeth before him that is backward to make him willing and followeth him that is forward and willing lest his will become frustrate For why are we admonished to pray for our enemies beeing of themselues vnwilling to liue vertuously but onely that God would worke a will in thē to doe well Wherefore also are we willed to ask at Gods hands to the end we may obtaine but that our petition may bee performed by him to whom we are petitioners By whom also it is wrought that we will or desire that which wee pray for We pray therefore for our enemies that Gods mercy may preuent and goe before them as it hath done before vs. We pray also for our selues that his mercy may attend vpon vs. OF CHRIST THE MEdiator CHAP. 33. That Christ is our Mediator peace-maker with God because he maketh him our friend by the oblation of that sole sacrifice which is himselfe MAnkinde therefore was detained in the state of iust damnation and all were the children of wrath of which wrath it is written Because all our daies are in declination and we our selues are fallen into thy displeasure our yeares are folded vp as a Spiders webbe Of which wrath Io◠also saith For man which is borne of woman is short of life and his daies full of sorrow Of which wrath also our Lord Iesus saith He that beleeueth in the sonne he shall inioy euerlasting life but he which doth not beleeue in him is not in the state of saluation but Gods wrath and indignation abideth vpon him Hee saieth not It shall come vpon him but it abideth vpō him With this euery mortall creature is borne Whereupon the Apostle saith For wee were also by nature the children of Gods wrath euen as others were Seeing therefore all mortall creatures were by originall sinne in this displeasure of God the same lying so much the more heauily vpon vs by how much our own sins added therunto did also aggrauate the same by their greatnesse and aboundance a mediator in this case was behoouefull and necessarie that is to say a reconciler who pacified Gods wrath by the oblation of that sole sacrifice whereof all the sacrifices of the Law and Prophets were but shadows Wherupon the Apostle saith For if when wee were enemies we were recōciled to God by the death of his son much more now beeing reconciled shall himself by his blood-shedding be a protection vnto vs against his wrath and indignation For when God is angry the perturbation which is in him is not such as is in the minde of a man when hee is offended But the word being borrowed from the passion which is in mortall creatures Gods reuēge which of it self is neuer but iust putteth on the appellatiō of anger or wrath Inasmuch therefore as we are reconciled vnto God by a Mediatour receiuing the holy Ghost whereby we are made friēds of foEs for that how many soeuer be sanctified by the spirit of God become the sonns of God this recōciliatiō cōmeth of the meere mercy of God thorough Iesus Christ our Lord. CHAP. 34. That Christ who is the word of God to the end he might be our mediator peace-maker with God did take flesh and was incarnate of the virgin Marie OF which Mediator to speak in that ample manner as the matter it selfe doeth deserue would aske a long discourse yet could not worthily bee expressed by the pen of any man For who could with fit words set forth this onely thing namely that the word was made flesh and dwelled in vs to the ende we should beleeue in the onely sonne of God the father beeing omnipotent borne of the holy Ghost and the virgin Marie and that the word was so made flesh as although the flesh was begotten by his diuinitie or deitie yet was there not any mutation or change of his diuinitie or deitie into the flesh Moreouer in this place we are to take this word Caro which is flesh to bee homo that is man the speech figuratiuely signifying the whole by the part which for example this saying doeth demonstrate namely Because by the workes of the lawe all flesh that is to say euery man shall not be saued For we may lawfully say that in this susception or incarnation there was no defect in the humane nature the same nature beeing yet voide of all sinnefull copulation not such as is begotten betweene man and woman in carnall concupiscence wrapping vs in the bond of sinne the staine of which originall guilt is washed away by regeneration but such as was fit to bee borne of a virgin beeing a thing conceiued in the faith not in the lust or sinnefull appetite of the mother For if in the birth of him that was borne her integritie had beene blemished then should he not haue beene borne of a pure virgin and the whole Church should also vntruly confesse which God forbid that hee was borne of a virgin which Church following the example of Christs mother doth daiely bring forth members of that mysticall body and yet notwithstanding is a virgin still Read if you list my Letters touching the virginity of Saint Mary writtē to that renowmed man Volusianus of whome I doe here make mention with all reuerence and loue CHAP. 35. That Christ who consisteth of two natures namely diuine and humane is notwithstanding but one in subsistence CHrist Iesus therefore the son of God is both God and man God before all worlds and man in this age or world wherin we liue God because hee is the word for God was the word and man because to make an vnitie of the person a reasonable soule and the flesh were adioyned to the word Wherfore as he is God he and the father be one