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
why did he leaue his accustomed progres Or how could he be a guide vnto the wyse men betwene Bethleem and Hierusalem being placed with the other starres in the firmament of heauen We read that the sunne stode vnder Iosue and went backward vnder Esechias but neuer of no star that left his ordeined circuite and wandred as one that loseth his way Peraduenture an aungell appered vnto the wyse men in the lykenes of a star for they appere in diuers likenesses and shapes At mouÌ„t Oreb an aungell spake vnto Moises out of a bush in the lykenes of fyre and at Galgall to Iosue the sonne of Nun like a man of armes Helias is caried vp to heauen in a charet of fyre and with horses of fyre The charet and the horse be the aungels of God whiche be ministring spirits accomplishing all his commaundementes The aungels appere vnto Abraham and Lot like thre wayfaring men Manne his wyfe sawe an angel talking with them as he had ben a Prophet So it may wel be that an aungel in the similitude of a star was a guide to the wise men For aungeles are called starres in the scriptures as in the reuelation of Iohn Stelle sep tem ecclesiarum angeli The seuen starres are the aungels of the seuen congregations Other thinke that this star was nether aungell nor a materiall star but the holy spirite whiche opened the incarnatioÌ„ of Christ both vnto the Iewes and to the Gentils but vnto the Iewes in the likenes of a Doue to the Gentils in the shape and similitude of a star of whiche Balaam an Astronomer prophecied long before Orietur stella ex Iacob there shall come a starre of Iacob that is a shining light of the holy ghost the which shal leade the HeatheÌ„ to the knowledge of Christ in the likenes of a star as he fell vpon the Apostles in the shape of fyre Thus muche I haue spoken of the starre that appered at the natiuitie of Christ bicause many by it wold proue fate and destinie But what say they is fate and destinie A stedfast and immutable order of causes wherby all thynges are done of necessitie called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 True it is nothing is done w tout a cause but yet many thiÌ„gs may seme to be done without any necessary cause for some causes be perfit some in our iudgement again may seme to be vnperfit Fire causeth heat perfectly and water cold but surfiting causeth sicknes a wound causeth death study causeth learning vnperfectly for a man may surfet be wounded and applie his study and yet nether be sick nedy ne learned If all causes were necessary but presuppose they were yet I wold deny all things to be ruled by their necessitie of fate and destinie for almighty God worketh what he will in them of his good pleasure He appered vnto Moises out of a bushe in a flame of fire and yet the bush consumed not He coÌ„maunded the fire not to hurt Ananias Azarias and Misael and saued them harmeles from the hote burning ouen Did necessitie of fate and destinie make Sara Elizabeth which were barren and past chyldren fruitfull Did destinie make Aarons rod bud the sunne to go bakward a maid to conceiue the blynd to see the deaf to heare the dead to aryse If almighty God then did al those thinges he leaueth not his creatures to be gouerned of causes which depeÌ„d one on another but ruleth them at his pleasure Salomon witnesseth of GOD that he doeth lengthen the lyfe of hys and shorten the life of the wicked saying The fear of the Lorde maketh a long life but the yeares of y e vngodly shalbe shortened There be many examples of this in the Bible The Prophet Esay commaundeth kyng Esechias to put his houshold in an order because he shoulde die out of hand and not liue and yet at his earnest request God lengthned his life .xv. yeares Thus we denie that the creatures are gouerned by stoicall destinie ether in their byrth death or any of their actions but only by the prouidence of God as the examples of the Scriptures concerning the birth of Iacob and Esau Phares and zara do witnes for the notable birth of Iacob Esau doth confute destinie and destroy the influence of the starres for they were borne both at one tyme in one place of one woman by one maÌ„ and yet they were as vnlyke as fier and water as lyght and darkenes as blacke white So were Phares and zara two twinnes also the chyldren of Iudas by his daugter Thamar These examples declare destinie influence of the starres to be but a fable yea they fortifie Gods prouidence teachyng him to be a gyuer of dyuers graces vnlyke fortunes and seuerall blessynges I graunt that an Astronomer may tell by the obseruation of the starres to what occupation to what estate of lyfe euery man is most feat most apâ— by nature but that he can tell mans fortune by any of his arte or cunning I deny vtterly For our lyfe is not ruled by the mouynge of the starres but by Gods prouidence who worketh all thynges in heauen and earth How then is that true whiche is wrytten in the boke of generation Compleuit Deus die septimo opus suum requieuit ab vni uerso opere c. He finished and he rested the seuenth day from all hys workes God rested the seuenth day from the workes of creation from formyng of newe creatures but not from gouerning of them The Carpenter after he hath finyshed the the house medleth no more therwith if God should doe so all creatures would peryshe If mans body can lyue without quickenyng of the soule the world may continue without his prouidence For he is to the worlde that the soule is to the body and more necessary to y e gouernauÌ„ce of it then y e soul to y e gouernaunce of the body forasmuch as he is y e maker both of soul body Thou must not imagin that God was wery with syxe dayes labour because he is sayd to haue rested the seuenth day who made all thynges and gouerneth them without labour and rested without werynes For resting signifieth endyng In the seuenth day God rested from al his workes that is he ended he finished the creation of the world Why then doeth not the scripture say he ended all his workes but that he rested from them Truly not without an vrgent cause for God is sayd to haue rested from all his workes whiche he made exceadyng good for because he wyll geue vs rest and quietnes from our trauayl if we wyll doe all good workes as he made all thynges exceading good This phrase of speakyng is vsed muche in the scripture as of the Apostle we knowe not what to desyre as we ought Spiritus intercedit pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilihus buâ—â—he spirit maketh intercession mightely for vs
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