necessitie prouoketh his wrath bicause it is a breache of the law vpon whiche the iudgement of God is pronounced without exception and that the sinnes of the holyones are veniall or pardonable not of their owne nature but bicause they obteyne pardon by the mercie of God The. ix Chapter ¶ That Christ although he was knowen to the Iewes vnder the law yet was deliuered only by the Gospell BYcause it pleased God in the olde time not vainely by expiations and sacrifices to declare himself a Father and not in vayne he did consecrate a chosen people to himselff euen then without doubte he was knowen in the same image wherein he now appereth to vs with full brightnesse Therefore Malachie after that he had bidden the Iewes to take hede to the law of Moses to continue in studie thereof bicause after his death there should come a certaine interruption of the office of the Prophetes did forthwith declare that there shuld arise a sonne of righteousnesse In which wordes he teacheth that the lawe auaileth to this purpose to hold the godly in expectation of Christ to come but yet that there was muche more light to be hoped for when he should be come in deede For this reason doth Peter say that the Prophetes did make searche and diligently enquire of the saluation that is now opened by the Gospell and that it was reueled vnto them that they should minister not to themselues nor to their owne age but vnto vs those thinges that are declared by the Gospel Not that their doctrine was vnprofitable to the people in olde time or nothing auailed themselues but bicause thei enioyed not the treasure which God sent vnto vs by their hand For at this day the grace wherof they testified is familiarly set before our eyes And wheras they did but a litle sippe of it there is offred vnto vs a more plentiful enioyeng therof Therefore Christ himself whiche affirmeth that he had witnesse borne him by Moses yet extolleth the mesure of grace wherby we excel the Iewes For speaking to the Disciples he sayd Blessed are the eyes that see that whiche ye see blessed are the eares that here ath at whiche ye heare For many kinges Prophetes haue wished it haue not obteined it This is no smal coÌ„mendation of the reuelyng of the gospel that God preferred vs before the holy fathers that excelled in rare godlinesse With whiche sentence that other place disagreeth not where it is sayd that Abraham saw the daye of Christ and reioysed For though the sight of a thing farre distant was somwhat darke yet he wanted nothyng to the assurance of good hope And thense came that ioye whiche accompanied the holy Prophet euen to his death And that sayeng of Iohn Baptist No man hath seen God at any time the only begotten that is in the bosome of the father hath declared him vnto vs doth not exclude the godly whiche had ben dead before him froÌ„ the â—elowship of the vnderstandyng light that shineth in the persone of Christ. But coÌ„paryng their estate with oures he teacheth that those misteries which thei saw but darkly vnder shadowes are manifest to vs as the author of the episte to yâ— Hebrewes doth wel set out sayeng that God diuersly and many wayes spake in olde time by the Prophetes but now by his beloued Sonne Although therefore that only begotten one which is at this day to vs the brightnesse of the glory the point of the substance of God the father was in olde time knowen to the Iewes as we haue in an other place alleaged out of Paule that he was the guide of the old deliuerance yet is it true whiche the same Paule els where teacheth that God which coÌ„maunded the light to shine out of darknesse hath nowe shined vpon our heartes to set forth the knowledge of the glorie of God in the face of Iesus Christ bicause when he appered in this his image he did in a maner make himself visible in comparison of the darke and shadowish forme that had ben of him before And so much the more fowle and detestable is their vnthankefulnesse peruersnesse that are here so blinde at midde daye And therefore Paule sayth that their mindes are darkened by Satan that they should not see the glorie of Christ shining in the gospell though there be no veile set betwene them and it Now I take the Gospell for the clere disclosyng of the misterie of Christ. I graunt truely that in that respect that Paul calleth the gospel the doctrine of fayth al the promises that we here and there finde in the law concernyng the free forgeuenesse of sinnes whereby God reconcileth men to himself are accompted partes therof For he coÌ„pareth faith against these terrors wherewith the conscience should be troubled vexed if saluation were to be sought by workes WherupoÌ„ foloweth that in takyng the name of the gospel largely there are coÌ„teined vnder it all the testimonies that God in old time gaue to the fathers of his mercie and fatherly fauour But in the more excellent signification of it I saye it is applied to the publishyng of the grace geuen in Christ. And that meanyng is not only receyued by common vse but also hangeth vpon the authoritie of Christ and the Apostles Whereupon this is proprely ascribed vnto him that he preached the Gospell of the kingdome And Marke maketh his preface in this maner The beginnyng of the Gospell of Iesus Christ. And there is no neede to gather places to proue a thing sufficiently knowen Christ therefore by his coÌ„myng hath made clere the life and immortalitie by the Gospell By whiche wordes Paule meaneth not that the fathers were drowned in darknesse of death vntil the sonne of God did put on flesh but clayming this prerogatiue of honour to the gospell he teacheth that it is a newe and vnwonted kinde of message whereby God performed those thinges that he had promised that the truthe of his promises shuld be fulfilled in the persone of the Sonne For although the faithful haue alway found by experieÌ„ce that same sayeng of Paule to be true that in Christ are all the promises yea and Amen bycause they were sealed in their heartes yet bicause he hath accomplished al partes of our saluation in â—his flesh therefore that selfe liuely deliueryng of the thinges rightfully obteyned a newe and singular title of prayse Whereupon cometh that sayeng of Christ Hereafter ye shall see the heauens open and the Angels of God ascendyng and descendyng vpon the sonne of manne For though he seme to haue relation vnto the ladder shewed in a vision to the Patriarch Iacob yet he setteth out the excelleÌ„cie of his coÌ„ming by this mark that he opened the gate of heauen to all men that the entrie thereof maye be stand familiarly open to all men But yet we must take hede of the deuelish imagination of Seruet
lampes lightned doo shyne in the edifice of the worlde to shew forth the glory of the creatour which do so euery way display their beames vpon vs that yet of them selues they can not bryng vs into the right way In deede they raise vp certaine sparkles but suche as be choked vp before that they can spreade abrode anye full brightnesse Therfore the apostle in the same place where he calleth the ages of the worlde images of thynges inuisible sayth further that by faithe is perceyued that they were framed by the worde of God meaning therby that the inuisible godhed is in dede represēted by such shewes but that we haue no eies to see the same throughly vnles they be enlightued by the reuelation of God through faith And Paule where he teacheth that by the creation of the world was disclosed that which was to be knowen concerning god doth not meane such a disclosyng as may be comprehended by the witte of men but rather sheweth that the same procedeth no further but to make them vnexcusable The same Paule also although in one place he sayth that God is not to be sought afarre of as one that dwelleth within vs yet in an other place reacheth to what end that nerenesse auayleth In the ages past sayth he God suffred the nations to walke in their own waies yet he lefte not hym selfe without testimonie doyng good from heauen geuyng showres and fruitefull seasons fillyng the hartes of men with foode and gladnesse Howsoeuer therfore the Lorde bee not withoute testimonie whyle with his greate and manyfolde bountyfulnesse he sweetely allureth men to the knowledge of hym yet for all that they cesse not to folowe their owne waies that is to say their damnable errours But although we want naturall power wherby we can not clymbe vp vnto the pure and cleare knowledge of God yet bycause the faulte of our dulnesse is in our selues therfore all colour of excuse is cutte away from vs. For we can not so pretende ignorance but that euen our conscience dothe stil condemne vs of slouthfulnesse vnthankfulnesse It is a defence forsoothe right woorthy to be receyued if man will alledge that he wanted eares to heare the truth for the publishyng wherof the very dombe creatures haue lowde voyces yf man shall say that he can not see those thynges with his eyes whyche the creatures without eyes doo shewe hym yf man shall laye for his excuse the feblenesse of his witte where all creatures without reason doo instructe hym Wherfore sithe all thynges doo shewe vs the right way we are worthily put from all excuse of our wanderyng and strayeng out of the way But howe soeuer it is to be imputed to the fault of men that they dooe by and by corrupt the sede of the knowledge of God sowē in theyr mindes by meruailous workemanshyp of nature so that it groweth not to good and cleane fruite yet it is moste true that we are not sufficiently instructed by that bare and simple testimonie that the creatures do honourably declare of goodes glory For so soone as we haue taken by the beholdyng of the worlde a smalle taste of the godhead we leauyng the true God doo in steade of hym rayse vp dreames and fansies of oure owne brayne and doo conuey hyther and thyther from the true fountayne the prayse of ryghtousnes wysedom goodnes and power Moreouer we doo so either obscure or by yll estemyng them depraue his daily doynges that we take away bothe from them their glorye and from the authour his due praise ¶ The .vi. Chapter That to atteyne to God the Creatour it is nedefull to haue the scripture to be our guyde and maistresse THerefore althoughe that same brightnesse which both in heauen and earth shineth in the eies of al men doth sufficiently take away al defense frō the wickednesse of mē euen so as God to wrappe al mankind in one giltinesse doeth shewe his diuine maiestie to al withoute excepcion as it wer portraied out in his creatures yet is it necessary that we haue also an other and a better helpe that may rightly direct vs to the very creator of the world Therfore not in vayne he hath added the light of his worde that therby he mought be knowen to saluacion And this prerogatiue he hath vouchesaued to geue to vs whom it pleased him more nerely and more familiarly to draw together to himselfe For because he saw the mindes of al men to be carried aboute with wandering and vnstedfast motion after he had chosē the Iewes to his peculiar flocke he compassed them in as it were with barres that they should not wander out in vanitie as other did And not withoute cause he holdeth vs with the same meane in the true knowledge of himselfe For otherwise euen they should quickly swarue away that seme to stand stedfast in comparison of other For as olde men or poore blind or they whose eies ar dimme sighted if you lay a faire boke before them though they perceiue that there is somewhat written therin yet can they not reade two words together but being holpen with spectacles set betwen them and it they begin to reade distinctlye so the Scripture gathering vp together in our mindes the knowledge of God whiche otherwise is but confused doeth remoue the mist and plainly shewe vs the true god This therefore is a singular gifte that to the instruccion of his church God vseth not onely dumme teachers but also openeth his owne holye mouth not onely publisheth that there is some God to bee worshipped but also there withal pronounceth that he himself is the same God whō we oughte to worship and doeth not onely teache the electe to loke vpō God but also presenteth himselfe vnto them to be loked vppon Thys order hath he kept frō the beginning towarde his churche beside these common instruccions to geue them also hys worde Whiche is the righter and certainer marke to knowe him by And it is not to be douted that Adam Noe Abraham and the rest of the fathers by this help attained to that familiar knowledge which made them as it wer seuerally differente from the vnbeleuers I speake not yet of the proper doctrine of faith wherwith they wer enlightened into the hope of eternall life For that they myght passe from death to life it was nedefull for them to knowe God not only to be the creatoure but also the redemer as doutlesse they obteined both by the worde For that kinde of knowledge wherby was geuen to vnderstande who is the God by whō the worlde was made and is gouerned in order came before the other and thē was that other inwarde knowledge adioined which onely quickeneth dead soules wherby God is knowen not onely to be the maker of the worlde and the onely authour and iudge of all thinges that are done but also to be the redemer in the person of that mediatour But because I am not yet come to the fal of the world
the definition of it and the propreties that it hathe are declared BUt al these thinges shal be easy to vnderstand when there is shewed a plaine definitioÌ„ of fayth that the readers may knowe the force and nature thereof But fyrste it is conuenient to call to minde againe these thynges that haue ben already spoken that syth God doth appoint vs by his law what we ought to do if we fall in any point thereof the same terrible iudgement of eternall death that he pronounceth doth rest vpon vs. Againe that forasmuch as it is not only hearde but altogether aboue oure strength and beyond all oure power to fulfill the lawe if we only beholde our selues wâ—ie what estate is worthy for our deseruinges there is no good hope left but we lie cast away from God vnder eternall destruction Thirdly this hath ben declared that there is but one meane of deliuerance to drawe vs out of so wretched calamitie wherin appeareth Christ the Redeemer by whose hand it pleased the heauenly father hauing mercie vpon vs of his infinite goodnesse clemencie to succoure vs so that we wyth sounde faith embrace thys mercie and with constant hope rest vpon it But now it is conuenient for vs to weie this what manner of faith this ought to be by which al thei that are adopted by God to be hys chyldren do enter vpon the possession of the heauenly kingdome forasmuch as it is certaine that not euery opinion nor yet euery perswasion is sufficient to bring to passe so great a thing And with so much the more care study must we loke about for and searche out the natural propretie of faith by how muche the more hurtfull at thys day is the erroure of many in this behalf For a great part of the world hearing the name of faith conceiueth no hier thing but a certaine common assent to the historie of the Gospel Yea when thei dispute of faith in the scholes in barely callynge God the obiecte of faithe thei do nothinge but as we haue saide in an other place by vaine speculation rather draw wretched soules out of the right way thaÌ„ direct them to the true mark For wheras God dwelleth in a light that none can atteine to it behoueth of necessitie that Christe become meane betweene vs and yt For whyche cause he calleth hym selfe the light of the world in an other place The way the Truth the Life bicause no man commeth to the father which is the fountaine of life but by him bicause he onely knoweth the Father by him the faithful to whome it pleaseth him to disclose him According to this reason Paule affirmeth that he accompteth nothing excellent to be knowen but Christ and in the .xx. chapiter of the Actes he saith that he preached faith in Christ c. And in an other place he bringeth in Christ speakeinge after this manner I wil send thee amonge the Gentiles that thei maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes porâ—ion among holy ones by the faith which is in me And Paule testifieth that the glorie of God is in his person visible vnto vs or whiche is all one in effect that the enlightning of the knowledge of Gods glorie shineth in his face It is true in dede that faith hath respect only to the one God but this also is to be added that it acknowledge him whome he hath sent euen Iesus Chrste Bicause God himselfe shoulde haue lyen secret and hydden farre from vs vnlesse the brightnesse of Christe did cast his beames vpon vs. For this entent the father left al that he had with his onely begotten sonne euen by the coÌ„municatinge of good thynges wyth him to expresse the true image of his glorie For as it is saide that we must be drawen by the spirit that we maie be stirred to seeke Christ so againe we ought to be admonished that the inuisible father is no where els to be sought but in this image Of whiche mater Augustine speaketh excellently well whiche entreating of the marke that faith should shoote at saith that we must know whether we must goe and which waie and then by by after he gathereth that the safest waye against all erroures is he that is both God and man For it is God to whome we go and man by whom we go and bothe these are founde no where but in Christe Neyther dothe Paule when he speaketh of faith in God meane to ouerthrowe that whiche he so ofte repeteth of faith that hath her whole stay vpon Christe And Peter dothe most fittly ioyne them bothe together saieng that by him we beleue in God Therefore thys euell euen as innumerable other is to be imputed to the Scholemen whiche haue hidden Christe as it were with a veile drawen before hym to the beholdyng of whome vnlesse we be dyrectly bent we shall alwaie wander in many vncertaine mazes But bysyde thys that with theyr darke definition they doe deface and in a manner bring to naught the whole force of faithe they haue forged a deuyse of vnexpressed faith wyth which name thei garnyshing theyr most grosse ignorance doe with greate hurte deceyue the silly people yea to saye truely and plainely as the thinge is in deede thys deuyse doth not only burie but vtterly destroye the true faithe Is this to beleue to vnderstand nothing so that thou obediently submitte thy sense to the Churche Faythe standeth not in ignorance but in knoweledge and that not onely of God but of the wyll of God For neither do we obteine saluation by thys that wee eyther are ready to embrace for true whatsoeuer the Churche appoynteth or that we do committe to it all the office of searchyng and knowing but when we acknowledge God to be a mercifull father to vs by the reconciliation made by Christ and that Christe is geuen vs vnto ryghteousnesse sanctification and lyfe By thys knoweledge I saye not by submitting of oure sense we atteine an entrie into the kyngedome of heauen For when the Apostle saith that with the hearte we beleue to righteousnesse and wyth the mouthe confession is made to saluation hee sheweth that it is not enoughe if a man vnexpressedly beleue that whiche he vnderstandeth not nor seeketh to learne but he requyreth an expressed acknowleging of Gods goodnesse in whyche consysteth oure ryghteousnesse In dede I denie not such is the ignorance wherwith we are coÌ„passed that ther now be herafter shal be many thinges wrapped hidden from vs till hauing put of the burden of our flesh we come nerer to the presence of God in which very thinges that be hidden from vs nothing is more profitable than to suspend our iudgment but to stay our mind in determined purpofe to kepe vnitie with the Churche But vnder thys coloure to entitle ignoraunce tempered with humilitie by the name of faith is a great absurditie For faith lieth in knoledg of God of Christ not in reuerence of the
God the Creatour ¶ The .i. Chapter That the knowledge of God and of oure selues are thynges conioyned and howe they bee lyncked the one wyth the other THe whole summe in a manner of all our wisedom which only ought to be acompted true perfecte wisedom consisteth in two partes that is to saye the knowledge of God and our selues But where as these two knowledges be with many baÌ„des linked together yet whether goth before or engeÌ„dreth the other it is hard to discerne For fyrst no man can loke vpon him selfe but he muste nedes by and by turne all hys senses to the beholdyng of God in whom he lyueth and is moued because it is playne that those giftes wherewith we be endewed are not of our selues yea euen that that we haue a beyng is nothyng els but an essence in the one god Finally by these good thynges that are as by droppe meale powred into vs from heauen we are led as it were by certayne streames to the sprynge head And so by our own nedines better appeareth that infinite â—leÌ„ty of good thynges that abydeth in god Speciallye that miserable ruyne whereinto the fall of the fyrst man hath throwen vs compelleth vs to lyft vp our eyes not onely beyng fodelesse and hungry to craue from thence the whych we lacke but also beynge awakened with feare to learne humility For as there is founde in man a certayne worlde of all miseries and synce we haue bene spoyled of the diuine apparel oure shameful nakednesse discloseth an infinite heape of fylthy disgracementes it must nedes be that euery man be prycked with knowledge in conscience of his owne vnhappynes to make him come at least vnto som knowledge of god So by the vnderstandyng of our own ignoâ—aunce vanitie beggery weakenesse peruersenesse and corruption we learne to reknowledge that no where elles but in the Lorde abydeth the trew lyght of wysedome sound vertue perfecte aboundaunce of all good thyngs and puritie of ryghteousnesse And so by our owne euyls we are styrred to consyder the good thyngs of God we cannot earnestly aspyre toward hym vntyl we begynne to mislyke our selues For of all meÌ„ what one is there that would not wyllyngly rest in himself yea who doeth not rest so long as he knoweth not hym selfe that is to saye so longe as he is contented wyth hys owne giftes and ignoraunt or vnmyndefull of hys own misery Therfore euery man is by the knowledge of hym selfe not only prycked forwarde to seke God but also led as it were by the hande to fynde hym Againe it is certaine that man neuer commeth vnto the true knowledge of himselfe vnlesse he haue firste beholden the face of God and from beholdinge thereof do descende to loke into himselfe For suche is the pride that is naturally planted in vs we alwaye thinke oure selues righteous innocente wise holy vntill that wyth manifest proues we be conuinced of oure vnryghteousnes filthynes follye and vncleannes But we are not conuinced thereof if we looke vpon oure selues onely and not vppon God also who is the onely rule whereby this iudgemente oughte to be tried For because we are naturally inclined to hypocrisie therefore a certayne vaine resemblaunce of ryghteousnes doeth aboundantly contente vs in steade of righteousnes in dede And because there appeareth nothing among vs nor aboute vs that is not defyled wyth much filthines therefore that whiche is somewhat lesse filthy pleaseth vs as thoughe it were moste pure so longe as we holde oure selues within the boundes of mans vnclennesse Lyke as the eye that is vsed to see nothing but blacke thinketh that to be pure white whiche yet is but darkesh white or brown Yea we may yet more plainli discerne by our bodely sense how much we are blinded in coÌ„sidering the powers of the soule For if at mid day we either loke down vpon the ground or behold those things that round about lye open before our eyes then we thinke our selues to haue a very assured and pearcing force of sighte but when we loke vp to the sonne and behold it with fixed eyes then that same sharpnes that was of great force vpon the ground is with so great brightnes by by daseled confounded that we ar compelled to confesse that the same sharpe sight which we had in consyderyng earthly thyngs wheÌ„ it commeth to the sonne is but mere dullnes Euen so coÌ„meth it to passe in weying our spyrytual good thyngs For while we loke no further than the earth so long wel contented with our own righteousnes wisedom and strength we do swetely flatter our selues and thynke vs in maner halfe gods But if we once begin to raise vp our thought vnto God and to weie what a one he is and how exacte is the perfeccion of hys ryghteousnesse wisedom and power after the rule whereof we oughte to bee framed then that which before did please vs in our selues with false preteÌ„ce of righteousnes shal become lothsome to vs as greateste wyckednesse then that which did maruellously deceiue vs vnder colour of wisedome shal stinke before vs as extreame follye then that whiche did beare the face of strength shal be proued to be most miserable wekenesse So sclenderly doth that which in vs semeth euen most perfect answere in proportion to the purenes of god Hereof proceded that trembling and amasednesse wherewith the Scripture in many places reciteth that the holy men wer striken and astonished so ofte as they perceiued the presence of God For when we se that they whiche in his absence did stande assured and vnmoâ—ed so sone as he discloseth hys glorye beginne so to quake and are so dismayed that they fall downe yea are swallowed vp and in manner as destroyed with feare of death it is to be gathered thereby that manne is neuer sufficiently touched and inwardly moued wyth knowledge of his owne basenesse vntil he haue compared himselfe to the maiestie of God But of suche dismaying we haue often examples bothe in the Iudges and in the Prophetes so that this was a common saying among the people of god We shal die because the Lord hath appeared vnto vs. And therfore the history of Iob to throw men down with knowledge of their owne follye weakenesse and vncleannesse bryngeth alwaye his prinycpal profe from describing Gods wisedome strength and cleannes And that not without cause For we see how Abraham the nerer that he came to beholde the glory of God the better acknowledged hymselfe to be earth and dust We see how Elias could not abide to tary his comming to him with vncouered face so terryble is the beholdyng of hym And what may man do that is but corrupcion and a worme when eueÌ„ the Cherubins for very feare must hyde their faces Euen thys is it that the Prophete Esay speaketh of The sunne shall blushe and the moone shal be ashamed when the Lord of hostes shall reigne that is to saye when he displayeth his bryghtnes and bryngeth it nerer to
sight theÌ„ in comparison therof the bryghtest thyng of all shal be darkened But howesoeuer the knowledge of God of our selues ar with mutuall knot lynked together yet the order of right teaching requireth that first we entreate of the knowledge of God and after come down to speake of the knowledge of our selues ¶ The .ii. Chapter ¶ What it is to knowe God and to what ende tendeth the knowledge of hym I Meane by the knowledge of God not onely that knowledge whereby we conceyue that there is somme God but also that wherby we learne so muche as behoueth vs to know of him and is profitable for his glory finally so much as is expedient For to speake properly we cannot say that God is knowen where there is no relygion nor godlynesse But here I dooe not yet touche that speciall kynde of knoweledge whereby those menne that are in theymselues reprobaâ—e and accursed dooe conceyue God the redemer in Chryste the mediatoure but I speake onely of that firste and symple manner of knowledge whervnto the very order of nature woulde haue ledde vs yf Adam hadde continued in state of innocencye For althoughe no manne sythâ— mankinde is in this ruine can perceiue God to be either a father or authour of saluacion or in any wise fauourable vnlesse Christ come as a meane to pacifie him towarde vs yet it is one thing to fele that God our maker doth by his power sustein vs by his prouideÌ„ce gouerne vs by his goodnes nourish vs and endue vs with al kindes of blessinges and an other thing to embrace the grace of reconciliacioÌ„ offered vs in Christ. Wheras therfore the Lord fyrst simply appeareth as well by the makinge of the world as by the general doctrine of the Scripture to be the Creator and then in the face of Christe to be the redemer here vpon arise two sortes of knowing him of which the former is now to be entreated of and then the other shal orderly folow in the place fit for it For although our minde cannot conceiue the knowledge of God but that it muste geue to hym some kinde of worship yet shall it not be sufficient simply to knowe that it is he onely that oughte to bee honoured and worshipped of all menne vnlesse we be also perswaded that he is the fountaine of al good things to the ende that we shoulde seke for nothing els where but in him I meane hereby not onely for that as he hath once created this worlde so by his infinite power he susteineth it by his wisedome he gouerneth it by his goodnes he preserueth it and speciallye mankinde he ruleth by his righteousnes and iudgement suffreth by his mercye and saue gardeth by his defense but also because there can no where be founde any one droppe either of wisedom or of lyght or of rightousnes or of power or of vprightnesse or of sincere trueth whiche floweth not from him or wherof he is not the cause to this ende verely that we shoulde learne to looke for and craue all these thinges at his hande and wyth thankesgeuing accompt them receiued of him For this felinge of the powers of God is to vs a meâ—e scholemaster of godlynes out of which springeth religion Godlines I cal a reuereÌ„ce of God ioined with loue of him which is procured by knowledge of hys benefytes For men wyll neuer with willing obedieÌ„ce submit themselues to God vntil thei perceiue that they owe all thinges to him that they are nourished by his fatherly care that he is to them the author of al good thinges so that nothyng is to be sought els where than in hym Yea they will neuer yelde themselues truly and with all their hart wholly to hym vnlesse they assuredly beleue that in hym is perfect felicite reposed for them Therefore they doe but tryfle with vaine speculations which in entreating of this question do make it their purpose to discusse what thyng God is where it rather behoueth vs to knowe what maner one he is and what agreeth with his nature For to what ende serueth it to confesse as Epicure doeth that there is a God whych doth only delyte him self wyth ydlenesse hauing no care of the world Finally what profiteth it to knowe such a God wyth whom we may haue nothyng to doo But rather the knowledge of hym ought to serue to thys ende fyrst to frame vs to feare and reuerence then that by it guydynge and teachyng vs we may learne to craue all good thynges at hys hande and to accompt them receiued of hym For how can anie thought of God enter into thy mind but that thou must therwithal by and by thinck that forasmuch as thou art his creature therfore thou art of right subiect and bonde to his authorite that thou owest him thy life that whatsoeuer thou enterprisest whatsoeuer thou doest ought to be directed to him If this be trâ—w then trewly it foloweth that thy life is peruersly corrupted if it be not framed to obeyng of him for asmuche as his will ought to be our law to liue by Againe thou canst not clerely se him but that thou must nedes know that he is the fountayn original of al good thyngs whervpon shulde grow both a desire to cleaue vnto him and an assured trust in him if mannes own corruptnes did not draw his mind from the right serching of hym For first of all the godly minde doth not as by a dreame ymagine to her selfe any god at aduenture but stedfastly beholdeth the only one and trew God and doth not falsely forge of him whatsoeuer her selfe lyketh but is content to beleue him to be such a one as he discloseth him self and doth alway with great diligence beware that with presumptuous rashnes she passe not beyond his wyll and so wander out of the way And when she so knoweth him bicause she vnderstandeth that he gouerneth al things she assuredlye trusteth that he is her safekeper and defendour and therfore wholly coÌ„mitteth her selfe to his fayth Because she vnderstandeth that he is the author of al good things therfore if any thing trouble her or if she want any thing by and by she flieth to him for succoure loking for helpe at his hande Because she is persuaded that he is good and mercifull therfore with assured confidence she resteth on him and douteth not in al her euils to fynde ready remedy in his mercifull kindnes Because she knoweth him to be her Lorde and father therefore she determineth that he is worthy that she shoulde in all thynges haue regard to his authoritie reuerence his maiestie procure the aduauncement of his glory and obey his commandementes Because she seeth that he is a righteous iudge and armed with his seueritie to punish sinnes therfore she alway setteth his iudgement seate before her eies and with feare of him withdraweth and restraineth her selfe from prouoking his wrath Yet is she not so afrayed with the felyng of his iudgement that she would conuey
heauens as they be displaied abrode to his roiall pauilion he saieth that he hath framed his parloures in the waters that the cloudes are his chariottes that he rideth vpon the winges of the windes that the winds and lightninges are his swift messengers And because the glorye of his power and wisedome doeth more fully shine aboue therefore commonlye the heauen is called his palace And first of al what way soeuer thou turne thy eyes there is no pece of the world be it neuer so small wherein are not seen at least som sparkles of his glory to shine But as for this most large and beautiful frame thou canst not with one view peruse the wide compasse of it but that thou muste nedes be on euery side ouerwhelmed with the infinite force of the brightnes therof Wherfore the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues doeth very well call the ages of the worlde the spectacles of inuisible thinges for that the so orderly framing of the world serueth vs for a mirror wherin we may beholde God whiche otherwise is inuisible For whiche cause the Prophete assigneth to the heauenlye creatures a language that al nations vnderstande for that in them ther is a more euident testificacion of the Godhead than that it ought to escape the consideration of any nation be they neuer so dull Which thing the Apostle declaring more plainely saieth that there is disclosed vnto men so much as was behouefull to be knowen concernyng God because all men without exception do throughly see his inuisible things euen to his very power and godhead which thei vnderstande by the creation of the worlde As for his wonderful wisedom there are innumerable proues bothe in heauen and in earth that witnesse it I meane not only that secreter sort of thinges for the nerer marking whereof Astrologie Physike and all naturall Philosophie serueth but euen those thinges that thruste them selues in sighte of euery one euen of the rudest vnlerned man so that men can not open their eies but thei muste nedes bee witnesses of them But truely they that haue digested yea or but tasted the liberall artes being holpen by the ayde therof do procede much further to looke into the secretes of Gods wisedome Yet is there no man so hindred by lack of knowledge of those artes but that he throughly seeth abundantly inough of conning workmanship in gods workes to bring him in admiration of the workmaÌ„ therof As for example to the searching out of the mouings of the starres apointing of their places measuring of their distances and noting of their properties there nedeth art and an exacter diligence by which being throughly perceaued as the prouidence of god is the more manifestly disclosed so it is coÌ„uenieÌ„t that the mynde rise somwhat the hier therby to behold his glory But for asmuch as the vnlearned people yea and the rudest sort of them such as ar furnished with the only helpe of their eyes can not be ignorauÌ„t of the excellencie of gods conning workmanship which in this innumerable and yet so seuerally well ordered and disposed varietie doth of it selfe shew forth it selfe it is euident that ther is no man to whom God doth not largely opeÌ„ his wisdom Likewise it requireth a singuler sharpnes of wit to wey with suche cunning as Galen doth the knitting together the proportional agremeÌ„t the beautie vse in the frame of mans body but by all mens confession the body of man doth vtter in very shew of it self so cunning a coÌ„pacting together that for it the maker of it may worthily be iudged wonderfull And therefore certaine of the Philosophers in olde tyme dydde not without cause calle manne a littell worlde because he is a rare representation of the power goodnes and wisedome of god and conteyneth in hym selfe miracles inough to occupie our myndes yf we will be content to marke them And for thys reson Paul after that he had said that the very blinde men may finde out god by groping for him by and by saieth further that he is not to be sought far of because al men do fele vndoutedly wtâ—â— themselues the heauenly grace wherw t they be quickened But if we nede to go no further than our selues to find and take hold of god what pardon shal his slouthfulnes deserue that wil not vouchsafe to descend in to himself to find god And the same is the reason why Dauid when he had shortly spoken in aduauncement of the wonderful name honor of God that do euery where gloriously shine by and by crieth out what is man that thou art mindful of him Again out of the mouth of infantes and suckyng babes thou hast stablished strength for so he pronounceth that not only in the whole kinde of man is a mirrour of the woorkes of God but also that the very infantes whyle they yet hange on their mothers brestes haue tonges eloquent ynough to preache his glory so that there nedeth no other oratours And therfore he douteth not to set theyr mouthes in the vauwarde as beeyng strongly armed to subdue their madnes the would accordyng to their deuilysh pride couet to extinguish the name of God And herevpon riseth that whiche Paule alledgeth out of Aratus that we are the ofsprynge of God because he garnishyng vs with suche excellencie hathe testified that he is oure father Lyke as euen by common reason and as it were by information of experience the prophane Poetes called him the father of men And truelye no man will assentingly and willingly yeld him self to serue God but he that hauing tasted his fatherly loue is mutually allured to loue worship him And here is disclosed the foule vnthankefulnesse of men which while thei haue within them selues a workhouse gloriously furnished with innumerable workes of God and also a shoppe stuffed with inestimable plentie of riches and when they ought to burst forth into praisynge of him are contrarye wise puffed vp and doe swell wyth so much the greater pride They fele how diuersly in marueylous wise God woorketh in them they are taught by experience it self how great varietie of giftes they possesse by his liberalitie whether they wyll or noe they are enforsed to knowe that these are the tokens of his godhead and yet they suppresse it close within them Truely they neede not to goe oute of themselues so that they would not in presumptuously taking vpon theÌ„selues that which is geuen from heauen bury with in the grounde that which brightly giueth light to their mindes to se God But euen at this day the earth beareth many monstreous spirites which sticke not to abuse the whole sede of godhead that is sowen in mans nature and to employ it to oppresse the name of God How detestable I pray you is this madnes that man finding God a hundred times in his body and his soule should by the very same pretense of excelleÌ„ce deny that there is a god They wil not say
sometyme to shake the heauen with noise of thonders to burne vp ech thing with lightenings to set the aire on fier with lightning flames sometime to trouble it with diuerse sortes of tempestes and by and by the same God when he list in one moment to make faire wether to holde in the sea as if it hanged in the aire which with his heighth semeth to threaten cōtinuall destruccion to the earth sometime in horrible wise to raise it vp with outragious violence of windes and sometime to appease the waues and make it calme againe For profe hereof do serue all the prayses of God gathered of the testimonies of nature speciallye in the booke of Iob and in Esaie whiche now of purpose I ouerpasse because they shall els where haue an other place fitter for them where I shall entreate of the creacion of the world accordyng to the Scriptures Only my meanyng was now to touch that both straungers and they of the householde of God haue this way of seking God common to them both that is to folow these first draughtes which both aboue and beneth doe as in a shadow set fourth a liuely image of him And now the same power leadeth vs to consider his eternitye For it must nedes be that he from whom al thinges haue their beginning is of eternal continuaunce and hath his beginning of him self But nowe if any mā enquire the cause wherby he both was once lead to create al these things is now moued to preserue them we shal fynde that his only goodnesse was it that caused him Yea and although this onely be the cause yet ought the same aboundauntly to suffice to allure vs to the loue of him forasmuch as ther is no creature as the Prophete sayeth vpon which his mercy is not poured out Also in the seconde sorte of his woorkes I meane those that come to passe byside the ordinary course of nature there doeth appeare no lesse euident profe of his powers For in gouerning the felowship of men he so ordereth his prouidence that wheras he is by innumerable meanes good and bountifull to al men yet by manifest and dayly tokens he declareth his fauourable kindnes to the godly and his seuerite to the wicked and euill doers For not doutefull are the punishmentes that he layeth vppon hainous offences lyke as he doeth openly shewe hymself a defendoure and reuenger of innocencye while he prospereth the lyfe of good menne wyth hys blessynge helpeth their necessitye asswageth and comforteth their sorowes relieueth their calaunties and by al meanes prouideth for their safety Neyther ought it any thyng to deface the perpetuall rule of his iustice that he oftentymes permitteth wicked men and euill dooers for a tyme to reioyse vnpunished and on the other side suffreth good and innocent to be tossed wyth many aduersities yea and to be oppressed with the malice and vniust dealing of the vngodly But rather a much contrary consideracion ought to enter into our mindes that when by manifest shewe of his wrath he punisheth one sinne we shoulde therefore thinke that he hateth all sinnes and when he suffereth many sinnes to passe vnpunished we should there vpon thinke that ther shal be an other iudgemente to which they are differed to bee then punyshed Likewise how great matter doth it minister vs to cōsider his mercy while he oftentimes cesseth not to shew his vnweried boūtifulnes vpon miserable sinners in calling them home to him with more than fatherly tendernes vntil he haue subdued their frowardnes with doinge them good To this ende where the Prophete particularly rehearseth how God in cases paste hope doeth sodenly and wonderfully and beside all hope succoure men that are in misery and in a maner lost whether he defende them wandering in wildernes from the wild beastes and at length leadeth them into the way againe or ministreth sode to the nedy and hungry or deliuereth prisoners out of horrible dongeons and iron bandes or bringeth men in peril of shipewracke safe into the hauen or healeth the half dead of diseases or scorcheth the earth with heate and drienesse or maketh it frutefull with secrete watering of his grace or aduaunceth the hasest of the rascall people or throweth down the noble peres from the hie degree of dignitie by such examples shewed fourth he gathereth that those thinges which are iudged chaunces happening by fortune are so many testimonies of the heauenly prouidēce and specially of hys fatherly kindnes and that therby is geuen matter of reioysing to the Godlye and the wicked and reprobate haue their mouthes stopped But because the greater part infected with their errors are blinde in so clere a place of beholding therfore he cryeth out that it is a gift of rare singular wisedome wisely to weye these workes of God by syghte whereof they nothing profit that otherwise seme most clere sighted And truly how much soeuer the glory of God doothe apparantly shyne before them yet scarsly the hundreth manne is a trewe beholder of it Likewise his power and wisedome are no more hidde in darkenesse whereof the one his power doth notably appere when the fierce outragiousnesse of the wicked beynge in all mennes opinion vnconquerable is beaten flatte in one momente their arrogancie tamed their strongest holdes rased their weapons and armour broken in pieces their strengthes subdewed their deuises ouerthrowen and theimselues fall with their owne weighte the presumptuous boldenesse that auaunced it selfe aboue the heauens is throwen downe euen to the bottome point of the earth Agayne the lowly are lyfted vp out of the duste and the needy raysed from the donghil the oppressed and afflicted are drawen out of extreme distresse men in despayred state are restored to good hope the vnarmed beare awaye the victorie from the armed fewe frome many the feeble from the strong As for his wysedome it selfe sheweth it selfe manifestly excellent while it disposeth euery thing in fittest oportunitie confoūdeth the wisedom of the worlde be it neuer so pearcyng fyndeth out the subtile in their subtiltie finally gouerneth all thinges by moste conuenient order We see that it needeth no long or laboursom demonstration to fetche out testimonies to serue for the glorious declaration and profe of gods maiestie for by these few that we haue touched it appeareth that which way soeuer a man chance to looke they are so cōmon ready that they may be easily marked with eye pointed out with the fynger And here again is to be noted that we ar called to the knowledge of god not such as contented with vayne speculation doth but flye about in the brayne but suche as shall be sounde and fruitfull yf it be rightly conceyued and take roote in our heartes For the Lorde is declared by his powers the force wherof because we fele within vs and doo enioy the benefites of them it muste nedes be that we be inwardly moued muche more liuely with suche a knowledge then if we shoulde imagine
and corrupcion of nature I will omit also to entreate of the remedy therof Therefore let the readers remember that I do not yet speake of the couenaunt whereby God hath adopted to hymselfe the children of Abraham and of that specyal parte of doctrine wherby the faithful haue alway been peculiarly seuered frō the prophane nations because that doctrine was founded vpon Christ but I speake how we ought to learne by the Scripture that god which is the creator of the world is by certaine markes seuerallye discerned from the counterfait multitude of false gods And thē the order it selfe shal conueniently bring vs to the redemer But although we shal allege may testimonies out of the new testamēt some also out of the law and the Prophetes wherin is expresse menciō made of Christ yet they shall al tende to this ende to proue that in the Scripture is disclosed vnto vs God the creator of the world and in the scripture is set foorth what we ought to thinke of him to the end that we should not seke about the busy for an vncertaine godhead But whether God were knowen to the fathers by oracles and visions or whether by the mean and ministraciō of men he informed them of that which they should from hande to hand deliuer to their posterity yet it is vndoutedly true that in their hartes was engrauen a stedfaste certaintie of doctrin so as they might be perswaded and vnderstand that it which they had learned came from God For God alwaies made vndouted assuraunce for credit of his worde which farre exceaded all vncertaine opinion At length that by continual proceding of doctrine the trueth suruiuing in al ages might stil remaine in the world the same oracles which he had left with the fathers his pleasure was to haue as it were enrolled in publike tables For this entent was the law publyshed wherunto after were added the Prophetes for expositors For though there were diuerse vses of the law as hereafter shal better appeare in place conuenient and specially the principall purpose of Moises and al the Prophetes was to teach the maner of reconciliacion beetwene God and men for which cause also Paule calleth Christ the end of the law yet as I say once againe beside the proper doctrine of faith and repētance which sheweth forth Christe the mediatour the Scripture doth by certaine markes and tokens paint out the onelye and true God in that that he hath created and doeth gouerne the worlde to the ende he should be seuerally knowen and not reckened in the false nomber of fained gods Therefore although it behoueth man earnestlye to bend his eies to consider the workes of God forasmuch as he is set as it were in this gorgeous stage to be a beholder of them yet pryncipally ought he to bende his eares to the word that he may better profit therby And therfore it is no maruel that they which ar borne in darkenesse do more and more waxe hard in their amased dulnesse because verye fewe of them do geue themselues pliable to learne of the word of God whereby to kepe them within their boundes but they rather reioyse in their own vanity Thus then ought we to holde that to the ende true religion may shyne among vs we must take our beginning at the heauenly doctrine And that no man can haue any tast be it neuer so little of true and sounde doctrine vnlesse he haue ben scholer to the Scrypture And from hense groweth the original of true vnderstanding that we reuerently embrace whatsoeuer it pleaseth God therin to testifye of himselfe For not onely the perfect and in al pointes absolute faith but also al right knowledge of God springeth from obedience And truelye in thys behalfe God of his singular prouidence hath prouided for men in and for al ages For if we consider how slipperye an inclinacion mans minde hath to slide into forgetfulnes of God how great a redinesse to fal into al kind of errors how great a lust to forge oftentimes new counterfayt religions we may therby perceiue how necessarie it was to haue the heauenly doctrine so put in writing that it should not either perish by forgetfulnes or grow vaine by errour or be corrupted by boldnes of men Sith therfore it is manifest that God hath alway vsed the helpe of hys word toward al those whom it pleased him at any time frutefully to instruct because he foresaw that his image emprinted in the most beautifull forme of the world was not sufficiently effectual Therfore it behoueth vs to trauaile this straight way if we earnestly couet to attayne to the true beholding of God We must I say come to his word wherin God is well and liuely set out by his workes when his workes be weyed not after the peruersuesse of our own iudgemēt but according to the rule of the eternall trueth If we swarue from that worde as I saied euen now although we runne neuer so fast yet we shall neuer attaine to the marke because the course of our running is out of the way For thus we must thinke that the brightnesse of the face of God which the Apostle calleth such as cannot be atteined vnto is vnto vs like a maze out of which we cannot vnwrappe our selues vnlesse we be by the line of the word guided into it so that it is much better for vs to halt in this way than to runne neuer so fast in an other And therfore Dauid oftē times when he teacheth that supersticions are to be taken away out of the world that pure religion maye floryshe bringeth in God reigning meaninge by this worde reigning not the power that he hath but the doctryne wherby he chalengeth to himselfe a lawfull gouernement because errors can neuer be rooted out of the hartes of men till the true knowledge of God be planted Therfore the same Prophete after that he hath recited that the heauens declare the glory of God that the firmament sheweth fourth the woorkes of his handes that the orderly succeding course of daies and nightes preacheth his maiestie then descendeth to make mentiō of his worde The law of the Lord saieth he is vndefiled conuerting soules the witnesse of the Lord is faithful geuing wisedome to little ones the righteousnesses of the Lord are vpryght makyng hartes cherefull the commaundemēt of the Lord is bryght geuing light to the eies For although he comprehendeth also the other vses of the law yet in generalitie he meaneth that forasmuch as God doeth in vaine call vnto hym al nations by the beholdyng of the heauen and earth therfore this is the peculiar schole of the children of God The same meanyng hath the xxix Psalme where the Prophet hauing preached of the terrible voice of God whiche in thunder windes showres whirlewindes stormes shaketh the earth maketh the mountains to tremble and breaketh the cedre trees in the ende at last he goeth further and sayth that his praises are
bynd theÌ„ to a certayn rule that euery man should not geue hymselfe leaue to deuise what forme of worshyp he lyst But because it is not expedieÌ„t to loade the readers with heapyng many matters together I will not touche that poynte yet Onely lette it susâ—ise for this tyme to kepe in mynd that euery cariyng away of the dutyefull behauiours of godlynesse to any other than to God alone is not without robbery of God And fyrste superstition deuysed to geue diuine honours to the Sonne or other starres or idols then folowed ambitious pryde whyche garnyshyng mortall men with spoyles taken from God presumed to prophane all that euer was holy And although this principle remayned among theim to honour the soueraigne deitie yet grewe it in vse indifferently to offer sacrifices to spirites lesser gods or dead meÌ„ of honor So slippery is the way to slide into this fault to make common to a number that whiche God seuerely chalengeth to hym selfe alone The .xiii. Chapter That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation whiche essence conteineth in it thre persons THat which is taught in the scriptures concernyng the incomprehensible and spirituall essence of God oughte to suffise not onely to ouerthrowe the foolisshe errours of the common people but also to confute the fine suttelties of prophane philosophie One of the olde writers semed to haue said very wel That God is al that we do see and all that we doo not see But by this meane he hathe imagined the godhead to be powred out into all the partes of the world Although God to the intent to kepe men in sobre mynde speaketh but sparely of his owne essence yet by those twoo names of addition that I haue rehersed he doothe bothe take away all grosse imaginations and also represse the presumptuous boldnesse of mans mynde For surely his immeasurable greatnesse ought to make vs afrayde that we attempt not to measure hym with our sense and his spirituall nature forbiddeth vs to imagine any thyng earthly or fleshely of hym For the same cause he often assigneth his dwellyng place to be in heauen For though as he is incomprehensible he tilleth the earthe also yet because he seeth oure myndes by reason of their dullnesse to lie still in the earthe for good cause he lifteth vs vp aboue the worlde to shake of our slouth and sluggishnesse And here falleth to grounde the errour of the Manichees which in appointyng two originall beginnynges haue made the diuell in a maner egall with god Surely this was as muche as to breake the vnitie of God and restrayne his vnmeasurablenesse For where they haue presumed to abuse certain testimonies that sheweth a fowle ignoraunce as their errour it selfe sheweth a detestable madnesse And the Anthropomorphites are also easily confuted which haue imagined God to consist of a bodye because oftentymes the scripture ascribeth vnto hym a mouthe eares eyes handes and feete For what man yea though he be sclenderly witted dooth not vnderstande that God dooth so with vs speake as it were childishly as nurses doo with their babes Therefore suche maners of speeche doo not so playnely expresse what God is as they do apply the vnderstandyng of him to our sclender capacitie Whiche to do it behoued of necessitie that he descended a great way beneath his owne heyght But he also setteth out hymselfe by an other speciall marke wherby he may be more nerely knowen For he so declareth hymselfe to bee but one that he yet geueth himselfe distinctly to be considered in three persons whiche except we learne a bare and empty name of god without any true God flieth in our braine And that no man should thinke that he is a threfolde God or that the one essence of God is diuided in three persons we must here seke a short and easy definition to deliuer vs froÌ„ all errour But because many doo make muche a doo about this worde Person as a thyng inuented by man howe iustly they doo so it is beste fyrst to see The apostles namyng the sonne the engraued forme of the Hypostasis of his father he vndoubtedly meaneth that the Father hath some beeyng wherin he differeth from the sonne For to take it for Essence as some expositours haue done as if Christ like a piece of waxe printed with a seale didde represent the substaunce of the Father were not onely harde but also an absurditie For sithe the Essence of God is single or one and vndiuisible he that in hym selfe conteineth it all and not by pecemeale or by deriuation but in whole perfection should very vnproprely yea fondly bee called the engraued forme of hym But because the father although he be in his own propretie distinct hath expressed hymselfe wholly in his sonne it is for good cause sayde that he hath geuen his Hypostasis to be seene in hym Wherwith aptely agreeth that which by and by foloweth that he is the brightnesse of his glory Surely by the Apostles wordes we gather â–ª that there is a certayn propre hypostasis in the father that shineth in the sonne whereby also agayne is easily perceiued the Hypostasis of the sonne that distinguisheth him from the Father Like order is in the holy ghost for we shall by and by proue hym to be God and yet he must nedes be other than the father Yet this distinction is not of the essence whiche it is vnlawfull to make manyfolde Therfore if the Apostles testimonie be credited it foloweth that there be in God thre hypostases This terme seyng the Latines haue expressed with the name of Person it were to muche pride and waywardnesse to brawle about so cleere a matter But if we list worde for worde to translate we may call it Subsistence Many in the same sense haue called it substance And the name of Person hath not ben in vse among the Latins onely but also the Grecians perhaps to declare a consente haue taught that there are three prosopa that is to say Persons in God But they whether they be Grekes or Latins that differ one from an other in the worde doo very well agree in the summe of the matter Nowe howesoeuer the heretikes barke at the name of persone or some ouermuch precise men do carpe that thei like not the worde fained by deuise of men sithe they can not get of vs to say that there be three whereof euery one is wholly God nor yet that there be many goddes what vnreasonablenesse is this to myslyke woordes whiche expresse none other thynge but that whiche is testified and approued by the scriptures It were better say they to restraine not only our meanynges but also oure woordes within the boundes of scripture than to deuyse straunge names that may be the begynnynges of disagrement brawlyng so doo we tyer our selues with strife about woordes so the truthe is loste in contending so charitie is broken by odiousely brawlyng together If they call that a straunge
I praye you and howe greate a thyng is thys that the name of the Sonne only is preached vnto vs whom he willeth to glory in the knowledge of hymselfe alone Who dare saye that he is but a creature of whom the onely knowledge is our whole glorye Beside that the salutacyons sette before the Epystles of Paule wyshe the same benefites from the SoÌ„ne which they do from the Father wherby we are taughte not only that those thyngs whych the Father geueth vs do come vnto vs by his intercessioÌ„ but also by communitie of power he is the author of them Whiche knowledge by practise is wythoute doute more certayne and perfecte than any idle speculacion For there the godly mynde doth beholde God moste present and in maner handle him wher it feleth it selfe to be quickened lightened saued iustified and sanctifâ—â—d Wherefore out of the same fountaines we must fetch our meane of prouing to confirme the Godhead of the Holy ghost Uery plaine is the testimonie of Moses in the history of the creacion that the spirite of God was vppon the depthes or vppon the vnfashioned heape because he sheweth that not onely the beautie of the worlde that is nowe to be seen is preserued by the power of the Spirite but ere this beautie was added the Spirite was then busied in preseruing that confused lumpe of thinges And that saying of Esaie cannot be cauilled against And now Iehouah and his Spirite hath sent me For he communicateth with the Holy ghost his chiefe power in sending of Prophetes Whereby appeareth the diuine maiestie of the Holy ghost But our best proufe as I haue saied shal be by familiar vse For that whiche the Scriptures impute vnto it is farre from the propertie of creatures and suche a thing as we oure selues doe learne by assured experience of godlinesse For he it is that being eche where poured abrode dooeth susteine and geueth growing and life to all thinges in heauen and in earth And by this pointe he is proued to bee none of the number of creatures for that he is not comprehended within any boundes but by pouring his liuely force into all thinges to breath into them life and mocion this is the very worke of God Moreouer if regeneracion into an incorruptible life be better and more excellent than any presente quickening what shall we iudge of him from whose power the same procedeth And that he is the author of regeneracioÌ„ not by a borrowed but by his own force the Scripture in many places teacheth and not of that onely but also of the immortalitie to come Finally as vnto the Sonne so vnto him also are applied al those offices that are most of all properly belonging to the Godhead For he searcheth the depe secretes of God wherwith none of al the creatures is of counsel He geueth wisdome and skill to speake wheras yet the Lord pronounceth to Moses that it is only his worke to do it So by him we come to a partaking of God so that we may fele his power as it were working life in vs. Our iustificacion is his worke From him is power sanctification truethe grace and what good thing soeuer maye be thoughte of because it is the Holie ghoste onely from whom procedeth all kinde of giftes For that sentence of Paule is righte worthy to be noted Although there be diuerse giftes and manifolde and sondry is the distribucion of them yet is there but one holie Spirite because he maketh him not onelye the original or beginning but also the author Whiche a little after is more plainly expressed in these woordes One and the same Spirite distrybuteth all thinges as he will For if he were not some thing subsisting in God he woulde not attribute vnto him choise of minde and wyll Therefore moste euidentlye doth Paule geue to the Holie ghost diuine power and sheweth that he is substantially resident in God And the Scripture it selfe when it speaketh of hym forbeareth not the name of God For Paul hereby gathereth that we are the temple of God because his spirite dwelleth in vs which thing is not lightly to be passed ouer For wheras God so often promiseth that he wil chose vs for a temple to himselfe that promyse is no other way fulfylled but by hys spirite dwelling in vs. Surely as Augustine very well sayeth if we wer commaunded to make vnto the Holy ghost a temple of timber and stone because such worship is due to God onely it were a cleare argument that he is God now therfore how much clearer is this that we ought not to make a temple but our selues to be a temple for him And the Apostle himselfe calleth vs sometime the temple of God sometime the teÌ„ple of the Holy ghoste both in one meaning And Peter repreheÌ„ding Ananias for that he had lied to the Holy ghost said that he lied not vnto men but vnto God And where Esay bringeth in the Lord of hostes speaking Paul teacheth that it is the Holy ghost that speaketh Yea where commonly the Prophetes say that the wordes whiche they vtter are the wordes of the Lord of hostes Christ and the Apostles doe referre them to the Holy ghost Whereby it foloweth that he is the true Iehouah that is the chiefe author of prophecies Again where God complaineth that he was prouoked to wrath by the stubbornesse of his people in steade of that Esay saith that his holy Spirite was greued Last of al if blasphemie against the Holy ghost be not forgeueÌ„ in this world nor in the worlde to come whereas he maye obteine pardon that hath blasphemed against the soÌ„ne his diuine maiesti is here plainly proued the offense or diminishment wherof is an vnpardonable crime I dooe wittingly and of purpose omitt many testimonies that the auÌ„cient writers haue vsed They haue thought it a maruellous mete place to allege out of Dauid with the word of the Lorde the heauens wer stablished and al the power of them with the spirite of his mouth to proue that the world was no lesse the work of the Holy ghost than of the Sonne But forasmuch as it is commonly vsed in the Psalmes to repete one thynge twise in Esay the spirite of his mouth is as much to say as his word that reason is very weake Therfore I thought good to touche a fewe such thinges as godly mindes might soundly rest vpon And as God hath more plainly disclosed himselfe by the comming of Christ so is he also in the thre Persons become more familiarly knowen But of al the testimonies lette this one suffice vs for this present Paule so knitteth these three together God Faith Baptisme that he reasoneth from the one to the other in this maner Because there is but one Faith he therby sheweth that there is but one God And because there is but one god he therby proueth that there is but one Faith Therfore if we be entred into
glory of God For this cause also they are called Thrones thoughe of this last name I wil not certainly say because an other exposition doeth either as wel or better agree with it But speakyng nothing of that name the Holy ghost often vseth those other former names to auaunce the dignitie of the ministerie of angels For it were not reason that those instruments should be let passe without honor by whom God dooth specially shewe the presence of his maiestie Yea for that reason they are many tymes called Gods because in their ministery as in a loking glasse they partly represent vnto vs the godhead Although in dede I myslike not this that the olde writers doo expound that Christ was the Angel wher the Scripture saith that the angel of God appered to AbrahaÌ„ Iacob Moses other yet ofteÌ„times where meÌ„tion is made of al the Angels in dede this name is geueÌ„ vnto them And the ought to seme no meruaile For if this honour be geueÌ„ to princes gouernors that in their office they staÌ„d in the stede of God that is soueraigne kynge iudge muche greater cause there is why it shuld be geueÌ„ to the Angels in whom the brightnes of the glory of God much more abundaÌ„tly shineth But the Scripture standeth moste vpon reachyng vs that whyche myght moste make to our comforte and confirmacion of Faithe that is to wete that the Angels are the distributers and administratours of Goddes bountie towarde vs. And therfore the Scripture reciteth that they watche for our safetie they take vpon them the defence of vs they direct our waies they take care that no hurtfull thyng beâ—ide vnto vs. The sentences are vniuersall which principally pertayne to Christ the head of the churche and then to all the faithful He hath geuen his angels charge of thee to kepe thee in all thy waies They shall beare thee vp in their handes least thou chaunce to hitte thy feete agaynst a stone Agayne The angell of the Lorde standeth rounde about them that feare hym and he doothe delyuer them Wherby God sheweth that he apoynteth to his angels the defence of them whom he hath taken in hand to kepe After this order the angel of the Lord doth comfort Agar when she fled away coÌ„mandeth her to be reconciled to her maistresse God promiseth to Abraham his seruant an Angel to be the guide of his iourneye Iacob in blessynge of Ephraim and Manasses praieth that the Angell of the Lorde by whom he himselfe had bene deliuered from all euell may make them prosper So the Angell was set to defende the tentes of the people of Israell And so ofte as it pleased God to reskue Israell out of the handes of their enemies he raised vp reuengers by the ministerie of Angels So finally to the ende I nede not to reherse many mo the Angels mynistred to Christ and were ready assistent to hym in all necessities They brought tydynges to the women of his resurrection and to the disciples of his glorious commyng And so to fulfill their office of defendyng vs they fyght agaynste the deuill and all enemies and doo execute the vengeaunce of God vpon them that are bent against vs. As we reade that the angell of God to deliuer Hierusalem from siege slewe in one nyghte a hundred fowerscore and fiue thousande in the campe of the kyng of Assyria But whether to euery of the faithfull bee a seuerall Angell assigned for their defence I dare not certainely affirme Surely when Daniell bryngeth in the angel of the Persians and the Angel of the Grecians he sheweth that he mente that there are to kyngdomes and prouinces certayn angels appointed as gouernours And when Christ saith that the angels of children doo alway beholde the face of the Father he seemeth to meane that there are certaine angels to whom the preseruation of them is geuen in charge But I can not tell whether we oughte therby to gather that euery one hath his Angell set ouer him But this is to be holden for certaintie that not one angell onely hath care of euery one of vs but that they all by one consent doo watche for oure safetie For it is spoken of all the angels togither that they more reioyce of one sinner conuerted to repentance than of nyntie and nyne iust that haue stande styll in their ryghtuousnesse And it is sayd of mo angels than one that they conueyed the soule of Lazarus into the bosome of Abraham And not without cause did Elizeus shewe to his seruant so many fyery chariots that were peculiarly appointed for hym But one place there is that seemeth more playne than the rest to proue this poynt For when Peter being brought out of prison knocked at the doores of the house where the brethren were assembled when they coulde not imagine that it was he they said it was Angel It shuld seme that this came in their mynde by the common opinion that to euery of the faithfull are assigned their angels for gouernours Albeit yet here it maye be answered that it may wel be not withstandyng any thyng that there appeareth that we may thinke it was any one Angell to whome God had geuen charge of Peter for that time and yet not to be his continuall keeper as the common people do imagin that there are appointed to euery one two Angels as it were diuers ghostes a good Angell and a badde But it is not worthe trauaile curiously to searche for that which dooth not muche importe vs to knowe For if this doo not contente a man that all degrees of the army of heauen do watche for his safetie â–ª I doo not see what he can be the better if he vnderstande that there is one Angell peculiarly appointed to kepe hym And they which restrain vnto one Angell the care that God hath to euery one of vs doo greate wronge to them selues and to all the membres of the church as if that power to succour vs had ben vainely promised vs wherwith beyng enuironed and defended we should fight the more boldly They that dare take vpon theim to define of the multitude and degrees of Angels let them looke well what fundation they haue I graunt Michael is called in Daniel the Great prince and with Iude the Archangell And Paule sayth it shall be an Archangell that shall with sounde of trumpet call men to the Iudgement But who can therby appoynt the degrees of honours betweene Angels or discerne one from an other by speciall markes and appoynt euery one his place and standyng For the two names that are in Scripture Michaell and Gabriell and if you list to adde the thirde out of the hystorie of Thobie may by their signification seme to be geuen to the Angels accordyng to the capacitie of our weakenesse although I had rather leaue that exposition at large As for the numbre of theym wee heare by Christes mouthe of many Legions by Daniell many companies of
the same is in suche forte the gouernour of all thynges that sometyme it woorketh by meanes somtyme without meanes and somtyme agaynst all meanes Last of all that it tendeth to this ende that God maye shewe that he hath care of all mankynde but specially that he doeth watche in rulyng of his churche which he vouchesaueth more nerely to loke vnto And this is also to be added that althoughe eyther the fatherly fauoure and bountyfulnesse of God or oftentymes the seueritie of his iudgemente do brightly appere in the whole course of his Prouidence yet somtyme the causes of those thynges that happen are secrete so that this thought crepeth into our myndes that mens matters are tourned and whirled about with the blynde sway of fortune or so that the fleshe stirreth vs to murmure as if God dydde to make him selfe pastyme to tosse menne like tennise balles True it is that if we were with quiet and still myndes ready to learne the very successe it selfe woulde at length playnely shewe that God hath an assured good reason of his purpose either to traine them that be his to pacience or to correct their euill affections tame their wantonnesse or to bryng theym downe to the renouncyng of theim selues or to awake their drowsynesse on the other syde to ouerthrowe the prowde to disappoint the suttletie of the wicked to confounde their deuises But howsoeuer the causes be secrete and vnknowē to vs we must assuredly hold that they ar layd vp in hiddē store with him therefore we ought to crie out with Dauid God thou hast made thy wonderful works so many that none can count in order to thee thy thoughts towarde vs. I would declare and speake of them but they are more than I am able to expresse For although alwais in our miseries we ought to thinke vpon our sinnes that the verye punishement maye moue vs to repentance yet doo we see how Christe geueth more power to the secrete purpose of his father than to punishe euery one according to his deseruyng For of hym that was borne blynde he sayth neither hath this man synned nor his parentes but that the glory of God may be shewed in hym For here naturall sense murmureth when calamitie commeth euen before birth as if God did vnmercifully so to punish the sely innocente that had not deserued it But Christe dooth testifie that in this lokyng glasse the glory of his father doeth shyne to our syght if we haue cleere eies to beholde it But we must kepe modestie that we drawe not God to yelde cause of his dooynges but lette vs so reuerence his secrete iudgementes that his wyll be vnto vs a moste iuste cause of all thynges When thicke cloudes doo couer the heauen and a violent tempest aryseth then bycause bothe a heauysome mystynesse is caste before oure eyes and the thunder troubleth oure eares and all oure senses are amased with terrour we thynke that all thynges are confounded and tombled togither and yet all the whyle there remaineth in the heauen the same quietenesse and calmenesse that was before So muste we thynke that whyle the troublesome state of thinges in the worlde taketh from vs abilitie to iudge God by the pure lyghte of his ryghteousnesse and wysedome dooth in well framed order gouerne and dispose euen those very troublesome motions themselues to a ryght ende And surely very monstrous is the rage of many in this behalfe whiche dare more boldly call the workes of God to accompte and examyne his secrete meanynges and to geue vnaduised sentence of thynges vnknowen than they wyll dooe of the deedes of mortall men For what is more vnorderly than to vse such modestie towarde our egals that we had rather suspende our iudgement than to incurre the blame of rashenesse and on the other syde proudely to triumph vpon the darke iudgementes of God whiche it became vs to regarde with reuerence Therfore no man shal wel profitably wey the Prouidēce of God but he that considering that he hath to doo with his creatour and the maker of the worlde dooeth with suche humilitie as he ought submitt himself to feare and reuerēce Hereby it cometh to passe that so many dogs at this day doo with venimed bitynges or at leaste barkynge assaile this doctrine because they will haue no more to be lawfull for God than their own reason informeth them And also they raile at vs with al the spitefulnesse that they are able for that not contented with the commaundementes of the lawe wherin the will of God is comprehended We doo further saie that the worlde is ruled by his secrete counsels As though the thyng that we teache were an inuention of our owne brayn and as though it were not true that the Holy ghost doth euery where expressely say the same and repeteth it with innumerable formes of speeche But because some shame restraineth theim that they dare not vomyte out their blasphemies against the heauen they fayn that they contende with vs to the ende they may the more freely play the madmen But if they do not graunt that what soeuer happeneth in the worlde is gouerned by the incomprehensible purpose of God let them answere to what ende the Scripture sayth that his iudgementes are a depe bottomlesse deapth For where as Moses crieth out that the wyll of God is not to be sought afarre of in the cloudes or in the deapthes because it is familiarly sette foorth in the lawe it foloweth that his other hidden will is compared to a bottomlesse deapth Of the whiche Paule also saith O deapth of the richesse and of the wisedom and of the knowlege of God howe vnsearchable are his iudgementes and his waies paste fyndyng out for who hath knowen the mynde of the Lorde or who hath bene his counsellour And it is in dede true that in the gospel and in the law are conteyned mysteries whiche are farre aboue the capacitie of oure sense but for asmuche as God for the comprehendyng of these mysteries whiche he hath vouchesaued to open by his woorde doeth lighten the myndes of them that be his with the Spirite of Understandyng nowe is therin no bottomlesse deapth but a way wherin we muste safe walk a candell to guyde our feete the light of life and the schoole of certayn and plainly discernable trueth But his meruailous order of gouernyng the worlde is worthily called a bottomlesse deapthe bicause while it is hidden from vs we ought reuerently to worshyp it Ryghte well hath Moses expressed theym bothe in fewe woordes The secrete thynges saieth he belong to the Lorde our God but the thyngs reueled belong to vs and to oure children for euer We see howe he byddeth vs not onely to studie in meditation of the lawe but also reuerently to looke vp vnto the secrete Prouidence of God And in the booke of Iob is rehersed one title of this deapth that it humbleth our myndes For after that the author
fallynge awaye mankinde became accursed did degenerate from hys firste estate wherin is intreated of Original sinne NOt without cause hath the Knowledge of himself ben in the olde prouerbe so muche commended to man For if it be thought a shame to be ignoraunt of all thynges that pertayne to the course of mans lyfe then muche more shamefull is the Not knowinge of our selues whereby it commeth to passe that in taking counsel of any thinge necessary we be miserably daseled yea altogether blinded But how muche more profitable this lesson is so muche more dylygentlye muste we take heede that we do not disordrely vse it as we see som of the Philosophers haue done For they in exhortinge man to knowe himselfe do withall appoint this to be the ende why he should know hymselfe that he shoulde not be ignorant of his owne dignitie and excellencie and nothinge els do thei will him to beholde in himselfe but that wherby he may swell with vaine confidence be puffed vp with pride But the knowledge of oure selues first standeth in thys pointe that considering what was geuen vs in creation howe bountifully God contynueth hys gracious fauoure towarde vs we may knowe howe great had ben the excellencie of oure nature if it had continued vncorrupted we may withall thinke vpon this that ther is nothing in vs of oure owne but that we haue as gotten by borrowing all that God hathe bestowed vpon vs that we maye alwaies hang vpon hym Then that we cal to minde oure miserable estate after the fal of Adam the feeling wherof may throwe downe al gloryinge and truste of our selues ouerwhelme vs with shame truely humble vs. For as God at the beginning fashioned vs like his owne image to the end to raise vp our mindes both to the study of vertue to the meditation of eternall life so least the so greate noblenesse of oure kinde whiche maketh vs different from brute beastes shoulde be drowned wyth our slouthfulnesse it is good for vs to knowe that we are therfore endued with 〈◊〉 vnderstandinge that in keping a holly honest lyfe we shulde â—â—â—cede on forwarde to the appointed ende of blessed immortalitie 〈◊〉 firste dignity can not come in our minde but by by on the other 〈…〉 heauy sight of oure filthines shame doth thruste it selfe in presâ—â—â—â—â— sins we in the person of the fyrste man are fallen from oure 〈◊〉 estate where vpon groweth the hatred and lothinge of oure sel 〈…〉 true humilitie and there is kyndeled a newe desire to seeke for God in whome euery of vs maye recouer those good thinges whereof we are founde altogither voyde and emptye This thinge surely the truth of God appointeth to be sought in examinynge of oure selues I meane it requyreth suche a knowledge as maie bothe call vs away froÌ„ all confidence of oure owne power making vs destitute of al matter to glory vpon may bringe vs to submission Whiche rule it behoueth vs to keepe if we wyll attaine to the true marke bothe of right knowledge welldoinge Neyther yet am I ignoraunt howe muche more pleasant is that other opinion that allureth vs rather to consider oure good thinges than to loke vpon oure miserable nedynesse and dishonore whiche ought to ouerwhelme vs with shame For ther is nothynge that mans nature more coueteth than to be stroked with flattery and therfore when he heareth the giftes that are in hym to be magusyed he leaneth to that syde wyth ouermuche lyghtnes of belefe whereby it is so muche lesse to be maruelled that herein the greatest parte of men haue perniciously erred For sith ther is naturally planted in all mortall menne a more than blynde loue of them selues they do moste willingly perswade themselues that there is nothinge in them that they ought woorthyly to hate So wythout any maintenance of other this moste vaine opinion dothe eche where gett credit that man is aboundantly sufficient of hym selfe to make hym selfe liue well and blessedlye But if there be any that are contente to thinke more modestly howe soeuer they graunt somewhat to God leaste they shoulde seeme arrogantly to take all to them selues yet they so parte it that the principall matter of glorye and confidence alway remayneth with them selues Nowe if there come talke that with her allurementes tickeleth the pride that already of it selfe itcheth within the bones ther is nothinge that may more delite them Therefore as any hath with his extollinge moste fouourably aduaunced the excellency of mans nature so hathe he been accepted with the well lykynge reioisement in manner of all ages But what soeuer suche commendacion there be of mans excellency that teacheth man to reste in him selfe it dothe nothinge but delyte with that her swetenesse and in dede so deceyueth that it bryngeth to moste wretched destruction all them that assent vnto it For to what purpose auaileth it for vs standynge vpon all vaine confidence to deuise apoint attempt and gooe about those thinges that we thinke to be for oure behoofe and in our fyrste beginninge of enterpryse to be forsaken and destytute of sounde vnderstandinge and true strengthe and yet to go on boldely tyll wee fall downe into destruction But it can not otherwise happen to them that haue affiaunce that thei can do any thing by theyr owne power Therefore if any man geue heede to suche teachers that holde vs in consyderynge onely oure owne good thynges he shall not profyte in learninge to knowe hym selfe but shall be carryed violently awaye in to the worste kynde of ignoraunce Therefore where as in this poynte the trueth of God dothe agree with the common naturall meanynge of all men that the second part of wisedome consisteth in the knowledge of oure selues yet in the verye manner of knowinge there is muche disagreement For by the iudgement of the fleshe a man thinketh that he hathe then well searched himselfe when trustinge vpon his owne vnderstandinge integrytie he taketh boldenes encourageth him selfe to doinge the dueâ—ies of vertue biddinge battell to vices trauayleth with al his study to bende himselfe to that whiche is comly and honest But he that loketh vpon and trieth himselfe by the rule of Gods iudgement â—inneth nothinge that maye raise vp his minde to good affiance and the more inwardely that he hathe examined him selfe the more he is discouraged tyll beinge altogether spoyled of all confydence he leaueth to himselfe nothinge towarde the well orderinge of his lyfe And yet wold not God haue vs to forgette the firste noblenes that he gaue to oure father Adam whiche ought of good righte to awake vs to the studie of righteousnes and goodnes For we can not consider either oure owne firste estate or to what ende we are created but we shal be pricked forwarde to studye vpon immortalitie to desire the kyngedome of God But that consideratioÌ„ is so farre from putting vs in courage that rather discouraging vs it throweth vs doune to
and also partaker of all one nature with vs therefore it is not lawefull for vs to searche any further For who so euer is tickled with desire to knowe any more he beyng not contented with the vnchangeable ordinance of God doth shewe also that he is not contented with the same Christ that was geuen vs to be the price of our redemption But Paule not only reherseth to what ende he was sente but also climbyng to the hye misterie of the predestination he very fitly represseth all wantonnesse and itchyng desire of mans wit The father chose vs in Christ before the creation of the worlde to make vs his sonnes by adoption according to the purpose of his will and he accepted vs in his beloued sonne in whom we haue redeÌ„ptioÌ„ by his bloud Truely here is not the fal of AdaÌ„ set before as though it were formost in time but is shewed what God determined before all ages when his will was to help the miserie of maÌ„kinde If the aduersarie obiecte againe that this purpose of God dyd hang vpon the fall of manne whiche he did foresâ—ent is enough and more for me to saye that they with wicked boldnesse breake forth to fayne them a newe Christ who so euer suffer themselues to searche for more or hope to know more of Christ than God hath foreapointed them by his secret decree And for good cause did Paule after he had so discoursed of the proper office of Christ whish to the Ephesians the spirit of vnderstanding to coÌ„prehend what is the length heygth bredth and depth euen the loue of Christe that surmounteth al knowledge euen as if of purpose he would set barres about our mindes that when mention is made of Christ they should not be it neuer so litle swarue from the grace of reconciliation Wherfore sithe this is a faithfull sayeng as Paule testifieth that Christ is come to saue sinners I do gladly rest in the same And whereas in an other place the same Apostle teacheth that the grace whiche is nowe disclosed by the Gospell was geuen vs in Christe before the times of the worlde I determine that I ought constantly to abide therein to the ende Agaynst this modestie Osiander carpeth vniustly whiche hath agayne in this time vnhappily stirred this question before lightly moued by a few He accuseth them of presumption that saye that the sonne of God shuld not haue appered in the flesh yf AdaÌ„ had not fallen bycause this inuention is confuted by no testimonie of Scripture As though Paule did not bridle froward curiositie when after he had spoken of redemption purchaced by Christ he by and by coÌ„maundeth to auoyde foolish questions The madnesse of some dyd burst out so farre that while they disordrely coueted to seme witty they moued this questioÌ„ whether the Sonne of God might haue takeÌ„ vpon him the nature of an Asse This monstruousnesse which all the godly do worthyly abhorre as detestable let Osiander coâ—fute with this pretense that it is neuer expressely confuted in the Scripture As though when Paule accompteth nothing precious or worthy to be knowen but Christ crucified he doth therfore admit an Asse to be the authour of saluatioÌ„ Therfore he that in an other place reporteth that Christ by the eternal couÌ„sel of his father was ordeined to be a head to gather althinges together wil neuer the more acknowledge an other that hath no office of redemyng apointed him But as for the principle that he braggeth of it is very triflyng He would haue it that man was created after the image of God bicause he was fashioned after the paterne of Christ to come that he mighte resemble him whom the father had alredy decreed to clothe with our fleshe Whereupon he gathereth that yf Adam had neuer fallen froÌ„ his firste and vncorrupted originall state yet Christ should haue ben man Howe triflyng this is and wrested all menne that haue sounde iudgement do easily perceiue of themselues In the meane time first he thinketh that he hath seene what was the ymage of God that forsothe the glorie of God did not onely shyne in those excellent giftes wherewith he was garnished but also that God himselfe essentially dwelt in him But as for me although I graunt that AdaÌ„ did beare the image of God in so much as he was ioyned to God whiche is the true and hyest perfection of dignitie yet I saye that the likenesse of God is no where els to bee sought but in those markes of excellencie wherewith he had garnisshed Adam aboue other liuynge creatures And that Christe was then the image of God all menne doe graunt with one consent and therefore that what so euer excellencie was grauen in Adam it proceded from this that by the onely begotten sonne he approched to the glorie of his creatour Therefore manne was created after the image of God in whome the creatours will was to haue his glorie seene as in a lookynge glasse To this degree of honour was he aduauÌ„ced by the benefite of the only begotteÌ„ sonne But I saye further that the same sonne was a common head as well to Angels as to menne so that the same dignitie that was bestowed vpon manne did also belong vnto Angels For when we heare them called the children of God it were inconuenient to denie that there is somethyng in them wherein they resemble their father Nowe yf his will was to haue his glorie to be represented as well in Angels as in menne and to be seene in bothe natures Osiander dothe fondely trifâ—e in sayeng that the Angeles were then set behinde menne bicause they did not beare the image of Christ. For they could not continually enioye the present beholdyng of God vnlesse they were like hym And Paule teacheth that menne are no otherwise renewed after the image of God but if they be coupled with Angels that they maye cleane together vnder one head Finally yf we beleue Christ this shal be our laste felicitie to be made of like forme to the Angeles when we shal be receyued vp into heauen But if Osiander will conclude that the originall paterne of the image of God was in Christ as he is man by the same reason a manne maye say that Christ muste needes haue ben partaker of the nature of Angels bicause the image of God perteineth also to them Therefore Osiander hath no cause to feare that God shoulde bee found a lier vnlesse it had ben firste stedfastly and vnchangeably decreed in his minde to haue his sonne incarnate bycause yf the integritie of Adam had not fallen he should with the Angels haue ben like vnto God and yet it should not therfore haue ben necessarie 〈◊〉 the sonne of God should be made eyther man or Angel And in â—ame he feareth that absurditie least vnlesse the vnchangeable counsell of God had ben before the creation of man that Christ should be borne not as the redemer but as the first man he should haue loste
made of ayre but to the sonne of Dauid and to the frute of his wombe Therefore beyng deliuered in the flesh he is called the sonne of Dauid and AbrahaÌ„ not bicause he is only borne of the wombe of the Uirgin create in the ayre but bicause as Paule expoundeth it he is accordyng to the flesh made of the seede of Dauid as in an other place the Apostle teacheth that he descended of the Iewes For whiche cause the Lorde himselfe not contented with the bare name of man doth oftentimes call himself the sonne of manne meanyng to expresse more plainely that he was man truely issued of the seede of mankinde Sithe the holy ghoste hath so oft by so many meanes with so great diligence and simplicitie declared a thinge not obscure of it self who would haue thought any men to be so shamelesse as to presume yet to spred mistes to darken it And yet we haue other testimonies at hand if we listed to heape vp more of them As is that sayeng of Paule that God sent his sonne made of womaÌ„ And innumerable other places whereby appereth that he was subiect to hungre thirst colde and other infirmities of our nature But out of many these are chiefly to be chosen that maye moste auaile to edifie our mindes in true coÌ„fideÌ„ce As where it is sayd that he gaue not so great honour to the Angels as to take their nature vpon him but toke our nature that in flesh and bloud he might by death destroy him that had the power of death Agayne that by benefite of that communicating we are reckened his brethreÌ„ Againe that he ought to haue ben made like vnto his brethren that he might be made a merciful and â—aithâ—ull intercessour that we haue not a Bishop that can not be compariont of our infirmities And such like And for the same purpose serueth that whiche we touched a litle before that it behoued that the sinnes of the world should be cleansed in our flesh Whiche Paule playnely affirmeth And truely what so euer the â—ather hath geuen to Christ it doth therefore belong to vs bicause he is the head from whiche the whole body beyng knit together groweth into one Yea otherwise that will not agree together whiche is sayd that the Spirit was geuen him without measure that all we shoulde drawe of the fulnesse thereof For asmuch as there is no greater absurditie than to say that God is enriched in his essence by any accidentall gifte And for this cause Christ sayth in an other place I do sacrifice my self for them As for the places that they bryng forth to confirme their errour they doe to vnaptly wrest them and they nothyng preuayle by their triflyng suttelties when they goe about to wipe away those thinges that I haue alleged for our part Marcion imagineth that Christ did put on a fantasticall body in stede of a true body bicause in some places it is sayd that he was made after the likenesse of man and that he was found in shape as a manne But so he nothing weyeth what is Paules purpose in that place For his meanyng is not to teach what manner of body Christe toke vpon him but that whereas he might haue shewed â—orth his godhed he made none other shewe of himself but as of an abiect and vnregarded man For to exhort vs by his example to submission he sheweth that for asmuch as he was God he might haue by and by set forth his glory to be seene to the worlde but yet that he gaue ouer some of his owne right and of his owne accord abaced himself bicause he did put on the ymage of a seruant and contended with that humilitie suffred his godhed to be hidden with the veile of the flesh He doth not here teache what Christ was but how he behaued himselfe And also by the whole processe of the texte it is easily gathered that Christ was abaced in the true nature of manne For what meaneth this that in shape he was founde as manne but that for a time the glorie of his godhed dyd not shyne forth but only the shape of manne appered in base and abiect estate For otherwise that place of Peter coulde not stande together that he was dead in the fleshe but quickened in the spirit yf the sonne of God had not ben weake in the nature of manne whiche Paule expresseth more plainely in sayeng that he suffred by reason of the weakenesse of the fleshe And hereunto serueth the exaltation bycause it is expressely sayd that Christe atteyned a newe glorie after that he abaced himselfe whiche could not well agree to be spoken of any but of a man hauing fleshe and soule Manichees framed Christ a body of ayre bycause Christ is called the seconde Adam heauenly of heauen But neyther in that place doth the Apostle bryng in a heauenly essence of the body but a spirituall force whiche beyng poured abrode by Christ doth quicken vs. Nowe as we haue alredy seene Peter and Paule doe seuer the same from his fleshe But rather that doctrine whiche is receiued among the true teachers concernynge the flesh of Christ is vâ—ry well proued by that place For if Christ had not all one nature of body with vs it were a very vaine argument that Paul with such vehemencie â—oloweth that yf Christ be risen agayne we shal also rise agayne and yâ— we do not rise then that Christ also is not risen By what cauillatioâ—s so euer eyther the olde Maâ—ichees or their newe Disciples goe aboute to escape they shall not winde theÌ„selues away It is a fowle shifte that thei fondly say that Christ is called the sonne of manne in so much as he is promised of menne For it is playne that after the Hebrewe phrase very man in deede is called the Sonne of manne And Christ without doubte kepte the phrase of his owne tonge Also it ought to make no question what ought to be vnderstanded by the children of Adam And not to goe farre of the place of the .viij. Psalme whych the Apostles apply to Christ shal be sufficient enough What is man that thou arte myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him In this figure is expressed the true manhode of Christe For though he were not immediatly begotten of a mortall father yet his race came from Adam For els that place could not stande whiche we haue alredy alleged that Christ is made parâ—aker of fleshe and bloud that he might gather to him yonge childreÌ„ to the seruice of God In which wordes it is plainely determined that Christ is made fellow partaker of all one nature with vs. In whych meanyng also he sayth that bothe the authour of holinesse and they that are made holy are all of one For it is proued by the processe of the text that the same is referred to the felowship of nature bicause he by and by addeth Therefore he
of peyne he had ben only a redemer for bodies But it behoued that he should wrastle to rayse vp them that laye throwen downe And his heauenly glorie is so nothyng appeired thereby that euen herein gloriously shineth his goodnesse whyche is neuer sufficiently praysed that he refused not to take our weakenesses vpon him From whense is also that comforte of oure anguishes and sorrowes whiche the Apostle setteth before vs that this Mediatour dyd feele our infirmities that he might bee the more earnestly bente to succour vs in miserie They saye that that thynge whiche is euell of it selfe is vnworthily ascribed to Christ. As though they were wiser than the spirit of God whiche ioyneth these two thinges together that Christe was in all thynges tempted as we are and yet that he was without sinne Therfore there is no cause that the weakenesse of Christ should make vs afrayde whereunto he was not by violence or necessitie cōpelled but by mere loue of vs and by mercie was led to submit himselfe And what so euer he of his owne will suffred for vs diminisheth nothyng of his power But in this one poynte are these backebiters deceyued that they do not perceyue in Christ an infirmitie cleane and free from all faulte and spot bycause he kepte himselfe within the boundes of obedience For whereas there can be founde no moderation in our corrput nature where al our affections do with troublesome violence excede all measure they doe wronge to measure the forme of God by that standard But when man was in his vncorrupted state then there was a moderation hauyng force in all his affections to restrayne excesse Wherby he might well be that he was like vnto vs in sorrowe dread and fearefulnesse yet that by this marke he differed from vs. Beyng so confuted thei leape to an other cauillation that though Christ feared death yet he feared not the curse and wrath of God frō which he knew himself to be safe But let the godly readers weye how honorable this is for Christ that he was more tēder and more fearefull than the most part of the very rascall sort of men Theues other euell doers do obstinately hast to death many do with haute courage despise it some other do midly suffer it But what constācie or stoute courage were it for the sonne of God to be astonished in a maner striken dead with feare of it For euen that whiche among the common sort might be accompted miraculous is reported of him that for vehemencie of griefe very droppes of bloud did fal from his face Neither did he this to make a shew to the eyes of other but whē in a secret corner whether he was gone out of companie he groned vnto his father And this putteth it out of all dout the it was needeful that he should haue Angels to come downe frō heauen to relieue him with an vnwonted maner of cōforting How shameful a tēdernesse as I sayd should this haue ben to be so far tormented for feare of cōmon death as to melt in bloudy sweate and not to be able to be comforted but by sight of Angels What doth not that prayer thryse repeted Father if it be possible let this cuppe departe from me proceding frō an incredible bitternesse of heart shewe that Christ had a more cruell and harder battell than with common death Whereby appereth that those triflers agaynst whome I nowe dispute doe boldly babble vpon thynges that they knowe not bicause they neuer earnestly considered what it is or of howe great importance it is that we be redemed from the iudgement of God But this is our wisedome well to vnderstand how deere our saluation dyd cost the sonne of God Now yf a man should aske me if Christ went then downe to hell when he prayed to escape that death I answere that then was the beginnyng of it whereby may be gathered how greuous and terrible tormentes he suffred whē he knew himself to stand to be arrayned for our cause before the iudgement seate of God But although for a moment of time the diuine power of the spirit did hide it selfe to geue place to the weakenesse of the fleshe yet muste we know that the tentation by felyng of sorrowe and feare was suche as was not agaynst fayth And so was that fulfilled whiche is in the Sermon of Peter that he could not be holden of the sorrowes of death bycause when he felt himselfe as it were forsaken of God yet he did nothyng at all swarue from the trust of his goodnesse Whiche is proued by that his notable callyng vpon God when for extremitie of peyne he cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me For though he was aboue measure greued yet he cesseth not to call him his God of whome he cryeth out that he was forsaken Moreouer hereby is confuted as well the errour of Apollinaris as theirs that were called Monothelites Apollinaris fayned that Christ had an eternall spirit in stede of a soule so that he was only but half a mā As though he could cleanse our sinnes any other way but by obeyeng his father But where is the affectiō or will of obedience but in the soule whiche soule of his we knowe was troubled for this purpose to driue awaye feare and bryng peace and quietnesse to our soule Agayne for confusion of the Monothelites we see how nowe he willed not that thinge accordyng to his nature of manhode whiche he willed according to his nature of godhed I omit to speake howe he did subdue the aforesayd feare with a contrarie affection For herein is a playne shewe of contrarietie Father deliuer me from this houre But euen herefore I came euen into this houre Father glorifie my name In whiche perplexitie yet was there no such outrage in him as is seen in vs euen then when we must of al endeuour to subdue our selues Nowe foloweth his resurrection from the dead without which al that we haue hetherto were but vnperfect For sithe there appereth in the crosse death buriall of Christ nothyng but weakenesse faith must passe beyond all those thinges that it maye be furnished with ful strength Therfore although we haue in his death a full accomplishment of saluation bicause by it bothe we are reconciled to God and his iust iudgement is satisfied and the curse taken awaye and the penaltie fully payed yet we are sayd to be regenerate into a liuing hope not by his death but by his risyng agayne For as he in risyng againe rose vp the vanquisher of death so the victorie of our fayth consisteth in the very resurrection but howe this is is better expressed in the wordes of Paule For he sayth that Christ died for our sinnes and was raysed vp agayne for our iustification as if he should haue sayd that by his death sinne was taken awaye and by his risyng agayne righteousnesse was renewed and restored For how
from all manner of affiance when they teache that our righteousnesses do stinke in the sight of God vnlesse they receiue a good sauor from the innocence of Christ that they can do nothing but prouoke the vengeance of God vnlesse they be susteined by the tendernes of his mercie Moreouer they so leaue nothing to vs but that we shold traue the mercie of our iudge with that confessioÌ„ of Dauid that none shall be iustified before him if he require accoÌ„pt of his seruantes But where Iob saythe If I haue done wickedly wo to me but if I doe righteously yet I wyll not so lyfte vp my head though he meane of that most hie righteousnes of God wherunto the very Angels answer not yet he therwithal sheweth that wheÌ„ thei come to the iudgement of God there remaineth nothing for al mortal men but to holde their peace as duÌ„me For it teÌ„deth not only to this purpose that he had rather willingly yeld thaÌ„ daÌ„gerously striue with the rigorousnes of God but he meaneth that he felt no other righteousnes in him self thaÌ„ such as at the first moment shold fall before the sight of God When affiance is driuen away al glorieng must also necessarely depart For who can geue the praise of righteousnes to these workes the affiaÌ„ce wherof treÌ„bleth before the sight of God We must therfore come whether Esaie calleth vs that al the seede of Israel may be praised glorie in God because it is most true whiche he saith in an other place that we ar the planting of the glorie of God Our mynde therfore shall then be rightly purged wheÌ„ it shal neither in any behalf rest vpon the coÌ„fidence of workes nor reioise in the glory of theÌ„ But this errour encouraged folish men to the puffing vp of this false a lying affiance that they alway set the cause of their saluatioÌ„ in workes But if we loke to the fower kindes of causes which the phylosophers â—eache vs to coÌ„sider in the effect of thinges we shal find that none of them doth accord with workes in the stablishing of our saluatioÌ„ For the Scripture doth euery where report that the cause of procuring the eternall life to vs is the mercie of the heauenly father his free loue towarde vs that the Material cause is Christ with his obedience by which he purchaced righteousnesse for vs. What also shal we say to be the formal or instrumeÌ„tal cause but faith And these thre causes Iohn coÌ„prehendeth together in one senteÌ„ce when he saith God so loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that euery one which beleueth in him may not perish but may haue euerlastiÌ„g life Now the final cause the Apostle testifieth to be both the shewing of the righteousnesse of God the praise of his goodnes wher he reherseth also the other thre in expresse wordes For he satih thus to the Romains al haue sined do nede the glory of god but they are iustified frely by his grace Here thou hast the head first fountain namely that God embraced vs with his free mercie Then foloweth By the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ which is in Christ Iesu. Here thou hast as it were the matter wherof righteousnesse is made for vs through faith in his bloude Here is shewed the instrumeÌ„tall cause wherby the righteousnes of Christ is applied to vs. Last of al he ioyneth the end when he saithe vnto the shewyng of his righteousnesse that he may be righteous the righteousmaker of him that is of the faithe of Christe And to touche by the way that this righteousnes standeth of reconciliatioÌ„ he setteth expressely by name the Christ was geuen to vs for reconciliatioÌ„ So in the first chap. also to the Ephesians he teacheth the we are receiued of God into fauour by mear mercie that the same is wrought by the intercession of Christ receiued by faithe all to this ende that the glorie of the goodnesse of God may fully shyne When we see that all the partes of our saluation are so without vs what cause is there that wee shoulde now either haue affiance or glorie in workes Neither can euen the most sworne ennemies of the grace of God moue any controuersie with vs about the efficient or fynall cause vnlesse they wyll denye the whole Scripture In the Materiall and Formall cause the caste a false colour as though our workes haue a half place with faithe and the righteousnesse of Christ. But this also they teache the Scripture criynge out against them whiche simply affirmeth both that Christ is to vs for righteousnesse and life and that this benefit of righteousnesse is possesed by only faith But where as the holy men do oftentimes strengthen and comforte them selues with remembrance of their owne innocencie and vprightnesse and somtime also forbeare not to report of it with prayse that is done twoo wayes either that in comparing their good cause with the euell cause of the wicked they conceiue thereby assured trust of victory not so muche for commending of their own righteousnes as for the iust deserued condemning of their aduersaries or that euen without comparison of other while thei recorde theÌ„selues before God the purenesse of their own conscience bringeth to them both some comfort affiance Of the first of these two wayes we shall se hereafter now let vs brefely declare of the latter how it agreeth with that whiche we haue aboue said that in the iudgemeÌ„t of God we must rest vpoÌ„ no affiance of workes and glorie vpon no opinion of them This is the agrement that the holy ones when it concerneth the founding and stablishinge of their saluation do without respect of workes bend their eies to the only goodnesse of God And they do not only bend them selues to it afore al thinges as to the beginning of blessednesse but do rest therin as in the fulfilling of it A conscience so founded raised stablished is also stablished with consideration of workes namely so far as they are the witnessings of God dwelling reigning in vs. Sithe therfore this affiance of workes hath no place vnlesse thou haue first cast the whole affiance of thy mynde vpon the mercie of God it ought not to seme coÌ„trary to the wherupon it hangeth Wherfore wheÌ„ we exclude the affiance of workes we meane only this that a Christian mind may not bowe to the merit of workes as to the succour of saluation but should throughly rest in the free promise of righteousnesse But we forbid it not to vnderprop strengthen this faith with the signes of the good will of God toward it selfe For if al the good giftes whiche God hath bestowed vpon vs wheÌ„ theâ— be recorded in remeÌ„brance are to vs after a certaine manner as it were beames of the face of God by whiche we ar enlightened to behold that soueraigne light of goodnesse much more is the grace of good workes whiche sheweth that the Spirite of adoption is geuen
expediente also to pray in other places but he sheweth that prayer is a certaine secrete thing whiche bothe is chefely placed in the soule and requireth the quiet therof farr from all trobles of cares Not wtout cause therfore the lord himselfe also when he was disposed to apply himselfe more earnestly to prayer coÌ„ueied himself into some solitarie place farr froÌ„ the troblesome coÌ„pany of meÌ„ but to teach vs by his exaÌ„ple that these helps ar not to be despised by which our minde being to slippry of it self is more beÌ„t to earnest applyeng of praier But in the meane time eueÌ„ as he in the middest of the multitude of men absteined not from praying if occasion at any tyme so serued so should we in al places where nede shal be lift vp pure handes Finally thus it is to be holden that whosoeuer refuseth to praye in the holy assemblie of the godly he knoweth not what it is to pray apart or in solitarinesse or at home Againe that he that neglecteth to pray alone or priuatly how diligently soeuer he hauÌ„t publike assemblies doth there make but vaine prayers because he geueth more to the opinion of men thaÌ„ to the secrete iugement of God In the meane time that the common prayers of the Chirch shoulde not growe into contempte God in olde tyme garnished them with glorious titles specially where he called the temple the house of prayer For by thys sayeng he both taught that the chefe part of the worshipping of hym is the dutie of prayer and that to the ende that the faythful should with one consent exercise themselues in it the teÌ„ple was set vp as a standard for them There was also added a notable promise There abideth for thee O God prayse in Sion to thee the vow shal be payed By which wordes the Prophet telleth vs that the prayers of the Chirch are neuer voyde because the Lord alway ministreth to hys people mater to sing vpon with ioy But although the shadowes of the law are cessed yet because the Lordes wil was by thys ceremonie to nourish among vs also the vnitie of fayth it is no doute that the same promise belongeth to vs which both Christ hath stablished with hys owne mouth and Paule teacheth that it is of force for euer Now as the Lord by hys worde commaundeth the faithful to vse coÌ„mon prayers so there must be common temples appointed for the vsing of them where whoso refuse to communicate their prayer with the people of God there is no cause why they should abuse thys pretense that they enter into their chamber that they may obey the commaundemente of the lord For he that promiseth that he wil do whatsoeuer twoo or three shall aske being gathered together in hys name testifieth that he despiseth not prayers openly made so that bosting and seking of glory of meÌ„ be absent so that vnfained true affectioÌ„ be present which dwelleth in the secret of the hart If this be the right vse of temples as truely it is we must againe beware that neither as they haue begon in certayne ages past to be accoÌ„pted we take them for the propre dwelling places of God from whense he may more nerely bende hys eare vnto 〈◊〉 â—ayne to them I wote not what secrete holinesse whiche maye 〈…〉 prayer more holy before God For sith we our selues be the 〈◊〉 teÌ„ples of God we must pray in our selues if we wil cal vpon God in his own holy temple As for that grossenesse let vs which haue a commaundement to call vpon the Lord in Spirite and truth without difference of place leaue it to the Iewes or the Gentiles There was in dede a temple in olde time by the commaundemente of God for offring of prayers and sacrifices but that was at such tyme as the truth lay hydde figured vnder suche shadowes which being now liuely expressed vnto vs doth not suffer vs to sticke in any materiall temple Neither was the temple geuen to the Iewes themselues with this condition that they shold enclose the presence of God within the walles therof but wherby they myght be exercised to beholde the image of the true temple Therefore they which in any wise thought that God dwelleth in temples made with handes were sharply rebuked of Esay and Stephen Here moreouer it is more than euident that neither voice nor song if they be vsed in prayer haue any force or do any whit profite before God vnlesse they procede from the depe affectioÌ„ of the hart But rather they prouoke his wrath against vs if they come only froÌ„ the lippes and out of the throte forasmuch as that is to abuse his holy name and to make a mockerie of his maiestie as we gather out of the wordes of Esay which although they extende further yet perteine also to reproue thys fault Thys people sayth he cometh nere to with their mouth and honoreth me with their lippes but their hart is farr froÌ„ me they haue feared me with the commauÌ„dement and doctrine of men Therfore beholde I will make in this people a miracle great and to be wondred at For wisedome shall perish from their wise men and the prudence of the Elders shal vanishe away Neither yet doo we here condemne voice or singyng but rather doo hyely commende them so that they accompany the affection of the mynde For so they exercise the mynd and hold it intentiue in thynkyng vpon God which as it is slippery and rollyng easily slacketh and is diuersly drawen vnlesse it be stayed with diuers helpes Moreouer wheras the glorie of God ought after a certaine maner to shine in al the partes of our body it specially behoueth that the tong be applyed and auowed to this seruice both in singing and in speaking which is properly created to shew fourth and display the praise of God But the chefe vse of the tong is in publike prayers which are made in the assemblie of the Godly which tend to thys ende that we may all with one common voice and as it were with one mouth together glorifie God whoÌ„ we worship with one Spirite and one Faith and that openly that all men mutually euery one of hys brother maye receiue the confession of Fayth to the example wherof they maye be bothe allured and stirred Is for the vse singyng in Chirches that I may touche this also by the waie it is certaine that it is not onely most auncieÌ„t but that it was also in vse among the Apostles we maye gather by these wordes of Paule I will syng in Spirite I will syng also in mynde Agayne to the Colossians Teachyng and admonishing you mutually in hymnes psalmes and spirituall songes singyng with grace in your harts to the Lorde For in the first place he teacheth that we should syng with voice and harte in the other he commendeth spirituall songes wherewith the godly doo mutually edifie themselues Yet that it was not vniuersal Augustine
to be propre to his Father that our Faith may be stayed in hym then that we may be certainly persuaded that he is not carelesse of our safetie because he vouchesaueth euen to vs to extende his prouidence With whiche introductions Paule prepareth vs to pray rightely For before that he hiddeth our petitions to be opened before God he sayth thus Be ye carefull for nothyng the Lorde is at hande Wherby appeareth that they doutefully and with perplexitie tosse theyr prayers in their mynde whiche haue not this well settled in them that the eie of God is vpon the righteous The firste Petition is That the name of God be hallowed the neede wherof is ioyned with our greate shame For what is more shamefull than that the glorie of God should be partly by our vnthankefulnesse partly by our maliciousnesse darkened and so muche as in it lyeth by our boldenesse and furious stubbornesse vtterly blotted out Though all the wicked wolde burst themselues with their wylfulnesse full of sacrilege yet the holynesse of the name of God gloriously shineth And not without cause the Prophet crieth out As thy name O God so is â—hy praise into al the endes of the earth For wheresoeuer the name of God is knowen it can not be but that his strengthes power goodnesse wisdome righteousnesse mercie and truthe must shewe foorth themselues whiche may drawe vs into admiration of him and stirre vs vp to publyshe his praise Sithe therfore the holynesse of God is to shamefully taken from hym in earth if we be not able to reskue it we be at the least commaunded to take care of it in our prayers The summe is that we wishe the honor to be geuen to God whiche he is worthye to haue that men neuer speake or thinke of hym without moste hye reuerence wherunto is contrarie the vnholy abusyng whiche hath alway been to common in the worlde as at this day also it rangeth abroade And hereuppon commeth the necessitie of this petition whiche if there liued in vs any godlynesse though it were but little oughte to haue ben superfluous But if the name of God haue his holynesse safe when being seuered from all other it breatheth out nothyng but glorie here we are commaunded not only to pray that God wil deliuer that holy name from al contempt dishonor but also that he wil subdue al mankind to the reuereÌ„ce of it Now wheras God discloseth hymself to vs partly by doctrine partly by workes he is no otherwise sanctified of vs than if we geue to him in both behalfes that which is his so embrace whatsoeuer shal come from hym and that his seueritie haue no lesse praise among vs than his mercifulnesse forasmuche as he hath in the manifolde diuersitie of his workes emprinted markes of his glorie which may worthily drawe out of all tonges a confession of his praise So shall it comme to passe that the Scripture shall haue full authoritie with vs and that no successe shall hynder the blessyng whiche God deserueth in the whole course of the gouernyng of the worlde Agayne the petition also tendeth to this purpose that all vngodlynesse whiche defyleth this holy name may be destroyed and taken away that whatsoeuer thynges doo darken and diminishe this sanctifieng as well sclaunders as mockynges may be driuen away and when God subdueth al sacrileges his glorie may therby more and more shine abroade The seconde petition is that The Kyngdome of God may come which although it conteyne no newe thyng is yet not withoute cause seuered from the fyrst because if we consyder our owne drewsynesse in a thyng greatest of all other it is profitable that the thyng whiche oughte of it selfe to haue ben most well knowen be with many wordes ofte beaten into vs. Therfore after that we haue ben commaunded to pray to God to bryng into subiection and at length vtterly to destroye whatsoeuer spotteth his holye name nowe is added a like and in a maner the same request that his kingdome come But although we haue alredy sett fourth the definition of this kingdome yet I now brefely rehearse that God reigneth when men as wel with forsaking of themselues as with despising of the world and of the earthly life do so yelde themselues to his righteousnesse that they aspire to the heauenly lyfe Therfore there are twoo partes of this kyngdome the one that God correcte with the power of his Spirite all corrupt desires of the fleshe which do by multitudes make warre against hym the other that he frame all our senses to the obedience of hys gouernement Therfore none do kepe right order in thys prayer but they which beginne at themselues that is to say that they be cleansed from all corruptions which troble the quiet state of the kingdome of God and infect the purenesse therof Now because the worde of God is lyke a kyngly scepter we are here commaunded to pray that he wil subdue the myndes and hartes of al men to willing obedience of it Which is done when with the secret instinct of hys Spirite he vttereth the effectuall force of hys worde that it may be auaunced in such degree as it is worthi Afterward we must come down to the wicked which do obstinatly and with desperate rage resist his authoritie God therfore setteth vp hys kyngdome by humbling the whole world but that in diuerse maners because he tameth the wantonnesses of some and of other some he breaketh the vntamed pride Thys is daily to be wished that it be done that it may please God to gather to hymselfe Chirches out of all the coastes of the worlde to enlarge and encreasce them in number to enriche them with his giftes to stablishe right order in them on the other side to ouerthrowe all the enemies of pure doctrine and religion to scatter abrode their counsels to cast down their enterprises Wherby appeareth that the endeuor of daili proceding is not in vaine commaunded vs because the maters of men are neuer in so good case that filthinesse bring shaken away and cleansed full purenesse florisheth and is in liuely force But the fulnesse of it is differred vnto the last comming of Christ when Paule teacheth that God shal be al in al. And so thys prayer ought to withdrawe vs from all the corruptions of the world which do seuer vs from God that hys kyngdome should not florishe in vs and also to kindle our endeuor to mortifie the flesh finally to instruct vs to the bearing of the crosse forasmuch as God will in this wise haue hys kyngdome spred abrode Neither ought we to take it miscontentedly that the outward man be destroyed so that the inwarde man be renewed For thys is the nature of the kingdome of God when we submitt our selues to the righteousnesse therof to make vs partakers of his glorie Thys is done wheÌ„ brightly setting fourth his light and truth with alway new encreasces wherby the darkenesse and
it may will leaue to God no secrete which it will not searche and turne ouer Into this boldnesse and importunacie forasmuch as we commonly se many to runne headlong and among those that are otherwise not euell men here is fit occasion to warne them what is in this behalfe the due measure of theyr duetie First therfore let them remembre that when they enquire vpon Predestination they pearce into the secrete closets of the wisedome of God wherinto if any man doo carelesly and boldly breake in he shall bothe not atteyne wherwith to satisfie his curiousnesse and he shal entre into a mase wherof he shall fynde no way to get out again For neither is it mete that man shoulde freely search those thynges which God hath willed to be hidden in himselfe and to turne ouer from very eternitie the height of wisedome which he willed to be honored and not to be conceiued that by it also he mought be meruailous vnto vs. Those secretes of his will whiche he hath determined to be opened vnto vs he hath disclosed in his worde and he hath determined so farre as he forsawe to pertayne to vs and to be profitable for vs. We are come sayth Augustine into the way of Faithe let vs stedfastly holde it It bringeth into the Kynges chamber in whiche all the treasures of knowlege and wisedome are hidden For the Lorde himselfe Christ did not enuie his excellent and moste chosen disciples when he said I haue many thynges to be sayde to you but ye can not beare them nowe We must walke we must profit we must encreasce that our hartes may be able to conceiue those thynges which now we can not coÌ„ceiue If the last day find vs profityng there we shal learne that whiche here we coulde not If this thought be of force with vs that the worde of the Lorde is the onely way that may leade vs to searche whatsoeuer is lawfull to be learned of him that it is the only light which may geue vs light to see whatsoeuer we ought to see of hym it shall easily holde backe and restraine vs from all rashenesse For we shall knowe that so soone as we be gone out of the boundes of the worde we runne oute of the waie and in darkenesse in which race we must needes oftentymes stray slippe and stumble First therfore let this be before our eyes that to couet any other knowlege of Predestination than that whiche is set foorth by the woorde of God is a poynt of no lesse madnesse than if a man haue a will to go by an vnpassable waie or to se in darknesse Neither lett vs be ashamed to be ignorant of somewhat in it wherein there is some learned ignorance But rather lett vs willyngly absteine from the serchyng of that Knowlege wherof the excessyue couetyng is both foolishe and pâ—rillous yea and deadly But if the wantonnesse of witt prouoke vs it shal be profitable alwaye to sett this agaynst it whereby it may be beaten backe that as to much of honey is not good so the serchyng of glorie dothe not turne vnto glorie to the curious For there is good cause why we shoulde be frayed away from that boldnesse whiche can do nothing but throwe vs downe headlong into ruine There be other which when they haue a will to remedy this euell doo commaunde all mention of Predestination to bee in a maner buried at the least they teache men to flee from euery maner of questionyng therof as from a rocke Although the moderation of these men bee herein worthily to be praysed that they iudge that mysteries shoulde be tasted of with suche sobrietie yet because they descende to muche beneath the meane they little preuaile with the witte of manne whiche doothe not lyghtly suffre it selfe to be restrained Therfore that in this behalf also we maie kepe a right ende we must returne to the worde of the Lorde in whiche we haue a sure rule of vnderstanding For the Scripture is the schoole of the Holy ghoste in whiche as nothyng is lefte out which is bothe necessarie profitable to be knowen so nothyng is taught but that whiche is behouefull to learne Whatsoeuer therfore is vttered in the Scripture concernyng Predestination we muste beware that we debarre not the faithfull from it least we should seme either enuiously to defraude them of the benefite of their God or to blame and accuse the Holy ghoste who hath published those thynges whyche it is in any wyse profitable to be suppressed Let vs I say geue leaue to a christian man to open his mynde and his eares to all the sayenges of God whiche are directed to hym so that it be doone with this temperance that so soone as the Lorde hath closed his holy mouth he may also forclose to himselfe all the way to enquire further This shall be the beste bouÌ„de of sobrietie if not only in learnyng we alway follow the Lord goyng before vs but also wheÌ„ he maketh an ende of teaching we ceasse to will to learne Neither is the danger which they feare of so greate importance that we ought therfore to turne awaye our myndes from the oracles of God Notable is the sayeng of Salomon that the glorie of God is to concele a word But sithe bothe godlinesse and common reason teacheth that this is not generally meant of euery thyng we muste seke a difference least brutishe ignorance shoulde please vs vnder color of modestie and sobrietie That difference is in fewe woordes playnly sett out by Moses To the Lord our God sayth he belong his secretes bâ—t to vs and to our children he hath disclosed these thynges For we see how he commendeth to the people the studie of the doctrine of the law onely by reason of the decree of God because it pleased God to publish it â–ª and howe he withholdeth the people within those bouÌ„des by this only reason because it is not lawfull for mortall men to thrust themselues into the secretes of God Prophane men I graunt do in the mater of Predestination sodenly catche hold of somewhat which they may carpe or cauill or barke or scoffe at But if their waywardnesse doo fray vs away from it the chefe articles of the faith must be kept secrete of whiche there is almost none which thei or such as thei be do leaue vntouched with blasphemie A frowarde wytt will no lesse prowdly outrage when he heareth that in the essence of God there are three persones than if he heare that God forsawe what shoulde becomme of man when he created hym Neyther will they absteyne from laughyng when they shall vnderstande that there is lyttell more than fiue thousande yeares passed sins the creation of the worlde for they wyll aske why the power of God was so long idell and asleape Fynally there can be nothyng brought foorthe whych they will not scoffe at For the restrainynge of these sacrileges must we holde our peace of the Godhead of
Chirch is by that magnificēce not vncomlily vpholden And they haue of their secte some so shamelesse that they dare openly boaste that so only are fulfylled those prophecies wherby the old Prophets describe the gloriousnesse of the kyngdome of Christ when that kingly gorgeousnesse is seen in the priestly order Not in vaine say they God hath promised these thynges to his Chirche Kinges shall come they shall worshyp in thy sight they shal bryng thee giftes Arise arise clothe thee with thy strength O Syon clothe thee with the garmentes of thy glorie O Hierusalem All shall come from Saba bryngyng golde and incense and speakyng praise to the Lorde All the cattell of Cedar shal be gathered together to thee If I should tarie long vpon confutyng this lewdnesse I seare least I should seme fonde Therfore I will not lose woordes in vaine But I aske if any Iew would abuse these testimonies what solution would they geue Uerily they woulde reprehende his dullnesse for that he transferred those thinges to the fleshe and the worlde that are spiritually spoken of the spirituall kingdome of Christ. For we know that the Prophetes vnder the image of earthly thyngs did paint out vnto vs the heauenly glorie of God that ought to shine in the Chirche For the Chirch had neuer lesse abundance of these blessings whiche their wordes expresse than in the time of the Apostles yet al confesse that the force of the kingdom of Christ then chiefly florished abroade What then mean these sayings Whatsoeuer is any where precious hye excellent it ought to be made subiect to the Lord. Where as it is namely spoken of Kynges that they shall submit their scepters to Christ that they shall throwe downe their crownes before his feete that they shall dedicate their goodes to the Chirch when wil they say was it better and more fully performed thā when Theodosius casting away his purple roabe leauyng the ornamentes of the empire as some one of the cōmon people submitted himself before God and the Chirch to solemne penance then when he other lyke godly princes bestowed their endeuors and their cares to preserue pure doctrine in the Chirche and to cherishe and defende sounde teachers But howe priestes at that tyme exceded not in superfluous richesse that only sentence of the Synode at Aquileia where Ambrose was chief sufficiently declareth Glorious is pouertie in the priestes of the Lorde Truely the Bishops had at that time some richesse wherwith they myght haue set out the Chirches honor if they had thought those to be the true ornamentes of the Chirche But when they knewe that there was nothyng more against the office of Pastors than to glister and shew them selues proudly with deintynesse of fare with gorgeousnesse of garments with great train of seruantes with stately palaces they folowed and kept the humblenesse and modestie yea the very pouertie which Christ holily apointed among his ministers But that we may not be to long in this point let vs again gather into a short summe how farre that dispēsation or dissipasion of the goods of the Chirch that is now vsed differeth from the true deaconrie whiche bothe the worde of God cōmendeth vnto vs and the auncient Chirche obserued As for that whiche is bestowed vpon the garnishyng of temples I say it is ill bestowed if that measure be not vsed whiche bothe the very nature of holy thyngs appointeth and the Apostles and other holy fathers haue prescribed both by doctrine and examples But what like thing is there seen at this day in the temples whatsoeuer is framed I wil not say after that auncient sparyng but to any honest meane it is reiected Nothing at all pleaseth but that which sauoureth of riot the corruption of tymes In the mean tyme they are so farre from hauyng due care of the liuely temples that they would rather suffer many thousands of the poore to perish for hunger than they would breake the least chalice or cruet to releue their nede And that I may not pronounce of my selfe any thyng more greuously against them this only I would haue the godly readers to thinke vpon if it should happen that same Exuperius Bishop of Tholosa whom we euen nowe rehearsed or Acatius or Ambrose or any suche to be raised from deathe what they would say Truly they would not allow that in so great necessitie of the poore richesse in a maner superfluous should be tourned an other way Admit I speake nothyng how these vses vpon which they be bestowed although there were no poore are many ways hurtfull but in no behalfe profitable But I leaue to speake of men These goodes are dedicate to Christ therfore they are to be disposed after his will But they shall in vaine say that this part is bestowed vpon Christ whiche they haue wasted otherwise than he commaunded Howbeit to confesse the truthe there is not muche of the ordinarie reuenue of the Chirche abated for these expenses For there ar no bishopriks so welthy no abbaties so fatte finally neither so many nor so large benefices that may serue to fill the gluttonie of priests But while they seke to spare them selues they persuade the people by superstition to turne that which shoulde be bestowed vpon the poore to builde temples to sette vp images to bye iewels to gette costly garmentes So with this gulfe are the dayly almes consumed Of the reuenue that they receiue of their landes and possessiō what els shall I say but that which I haue already said which is before all mens eyes We see with what faithfulnesse they whiche are called Bishops and Abbots do dispose the greatest parte What madnesse is it to seeke here for an ecclesiasticall order Was it mete that they whose lyfe ought to haue ben a singular exāple of frugalitie modestie continence and humilitie should contende with the royaltie of princes in number of goodes in gorgiousnesse of houses in deintynesse of apparell and fare And howe much was this contrary to their office that they whom the eternall and inviolable commaūdement of God forbiddeth to be desirous of filthy gaine and biddeth to bee contente with simple liuyng should not onely lay handes vpon townes and castels but also violently entre vpon the greatest lordships finally possesse forceably very empires If they despise the worde of God what will they answere to those auncient decrees of the Synodes wherby it is decreed that the Bishop should haue a small lodgyng not farre from the Chirche meane fare and householde stuffe what will they say to that praise of the Synode at Aquileia where pouertie is reported glorious in the Priestes of the Lorde For perhappes they will vtterly refuse as to muche rigorous that whiche Hierome aduiseth Nepotianus that poore men and strangers and among them Christ as a guest may knowe his table But that which he by and by addeth they will be ashamed to denie that it is the glory of a Bishop to prouide
euer haue at any time ben or now be in earth were debarred from the vse of thys Sacramente For if we goe about this to fetche our worthinesse from our selues we are vtterly vndone onely despeire and damnable ruine abideth for vs. Though we endeuor with our whole streÌ„gthes we shall nothing more preuaile but that then at last we shal be most vnworthy when we haue most of all trauailed about seking of worthinesse To salue this sore they haue deuised a way to attaine worthinesse that as much as in vs lieth making examination and requiring of our selues accompt of al our doinges we shold with contrition confession and satisfaction cleanse our vnworthinesse which way of clensing what maner of thing it is we haue alredy shewed there where was more conuenient place to speake of it So much as serueth for our present purpose I saye that these be to huÌ„gry and vanishing comfortes to dismaied and discouraged consciences and suche as are striken with horror of their sinne For if the Lorde by speciall forbidding admitteth none to the partaking of his Supper but the righteous and innocente there nedeth no small hede that may make a man assured of his own righteousnesse which he heareth to be required of God But whereby is this assurednesse confirmed vnto vs that they are discharged afore God which haue done so muche as in them lay But although it were so yet when shall it be that a man may be bolde to assure himselfe that he hath doone as muche as in him lay So when there is made no certaine assurance of our worthinesse the entrie shal alway remaine shut by that horrible forbidding whereby is pronounced that they eate and drinke iudgemeÌ„t to themselues which eate and drinke vnworthily Nowe it is easy to iudge what manner of doctrine this is whiche reigneth in the Papacie and from what author it hath proceded which with the outragious rigor thereof bereueth and spoyleth miserable sinners and suche as be tormented with feare and sorowe of the coÌ„forte of this Sacramente in whiche yet al the swete delicates of the Gospell were set before them Surely the deuill coulde by no readier way destroye men than by so making them senslesse that they coulde not perceiue the taste and sauor of such foode wherewith it was the will of the moste good heauenly Father to fede them Least therefore we runne into suche hedlong downfall let vs remember that this holy banket is medicine to the sicke comfort to sinners liberal gift to the poore which bring no profit to the healthy righteous and riche if any suche coulde be foundâ— For whereas in it Christe is geuen vs for meate we vnderstande that withoute him we pyne starue and fainte like as famyne destroyeth the liuely strength of the body Againe whereas he is geuen vs for lyfe we vnderstande that without him we are in our selues vtterly dead Wherefore this is the worthinesse bothe the onely and beste that we can bring to God if we offer to him our owne vilenesse and as I may so cal it vnworthinesse that of his mercy he may make vs worthy of him if we despeire in our selues that we may be coÌ„forted in him if we humble our selues that we may be raised vp of him if we accuse our selues that we may be iustified of him moreouer if we aspire to that vnitie which he commendeth to vs in his Supper and as he maketh vs all one in himselfe so if we wishe to vs all altogether one soule one hart one â—ong If we haue these thinges throughly well weyed and considered suche thoughtes althoughe they shake vs yet shall neuer ouerthrowe vs. As howe shoulde we beyng nedy and naked of all good thinges we defiled with filthinesse of sinnes we halfe dead eate the body of the Lorde worthily We will rather thinke that we being poore come to the liberall geuer we sicke to the Phisician we sinners to the author of righteousnesse finally we dead men to hym that geueth lyfe that that worthinesse which is commaunded of God consisteth chefely of Fayth whiche reposeth all thinges in Christe and nothing in vs and nexte of charitie and the selfe same charitie which it is enoughe to offer vnperfecte to God that he maye encrease it to better forasmuche as it can not be geuen perfecte Some other agreing with vs in thys that the worthinesse it selfe consisteth in Fayth and charitie yet in this measure of worthinesse haue gone farr oute of the waye requiring a perfection of Fayth whereunto nothing maye be added and a charitie egall with that which Christ hath shewed towarde vs. But hereby they doe none otherwise than those other before dryue all men awaye from comming to this holy Supper For if their sentence shoulde take place no man shoulde receiue but vnworthily forasmuche as all withoute exception should be holden gyltie and conuicte of their vnperfectnesse And truelye it were a point of to muche amazed dulnesse I will not saye foolishnesse to require such perfection in the sacrament as may make the sacrament voide and superfluous which was not ordeined for the perfecte but for the weake and feble to awake to stirre vp to prick forward and exercise the affection of Faith and charitie and to correcte the defaut of either of them But so much as concerneth the outward forme of doing whether the faithfull receiue it in their hande or no whether they deuide it or euery one eate that which is geuen him whether they put agayne the cup in the hande of the deacon or deliuer it to the nexte whether the bread be leuened or vnleuened whether the wyne be redde or white it maketh no matter These thinges be indifference and lefte in the libertie of the Chirch Howbeit it is certayne that the vsage of the olde Chirch was that euery one should take it into his hand And Christ sayde Diuide it among you The histories reporte that it was leuened and common bread before the time of Alexander Bishop of Rome which first delited in vnleuened bread but for what reasoÌ„ I see not vnlesse it were with a new sight to draw the eyes of the common people to wondring at it rather than to instruct their mindes with good religion I adiure al them that ar touched with any though but light zele of godlinesse to tel whether they do not euidently see bothe how muche more brightly the glorye of God shineth herein and how muche more abundant sweetenesse of spirituall comforte commeth to the faithfull than in these colde and playerlike trifles whiche bring one vse but to deceiue the sense of the amazed people This they call the holding of the people in religion when beeyng made foolishe and senslesse wyth superstition it is drawen whether they lyste If any man will defend suche inuentions by antiquitie I my self also am not ignorant howe aunciente is the vse of the chresme and blowing in Baptisme Howe nye to the age of the Apostles the Supper of the LORDE was
the worde was alwaye God Why shoulde Paule feare to sette Chryste in the iudgemente throne of God hauing before wyth so open proclamacion declared hys Godhead where he sayed that he was God blessed to the ende of Worldes And to make appeare howe well he agreeth in thys poynte wyth hymselfe in an other place he wryleth that Chryst is God openly shewed in the fleshe If he be God to be praysed to the ende of worldes then he is the same he to whom in an other place he affirmeth all glorye and honoure to be due And thus he hydeth not but playnly cryeth oute that he woulde haue counted it no robbery if he had shewed himselfe egall wyth God but that he wyllyngly abaced hymselfe And that the wycked shoulde not carpe that he is some made GOD Ihon goeth further and saith He is the true God the eternal life Although it oughte aboundantly to satisfie vs that he is called God specially of that witnesse which expresly affirmeth vnto vs that there are no moe gods but one That same witnesse is Paule which saieth thus How many soeuer be called goddes either in heauen or in earth to vs there is but one God from whom are all thinges When we heare of the same mouth that God was openly shewed in the fleshe that God wyth hys owne bloud purchased the churche to himselfe why shoulde we imagine a seconde God whiche he himselfe acknowledgeth not And it is no dout that all the godlye were of the same meaning Likewise Thomas in protesting him to bee his Lorde and his God doeth professe that he is that onely one God whom he had alway worshipped Nowe if we esteme his Godhead by the workes that in the Scripture are ascribed vnto him it shall thereby more euidentlie appeare For when he saied that from the beginning he was thetherto working with his father the Iewes whiche were moste dull in vnderstandyng of all his other sayinges yet then perceiued that he toke vpon him the power of God And theretore as Iohn telleth they soughte the more to kill him because he didde not onely breake the Sabbat but also dyd call God his father making himselfe egall with God Howe dull shall we be then if we doe not perceiue that his godhead is herein playnlye affirmed And truely to order the worlde with prouidence and power and to gouerne all thinges with the authoritie of his owne mighte whiche the Apostle ascribeth vnto him belongeth to none but onely the creatoure And he not onely enterparteneth the gouernemente of the world with his Father but also all other offices which can not be made common to God with his creatures The Lord crieth out by the Prophete I am he I am he that doe awaye thyne offences for myne owne sake According to the meaning of thys sentence whē the Iewes thoughte that wronge was done to god for that Christe did forgeue sinnes Christe not onely affirmed in words but also proued by miracle that this power belonged vnto himselfe We see therefore that he hath not the ministracion but the power of forgeuenesse of synnes whiche the Lorde sayeth he wil not suffer to passe away from hymselfe to any What shall we saye of searching and pearcing the secrete thoughtes of hartes is it not the propretie of god alone But the same had Chryst wherby is gathered that he is God Nowe in his miracles howe plainlye and clerely doeth he appeare And thoughe I graunte that as well the Prophetes as the Apostles did egall and like miracles to these that he did yet thys greate differēce is there that they by their ministracion disposed the giftes of God he shewed forth his owne power He vsed sometime praier to the ende to geue glory vnto hys Father But we see for the moste part his own power shewed vnto vs. And howe coulde it otherwise be but that he was the verye author of miracles that by hys owne authorite gaue power to other to deale miracles abrode For the Euangelist declareth that he gaue power to the Apostles to rayse vp the dead to heale the leprous to cast out deuils c. And the so vsed the ministraciō therof that they sufficientlye shewed that thys power came not from els where but from Christ. In the name of Iesus Christ saieth Peter Rise and walke If is therfore no maruel if Christ alleged his miracles to cōfound the vnbeleuingnesse of the Iewes forasmuch as they wer such as being done by hys own power dyd geue a most playne testymonie of his godhead If els where then in God there is no saluacion no righteousnesse no life and Chryst conteyneth al these thynges in hym surely he is thereby declared to be God And no man can obiect against me and say that lyfe and saluacion is poured into hym by God for it is not saied that he receyued saluacion but that he is saluacion hymselfe And if none be good but onely God howe can he be onely man beyng I wil not say good and iuste but selfe goodnesse and iustyce Yea from the first beginnyng of the creacion as the Euangeliste wytnesseth in hym was lyfe and he euen then beeyng lyfe was the lyghte of men Wherefore beyng supported wyth suche proues we are bolde to repose our fayth and hope in hym when yet we knowe that it is an vngodlynesse that robbeth God for any man to fasten hys confydence in creatures Beleue ye in God sayeth he Beleue then also in me And so doeth Paule expounde those two places of Esay Whosoeuer trusteth in hym shall not be putte to shame Agayne Oute of the roote of Isai shall he come that shall ryse to rule peoples in hym the nations shall truste And why shoulde we seke oute more testimonies of Scripture for thys matter when we so often mete with this sentence He that beleueth in me hath euerlasting lyfe Moreouer the inuoracion whyche hangeth vppon Faythe belongeth also to hym whyche yet is proper to the maiestie of God if he haue any thyng at all proper to hymselfe For one Prophete sayeth whosoeuer calleth vpon the name of Iehoua shal be saued and an other sayeth a moste stronge toure is the name of Iehouah to it the ryghteous shall flee and he shal be saued but the name of Chryst is called vpon for saluacion it foloweth therfore that he is Iehouah As for inuocacion we haue an example of it in Stephen when he sayeth Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite Againe in the whole churche as Ananias testifyeth in the same booke Lorde sayeth he thou knowest howe great euylles this man hath done to thy Saintes that call vppon thy name And that it maye bee more playnly vnderstanded that the whole fulnesse of the Godhead doeth corporally dwell in Chryste the Apostle dooeth confesse that he broughte no other doctryne amonge the Corinthians but the knowledge of hym and that he preached no other thyng but that knowledge What