burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Thou mayest escape the punishement of man but thou canst not escape Gods hand who punisheth more greuously then man Whâ—ther wilt thou flie from God surely thou canst not flie from him but by flying vnto hym thou canst not escape his wrath whiche is his righteousnes but by appealyng vnto his mercie Dauid compared God to a man that draweth a bowe the farther he draweth his shaft whiche is his punishment the greater is the stroke therof There is a great altercation nowe a daies whether God be in the sacrameÌ„t or not he must nedes be ther for he is in al places But whether is he ther by his diuinitie or humanitie Christ warneth vs that in the latter age there shall aryse many false Prophetes and Pseudochristi that is false anointed which be the Byshop of Romes gresed butchers and sacrificers which shal say lo here is Christ and there is Christ. These Pseudochristes be not they of whom they speake afterward in thesame chapters many shall come in my name saying I am Christ but another sort for these shall not chalenge this to them selues but direct maÌ„ to other and of these false anointed that shal point vs to other he saith Nolite credere beleue theÌ„ not and therfore I dare not say that he is there after his humanitie least I be a false Prophet for this is spoken of his humanitie not of his diuinitie Touching his diuinitie I say vnto you good people lo here is Christ and there is Christ for it is here there in the towne in the citie in the chappel in the church and wildernes and euery wher as I haue declared The papistes say y t this place maketh not against y e presence of Christes body vpoÌ„ earth but against false Prophetes which should preach in the last age false doctrine True it is Christ speaketh here against suche But what false doctrine shal they teach Shal ther come two at one time in one age of which false prophets shal say he is christ and an other shal say no this is Christ pointing to some other There were neuer yet two in one age which both were said to be Christes of any false prophets nor the scriptures do not mencion or regester any such thing to come for the veritie saith y t many such shal come Now we neuer read that many haue reported and said here is Christ and there onles we take it to be spoken of the papistes whiche shewe Christ vâ—to vs in many places at once in euery chapell and on euery Aultar Many shall say of them selues that they are Christ but these be other doctours compare their wordes together and thou shalt fynd that I say true the one text doth not expounde the other but they be two dyuerse prophecies of two diuerse things This false doctryne then is nothynge els but to teach Christes body after his ascentioÌ„ to be vpon the earth visibly or inuisibly Pighius who calleth Gods worde a nose of ware wresteth this text to another purpose taking Christe here for his church Lo here is Christe and there is Christe saith Pighius that is heretikes shal say here is the church and there is y e church O wyse exposition shall heretikes saye that Christ is here there touchyng his members and church No verely this is no heresy for Christes church is in many places in deserts and other If Christ must be taken for his church in this text then we are compelled also to vnderstaÌ„d the church by him in the text which immediatly foloweth where he saith beleue them not Christe that is the church shall come as lightnynge we must take Christ for the same thorow out the chapter Read diligently examen the circumstaunce whych is chieflye to be regarded in the exposition of doubtful places open the scripture with the key not with the pykelocke that is expound it by tt selfe not by priuate interpretation and y u shalt fynd that Christe there is taken for Christ not for y e church as Pighius wold straine the place making of y e scriptures a nose of wax You wil ask me then whether we receiue Christes body yea truly from heauen from the right hand of the father not out of y e bread nor in y e bread For onles we eat his flesh and drink his bloud we shal not dwell in him we shall not arise at the last day we shal not haue eternall life Christes humanitie is the mean wherby we must obtein al things the way by which we must clyme vp to heaueÌ„ the ladder that Iacob sawe going vnto Mesopotamia reaching vp to heauen with aungels ascending and descending vpon it Christ teacheth this vsing not only his word and commaundemeÌ„t in raising the dead as God but also his flesh as a help and meane to the same In raysing the doughter of one of the chief of the synagoge he toke hir by the hand and raysed her When he cured one full of the leprosy he stretched out his hand and touched hym When he entred into the citie of Naim meetinge a dead man caried out the only sonne of a wydowe hauyng compassion on her he touched the bere and raised him from dead Ther be infinit places of scripture which teach vs that Christes flesh geueth lyfe deliuereth from death expelleth vice but this is notable forasmuch as this wydowe signifieth the church and her dead sonne representeth mankynd dead thorowe the sinne of Adam Christ is a vyne and we ar the brauÌ„ches as he witnesseth himselfe Ego sum vitis vera c. I am the true vyne and my father is a husbaÌ„d man vos estis palmites The brauÌ„ches cannot lyue onles they take norishment of the substaunce of the vyne and of his iuice Euen so the soul of a christen man must nedes be fed with the swete fleshe and comfortable bloud of Iesus Christe If we be braunches we be nouryshed of the vyne I wold learn whether he be the vyne after his humanitie or by his diuinitie He is not the vyne touching his diuine nature for the vyne is not equall with the husband man but at his commaundement Christ touchinge his diuinitie is the husbandman and equall with his father Marke he is the vyne therfore coÌ„cerning that nature in which he is inferior to his father which is his humanitie If then Christe be the vyne not by his diuinitie but by his humanitie and we the brauÌ„ches then we must be refreshed of the vyne that is of his humanitie This metaphore hath ben abused to many euill purposes as to proue Chryste not to be God because he is the vyne it hath ben racked also to proue that these words hoc est corpus meum This is my body is a lyke phrase a like speach as when Christ saith ego sum vitis I am the vyne They be no like phrases
THE JMAGE of God or laie mans boke in which the right knowledge of God is disclosed and diuerse doubtes besides the principal matter made by Roger Hutchinson 1550. ¶ Newly imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno do 1560. Cum gratia priuilegio Reginae maiestatis per septennium ¶ The contentes and Chapters What God is We must learne what God is of gods word and not of mans wisdom Chap. 1 God is of himself Chap. 2. fol. 6 God is a spirit and how the scriptures do graunt vnto him a head eies haÌ„ds fete and al other parts of mans body he is a bird a shoter a husbandman Christ is his Image and man also Chap. iii. Fol. 7 God is immutable and how he is other whiles angry otherwhiles pleased somtime a slepe somtime awake somtime forgetfull standing sitting walking c. Chap. iiii Fol. 14 God is vnsearcheable chap. v. 17 God is inuisible and how the faithful of the old testament sawe him diuers times chap. vi 18 God is euery where and how Christ is in the Sacrament chap. vii 19 God is ful of vnderstanding cha viii 31 God is truth and whether it be lefull to lie for any consideration chap. ix 73 God is full of compassion chap. x. 42 God is full of rightuousnes and of the prosperitie of euil and the affliction of good men chap. xi 43 God is ful of al goodnes chap. xii 46 God only is immortall and of the immortalitie of soules and aungels chap. xiii fol. 47 God is the maker of all thinges wherof he made them by whome and who made the deuill and of the beginning of syn and euyl Chap. xiiii 48 God ruleth the world after his prouideÌ„ce and how he rested the seuenth day Chapter xv Fol. 53 God only knoweth al things ch xvi 73 God only forgeueth synne our pardoning what it is of losing and binding Chapter xvii fol. 76 God only is almighty and whether he can synne die or lye with other properties Chap. xviii fol. 92 God is defined by y e scripture ch xix 99 xx 100 What a persone is In what order he wyl write of a person A person is not a difference of vocatioÌ„ and office and that the fathers of the old testament worshipped a Trinitie Chapter xxi fol. 101 A persone is no outward thing why the churche hath vsed thys worde Chapter xxii fol. 107 That there be thre persons Christ is a substaunce Chap. xxiii 109 The holy spirit is not a Godly inspiracion is gouernour of the world to be prayed vnto a forgeuer of synne Chapter xxiiii fol. 112 Christ is vnconfounded why he became man and why he came so longe after Adams fall Chap. xxv fol. 120 The holy comforter is vnconfounded why he descended in the lykenes of a doue Chapter xxvi fol. 130 Corporal similitudes of God cha xxvii folio 134 That all thre are but one God The deitie of Christ and the spirite deny not a vnitie Chap. xxviii fol. 142 All the partes of the definition made of God are proued to agre vnto Christ. Chap. xxix fol. 161 All the partes of the same definition are proued to agree to the almighty comforter and spirit Chap. xxx fol. 166 Heresies confuted in this boke AGainst the heresy of transâ—stantiatioÌ„ and corporal or locall presence cha vii fol. 21. Against the Anthropomorphites otherwise named humaniformiaÌ„s which suppose God to be of corporal forme and shape chap. iii. fol. 7.8.9 Agaist popish and outward priesthod the sacrifice of the masse Chap. viii folio 33.34.35 c. Against the Priscillianistes which think that for some consideration sometime lying is not forbiddeÌ„ cha ix 13.37.38 Against the Origeniftes which say that all men women and deuels also at length shalbe saued chap. x. fol. 42 Against the late Epicures which thinke that God so rested the seueÌ„th day froÌ„ all his workes that now he worketh no more Chap. xv fol. 53 Against Astrologers that thynke all thinges are gouerned by fate destinie by the influence and mouing of the starres Chap. xv fol. 61 Against such as thinke that we through loue or forgeuing other deserue remission of our misdedes Chap. xvii Folio 76.78 Against our late Anabaptistes and Donatistes whiche teache that euill ministers can not christen lose and bind Chap. xvii Fol. 80.81 Against Peters primacie cha xii 81.82 Against the late Anabaptistes and Nouacianes whiche denie those that fall after Baptisme to be recouerable Chapter xviii fol. 91.92 Against the Patripassians and Sabelanes whiche confounde the Father Christ and the holy spirit saying that they be thre names and one thyng Chap. xxi fol. 101.102 Against our late englysh Saducees and Libertines which deny the almyghty comforter to be a substaunce holde that he is a godly inspiration Chap. xxiiii fol. 112 Against the same Libertines and Saduces whiche make the vnlearned people beleue that good aungels are nothing els then good mocioÌ„s and that hel is nothing but a tormenting conscience and that a ioyfull quiet and mery conscience is heauen Chap. xxiiii Fol. 112 Against the damnable opinion that the deuill is nothing but a filthy affection coming of the flesh and that all euyll spirites are carnall mocions and sensual lustes Fol. 116.117 Against the assercion of the Arriannes that Christ toke vpon hym our flesh but not a soule also fol. 121 Against the damnable opinioÌ„ of the late Anbaptist whiche denied that Christ toke his humanitie of the blessed virgin Chap xxv fol. 121.122.123 Against the Arians that deny the father Christ and the holy spirit to be of one substaunce and essence fol. 142.143 Against the multitude of Gods 145 Against the Manicheis whiche make two Gods calling them two contrary principles fol. 144.145 Against the heresie of praying to saintes Folio 145.146 Against vnwritten verities 104 TO THE MOST REVErend father L. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Cantorbury Primat of al England and Metropolitane his most humble Roger Hutchinson wisheth peace welfare and eternal felicitie PVblius Scipio he that was first surnamed African ryght honorable Father was wont to say that he was neuer les idle then when he was Idle meaning therby forsomuch as he was a magistrate that he most earnestly thought mused of coÌ„mon wealth matters when he semed to others least occupied A worthy saying for so noble a man and to be embraced of all rulers namely in these troubelous dayes in whiche so manye thinges be disordred and nede reformacion So albeit I am no Magistrate as noble Scipio was buâ— a priuate persone yet I haue thought it my boundeÌ„ dutie to see suche houres in whiche I myght haue ben vnoccupied which some spend in banketting rioting and gamning bestowed neither vnthriftely ne idelly but to the profite of the common wealth to teache the laye people vnderstanding science to the vttermost extente of my small power Vnderstanding is a seede that God soweth in mans soule and among al his gyftes knowledge is
gathered them together as the hen gathereth hyr chickens vnder hir wynges and they would not suche be not saued for God saueth no maÌ„ against his wil. Ther is theÌ„ no parcialitie no vnrightuousnes with God whose iudgemeÌ„ts be vnsearchable but neuer against iustice aboue our capacitie but neuer against equitie Who is able to discusse why some die old some yong some in midle age why some be poore some rych some gentlemen some Lordes some kinges some of a base ston and other infinite diuersities If these thinges were necessary to be knowen God wold haue opened theÌ„ in his scriptures but in that he speaketh not of theÌ„ iudgeth theÌ„ vnprofitable for vs to know Let vs beleue that God worketh al these thinges and that therfore they must nedes be right iust bicause he is y e workmaÌ„ not searching things aboue our vnderstandings but say with S. Paul O the depenes of the riches and wisdom knowledge of God how vnsearcheable are his iudgements and his waies vntraceable for who hath knowen y e mind of the Lord or who was his counceller The .xii. Chapter ¶ God is ful of compassion HE is full of all goodnes S. Iames witnessing of him y t euery good gifte is from aboue cometh down from the father of light that is father of good meÌ„ for thei are called light Vos estis lux mundi you are the light of y e world What haue we that we haue not receiued He is liberal pacient merciful wise strong constant equall faithfull magnifical aâ—â—able liberal geuing to all meÌ„ indifferently casting no man in the teeth Pacient calling vs thorowe his long suffring vnto repentaunce Merciful not dealing with vs after our sinnes nor rewardyng vs according to our wickednes Wyse for of his wysdome Dauid saith there is no number Strong for he is our buckeler our shield our strength and defence the rock of our might and castel of our health ConstaÌ„t with whom no man can proue any variablenes Equall for there is no parcialitie with God there is no Iewe nether gentile nether bound nor free nether man ne woman but all be one in Christ Iesu. Faithfull for he is a strong God and a faithfull stable in all his wordes Magnificall for the work of the Lord is great and worthy to be praysed the heauens the Sunne and the Starres the waters and great fyshes therin are the worck of thy fyngers Affable exhorting vs continually to aske knock and pray vnto hym and talkyng with vs moste familiarly first by holy Fathers hys Prophets and Patriarkes afterwarde by his only begotteÌ„ sonne Iesus Christ walking hear vppon earth to whome belongeth all power maiestie rule and honor We read of a certen ruler which called Christ good maister askynge him what he should do to obtain euerlasting lyfe whome Christ rebuked saying why callest thou me good none is good saue God only If God only be good then all goodnes is in him The xiii Chapeer ¶ God only is immortall and yet neuertheles the myndes of menne and Aungels be immortall HE is without beginning without ending How caÌ„ he haue any beginnyng of whome al things take their originall Howe can he haue anye end who is of himselfe by no other thing Heauen and earth perisheth and all y t is in them shall fade awaye as grasse and as the floure of the field but oure God lyueth eternallye who speaketh of himselfe I am Alpha Omega the beginning and y e ending which is which was and which is to come Paul affirmeth the same vnto his disciplâ— Timothe geuing al honor and rule vnto God who only hath immortalitie If only God haue immortalitie why doth Christ forbyd vs to feare men which slea the body and caÌ„not slea the soule howe is man formed after the Image similtude of God Howe can the immortalitie of the mynd be defeÌ„ded and of Angels truly mans soule is immortall and yet only God is immortal for this word onely doth not deny this priuilege to other things as to mannes soul to the Angels but God is said only to be immortall as he is said onely to be good only to forgeue sin Mans soule is immortal but clean after an other sort then God who only hath immoralitie For the scripture testifieth of mans soul that it dieth saying suffer y e dead to buay their dead that is to say let the dead in soule bury y e dead in body It is troubled with affections with passions and subiect to mutabilitie But it so dieth thorow vice that it ceaseth not to liue in his owne nature It is so mortal that it is also immortall Wherfor God is only euerlasting immortal euermore who is only immutable And if this interpretation do not content the heare an other That is immortall properlâ— which is w tout beginning without ending Al creatures haue a begynnynge of the which some neuerthelsse are called immortall because they haue no endynge as the angels mans soul but only God is properly immortall who speaketh of himselfe I am which is which was which is to come This beloÌ„geth only to God and to none of his creatures to none of the works of his fingers of which som may truly say that thei be ar to come but not that thei were because once they were not The .xiiij. Chapter ¶ God is the maker of all things wherof he made them by whome and who made the Deuil and of the begynning of sin euil IN the beginnig GOD made al things wherfore he hath no beginning that which neuer had beginning can not haue ending When I say God made all things I mean that the father the son and the holy spirite formed heauen earth angels men and all other creatures of nothing For of the son it is writteÌ„ al things were made by him and of the holy comforter by y e word of the Lord were the heauens made and al the hostes of them by y e breath of his mouth wher the latin is Spiritus Yea in the beginnyng of the boke it is writteÌ„ of them both that they be no creatures of y e son in y e beginning God created heaueÌ„ and earth that is in Christ. For he answereth y e Iewes askyng what he was I am the beginnyng which speake vnto you and in whose behalf Dauid speaketh In the beginning of the boke it is writteÌ„ of me Paule to the Hebrues repeteth the latter text and expoundeth it of Christ. And Dixit Deus fiat lux c. God said be ther light be there a firmameÌ„t God said the waters be gathered together God said be there lights in the firmament This phrase and maner of speaking is ioyned with the creation of euery thing What did God say what language did he speake Did he speake grek latin Italian freÌ„ch spanish english or hebrue Mark
why did he leaue his accustomed progres Or how could he be a guide vnto the wyse men betwene Bethleem and Hierusalem being placed with the other starres in the firmament of heauen We read that the sunne stode vnder Iosue and went backward vnder Esechias but neuer of no star that left his ordeined circuite and wandred as one that loseth his way Peraduenture an aungell appered vnto the wyse men in the lykenes of a star for they appere in diuers likenesses and shapes At mouÌ„t Oreb an aungell spake vnto Moises out of a bush in the lykenes of fyre and at Galgall to Iosue the sonne of Nun like a man of armes Helias is caried vp to heauen in a charet of fyre and with horses of fyre The charet and the horse be the aungels of God whiche be ministring spirits accomplishing all his commaundementes The aungels appere vnto Abraham and Lot like thre wayfaring men Manne his wyfe sawe an angel talking with them as he had ben a Prophet So it may wel be that an aungel in the similitude of a star was a guide to the wise men For aungeles are called starres in the scriptures as in the reuelation of Iohn Stelle sep tem ecclesiarum angeli The seuen starres are the aungels of the seuen congregations Other thinke that this star was nether aungell nor a materiall star but the holy spirite whiche opened the incarnatioÌ„ of Christ both vnto the Iewes and to the Gentils but vnto the Iewes in the likenes of a Doue to the Gentils in the shape and similitude of a star of whiche Balaam an Astronomer prophecied long before Orietur stella ex Iacob there shall come a starre of Iacob that is a shining light of the holy ghost the which shal leade the HeatheÌ„ to the knowledge of Christ in the likenes of a star as he fell vpon the Apostles in the shape of fyre Thus muche I haue spoken of the starre that appered at the natiuitie of Christ bicause many by it wold proue fate and destinie But what say they is fate and destinie A stedfast and immutable order of causes wherby all thynges are done of necessitie called in Greke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 True it is nothing is done w tout a cause but yet many thiÌ„gs may seme to be done without any necessary cause for some causes be perfit some in our iudgement again may seme to be vnperfit Fire causeth heat perfectly and water cold but surfiting causeth sicknes a wound causeth death study causeth learning vnperfectly for a man may surfet be wounded and applie his study and yet nether be sick nedy ne learned If all causes were necessary but presuppose they were yet I wold deny all things to be ruled by their necessitie of fate and destinie for almighty God worketh what he will in them of his good pleasure He appered vnto Moises out of a bushe in a flame of fire and yet the bush consumed not He coÌ„maunded the fire not to hurt Ananias Azarias and Misael and saued them harmeles from the hote burning ouen Did necessitie of fate and destinie make Sara Elizabeth which were barren and past chyldren fruitfull Did destinie make Aarons rod bud the sunne to go bakward a maid to conceiue the blynd to see the deaf to heare the dead to aryse If almighty God then did al those thinges he leaueth not his creatures to be gouerned of causes which depeÌ„d one on another but ruleth them at his pleasure Salomon witnesseth of GOD that he doeth lengthen the lyfe of hys and shorten the life of the wicked saying The fear of the Lorde maketh a long life but the yeares of y e vngodly shalbe shortened There be many examples of this in the Bible The Prophet Esay commaundeth kyng Esechias to put his houshold in an order because he shoulde die out of hand and not liue and yet at his earnest request God lengthned his life .xv. yeares Thus we denie that the creatures are gouerned by stoicall destinie ether in their byrth death or any of their actions but only by the prouidence of God as the examples of the Scriptures concerning the birth of Iacob and Esau Phares and zara do witnes for the notable birth of Iacob Esau doth confute destinie and destroy the influence of the starres for they were borne both at one tyme in one place of one woman by one maÌ„ and yet they were as vnlyke as fier and water as lyght and darkenes as blacke white So were Phares and zara two twinnes also the chyldren of Iudas by his daugter Thamar These examples declare destinie influence of the starres to be but a fable yea they fortifie Gods prouidence teachyng him to be a gyuer of dyuers graces vnlyke fortunes and seuerall blessynges I graunt that an Astronomer may tell by the obseruation of the starres to what occupation to what estate of lyfe euery man is most feat most apâ— by nature but that he can tell mans fortune by any of his arte or cunning I deny vtterly For our lyfe is not ruled by the mouynge of the starres but by Gods prouidence who worketh all thynges in heauen and earth How then is that true whiche is wrytten in the boke of generation Compleuit Deus die septimo opus suum requieuit ab vni uerso opere c. He finished and he rested the seuenth day from all hys workes God rested the seuenth day from the workes of creation from formyng of newe creatures but not from gouerning of them The Carpenter after he hath finyshed the the house medleth no more therwith if God should doe so all creatures would peryshe If mans body can lyue without quickenyng of the soule the world may continue without his prouidence For he is to the worlde that the soule is to the body and more necessary to y e gouernauÌ„ce of it then y e soul to y e gouernaunce of the body forasmuch as he is y e maker both of soul body Thou must not imagin that God was wery with syxe dayes labour because he is sayd to haue rested the seuenth day who made all thynges and gouerneth them without labour and rested without werynes For resting signifieth endyng In the seuenth day God rested from al his workes that is he ended he finished the creation of the world Why then doeth not the scripture say he ended all his workes but that he rested from them Truly not without an vrgent cause for God is sayd to haue rested from all his workes whiche he made exceadyng good for because he wyll geue vs rest and quietnes from our trauayl if we wyll doe all good workes as he made all thynges exceading good This phrase of speakyng is vsed muche in the scripture as of the Apostle we knowe not what to desyre as we ought Spiritus intercedit pro nobis gemitibus inenarrabilihus buâ—â—he spirit maketh intercession mightely for vs
For he maketh them to walke speake eate and drinke If he should do these thinges in his owne nature he should be lyke vnto man and so not almighty Christ telleth a maÌ„ whose sonne was vexed with a domme spirit y t al thinges are possible to hym that beleueth much more al thinges are possible vnto God But thou wilt say If I beleue nothing is impossible vnto me theÌ„ only God is not almighty Nothing is impossible vnto beleuers notwithstanding they be not almighty because they can do nothing of themselues which 〈◊〉 an infirmitie and no almightines but liue moue and be in him S. Paul in his letter vnto the Philip. saieth that he can both cast doun himself excede be hungry suffre nede yea y t he caÌ„ do al thing but thorow y e help of Christ which streÌ„theneth him without whoÌ„ we can do nothing Wherfore Christ is almighty therfore God by nature not by nuÌ„cupation only We read in Paul to the Heb. Impossibile est eos qui semel c. That it is impossible y t thei which wer once lightned haue tasted of y e heueÌ„ly gift were become partakers of y e holy ghost c. If they fal shuld be renued again vnto repeÌ„tance crucifiyng vnto theÌ„selues again y e son of God making a mock of him If this be impossible wher is gods almighty hand omnipoteÌ„t arme Impossible in this text is not to be taken for y t which can not be or come to pas but for that which seldome and very hardly is done for Paul speaketh the very same thing again straight way in a similitude that the earth whâ—ch drinketh in y e raine that cometh oft vpon it and bryngeth forth â—earbs conuenient for them that dresse it receiueth blessing of God but that the ground which beareth thornes and bryers is reproued and nigh vnto cursing The barren ground here whiche resembleth man with thornes and thistles resembling sinne is not all ready accursed but rebuked and nigh vnto cursing â–ª so the man which falleth after he is lightened is not without al possibilitie of amendement but in great perill of damnation For as the barren grouÌ„d bering thornes thistles may become fruitful so such one may be renued rise againe Me thiÌ„ke Paul by this similitude which immediatly doth folow sheweth what he meaneth by this worde impossible Wey the similitude the purpose why it is brought I thinke you wil not refuse this interpretatioÌ„ The disciples vse the same word in effect vnto Christ askyng him who can be saued which is as much to say as it is impossible for any to be saued But he aunswereth theÌ„ that with men it is impossible but not with God teaching vs y e rich mâ—n haue hard accesse vnto heauen for these words w t men it is impossible before he saith children how hard is it for them that trust in rychesse to enter into the kingdome of God Wherfore it is not against the phrase of the scripture to cal y e impossible which is hard and seldom The Nouatians Anabaptistes and Catharoi abuse this place to proue that all such as do fal after baptisme can not rise again but ar dampned and not recouerable I trust my exposition do more accord to y e truth then this dampnable assertion against which I think it necessary somwhat to speake for I haue heard say that ther be many of this opinion in Englande and partly I doe beleue it After the triumphaunt deliuerauÌ„ce of the Israelites out of Egipt God ordeined two maner of offringes among them one for synnes done of ignoraunce an other for trespasses done willingly promising forgeuines vnto both If some Anabaptistes say that these were not done after baptisme for the Israelites lacked baptisme Paul answered him saying Brethren I wold not ye should be ignoraunt of this how our fathers were all vnder a cloud and all passed through the sea and were all baptised vnder Moises in the cloud and in the sea c. Wherfore after baptisme God forgeueth sinne done both of ignoraunce and also willingly If he say that vnder the law suche might be restored but not vnder grace I would know of hym whether the mercy of God be augmented or diminished through the comming of our sauiour Christ. Epiphanius an auncient writer and of famouse memory telleth that one Meletius an archeretike spread this opinion ouer a great part of Egipt and Siria and preuailed against Peter byshop of AlexaÌ„dria who was slaine afterward of the cruel tirauÌ„t Maximine But thankes be to God there be innumerable examples whiche notably confute vanish it and among all none more worthy then one in the history of S. Ihon the beloued Apostle Eusebius in his third booke and .xxiii. Chap. writeth of him that he turned maruelously a certain yong man from stealing vnto Christ whiche had fallen from Christ to stealing In the old Testament the Patriarkes conspire the death of Ioseph and rise again Ruben defileth his fathers bed Iudas committeth fornicatioÌ„ Moises displeaseth God at the waters of strife Dauid falleth into aduoutrie Manasses into Idolatrie in the new Peter denieth his master thrise the Galathians folow another Gospell and ar recouered by Paul Peter exhorteth Simon Magus vnto amendment Paule desireth the CorrinthiaÌ„s to receiue him againe whom he had excomunicate Christ byddeth vs forgeue our brethren seuenty times seuen times the angels in heauen reioyce at the conuersion of a sinner These examples and authorities be very plaine against y e blasphemy of the Nouatians Anabaptistes which wold bring men vnto desperation infidelitie If they cleauing to this word impossible refuse to take it for that which is hard as it doth signifie often in the scriptures yet this place maketh nothing for their desperate opinioÌ„ but rather destroyeth vanquisheth it as y e circumstaunce of it declareth For Paule denieth that he which is baptised can be rechristened so that these wordes it is impossible that they should be renued again be the same in effect which he hath in an other place One Lord one faith one baptime And that it is so and no otherwise I wil proue with .iii. manifest reasons One is because as the words immediatly before do teach he speaketh there of doctryne pertayning to y e beginning of a Christen man as the foundation of repentaunce from dead workes and of fayth toward God and of the doctrine of baptisme of laying on of handes of resurrection and iudgement and mounteth afterward vnto perfection that is toucheth Christes euerlasting priesthod his death and the disanulling of the law By which words he teacheth vs that he speaketh not of repentaunce alone but of the whole foundatioÌ„ of a christen man which is baptim and those thinges whych he doeth anex vnto baptim For in y e primatiue church as this place â—ther sheweth men fyrst were moued