Linguistic DNA - Concept Modelling Demonstrator

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	believe_v	faith_n	jesus_n	17,223	5	6.3565	4	false

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A13863	An exposition of a parte of S. Iohannes Gospel made in sondrie readinges in the English congregation by Bartho. Traheron ; and now published against the wicked entreprises of new sterte vp Arrians in Englande.	Traheron, Bartholomew, 1510?-1558?	1557 (1557)	STC 24168.5; ESTC S2370	60,439	164

beleued not that he that is to saie Arrius was such one as he was accused to be But if the holie councile be so persuaded we repugne not but consente to your decrees and confirme our consente with this our present writinge not that we can not beare our banishment but to auoide the suspition of haeresie Out of these wordes Socrates the storie writer gesseth that these two subscribed to the faith agreed vpon in the concile of Nice but wolde not alowe the depositioÌ„ of Arrius This matter beinge thus wisely and godly estably shed begaÌ„ne to be trobled againe by this occasion Constatine the emperor had a sister called Constantia in to whose fauor a certaine preist crepte so far that she coÌ„pted him as one of hir awne This preist whose name the storie writer vttereth not as worthie perpetual obliuioÌ„ by thaduise of Eusebius declared to Constantia that the coÌ„cile had don Arrius wronge and that he thought not as the rumor went The ladie durst not tel the Emperor that his affirmation and yet she beleued hir preist It happened sone after that she fel sicke and the Emperor hir brother cam to visite hir at which time she singularly commended hir preist vnto him Who immediately vpon hir coÌ„mendation receaued him in to his fauor and familiaritie The preist hauinge gotten boldnes and libertee of talke renued vnto him Arrius his matter affirminge that he agreed with the concile The emperor auÌ„swered that if Arrius wold consent to the coÌ„cile he wolde receaue him to fauor and sende him againe to Alexandria to be restored to his former place And there vpoÌ„ he sent Lettres to Arrius to repare spedely vnto him Whan Arrius was coÌ„me and presented before the Emperor he demauÌ„ded of him whether he consented to the faith of the Nicene concile Arrius aunswered that he did consente there vnto The Emperor bad hiÌ„ put his faith in writiÌ„ge he did so this was the coÌ„fessioÌ„ of hiÌ„ of Euzoius that was htaÌ„ there with hiÌ„ We beleue in one god the father almightie and in the Lorde Iesus Christ his sonne begotten of him before al worldes god the worde by whoÌ„ al thinges were made both thinges in heauen and thinges in erth The Emperor forthwith wrote to Athanasius bisshop off Alexandria to receaue Arrius and to restore him to his roome And bicause Athanasius refused so to do he was deposed Than beganne Arrius to sow againe his enuenimed seedes The Emperor enformed of his nawhgtie behauior sent for him againe vnto CoÌ„stantinople and asked him once more whether he coÌ„sented to the determination of the Nicene concile He aunswered yea with out anie staggeringe the Emperor meruailinge at the matter required of him to confirme his confession with an othe And he toke his othe incontineÌ„tly vsinge therein fond craft and subtiltie For he had written his awne doctrine in a paper and caried the same vndre his arme hole and so sware that his sentence was as he had there written meaninge the paper vndre his arme hole Here vpon rhe Emperor commended him to the bishoppe of Constantinople to be receaued to the communion of catholike Christian meÌ„ Alexander the bishoppe knowinge the malitious wilines of Arrius staied at the matter Eusebius a stoute man ceased not to threateÌ„ the good bishoppe that if he wold not willingly admitte Arrius to the communion he shuld be compelled thereunto by force The bishoppe perceauinge that he was not able to resiste the violence of Eusebius hauinge the Emperor also on his side fel to praier and continued therein al night liynge prostrate before the lordes table In the morninge Eusebius accompanied with a bande of men went to Arrius his lodginge and willed him to folow him to the temple Euerie mannes minde was occupied with expectation of the ende knowinge the fiercenes of Eusebius and the coÌ„stantie and godlines of Alexander Arrius by the waye as he was goinge to church in the middest of that route for mannes necessitie desired to goe a side to a priuie where his guttes barst out and he died an horrible vile stinckinge and shameful death And so the good bishoppe was by miracle deliuered from great feare and burthen of conscience and proud Eusebius disapointed of his purpose Howbeit afterwarde by the meanes of that nawghtie preist and Constantius Constantine the Emperors sonne whose fauor the preist got by deliuering to him the testameÌ„t that the eÌ„peror left in his haÌ„des the haeresie of vile Arrius was so reuiued maiÌ„teined that it cold not be queÌ„ched but with great trauail of lerned meÌ„ blode of manie Martyrs For heretikes if thei once preuaile ar most cruel persequutors as in old time the tru Christians felt in the furious rage of the haeretical Arrianes and we now fele vndre the most bloodie haeretical Idolatres Neuertheles the goodnes of God was such that for the confusion and ovthrowiÌ„ge of this most horrible haeresie he raised vp most excellent wittes and meÌ„ of most singular lerninge and vertue so that in processe of time after great trauail after terrible tormentes most cruel kindes of death which the godlie suffred this haeresie was vtterly ouerthrowen and beaten doune to hel But now as good meÌ„ reporte sondrie phrantike spirites labour to blow life in to it and to cal it againe in to the worlde out of SataÌ„s darcke dongeon And if al be tru that I haue hearde thei haue patched two or three peeces of their awne to that ilfauored bodie and haue made it a fowler moÌ„ster than it was before But howsoeuer thei haue handled their monstruous babie it shal be good for vs to know the truth of this matter and to haue readie a perfecte rule to iudge all maner of doctrines Whan we haue a true rule out of goddes worde it shal be easie to auoide al false inuentions For what so agreeth not to that rule is to be refused and cast awaie Therefore we ought first to labor to know what hte scripture teacheth and to cleaue there to whatsoeuer ether lerned wittes can subtilly deuise or phrantike braines fanatically and rauingely dreame out powre forth at auenture in their trauÌ„ces If we bringe al thinges to this touchstone we shal neuer be deceaued by anie new broched doctrine But bicause the matter of al other is most high most excedinge our capacitee we ought wit al h feare reuerence sobrenes and modestie to approch vnto it in no wise to entre in to a place of such maiestie brightnes glorie with foule fete and to touch so holie thinges with vncleane handes Comme therefore my brethern with al humilite and reuerent behauior to the gospell of S. Iohan. For it is euidently true that none of the diuine writers haue handled this our present matter so largely so plaiÌ„ly so strongely against al cauillations And therefore I haue purposely takeÌ„ in hande to treate some parte of his most diuine worcke amoÌ„g you that we maye al certaiÌ„ly know what we ought

to thinke of the lorde Iesus in this behalfe and that we maie be surely armed agaiÌ„st the hissinges of the venimous serpeÌ„tes cloueÌ„ touÌ„ge For in dede it is a communs opinioÌ„ amoÌ„ge the olde ecclesiastical writers that S. IohaÌ„ wrote this treatise purposely against such haeretikes as in his time denied the diuinitie of Christ namely Carpocrates Cerinthus and the Hebionites verie poore meÌ„ in vndrestanding according to their name which taught that the Lord Iesus was a man only not God Certainly the purpose and cheife marke of the hole worcke is to teach that Iesus our Lorde was not a maÌ„ only but also God and so the true Messias and verie Saueor of the worlde The gospel after S. Iohan EuangelioÌ„ signifieth good tidinges And in the holie writers it signifieth a publike soleÌ„ne and opeÌ„ preachinge of Christ who by his death hath purged our sinnes and beinge rissen from the deed raigneth in the hertes of his chosen and renueth theÌ„ vnto godlines thorough his spirite mortifiynge from time to time their fleshlie lustes and abolishinge more and more the remnauÌ„tes of their natural corruption And this in dede is verie good tidinges For here by we ar deliuered from the feare of death and damnation and from the bondage of sinne SataÌ„ breifely hereby we ar remoued froÌ„ darcknes to light from despeare to good hope from death to life from hel to heauen Now bicause the office of proclaminge and publishinge this most ioiful tidiÌ„ges was committed to the ministers of the new testameÌ„t the name of EuaÌ„gelistes is most proprely attributed to them specially to those that discribe the natiuitee coÌ„uersation death resurrection of the lorde Iesus wherein this blisfulnes resteth that we so much aduance Some writers affirme that as manie promisses of felicitie and saluation as therebe so manie gospels there be and that therefore the prophetes ar also euangelistes whan they speake of the redemption that goddes annointed shuld accoÌ„plish I thincke it not good to striue aboute wordes and I denie not that the hebrue word Bassar which signifieth to euangelize to preach good tidinges is applied in some place to meÌ„ of the old time Howbeit I beleue rather that EuaÌ„gelion is an opeÌ„ publishinge of saluatioÌ„ al readie perfirmed accoÌ„plished than of the same promised And therefore they speake more distinctly proprely that giue the name of EuaÌ„gelistes to thapostles writers of the historie of the lorde Iesus finally to the ministers of the new testameÌ„t And to giue place rather to this iudgemeÌ„t the wordes of our saueor in the 16. of Luke moue me where he saieth that the law and the prophetes were vnto IohaÌ„ the Baptiste that from that time the kingdoÌ„ of god was euaÌ„gelized The kingdoÌ„ of god was in dede taught before and the gospel preached in some wise but it was not so opeÌ„ly so largely so plainly so far wide published and proclaimed But herein as I said I wil conteÌ„d with no man nor binde the worde to this propre significatioÌ„ only For I am not ignoraÌ„t what a wraÌ„glinge wit maie gather out of the fourth cha to the Hebr. After S. Iohan The historie of the gospel sheweth that the Lorde Iesus out of the nombre of his disciples chose twelue principal whom he called Apostles bicause they shuld be sent as his special Embassadors in to al the world to publish and preach the glad tidinges of free saluation And amonge these twelue there were three yet more special singular furnished with most excelleÌ„t giftes and therefore admitted to certaine thinges where thother were excluded Of these three Iohan was one of whoÌ„ it is writteÌ„ singularly and specially that he was the lordes biloued To whom also the Lorde gaue this meruailous name that he was called the son of thondre And surely who so weigheth this present worcke shal thinke that he rather thondreth from heauen than speaketh mannes wordes Numenius an heathen Philosopher whan he had red the beginninge of this gospel barst out in to these wordes I praie God I die if this barbarous fellow haue not comprehended in few wordes al that our Plato prosequuteth in so manie worckes He called him barbarous bicause he was an hebreu and in his writinge leaueth traces of his mothers touÌ„ge foloweth not curiously the finenes proprietes of the greke maner of speakinge but he grauÌ„ted vnto him asmuch knowlege as the most famous Philosopher father of al lerned wittes Plato had and more shortenes in writiÌ„ge which is more coÌ„mendable in a writer of graue matters Writers of histories shew manie woÌ„derful thinges of this IohaÌ„ as that he was put in to boilinge oile caÌ„ out againe vnhurte c. But it shal be sufficieÌ„t for vs to know and coÌ„sidre that he was one of the most excellent singular special apostles therefore a mete witnes of the Lorde Iesus In the beginninge Kinge Dauid inspired from aboue teacheth in the third psal that to saue pertaineth to Iehoua The prophete Esaie moued by the same spirite in the .45 cha hath these wordes Israel is saued iÌ„ Iehoua whith a perpetual saluatioÌ„ In which cha also God speakinge of himselfe saith thus A iust God and one that saueth there is none beside me And in the prophete Hosea he beareth in the same saiynge thou shalt know no god besides me there is no saueor besides me And in Hieremie he pronouÌ„ceth hiÌ„ accursed that shal trust in maÌ„ make fleeshe his arme which wordes coÌ„straine vs to seke saluatioÌ„ no where saue in God But we al seke saluation at the handes of the lorde Iesus we al acknowlege him to be the saueor of the world We must thaÌ„ of necessitee know him to be god onles we wil forge and mainteine a faith not agreynge to goddes worde And that vndoutedly goddes Messias whoÌ„ the father aeternally appointed to be the saueor of the world is God the holie scripture beareth witnes most plainly that we shuld be certaine that we swarue not from god whaÌ„ we seke saluatioÌ„ in him For the kinglie prophete Dauid in the .45 psal where with a notable songe he celebrateth the praises of Messias saieth thus Thy throne o God is for euer In which wordes he giueth him not only the name of God but also confesseth his throne to be euer lastinge Now nomaÌ„nes throne is established for euer sauinge goddes only Esaie in the .9 cha calleth him el gibbor a stronge god and in the same cha he teacheth that there is no measure nor ende of his kingdom The prophete Hieremie to take awaie al cauillations teacheth expresly that he is Iehouah which name is neuer giueÌ„ nor can be giueÌ„ saue to the true God only the autor and fouÌ„raine of al beinge For these be his wordes Beholde the daies comme saieth Iehoua and I wil raise vp to Dauid a iust blosom and a kinge shal raigne do wisely shal exequute iudgemeÌ„t and righteousnes in the erth

In his daies Iehuda shal be saued and Israel shal dwel safely this is his name which thei shal cal him Iehoua our righteousnes And this confirmeth the prophete Hosea where god speaketh thus But I will haue pitie on the house of Iuda and wil saue theÌ„ in Iehoua their God In the new testameÌ„t this matter is taught most clearely For these be S. Paules wordes in the .9 to the Ro. whose be the fathers and of whom is Christ after the flesch who is ouer al god blessed for euer And in the .2 to the Philip Let the same minde be in you which was also in Christ Iesu who beinge in the forme of god thought it not robberie to be equal with god and yet emptied him selfe takinge the forme of a seruant c. Thus S Paule teacheth that he is not god by vsurpation but by nature and that he was and euer is shal be in the forme and state of god verie god as whan he saieth that he toke the forme of a seruant he meaneth that he entred in to the state of a seruant and became a verie seruant Some wrangliÌ„ge spirites wrest this place verie boldly vngodly For thei saie that S. Paule reacheth no more but that the lorde Iesus was humble and contente with his state and aspired not farther ne went aboute to climme vp vniustly to an aequalitee with god But if that were the meaninge whan S. Paule saieth that beinge in the forme of God he thought not to make himselfe equal to god by robberie he shuld signifie that beinge in that state that he was in he might haue so doÌ„ haue preuailed Or els what great matter had it beÌ„ that he abstained froÌ„ that which oÌ„ce to haue goÌ„ aboute or to haue thought vpon had ben more than mere madnes Wherefore it is euideÌ„t that this theire deuise is the verie rauinge of sicke braines beside that they shamelesly wringe these wordes out of their natural sense he thought it no robberie to be aequal with God make them signifie whether thei wil or no he meÌ„t no robberie or he weÌ„t aboute no robberie thinkinge to make him selfe aequal to god in such a sense as thei neuer knew before nether wil abide oÌ„les they be haled cleane out of iointe S. Paules meaninge is this that the lorde Iesus beiÌ„ge verie god yet couered his glorious maiestie with the shape state of a seruaÌ„t huÌ„bled him selfe vnto the death of the crosse to do vs good which exeÌ„ple he setteth before vs to folow not to be ashamed to abase our selues to the welth of other For we caÌ„ neuer cast douÌ„ne our selues so much as he did if we coÌ„sidre his glorie diuine estate what a thiÌ„ge it is for him that is verie god to becoÌ„me not only a maÌ„ but also a seruaÌ„t and not that only but more ouer to be appointed to a most vile shameful death Now the higher he was the more liuelier his exeÌ„ple is to moue vs to make vs ashamed of our disdainfulnes And therefore S. Paule speaketh of his godhead which he had hath naturally that we maie know that his huÌ„blinge camme not by force but of his awne good wil. Where I haue turned this worde alla which signifieth but in to these wordes yet I haue marcked that S. Paule so vseth the word alla in manie places One shal suffice for this time in the .6 to the Cor. he speaketh thus For though you haue innumerable leaders in christ alla but not manie fathers that is to saie yet not manie fathers To returne to our purpose S. Paule in the .14 to the Ro. applieth this senteÌ„ce of Esaie Euerie knee shal bow vnto me c. to the lorde Iesus with these wordes we must al be preseÌ„ted before the iudgemeÌ„t seate of Christ For it is writteÌ„ as truly as I liue saieth the lorde euerie knee shal bow vnto me c. But it is euideÌ„t that those wordes ar spoken of Iehoua in the prophete so must the lorde Iesus be Iehoua For thes be the wordes of that prophetie in the 45. cha Am not I Iehoua there is no god besides me a iust God one that saueth there is none besides me Loke vnto me and be saued al ye endes of the erth for I am god and there is no more I haue sworne by my selfe the word is gon out of my mouth in righteousnes that euerie knee shal bow doune vnto me c. Againe S. Paule in the ninth to the Ro. teacheth that the lord Iesus is the stomblinge blocke and the stone where at the lues shulde fal which thinge the prophete Esaie speaketh of Iehouah For thus he writeth you shal sanctifie Iehoua the lorde of hostes And he shal be a sanctuarie and a stone to stomble at a rocke to sal at to bothe the houses of Israel a snare and a trappe to the in dweller of Ierusalem And manie shal stomble in them or amonge theÌ„ shall sal and be brused snared and takeÌ„ Now coÌ„pare Esaie and Paule together and you shal see that the lorde Iesus is Iehoua as S. Paule colde vndrestande the scriptures who was sure that he had goddes spirite The Angel also in S. Luke saieth that Iohan Baptiste shuld turne manie of the childreÌ„ of Israel to the lorde their god and that he shulde goe before him in the spirite power of Elias But the lord Iesus him selfe teacheth that Iohans office was to goe before his face alleginge the texte of the prophete Malaki after this sorte in the .11 of Matheu beholde I sende myne Angel before thy face which shal prepare thy waie before the. So must the lorde Iesus be the Lorde god of the Israelites But this matter is no where taught with greater clearnes light grace thaÌ„ in this gospel of S. Io. For in the first parte of his first cha speakiÌ„ge of the true Messias namely of the lord Iesus our vndoubted saueor that our faith might safely rest in him and that we might know it to be coÌ„sonant to the truth of goddes word that we make not flesh our arme whaÌ„ we putte our trust in hiÌ„ he saieth that he was euer goddes worde vtue wisedoÌ„ that he was with god that he was verie god that al thinges were made bi hiÌ„ c. here indede our wittes ar dafeld amased here arise manie thoughtes For here two be spokeÌ„ of god I saie goddes worde the worde is said to be god to be with god It semeth thaÌ„ to maÌ„nes hastie reasoÌ„ that there be two goddes But the truth is that there is but one god Wherefore some haue beÌ„ so boide or rather so mad as to denie the godhead of the lorde Iesus to bringe him in to the ordre of creatures to faine him a made God lest there shuld be two natural goddes For they caÌ„ abide no more of god thaÌ„ they caÌ„

and terrible day of the Lord coÌ„e This is he who moued all Iurie with the excellencie of his vertues and drue men vnto him in to the wildernes as it had ben with chaiÌ„s This is he whose life did so shine and seÌ„d forth such glistering beames thoroughe oute all the lande that manye thoughte him to be the promised Messias as we haue in S. Luke Whiche is a plaine profe that he was more than wonderfull who could attaine to suche estimacion among the people For they were taught out of the Prophetes that Messias shold be such one as neuer was before nor shoulde be afterward There coulde not than be alleaged a testimonie of greater grauite and auctorite among men then the testimonie of Iohn Baptist The Euangeliste putteth an emphasis and force in this word sent wherby to signifie that gods prouidence did shine in euerye parte of Iohns life also to geue vs to vnderstaÌ„d that he was furnished with heauenly auctorite had the letters of his commission from gods maiestie to be a witnesse of the diuinitye of his sonne that hys testimonie myght be vnto vs of no lesse waight auctoritie than if an auÌ„gel had spokeÌ„ from heaueÌ„ But needeth goddes sonne the testimonie of a maÌ„ or auÌ„gel the beames of whose diuinitie shine thorowe out al the worlde dothe not he him selfe saie I receiue not the witnes of meÌ„ Knowe ye therfore that IohaÌ„ was appointed to be a witnes of the Lorde Iesus not for his sake but for oures not that he needed suche a witnes but that we needed soche a witnes to helpe our weakenes And so ye shal not so muche meruel at the thinge as straunge vnsittinge as ye shal haue in reuereÌ„t admiratioÌ„ the goodnes of god who wolde so desceÌ„d to ayde our infirmitie A MAN the hebrues haue two wordes to signifie a maÌ„ Adam ish Adam signifieth a maÌ„ subiect to mortalitie miserie calamitie ish signifiethe a maÌ„ of reputation The prophet Dauid compreheÌ„deth bothe in one verse in the psal 49. Heare this al ye people c. bothe childreÌ„ of adam childreÌ„ of ish that is to saie hye lowe The greeke worde whiche the EuaÌ„geliste vseth is anthropos as Plato teacheth it is made of vp lokinge for the state of maÌ„ns bodie is vpright his face is aduauÌ„ced to heaueÌ„ he is not beÌ„te downe warde to the grounde after the maner of other beastes whiche thiÌ„g the grekes noted by the name of a maÌ„ calliÌ„g him anthropos an vploker Thei haue also another worde aner In the holie scripture written in greke this worde aÌ„thropos signifieth a maÌ„ compassed with misetie For in the teÌ„the of the actes whaÌ„ Cornelius worshipped Petre he saide vnto him Arise I also amaÌ„thropos a mortal maÌ„ And againe Paule Barnabas whaÌ„ at Listres Iuppiters chapelaine wold haue sacrificed vnto theÌ„ reÌ„t their clothes cried saiynge meÌ„ why do ye these thinges we also ar anthropoi men subiecte to the same passions and miseries that you be See than the measure that the Euangeliste kepeth WhaÌ„ he saieth that IohaÌ„ was sent of God he adorneth him with high autoritee and setteth him vp on high aboue the commune sorte of men but vsinge to gether this worde anthropos he teÌ„pereth the matter with iust measure that no man shuld thincke of IohaÌ„ more than he was For our nature custoume is ether to aduance men to high or to abase and depresse them to low The lues extolled IohaÌ„ Baptiste to high For some thought that he was no man but an angel in a maÌ„nes bodie Some toke him for the promised Messias The EuaÌ„gelist weigheth him in a true peare of balance nether diminishinge anie thinge that God had giuen him nor addinge more thaÌ„ was to be founde in him SENT OF GOD They ar the true thei ar the fruteful preachers that ar sent of God For they bringe the thinges that they haue lerned of God Manie runne before they ar sent and therefore they bringe their awne dreames fantasies and homeforged deuises where with they delight the peoples eares but in the meane while corrupte theyr hertes stuffinge them with vanitees Â¶ WHOSE NAME WAS IO. This name was not giueÌ„ him by chauÌ„ce but appoiÌ„ted by Goddes special prouideÌ„ce And it beareth in it a coÌ„fortable ioiful thiÌ„ge signifiynge the acceptatioÌ„ grace fauor of God This came to be a witnes He teacheth the eÌ„de of IohaÌ„nes commiÌ„ge vocatioÌ„ office He came not to gette to hiÌ„ selfe great praife honor thorough the highnes of his knowlege excelleÌ„tie of his vertues nor to bringe to the people great erthlie coÌ„moditees as deliueraÌ„ce from their bodilie boÌ„dage vndre which thei groned or to enlarge their eÌ„pire dominioÌ„ nor to teache theÌ„ strauÌ„ge matters of philosophie but his great most notable vertues serued to this eÌ„de only to teach poiÌ„te forth to the people Goddes holie one Goddes sonne the fouÌ„taine af al blisfulnes the autor of al good profitable knowlege of vndrestaÌ„dinge it selfe THAT ALMIGHT beleue As the eÌ„de of al preachinge in Goddes ministers is to beare witnes of the lorde Iesus that he is the light of meÌ„nes mindes Goddes sonne the loÌ„ge promised Messias so the eÌ„de of hearinge in the hearers is to beleue the same that thereby they maie enioie the felicitee that the lorde hath purchased for theÌ„ To beleue is certaiÌ„ly to be persuaded assured in minde thorough the holie gost that by the lorde Iesus we ar purged froÌ„ our sinnes made the childreÌ„ of God that by his maÌ„nes nature we ar made partakers of his diuinitee by his mortalitee we haue obtained immortalitee by his curse euerlastinge blessinge by his death life breifely that by his desceÌ„dinge in to the erth we asceÌ„de in to heaueÌ„ HE WAS NOT THE LIGHT He reproueth the error of the Iues which toke IohaÌ„ Baptist for Christ MeÌ„ beinge naturally liers delight in lies kisse embrase them most readily The Iues were readie to beleue that that was false of IohaÌ„ namely that he was Messias but thei wold not beleue that that was true of IohaÌ„ to witte that he was seÌ„t before to prepare the waie of Messias to poiÌ„te him forth to the people as it were with his finger And there was none other cause but that the one was false and thother was true A minde embrued with lies catcheth lies straite waie as pitch catcheth fier For it is agreinge to his nature and there is a kindred consanguinitee betwene them It abhorreth truth bicause there is no likenes of nature no felowship betwene truth maÌ„nes corrupte miÌ„de But to beare witnes The EuaÌ„gelist repeteth againe that IohaÌ„ Baptistes office highest dignitee was to be a witnes of the light namely of Goddes sonne and to teach the people to seke light at his handes and there to lighteÌ„ theyr candeles And he is not to be aduanced aboue that office and dignitee which is as great in

dede as caÌ„ be giueÌ„ to a maÌ„ That was the true light Here the EuaÌ„gelist putteth a differeÌ„ce betwene light light Iohan was a light in dede as the lorde saieth he was a candel burninge shininge And Goddes ministers ar called the light of the world But their light is a borowed light a light giuen vnto them not naturally dwellinge in them The caÌ„del hath no light of it selfe but hath light put in to it from another This place plainly seuereth the lorde Iesus froÌ„ creatures For it affirmeth him to be the true light denieth them to be the tru light The lorde Iesus is light by nature creatures by borowinge of another He giueth light creatures receaue light They nede light bicause thei haue none by nature He is ful of light geueth light to them that nede Seinge thaÌ„ that there is so great difference betwene the lordes light mannes light the lorde must nedes be of another nature than a creature For if a creature colde be tru light it colde not be saide of the sonne only that he is the true light But bicause a creature is not the true light and Goddes sonne is the true light therefore Goddes sonne is anorher thinge than a creature No creature can shine and giue light of it selue by nature Goddes sonne shineth and giueth light of him selfe naturally for he is the truelight so he is no creature THAT LIGHTNETH euerie maÌ„ c. The lorde Iesus lighteneth two waies One waie in giuinge commune vnderstaÌ„dinge reason knowlege of hiÌ„ selfe to al meÌ„ so far as that thei maie pronouÌ„ce senteÌ„ce against themselues be coÌ„strained to acknowlege theyr iust daÌ„natioÌ„ For this much light the reprobate haue remaininge as to know that there is a God to discerne good from euil honest from dishonest which sparckes thorough their awne nawghtines SataÌ„s malice thei dayly labor to choke queÌ„che Thother light is a special light whereby Goddes sonne giueth a ful knowlege of him selfe to his chosen to his chosen I saie only S. Augustine thincketh that the Euangeliste speaketh here of this later illuminatinge lightninge And bicause the PelagiaÌ„s toke holde thereby saide that al meÌ„ were thus fully illuminated S. Augustine saieth that it is a phrase maner of speakinge that proueth not that Goddes sonne after that sorte lightneth al meÌ„ but that thei which ar lightned ar lightned by him As whaÌ„ we saie this scolemaster teacheth al the childreÌ„ in the Citie we meane not saieth he that he teacheth in dede al the childreÌ„ that be in the Citie for in a Citie a great meanie goe not to scole but we meane that he teacheth as manie as go to scole are there taught But it shal not be amisse to vndrestaÌ„d by this lightninge the general lightninge the general knowlege that al meÌ„ haue by nature For as I saide the reprobate haue some sparckes of knowlege after the ruine of maÌ„nes nature but thei giue theÌ„ not light to see the waie to heauen And where the free wil meÌ„ would proue by this place that al meÌ„ haue like light giueÌ„ vnto them they ar coÌ„futed by the wordes of the EuaÌ„gelist that folow For not withstaÌ„dinge this light that Goddes sonne giueth to al meÌ„ the world knew him not This general light thaÌ„ shineth not to heaueÌ„ but tarieth vpoÌ„ the erth I meane it briÌ„geth not men to true knowlege faith but commeth a great waie to shorte faileth a greate while before That other light shineth so as it sheweth perfectely and effectually to Goddes choseÌ„ the waie to heauen here note that Goddes sonne lightneth al meÌ„ in al ages For that proueth him vndoubtedly to be the true God Â¶ HE was in the worlde Some vndrestande this of his incarnatioÌ„ conuersation vpoÌ„ the erth after he had putte on maÌ„nes nature Some of his vertue power whereby he hath beÌ„ euer in the worlde and hath euer sent forth such beames of his diuinitee as whereby meÌ„ might haue seen him if thei had not blinded their awn eyes AND the worlde was made by him Of this bicause it hath ben largely spokeÌ„ before I wil sette forth oÌ„ly these reasons procede in the texte He by whom the world was made is a creator A creator is another thinge thaÌ„ a creature For it is one thinge that maketh and createth and another that is made and created If it were not so a creature shulde be aduaunced to the name of a creator And a creator shulde be abased to the name of a creature and God oÌ„ly shuld not create but a creature shuld also haue power to create But sith this caÌ„ not be so the lorde Iesus beiÌ„ge a creator must nedes be God no creature AND the worlde knew him not The worlde in this place signifieth al meÌ„ For it caÌ„ not be taken in a straiter sense in the senteÌ„ce goinge before the world was made by him In other places of the scriptures the world signifieth the reprobate only Here the worlde is coÌ„demned of vnthancfulnes vnkindnes that it hath not embtased but shamefully refused and reiected his maker It is vnnatural it is horrible abominable that meÌ„ shuld not acknowlege him by whoÌ„ thei haue eueÌ„ this that thei be meÌ„ HE cam in to his awna The Iues were called Goddes peculiar people goddes awne people bicause that though al nations ar his yet of his only mercie he chose theÌ„ to whom he wold committe his holie worde sacrameÌ„tes amoÌ„ge whoÌ„ he wolde haue an opeÌ„ face of his churche In this place s Io. calleth theÌ„ not his awne bicause thei were his choseÌ„ but bicause thei bare the name of his people the title of his churche Â¶ AND his awne receaued him not This sentence shuld draw riuers of teares out of al eyes that the gratious lorde who not oÌ„ly made that natioÌ„ of nothinge but also aduaÌ„ced it aboue al other natioÌ„s with singular benifites blessinges was not oÌ„ly neglected of them whaÌ„ for their sakes he humbled him selfe to the state of a mortal maÌ„ but also most shamefully most despitefully reiected as it were hurled awaie Â¶ BVT AS manie as receaued c. These wordes declare what profite the coÌ„minge of the lorde Iesus hath brought in to the worlde what treasures God hath giuen vs by him by what meanes the same be applied vnto vs made our awne The comminge incarnatioÌ„ of the lorde Iesus hath brought this benifite in to the worlde that as manie as receaue him by faith whether they be lues or gentiles be made Goddes children The greatnes of which benifite no harte can thincke much lesse anie tonge expresse For what a thinge is this that beggers brattes most miserable poore wretched caitiues yea Satans vgle lothsome and detestable mishapen children shuld be made kinges not ouer a few landes but ouer all the erth and heauen to and garnished with angelike brightnes

and inestimable beautie Assuredly this can neuer be thought vpoÌ„ this can neuer be wondred at inough Â¶ AS RECEAVED They receaue him that acknowlege him to be Goddes son and that he became man in mannes nature died for the purgation and satisfaction of their sinnes breifely to receaue here signifieth to beleue as S. Iohan maketh the exposition him selfe in the wordes folowinge HE GAVE them power The idols men wringe this place to the maintenaÌ„ce of free wil. For they vnderstande that choise hereby is giuen vs to be the children of God if we wil or to refuse the same But S. Iohan declareth forthwith in the wordes folowinge that Goddes children are not made by the wil of the flesh but whan they be begotten of God Goddes begettinge maketh vs GoÌ„ddes children and we ar not left to our choise with a power whereby to make our selues Goddes childreÌ„ but we ar Goddes children al readie whan he hath begotteÌ„ vs. For he begetteth perfectly he begetteth not moÌ„sters halfe childreÌ„ or a luÌ„pe of matter where of childreÌ„ maie be made afterwarde And the greke worde that S. Io. vseth is not dynamis which signifieth power but exousia which signifieth dignitee auctoritee Here riseth a question if Goddes chosen were by predestination his childreÌ„ before the beginninge of the world how agreeth it that thaÌ„ they ar made his childreÌ„ whaÌ„ thei beleue For they were his children before beinge his chosen predestinate It is true that God made those his childreÌ„ that euer shulde be his childreÌ„ in his purpose thorough free electioÌ„ before the worlde was made But this thei fele nat vntil God by his holie spirite kendle faith in them and assure them of that that they were before And here also I wil giue you an other thinge to note S. Iohan saieth that as manie as beleue ar Goddes sonnes But none ar now Goddes sonnes that were not euer Goddes sonnes in his infallible purpose that is none ar Goddes sonnes but his chosen So thei that beleue in dede ar Goddes chosen therefore can neuer perishe For God can nether beÌ„ deceaued in his choosinge nor is a chauÌ„gelinge to altre the thinge that he hath once purposed Nether hangeth he vpon mannes behauior suspendinge his determinatioÌ„ but al his purposes ar stablished to gether sure certaine thei staÌ„de fast for euer beinge oÌ„ce for al decreed You wil grauÌ„te perchauÌ„ce that Goddes election is sure infallible but yet you can not be so one persuaded that al that beleue ar Goddes chosen For SimoÌ„ Magus beleued and in the parable of the sower the lorde speaketh of some which haue faith for a time I auÌ„swere that those such had neuer the faith of Goddes children But how shal we know wil you saie that we haue the faith of goddes childreÌ„ seiÌ„ge there is another faith besides which maie begile vs. I auÌ„swere that whaÌ„ we haue such faith as briÌ„geth forth a feliÌ„ge of the swetenes of goddes mercie in Christ Ies an vnfained loue towardes God we haue the faith of Goddes Children And ar and ar sealed vp by Goddes spirite and haue the sure and infallible ernest of euerlastinge life IN HIS NAME It is more liuelie and more ample and of greater maiestie whan it is said to them that beleue in his name than if it had ben saide to them that beleue in him The scole men in dede putte a difference betwene credere deum credere deo credere in deum Credere deum with them is to beleue that there is a God Credere deo is to beleue Goddes saiynges Credere in deum is to trust in God and to loue him And therefore S. Augustine saieth that to beleue in God is in beleuinge to loue him and in louinge to trust in him But the scripture obserueth not this distinction For in the 14. of Exod. we haue that whan the Israhelites saw the AegyptiaÌ„s ouerthrowen by Goddes power thei beleued BAIHOVA ou be Mosheh abdo i. in Iehoua and in Moses his seruant And againe in the .19 God saieth to Moses I wil coÌ„me douÌ„ne to the in a thicke cloud that the people maye heare me speakinge with the and beleue ' BECHA that is in the c. But is neuer saide that anie beleued in the name of a maÌ„ For name to the hebrues signifieth power as whan S. Paule saieth that God gaue the lorde Iesus a name aboue al names he meaneth plaiÌ„ly power aboue al power So to beleue in the name of Iesus importeth necessarely that he is God WHICHE neyther of bloude Some thincke that this is a figure called in greke pleonasmos wherby manye woordes are heaped together to signify one thiÌ„g For they saie that these wordes of bloudes of the wil of the flesh of the wil of maÌ„ signifie one thing namely carnal natiuitye generation so thei teache that meÌ„ beget carnall childreÌ„ onely God begetteth spiritual childreÌ„ And in deede maÌ„s generation makethe vs not Goddes childreÌ„ we muste be regeÌ„dred by God to be his childreÌ„ Other thincke that he numbreth vp by partes al that is excelleÌ„t in maÌ„ where in he maie seeme to haue some affiaunce to atteyne to the dignitie of Goddes sonne And that so he teacheth that by no auncitrie no priuilege of bloude by no holines of fore fathers nor anie maner of streÌ„gth or faculte in mankinde maÌ„ atcheueth the place of Goddes soÌ„nes Bothe expositioÌ„ is teÌ„de to this end that we are not made holie by anie force of nature but by the grace and mercie of God regeneratinge and newe begettinge vs and that is plainely S. IohaÌ„s meaninge The wil of maÌ„ S. IohaÌ„ vsethe for the wil of anie maÌ„ for so the hebreus vse the word ish maÌ„ for euerie maÌ„ BEGOTTEN God begetteth vs whaÌ„ accordinge to his aeternal purpose electioÌ„ he puttethe his spirite into vs and by his force plaÌ„teth faith in our hartes to embrace his worde reneweth our mindes frameth theÌ„ againe vnto true holines righteousnes God grauÌ„t that we maie al feele that we ar begotten of God that considering the high dignitie where vnto we are called we occupie not ourselues vnsemely in vile offices but trauaile al the daies of oure lyfe in suche thinges as aduaunce the glorie of our heauenlie father Amen â§ The Fift READING VVith verie few but the same most pithie semelie apte wordes the EuaÌ„gelist hath declared vnto vs the diuine nature of the Lorde Iesus his power shewed forth sette abrode to the sight af al men by his most wondreful worckes For by this Godhead diuine nature of the Lorde Iesus bothe al thinges were first made of nothinge and now also al thinges ar preserued coÌ„tinued in their state that they returne not to nothinge By it al thinges liue moue haue their beinge By it maÌ„ wherein he excelleth other liuinge creatures is furnished with the light of reason vndrestandinge which though thorough maÌ„nes faute it be

his awne giftes in vs. And so he calleth faith whereby we ar iustified one grace euerlastinge life another grace verie truly godly to the coÌ„fusion of the commune idols souldiars Other expouninge grace for grace grace vpoÌ„ grace reach that out of this fulnes of his sonne god gaue to our fathers vndre the old testameÌ„t the spirite of feare whereby as childreÌ„ vndre a scolemaster thei were kepte in restrained that thei shuld not straie abrode after fleshlie lustes but be led forth framed to some godlines And in the new testameÌ„t he giueth the spirite of fredoÌ„ whereby with more fraÌ„cke free hertes with more ioiful courage by the motioÌ„ of the spirite we do the thiÌ„ges that please god Not that our fathers were al together voide of this free spirite but bicause of their childlie age thei were more kepte vndre by feare the spirite was not so richely largely giueÌ„ to theÌ„ as to vs I meane vniuersally touchinge goddes ordinarie dispeÌ„sation For to some special persons the spirite was as largely giueÌ„ and more largely thaÌ„ it is now The exposition of other is that God loueth fauoreth vs bicause of the loue fauor that he beareth to his sonne as S. Paule writeth that he hath made vs acceptable in the biloued For by nature we ar the childreÌ„ of wrath the loue fauor that we finde iÌ„ goddes sight is for that that of his awne goodnes he hath made vs the membres of his most derely biloued sonne so loueth vs as a parte of his sonnes bodie Other thincke that the meaninge of these wordes is that God powreth al his graces in to the lord Iesus by him coÌ„ueieth the same vnto vs as by a conducte pipe I leaue to your choise which of these expostions you wil folow The law The nature of meÌ„ is coÌ„munely ether to giue to litle or to much reuereÌ„ce to Goddes ministers And to despice them while thei liue and whan thei be ded to make them more thaÌ„ saintes In the time of the lordes coÌ„uersation vpoÌ„ erth the Iues had Moses in such reuereÌ„ce and estimation that thei made him verie litle lesse than a God In Moseis person thei gloried Moseis person thei bosted and extolled aboue the starres Thei had this also that thei so pust vp them selues in their knowlege of Goddes wil and in their holie perfecte worckes wrought accordinge to the rule of the law as that thei excelled al other meÌ„ were halfe goddes vpoÌ„ erth and more mete to be placed in paradise amonge the heaueÌ„lie spirites theÌ„ to walke in this vale of miserie amonge sinful men Wherefore Io. Baptist to plante Christ Iesus in the hertes of theÌ„ to whoÌ„ he was sent to be a teacher and the better to aduance his glorie laboureth to pulle those two great hindrauÌ„ces out of their hertes namely their preposterous gloryinge in the persone of Goddes minister and their vaine confideÌ„ce in their awne holines and righteousnes And first he setteth vp the lord Iesus far aboue Moses makinge a comparison betwene the office of Moses and the lordes office For he assigneth to Moses that he ministred and gaue the law to the people he assigneth to the lord Iesus that he hath brought grace truth Now there is aÌ„ excediÌ„ge greate differeÌ„ce betwene these two offices For th one is the ministration of death and condemnation thother of life iustificatioÌ„ The law in dede prescribeth vnto vs true holines certainly sheweth vs what we ought to do and to leaue vndon in euerie pointe but while thereby ether it represseth restraineth meÌ„nes raginge lustes or coÌ„uinceth al men proueth that thei do not the thinges thei ought to do nor eschue the thinges thei ought to eschue as S. Paule lernedly and truly writeth it encreaseth sinne worcketh wrath killeth and condeÌ„neth vs. It encreaseth sinne bicause the more our lustes ar restrained the more ragingly thei burst out It worcketh wrath bicause that whan our lustes ar bridled we ar angrie with God for puttinge that snaffel in to our mouthes so to our other vices we adde disobedieÌ„ce stubburnnes murmuringe against God It killeth and condeÌ„neth bicause it pronounceth al meÌ„ accursed that kepe not the thinges prescribed taught in it to the vttermost title where as we perfirme not one iote perfetly as we shuld But here we must know that the law of hir selfe of hir awne nature hath not these effectes but by accideÌ„t that is by the meanes of our vicious nawghtie corrupte nature For the law is good holie iust worcketh not coÌ„deÌ„nation of hir awne nature but bicause our sinful nature can abide no good thinge therefore of necessitee it must be condeÌ„ned by that that is good whaÌ„ the same is laied vnto it The propre cause is not in the summe beames that they make a carion to stincke the more but in the nature of the carion For thei shine upon other bodies without such effecte If our nature were good the law shuld be most liuelie and coÌ„fortable vnto it Now bicause it is corrupte poisoned the law worcketh not the thinges that it wold and shuld but the thinges that such a nature wil only suffre to be wrought Grace and truth We haue now the office of Moses letre vs on thother side coÌ„sidre the office of the lord Iesus But first lett vs vndrestande the wordes By grace some vndrestande that that maketh vs amiable and acceptable and getteth vs fauor before God meÌ„ By truth thei vndrestande true sincere perfecte sounde and sure righteousnes Other by grace in this place vndrestande forgiuenes of sinnes and by truth the fulfillinge of al the figures and shadowes of Moseis law In which so euer signification you shal take the wordes the sense shal be good and godlie For the lorde Iesus maketh vs amiable and acceptable in Goddes sight apparellinge vs with his awne swete smellinge garmeÌ„tes that is with his awne holines and he renueth our mindes vnto true sound and fast abidinge righteousnes he also hath optained for vs remissioÌ„ of our sinnes hath perfirmed al that was shadowed in Moseis law For he hath washed sanctified and purged vs with his awne blood He hath suffred death in our stede and offred him selfe a slaine sacrifice vpon the crosse to be a perpetual satisfaction for the sinnes of al Goddes chosen to appease for euer Goddes wrath kinled against sinne And here we ar clearely taught that the law cold not bringe these thinges to passe Wherefore al thei that haue assigned righteousnes and acceptation in Goddes sight to the dedes of the law or haue sought anie holines anie forgiuenes of sinnes anie sparcke of grace life other waies than by the lord Iesus only alone haue miserably begiled them selues to their perpetual confusion and perdition Let vs my brethern be no more deluded but resorte to the true fouÌ„taine of al heaueÌ„lie graces draw from thens thorough faith sincere

â§ AN EXPOSITION OF A PARTE OF S. Iohannes Gospel made in sondrie readinges in the English Congregation by Bartho Traheron and now published against the wicked entreprises of new sterte vp Arrians in Englande He that beleueth in me beleueth not in me but in him that sent me And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me Iohan. 12. Â¶ Imprinted Anno. 1557. âœš TO MY MOST DERE SISTER ELISABETH P. THINCKE not to much good sister what you haue had but considre what you haue remembre not what you haue ben some tymes in the worldes eies but what you be now in goddes eyes Lamente not that you lost but ioie in that you haue founde Whan you were high you were surely low now that you ar low you ar surely high Let this sincke in to your minde that if wordlye thinges had not ben taken from you you shuld shortely haue beÌ„ taken from them and perchaunce if they had not ben so drouned they wold haue drouned you before death had remoued you from them If no aduersite had assailed you you had ben a ded sea and the patieÌ„ce other singular vertues which now shine in you had ben quenched ether in your selfe vtterly or touchynge the knowlege of anie other vnfrutefully And therefore Seneca truly saide that that person is verye miserable who neuer felt anie miserie The world ment to impouerishe you but God hath enryched you The world wold depresse you but God hath aduauÌ„ced you The world thought to ouerwhelme you with heauines but God hath filled you with tru ioies The world labored to staine you with infamie but God hath made your name both cleare and pure and also to sende forth a pleasant odor amonge his saiÌ„tes You haue not thaÌ„ lost somuch as you haue founde Only beware for the tyme to cuÌ„me for more remaineth to be laied vpon you for a farther trial Yea I know that Circe the sorceresse hath al readie wil more here after allure you with hir enchaunted cuppe But let not the swetenes of the cuppes lippes and the pleasantnes of the poison begile you Rather chose to drinke the lordes cuppe which though it haue a bitter tast in the first draught yet in the ende purging corrupte and noisome humors it maketh a pure and cleane bodie You know that as goddes goodnes hath made you my natural sister so his wrath hath giuen to vs both and to the rest of our brethern and sistern an vnnatural stepmother How vnmercifully and cruelly she hath delt with vs and how sharpely she hath whipt vs you can remembre and if she beginne now to smile vpon you she meaneth the more mischeife Take hede good sister a stepmother wil euer be a stepmother Giue yourselfe ernestly to readinge of the holie scriptures Holde fast the doctryne that our holye brother and eldest saue one religiously mainteined whom our stepdame laboreth to deface I trust in vaine Flie aswel al idolatrical as al Anabaptistical strauÌ„ge opinions To which ende I haue dedicated this my litle trauaile vnto you as to my derest sister whom I most desire to be preserued pure and spotles in euerye parte I am not ignoraÌ„t that the better you shal be sincerer in treu religioÌ„ the more you shal anger our stepdames testie harte and the les fauor you shal finde in your iust requestes But I haue more regarde to the welth of your soule thaÌ„ to the welth of your bodye And therefore I haue sent you this preseruatiue which our stepdame if she were as she can pretende shuld take in good parte But so that she maye liue in hir babilonical whoredome and droncken lustes and swille in the wine of Aegyptes errors I perceaue she passeth not much how other thinges goe Lift you vp your mindes eyes and beholde the glorious face of the lorde Iesus while our stepmothers eyes ar daseld with the glisteringe vaine glorie of the world toteth al daye in the deceaueable painted face of a monstruous man triple in head and double in herte O that she might be made better but see that you in the meane while be nor made worsse by hyr Let the frute of my worste parte that is with you see the frute of my better parte Commende me to him whom lawes permitte you to love to whoÌ„ god grauÌ„te in heauen that he seketh in erth The lorde Iesus guide you euer with his holie spirite my entierly biloued Your Bro. Bartho Traheron THE FIRST READING I HAVE chosen this parte of the holie scripture wherein to trauail with you at this time bicause thorough goddes great wrath against sinne and the most despiteful malice of Satan against the truth the olde hainous heresie of the vngodlie Arrians is renued in our couÌ„tree and as it were raised vp againe from hel These cankerd old Arrians that you maie undrestaÌ„de their heresie spake blasphemously of the godhead of our Lorde Iesus For the first autor of it Arrius vttered erroniously vngodly in the scoles of Alexandria in Aegypte that there was a time whaÌ„ goddes sonne was not By which wordes he ment that he was not of the same beinge and substaÌ„ce that the father is of nor of the fame aeternitie and so not the natural sonne of God and verie God in dede but an excellent creature of God whereby God made al thinges as by aÌ„ instrumeÌ„t as he him selfe opened in farther declaration of his miÌ„de For he grauÌ„ted that the Lorde Iesus was the first and cheifest creature the beginninge of al other creatures and gaue him also the name of God Howbeit he thought not that he had his Godhed by nature but by borowinge For trial of this matter the most noble and godlie Emperor ConstaÌ„tine the great called a general concile at Nice of thre hundred and eightene bishoppes of whom manie for singular lerninge and eloquence manie for great holines of life were compted worthie of euerlastinge remeÌ„brance In this famous coÌ„cile it was coÌ„cluded out of the holie scriptures that goddes sonne is of the same aeternitee of the same substance essence beinge that God the father is goddes natural sonne and coaequal with the father as it appeareth in the Crede communely called the Nicene Crede Whereunto the hole assemble agreed and subscribed sauinge these fiue Eusebius bishoppe of Nicomedia Theognis bishoppe of Nice Maris bishoppe of Calchedon Theognis bishoppe of Marmarike and Secundus bishoppe of Ptolemais Which fiue bishoppes for their vngodlines by the emperors commaundement were banished out of their couÌ„trees But sone after their exile Eusebius and Theognis repented that thei had don so vnaduisedly and sent a boke of repentance to the godlie bishoppes wherin they vsed these wordes We haue agreed to the faith and after we had made inquisition of the meaninge of this worde coÌ„substantial we were throughly quieted And in dede we claue not to the haeresie yea we subscribed to the faith but we subscribed not to the excommunication Not that we reproue the faith but we

coÌ„preheÌ„de with their litle wittes But we must coÌ„sidre that god is best knoweÌ„ yea only knoweÌ„ to him selfe we must thinke him to be such as he hiÌ„ selfe hath opened vnto vs that he is not such as we caÌ„ imagine him or coÌ„preheÌ„de him Now he hath taught vs that there is one god the father the sonne the holie gost That the father is god the sonne is god the holie gost is god yet not three goddes but one god Three distinctions three proprietes as the good fathers speake three persones to be in the godhead he him selfe hath taught vs by his special instrumeÌ„tes sent by him in to the world to teach the assured truth And it foloweth not in dede herevpon that there be three goddes For these three haue one substaÌ„ce if it be lawful to vse that terme in this matter one essence one beinge I grauÌ„te it shuld folow that there were three goddes if they were three sondrie diuided substances But now the substaÌ„ce and essence is one and they differ not therein they differ only in proprietes and persons This is the proprietee of the father that he is the fouÌ„taine head springe of al begetteth his sonne This is the propriete of the sonne that he shineth from the father issueth and springeth out of him and is begotteÌ„ of him This is the proprietee of the holie gost that he procedeth from the father and the sonne If anie maÌ„ wil aske how this trinitee can bein aÌ„ vnitee aÌ„ vnitee in a trinitee the same declareth that he wil not be satisfied vntil he haue eÌ„tred in to the secretes of god and know al that is in god and be as wise as god and compreheÌ„d that that is infinite and vnmeasurable within the smal compasse of his franticke head and so in dede shew him selfe to raue and to be more mete to be placed in bedleem than in the companie of Christiane meÌ„ Whan god hath once clarely and certaiÌ„ly saied it it is our parte to thincke it to be as he hath saide it to be For surely it maie be it is whan he hath plaiÌ„ly saide it though our reason caÌ„ nev reach it And that god hath said this with cleare wordes it shal most euideÌ„tly appeare out of S. Ioannes doctrine whaÌ„ it shal be weighed For I doubte not but that we al acknowlege that what so S. Io. saieth god saieth And whaÌ„ we know that god hath certaiÌ„ly said it we wil beleue it though it seme neuer so much repugnant to reason For we refuse not al that is repugnaÌ„t to reason but whaÌ„ the same is repugnant to goddes worde And to saie the truth this matter is not so much repugnaÌ„t to reason as it is aboue the reach of reason In the beginninge was the word The word was in the beginninge By the worde the euangeliste meaneth the secoÌ„de person in the holie trinitee namely our lorde Iesus Christ touchinge his diuine nature as it appeareth afterwarde whaÌ„ he saieth the word became flesh Here we must coÌ„sidre why goddes sonne is called a worde AunciaÌ„t writers coÌ„sidre a worde two waies For thei teach that there is an outwarde worde aÌ„ inwarde worde The outward word is that souÌ„deth passeth awaie The inwarde worde is the coÌ„ceipte of the herte which remaineth stil in the herte whaÌ„ the souÌ„d is past So thei saie that god hath an outwarde worde which is sounded pronounced writteÌ„ in bokes that he hath an inwarde worde which remaineth with in him selfe where of the outwarde worde is an image effecte frute This inwarde worde euer remaininge in him is called his sonne as the coÌ„ceipte of the herte maie be called the engeÌ„dred frute of the herte and the hertes childe Thei thincke also that he is called the worde of god bicause that as a worde is the image of mannes minde representeth it vnto vs so the Lorde Iesus is goddes image and most liuely representeth vnto vs his power his godhed and his wisedom For what so euer is in the father shineth in the sonne Some other thincke that the worde here is taken for a thinge after the hebrue maner of speakinge For the hebrues vse DABAR which signifieth a word for a thinge Whan Esaie the prophete asked kinge Ezechias what the Embassadors of Babilon had seeÌ„ in his house he aunswered thus They saw al that was in myn house lo haiah dabar there was not a worde that is to saie anie one thinge that I shewed not vnto them in my treasures The prophete replieth Beholde the daies comme that what so euer is in thy house shal be takeÌ„ awaye what so euer thy fathers haue laied vp in stoare vnto this daie shal be caried to Babilon lo ijvather dabar there shal not a worde remaine saieth the lorde that is to saie there shal not one thinge be left behinde The angel also in S. Luke whan the Virgine Marie meruailed how she shuld conceaue a childe without mannes helpe said vnto hir no worde shal be impossible vnto god that is no thinge shal be impossible for him to do So than after this understandinge S. IohaÌ„nes meaninge is that in the beginninge there was a diuine heaueÌ„lie thinge with god The greke vocable logos which S. Iohan. vseth hath sondrie significatioÌ„s and amonge other beside coÌ„municatioÌ„ and talke it signifieth reason and wisdoÌ„ which singificacion agreeth ryght wel For Salomon calleth that thing wisdoÌ„e that was with God beefore the foundacion of the world was laied and that was AmoÌ„ before him that is to saie as the Hebreues expoune the worde a director For by that wisdome God made all thinges and doeth all thinges as it is there expressed by me kinges raigne Princes enacte righteousnes c. Surely in my minde S. Iohn hath respect to the first cha of Genesis and openeth the same vnto vs. For Moses saith not simply that God made all thynges of noughte but that he spake and made thinges that is to saie that he made all thinges by his worde By the worde than I vnderstande Goddes vertue and power wherby he hath opened and as it were set abrode himselfe in makynge all thinges in preseruing maintaining theÌ„ in their state finally in repairing restoring and renuing them being decaied thorough sinne For as a worde vttereth and bringeth forth that that is in the hearte so by this woorde this power vertue of god is vttered brought forth and sette abrode that laie hydden in god before So that I thinke that he is called goddes worde both bicause he is gods wysdome and gods image represeÌ„tyng all that is in the father and also because he is the secrete vertue and power of God wherby god vttereth shewethe oute and sendeth foorth that is in hym namely hys might and wisedome in making all thinges his goodnes in preseruing them and his mercy indeclaring to mortal men his wil and pleasure and in recouering and sauing them being

lost only let vs beware that we take not this vocable word grosly for a word sounded pronounced or writteÌ„ but for an essencial person subsisting and abiding in God and than whether we vnderstande the worde to be gods image and brightnes gods vertue and power or goddes wisdome we shall not doe amysse For the holy scripture giueth al these things to the seconde person in the most sacred trinite In the beginning that is before the world was made for so we learne in Salomon Iehoua possessed me in the beginning of his waye before his workes Meaz from than that is to saye eternallly And than he goeth forth meolam froÌ„ euer I was stablyshed from the head before the beginninges of the earth Bee in the homoth in not depes that is whaÌ„ the depts were not I was conceaued be ein maienoth in not fouÌ„taines that is whaÌ„ the fountaines were not yet laden wyth twaters Before the fouÌ„dacioÌ„ of mountaines was layed before the hilles I was conceaued Yet he had not made the erth and the outward partes of it the head that is the beginning of the dust of the world Whan he prepared the heauens I was there c. hitherto we haue rehersed the holy gostes wordes out of Salo. prouerbes And I thynke more sondrye wordes can not bee deuised to expresse that gods wisdome euen the Lorde Iesus touching his diuine nature was with God before any creature had his beyng And in dede sith the Lord Iesus in that he is gods sonne is gods wisdoÌ„ thei blaspheme God that imagine anye tyme whan he was not For so they imagine a tyme whan GOD was wythoute wysedome We haue another place of the scripture that teacheth vs thus to vnderstande in the beginning For in the .17 cha of this gospell the Lorde hymselfe saieth glorifie me father at thi self with the glory which I had before the world was with thee he that had glorie before the worlde was made was and had a beinge beefore the worlde was made For that that is nothing cannot haue glory while it is nothing WAS It is euidente that S. Iohns intente is in this chap. to shewe what goddes sonne is touchinge his substance essence and being And if he had been a creature here had been a place of necessite to shewe that he was made But he saith not that he was made yea he saieth that he was alreadye and had his beeing before any creature was made And so he is exempted out of the nomber of creatures And these two woordes in the beginning and was confounde two heretikes Cerinthus and Arius Whan Cerinthus shall swinishly grunte that the Lorde Iesus was a pure maÌ„ and had his begiÌ„ning of Ioseph and Mary we maye stopp hys mouth with this worde in the begynning For he that was in the beginninge was not to be begone in the tyme of Ioseph and Mary Whan Arrius shal blasphemously iangle and peuishlye bable that he is a creature we shall putte hys rude talke to silence wyth thys woorde was For he that was alreadye in the beginning before any thing was made had his beeing beefore the creation of thinges was neuer made And this vocable the worde bindeth both these heretikes together in a bondle and throweth them down to hell For eyther to saye that Goddes worde was not eternallye or that Goddes worde is a creature is to say that God was some tyme withoute his wisdome and power or to saye that God had no wisedome vntyll he hadde made it For it is manifeste out of Salomon that Goddes worde is his wisdome For there it is taughte that all thynges were made by hys wisedome and here we are taughte that all thynges were made by his worde So his wisedome his worde muste be all one And than caÌ„not his worde be a creature For GOD was neuer nor neuer shal be without his wisdome But the Arrians make an argument wherby they thynk to ouerthrow all That say they that begetteth is beefore that that is begotteÌ„ but the father begetteth ergo he is before the sonne that is begotten To thys first I answere that they which will shewe thynges vncreate by thinges create shal sometimes shewe themselues very fooles Secondly I answere that the argumente is not alwayes true in thinges create For lyght springeth out of the sunne and therfore we mai say that the suÌ„ne begetteth light and heate issueth out of fier and yet the sunne is not before his lighte nor fyer before heate But assone as the sunne is lyght is also and assone as fier is heate is The sunne goeth before hys lyghte fier before heate in order nor in tyme. And so we may say that the father is before hys sonne god is before his wysedome in order not in tyme. In order beecause wisdome springeth from the father not in time because the father is neuer without his wisedome But yet thei blasphemously demauÌ„de whether the father be gatt the sonne whan he was or whaÌ„ he was not thinking whatsoeuer shall bee answered to shewe an absurdyte Wher indede the demaund is most absurd and peuishe For we wyll demaunde of them agayne whether fier begette heate beefore heate is in it or after If they saye before than they graunte that fier is some tyme without heate which is impossible For it is no fier that hath no heate If thei say after than we will saye as they saye that the begettyng of heate is superfluous syth heate was there before Againe we myght aske them whether god whaÌ„ he was became god or became god beefore he was But we delight not in such vaine questions wherewyth idle wittes sporte their follies But briefely to them we say that it is no absurdite to affirme that the father begetteth his sonne already being bicause the sonne is euer in him springeth euer froÌ„ him no more than it is an absurdite to say that maÌ„s mynde begetteth reasoÌ„ bicause reason is in it spriÌ„geth froÌ„ it And yet maÌ„s miÌ„d is no soner thaÌ„ reasoÌ„ is But these great clerks caÌ„ imagine none other begettiÌ„g but maÌ„s grosse begettiÌ„g of childreÌ„ And so absurdites folow not our doctriÌ„e but their dremiÌ„gs For our doctriÌ„e of gods soÌ„ne of begetting is farre from the grosse imaginacion of mans or beastes fleshlye begetting There is nothyng in oure doctryne but heauenly and spirituall And these menne are altogether drowned in fleshe and speake nothing but fleshe fleshly thinges I wyll rehearse another argumente of theirs that the simple and vnlearned be not perchance combred and amased with their sophistications Otherwise I think all their reasons rather to be buryed in perpetual silence and darkenes and to be in dede so many blasphemies as they bee reasons For they aske whether God begatteÌ„ his sonne withoute consideracyon or consideringe and willinge If neyther considering nor wylling than saye they he suffred somewhat that he would not If considering and willing than his consideracion and will wente before his generacion But as

before we may discouer their extreme folly with another demaunde For we may aske whether God be good and mercifull of hys owne wil or agaiÌ„st his will For if he be good and mercifull of his own will and wil goeth before all thinges that are chosen by wil thaÌ„ there was a time or space whan God was not yet good and mercifull but consulted toke deliberatioÌ„ aboute those thynges Item we may demaunde of them whether the father be God of his will or against his will If of his will than after these mens high wittes his wil went before his essence and beeing If agaynste his will who constrayned him â–ª who seeth not nowe the outragious madnes and extreÌ„e fransie of these wilde spirits For in dede in naturall thynges no will goeth beefore whiche will hath place only in those thinges that bee withoute the substaunce of him that taketh deliberacioÌ„ But here we wil make an end of this lecture Let these words of the Euangelist my brethren which we now haue treated sinke depelye into your heartes which weighe downe so greate heresies and teache vs so excellent and so diuine thinges as the angels can not attaine vnto Let vs consider how great goodnesse of God this is that he hath vouchsafed to open vnto vs the moste reuerende temple of his diuine maiestie and lette vs prayse hys holy name therfore and bee thankefull Â¶ The second readyng ANd the word was wyth God Before the worlde was made there was nether time nor place And therfore the worde beeing a thyng subsistinge in the beginninge beefore any thing was made could be no where but with god and in god For than ther was nothing but God And so he must nedes be of the same substance that god is of For if he were not of the same substance and yet was in the beginning that is to say euer a thing subsistinge with God than the proprietes of God shoulde be takeÌ„ away The proprietes of God ar to be infinite and to be omnipotent But if they were two sondrie diuided substances neyther of them shoulde be infinite nor omnipotent For where the one wer the other shold not be nor where the power of the one the power of the other Their substance than of necessite muste be one and the same and yet these words shewe manifestly a difference in the godhead For it were a great absurdite to sal the worde was with god if there wer no maner of difference betwene god and the word For who can say of one thing hauing no maner of difference that that thing hath a thyng wyth it Who canne saye without absurdite in suche a ringe there is a diamonde and in the diamoÌ„de or with the diamonde there is a diamoÌ„d speaking of one only diamond Thus we may say in such a ring there is a diamoÌ„d and in the diamonde a point a rase or a vertue to take awaye the power of the adamaÌ„t stone for there is some differeÌ„ce betwene the point the rase the vertue the diamonde it selfe So thaÌ„ whaÌ„ we say a thing is with a thing there is a differeÌ„ce betwene the thing with which it is and the thing that is with it These words therfore forceably ouerthrowe another heresie namely of Sabellius who affirmed that there was no distinction of persons in the Godhead And that these woordes the father the sonne and the holy gost were only sondrie titles and names geuen to one persoÌ„ as one and the selfe same man may some times be called tall some times fayre and some times valiant c. So he mingled and consounded altogether teachynge that god the father was sometimes called the father sometimes the sonne and soÌ„e times the holy gost But we holde leaning to the euidente trueth of Gods worde these three distiÌ„ctions these three sondrie persons vnmingled and vnconfounded so that the father is not the sonne nor the sonne the holy gost or the father As in the sunne that shineth ouer vs we see three things vnconfounded and vnmingled For we consider the sunne by it selfe the lighte by it selfe and the heate by it selfe The light is not the sonne nor the heate the light but they be three distinct thinges I say nor this as though the material suÌ„n could sufficiently expresse the thinges of the godhead For no creature can expres that mystery Yea no corporal thyng can expresse a spirituall and mindly thynge But I speake it to shewe you some waye for the stayeng of vnquiet heades that sondrie thynges maye be in one vnconfounded and vnmingled that is euerye one abiding still in his propre nature Now that these three distinctions be in the godhead I wyll brieflye shewe you out of gods worde And firste I wyll beginne wyth the holy goste In the .14 of thys gospell the Lorde himselfe sayeth I wyll entreate the father and he shall geue you another comforter This word another noteth a difference betwene the sonne and the holy gost For it can not be sayd of one and the same hauige no difference that he is another besydes hym selfe Agayne speakyng of the holy gost in the .16 cha he shall receaue sayeth the Lorde Iesus of myne and shal shew forth vnto you These wordes also declare a plain difference betwene the sonne and the holye gost For he coulde not haue sayed he shall take of myne if there had not been a difference betwene hym that taketh and him from whom he taketh Nowe a difference both betwene the sonne and the holy gost also betwene the father the holy gost may be easely and plaiÌ„ly gathered out of these words whan the comforter shall come whom I wil sende vnto you from the father the spirite of trueth which procedeth from the father he shal witnes of me For ther is a difference betwene him that sendeth and him that is sent there is a differeÌ„ce betwene him that procedeth him froÌ„ whom he procedeth And that there is a differeÌ„ce betwene the father and the soÌ„ne these wordes of the Lorde Iesus teach vs sufficiently I the father HEN ESMEN are one For the plural noÌ„bre noteth two If there had been no distinctioÌ„ betwene the father the soÌ„ne he sholde haue said I the fatheram one not ar one These wordes also that we haue in hande the worde was with God proue the same ineuitably as I haue said Here I must warne you of another error that whaÌ„ you heare that the worde is with god springeth out of god the father ye imagine not that he departeth and is diuided froÌ„ the father is a substance a part For our former example of the sunne maye teache you that that is not of necessite For lighte is with the sunne issueth out of the sunne yet departeth not ne is diuided froÌ„ the suÌ„ne And though no example could shadow the matter vnto vs yet the trueth is that goddes sonne is so with god and so begotten of God and

so springeth from God that he abydeth still in God For Goddes nature admytteth no diuision And the word was God As the sentence beefore sheweth a difference betwene God the father and the sonne in their persons so thys teacheth an vnitie in substance For sith there is but one God the sonne beeyng God as S. Iohn clearely techeth that we myghte bee sure of the sonnes diuinite he must nedes be of the same substance that the father is of Els ether there should be sondri gods or the soÌ„ne shoulde not be naturally God But the wordes that goe beefore and these wordes and the words that folow which assigne to the sonne the makyng of all thinges proue that he is naturally God For what is eternall and without beginning but god what was wyth god beefore the world was made that was not god how coulde Iohn speakynge of the nature of a thing that was in the beginning affirme it to be god onles it were god For what substance could there be before any thing was made that was nether gods substance nor a creature For what so is not a creature and yet hath a being is surely god And whereby were all thynges made but by god For Esaie teacheth that god vsed no minister in makyng the worlde whan he saieth I alone extended the heauens by my selfe But he made all thinges by hys sonne therefore his sonne muste be hymselfe that is to saye of the same substance essence and being And that there can not be two gods we haue alreadi proued by gods propretes and all the scripture coÌ„stantly affirmeth the same But it is most vehemently taughte in these wordes of Esaie is there a God besyde me Before me there was no god framed nor shal be after me The sonne than beyng naturally god must nedes be of the saÌ„e substaÌ„ce and essence that the father is of and so though the father be naturally God the sonne naturally God c. yet there bee not three Goddes but one God because the substance of those three is one These wordes also the worde was God choke another heresie in my opinion more subtile than the heresie of Arrius For Paulus Samosatenus and his scolars grauÌ„te that the worde was euer with God but by the worde they vnderstand not a substance a subsisting essence but only gods purpose which he had eternally to make the world and to make him a sonne out of the virgin Mary that shoulde bee a most excellent man and the saueoure of the worlde But how can a hare purpose to doe thinges bee called God whan it hath no subsisting and abiding nature Forther these wretches see not that by their strange and worse than Platonical imagination thei make trees and stones and wormes equall to Goddes sonne in eternite For they were euer in gods purpose And yet I thinke they wil sticke to call them gods But though thys sentence of S. Iohn be sufficient to holde their noses to the grinde stone yet take that with you also that is written in the .17 chap. of this worke glorifie me father with the glori which I had before the worlde was with thee What glorie coulde an onely purpose without substaÌ„ce haue before the world was with God Yea how could he be before the world if he were in Gods purpose only For so was the worlde euer with God How could he reioyce before him whan nothing was yet made as Salomon teacheth if he were than but in hys purpose Nether could this be truly sayed before AbrahaÌ„ was I am if he wer in the beginning but onely in Goddes purpose for so was AbrahaÌ„ euer in gods purpose For God beginneth not newe counsels and purposes But his purposes are eternal altogether he nedeth not time to deuise purpose one thing after another which is mans weaknesse For he seeth all that he wil dooe at once with one sight whiche if we coulde doe we would not take one counsell after another But oure weaknesse compelleth vs so to doe whiche is farre from God and therefore all his purposes be in him together at once But sith his sonne was in him before Abraham it muste nedes be that he was otherwise in him than in purpose And in dede he that is euer in substaÌ„ce and beeinge maye well be saied to bee before him that was onely euer in purpose and not in substance and verie beeing Thus thys heresye also laieth flatte vpon the grounde with out life or breathing This was in the beginninge with GOD. The Grekes haue a prouerbe that the thing that is faire and goodly maye bee repeted once or twise Saincte Iohn repeteth the verye thinge that he spake before And thys he dooeth not superfluouslie but vpon greate purpose For he will depelie printe in to vs that GODDES woorde is eternall withoute beginninge and no creature As if he would say thinke not that this fell from me inconsideratly whan I saied the worde was in the beginninge and saied not that it was made For that you may be assured for euer of my meaning and of the trueth of the matter I saye to you againe that the worde was in the beginning and had his beyng before any thing was made That the word I say was eternallye with God and is no creature For it was euer with God and had euer his beeing This is the diligence of our holy writers that whan a thing is of great weight and importance thei will beate it in twise that it maye sticke the faster Althinges he hath shewed vs the substance essence and being of the lorde Iesus nowe he teacheth vs to know hiÌ„ by his workes For he sayth that al thinges ware made by him And if all things wer made by him thaÌ„ he must nedes be god For God himself saieth in the .44 of Esay I am Iehoua the maker of al thinges I only extende the heauens and stretche forth the earth by my self But the Prophete Dauid saieth that the heaueÌ„s wer made and stablished by Goddes worde and this place testifieth that all thynges were made by it so Goddes worde must nedes be God forasmuche as God made al thinges alone by himselfe and yet by his worde Here we must beware of sondrye corrupters of the scripture For some peuishly and dronkenlye affirme that S. Iohn speaketh of God the father when he saith that al thinges were made by him beecause the Greke pronowne is indifferent to be interpreted by it or by hiÌ„ the word logos being the masculine geÌ„der But how werishe a thing were this howe farre beside the purpose if going about to teache what we shold thinke of gods sonne and of his nature he should write thus Goddes soÌ„ne was in the beginning with God and was God he was in the beginning with God and all thinges were made by him that is to saye by God the father what were this to his purpose which is to shewe vs what Goddes soÌ„ne is if he should tell vs that God the father

made al thinges But. S. Paule shal make these dreamers to blushe and defeate theÌ„ of there miserable shifte to the sighte of very childreÌ„ For to the colossiaÌ„s he writeth thus geuinge thankes to the father who hath made vs mete to be partakers of the lott of the sainctes in lighte who hath deliuered vs oute of the power of darknes and remoued vs into the kingdome of his beloued sonne by whoÌ„ we haue redempcion thorowe his blood remission of sinnes which is the image of the inuisible God the first begotten of euery creature For in hym or by him wer all thinges made thinges in heauen and thinges in earth Therfore saieth saincte Paule he is the first begotten of all creatures because all thinges were made by him These wordes can not bee wrested but that they shall teache that all things were made by the diuine nature of the Lorde Iesus and so they shall serue to shewe plainly S. Iohns meaning beside that the threed of his purpose leadeth vs there vnto The Arrians as falsly but more subtillye saie that God made all thinges yb the woorde in dede but that he made theÌ„ by it as by an instrumente and minister But they see not that so they blaspheme both God the father and his sonne If God coulde not make the worlde but by an instrumente and minister his power is pinched and cutte shorte And if the worde were but an instrumente onely and minister of anothers will the glory therof is greatly diminished We say therfore that God the father made the world by his word working equally together with him The good fathers haue laboured to teache vs this matter by similitudes as heate say they worketh together wyth the fier and odour with a flower Howbeit they confesse that no similitude taken out of thinges create canne sufficientlie expresse the thinge But thoughe no earthly thing canne expresse the matter of the thinge we are sure namelye that the father worketh together equallie with the sonne and the sonne equallye with the father and that GOD vsed no mynyster in makynge of the world For our Lorde sayeth my father hetherto worketh and I worke whatsoeuer he dooeth that dooeth the sonne like wise And that God vsed no instrument or minister in making thinges he himselfe teacheth in Esaye as I haue shewed you by these words any Ieuadi I alone extende the heauens c. and MEITTI of my selfe or by my selfe Thus whan we say God made all thinges we exclud not the sonne and whan we say al thiÌ„gs wer made by the sonne we exclude not the father and the holy gost but meane that they wroughte and euer worke equally together And where the Arrians bid vs marke that whan the scriptures speake of the sonne in making and working thei vse this worde by whom and not of whom we answere that the scriptures speaking of the fathers woorkinge vse also this worde by whom God is faythfull saieth S. Paul by whom you are called to the felowship of his soÌ„ne 1. Cor. 1. And to the. Ro. for of him and by him and into hym are all thinges Rom. 11. Hebru 2. To the. He. also it besemed him for whom are all thinges and by whom are al thinges c. And of whom is also applyed to the sonne as in the .4 to the Ephe. That we maye growe into hiÌ„ which is the head of whom the hole body beeing coupled and ioyned c. But some will say that S. Paul speaketh not there of making of creatures but of making of his congregacion I answer that it is no lesse worke of Gods omnipotency to make a spirituall man and a good man than to make a man yea S. Augustine saieth that it is a greater thiÌ„g And if the Lord Iesus be the aurthor of goodnes in man that is to say of that that is best in man than is he able inough to be the authour of that that is lower and requireth les power to be made So I conclude that he is the maker and worker of thinges not as an instrumente but as an author of whom and by whom thynges procede And than I propone this argumente to oure newe Arrians that that maketh things is of another nature thaÌ„ the thinges that bee made But Goddes sonne made al things so is he of another nature than the thinges which he made And if he be of another nature thaÌ„ made thinges be of he is God For whatsoeuer is not mad nor of the nature of thiÌ„gs made is God For there be no more in the worlde nor without the worlde but god and thinges made And whatsoeuer is not made and yet is is God And with oute it nothing was made that was made Thus the sentence must holy goe together For they that knytte the last part to the nexte sentence thus that was made in it was life they are faine to vse a newe figure of speche and in dede to corrupte the scripture saying that in it was life is asmuche to say as it liueth in it But to liue in Goddes worde and to be life in Gods worde will not so easely be made alone And as for the repeticion of the same woordes it is no rare thing in Hebrewe writers To our purpose whan S. Iohn saieth that nothing was made withoute it he saieth the very same thing that he saied whan he said that al thinges were made by it and yet he doeth nothinge vainly but thys repeticion in other woordes is very necessarie and verye profitable for vs and geueth vs a stronge weapon againste al cauillacions For in commun speche thys worde all comprehendeth not alwaies euery thing particularlye Whan Saincte Luke saith they were al filled with anger in the sinagoge of Nazareth he meaneth not euerye one none except For some loued and fauoured hiÌ„ in that companye Saincte Iohn than hath done diligentlye and wiselye and happelye for vs that he was not contente onelye to saye all thynges were made by it namelye the woorde but with a repiticion to vtter the matter againe with suche woordes as leaue no maner of coloure to wranglers Nether woulde he vse the worde OVDEN whiche signifieth nothinge but speake more straightlye in my opinion saying OVDEHEN neither one thynge as if he woulde say not so muche as any one thing thoughe it be neuer so litle The like diligence and wisdome was in S. Paule speakinge of the same matter For he thought it not inough to saye all thiÌ„gs wer made by the lord but coÌ„meth afterwarde exquisitely and almost scrupulously to diuisioÌ„s and patticulary tees saying whether they be thynges in erth or thinges in heauen and so forth Now than heare my reason If nothinge were made without him than he himself was not made onles you wyll raue and saye that he is nothynge or that he made hiÌ„selfe sith he is some thyng But he that made all thinges cannot be nothiÌ„g neyther coulde he make himselfe before he was And he that is already is not to

be made It is playne than that he was neuer made And if he wer neuer made but did make all thynges than is he certaynlye God But let the Arrians goe a whyle and lette vs consider another thinge in these wordes If al thinges were made by hym than all thinges are in hys power Wherof than shoulde we be afraide while we maiÌ„taine his cause and labor to serue hiÌ„ For no tiranne no creature in the world can hurte vs nor once moue agaynst vs otherwyse than pleaseth hym For they are all his he made theÌ„ and therfore they are al vnder hys power Let vs than cast awaye al feare and be of good courage rage the worlde neuer so muche For all thynges muste stoupe to hym and fall downe flatte before hym that made them who hath loued vs and made vs hys brethren and bought vs to be gods peculiar people wyth the price of his most holy blood To hym therfore geue all honor glory and prayse Amen â§ The thirde readynge SAinct Iohn as it were with Aegels winges mounting farre aboue the earth and farre aboue the heaueÌ„s to admitted into the most secrete closette of the diuine maiestie seÌ„deth forth from thence such lightninges and thonderinges as beate downe confounde consume and vtterly wast away all the forces imaginations and deuises of maÌ„s carnal witte and yet lighteÌ„ make cleare and comfort the vnderstandynge of the Godly being reformed by Gods sprite For first he soundeth from heaueÌ„ that God hath a worde signifyinge the diuine nature of the lord Iesus And here forthwith Arrius setteth vp his hornes and because he cannot frame his witte according to the worde he goeth about to frame the worde according to his witte as the men of Lesbos had squires rules of leade and whan they coulde not make their hard stones agree to their squiers they woulde stretche oute their squiers and make them agree to the stones I graunt saieth Arrius that God hath a worde that is of moste excellente nature but this worde God made and there was a time whan the worde was not AgaiÌ„st this deuise of mans peuishe head S. Iohn thondreth and lightneth declaring that the worde was in the beginning Now of a beginning ther is no beginning for that were not a beginning indede that had a beginning But lest any shold say that a beginninge soÌ„etimes signifieth order and not excluding of time as whaÌ„ Moses saith in the beginning God made heauen and earth c. there lieth another thonderbolte in the worde was for thereby is signified that the worde had his being in the beginning and was neuer made Sabellius than and the patripassians steppe foorth and they sai that the word was in the beginning in dede and had euer his being For there is no maner of difference or distinction betwene God the father and the worde But. S. Iohn coÌ„sumeth these heretikes with the lightniÌ„g of this sentence and the worde was with God Paulus Samosatenus thinketh to perce the heauens and is lifted vp aboue the cloudes with the winges of pride saieth that the worde signifieth goddes purpose only to doe thinges without ani subsistiÌ„g abidiÌ„g nature But. S Iohn with this shotte driueth him down vnto hel whan he saieth the worde was god For a bare purpose hauing no substance caÌ„not be god ne said to be god ThaÌ„ our most diuine euangelist that al the world may lerne the diuinite of the word by his works saith that al things wer made by the word Here the ArriaÌ„s swete vexe torment theÌ„ selues wrigling in and out and at the last they breake forth into open blasphemye and saye that God made the worlde by the worde as by an instrument But. S. Iohn vttering the same senteÌ„ce againe with other wordes namely with these and without it was made nothing stoppeth their breath For if God made the worlde by an instrument and wythout the worde nothing was made than the instrument was not made without it if the instrument wer any thing And so he was not made without himselfe But he could not helpe to make himselfe before he was And he that is already hath no nede to be made But S. Iohn leaueth them not so but still hurleth fierie flashes against their faces For with greate grace and power he saieth in it was lyfe From whom procedeth life but froÌ„ the true God onely of whom it is notablye and siÌ„gularly saied with the is the veine of life And againe in him we liue moue and haue our beeing We may than well make these reasoÌ„s if Gods sonne being naturallye life geueth life to all thinges by participacyon of him selfe he is another thaÌ„ the thiÌ„ges that liue by his presence And he that is another thing naturally than a creature how is not he God Againe if the sonne be a creature how quickneth he al thiÌ„gs and how doeth S. Paule assigne that to God as properly peculiarly pertainiÌ„g vnto him whan he saieth to Timothe I charge the in the sight of God who quikneth all thinges If the soÌ„ne be a creature and geueth life to all thinges then a creature geueth life to it selfe And so there shall no principall and peculiar thing be in God aboue a creature A creature also shall haue no nede of God for life sith it geueth it selfe life But a creature euer hath nede of the creator so the sonne is not a creature sith he is life by himselfe Nothing is partaker of it selfe all thiÌ„ges be partakers of the sonne as of their life so is the sonne no creature Now let vs returne to our texte In it was life saieth S. Ihon. For not onely all thinges were made by Goddes woorde of nothing but also all thinges are preserued in their state by Goddes woorde that thei turne not to nothinge againe For vndoubtedly al thinges shuld decaie turne againe to their first nothinge if goddes sonne did not inspire in to theÌ„ life vigor force of coÌ„tinuance And this parte of goddes worcke where by al thinges coÌ„tinue in their state is no lesse to be woÌ„dred at than the makinge of thinges For where as al thinges made hauinge a beginniÌ„ge teÌ„de to an ende by arte conninge he hath giueÌ„ theÌ„ a certaine immortalitee perpetual continuaÌ„ce For he hath putte in to thinges such life vigor force of engeÌ„dringe that by successioÌ„ thinges that seme to be of a verie shorte coÌ„tinuaÌ„ce haue coÌ„tinued manie thousande yeres and shal coÌ„tinue to the ende that he hath appointed In the contemplation of this power of goddes sonne it is more coÌ„uenient and more profitable for vs to tarie longe to be fixed than in the conteÌ„plation of his diuine substance essence beinge which thorough the excedinge brightnes of it daseleth our weake eyes is indede vnto our measured wittes incoÌ„preheÌ„sible and therefore rather to be huÌ„bly worshipped thaÌ„ curiously sought out And the life was the light of meÌ„ This senteÌ„ce is soÌ„drie wife expouÌ„ned For some

now greately blemished darckned yet the sparckes remaininge suffice to shew so much vnto vs of goddes soÌ„ne as maie iustly coÌ„deÌ„ne vs of wilful ignoraÌ„ce The beames of his glorie euer shined in dede yet do shine euerie where to the sight of al meÌ„ maÌ„ was so first made by him as he might perfectly see theÌ„ But he fondly folowinge SataÌ„s aduise wold see more thaÌ„ was coÌ„uenieÌ„t so lost the sight that he had or at the lest so blurred marred it that where before his eyes perced in to the glorie of Goddes maiestie cold wel abide the brightnes there of now thei be so bluÌ„t that thei can not entre so weake that thei ar streight waie daseld and blinded with so great glisteringe light Yet it hath pleased God to helpe this weaknes other waies thaÌ„ by the sight of his wondreful worckes but most cheifely clearely perfectly by clothinge his sonne with maÌ„nes nature which thinge our EuaÌ„geliste teacheth with like compeÌ„diousnes shortnes of wordes saiynge the worde became flesh The heatheÌ„ sette forth the meruailous conninge of Vergil in coÌ„peÌ„dious shorte speakinge whan he saide that Aeneas passed by the fildes where Troie was For with one worde saie thei he swalowed vp so manie houses teÌ„ples towers huge buildinges walles and left not so much as the ruines rubbish But if we wel coÌ„sidre the matter we shal se that our Euangeliste hath compreheÌ„ded more thiÌ„ges makiÌ„ge to the purpose with as few wordes For by these few wordes the worde became flesh he teacheth that Goddes natural sonne so ioigned vnto him maÌ„nes nature that of two natures one person was made which thiÌ„ge cold not haue ben vttered with other wordes so shortely so pithely to the purpose For if he had saied that Goddes sonne ioigned vnto him maÌ„nes nature it had ben truly spokeÌ„ in dede but it had not so wel expressed the vnitee of person For an husbande ioigneth vnto him a wife yet thei grow not in to one person after such sorte as the soule the bodie make one person in a man For the soule is not one person the bodie another person but they both make one person namely a man But an husbaÌ„de not witstandinge his ioigninge of a wife vnto him remaineth one person the wife another person they be two persons not one Therefore the worde ioigninge shuld not haue so fully expressed the matter For this ioigninge is a special singular ioigniÌ„ge For Goddes nature is so ioigned to maÌ„nes that one persoÌ„ is made of bothe namely one Christ as of the bodie and the soule one maÌ„ is made And this is verie necessarie for vs to know For if we imagine the lordes maÌ„hod a nature a parte his Godhead a nature a parte with out such a singular coÌ„iunction vnion that of both natures one person is made as the haeretike Nestorius did thaÌ„ the lorde Iesus cold not be a mete mediator betweÌ„ God vs nor make a sufficieÌ„t satisfaction redemption for the sinnes of the worlde For a mediator betwene God maÌ„ must be partaker of both natures And a sufficieÌ„t redemer of al the worlde he can not be that is a maÌ„ only For how caÌ„ a maÌ„ satisfie the infinite iustice of God ouercoÌ„me SataÌ„ hel death and giue life Therefore the holie scripture teacheth that the lorde Iesus was not theophoros as Nestorius dreamed a maÌ„ in whoÌ„ god was whom Gud assisted with whom God was preseÌ„t for God is also in vs but in him the godhead was so knitte vnited to his maÌ„hod as those twaine made one person And so it is wel truly saide that God purchased his coÌ„gregation with his blood and that the lorde of glorie that is to saie God was crucified not that he suffred in his diuine nature but bycause those two natures ioigned vnspeakably together make one persoÌ„ therefore that the one nature did and suffred is attributed to thother some times to bothe together that pertaiÌ„eth to one only Which colde not be if thei were two sondrie persons As if the soule were a person alone by it selfe the bodie a person alone by it selfe the soule shuld not so be saide to do or suffre that the bodie did ot suffred nor the bodie that the soule did de or suffred nor the hole man that one parte only did or suffred which thinges yet we now admitte bicause of the vnitee of the person We must know than this vnitee of person in the lorde Iesus God man which the EuaÌ„gelist meruailously teacheth in these wordes But where he saieth the worde became flesh he meaneth that the worde abode stil though it became flesh that the worde I saie was not chauÌ„ged turned altered from his awn nature in to flesh For some auoidinge Nestorius haeresie who made two persons in Christ fled the smoke raÌ„ne iÌ„ to the fier For ether thei turned the diuine nature in to mannes nature or maÌ„nes nature in to the diuine or so confused and meÌ„gled the two natures together that nether nature remained perfectly as whan wine water ar meÌ„gled to gether there remaineth nether perfectte wine nor perfectte water In our time also some Anabaptistes haue taught that the diuine nature was turned in to flesh for a time became felcable and that now the lordes flesh is turned in to his diuine nature againe and is no more flesh Which dreame is to to sonde For it implieth a plaine impossibilitee For it is as impossible for goddes nature to be altered chaunged as it is impossible for it to cease to be Goddes nature For what so euer maie be altered and chaunged hath an imperfection in it is subiecte to passioÌ„s But Goddes nature hath no imperfectioÌ„ nor is subiecte to passioÌ„s for that were not to be God so his nature caÌ„ not be chauÌ„ged We must therefore so coÌ„fesse beleue the ioigninge to gether vnitinge of two natures in Christ that we meÌ„gle theÌ„ not together nor turne th one in to the other but that eche remaine stil in his awne propre nature The Godhead is not the maÌ„hod nor the maÌ„hod the Godhead The Godhead is a nature by it selfe the maÌ„hod a nature by it selfe of those two natures ona Christ consisteth This vnitinge together of two natures Cyrille laboureth to teach weake vnderstaÌ„dinges by a similitude though similitudes in this behalfe haue some imperfection These be his wordes Esaie the prophete saieth one of the Seraphins was sent vnto me he had a coale in his hande which he toke from the altar he saide beholde I haue touched thy lippes with this it shal purge thine iniquitee We saye that the fiere coale giueÌ„th vnto vs a figure and image of the worde made maÌ„ Which if it shal touch our lippes that is to saie if thorough faith we shal coÌ„fesse it it maketh vs pure from al sinne

But as it were in an image we maie beholde in the coale God the worde vnited to mannes nature yet that he hath not cast awai that he was before but hath rather traÌ„sformed the nature which he receaued to his glorie operation For as fier fixed in the woodde percinge in to it coÌ„preheÌ„deth the wood though the wood cease not to be wood stil yet the fier sendeth his force in to it coÌ„ueieth it selfe in to it and is now thought to be one with it so vndrestaÌ„de of Christ For God beinge incompreheÌ„sibly vnited to maÌ„nes nature hath in that kepte the same that he was he remaineth stille that he was but yet beinge once vnited he is compted as it were one with maÌ„nes nature makinge that that pertained to it his awne giuinge it the operation of his nature Hitherto Cyrille He vseth also in this matter the similitude of mannes bodie and soule ioign'd together which in dede expresseth it of al other most proprely For the soule is not turned in to the bodie nor the bodie in to the soule but ech retaineth his propre nature maketh one maÌ„ AND the word In that he saieh the worde became flesh not man he sheweth how far Goddes sonne huÌ„bled and abased him selfe For the scripture calleth man flesh whan it wil signifie the pouertie vilenes and miserie of man As whan it is saide al flesh is grasse and he remembred that they were but flesh my spirite shal not euer striue in man for he is flesh But whaÌ„ the Euangelist saieth the worde became flesh we maie not imagine that Goddes sonne ioigned to his diuine nature flesh only and not mannes soule as Appollinaris thought in his trauÌ„ce that flesh and the Godhead made one person in Christ without mannes soule For he imagined that the diuinitee was in stede of a soule But so it shuld folow that the lorde Iesus was not a verie maÌ„ For flesh is not a man For the soule is the formal parte of a maÌ„ namely that whereby a man is a maÌ„ with out which a maÌ„ can not be And that the lord had a maÌ„nes soule beside his diuinitee he him selfe testifieth whaÌ„ he saieth my soule is heauie vnto the death Nether caÌ„ Apollinaris aide him selfe with this place For whaÌ„ the scripture calleth meÌ„ flesh it meaneth not that thei ar without soules For thaÌ„ thei were no meÌ„ in dede Here we must know also from whens Goddes sonne became flesh For we maie not thiÌ„cke that he brought his flesh from heaueÌ„ or made it in the aire For the holie scripture teacheth that he shulde coÌ„me of the sede of AbrahaÌ„ Dauid shuld be the fruite of his loines For such plaine wordes it vseth to assure vs of the truth of so necessarie a matter vtterly to stoppe the mouthes of dotinge meÌ„ And in the writers of the new testameÌ„t it is most plainly sette forth vnto vs that he receaued flesh out of the substaÌ„ce of the virgin Marie For. S. Mattheu hath these wordes to gar en aute gennethen that which is engendred in hir S. Paule genomenon ekgynaicos made of a womaÌ„ the Angel in S. Luke ho karpos the frute of thy wombe The frute of a tree is of the same substaÌ„ce that the tree is of That which only passeth thorough a thinge is not the frute of that thinge For water is not the frute of the coÌ„ducte pipe nor ale the frute of the spickette or of the kinderkinne Against this most manifest truth wherein the pith of our saluatioÌ„ lieth the franctike Anabaptistes briÌ„ge two priÌ„cipal reasons I wot not whether more ignoraÌ„tly or more vngodly For first thei saie that if the lorde receaued our flesh he receaued vncleane flesh But iudge you whether al the scriptures be they neuer so plaine must giue place to this their simple imagination or whether their simple imagination shuld giue place to so manie plaine scriptures But first I aske them whether God cold not make cleane our vncleane flesh or wold not If thei saie he colde nor they limitte his power ouer much If thei saie he wolde not we wil hisse them out For if God of his goodnes wolde make his sonne to die for vs he wolde of his goodnes make his flesh cleane for vs. Secondly laske them why God wold haue his sonne to be borne of a virgine not to be begotteÌ„ betwene maÌ„ and womaÌ„ after the commune course of the worlde Doeth not that teache vs that he meÌ„t to make his sonnes flesh pure holie Yea doeth not the angel so signifie in Luke whan he saieth the holie gost shal comme vpoÌ„ the the power of the highest shal ouersshadow the for which cause the holie thinge to gennomenoÌ„ that is engeÌ„dred shal be called Goddes sonne But this their reason hath no weight bicause it is oÌ„ly forged in maÌ„nes braine Thother is takeÌ„ out of the scripture For S. Paule to the Cor. writeth thus The first man was of the erth erthlie The secoÌ„de maÌ„ is the lorde from heaueÌ„ In which place S. Paules purpose is not to speake of the substaÌ„ce of our bodies or of the substance of the lordes bodie but of the qualities as the wordes folowinge declare hoios of what qualitee the erthlie was of that qualitie ar the erthlie of what qualitee the heaueÌ„lie is of that qualitee ar the heaueÌ„lie This thaÌ„ is the sense The first maÌ„ was of the erth erthlie that is subiecte to sinne corrupte affectioÌ„s which bringe death The secoÌ„de heaueÌ„lie that is ful of heaueÌ„lie qualities which thorough the power of Goddes spirite draw with them life immortalitte As we bare the image of the erthlie that is were sinful and therefore compassed with death so shal we beare the image of the heauenlie that is our spirites shal be renued to tru holines our bodies to immortalitee Wherefore whaÌ„ he saieth the seconde maÌ„ is the lorde from heaueÌ„ he meaneth not that he brought his bodie from heauen but that he is heauenly as he expouneth himselfe that is endued with heaueÌ„lie qualities Now to procede in our former purpose it shal be good to seke out the causes why Goddes sonne became flesh or as Sainct Paule speaketh why God was manifested in flesh And no man can shew vs theÌ„ more certainly than S. Paule hath don to the Hebru For there he teacheth vs that the cheife and principal cause was that by death he might destroie him that had deathes power that is Satan For Satan had power ov vs to punish vs with death bicause we were sinners And sinne cold not be purged but in the flesh of Goddes sonne If he had remained God only purgation and satisfactioÌ„ for sinne cold not haue beÌ„ made by him For the Godhead cold not suffre nor shew obedience But sith thorough disobedience sinne came in to the world it must be putte awaye thorough obedience which required mannes nature Howbeit if he had

ben man only he could not haue ouercomme death nether shuld his satisfaction haue ben sufficient for the sinnes of al the world as we touched before yea scarcely for the sinnes of one man For the maiestie of God that is offended thorough sinne is infinite And therefore he must be no lesse that shal make satisfaction to that maiestie It was than of necessitee that God shuld becomme maÌ„ Another cause was that he might be made like to his brethern sinne only excepte For as S. Paule writeth it was semelie for him for whom by whom al thinges ar whaÌ„ he wold bringe manie childreÌ„ to glorie to make the high capitaine of their saluation perfecte thorough suffringes For he that sanctifieth thei that be sanctifieed ar al of one For which cause he is not ashamed to cal them brethern saiynge I wil shew forth thy name to my brethern and againe I wil trust in him and againe lo I the childreÌ„ whom God hath giueÌ„ me Seinge than that the childreÌ„ were partakers of flesh blood he likewise became partaker of the same c. A thirde cause S. Paule reherseth that is that he might be merciful pitie the miserie of his people hauiÌ„ge felt teÌ„tations him selfe that is to saie that we might be the better persuaded and certified that he wold pitie vs knowinge that he had experieÌ„ce and felinge of our miseries griefes in himselfe For we caÌ„ not thincke that anie shuld pitie vs so wel as he that feleth or hath felt the same grife smarte that we do To returne to S. Io. in thes his wordes the worde became flesh we haue a siÌ„gular consolation in that I saie Goddes sonne hath takeÌ„ flesh of our flesh bones of our bones For so haue we a nigh affinitee familiaritee with God And so that that was ours is made Goddes and that that was Goddes is made ours And we caÌ„ not doubte but that he wil do al thiÌ„ges for vs who beinge God wold familiarly be ioigned to vs in our nature In teÌ„tations wrastlinges of coÌ„science let vs flie hereunto coÌ„sidre this great goodnes excedinge loue freÌ„dlines we shal be relieued preserued froÌ„ the baleful pit of despeare AND dwelt The greke worde escenosen is asmuch to saie as he made his tabernacle Whereby the EuaÌ„gelist signifieth that he was coÌ„uersant amonge them as a verie maÌ„ that he shewed not him selfe the twincklinge of an eye so vanished awaie but had his abode coÌ„tinued amoÌ„ge theÌ„ longe time whereby thei might haue sure certaine experience of his godlie behauior of his singular vertues and of his wondreful worckes Some thincke that by this worde is signified that the lorde Iesus had no certaine dwellinge place in this world but was faine to flitte often and remoue For so do thei that dwel in tentes tabernacles In vs Chrysostome taketh in vs for in our flesh and vnderstandeth that the humanitee of Christ was a tabernacle to the diuinitee so frameth this argumeÌ„t against the haeretikes that affirmed the worde to be turned in to flesh The word dwelt in flesh ergo the worde was not turned in to flesh and made flesh only For nothinge dwelleth in it selfe It is also true that it is taken for amonge in manie places of the scripture One shal suffice for this purpose Act. 4. There was not one nedie enautois in them that is to saie amonge them The worde escenosen he made his tente or tabernacle fauoreth some what Chrysostomes vnderstandinge AND we haue seen Now the EuaÌ„gelist briÌ„geth his awne experieÌ„e the experieÌ„ce of thother Apostles disciples which with their awne eyes saw such actes of the lorde Iesus as proued hiÌ„ to be Goddes only begotteÌ„ sonne The Latines haue a prouerbe that one eyed witnes is worth teÌ„ eared Of those thinges which we haue seen with our awne eyes we maye be faithful witnesses Thapostles bicause thei saw the thiÌ„ges theÌ„ selues which thei witnessed to the worlde ar called in the holie scripture with a meruailous elegaÌ„t worde autoptai selfe seers epoptai inseers or onbeholders WE haue seen Where the Grekes haue sondrie wordes that signifie to see the EuaÌ„gelist vseth a special one etheasametha which signifieth to beholde a thinge diligeÌ„tly leasurely We maie see thinges glaunsingly which sight is not so perfecte certaine as whaÌ„ we beholde a thinge stedfastly leasurely The Grekes haue propre wordes for both kindes of seinge The thinges that thapostles saw thei so saw as they cold not be deceaued therefore they ar called peplerophoremena fully ascertained His glorie The diuinitee of the lorde Iesus shined out of his wordes dedes at al times in al places His uertuous innoceÌ„t life his miracles his resurrection his ascension sendinge of the holie gost did speake as it were crie out that he was Goddes sonne He gaue them also a tast of his diuinitee heaueÌ„lye maiestie whaÌ„ he was most gloriously transfigured before them in the mouÌ„t But how do miracles proue the diuinitee of Christ seinge that meÌ„ haue don the like as Elias and Elizeus in the old testameÌ„t and thapostles in the new You shal vndrestaÌ„de that the lorde Iesus did miracles by his awne power which the scripture obserueth diligeÌ„tly teacheth plaiÌ„ly where meÌ„ do theÌ„ by a borowed power Of the lorde worckiÌ„ge miracles the scripture saieth I saie vnto the arise I charge the go out Of meÌ„ the lorde Iesus make the hole in the name of the lorde Iesus arise walke Man receaueth power to worcke miracles God giueth power But the scripture witnesseth that the lorde Iesus giueth also power to worcke miracles that in his awne name Whereby we easely see the differeÌ„ce of the lordes worckinge of meÌ„nes worckinge of miracles The glorie as of We behelde such glorie magnificeÌ„ce as besemeth goddes only begotteÌ„ sonne agreeth only to him The worde as some times signifieth not the thinge to be in dede but a likenes of it as whaÌ„ we saie he speaketh holily as a good maÌ„ but he is an hypocrite Some times it noteth the truth of a matter a thinge truly to be don Walke as the childreÌ„ of light saieth Paule He biddeth theÌ„ not couÌ„trefaite the childreÌ„ of light but to shew them selues the childreÌ„ of light in dede After such sorte S. IohaÌ„ vseth the worde as for he meaneth that such vertue such power as he had declared him to be verely goddes natural sonne that such thinges as he did belonge to Goddes sonne only nether can be found in anie other As if we shulde saie of the most noble holie and blessed kinge Edwarde the sixte that he behaued himselfe as a kinges sonne our meaninge shuld not be that he was not a kinges sonne but shewed him selfe as though he had ben a kinges sonne but our meaninge shuld be that he shewed him selfe none other wise than his birth required

that is none other wise than a kinges sonne shuld do To our purpose Kinges and Princes haue their glorie and their maiestie semelie for their state the Lorde Iesus had glorie semelie for Goddes sonne Â¶ THE ONLY BEGOTTEN This word auanceth the Lorde Iesus aboue al creatures and teacheth him to be Goddes natural son We ar also called Goddes sonnes but that is by adoption by fauor by grace not by natural generation By natural generation God hath one only sonne who of his goodnes mercie hath made vs partakers of that that he is by nature This word only begotten ought wel to be weighed For it teacheth the Lorde Iesus to be of the same substance that the father is of and and therefore verie God and aequal to the father For these thinges hange together folow one another For our EuaÌ„gelist teacheth in the .5 chap. that whan the lorde Iesus saied God was his father he meÌ„t patera idion his awne father that is his natural father therefore shewed him selfe aequal to God For it foloweth in dede that if God be his awne father that is to saie his father by natural generation he must nedes be aequal to God his father For in the Godhead there is nothinge greater or smaller He that is of Goddes substaÌ„ce must nedes be God And he that is God must nedes be infinite aboue al measure greatnes So to be Goddes oÌ„ly begotteÌ„ sonne God to be his awne father bothe which wordes this EuaÌ„gelist hath of the lorde Iesus ovthroweth al that maie be diuised by anie rauiÌ„ge braine against his tru natural godhead Yet the Arrians lille out theyr blasphemous tounges stil francticly allege the scriptures for them For first thei iangle that it is writteÌ„ in this gospel the father is greater thaÌ„ I. Wherevnto first I saye that one place of this gospel is not to be expouned agaiÌ„st the hole purpose of the boke which is to teach that the lorde Iesus is Goddes natural sonne aequal to God And sith the Euangelist hath this worde aequal plainly and expressely thei shew themselues mad that wold make him to encouÌ„tre agaiÌ„st himselfe SecoÌ„dly I saie that in that place the lorde Iesus compareth not his substance with the fathers substaÌ„ce but compareth his present huÌ„ble state with the glorious state that he shulde haue after his asceÌ„sion And therefore al the godlie old fathers welnigh haue taught those wordes to be spoken of his maÌ„nes nature which shuld be forth with aduauÌ„ced to immortal incorruptible glorie by the power of the father Some greke writers in dede admitte that the father is greater theÌ„ the sonne not bicause he hath greater power or that there is anie differeÌ„ce in their substaÌ„ce essence but in that he is the father and begetteth the sonne and is not begotteÌ„ of the sonne therefore he maie be saide greater The meaninge also of those wordes the father is greater than I maie be this The ende why I trauaile with you is not that you shuld staie in me and loke no farther but to bringe you to the father as to the last marcke that with me you maie see him as he is Whose glorie is more dere to me thaÌ„ is myn awne glorie therefore I seke it more thaÌ„ myne awne I thincke that I haue not accomplished myne office vntil I haue brought you to him But our ArriaÌ„s sith they be ouer the shoues sticke not blindly to presse forwarde to goe ouer the bootes to For thei ruÌ„ne to this place writteÌ„ to the Cor. chap. 15. WhaÌ„ al thinges shal be made subiecte to him thaÌ„ shal the sonne also him selfe be assubiected to him who hath assubiected al thinges to him But what if we auÌ„swere that that also is spokeÌ„ touchinge his maÌ„nes nature For the same autor S. Paule in the .2 to the Philip. teacheth that touchinge his diuine nature he thought it no robberie to be aequal with God Naie saie they for than he shuld not haue saide shal be assubiected for that nature is al readie subiecte Wil they grauÌ„t than that the lorde Iesus hath a nature that is not now subiecte to God but shal be hereafter If they wil grauÌ„t that thaÌ„ wil I saie that what so euer is not now subiecte to God in the lorde Iesus shal nev be subiecte to God For that that is once aequal to God shal euer be aequal to God How than is it saide that his maÌ„nes nature shal be assubiected if it be al readie assubiected I aunswere bicause we shal thaÌ„ know it which now we beleue only For as S. Augustine proueth in the holie scripture thinges are saide to be don whaÌ„ they beginne to be knoweÌ„ of vs. As whan we saie halowed be thy name Goddes name of it selfe is holie but we desire that it maie be so knowen to vs. For fuller vndrestandinge of that place of Sainct Paule ye shal considre that al power is giuen to Christ in that he is clothed with maÌ„nes nature For God hath exalted him in the same nature wherein he was humbled The scripture than witnesseth that Christ hath ful dominion and raigneth ouer heauen and erth God in dede is our gouernor but it is in the face of Christes maÌ„nes nature Now Christ shal surreÌ„dre the kingdom that was giuen vnto him that we maie cleaue perfectly to God Howbeit he shal not by that meanes vtterly giue vp his kingdoÌ„ where of as the scripture teacheth there is no ende but he shal as it were conueie it from his manhod to his godhead For thaÌ„ we shal haue an opeÌ„ entree free accesse to the diuine maiestie where now our weaknes wil not suffre vs to approche Christ thaÌ„ shal this waie be subiected to the father for thaÌ„ the veale shal be taken awaie the office of his mediation shal some waie cease we shal se God face to face raigniÌ„ge in his glorie without anie coueringe meane And where sainte Paule saieth that God maie be al in al some thincke he speaketh so bicause we shal haue than without anie meane manie coÌ„modities which god now ministreth vnto vs by creatures For mainteinaÌ„ce of our life we shal than haue no nede of bread drincke c. nether for aedifyinge shal we haue nede of the sacramentes of the church nor the outwarde worde of the scripture nor ecclesiastical offices For God by him selue shal be al in al. Other teache the meaniÌ„ge of those wordes to be that the flesh shal couet no more against the spirite but God shal possesse euerie parte of vs and reigne in vs fully and perfectly which thinge in this life is only begonne Here I wil leaue the Arrians stickinge in the mire wil returne to S. IohaÌ„ FVL of grace and veritee Bicause that afterwarde he setteth grace veritee against the law there be that thinke that his meaninge is here that the Apostles acknowleged him to be Goddes sonne by this that he

accomplisshed al thinges that pertaine to Goddes spiritual kingdome bringinge perfecte forgiuenes of sinnes perfirminge indede al that was shadowed and figured in Moses law Other teache that ful of grace and veritee is as much to saie as most amiable and ful of true vertues And they verie lernedly shew how these two wordes chen and aemeth ar takeÌ„ in the scripture Chen which worde to vs soundeth grace is taken for fauor as whaÌ„ Abraham saieth to God im mat sathi chen if I haue found grace in thy sight it is asmuch to saie as if thou fauor loue me And Salomon saieth shaeker hachen that is grace is deceaueable whereby he meaneth amiablenes what so euer winneth vs fauor in meÌ„nes eyes Aemeth signifieth some times sincerite vnfainednes some times large bountefulnes liberalitee some times certaintie surenes firme coÌ„stant abidinge In the first significatioÌ„ that is for simple sincere vncoÌ„trefaite dealinge kinge Ezechias vseth it in the 36. of Esaie RemeÌ„bre lord that I haue walked before the be aemeth in truth in a perfecte herte In the secoÌ„de significatioÌ„ we haue it in Genesis if it please you to shew bouÌ„tifulnes truth towardes my master In the third Ezechias vseth it againe The lordes word is good only lette there be peace truth in my daies By truth he vndrestaÌ„deth a firme assured state of the kingdoÌ„ And this much for this time Giue god the praise Â¶ The Sixte READINGE THe EuaÌ„gelist hauiÌ„ge breifely sobrely spokeÌ„ of the Godhead of the lorde Iesus as the excedinge highnes incompreheÌ„sible maiestie of the matter required made meÌ„tion forth with of Iohan Baptiste the most notable man in dede for singular holines and so than taken also that euer was in that nation where yet had beÌ„ soundrie so plentiously furnished with Goddes spirite as in al the worlde the like were neuer seeÌ„ This most excelleÌ„t man Iohan Baptiste the Euangelist brought in as a witnes of the true light of the fouÌ„taine of al light of that light that lightneth al meÌ„ ether with general light whereby the reprobate know there is a God to their iust damnation or with special light whereby the chosen know God more fully and perfectly to their iustification and saluation This tru and aeternal light that shineth of it selfe and boroweth not of other is the lord Iesus to whom the Euangelist sheweth vs that the woÌ„dre of the world Io. Baptist a verie phenix amoÌ„ge meÌ„ reÌ„dred notable witnesse But what his witnes was and with what wordes vttered he hath not heretofore tolde vs but in the wordes that folow repetinge his purpose left for a while he teacheth vs fully And the summe and meaninge of the wordes which he now setteth forth is this that the lorde Iessus though he iogned vnto him mannes nature in time yet he is aeternal before al time without beginninge and the verie autor maker prince of al meÌ„ high and low and the true fouÌ„taine of al goodnes righteousnes and holines and of al the benefites and graces that at anie time haue ben giuen to meÌ„ sithens the beginninge of the world or shal be giuen hereafter to the ende of the world Finally that he is of Goddes most priuie couÌ„sel and that al the knowlege of God that euer anie maÌ„ had what so euer that man was proceded was deriued from him This is the summe of the testimonie of Io. Bap. and these be the wordes of the Euangelist declaringe first the maner of Io. witnessinge which foloweth streight after Ioanne witnesseth Io. was vndoubtedly by the confession of al men eueÌ„ of his aduersaries a man of rare vprightnes of life of excedinge great grauitee and maÌ„lie coÌ„stantie so for from flatterie meÌ„ pleasinge that nether honor and courtely pleasauÌ„t intertainemeÌ„t nor the face of a cruel tyraunt nor most painful emprisonmeÌ„t nor the presence of horrible death cold moue him to forbeare to speake the truth at al times The testimonie therefore of such a maÌ„ ought wel to be herkeÌ„ned vnto to haue singular force and most certaine credite amonge vs. Witnesseth Io. office was not only to propoune sette forth to the hearinge of meÌ„ the diuinitee of Godes sonne but also to testifie the same to affirme it by legitime lawful testimonie beinge duly called to the office of a witnes Chrysosto notheth that the Euangelist vseth a verbe of the present time and thincketh that thereby he teacheth that Io. witnes hath coÌ„tinual force and shuld moue vs no lesse now thaÌ„ whaÌ„ it was first vttered And cried This worde aunciant writters do wel note And partly they teach that thereby an allusion is made and a regarde had to the wordes of the prophete Esaie the voice of one criynge in the wildernes â–ª partly thei saie that thereby is sett forth the plaine maÌ„lie bolde behauior of Io. in witnessinge the truth For he vttered not the matter with a soft faint tremblinge waueringe darcke and doubteful voice that few might heare it and vnderstande it but he cried with an assured minde with great confidence and boldnes with an ernest Zeale desiringe that his voice might clearely sounde to the eares of al men Such shuld al the witnesses of goddes truth be no whisperers no dreaners no faint darcke speakers but criers For this cause also it is necessarie for Goddes ministers to crie bicause meÌ„ be not only dul slow but for the most parte deafe to heare the truth This is he Other prophetes painted forth spake a sore haÌ„d of one that shuld be the kinge saueor of Goddes people but none cold point him forth as it were with the finger saie this is he let not your mindes be caried hither and thither muse no more doubte no more where he is or who he is by whom ye shal obteine a quiet and blisful state for here he is and this is verie he In this point IohaÌ„ Baptist excelleth al other prophetes that were before him For our mindes ar not staied and quieted in the name of a saueor vntil we know certaiÌ„ly who it is Of whom I spake Hereby we vndrestande that Iohan had before made manie sermons of the Lorde Iesus and that the ende of al his preachinge was to bringe men to him And this shuld be the ende of the preachinge and teachinge of al other He that coÌ„meth after me In these wordes he teacheth vs the aeternitee of the lorde Iesus his diuine nature god head For he saieth he that came after me was before me But touchinge the humanitee of the lord Iesus he was not before IohaÌ„ but after him Touchinge also the office of preachinge IohaÌ„ was before the lord Iesus Howbeit touchinge his diuine nature it is truly said that the lord Iesus was before IohaÌ„ For IohaÌ„ was not in the beginninge with God Goddes worde Goddes brightnes Goddes sonne verie God Touchinge this nature the lorde him selfe saieth before

Abraham was I am Was before me The old latine traÌ„slatioÌ„ out of the greke had factus est was made before me which caused much superfluous talke amoÌ„ge meÌ„ vaine tormeÌ„tinge of wittes how the lord cold be said to be made before IohaÌ„ For his maÌ„nes nature was not made before Io. And his diuine nature was neuer made The ambiguitee doubtful significatioÌ„ of the word deceaued both the interpreter them For genesthai signifieth to be made also to be And in the later significatioÌ„ it is vsed in this verie chap. egene to anthropos c. there was a maÌ„ sent For we caÌ„ not saie there was a maÌ„ made sent Was before In matters of religion we haue great regarde what meÌ„ before vs haue thought Wherein this is our faute that we extende not our sight far inough For we loke to them in dede that were befote vs but we loke not to him that was before them that were before vs yea that was before al. S. Cyprian reprouinge this shortnes of our sight saieth that we ought not to loke what meÌ„ before vs thought good to do but what he did that is before al. It shal be good therefore for vs to know what religion the lorde Iesus taught commended who was before our holie bisshoppes 15. huÌ„dred yeres For he was my first The worde for rendreth a cause why a thinge is don Io Bap. thaÌ„ sheweth a reason why he saide that the lord Iesus was before him bicause saieth he he was my first that is to saie my prince my head my autor my maker And that in dede proueth sufficieÌ„tly that he was before him The latine translation hath quia prior me erat bicause he was before me But than it shuld haue ben accordinge to the grammatical rules of speech in the comparatiue degree not protos mou in the positiue More ouer Io. shuld so seme to proue the same by the same which we vse not to doe Of his fulnes Here we haue the fouÌ„taine hedspringe of al the graces giftes that euer anie maÌ„ hath had heretofore were he nev so good holie or shal haue hereafter Out of this wel of liuinge waters which neuer faileth is neuer dried vp or draweÌ„ out al the saintes prophetes from the beginninge drue al the knowlege goodnes holines al the spiritual motioÌ„s vertues excelleÌ„t qualities that euer thei had theÌ„selues or stirred vp in other Out of the same welle floweth vnto vs shal flowe hereafter vnto the ende of the world what so euer is good and vertuous what so euer pertaineth to the attainment of true felicitee and of a blisful life For he hath not only these thinges but is ful of them For as S Paule writeth to the Col. in him dwelleth al the fulnes of the Godhead somaticos bodily that is to saie substaÌ„tially not in image not in shadow but in bodie in substaÌ„ce in dede We lerne thaÌ„ by this senteÌ„ce of Io. Bap. that no knowlege no goodnes no holines no maner of vertue is to be sought anie where saue in the lorde Iesus And more ouer that we nede not feare left we shal want anie spiritual thiÌ„ge if we resorte to him seinge that he hath the fulnes of the spirite Lastly that al meÌ„ what so euer thei be ar voide of grace and godlines by nature sith al receaue out of the fulnes of Goddes sonne We al saieth Io. Bap. nombriÌ„ge him selfe amoÌ„ge the rest And if Io. Bap. receaued his holines out of the fulnes of the lord Iesus gotte it not by his natural streÌ„ghth godlie preparatioÌ„s as the great idoles meÌ„ vainly iaÌ„gle I maie boldly pronounce that neuer anie man had or caÌ„ haue anie true vertue holines but by the gift of the lord Ies that nothiÌ„ge maie be lest to anie where of to bost For if thei haue receaued out of the fulnes of another why shuld they bost as though thei had not borowed al of another but had possessed some what of theÌ„selues Wherefore these wordes of Io. Bap. beate doune what so euer idle heades haue builded raised vp to aduaÌ„ce maÌ„nes streÌ„ghth maÌ„nes merites And here we maie not passe ouer that this place also proueth the Lord Iesus to be verie god For who is the fouÌ„taine of al knowlege goodnes holines spiritual graces in al ages in al meÌ„ but God only But as we must know hereby that he is God so we must know that he possesseth not these thinges to this ende that he maie haue no maner of want but to sende them forth to the vse of meÌ„ For he kepeth not his treasures to him selfe enuiously or niggeshly but ioieth to distribute them and to sende them abrode Nether is he a merchaunt maÌ„ to make sale of them but giueth them frely as we ar taught in Esaie O al ye that thirst coÌ„me to the waters euen he that hath no monei comme bye for no moneie for no price wine milke To buyie for no moneie is a verie easie buyinge yea it is no buyinge but a free receauinge Sith thaÌ„ the lorde Iesus possesseth the fulnes of al spititual riches possesseth the same not to himselfe only but also to our vse more ouer calleth vs frely to enioie his goodes my counsel shal be that you resorte not for aide coÌ„forte and purchasinge of Goddes grace to Marie or IohaÌ„ to Petre or to Paule but to him who possesseth al good thinges not by borowinge but by nature not in parte but fully not to his awne vse only but to the vse of meÌ„ in this world cheifely proprely of Goddes chosen For he hath also manie good thinges which he giueth eueÌ„ to the reprobate as beautie strenghth of bodie eloqueÌ„ce knowlege of liberal scieÌ„ces wordlie riches c. But he hath certaine special iuels which he giueth only to his chosen namely tru faith true righteousnes holines true ioifulnes patieÌ„ce constaÌ„tie in afflictions true peace quietnes of conscieÌ„ce Grace for grace This sentence is sondrie wise expouned I wil first shew you S. Augustines minde These be his wordes vpon this place ThaÌ„ brethern al we haue receaued out of his fulnes out of the fulnes of his mercie haue we receaued what RemissioÌ„ of sinnes that we might be iustified by faith And what more ouer Grace for grace that is to wit for this grace whereby we liue of faith we shal receaue another grace namely euerlastinge life But what els is it saue grace For if I shal saie that this is due to me I assigne some what to my selfe as to whom it is due But God crouneth the giftes of his mercie in vs. Thus ye see S. Augustines meaninge to wit that al Goddes good giftes and in the ende euerlastinge life is not a recompeÌ„se of our merites but commeth of the free liberalitee of God bicause it pleaseth him so to rewarde his former graces to croune

holines and true righteousnes and what so euer maie make vs amiable and acceptable in Goddes sight that we maie glorie in no maner of thinge saue in the lord Iesus alone our only sanctifier iustifier saueor redemptor and what so euer our nede requireth that he shulde be vnto vs. For what was impossible for the law to do in that it was weake thorow the flesh God hath perfirmed hauinge sent his soÌ„ne in the likenes of sinful flesh by sinne that is to saie by a sacrifice for sinne hath condemned sinne in the flesh This sonne of God is made vnto vs wisedome righteousnes sanctification and redeÌ„ption This sonne of God hath raunsomed vs from the curse of the law This sonne of god is the ende of the law to iustifie al that beleue This sonne of God had giuen vs the spirite of adoption the spirite of Goddes childreÌ„ the spirite of fredom the spirite of alacritee good courage These thinges Io. Baptiste teacheth and so quaileth the Iueis vaine gloriynge in Moses their vaine gloriynge in their awne holines and righteousnes to the high aduancemeÌ„t of him to whom al glorie is due euen Iesus Christ our only lorde saueor No man hath seen God c. Now to confirme the thinge that he had signified touchinge Moses namely that he must sitte far beneth the lorde Iesus in this senteÌ„ce he giueth vs to vndrestaÌ„de that the verie knowlege of Goddes wil of the law that Moses had he receaued it from Goddes sonne For nether Moses nor anie other maÌ„ cold attaine to anie certaine knowlege of Goddes wil or shal euer attaine hereafter but by the reuelation of him that is in Goddes bosome So Moses whose passinge great knowlege they bosted so much was but the lord Iesus his scolar and therefore of dutie must giue place to his master The Iues Indede had euer in their mouthes that Moses had seen God and spoken with him mouth to mouth so that god had no secrete that he had not opened vnto him But the truth is that no mortal man can attaine to a ful knowlege of Goddes infinite maiestie and see his face as it is For whan Moses desired to see Goddes glorie and maiestie aunswer was made vnto him thou caÌ„st not see my face for man shal not see me and liue Wherefore whan the scripture sayeth that Iacob saw God face to face and that Moses talked with him mouth to mouth the meaninge is that God opened him selfe more plainly talked with them more familiarly than with other men How beyt they saw not his awne verie face that is thei attayned not to a ful knowlege of the diuinitee For as Tertullian lernedly writeth mannes minde can not comprehende the thinges that be in God For God is greater than mannes minde nether can it be thought how great he is For if God cold be comprehended by thought than he shuld be lesse than mannes minde whereby he might be conceaued He is greater also than al speech nether can he be vttered with wordes For if he cold be vttered with wordes thaÌ„ he shuld be lesse then mannes speech whereby he might be compassed But what so euer shal be thought of him shal be lesse thaÌ„ he what soev shal be spokeÌ„ of hiÌ„ shal be lesse thaÌ„ that that is aboute him For if thou shalt calle hiÌ„ light thou shalt name a creature of his not expresse hiÌ„ If thou shalt calle hiÌ„ vtue thou shalt speake of his power and not vtter him If thou shalt calle him maiestie that shalt describe his honor and not himselfe Breifely what so euer thou shalt saie of him thou shalt rather declare a thinge of his than him selfe For what canst thou worthely speake or thincke of him who is greater than al wordes al vndrestaÌ„dinge sainge that one waie we maie coÌ„prehende in minde what God is if we shal thiÌ„cke him to be that that caÌ„ not coÌ„me in to maÌ„nes uÌ„drestaÌ„dinge or thought what maner a thinge and how great it is For as our eye sight is dulled in be holdinge the soume nether caÌ„ abide the glisteringe brightnes of the sunne beames so our minde suffreth the like thiÌ„ge in thinckinge of God and the more it is bent to considre God so much the more it is dafeld blinded with light For what can we thinke worthely of hiÌ„ that is higher than al highnes deper thaÌ„ al depenes lighter thaÌ„ al light brighter than al brightnes stronger than al strenght fairer than al fairenes truer than al truth greater than al greatnes richer thaÌ„ al riches wiser than al wisdome better than al goodnes iuster than al iustice more merciful than al mercie so that it maie be truly said that God is such a thinge as where vnto nothinge can be compared For he is aboue al that can be spoken or thought And therefore whan Moses was admitted to a singular sight of the diuine maiestie God saide vnto hiÌ„ thou shalt see my hinder partes my face thou shalt not see The sight of Goddes backe was a great knowlege surely of the diuinitee but not a ful knoulege so that it might be saide that he saw Goddes verie face And yet that knowlege also which he had of God he had by the instruction reuelation of Goddes sonne For God inhabiteth light that no maÌ„ caÌ„ approche vnto Goddes soÌ„ne oÌ„ly knoweth the father he oÌ„ly giueth al the knowlege of the father that euer anie maÌ„ had or shal haue For he only is of the fathers priuie couÌ„sel he only is admitted in to his bosome GOD The greke word theos which S. Iohan vseth is made of thee in to ruÌ„ne as Plato teacheth bicause the rude old meÌ„ seinge the ouer bodies so fast to moue thought that God ranne in theÌ„ therefore called god a ruÌ„ner We maie thincke that he is called a ruÌ„ner bicause he is spedely preseÌ„t to helpe in al nede Other deriue the word out of deos feare bicause he is most to be feared reuereÌ„ced The latines cal God deuÌ„ as it semeth of the greke word theos or deos or as some thiÌ„cke a daÌ„do of giuiÌ„ge or quod nihil illi desit bicause he waÌ„teth nothinge But though the names that the heatheÌ„ vsed whereby to signifie the supreme aeternal miÌ„de be verie good takeÌ„ out of some proprietes effectes that thei vndrestode in god yet it shal be most fruteful coÌ„fortable for vs to know what name the godlie haue vsed goddes spirite hath vttered in the holie scripture Now the most excelleÌ„t name of god expressed by godes spirites is Iehoua which the grekes cal tetragraÌ„matoÌ„ bicause it coÌ„sisteth of .4 spirital lettres The hebrues haue it in such reuereÌ„ce that thei thiÌ„ke it is not to be vttered with meÌ„nes lippes therefore in stede therof thei euer read adonai And to this daie if thei heare a christiaÌ„ pronouÌ„ce it thei ar astonied seare left the skie shal fal

El Shadai in my name Iehoua I was not knoweÌ„ to theÌ„ VpoÌ„ this place Aben Ezra saieth that the vertue of this holie name was knoweÌ„ to Moses who wrought so wondreful thinhes in Aegypte And that the maiestie of God was knoweÌ„ to the auÌ„ciant fathers before in the name El Shadai but thei know not the power vertue of the name Iehoua al though they had the name in vse For it is writteÌ„ in the 4. of gen that in the time of Seth meÌ„ begaÌ„ne to cal on the name Iehoua But our meÌ„ haue a better expositioÌ„ of that place For thei teach that the sense is as if god shuld saie thus I opened my selfe to your fathers as el Shadai that cold fil theÌ„ with al good thinges therefore promised them a lande flowinge with miike honie But in my name Iehoua I was not made knoweÌ„ vnto theÌ„ that is to saie I haue not yet perfirmed that I promised Now I wil fulfil my promisse in dede declare that I am not only El Shadai but also Iehoua an aeternal essence beinge coÌ„staÌ„t true like my selfe in al poiÌ„tes perfirminge that I haue shewed my selfe to be For the beinge of al thinges is in me I am the autor of al thinges But now we wil returne to our texte No man hath seeÌ„ S. Io. meaniÌ„ge is nor to shew that no maÌ„ hath seeÌ„ god with bodilie eyes For though that meÌ„nes eyes caÌ„ not attaine to the sight of god whaÌ„ the prophetes ar said that thei saw the lord of hostes that was doÌ„ in image in some bodily shape which it pleased god to take for a time yet S. Io. hath another purpose namely to teache that no maÌ„ hath now or hath had heretofore anie knowlege of god but by the openinge of the lord Iesus as appeareth by these wordes he hath shewed forth The oÌ„ly begotteÌ„ Hauinge spokeÌ„ before sufficieÌ„tly of this I forbeare to speake anie more Only I wil giue you S. August wittie shorte seÌ„teÌ„ce In that he is oÌ„ly begotteÌ„ saieth he he hath no brethern in that he is first begotteÌ„ he vouche safeth to calle al them his brethern that ar new begotteÌ„ In the bosome This is a speech borowed out of the custoume of men For whan we wil signifie that we wil committe our secretes to anie man we saie that we wil admitte him to our bosome So the meaninge is that he is priuie to al goddes secretes therefore caÌ„ shew vs such heaueÌ„lie mysteries as no maÌ„ els caÌ„ declare And this expositioÌ„ S. August foloweth Cyrille thincketh that in the bosome is asmuch to saie as in the father of the father you wold saie vsinge maÌ„nes wordes in the inwarde partes of the father For he is not a peece cutte of diuided froÌ„ the substaÌ„ce of the father as it fareth in maÌ„nes begettiÌ„ge but he is so begotteÌ„ as he is stil in the father Hath shewetht forth Exegeisthai in greke is to make a plaine opeÌ„ declaration of darcke thiÌ„ges And thereby we lerne to glorie in no mannes lerninge wisedome or knowlege sith Goddes soÌ„ne oÌ„ly sheweth forth diuine mysteries al godlie wisedoÌ„ to addicte wedde our selues to no mortal maÌ„nes doctrine Finally we lerne that what so euer is affirmed taught of god with out the spirite of Christ is vncertaine therefore to be reiected Now thaÌ„ my brethern let vs no more sette one eye vpoÌ„ goddes soÌ„ne another vpoÌ„ our selues or vpoÌ„ anie maÌ„ in erth or in heaueÌ„ liuiÌ„ge halfe vndre goddes true anointed halfe vndre maÌ„nes false anoiÌ„ted but let vs fixe both the eyes of our miÌ„de vpoÌ„ him who beiÌ„ge in goddes bosome is the ful fouÌ„taine of al true knowlege al true felicitee let vs now at the last spedely trauaile forth froÌ„ BabyloÌ„ to IerusaleÌ„ froÌ„ the kiÌ„gduÌ„ of darcknes to the kingdome of light froÌ„ superstitioÌ„ to souÌ„de religioÌ„ froÌ„ haeresie to truth froÌ„ meÌ„ to god froÌ„ hel to heaueÌ„ that hauinge renouÌ„ced the whores coÌ„panie cast vp hir swete venimie we maie be receaued in to the kiÌ„ges palace see the beautie of his hoâ—se be filled ful of heaueÌ„lie ioies with god the father the soÌ„ne the holie goâ—â— to whoÌ„ in the meane while see that yoâ— reÌ„dre due thanckes and immortal praises AMEN

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