to thinke of the lorde Iesus in this behalfe and that we maie be surely armed agaiÌst the hissinges of the venimous serpeÌtes cloueÌ touÌge For in dede it is a communs opinioÌ amoÌge 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 soleÌne 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 remnauÌtes 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 tidiÌges was committed to the ministers of the new testameÌt the name of EuaÌgelistes is most proprely attributed to them specially to those that discribe the natiuitee coÌuersation 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 accoÌplish 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 EuaÌgelion is an opeÌ publishinge of saluatioÌ al readie perfirmed accoÌplished than of the same promised And therefore they speake more distinctly proprely that giue the name of EuaÌgelistes to thapostles writers of the historie of the lorde Iesus finally to the ministers of the new testameÌt And to giue place rather to this iudgemeÌt 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 euaÌgelized The kingdoÌ of god was in dede taught before and the gospel preached in some wise but it was not so opeÌly so largely so plainly so far wide published and proclaimed But herein as I said I wil conteÌd with no man nor binde the worde to this propre significatioÌ only For I am not ignoraÌt what a wraÌglinge 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 excelleÌt 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 touÌge foloweth not curiously the finenes proprietes of the greke maner of speakinge but he grauÌted vnto him asmuch knowlege as the most famous Philosopher father of al lerned wittes Plato had and more shortenes in writiÌge which is more coÌmendable in a writer of graue matters Writers of histories shew manie woÌderful thinges of this IohaÌ as that he was put in to boilinge oile caÌ out againe vnhurte c. But it shal be sufficieÌt for vs to know and coÌsidre 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 pronouÌceth hiÌ accursed that shal trust in maÌ make fleeshe his arme which wordes coÌstraine 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 nomaÌnes 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 fouÌraine 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 iudgemeÌt and righteousnes in the erth
coÌpreheÌde with their litle wittes But we must coÌsidre 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 coÌpreheÌde 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 instrumeÌtes 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 substaÌce if it be lawful to vse that terme in this matter one essence one beinge I grauÌte it shuld folow that there were three goddes if they were three sondrie diuided substances But now the substaÌce 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 fouÌtaine 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 eÌtred in to the secretes of god and know al that is in god and be as wise as god and compreheÌd 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 certaiÌly 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 plaiÌly saide it though our reason caÌ nev reach it And that god hath said this with cleare wordes it shal most euideÌtly 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 certaiÌly said it we wil beleue it though it seme neuer so much repugnant to reason For we refuse not al that is repugnaÌt to reason but whaÌ the same is repugnant to goddes worde And to saie the truth this matter is not so much repugnaÌt 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 secoÌde 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 coÌsidre why goddes sonne is called a worde AunciaÌt writers coÌsidre a worde two waies For thei teach that there is an outwarde worde aÌ inwarde worde The outward word is that souÌdeth passeth awaie The inwarde worde is the coÌceipte of the herte which remaineth stil in the herte whaÌ the souÌd 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 coÌceipte of the herte maie be called the engeÌdred 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. IohaÌnes meaninge is that in the beginninge there was a diuine heaueÌlie thinge with god The greke vocable logos which S. Iohan. vseth hath sondrie significatioÌs and amonge other beside coÌmunicatioÌ and talke it signifieth reason and wisdoÌ which singificacion agreeth ryght wel For Salomon calleth that thing wisdoÌe 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 represeÌtyng 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 fouÌtaines that is whaÌ the fountaines were not yet laden wyth twaters Before the fouÌdacioÌ 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 begiÌning 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 caÌnot 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 suÌne 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 demauÌde 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 maÌs mynde begetteth reasoÌ bicause reason is in it spriÌgeth froÌ it And yet maÌs miÌd is no soner thaÌ reasoÌ is But these great clerks caÌ imagine none other begettiÌg but maÌs grosse begettiÌg of childreÌ And so absurdites folow not our doctriÌe but their dremiÌgs For our doctriÌe of gods soÌne 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
dede as caÌ be giueÌ to a maÌ That was the true light Here the EuaÌgelist putteth a differeÌce 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 caÌdel 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 vnderstaÌdinge reason knowlege of hiÌ selfe to al meÌ so far as that thei maie pronouÌce senteÌce against themselues be coÌstrained to acknowlege theyr iust daÌnatioÌ 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 SataÌs malice thei dayly labor to choke queÌche 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 PelagiaÌs 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 vndrestaÌd 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 maÌnes 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 coÌfuted by the wordes of the EuaÌgelist that folow For not withstaÌdinge 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 briÌgeth 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 ¶ HE was in the worlde Some vndrestande this of his incarnatioÌ conuersation vpoÌ the erth after he had putte on maÌnes 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 oÌly 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 oÌly shuld not create but a creature shuld also haue power to create But sith this caÌ not be so the lorde Iesus beiÌge 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 senteÌce goinge before the world was made by him In other places of the scriptures the world signifieth the reprobate only Here the worlde is coÌdemned 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 sacrameÌtes amoÌge 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 ¶ AND his awne receaued him not This sentence shuld draw riuers of teares out of al eyes that the gratious lorde who not oÌly made that natioÌ of nothinge but also aduaÌced it aboue al other natioÌs with singular benifites blessinges was not oÌly 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 ¶ BVT AS manie as receaued c. These wordes declare what profite the coÌminge 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
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 testameÌt 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 wrangliÌge 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 oÌce to haue goÌ aboute or to haue thought vpon had ben more than mere madnes Wherefore it is euideÌt 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 meÌt no robberie or he weÌt aboute no robberie thinkinge to make him selfe aequal to god in such a sense as thei neuer knew before nether wil abide oÌles they be haled cleane out of iointe S. Paules meaninge is this that the lorde Iesus beiÌge verie god yet couered his glorious maiestie with the shape state of a seruaÌt huÌbled him selfe vnto the death of the crosse to do vs good which exeÌple he setteth before vs to folow not to be ashamed to abase our selues to the welth of other For we caÌ neuer cast douÌne our selues so much as he did if we coÌsidre his glorie diuine estate what a thiÌge it is for him that is verie god to becoÌme not only a maÌ but also a seruaÌt 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 exeÌple 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 huÌblinge 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 senteÌce of Esaie Euerie knee shal bow vnto me c. to the lorde Iesus with these wordes we must al be preseÌted before the iudgemeÌt 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 euideÌt 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 coÌpare 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 speakiÌge 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 coÌsonant 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 maÌnes 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
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 agaiÌst 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 ⪠who seeth not nowe the outragious madnes and extreÌe 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 ¶ 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 diamoÌde or with the diamonde there is a diamoÌd speaking of one only diamond Thus we may say in such a ring there is a diamoÌd and in the diamonde a point a rase or a vertue to take awaye the power of the adamaÌt stone for there is some differeÌce 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 differeÌce 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 soÌe times the holy gost But we holde leaning to the euidente trueth of Gods worde these three distiÌctions 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 suÌn 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 plaiÌly 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 differeÌce betwene him that procedeth him froÌ whom he procedeth And that there is a differeÌce betwene the father and the soÌne these wordes of the Lorde Iesus teach vs sufficiently I the father HEN ESMEN are one For the plural noÌbre noteth two If there had been no distinctioÌ betwene the father the soÌne 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 suÌne 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
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 colossiaÌs 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 thiÌgs 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 soÌne 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 thiÌg 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 thiÌgs 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 thiÌgs wer made by the lord but coÌmeth afterwarde exquisitely and almost scrupulously to diuisioÌs 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 hiÌselfe sith he is some thyng But he that made all thinges cannot be nothiÌg 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 maiÌtaine 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 ⧠The thirde readynge SAinct Iohn as it were with Aegels winges mounting farre aboue the earth and farre aboue the heaueÌs to admitted into the most secrete closette of the diuine maiestie seÌdeth forth from thence such lightninges and thonderinges as beate downe confounde consume and vtterly wast away all the forces imaginations and deuises of maÌs 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 AgaiÌst 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 soÌetimes 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 coÌsumeth these heretikes with the lightniÌg 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 subsistiÌg abidiÌg 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 caÌnot 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 ArriaÌs 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 senteÌce 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 siÌgularly 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 reasoÌs if Gods sonne being naturallye life geueth life to all thinges by participacyon of him selfe he is another thaÌ the thiÌges 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 thiÌgs and how doeth S. Paule assigne that to God as properly peculiarly pertainiÌg vnto him whan he saieth to Timothe I charge the in the sight of God who quikneth all thinges If the soÌne 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 thiÌges 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 coÌtinuance And this parte of goddes worcke where by al thinges coÌtinue in their state is no lesse to be woÌdred at than the makinge of thinges For where as al thinges made hauinge a beginniÌge teÌde to an ende by arte conninge he hath giueÌ theÌ a certaine immortalitee perpetual continuaÌce For he hath putte in to thinges such life vigor force of engeÌdringe that by successioÌ thinges that seme to be of a verie shorte coÌtinuaÌce haue coÌtinued manie thousande yeres and shal coÌtinue to the ende that he hath appointed In the contemplation of this power of goddes sonne it is more coÌuenient and more profitable for vs to tarie longe to be fixed than in the conteÌplation of his diuine substance essence beinge which thorough the excedinge brightnes of it daseleth our weake eyes is indede vnto our measured wittes incoÌpreheÌsible and therefore rather to be huÌbly worshipped thaÌ curiously sought out And the life was the light of meÌ This senteÌce is soÌdrie wife expouÌned For some
and inestimable beautie Assuredly this can neuer be thought vpoÌ this can neuer be wondred at inough ¶ 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 maintenaÌce 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 GoÌddes 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 moÌsters halfe childreÌ or a luÌpe 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 chauÌgelinge 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 staÌde fast for euer beinge oÌce for al decreed You wil grauÌte perchauÌce 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 auÌswere 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 seiÌge there is another faith besides which maie begile vs. I auÌswere that whaÌ we haue such faith as briÌgeth forth a feliÌge 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 AegyptiaÌs 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 coÌme douÌne 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 plaiÌly 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 thiÌg 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 maÌs generation makethe vs not Goddes childreÌ we muste be regeÌdred by God to be his childreÌ Other thincke that he numbreth vp by partes al that is excelleÌt 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 streÌgth or faculte in mankinde maÌ atcheueth the place of Goddes soÌnes Bothe expositioÌ is teÌde 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. IohaÌs 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 plaÌteth faith in our hartes to embrace his worde reneweth our mindes frameth theÌ againe vnto true holines righteousnes God grauÌt 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 ⧠The Fift READING VVith verie few but the same most pithie semelie apte wordes the EuaÌgelist 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 coÌtinued 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 maÌnes faute it be
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 hauiÌge felt teÌtations him selfe that is to saie that we might be the better persuaded and certified that he wold pitie vs knowinge that he had experieÌce 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 siÌgular 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 thiÌges for vs who beinge God wold familiarly be ioigned to vs in our nature In teÌtations wrastlinges of coÌscience let vs flie hereunto coÌsidre this great goodnes excedinge loue freÌdlines 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 EuaÌgelist signifieth that he was coÌuersant amonge them as a verie maÌ that he shewed not him selfe the twincklinge of an eye so vanished awaie but had his abode coÌtinued amoÌge 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 argumeÌt 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 EuaÌgelist briÌgeth his awne experieÌe the experieÌce 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 thiÌges theÌ selues which thei witnessed to the worlde ar called in the holie scripture with a meruailous elegaÌt worde autoptai selfe seers epoptai inseers or onbeholders WE haue seen Where the Grekes haue sondrie wordes that signifie to see the EuaÌgelist vseth a special one etheasametha which signifieth to beholde a thinge diligeÌtly 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 innoceÌt 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 heaueÌlye maiestie whaÌ he was most gloriously transfigured before them in the mouÌt But how do miracles proue the diuinitee of Christ seinge that meÌ haue don the like as Elias and Elizeus in the old testameÌt and thapostles in the new You shal vndrestaÌde that the lorde Iesus did miracles by his awne power which the scripture obserueth diligeÌtly teacheth plaiÌly where meÌ do theÌ by a borowed power Of the lorde worckiÌge 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 differeÌce of the lordes worckinge of meÌnes worckinge of miracles The glorie as of We behelde such glorie magnificeÌce 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 couÌtrefaite 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 ¶ 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 EuaÌgelist teacheth in the .5 chap. that whan the lorde Iesus saied God was his father he meÌt 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 substaÌce must nedes be God And he that is God must nedes be infinite aboue al measure greatnes So to be Goddes oÌly begotteÌ sonne God to be his awne father bothe which wordes this EuaÌgelist hath of the lorde Iesus ovthroweth al that maie be diuised by anie rauiÌge 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 agaiÌst 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 encouÌtre agaiÌst himselfe SecoÌdly I saie that in that place the lorde Iesus compareth not his substance with the fathers substaÌce but compareth his present huÌble state with the glorious state that he shulde haue after his asceÌsion And therefore al the godlie old fathers welnigh haue taught those wordes to be spoken of his maÌnes nature which shuld be forth with aduauÌced 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 differeÌce in their substaÌce 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 ArriaÌs sith they be ouer the shoues sticke not blindly to presse forwarde to goe ouer the bootes to For thei ruÌne 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 auÌswere that that also is spokeÌ touchinge his maÌnes 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 grauÌt than that the lorde Iesus hath a nature that is not now subiecte to God but shal be hereafter If they wil grauÌt 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 maÌnes 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 maÌnes 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 maÌnes nature Now Christ shal surreÌdre 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 raigniÌge 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 coÌmodities which god now ministreth vnto vs by creatures For mainteinaÌce 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 meaniÌge 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 meÌnes eyes Aemeth signifieth some times sincerite vnfainednes some times large bountefulnes liberalitee some times certaintie surenes firme coÌstant abidinge In the first significatioÌ that is for simple sincere vncoÌtrefaite dealinge kinge Ezechias vseth it in the 36. of Esaie RemeÌbre lord that I haue walked before the be aemeth in truth in a perfecte herte In the secoÌde significatioÌ we haue it in Genesis if it please you to shew bouÌtifulnes 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 vndrestaÌdeth a firme assured state of the kingdoÌ And this much for this time Giue god the praise ¶ The Sixte READINGE THe EuaÌgelist hauiÌge breifely sobrely spokeÌ of the Godhead of the lorde Iesus as the excedinge highnes incompreheÌsible maiestie of the matter required made meÌtion 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 excelleÌt man Iohan Baptiste the Euangelist brought in as a witnes of the true light of the fouÌtaine 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 woÌdre of the world Io. Baptist a verie phenix amoÌge meÌ reÌdred 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 fouÌtaine 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 couÌsel 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 maÌlie coÌstantie so for from flatterie meÌ pleasinge that nether honor and courtely pleasauÌt intertainemeÌt nor the face of a cruel tyraunt nor most painful emprisonmeÌt 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 herkeÌned 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 coÌtinual 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 ⪠partly thei saie that thereby is sett forth the plaine maÌlie 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 haÌd 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 certaiÌly 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 coÌmeth 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 traÌslatioÌ out of the greke had factus est was made before me which caused much superfluous talke amoÌge meÌ vaine tormeÌtinge of wittes how the lord cold be said to be made before IohaÌ For his maÌnes 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. huÌdred 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 sufficieÌtly 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 fouÌtaine 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 motioÌs vertues excelleÌt qualities that euer thei had theÌselues 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 substaÌtially not in image not in shadow but in bodie in substaÌce in dede We lerne thaÌ by this senteÌce 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 thiÌge 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. nombriÌge him selfe amoÌge the rest And if Io. Bap. receaued his holines out of the fulnes of the lord Iesus gotte it not by his natural streÌghth godlie preparatioÌs as the great idoles meÌ vainly iaÌgle 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 nothiÌge 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 theÌselues Wherefore these wordes of Io. Bap. beate doune what so euer idle heades haue builded raised vp to aduaÌce maÌnes streÌghth maÌnes merites And here we maie not passe ouer that this place also proueth the Lord Iesus to be verie god For who is the fouÌtaine 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 coÌme 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 coÌforte 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 eloqueÌce knowlege of liberal scieÌces wordlie riches c. But he hath certaine special iuels which he giueth only to his chosen namely tru faith true righteousnes holines true ioifulnes patieÌce constaÌtie in afflictions true peace quietnes of conscieÌce 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 recompeÌse of our merites but commeth of the free liberalitee of God bicause it pleaseth him so to rewarde his former graces to croune
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 coÌfusion 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 testameÌt 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 testameÌt he giueth the spirite of fredoÌ whereby with more fraÌcke free hertes with more ioiful courage by the motioÌ of the spirite we do the thiÌges 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 dispeÌsation 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 coÌueieth 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 coÌmunely ether to giue to litle or to much reuereÌce 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 coÌuersation vpoÌ erth the Iues had Moses in such reuereÌce 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 heaueÌlie 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 hindrauÌces out of their hertes namely their preposterous gloryinge in the persone of Goddes minister and their vaine confideÌce 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 excediÌge greate differeÌce 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 meÌnes raginge lustes or coÌuinceth 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 condeÌneth 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 disobedieÌce stubburnnes murmuringe against God It killeth and condeÌneth 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 accideÌt that is by the meanes of our vicious nawghtie corrupte nature For the law is good holie iust worcketh not coÌdeÌnation of hir awne nature but bicause our sinful nature can abide no good thinge therefore of necessitee it must be condeÌned 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 coÌfortable 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 coÌsidre 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 garmeÌtes 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 fouÌtaine of al heaueÌlie graces draw from