that are called Gods whether in heauen or in earth as there be Gods manie and Lords manie yet vnto vs there is but one God euen the father of whome are all things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ by whome are all things and we by him Nowe I suppose these diuine testimonies are euident enough and do sufficiently proue that GOD in substance is one of Essence incomprehensible eternall and spirituall But vnder the one essence of the Godhed the holie scripture doth shew vs a distinction of the Father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste Now noate héere that I call it a â—istinction not a diuision or a separation For we adore and worshipp no more Gods but one so yet that we doe neither confound nor yet denye or take away the thrée Subsistences or persons of the diuine essence nor the properties of the same Noetus Anoetus in very déed and Sabellius the Libyan a godlesse bolde and verie rude Asse of whome sprang vpp the grosse heresie of the Patrispassians taught that the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste did importe no distinction in GOD but that they were diuerse attributes of god For they said that GOD is none other wise called the father the sonne and the holie Ghoste than when he is named good iuste gentle omnipotent wise c. They saide the Father created the worlde the same in the name of the Sonne tooke fleshe and suffered and againe in chaunginge his name he was the holie Ghoste that came vppon the Disciples But the true Propheticall and Apostolicall faithe dooth expressely teach that the names of the Father the Sonne and the holie Ghoste doe shewe to vs what God is in his owne proper nature For naturally and eternally God is the the Father because he did from before beginnings vnspeakeablye begett the Sonne The same GOD is naturally the Sonne because he was from before beginnings begotten of the Father The same GOD is naturally the holie Ghoste because he is the eternall spirit of them bothe procéeding from them bothe béeing one the same God bothe with them and when in the Scriptures he is called a gentle good wise mercifull and iuste God it is not thereby so muche expressed what he is in him selfe as what a one hee doeth exhibite him selfe to vs. The same Scripture doeth openly say that the Father created all thinges by the Sonne and that the Father descended not into the earth nor toke our flesh vpon him nor suffered for vs For the Sonne saith I went out from the Father and came into the worlde Againe I leaue the worlde and goe vnto the Father The same Sonne fallinge prostrate in the mount of Oliues prayeth saying Father if it be possible let this cup passe from me Againe in the Gospel he saith I will pray to the Father and he shall giue you an other comforter Loe here he saith the father shall giue you an other comforter And yet againe least by reason of those persons and properties of those persons we should separate or diuide the diuine nature the Sonne in the gospel saith I and the father are one For when he saith One he ouerthroweth them that separate or rent the diuine substance or nature and when he saith We are and not I am therein he refuteth them that doe confounde the subsistences or persones in the Trinitie Therefore the Apostolique and Catholique doctrine teacheth and doeth confesse that they are thrée distinguished in properties that of those thrée there is but one and the same nature or essence the same omnipotenciâ— maiestie goodnesse and wisedome For although there be an order in the Trinitie yet can there be no inequalitie in it at all None of them is in time before other or in dignity worthier than other but of the thrée there is one godhead and they thrée are one and eternall God. And the primitiue Church verily vnder the Apostles the times that came next after them did beléeue so simply despising reiecting curious questions and néedlesse disputations And euen then too did arise pestilent men in the Church of God speaking peruerse things whoÌ„e the Apostle doeth vppon good cause call greeuous woolues not spareing the flock They first brought in very straunge daungerous questions sharpened their blasphemous tongues against Heauen it selfe For they stoode in it that thrée persons could not be one nature or essence and therefore that by naming the Trinitie the christiaÌ„s worshippe many Gods euen as the Heathen doe And againe since there can be but one GOD they inferre consequently that the same God is father sonne and holie ghoste vnto him selfe For so it was agreeable that they should doate in follie whome the word of God did not leade but the grosse imagination of mortall flesh And God did by these meanes punish the GiaÌ„tlike boldenesse of those meÌ„ whose minds being without all reuerence and feare of God did wickedly striue to fasten the sight of the eyes of the flesh vppon the verie face of god But the faithfull and vigilant ouerséers and pastors of the Churches were coÌ„pelled to driue such woolues from the foldes of Christe his shéepe and valiauntly to fight for the sincere catholique trueth that is for the Vnitie Trinitie for the monarchie and mysterie of the dispensation That strife bred foorth diuerse words with which it was necessarie to holde and binde those slipperie merchants Therefore immediately after the beginning there sprang vp the termes of Vnitie Trinitie Essence Substance and Person The Gréekes for the moste parte vsed Ousia Hypostasis and Prosopon whiche wee call Essence Subsistence and Personne Of these againe there did in the Churches spring vppe newe and freshe contentions They disputed sharply of the Essence and Subsistence whether they are the same or sundrie thinges For Ruffinus Aquileiensis in the 29. Chapter and first booke of his Ecclesiastical historie sayeth There was moued a controuersie about the difference of substaunces subsistences whiche the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For some said that substaunce subsistence seeme to be all one and because wee say not that there are three substaunces in God therefore that wee ought not to saye that there are three subsistences in him But on the other side againe they that tooke substaunce for one thing subsistence for an other did say that substaunce noteth the nature of a thing and the reason wherevpon it standeth but that the subsistence of euerie person doth shewe that very thing which doth subsist Basilius Magnus wrote a learned Epistle to his brother Gregorie about the difference of Essence and subsistence And Hermius Sozomenus in the 12. Cap. of his fift booke of histories sayth The bishops of many cities meeting together at Alexandria do together with Athanasius and Eusebius Vercellensis confirme the decrees of Nice and coÌ„fesse that the holy Ghost is coesseÌ„tiall with the
for that the Churches bothe oures and youres do beleeue agreeably to the Scriptures of God and tradition of the holie fathers ¶ A Confession of faith made by the Counsell of Chalcedon taken out of the booke of Isidore AFter the rehearsall of the Creeds set foorth by the Synodes of Nice and Constantinople with a fewe wordes put betweene streight way the holie Counsell of Chalcedon doeth prescribe their Confession in these words We therfore agreeing with the holie fathers doe with one accorde teache to confesse one the same sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and him to be perfect GOD in the deitie and the same also verie man of a reasonable soule and bodie touching his Godhead beeing of one nature with his Father and the same as touching his manhoode of one nature with vs like to vs in all thinges excepte sinne Touchinge his Godhead borne of his Father before the worldes and the same in the latter dayes made man for vs and for our saluation Wee teache to consider that hee is the one and the same Christe the sonne our Lorde the onely begotten sonne in two natures nâ—ither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated and that the difference of the natures is not to be taken awaye because of the vnitie but rather the propertie of bothe his natures remaining whole and meeting together in one person and one substance that he is not parted or diuided in two persons but is one and the same Sonne the only begotten sonne God the worde Our Lord Iesus Christe euen as the prophets from the beginning haue witnessed of him as he himself hath instructed vs and the confession of the fathers hath taught vs These thinges therefore being ordered by vs with all care and diligence the holy and vniuersal Synode doth determine that it should not be lawful for any man to professe any other faith or else to write to teache or speake to the contrarie That the Decree of the Synode of Calcedon is not contrarie to the doctrine of the blessed bishop Cyrill taken out of the fifte Booke of the holy Martyr Vigiluis against Eutyches BVt nowe let vs consider the last article in the decree of the Synode of Calcedon We confesse that Christ our Lord the onely begotten Sonne is to be vnderstoode to bee one and the selfe same in his two natures neither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated not making voide the difference of the two natures because of the vnitie but keeping sound the propertie of both natures comming together into one person and substance not as beeing diuided or separated but as beeing one and the same onely beegotten Sonne God the word our Lord Iesus In this article this displeaseth them because they saide The propertie of bothe natures remaining sound Or The difference of the natures not beeing made void And that they may persuade vs that those things which they mislike are assuredly so they vsing their accustomed largenesse of wordes and vaine assertions doe bring in many testimonies out of the articles of Cyrill wherein he denyeth not the two natures in Christe but teacheth that there is but one person To the intent therefore that we maye not confute them with our disputation alone let vs set downe also the wordes of Cyrill that euen as they leane to the testimonie of Cyrill so by the testimonie of Cyrill they may be ouercome In the Synodall epistles of Cyrill to Nestorius thus it is writteÌ„ For we do not affirme saith he that the diuine nature is turned or chaunged into flesh nor yet that it is transformed into the whole man which consisteth of bodie and soule but wee say rather that the reasonable soule hath coupled to it selfe the substance of liuing flesh that it is vnspeakablie and vnconceiuably made man and is also called the sonne of man not of bare will alone nor by the onely taking on of the person but because the two natures doe after a certeine maner come together in one so that there is one Christ and one Sonne of both the natures by ioyning them in one not in making void or taking away the difference of the natures but because they that is the Godhead and the manhoode together by that hidden and vnspeakeable knitting to the vnitie haue made to vs one Lorde and one Christe and one sonne What could be spoken more plainely than this What could be shewed more cleerely out of the Epistles of Cyrill to agree with the determination of the Counsell of Calcedon For see neither are wordes to wordes nor sentence to sentence any thinge contrarie but euen as they had one meaning of faithe so vse they in a manner the selfe same wordes The holie Synode said The difference of the two natures beeing no where made voide Saint Cyrill sayde The difference of the natures not beeing made voyde or taken away by ioyning them together The holie Synode said Bothe the natures meeting together in one person S. Cyrill saith Not of a bare will onelie nor yet by the onlie taking on of a person but because the two natures after a sorte doe meete together in one The holie Synode said Not beeing diuided into two persons but beeing one and the same Christe S. Cyrill said So that of two that is to say of two natures is one Christ the sonne And again Because they that is the Godhead and the manhood together haue made to vs one Lorde one Christe and one Sonne c. The Creede of the first Counsell held at Toledo when Honorius and Arcadius were Emperours taken out of the booke of Isidore WE beleeue in one verie God the father allmightie and the sonne and the holie Ghoste maker of thinges visible and inuisible by whome all things were made in heauen and in earth We beleeue that there is one God and one trinitie of the diuine substance And that the father himself is not the sonne but that he hath a Sonne which is not the father That the sonne is not the father but that the sonne of God is of the nature of the father And also that the holie Ghoste is the comforter which neither is the father him selfe nor the sonne but proceeding froÌ„ the father and the sonne The father therefore is vnbegotten the sonne begotten the comforter not begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne The Father is hee from whome this voice was hearde out of Heauen This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him The Sonne is he whiche saide I went out from the Father and came from GOD into this worlde The comforter is the holie Ghoste of whom the sonne said Vnlesse I go away to the father the coÌ„forter shal not come We beleeue in this trinitie differing in persons but all one in substance not diuided nor differing in strength power and maiestie and we beleeue that beside this there is no diuine nature either of Angel or of spirit or any power which may be beleeued to be God. We therefore
walking in Paradise They doe vnderstand these places simply as the letter lyeth and doe referre mortall weaknesse to the magnificent mightinesse of the immortall god But I say that God is all eye all hand and all foote He is all eye because he séeth all things All hand because he worketh all things All foote because he is present euery where Therefore marke ye what he saith He that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that made the eye shall he not see He said not therefore hath he no eyes But he said he that planted the eare shall he not heare or he that made the eye shall he not sée He made the members and gaue them the efficient powers And a little afterwards the same S. Augustine saith In all this which I haue cited out of the saincts and doctours Ambrose Hierome Athanasius Gregorie Nazianzene and whatsoeuer else like these of other mens doeings I could euer reade or come by which I think to be too long héere seuerally to rehearse I finde that God is not a body or that he hath members like to a man neither that he is diuided by the distance of places but by nature vnchaungeably inuisible And I doe in the helpe of God without wauering beléeue and so far as he giueth me grace I doe vnderstand that not by the same inuisible nature and substance but by a visible shape taken vnto him he appeared as it pleased him to them to whome he did appeare when in the holie scriptures he is reported to haue béene seene with corporall eyes Thus much out of Augustine To these now I will also add the words of Tertullian a verie auncient ecclesiasticall writer in his excellent booke De Trinitate By members saith he are shewed the efficient powers of God not the bodilie fashion of God or corporall lineaments For when the eyes are described it is set downe because he séeth althings And when the eare is named it is therefore named because he heareth all things And when the finger is mentioned then is a certeine signification of his minde declared And when the nosethrilles are spoken of the receiuing of prayers as of swéete smels is therby notified And when the hand is talked of it argueth that he is the author of all creatures And when the arme is specified thereby is declared that no nature can withstand the power of god And when the féete are named that putteth vs in minde that God filleth all things and that there is nothing where he is not present For neither members nor the offices of members are necessarie to him to whose will onely without any words all things obey and are ready at hand For why should he require eyes which is him selfe the light Or why shuld he séeke for feet which is him selfe present euerie where Or how should he go in since that there is no where for him to goe out from him selfe Or why should he wishe for a hande whose will without wordes doeth worke all things Neither doeth he néede eares that knoweth the verye secrete thoughtes Or wherefore should he lacke a tongue whose onely thincking is a commaunding For these members were necessarie to men and not to god Because the counsell of men should be of none effecte vnlesse the bodye did fulfill the thoughts but to GOD they are not néedfull whose will the very workes doe not onely followe without all stirring businesse but doe euen immediately with his will procéede and go forewarde But he is all eye because he wholy seeth He is all eare because he wholy heareth He is all hand because he wholy worketh And all foote because he is wholy euery where For what soeuer is simple that hath not in it selfe any diuersitie of it selfe For those thinges fall into a diuersitie of members whatsoeuer are borne vnto disolution but the things that are not compact together cannot feele diuersitie And so as followeth For all these hetherto are the wordes of Tertullian Therefore when wee reade that Moses did sée GOD face to face and that Iacob Israel and the Prophets sawe GOD plainely and not obseurely thereby is meant that to them was exhibited a vision moste manifest effectuall and verie familiar For truely saide Theodoretus the Bishop of Cyrus We say that the fathers did not see the diuine nature or substance which cannot bee circumscribed comprehended or perceiued in the minde of man but doeth it selfe comprehend all things but we say that they fawe a certeine glorie and certeine visions whiche were aunswerable to their capacitie and did not passe the measure of the same For these assured sentences of the holie Scripture doe alwayes remaine moste true No man did euer see GOD at any time GOD dwelleth in the light that no man can atteine vnto whome no man hath seene nor canne see And againe No man shall see my face and liue that is so long as he liueth vppon this earth in the corruption and imperfection of this our fleshe no man shall beholde the essence of GOD which is eternal and light that cannot be looked vpon For when we are once deliuered from this corruption and are clarified then shall we sée him as hee is Therefore God is said to haue béene séene of the fathers not according to the fulnesse of his diuinitie but according to the capacitie of men Tertullian thinketh that all thinges in the olde Testament were done of God the Father by the Sonne who taking vppon him a competent shape appeared to men and spake vnto the Fathers Paule in the beginning of his Epistle to the Hebrues doth significantly speake of the Sonne of God incarnate not denying absolutely that the Father did euer any thinge by the Sonne Tertullian saith To the Sonne was giuen all power in Heauen and in Earth But that power could not be of all thinges vnlesse it were of euerie time Therefore it is the Sonne that alwayes descended to talke with men from Adam vnto the Patriarches and Prophetes in Vision in Dreame in a Myrrour and in Oracle So alwayes it pleased God to be conuersant in the earth with men being none other than the Worde which afterwarde was to bee made Fleshe And it pleased him so to make a way for vs to Faith that wee might the more easily perceiue that the Sonne of God descended into the worlde and that wee might knowe that such a thinge was done And so as followeth For all these are the wordes of Tertullian After this premonition we will now adde the visions of Gods maiestie exhibited to holy men God exhibited to his seruauntes many and sundry visions wherein he after a maner did shadowe foorth his maiestie vnto them all which visions it would be too long a labour for me to rehearse and expounde vnto you Ye shall finde the most notable ones Exodus 19. Esaie 6. Ezechiel 1. Daniel 7. and in the Apocalypse of the blessed Euangelist and Apostle Iohn It is sufficient to haue put
pleased But one and the same cānot be both Father and Sonne vnto himselfe the father is one and the sonne is one yet not diuers thinges but one and the same God of one and the same nature For the sonne in one place doth most plainely say I the father are one Moreouer what could bee more clearely spoken for the proofe of the expresse distinction and properties of the thrée persons in the reuerend Trinitie than that where the Archangel Gabriel in s Luke declaring the sacrament of the Lords incarnation doth euidently saye vnto the virgin the mother of God The holy Ghoste shall come vppon thee the power of the highest shall ouershadow thee Therfore also that holy thing that shal be borne shal be called the sonne of God. What I pray you could haue possibly béene inuented of purpose to bee more manifestly spokē for the proofe of this matter than these woordes of the Angel Thou hast héere the person of the highest that is of the father For in the woordes of the Angel a little afore it is said He shal be great and shall bee called the sonne of the highest Now the sonne is the sonne of the father Wée haue also the persons of the sonne and of the holy Ghost expressed with their properties neither mingled nor confounded The father is not incarnate nor yet the holy Ghoste but the Sonne To the father is borne of the virgin a Sonne euen he that was the sonne by the eternall and vnspeakeable maner of begetting But the holy Ghost whiche is the power of the most highest did ouershadowe the virgin and made her with childe And so by this meanes thou mayest sée héere the persons distinguished not diuided howe they differ in properties not in Essence of dietie or in nature Héere nowe although these places mighte séeme to suffice any reasonable man I wil yet add other testimonies of the holy Apostles that too of thrée the most excellent among all the Apostles S. Peter preaching the word of the Gospell before the Church of Israel as Luke testiffeth in the Actes of the Apostles doeth amonge other thinges say This Iesus hath God raised vpp and exalted him to his right hand and hee hauing receiued of the father the promise of the holy Ghost hath shedd forth this which ye nowe see and heare Loe God the father raiseth vpp and doeth exalte the Sonne The Sonne is raised vpp exalted and sitteth at the right hande of the father And the Sonne receiuing of the Father the holy Ghoste doth bestowe it vppon the Apostles Therefore the spirite procéedeth from the Father and the Sonne subsisting in his owne person but being one and the same spirite of them both Moreouer in the Sermon made at Caesarea in the congregation of the Gentiles that is in the house familie of Cornelius the Centurion the same Apostle doeth as plainely expresse the person of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost knitteth the Trinitie together into one Essence of the Diuine Nature Sainct Paule in the beginning of his Epistle to the Romans sayth that he was appointed to preach the Gospell of God which he had promised afore by his Prophetes in the holy Scriptures of his Sonne whiche was made of the seede of Dauid after the flesh and hath beene declared to bee the sonne of God with power after the Spirite that sanctifieth Againe to the Galathians he sayth God sent his sonne made of a woman that wee by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes And because ye are sonnes God hath sent forth the Spirite of his Sonne into your heartes crying Abba father And againe to Titus hee sayeth God according to his mercie hath saued vs by the founteine of regeneration and renuing of the holy Ghost which hee shedd on vs richly thorough Iesus Christ our Sauiour Therfore S. Cyril speaking very truly of the Apostle Paule Libro in Ioan. 9. Cap. 45. doeth say That holy man did rightly know the enumeration of the sacred Trinitie and therefore he teacheth that euery person doth properly and distinctly subsist and yet hee preacheth openly the immutable self-same-nesse of the Trinitie Cōcerning whiche matter if any man would gather together and reckon vpp all the testimonies that Paule hath for the proofe of it he must of necessitie recite all his Epistles The blessed Apostle and Euangelist Iohn doeth more strongly and euidently than the other affirme and sett forth the mysterie of the Trinitie and distinction of the persons as well in his Euangelicall historie as in his Epistle Amonge many this one at this time shal be sufficient In his Canonicall Epistle he sayeth Who is a lyar but hee that denyeth that Iesus is Christe The same is Antichrist that denieth the Father and the Sonne Whosoeuer denieth the Sonne the same hath not the father Therfore let that abide in you which ye haue herd from the beginning And presently after he saith againe Ye need not that any mā teach you but as the same annoynting teacheth you of all things and it is true and not lying In these wordes ye heare the Father ye heare the Sonne ye heare the annoynting that is the holy Ghost The father is not the Sonne the Sonne is not the Father neither is the holy Ghoste the Father or the Sonne but the Father is the Father of the Sonne the Sonne is the Sonne of the Father and the holy Ghost procéedeth from them both And yet those persons are so ioyned and vnited that he which denieth one of them hath in him none of them Yea whosoeuer denieth this Trinitie is pronounced to be Antichrist For he denieth God which is one in Trinitie and thrée in vnitie and so consequently confounding or taking awaye the properties of God hee denieth God to bée such a one as he is in very déede Nowe I suppose that these so many and so manifest testimonies do suffice the Godly For they beleeue the Scriptures do not ouer curiously prie into the Maiestie of God being cōtent with those things alone wherein it hath pleased God of his goodnesse to appeare and shine to vs mortall men Some thereare which doe their indeuour by certeine parables or similitudes to shadowe this matter that is to say to shew howe the thrée persons are said to bee distinguished and yet notwithstanding to be one god But in all the thinges that God hath made as I did admonishe you in the beginning of this treatise there is nothing whiche can properly be likened to the nature of God neither are there any words in the mouthes of men that can properly be spoken of it neither are there any similitudes of mans inuention that can rightly and squarely agrée with the diuine Essence And. S. Basile disputing De Ousia Hypostasi sayeth It cannot be that the comparisons of examples should in all points be like to those things to the vse wherof the examples
of his father begotten before all worlds and man of the substance of his mother borne in the world perfect God perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting Thus farre in these wordes haue we shewed that Iesus Christe our Lord is very God and verie man consubstantiall or of the same substance with the father according to his Godhead and consubstantial or of the same substance with vs according to his manhood For hée hath a reasonable soule and humane flesh in very déed We wil speake furthermore of the coniunction or vniting of these natures into one person in whiche matter histories declare that certaine auncient writers in old time fowlie erred For Eutiches admitted one nature only in Christ and the same made that is medled or confounded together of a diuine and humane nature from whome the Monothelites were not farre beyond acknowledging only one will in Christ Nestorius willing to auoyd a colâ—pitt fell into a lime kill For he confessing two natures séemeth to affirme that there are so many persons teaching that the woord is not vnited to the flesh into the selfe same person but that it onely dwelleth therein wherevppon also he forbad the holy virgin to be called Gods mother Against whome the common assertion of the whole church holding opinion according to the scripture hath taught that two natures in Christ and the properties of those natures are to be confessed which are so coupled together into one vndiuided person that neither the diuine nature is chaunged into the humane nor the humane into the diuine but either of them reteine or kéepe their owne nature and both of them subsist in the vnitie of person For Christ according to the disposition of his diuine nature is one and the selfe same immortall according to the disposition of his humane nature mortall and the selfe same immortall GOD and mortall man is the only sauiour of the world Of which thing we will speake anon by Gods grace somewhat more largly and plainly Touching the very coÌ„iunction or vniting of the true Godhead and manhoode in Christ the prophets and Apostles haue not crabbedlie nor craftilie disputed For they speaking simplie said God was made man. Or God tooke on him man For Iohn the Apostle and Euangelist sayeth The woord was made flesh that is God was made man or the word of God became flesh S. Paule sayeth God was made manifest in the flesh And againe The sonne of God in no sort toke the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Therefore wée according to the doctrine of the Apostles expounding the mysterie of the coniunction of the diuine and humane nature in Christ say God was incarnate or made man God toke on him man God appeared or was made manifest in humane flesh He that will sift out déeper matters than these it is to cast himselfe into great daungers Some there are who in expounding these pointes more fully vse the woordes of societie or fellowshipp participation and communion or part-taking and that not without authoritie of the scriptures Paule saying Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud hee also himselfe like wise toke part with them Neuerthelesse wée must héere first of all take héede that we do not mâ—dle or confound the two natures ioyned together in one person nor that wée robb them of their properties For GOD of his owne nature is euerlasting and vnchaungeable God therefore remayning alwayes one and the selfe same is not chaunged into an humane or into any other nature but ioyneth coupleth taketh yea and vniteth vnto himselfe the humane nature Againe vnlesse in his humane nature he remaine a creature and be the selfesame which he is said to be it is not an humane nature this therefore remaining in it owne substance is taken to the diuine nature Therefore two natures remaine in the one person of Christ the diuine and the humane either of them doeth reteine their owne disposition and their owne propertie Which we will now declare by some places of scripture Isaie in his seuenth chap. sayeth A virgine shall conceiue bring forth a sonne his name shal be called Immanuel Hée acknowledgeth both natures in Christ for according to his diuine nature hee is called Immanuel that is to saye God with vs according to his humane nature hee is conceiued and borne The same prophete sayeth A child is borne vnto vs and a sonne is giuen vnto vs c. For hee is giuen who is from euerlasting and hee is borne whose beginning and béeing is in the world Wherefore one and the selfe same reteineth both the diuine and the humane nature For Micheas also sayeth And thou Bethlehem Ephrata art little in deede among the thousands of Iuda Out of the shall he come forth vnto me which shal be the gouernor in Israel whose out-goings haue beene from the beginning and from euerlasting Loe what could be spoken more plaine One and the selfe same hath two ofspringes for insomuch as he is God his generation is from euerlasting and as he is man he is borne in Bethlehem Wherefore one and the selfe same Christ is very God and very man Againe in the Gospel according to S. Matth. the Lord asketh the Phariseis saying What thincke you of Christ whose sonne is he They said vnto him the sonne of Dauid He saith vnto them how then doth Dauid in spirite call him Lord saying The Lord said vnto my Lord sitt thou on my righte hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole If Dauid call him Lord how is he theÌ„ his sonne As if he said Since Christ without doubt is the sonne of Dauid and hee calleth him Lord not by humane affection but by the holy ghost that is to say verie god of the selfe same power with the father the sequele is the Christ is verie man verie god The angel Gabriel noting no lesse plainlie both these natures saith to the virgin Marie That holy thing which shal be borne shal be called the sonne of god For of the virgin he is borne very man of very man and this is the sonne of god For Elizabeth also calleth the virgin the mother of the Lord to wit of god Moreouer in the Gospel of Iohn thou maist read verie many sayinges of this sort which point out as it were with the finger both natures in the selfe same Christ Ye beleeue sayeth the Lord in God beleeue also in mee And againe The father is greater than I. Also I went out from the father came into the world Againe I leaue the world go to the father And againe in another place The poore shall ye haue alwayes with you but mee alwayes ye shall not haue And againe Behold I am alwayes with you euen vnto the end of the world Wâ—ich sentences truly as it were coÌ„traâ—â—â—â—annot be all true at once vnlesse 〈◊〉 â—nowledge that Christ
he had no mother Wherevppon sprange a suspicion that he should say the Lord was bare man and that hee should mainteine the hereticall opinion of Paulus Samosatenus and Photinus Whiche thing Socrates handleth at large Historiarum Lib. 7. Cap. 32. But Nestorius was iniurious to the Scripture and to true faith For Elizabeth the wife of Zacharie and the mother of S. Iohn Baptist béeing full of the holy Ghost in expresse woordes saluteth the holy virgin Marie and calleth her the mother of the Lord that is the mother of god And albeit his heauenly nature be without generation and corruption yet notwithstaÌ„ding it is most certeine that hee whome Marie brought forth was God in verie déede For that whiche is borne of her sayeth the Angel is the sonne of God therefore shee brought forth God and shee worthily is called the mother of god For if she bare not God she brought forth bare man neither hath the sonne of GOD coupled man vnseparablie to himselfe In like manner since God of his owne nature is immortall truely he cannot die but if any man for that cause should absolutely denie that God was crucified and offered yea and died for vs hee should gainesaye Paule saying Had they knowen it they would not haue crâ—cified the Lord of glorie But who is ignorant that the God of glorie or glorious god cannot be crucified In the meane while since he which according to the fleshe suffered and was nailed on the crosse was God not bare man onely wee rightly say that God suffered and was nailed on the crosse for vs though he which suffered suffered according to that onely which could suffer For Peter the Apostle sayeth Christ hath suffered for vs in the flesh The first Toletane counsell following him decréed in these wordes If any shall say or beleeue that the God head may be borne let him be accursed If any shal say or beleue that the deitie of Christ may be turned chaunged or iubiecte to suffering let him be accursed If any shal say or beleeue that the nature of the Godhead and the manhoode is one in Christe let him bee accursed And Damasus bishop of Rome sayeth If any shall saye that in suffering on the crosse the sonne of God God suffered paine and not the flesh with the soule whiche hee put on in the fourme of a seruaunt whiche he toke on him as the Scripture sayeth let him be accursed Therefore whereas Paule sayeth that God hath purchased to himselfe a Churche with his owne bloud who is so madd to beléeue that the diuine nature hath or euer had bloud In the meane while who is such a dorrhead that he vnderstandeth not that the fleshe whiche God toke hath bloud and since that God accounteth not that as an others but his owne which he tooke vnto him selfe wee most truly say that GOD with his owne bloud redéemed the world Wherevppon Theodoretus also bishopp of Cyrus Dialog Eran. 3. a little before the end sayeth If Christ be both GOD and man as both the holy Scripture teacheth and as the most blessed fathers haue always preched then as man hee suffered but as God he was not subiect to suffering But when wee say the bodie or fleshe or humanitie suffered wee do not separate the diuine nature For as it was vnited to his humane nature whiche was hungrie and thirstie and wearie yea and slept also yea and was vexed with sorrowe and heauinesse for the passion which hee should suffer abyding in deede none of those but suffering that to abide the affections passions of nature euen so was it ioyned vnto him when he was crucified permitted that his passion should bee throughlie ended that by his passion he might suffer death not feling griefe truely by his passion but making his passion agreeable conuenient for himselfe as the passion of his temple or dwelling place of his flesh ioyned vnto him by the whiche also they that beleeue are called the members of Christ he himselfe is called the head of those that beleeue Thus farre hée This figure of speache is called of some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alteration or chaunging of Iohn Damascenus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mutual giuing or an interchaunging of properties That is wont to be called a communicating of properties to witt when that propertie is giuen to one nature which is proper to another As for example No maÌ„ hath ascended vp into heauen sayth the Lord but he that came downe from heaueÌ„ euen the sonne of man whiche is in heauen Truelie his humane nature was not then in heauen when the Lord spake this but in earth yet notwithstanding beecause flesh is taken into the fellowshipp of his Godhead that whiche is proper to this is attributed to his manhood And bishop Fulgentius making mention of this interpretation in his second booke to kinge Thrasimundus hath thus left written He said this not that the humane substance of Christ is present in euery place but because one the selfe same sonne of God and sonne of man very God of the father as hee is very man of man though according to his true humanitie hee was then locallie in earth yet according to his diuinitie whiche by no meanes can be conteined in place hée did wholie fill heauen and earth Thus sayeth hée Wherefore the sentences bearing witnesse of Christ in the writinges of the Euangelistes Apostles are diligeÌ„tly to be marked For some are peculiarly referred to his diuine nature as are these I and the father are one Before Abraham was I'am In the beginning was the word the word was with GOD and God was that woord Hee is before all thinges the image of the inuisible God by whom all thinges are made And some are particularly referred to his humane nature or to the mysterie of his embassage or ministration of whiche sort are these The father is greater than I. Thou madest him a little inferiour to the Angels My soule is heauie euen to the death Againe there are testimonies whiche haue respecte to both natures but to neither of them seuerally do they sufficiently agree Such are these My flesh is meate in deede and my bloud is drincke in deede I haue power to forgiue sinnes to raise to life whome I will and to giue righteousnes and holinesse I am the sheepeheard the doore the light the waye the trueth the life No man coÌ„meth to the father but by mee For these doe sett forth and commend vnto vs the verie substaunce of Christe the person I meane of oure true sauiour and mediatour God and man For no man forgiueth sinnes but God onely Againe they are not forgiuen without death and sheading of bloud as the Apostle witnesseth in the ninth Chapiter to the Hebrues Againe there are testimonies whiche cannot aptly bee declared but by communicating of woords Touching whiche I hope this is sufficient Againe he doth not diuide the person of our mediatour God
to passe For wée saye that God is Almighty that is that there is nothing but he cā do it which is profitable necessarye for vs men as hée that is Lord of all our stronge helper But that God is oure good father liberall gentle mercifull stronge Almighty Lorde of all and our defender and deliuerer it is to be séene by his wonderful works For hée is the maker of heauen and earth And in the making of Heauē and earth hée hath declared the great loue that hée beareth to mankinde For when as yet they were not nether were able with desartes and good tournes to prouoke God to do them anye good then God first of his owne méere and naturall goodnesse made heauen earth a most excellent and beautifull Palace and gaue it them to dwell in putting vnder mans dominion all the Creatures of this whole world But how great power he shewed in the making of all these things it is euident by this that Hee spake the woorde and they were made he commaunded and they were created Which if thou bringe into partes and seuerally examine what hée made in those sixe dayes in what order with what beauty to how great commodity of mankinde and finallye how almost wyth no labour at all hée brought them al forth as it is at large writtē by Moses in the first of Genesis thou shalte be compelled to be amazed at the goodwill and power of god And yet by the waye wée muste thincke the Creatour of all thinges to be such an one as by his sonne that is by his eternall wysedome hath created al things both visible and inuisible yea and that of nothing too and doth moreouer at this very presēt sustaine nourish rule and preserue all thinges by his euerlasting spirite without which euery thinge woulde presently fall to ruine and come to nought Wée doe herein therefore confesse also the prouidence of our eternall God and hys excéeding wyse gouernment And thus in this first parte I haue declared vnto you that which is proper to the father For hée is a father yea hée is the father of our Lorde Iesus Christe and our father also being Lord of all things maker of heauen earth gouernour and preseruer of all thinges by whom all thinges are and in whom all things consist Who frō before all beginning begot the eternal sonne equall wyth the father being of one substaunce power and glory with the father by whom also hee made the world From both them precéedeth the holie ghoste as Dauid witnesseth and sayth By the worde of the Lord the heauens were made by the breath of his mouth all the hoste thereof Now followeth the seconde parte wherein are contayned all the mysteries of Iesus Christ our Lord the sonne of god For the seconde article of the Christiā fayth is thus word for word And in Iesus Christe his onely sonne our Lord. This article also comprehendeth two things The first is that wee beleeue in the sonne of God The second what the sonne of God is For wée confesse that wee beléeue that is that wée put our whole hope and confidence of lyfe and saluation as well in the sonne as in the father And therefore wée say plainely I beléeue in Iesus Christ euen as before wée said I beleeue in god c. For the Lorde Iesus himselfe in the 14. chapter of Iohn sayth Let not your harte be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Againe This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in him whom hee hath sent And againe This is eternal life to know thee the true God onelie and him whom thou hast sent Christ Iesus Moreouer in the Gospel after S. Iohn we read that the Lord speaking to the blinde whose eyes hée opened saide Doste thou beleeue in the sonne of God And that the blind hauing receyued his sighte aunswered Who is he Lord that I may belieue in him wherunto the Lord replied Thou hast seene him and hee it is that talketh with thee And that then againe the blinde said I belieue Lorde and there withal hée worshipped him Therfore let vs also belieue worship let vs belieue that Iesus is the very sonne of God the father beinge of one power with the father althoughe in person hee differ from the father Which Dauid testifying sayth The Lord said to my Lord sit thou at my right hand c. But if wée declare at large who the sonne of God is in whom wée belieue then must wée note thrée things especially The first is that hée is called the Onely Sonne If hee be the sonne yea and that too the Sonne of God then is his nature and substaunce a diuine nature and substaunce For in this signification doth the Apostle call him The brightnesse of the glory of the father and the liuelie image of his substance Very well therefore do the holy fathers saye that the Sonne is of the same substaunce and beinge with the father Whereunto belongeth that that hée is called the onelye sonne and in another place the onely begotten and first begotten sonne For wée also are called sonnes not by participation of nature or likenesse of substaunce or naturallye but by adoption And therfore the Iewes were not offended because hée called himselfe the sonne of God in that sense that all the faithful are called and are the sōnes of God but because they did perceiue the he did more extoll himselfe in saying the hee is the naturall Sonne of God equall to God God himselfe For thus wée reade in the fifthe of Iohn Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill Iesus not onelie because hee had broken the Sabboth but saide also that God was his father made himselfe equall with God. Againe where the Lord in the tenth chapiter saide I and my father are one then the Iewes toke vp stones to stone him withal But Iesus aunswered Many good workes haue I done vnto you for which of them doe yee stone mee To which the Iewes replied For thy good workes sake wee stone thee not but for thy blasphemie because thou being a man makest thy self God. These are most euidente testimonies of the natural Godhead of Christ which whosoeuer belieueth not hee hath not the father For hee that honoureth the sonne honoureth the father and hee that is withoute the sonne hath not the father and vnlesse the sonne were God by Nature hée coulde not be the Sauiour of the worlde Now the second thing that is to be marked is that the name of the onely begotten sonne of God is opened and he is called Iesus Christ The name is expressely set downe the we may know who it is in whom we beleue lest peraduenture we might be deceyued in the person It is Iesus which name was geuen vnto him by Gods appointmēt from heauen euen as also it was prefigured in Duke Iosue and in Iosue the high priest The Angell in the Gospell after
S. Mathew instructinge Ioseph sayth Mary shall bring forth a sonne and thou shalt call his name Iesus For hee shall saue his people from their sinnes So then this sonne of God Iesus is the sauiour of the worlde who forgiueth sinnes and setteth vs free from al the power of our aduersary the deuil Which verily he could not do vnlesse he were very god Hee is also called Christ which is all one as if you saye Annoynted The Iewes cal him Messias Which word is a title proper to a kingdome or priesthoode For they of olde were wonte to annointe their kinges priestes they were annoynted wyth external or figuratiue oyntment or Oyle But very Christ was annoynted with the very true oyntement that is wyth the fulnes of the holy ghoste as is to be seene in the firste third Chapters after S. Iohn Moste properly therfore is this name Christ attributed to our lord For first he is both kinge and prieste of the people of god Then the holy Ghost is powred fully by all meanes and abundantlye into Iesus from whom as it were by a liuely fountayne it floweth into all the members of Christ For this is that Aaron vppon whose heade the Oyle was powred which ranne downe to his bearde and the nethermost skirts of his garment For of his fulnes we haue all receyued The last thinge that is to be noted now in this secōd Article is the we cal the sonne of God our lord The sonne of God verily is for two causes properly called our lord First in respect of the mysterie of our redēption For Christ is the Lord of all the electe whom hee hath deliuered from the power and dominion of Satan sinne and death and hath made them a people of his owne getting for himselfe This similitude is taken of Lordes which wyth theyr monye buy slaues for theyr vse or els which in warres reserue captiues whō they myght haue slaine or which deliuer men condemned from present death So then by this Lords are as it were deliuerers redéemers or sauiours Hereunto verily alludeth Paul where he sayth Ye are bought with a price become not therefore the seruauntes of men And S. Peter saith Ye are redeemed not vvith golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of the vnspotted Lambe Moreouer Christe is called Lord in respect of his Diuine power and nature by which all things are in subiectiō to the sonne of god And for because this word Lord is of a very ample signification as that which conteyneth both the diuine nature and maiestly wee see that the Apostles in theyr writinges vse it very willingly Paule to the Corinthians sayth Although there be many Lords yet haue we but one Lord Iesus Christ by whom all thinges are wee by him Now the third Article of Christian fayth is this Which vvas conceiued by the holie Ghost borne of the Virgin Marie In the seconde article wee haue confessed that wee beleeue in Iesus Christe the sonne of God oure Lorde wherein wee haue as it were in a shadow confessed that wée beléeue assuredly that God the father hath for vs our Saluation giuen to the world his sonne to be a Sauiour and redéemer For hitherto belōg those names Iesus and Lord. Now therefore in this thirde Article I haue to declare the maner and order how he came into the world to wit by Incarnation This article contayneth two things The Conception of Christe and his Natiuity Of both which I will orderly speake after that I haue brieflye declared vnto you the causes of the Lord his Incarnation Men were in a miserable takinge and all mankinde should vtterly haue perished for sinne which wée haue all drawne from the first mā Adam For the reward of sinne is death And for that cause wée that were to be caste into hell could not enter into heauen vnlesse the sonne of God had descēded vnto vs and becomming God with vs had with himself drawne vs into heauen Therefore the chiefe cause of his incarnation is to be a mediatour betwixte God and men and by intercession to ioyne or bring into one thē that were seuered For where a mediatour is there also must needes bée discord and parties The parties are God and men The cause of this discord is sinne Nowe the office of the Mediatour is to bring to agréemente the parties disagréeing which verilye cannot be done vnlesse that sinne the cause of this variaunce be takē cleane away But sinne is neyther clensed nor taken away except that bloud be shed and death do follow This witnesseth Paule in his 9. Chapter to the Hebrewes The mediatour oughte therefore to take on him our flesh and bloud that hée might both dye shead his bloud Furthermore it is needefull that this Aduocate or mediatour be indifferently common to both the parties whom he hath to reconcile wherfore our Lord Christ ought to be very God and very man If hée had béene God alone then should hée haue béene terrible to men and haue stoode them in litle stéede If hée had béen méere man then could hée not haue had accesse to God which is a consuming fyre wherfore our Lord Iesus Christ being both God and man was a fitte mediatour for both the parties Which thing the Apostle witnessing sayth One God and one mediatour of God and men the man Christ Iesus who gaue himselfe the price of redemption for all The same Apostle in the 2 and 9. Cap. to the Hebrewes speaketh many things belonging to this place And in the seconde Chapter rehearsinge an other cause of Christ his incarnatiō he saith It became him in althings to be made likevnto his bretheren that he might be merciful and a faithful high priest in thinges concerninge God for to purge the peoples sinnes For in that he himselfe was tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted An other cause wherfore our Lord was incarnate was that hée mighte instruct vs men in all Godlinesse and righteousnes finally that hée mighte be the light of the world and an ensample of holy lyfe For Paule sayth The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared vnto vs teaching vs to renounce vngodlines and to liue holilie To conclude hée therfore became one wyth vs by the participation of nature that is to say it pleased him to be incarnate for this cause that hée might ioyne vs againe to God who for sinne were seperated from God receiue vs into the fellowship of himselfe and all other his goodnes beside The nexte is for vs to declare the manner of his incarnation This article of fayth standeth on two mēbers The first is He was conceiued by the holy ghoste Al wée men Christe excepted ace conceyued by the seede of man which of it selfe is vncleane and therefore wée are borne sinners and as Paule sayth Wee are borne the sonns of wrath But the body of Christ I saye our Lord was not conceiued in
vncouered or hidden as it were vnder a vaile or figure They are conteined in the lawe and the Prophets euen till the time of the captiuitie at Babylon The blessed Apostle Peter doth in the 3. chap. of the Actes cite the prophecie of Moses touchinge the comming of the greatest of all Prophets The prefigured promises of Christ are the sacrifices whiche Paule in his Epistle to the Hebrues doth in a wonderfull summarie shortly declare The same Paule in the fift of the first to the Corinthians applieth the Paschal lambe to Iesus Christ The like doeth Peter in his first Epistle Againe the stonie rocke that was struck and gushed out with water S. Paul calleth Christ And Christ himselfe in the Gospel after S. Iohn doth say that he was prefigured in the brasen Serpent which was lift vp in the desart the mysterie wherof I haue in an other place more fullie declared Many more there are like vnto these a good parte whereof I haue alreadie touched when I had occasion to treate of the ceremonies and their signification Where he that listeth may read of it at large The vnfigured and vncouered promises are almost without number in the Psalmes and the Prophets Yea the Lord himselfe in the Gospel after S. Luke doth testifie that the description of all his office and businesse is at large conteined in the lawe the Prophets and the Psalmes And when S. Peter had preached the Gospel wherein he promised both Christ and the full remission of sinnes to all that beleeued he did immedately add All the Prophetes also from Samuel these that followed in order as many as haue spoken haue likewise told you of these dayes Dauid verilie in the 2. 22. and 110. Psalmes hath notably sett downe the two natures of Christ his Godhead and his Manhood Againe he hath layed before all mens eyes his hoalsome preaching his eternall priesthoode his euerlasting redemption and most bitter death and passion What shal I say of the Prophet Esay who was by no smal doctour of the church of Christ verie worthilie called an Euangelist rather than a Prophet as if he had writ a storie of thinges alreadie past and done by Christ not of thinges that should be done so truly did he foretel the state of Christ Now he maketh Christ to be verie God and verie man borne after the fleshe of the vnspotted Virgin who had to preach the word of life like a good shéepheard to feede his fearefull shéepe to bee the light of the Gentiles vnto the vttmost partes of the earth to giue sight to the blinde to heale the lame and diseased to be betrayed by his owne to be spitt vppon to be smitten to be hanged béetwixt théeues to be offered vp a sacrifice for sinne and finallie to make intercession for transgressours that hee himselfe being iuste might iustifie all that beléeue in his name Read Esaie 7. 8. 9. 11. 28. 40. 49. 50. 53. Chapiters and also al the last Chapter of all his Prophecie wherein he doth most fully describe the church or congregation of Christ Immanuel Ionas bare the most manifest type of the Lords sharp death and ioyfull resurrection Micheas also doth name Bethleem to be the place wherin Messiah should be horne whose beginning to wit of his diuine nature he doth referre to before all beginnings He doth also foretel that the preaching of the Gospell should from out of Hierusalem bee sowen abroade through all the compasse of the world Ieremie sayeth that God would raise vpp to Dauid a true séede or braunch that is the looked-for Messiah And in that Prophecie he alluded to the lawe concerning the raysing vpp of séede to the deceassed brother For the Virgin conceiuing by the holie Ghost brought foorth a sonne whose name is IEHOVAH being verie God in verie déede whom Esaie calleth Immanuel and is the true righteousnesse of all that doe beléeue in him For by Christ are the faithfull iustified For the same Prophete in the 31. Chapiter doth promise in Christ full or absolute remission of sinnes and aboundant grace of the holie Ghost whiche thinge Ioel also did not conceale Thus out of many testimonies I haue picked out onely these fewe in number For the whole bookes of the Prophets are occupied in the description of Christe and his offices The last promises concerning Christ were by God reuealed to the Prophets and by them declared to the Church of God euen in the verie time of the captiuitie at Babylon or else immediately vppon their returne to Hierusalem Ezechiel prophecieth of the shéepheard Dauid and of the shéepe receyuinge that shéepeheard whiche prophecies the Lord doeth in Sainct Iohns Eospel expound of himselfe The same Prophete treateth very much of grace and francke full remission of sinnes thorough the Sauiour Christ especiallie in the 34. 36. and 37. Chapiters of his prophecie Daniel verilie hath visions and many dreams but in them hée doeth so set Christ out vnto vs that it is vnpossible to haue him more better more euidently excellently described In his second Chapiter hee teacheth vs of his eternall kingdome and telleth vs that Christ should come vnder y Romane Monarchie at what tune the Romane Princes beeing by affinitie allied together should mutually in battell destroye one an other Whiche was fulfilled when Pompeie and Iulius Caesar Antonie and Octauius Augustus mainteyned ciuil warre Moreouer Daniels wéekes are vnknowen to no man wherein hée doeth as it were with his finger point at Christ the cōming of Christe and the reprobation of the Iewes because of their disloyaltie vnbeliefe Haggée the Prophete foretold the maner how the temple should be builded I meane the true temple in déede to witt the Church of Christ Zacharie doth excellently paint to vs many mysteries of Christ Hée layeth before vs the kingdome and priesthoode of oure Lord and Sauiour Hée commendeth to vs that one and onely eternall sacrifice whiche is effectuall enoughe to cleanse the sinnes of al the world Zacha 3. 9. 14. Chapiters Yea hee prophecieth of nothing else but of Christ his kingdome Malachias foresheweth the forerunner of the Lord and handleth no small number of mysteries concerning Christ Whereby we doe perceiue that Paule writt most truely in the first to the Romans saying That God did afore promise the Gospell by his Prophets in the holie Scriptures Nowe by these holy promises wee we gather this also that there are not manye or diuers Gospels althoughe wee denie not but that the same Gospell was penned by diuers Enangelistes but that there is one alone and that too as it were eternall For the verie same Gospell whiche is at this day preached to vs was at the beginning of the world preached to our first parents For it is assuredly certeine that by the Gospel were saued Adam Euah Abel all the Patriarchs Prophets and faithfull people of the old Testament Which thing we haue in an other place at large declared Wee are nowe come to
Father and the Sonne and name them the Trinitie teach that the man whiche God the Word tooke vppon him is to be accompted perfecte man not in body onely but in soule also euen as the auncient doctours of the Church did also thinck But forbeecause the question about Ousia and Hypostasis did trouble the Churches that there were sundrie contentions disputations concerning the differēce betwixt them they seeme to me to haue determined very wisely that those names should not at the first presently bee vsed in questions of GOD vnlesse it were that when a man wente about to beate downe the opinion of Sabellius hee were compelled to vse them least by lacke of words he should seeme to call one the same by three names when hee should vnderstand euery one peculiarly in that threefold distinction Socrates in the 7. Chap. and thirde booke of his historie addeth But they did not bring into the Church a certeine newe religion deuised of themselues but that whiche frō the beginning euen till then the Ecclesiasticall tradition taught and prudent Christians did euidently set foorth And so foorth Therefore awaye with the Popes champions to the place whereof they are worthie which when wee teach y all pointes of true godlinesse and saluation are fully conteyned and taught in the Canonicall Scriptures by the way of obiection do demaund in what place of the Scripture we find the names of Trinitie Person Essence and Substance and finally where we find that Christe hath a reasonable soule For although those very words consisting in those syllables are not to bée found in the Canonicall bookes which were by the Prophets and Apostles written in an other and not in the latine tongue yet the thinges the matter or substaunce which those woords doe signifie are most manifestly conteined and taught in those books whiche thinges likewise all and euery nation may in their language expresse for their commoditie and necessitie speake and pronounce them Away also with all Sophisters which thinke it a great point of learning to make the reuerend mysterie of the sacred Trinitie darcke and intricate with their straunge their curious and pernicious questions It is sufficient for the godly simplie according to the Scriptures and the Apostles créed to beléeue and confesse that there is one diuine nature or Essence wherin are the father the Sonne and the holy Ghoste Neither is it greatly materiall whether ye call them substances or subsistences or persons so that ye do plainly expresse the distinctiō betwixt them and eche ones seueral properties confessing so the Vnitie that yet ye confound not the Trinitie nor spoile the persons of their properties And héere now it will do verie wel out of the Scriptures to cite such euident testimonies as maye euidently proue the mysterie of the Trinitie with the distinction and seuerall properties of the thrée persons The Lord in the Gospel after S. Matthew saith All power is giuen to mee in heauen and in earth goe ye therfore teach all nations baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the holy Ghost teaching them to obserue all thinges whatsoeuer I haue commaunded you Tertullian alledging those wordes against Praxea sayth He did last of all commaund his disciples to baptise into the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost We are baptised not into one nor once but thrice at euery name into euery seuerall person Thus much Tertullian Nowe as euery seuerall person is seuerally expressed so the diuinitie of them all is therein singularely taught to be one and common to them all because hee biddeth to baptise not onely into the name of the Father but also of the Sonne and of the holy Ghoste The Apostle and elected vessell Paule doeth flatly denie that any man either ought to be or euer was baptised into the name of any man whiche is nothing else but méere man Were ye sayeth hée baptised in the name of Paule So then the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is GOD into whose name wée are baptised The same Lord in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayeth When the comforter commeth whome I will sende vnto you from the father that is the spirite of trueth he will lead you into all trueth He shal not speake of himselfe but whatsoeuer he shall heare that shall he speake He shall glorifie me for hee shall receiue of mine and shall shewe vnto you All things that the father hath are mine therefore said I vnto you that hee shall take of mine and shewe vnto you In these wordes of the Lords thou hearest mention made of the person of the father from whome the spirite is sente of the person of the Sonne whiche sendeth him and of the person of the holy Spirit which commeth vnto vs Thou hearest also of the mutual and equall communion of the Diuinitie and all good thinges betwixte the thrée persons For the holy Ghost speaketh not of himselfe but that which he heareth He shall sayeth the Sonne take of mine And againe All things that the father hath are mine And therfore what things the Sonne hath those are the fathers the diuinitie glorie and Maiestie of them all is coequall With these most euident speaches doe these two manifest testimonies of Iohn Baptist agrée First he sayth He whom God hath sent doth speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him The Father loueth the Sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth on the Sonne hath euerlasting life c. Loe héere againe in the one Godhead thou hearest the three persons distinguished by their properties For the Father loueth sendeth the Sonne and giueth all things into his hand The Sonne is sent and receiueth all thinges but the holy Ghost is giuen of the Father and receiued of the sonne according to fullnesse Then againe the same Baptist crieth the second time and sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a Doue and it abode vppon him And I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto mee vppon whom soeuer thou shalt see the Spirite descending and tarying still vppon him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and bare record that this is the Sonne of GOD. Héere againe are shewed vnto vs as clearely as the day-light the thrée persons distinguished not confounded For he that sendeth Iohn is the Father The holy Ghost is neither the Father nor the Sonne but appeareth vpon the head of Christ in the likenes of a doue And the Sonne is the sonne not the Father and that too the sonne of the Father vpon whose head the holy Ghost did abide And now to this place doth belonge the testimonie of the Father vttered from heauen vppon his Sonne Christ For he sayeth This is my beloued Sonne in whome I am wel
and ayde He prayeth therefore helpe mine vnbeliefe that is my faith which if it be compared with an absolute and perfect faith may séeme but vnbeliefe But heare I beséeche you what this faith how litle soeuer it was wrought and brought to passe what an humble minde and hanging vpon the only mercie of God was able to doe For streightwayes he healed the childe of the wofull father and being restored vnto health as it were raysed vp from the deade giueth him againe to his faithfull father If any therefore doth feele faith in his mind let him not despaire although hée knowe that it is weake enough God wot and feeble let him cast him selfe wholy vpon Gods mercy let him presume very little or nothing at all of his owne merites let him pray incessantly for the increase of faith In which purpose verily these wordes of our Sauiour verie ful of comfort out of the Gospell maye confirme and strengthen any man most wholesomly Aske and it shall bee giuen you seeke and ye shal finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto you For who so euer asketh receiueth and who so euer seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened Is there any man among you who if his son aske him bread wil giue him a stone or if he aske fish will giue him a serpent If you therefore which are euill can giue good giftes vnto your children howe much more shal your heauenly father giue good thinges euen the holy Ghost it selfe if you shall aske of him These and suche like sayings set foorth vnto vs in the holy gospel for our consolation ought more to moue and establish our mindes of the good yea the right good will of God towards vs than the eggings of the diuell wherwith he goeth about not onely to ouerwhelme the hope of our election but to make vs suspect and doubt of God as though he had his creature in hatred whome he had rather haue destroyed than saued But he is wel enough knowne to the Saints by his subtilties and traines For so he deceiued our first parents Let vs kéepe it déepely printed in our breastes that God hath chosen vs in Christ and for Christe his sake predestinate vs to life and that therefore hee giueth and increaseth faithe to Christ ward in them that aske it and that it is he that puts it in our harts For all things that tend to our saluation come from the grace of God nothing is ours but reproch and shame These thinges brethren thus farre haue I layde before you concerning the maruellous and wonderful work of the creation wrought by the eternall true and liuing God without any trouble doubtlesse or paines taking For he spake the woorde and they were made He commaunded and they were created A little we haue added touching the most wise and excellent gouerning of all things by Gods diuine prouidence which is alwayes iust and moste righteous Likewise of Gods good will towards vs of Predestination and certeine other pointes vnto these belonging All these things truly haue we rehearsed to beautifie the glory knowledge of God our Creatour To whome both the perpetual and vniuersal course of nature as well of things inuisible as also visible beareth witnesse Whom the Angels worship the starres wonder at the seas blesse the earth reuerenceth and all inferiall thinges behold Whom the minde of euery man féeleth albeit it doe not expresse him At whose becke al things are moued the springs cast forth their streames riuers decrease the waues arise aloft all things bring forth their increase the windes are forced to blowe showers to fall seas to rage al things in al places to deliuer abroad their frutfulnesse who planted a peculiar garden of felicitie for our first parents gaue them a commaundement and pronounced sentence againste their sinne deliuered righteous Noe from the daungers of the Deluge translated Enoche into the fellowship of his friendship did choose Abraham to him selfe defended Isaach increased Iacob appointed Moses the capteine ouer his people set frée from the yoke of bondage the groaning children of Israel wrote a lawe brought the ofspring of the fathers into the lande of promise instructed his Prophetes with his spirite and by all these promised his onely begotten sonne againe and at the same instant that he had promised to giue him hath sent him through whome also he woulde be acquainted and come in knowledge with vs and hath poured foorth vppon vs all his heauenly graces And bycause of him selfe he is liberall and bountifull lest this whole world being turned away from the riuers of his grace shoulde waxe drye hée woulde haue Apostles to be sent by his sonne as teachers throughout the whole worlde that the state of mankynde might acknowledge their maker and if they followed him might haue in stead of a GOD one whome in their petitions and prayers they might call Father Whose prouidence hath not onely extended it selfe and is nowe extended not only seuerally vnto men but also vnto verie townes and cities the ends of which he foretolde by the voyces of his Prophetes yea throughout the whole worlde Whose endes plagues decayes and punishments for their vnbeliefe he hath described And least any should thinke that this infatigable prouidence of GOD extended not to euerie thing though neuer so small the Lorde sayth Of two sparrowes the one of them falleth not to the grounde without the will of the father And The haires of your head are all numbered Whose care also and prouidence suffered not the garments of the Israelites to waxe olde nor their simple shooes on their féete to be worne and torne And not without good reason For if this God comprehendeth that whiche conteyneth all thinges and all thinges and the whole doth consist of partes and particulars than shall his care reache consequently euen to euerie part and particular whose prouidence hath reached already to the verie whole whatsoeuer it is To this God be all glory Of adoreing or worshipping Of inuocating or calling vppon and of seruing the onely liuing true and euerlasting god Also of true and false religion ¶ The fift Sermon TOuching GOD what he is in person what in qualitie and what in substaunce I haue tolde you already not as I ought but as I was able I haue likewise shadowed out howe good and readie his will is towardes man whome he hath ordeyned to life euerlasting in his onely begotten Sonne whome also he hath ▪ made Lorde of all thinges in this present worlde all thinges being brought in subiection vnto him Now that man should not be ignorāt what he oweth to so mighty a god and to a father so louing and liberal I will anon ioyne a disputation touching this liuing true and euerlasting GOD of man to be adored called vpon and worshipped For mā is neither created nor borne to beholde and gaze vpon the starres as y Philosopher doted but that he shoulde be the image and temple of
be called vppon For that God only is the searcher of heartes cōprehended in no place but present euery where and omnipotent Solomon in these words doth testifie Behold the heauens and the heauen of heauens are not able to conteine thee how much more vnable than is this house that I haue built Thou therfore shalt heare in heauen in the place of thy habitatiō or in thy dwelling place and shalt haue mercie For thou only knowest the heartes of the sonnes of men Thou shalt doe and giue to euery one according to al his wayes which knowest his very hart As for the heauenly patrons as these men cal them they do neyther know the thoughtes of men neither is their power spred throughout the heauen the earth and the seas neither do they know althings or yet are euery wher present or be omnipotent For if it were so with them they shoulde be transformed changed into a diuine nature should ceasse any more to be creatures but althogh by Christ they inioy euerlasting blessednes yet notwithstanding they remain creatures stil neither do they knowe al things neyther are almighty therfore are they at no hand to be called vpō In one prick moment of time truly innumerable thousands of mortal mē offer vp their vowes and make their petitions so that he verily which heareth must at a pinche and in a very moment not at sundry seasons or degrées of time know be able to doe all things yea and in a moment also reache out his helping hande vnto all Which as no creature though neuer so excellēt can do so the only God that knoweth al is omnipotent can do all things and therefore only alone is to be called vpon I wot well what the defenders of heauenly patrones or Saints obiect against that which I haue spoken to wit that they of their owne nature do neither sée nor yet heare what is done of vs vpon the earth but in the face of God as in a most lightsome looking glasse to sée all thinges what so euer God vouchsafeth to reueale to them and that so they haue an vnder-knowledge of all our affaires also helpe vs But this imagination or forgerie in all points doutfull can be proued by no authoritie out of the holy scriptures But touching the celestiall Saints the scripture doth rather affirme the flat contrarie For in Isaie the people of god cry out Thou O God art our father though Abrahā be ignorant of vs and Israel know vs not yet thou O Lorde art our father and our redeemer If than the patriarchs so studious and careful for their people knew not what they did which of the Saints I pray you shal we graunt or point out that knoweth what we do that intermedleth with the affaires of the liuing True doutlesse is y that the holy Psalme soūdeth Bicause my father and my mother haue lefte or forsaken me the Lord hath taken me vp If our parents forsake and leaue vs how I pray you can they tel or do they care how it fareth with vs Let that suffice vs wherw t Dauid held himself throughly cōtent saying The lord hath takē charge ouer me We reade y Iosias was trāslated out of this life into an other to the end he shuld not sée the mischiefes or plagues and punishments which the Lord determined to bring vpon the Israelitish people for their most wicked naughtie life The blessed souls therfore enioy the sight of god therby participate light and endlesse ioy or gladnesse they knowe none of our affaires neither is it néedefull they should knowe them considering that the Lorde alone hath all things in his gouernement Nowe is that also most certeine that inuocation springeth from faith as the fruit from the roote For Paul vsing that saying of the Prophete Who so euer calleth vpon the name of the Lord shall be safe doth by and by adde But howe shall they call vpon him in whome they haue not beleeued Sée howe the Apostle bringeth in one vppon an other He is not called vppon who is not beléeued Wherefore in whom we beléeue vpon him we doe also call But in God onely and alone we do beléeue therefore on him onely do we call For where so euer true faith is there likewise is the gift of the holie Ghost For the Apostle sayth If any haue not the spirite of Christe this man is none of his And againe You haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but you haue receiued the spirit of adoption by which we cry Abba father They therefore that are indued with a true beliefe in God call vpon God whome they doe acknowledge and confesse to be the onely father of all Neyther might so much as the lest part in that solemne forme and order of inuocation deliuered vnto vs by the sonne of God be attributed by any meanes vnto Patrones or Saintes The onely God therefore is to be called vpon The hart of sinfull man trembleth and quaketh to approche neare vnto so greate a maiestie For who may séeme worthy in him selfe to appeare and come before the presence of the most holy the most iust and the moste terrible God Here therefore some supply and make vp the matter with the patronship or intercession of celestiall Saintes by whose mediation and making way before vs passage lyeth open for vs vnto God. But this they bringe foorthe without the warrant of the scripture The scripture hath layde before vs a law as it were of calling vpon god thervnto hath annexed most ample or large promises so the commaundement doth set foorth vnto vs by and through whome we shoulde call vpon God adding therevnto a most excellent promise and opening vnto vs through Christe Iesus onely a ready way to the Father For in the Gospell the Lorde sayth Verily verily I say vnto you whatsoeuer ye shal aske the father in my name hee shall giue it you Hetherto you haue not asked any thing in my name Aske and ye shall receiue that your ioy may bee perfect or full And Whatsoeuer ye shall aske in my name I will doe it that the father may bee glorified by the sonne If you shall aske any thing in my name I will doe it What could be spoken more fully and clearly than these words Christe biddeth vs by or in his name to call vpon god the father and promiseth that he will giue the faithfull what so euer they aske in Christ his name Who doubteth now any whit at all of the truth constancie of him which promiseth What néed we therfore hencefoorth the intercession of Saintes Of calling vpon them or of comming to God by their mediation we haue no testimonie of scripture we haue no promise Wherevnto I adde that he contemneth the commaundement and precept of God who so euer seeketh by any other than by Christe and his intercession to come to the father
of Christe are of the diuell and therefore that they by al meanes together with all their disciples sectaries are to be auoyded This treatise of the true flesh of Christ we knit vp with these most plaine wordes of Paul WheÌ„ Christ was in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men found in figure as a man He huÌ„bled him selfe made obedient vndeath euen the death of the crosse Wherefore it is without doubt that the sonne of God tooke true and humane flesh and in the same is consubstantiall or of the selfe same substance with vs in all points sinne excepted Neither did oure Lorde after he was risen againe from the dead though he were glorified put off or lay aside his true body which he had once taken and put on And his glorification doth not take away the trueth of his nature For he saith vnto his disciples A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye see me haue Wherefore he carried that his true verie fleshe into heaueÌ„ with him in his true flesh he appeareth alwayes for vs in the sight of good the father in his true flesh he will come to iudge the quick the dead in his true flesh they shal sée him which crucified him Christ according to this nature who in respecte of his Godheade is no creature but a creatour is a creature For the fleshe of Christ hath beginning lineally descended from Adam who is the creature of the liuing god And albeit these thinges be sufficiently fenced with the force of the scriptures yet it shall not séeme yrckesome vnto you dearely beloued to rehearse the opinion of the blessed father Cyril which concerning the same matter he hath left written in his Epistle vnto Successus Byshop of Isauria Diocesse in these wordes Bycause I founde in your aduertisement such a kind of thing as though the holie flesh of Christe the sauiour of vs all were turned into the nature of his deitie after his resurrection so that now he shuld seme to be wholy solie god we thought good also to make answere vnto this And a fewe wordes after After the resurrection certeinely it was the selfe same body whiche suffered but yet not hauing now in it self mans infirmities For we affirme not that it abideth hunger labour or any such like thing but we confesse that now it is incorruptible and not this only but also that quickneth and giueth life For it is a body that both hath and giueth life that is to say of the onely begotten sonne of God and it is glorified with the most worthy brightnesse of God and it is knowne and taken to be the bodie of god Therefore if any man say that that is Gods body as the body of a man is mans body he swarueth net from allowable reason Wherevpon I thinke that most â—lessed Paule also sayde Though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh now yet hencefoorth knowe we him no more For being as I sayde the proper body of God it farre passeth all humane bodies But a body made of earth could not abide to be turned into the nature of the Deitie or Godhead For this is impossible Otherwise we abase the Godhead as if it were made and as if it had taken somewhat into it selfe whiche according to nature doth not properly belong to it Hereby it is proued to be as much follie to say that the body is turned into the nature of the Godhead as that which is the worde to be chaunged into the substance of flesh For as this is impossible bycause it is proued to be a bodye not able to be turned and chaunged so also it is not possible that any creature can be turned into the essence or nature of the Godhead but fleshe is also created And therefore we say that the body of Christ is diuine bycause it is the body of God and beautified with vnspeakable glorie and nowe let vs confesse that it is vncorruptible holy and giuing life but that it is chaunged into the nature of the Godhead neyther haue any of the holy fathers so thought or taught neyther doe we so thinke Thus farre Cyrill And Theodoretus Byshop of Cyrus Dialog 2. Eranist sayth I will shewe that the body of the Lorde yea after the ascension was called a bodie Heare Paule therefore saying Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for a Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall chauÌ„ge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye Therefore it is not chaunged into an other nature but remaineth indéede a true very body replenished with diuine glorie casting foorth beames of light But if it be chaunged into an other nature their bodies also shall likewise be chaunged For they shall be fashioned like vnto him But if the bodies of Saints kéepe the substance of their nature the body of the Lord likewise hath his substance vnchangable Thus farre Theodoret. Furthermore when we professe that Christ hath true and verie flesh we doe not meane fleshe withoute soule For we must confesse that Christe hath a reasonable or humane soule not voyde of a mynde Arius taught that the sonne of GOD tooke fleshe onely without a soule and that the worde was in place of the soule And Apollinarius did attribute vnto Christe a soule but hée toke away the minde denying that it was reasonable The scripture doth both attribute vnto Christe a soule and taketh not away the minde from the soule The Lord himselfe sayeth in the Gospell The sonne of man came not to bee ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule a redemptioÌ„ for many The same Matth. hath left written of him He began to be sorowfull and heauie And Iesus said My soule is heauie euen vnto the death And in another place the Lord himselfe saith Now my soule is troubled And if so bee that this soule of Christe lacke the minde which is the chiefest part of the soule how hath he a soule how could he be sorrowfull and vnderstand desire and remember With hartie desire sayth the Lord haue I desired to eate this passeouer with you before I suffer But this desire came not from his godhead neither from his flesh only nor from his soule waÌ„ting a mind but from his perfecte manhood of body and minde Moreouer we read in the Gospell that the Lord said The sonne of man came not to destroy mens soules but to saue them Therefore hee toke not flesh onely but a reasonable soule also For man had perished both soule and body therefore that he might bée saued both body and soule oure sauiour Christ toke a very mans body a reasonable soule that is to saye a most perfecte man Therefore blessed Athanasius teaching vs according to the scriptures the coÌ„fession of true faith said Christ is God of the substance
reteyneth the properties of both natures vnconfounded or vnmingled Paule vnto the Romanes manifestly sayeth that He was called to be an Apostle to preache the Gospell of GOD whiche hee had promised afore by his Prophets in the holy scriptures concerning his sonne whiche was made of the seede of Dauid according to the fleshe and declared mightilie to be the sonne of god touching the spirite of sanctification by the resurrection from the dead The Apostle therfore acknowledgeth both natures in Christe For according to the flesh sayth he Christ is the sonne of Dauid but if wee behold the power of his myracles his resurrection from the dead whiche giueth life and that Christ sendeth the holy Ghost sanctifyeth all the faithfull it appeareth that he whiche is the sonne of Dauid after the flesh is also the sonne of God according to his diuine power The same Apostle in the second chapiter to the Philippians doeth no lesse plainely and euidētly affirme both natures in Christ But because that place hath béene alreadie oftentimes alledged I passe ouer to the citing of other Sainct Augustine expounding not onely the confession of his owne faith but of the whole church in all the world which flourished in his time in his epistle to Dardanus 57. hath thus left written Doubt not that the man Christe Iesus is there nowe from whence hee shall come and haue in readie remembraunce and faithfully hould the christian confession because he roase from the dead ascended into heauen sitteth at the right hand of the father neither shall come from elsewhere than from thence to iudge the quicke and the dead and in such sort shall he come that voice of the Angel so witnessinge as hée was séene to goe into heauen that is to saye in the selfe same shape and substance of fleshe to whiche in déede hee gaue immortalitie but toke not the nature away According to this shape hee is not to be thought euerie where present For we must beware least we so fortifie y diuinitie of man that we take cleane away the trueth of his bodie For it doeth not consequently followe that that which is in GOD should so be euery where as god For the scripture whiche cannot lye sayth euen of vs that in him we liue moue and haue oure béeing howbeit we are not euery where as he is but he is after another sort man in God béecause he is also otherwise God in man after a certeine proper and singular manner For one person is God and man and both of them is one Iesus Christ euerie where in that he is God but in heauen in that he is man. And the same authour sayeth a little after Take away space of places from bodies they shal be no where and beecause they shall be no where they shal be no bodies Take the verie bodies from the qualities of the bodies and there shal be no place for them to be and therefore it must néeds be that they haue no beeing And in the end of the epistle the same Augustine sayeth Doubt not that Christ oure Lord the onely begotten sonne of God coequall with the father beeing also the sonne of man whom the father excéedeth in greatnesse both to be present euerie where as hée is God and also to be in the same temple of GOD as God dwelling there And yet to be in some certaine place of heauen according to the manner of his true body The selfe same thing the same authour as yet expoūdeth more at large in his 50. treatise vppon Iohn And Contra Faelicianum Arianum Cap. 9. 10. 11. Also in his treatise De agone Christi Cap. 24. vnto Cap. 27. To which wée will also ioyne the testimonie of the holy martyre Vigilius bishopp of Trident. For he disputing against Eutyches in the defence of both natures in Christ sayeth If the nature of the woord and flesh be one how is it that since the word is euery where y flesh also is not found euerie where For when the flesh was in earth surely it was not in heauen and because it is now in heauē surely it is not in earth and so farre is it from beeing in the earth that according to flesh wee doe looke for Christ to come from heauen whome according to the word wee beléeue to be with vs on earth Therfore acording to your opinion either the word is conteyned with his fleshe in place or else the flesh with the word is in euery place Whereas one nature receiueth not into it selfe anye thing contrarie and vnlike But it is contrarie farre vnlike to bee limitted within a place and to bee euerie where and béecause the word is in euerie place but his fleshe not in euerie place it is euident that one and the selfe same Christ is of both natures and that he is euerie where according to the nature of his Godhead and is conteined in place according to the nature of his manhood that he is both created and also without beginning that he is subiect to death and also can not die one of whiche is agréeable to him by the nature of the word whereby he is God the other by the nature of the flesh wherby the selfesame God is man Therefore one and the selfe same sonne of God being also made the sonne of man hath a beginning by the nature of the flesh and hath no beginning by the nature of his diuinitie by the nature of his fleshe hee is created and by the nature of his diuinitie hee is not created by the nature of his flesh he is limitted in place and by the nature of his diuinitie he is not conteyned in place by the nature of his flesh he is inferiour also to Angels and according to his diuinitie he is equall to the father by the nature of his fleshe hée died but by the nature of his diuinitie he died not This is the catholique faith and Christian confession which the apostles deliuered the martyrs confirmed and the faithfull euen vnto this day doe obserue and kéepe Hetherto we haue rehearsed the words of Vigilius martyre and bishopp to this end that the most notable agréement of the holy scripture of the vniuersall church and of the most Godly and learned fathers in this principle might be vnderstood wherin we confesse that the properties of both natures in Christe remaine vnconfounded Againe wée must by all meanes take héede least thorough defending and reteyning the properties of the two natures we diuide and pull asunder the vnitie of the person as though there were two Christes whereof the one should be subiect to suffering and mortall the other not subiect to suffering and immortall For there is but one and the same Christ who according to his Godhead is acknowledged immortall and mortall according to his manhoode Nestorius denied that the blessed virgin Marie was the mother of god For he said God was vnchaungeable and therefore that hee could not be borne and that
and of heauenly thinges doeth deuoutly and ardently meditate these thinges And truely the woord Father putteth vs in minde of many thinges together For first it teacheth vs that all oure prayers are to bee offered to none other than to him which is a father that is to say that onely God is to bee called vppon and not another for him or another with him For our God and father is one the fulnesse and sufficiencie of all good thinges in whome only the faithfull are acquieted and doe rest and without whome they séeke nothing that is truely good And verilie this prayer can be offered to no creature For to whiche of the Angels or the Sainctes canst thou say without sacrilege O our father whiche art in heauen c. Furthermore this word Father teacheth vs through whome wee should call vppon this father not by the mediation or by the mouthes of sainctes but by Iesus Christ our lord through whome only we are made the sonnes of God who were otherwise by birth and by nature the children of wrath Who I pray you durst come for the before the presence of the most highe and euerlasting God and call him Father and himselfe Sonne vnlesse the father in his beloued and naturall sonne had adopted vs the sonnes of grace Therfore when we say Father we speake from the mouth of the sonne who hath taught vs so to pray and by whome we be promoted into this dignitie that it néedeth nothing at all to add the name of Christe and to saye Wée pray thée O heauenly father for Christs sake since in the first word Father we comprehend the whole mysterie of the sonne of God and our redemption For in somuch as hee is our father wee are his sonnes and that by the merite of Christ therefore wée call vppon the father and so call him through Christ that I may not now repeat that we pray so from the mouth of Christ Moreouer this swéete and fauourable woord Father disburtheneth vs cleane of all distrust of heart For wée call him Father not somuch in consideration of his creating of all things as for his singular and fatherly good-will toward vs Wherevpon though he be Lord God and in déede a great Lord and an Allmightie God yet when wée praye wée attribute none of these names vnto him but call him fathér because in déede he wisheth vs wel loueth vs taketh care and charge ouer vs and hauing pitie vppon vs is desirous yea of his owne accorde and good will toward vs to stoare and heape vppon vs all good things whatsoeuer Hetherto appertaine the testimonies of the Prophets especially that of Dauid The Lord is full of compassion and mercie slowe to anger and of great kindnesse Hee will not alway chide neither keepe his anger for euer Hee hath not dealt with vs after our sinnes nor rewarded vs according to our iniquities For as high as the heauen is aboue the earth so great is his mercie toward them that feare him As farre as the East is from the west so farre hath hee remoued oure sinnes from vs As a father hath compassion on his children so hath the Lord compassion on them that feare him For hee knoweth whereof wee bee made hee remembreth that wee are but dust A verie excellent example of this thinge is to be séene in the Gospel after S. Luke where the louing father is painted out with wonderfull affections receiuing into fauour again that prodigall sonne waster of his wealth Herevnto is added this word Our whiche putteth vs in minde of two thinges For first it is a small matter to acknowledge God to be the God and father of all or to be the God and father of others vnlesse we also beléeue that he is our father vnlesse wee dedicate yéeld our selues wholy into his faith and protection as of our father who wisheth well vnto vs loueth vs hath a care ouer vs at no time and place neglecteth vs for vnlesse wee doe so beléeue neither with faith nor with the loue of GOD is oure prayer commended and therefore not a whit acceptable vnto god But that that best and greatest God is our God we doe vnderstand as well by his manifold benefites as also speciallie by the mysterie of our redemption throughe Christ Of which thing wée haue spoken elsewhere Furthermore since he bad vs pray Our father and not My father streight waye vppon the verie beginning he requireth loue of vs For his will is that we should not onely haue care of our owne saluation but of the saluation of all other men For wée are all the members of one body wherevppon each seuerall one prayeth not seuerally for themselues but euerie one for the safety of all the members and also the whole bodie Touching that matter I spake before when I intreated of the manner of prayeing vnto God. There is by and by added Which art in heauen not that God is shut vp in heauen as in a prison Solomon the happiest and wisest king of all cōfuting that errour long agone said If the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee howe muche lesse this house To which woordes I thincke that may be annexed which Stephan alledged in the Actes of the Apostles out of Esaie concerning the same thing Hee is therefore said to bee in heauen because his diuine maiestie and power and glorie shineth most of all in the heauens For in the whole course of nature there is nothing more glorious nothing more beautifull than the heauens Moreouer the father exhibiteth and giueth him selfe vnto vs to bee enioyed in the heauens Heauen is the countrie common to vs all where wée beléeue that GOD and oure father doeth dwel and where we worshipp GOD and oure father albeit wee beléeue that hee is in euerie place and alwayes present with all For as heauen compasseth and couereth all thinges and is euery where distant from the earthby euen spaces so the presence of his maiestie also doth fayle vs in no place Wée haue heauen euery where in our sight wée are euery where in the sighte of god But beside this by mention made of heauen wee are put in minde of oure duetie and our wretchednesse It is our duetie to be lifted vpp in our mindes by praying into heauen and to forgett earthly thinges and more to bee delighted with that heauenly father and countrie than with this earthly prison and exile It is our wretchednesse that beeing banished out of that countrie for oure sinnes and wandering in this earth wée are subiecte to diuers calamities and therefore béeing constreined by necessitie we neuer ceasse crying vnto the father But first of all saying Which art in heauen wée make a difference betwéene the father whome wée call vppon saying Our and our earthly father attributing allmightinesse vnto him Hée surely that is called vppon and ought to heare must know all sée all and heare all yea and more too will and
his bodie or distribution of his bloud It is manifest therefore that the substance of bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Lordes supper doe remaine in their owne nature and that transubstantiation is a sophistical imagination This also is a sophistical and a notable papisticall forgerie in that they say that the bread and wine consecrated in the Supper is therefore called of the Apostles breade and wine béecause they were bread and wine before For that is nowe done whiche is reade in Erod to haue béene done in times past where Araons rodde is saide to deuoure the Inchaunters rods which neuerthelesse then were not roddes but Serpentes but now they are named roddes because they were rods before they were so chaunged which now are serpents and not rods But againe who doth not sée this example hathe no similitude or likenesse with the breade and wine of the Lord For the rod truely was called a rod. But in the meane while it was and séemed plainly to be not now a rod but a serpént but the bread is called bread neither doeth it appeare to be any thing else but bread here is no forme of flesh séene as was séene there the fourme of a serpent Beside this the rod is saide to be turned into a serpent is shewed for a wonder or miracle but ye shal read in no place that the breade was turned into flesh by any miracle but a sacrameÌ„t is instituted which in déed looseth the name nature of a sacrament when the substance of the signe beeing annihilated made voide nothing remaineth there but the thing signified for the which they triflingly say of accidents myraculously subsisting without their subiect remayning in sted of the signe is to no purpose If we shuld go about to boast of our dreames for miracles there will be nothing so absurde foolish which we shal not colour with our fansies lyes What if this word transubstantiatioÌ„ doth manifestly proue that this whole trifling toy is not fetcht from the simple plaine doctrine of the Apostles but froÌ„ the subtile schole of quarelling sophisters But the Apostle Paule giueth vs in charge to beware both of Philosophie and straungenesse of wordes though at this present we do not only intreate of new wordes but also of new matter and new doctrine contrary in all pointes to the Apostles For this doctrine of transubstantiation is cleane coÌ„trary both to the doctrine of the Apostles Euangelistes touching the true incarnation of our Lorde and the true nature and propertie of his humane body and also the true raising vp againe of our bodies For they are constrayned to forge many thinges altogether myraculous as of the inuisible body of Christ of the subtile body of Christ pearcing by his subtility through the gate the stone I meane that which couered his sepulchre or the Lordes very body béeinge altogether and at one time in many places and filling all thinges and other innumerable which are of this stampe absurde and wicked Nowe also Ioan. Scotus a subtile doctour in his woorke Sentent Distinct 11. Lib. 4. quaest 3. saith That the article of Transubstantiation is neyther expressed in the créede of the Apostles neyther in those créedes of the auncient fathers but that it was brought in and inuented of the Churche so sayth he meaning the Romishe Churche vnder Innocentius the thirde in the Counsel of Lateran Whereby we gather that the doctrine of Transubstantiation is of late time and newely start vp the historie whereof we haue elsewhere more largely compyled But by this that I haue sayde I thinke it playnely and effectually enoughe declared that the signes are not mingled with the things signified or chauÌ„ged into them but that eache of them remaine in their seuerall natures But albeit eyther of the parts without myxture doe reteine their owne nature yet those two agrée in one sacrament and being ioyned together and not diuided do make one perfect and lawfull Sacrament For water alone both priuately and ordinarily sprinckled is no sacrament vnlesse it be applyed and vsed according to the institution of Christ Purifying also or washing away of sinnes and the ingraffing or receiuing into the league and fellowshippe of God and all Saintes of it selfe is no Sacrament vnlesse there be also a sprinckling of water in the name of the blessed Trinitie In like maner it is no Sacrament if we eate bread in a common assembly and drinke wine of the selfe same cuppe after the common manner neyther is it a Sacrament if through a faythfull remembraunce thou consider that the Lordes body was betrayed for thée and his bloude shedde for thée for the which also thou giuest thankes but so farre fâ—â—rth as they are all mysteries of God and our saluation they are generally termed sacramentes that is secrete and spirituall mysteries of GOD and oure saluation For in a perfect and lawfull Sacramente there must néedes goe together both the holy action corporall or sensible and the spirituall celebration thereof for the whiche this sacramentall action was inuented and put in practise But here some moue many and diuers questions touching the sacramentall vnion whether it be personall reall or rationall I bycause I sée nothing of this matter doubtfully deliuered of the Apostles and that the thing being playne of it selfe by such maner of sophisticatioÌ„s is made dark doubtful difficult and obscure simply and playnely saye that the signe and the thing signified are ioyned together in the Sacramentes by Gods institution by faythfull contemplation and vse to be shorte in signification and likenesse of the thinges but I vtterly denye that those two are naturally vnited together so that the signe in the Sacrament beginneth to be that whiche the thing signified is in his owne substaunce and nature I denye that the thing signified is ioyned corporally with the signe so that the signe remayneth still in his owne substaunce and nature and yet neuerthelesse in the meane time hath the thing signified corporally ioyned vnto it that thereby who so euer is partaker of the signe shoulde be also by the signe or with the signe partaker of the thing it selfe The reason why I do so constantly denie that appeareth I thinke sufficiently by those examples whiche I haue hetherto declared and whiche hereafter shall be declared Furthermore I say that the signe and the thing signified are coupled together by Gods institution bycause he whiche instituted the Sacrament of baptisme and the Supper instituted it not to this ende that with water we might washe awaye the filthe of the body as the custome is to doe by daily vse of bathes neyther that wee should take oure fill of the breade and wine but that vnder visible signes he might commend vnto vs the mysteries of our redemption and his grace and to be shorte of our saluation by represeÌ„ting them to renue them and by sealing them to confirme theÌ„ My saying is that they are