tormenting and desperat conscience and that a ioyful quiet mery conscience is heauen and that deuils ar euil thoughtes good aungels good thoughtes First if this doctrine be true we beleue in vaine the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies which is grouÌ„ded of scripture nothing els so y t if you beleue scripture this is a false pretensed damnable doctrine If our bodies shal not ryse then is Christ not risen saith Paul al preachiÌ„g is vanitie but our bodies be dead through y e syn of AdaÌ„ shalbe raised through the rightuousnes of Christ Iesus By a man came death of soul body and by a man cometh resurrection of soul body Were not many christen men baptysed ouer dead mens graues in the primatiue church in token that the dead should rise againe S. Paul in his .xv. Chapter to the Corinthians the first letter doth nothing els but confute this damnable opinion of the Saduces denying the resurrection which now the Libertines begin to renew But our Saduces grauÌ„t the resurrection they say we must rise froÌ„ syn if we wil come to heaue which is a mery and ioyful conscience There be two sortes of resurrections expressed in Gods word of which it is written Lykewise as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ death by y e glory of the father Euen so we also should walke in a new life This new life is resurrection from sinne Christes raising is the other resurrection that is of the body which began in Christ the first fruits of the dead For Paul saith He that raysed vp Christ from death shal quickeÌ„ our mortal bodies in another place it shall rise a spiritual body Our Saduces because they ether wil not or can not perceaue the difference betwene these two sortes of resurrection which both are in scripture grauÌ„t in words deny in dede both heauen hel both good aungels il defending al resurrection to be from sinne to vertue froÌ„ vice to godlines froÌ„ vnclennes to sanctifitation Resurrection from sinne is but a figure of the other resurreccion For Paul saith Christ being once raised from death not from synne who neuer sinned dieth no more Likewyse imagen ye also that ye are dead coÌ„cerning sinne but are aliue to God TheÌ„ it disanulleth not resurrection of bodies but fortifieth the same forasmuche as if there be a shadow there must nedes be a body Now let vs search what the scripture teacheth vs of good aungels beleue them For a scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to control to amend and it is truth No maÌ„ can deny aungels to be creaturs and almighty Gods workmanship as Paul witnesseth He maketh his aungels spirites and his ministers flames of fyre How then are they inspirations Luke regestreth that at Christes birth a multitude of heauenly souldiours which wer angels song glory to God on high and peace in earth and reioysing to men Therfore they be no inspirations Did an inspiration appeare to priest Zacharie burning inceÌ„se in the temple Did an inspiration shew him that Elizabeth his wife shuld beare him a sonne Did an inspiration make him specheles No truly for the aungel telleth what he is saying I am Gabriel that standeth in the syght of God and am sent to speak vnto thee In y t he saith I stand I am sent he declareth that he is a substauÌ„ce And if Gabriel be a substance y e rest be also substaÌ„ces They reioyse ouer euery sinner y â— repenteth they behold the face of the father in heauen they assist beare vs vp in their hands thei cari Lazarus into Abrahams bosome they minister vnto Christ after his temptation they deliuered y e law vnto the Israelites thei shal come to the generall Iudgement with Christ and after the resurrectioÌ„ they shalbe made like vnto them If they be inspirations tell me how speaking singing staÌ„ding seÌ„ding ioye seing punishing handes helpe and infinite other things which the scripture geueth to Angels can be in an inspiratioÌ„ and without a substaunce Me thinke this assercion hath affinitie with the doating opinion of transubstaÌ„tiation For our Romanistes although they more stubburnely then truely and more obstinately then deuoutly defend that no bread remaineth after the consecration yet they cannot deny but that many accidents remaine as the culloure of bread the tast of bread bredth length and other the which cannot be in y e comfortable and swete flesh of Christ wherfore either the substauÌ„ce of bread remayneth or els we must sai with the papists that these things be without a substauÌ„ce the which is as if we should say there is sickenes and there is helth there is cold and heat moisture drith but ther is no such thing as a body An angel of y e Lord comforteth Agar y e Egiptian besyde the well of Seer and commauÌ„deth her to returne to her mistris Abraham promiseth his seruaunt that an Angel shall ayd and further him in his iourney Iacob when he blesseth Ephraim Manasses prayeth y t the Angel of y e Lord which had ben his succour at all times might blesse and multiplie them We read that an Angell gouerneth y e hostes of the Israelites an Angel of the Lord killeth thousaÌ„ds of the Assyrianes Angelles certifie women of Christes resurrectioÌ„ and the disciples of his glorious returne Wheafore they be no inspiratioÌ„s no mocioÌ„s cuÌ„ming from God but spiritual substauÌ„ces and ministring spirites sent to minister for their sakes which shalbe heyrâ—s of saluation Now as I haue spoken of good Angels so I thinke it no lesse nedefull somwhat to speake of euil Angels For ther be many late borne Saduces which haue perswaded theyr owne wauering myndes and allure the consciences of others to y â— to the foresaid opinion that the deuill is nothing but Nolitum or a filthy affecton of the flesh and swaruing from honesty vertue and godlines I thinke such haue either already said in their harts ther is no God or y t they may as easely be brought thervnto as Cherea was vnto Pamphila Cherea durst not ieopard in his owne apparell but fained himself to be anoteer Euen so our late Saduces Libertines will not reason these thinges stifly for disturbing y e coÌ„monwelth or rather for losing their lyues But it is to be feared that vnder the coloure of christians they say they reason in the way of disputation when they speake from y e bottom of their hearts If any man winch at my wryting he declareth y t he is a Saducie If there be a God as we most stedfastly must beleue verely ther is a deuill also if ther be a deuill there is no surer argument no stronger profe no playner euidence that ther is a God Be not al euill angels spirits Then ar they not sensual motioÌ„s but spiritual substauÌ„ces But I will leaue argumeÌ„ts call truth to
burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Thou mayest escape the punishement of man but thou canst not escape Gods hand who punisheth more greuously then man Whâ—ther wilt thou flie from God surely thou canst not flie from him but by flying vnto hym thou canst not escape his wrath whiche is his righteousnes but by appealyng vnto his mercie Dauid compared God to a man that draweth a bowe the farther he draweth his shaft whiche is his punishment the greater is the stroke therof There is a great altercation nowe a daies whether God be in the sacrameÌ„t or not he must nedes be ther for he is in al places But whether is he ther by his diuinitie or humanitie Christ warneth vs that in the latter age there shall aryse many false Prophetes and Pseudochristi that is false anointed which be the Byshop of Romes gresed butchers and sacrificers which shal say lo here is Christ and there is Christ. These Pseudochristes be not they of whom they speake afterward in thesame chapters many shall come in my name saying I am Christ but another sort for these shall not chalenge this to them selues but direct maÌ„ to other and of these false anointed that shal point vs to other he saith Nolite credere beleue theÌ„ not and therfore I dare not say that he is there after his humanitie least I be a false Prophet for this is spoken of his humanitie not of his diuinitie Touching his diuinitie I say vnto you good people lo here is Christ and there is Christ for it is here there in the towne in the citie in the chappel in the church and wildernes and euery wher as I haue declared The papistes say y t this place maketh not against y e presence of Christes body vpoÌ„ earth but against false Prophetes which should preach in the last age false doctrine True it is Christ speaketh here against suche But what false doctrine shal they teach Shal ther come two at one time in one age of which false prophets shal say he is christ and an other shal say no this is Christ pointing to some other There were neuer yet two in one age which both were said to be Christes of any false prophets nor the scriptures do not mencion or regester any such thing to come for the veritie saith y t many such shal come Now we neuer read that many haue reported and said here is Christ and there onles we take it to be spoken of the papistes whiche shewe Christ vâ—to vs in many places at once in euery chapell and on euery Aultar Many shall say of them selues that they are Christ but these be other doctours compare their wordes together and thou shalt fynd that I say true the one text doth not expounde the other but they be two dyuerse prophecies of two diuerse things This false doctryne then is nothynge els but to teach Christes body after his ascentioÌ„ to be vpon the earth visibly or inuisibly Pighius who calleth Gods worde a nose of ware wresteth this text to another purpose taking Christe here for his church Lo here is Christe and there is Christe saith Pighius that is heretikes shal say here is the church and there is y e church O wyse exposition shall heretikes saye that Christ is here there touchyng his members and church No verely this is no heresy for Christes church is in many places in deserts and other If Christ must be taken for his church in this text then we are compelled also to vnderstaÌ„d the church by him in the text which immediatly foloweth where he saith beleue them not Christe that is the church shall come as lightnynge we must take Christ for the same thorow out the chapter Read diligently examen the circumstaunce whych is chieflye to be regarded in the exposition of doubtful places open the scripture with the key not with the pykelocke that is expound it by tt selfe not by priuate interpretation and y u shalt fynd that Christe there is taken for Christ not for y e church as Pighius wold straine the place making of y e scriptures a nose of wax You wil ask me then whether we receiue Christes body yea truly from heauen from the right hand of the father not out of y e bread nor in y e bread For onles we eat his flesh and drink his bloud we shal not dwell in him we shall not arise at the last day we shal not haue eternall life Christes humanitie is the mean wherby we must obtein al things the way by which we must clyme vp to heaueÌ„ the ladder that Iacob sawe going vnto Mesopotamia reaching vp to heauen with aungels ascending and descending vpon it Christ teacheth this vsing not only his word and commaundemeÌ„t in raising the dead as God but also his flesh as a help and meane to the same In raysing the doughter of one of the chief of the synagoge he toke hir by the hand and raysed her When he cured one full of the leprosy he stretched out his hand and touched hym When he entred into the citie of Naim meetinge a dead man caried out the only sonne of a wydowe hauyng compassion on her he touched the bere and raised him from dead Ther be infinit places of scripture which teach vs that Christes flesh geueth lyfe deliuereth from death expelleth vice but this is notable forasmuch as this wydowe signifieth the church and her dead sonne representeth mankynd dead thorowe the sinne of Adam Christ is a vyne and we ar the brauÌ„ches as he witnesseth himselfe Ego sum vitis vera c. I am the true vyne and my father is a husbaÌ„d man vos estis palmites The brauÌ„ches cannot lyue onles they take norishment of the substaunce of the vyne and of his iuice Euen so the soul of a christen man must nedes be fed with the swete fleshe and comfortable bloud of Iesus Christe If we be braunches we be nouryshed of the vyne I wold learn whether he be the vyne after his humanitie or by his diuinitie He is not the vyne touching his diuine nature for the vyne is not equall with the husband man but at his commaundement Christ touchinge his diuinitie is the husbandman and equall with his father Marke he is the vyne therfore coÌ„cerning that nature in which he is inferior to his father which is his humanitie If then Christe be the vyne not by his diuinitie but by his humanitie and we the brauÌ„ches then we must be refreshed of the vyne that is of his humanitie This metaphore hath ben abused to many euill purposes as to proue Chryste not to be God because he is the vyne it hath ben racked also to proue that these words hoc est corpus meum This is my body is a lyke phrase a like speach as when Christ saith ego sum vitis I am the vyne They be no like phrases
his letters professeth him self to be y e seauaunt of Iesu Christ wherfore he is to be honored theÌ„ he is one God with the father for it is writteÌ„ Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and hym only shalt thou serue You cal me saith Christ Lord and maister and ye say well for so am I. And he warneth vs that we call not one another maister for one is our maister The Apostle also witnesseth y t ther is but one diuinitie one power and maiestie of Christ the father saying although ther be y t are called Gods whether in heaueÌ„ or in earth as ther be gods many Lordes many yet vnto vs is ther but vnus deus one God which is y e father of whom are all thinges we in him and vnus dominus one Lorde Iesus Chriâ—st by whom are al thinges we by him For as in that he saith that ther is but one Lord Iesus Christ the father is not denied to be Lord so these wordes vnto vs ther is but one God which is y e father denie not Christ to be God He numbreth not him emong those whiche are Gods by nuncupation but ioyneth coupleth him with the father froÌ„ whoÌ„ he is vnseperable The Prophet Baruch saith of him he is our God and there is none other able to be coÌ„pared vnto him Wherfore ether we must graunt him to be one God with the father or els make the father vnderlyng to hys sonne for none is to be compared to him That the Prophet speaketh these words of Christ the same text folowing sheweth it is he that hath found out al wisdom and hath geuen her vnto Iacob his seruaunt and to Israell his beloued Afterward did he shewe himselfe vpon earth and dwelt among men This text declareth also that Christ gouerned the congregatioÌ„ of the Israelits in that it sayth he fouÌ„d out all wisdome and gaue her vnto Iacob and Israell Read that Chapter thou shalt fynd y t he prepared y e earth at the beginning filled it with all maner of foules and beastes and that he gouerneth the same and that he wotteth al things that he is great and hath no end high vnmeasurable which things all proue him one God with the father as he testifieth of himselfe saying to his father Hec est vita eterna c. This is life euerlasting that they might know thonly tru God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ that is that they might knowe the and Iesus Christ to be thonly true God Neither doth only here deny the holy ghoste to be one God with them forasmuch as he is of the same esseÌ„ce that they be for he procedeth of them both nomore then y e father is excluded by the same word and the sonne where it is written The thinges of God knoweth none but the spirit of God The father and Christ are not excluded from that knowledge which is said here to apperteine only to the holy ghost So wheÌ„ soeuer they two are said to be the only true God the almightie coÌ„forter is not denied to be god also with them We read in the reuelation of S. Ihon of a name which none knewe but he only who had it written that is Christ yet both y e father knewe it who knoweth al scieÌ„ce the almightie coÌ„forter also for he searcheth al thinges yea the botome of Gods secretes Wherfore wheÌ„ Moises crieth Harken Israell the Lorde thy God is one God when all the Prophets preach that there be no more Goddes but one the diuine nature and esseÌ„ce is not denied to Christ and to the almightie comforter nomore then dominion and Lordshippe is denied to the father because Paule saith to vs is but one Lord Iesus Christ. So God is said onli to haue immortalitie and yet nether Christ is immortal who saith vnto the rebelliouse Iewes Verely verely I say vnto you if a man kepe my word he shall neuer se death For if the keping of Christes worde lead vs to immortalitie howe much more is he himselfe immortal without beginning or end Neither y e holy comforter for of him Paule writeth If the bloud of oxen and of goates and the ashes of an heyfer when it was spryncled purified the vncleane as touching the purifieng of y e fleshe how much more shal y e bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himself withoute spotte vnto God pourge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God So God is said only to forgeue sinne only to be wise only to be mightie only to be good which textes and sayinges are spokeÌ„ of the gloriouse Trinitie If they were spoken of the father only as the Arrians teach then the euangelist wold haue said who can forgeue sinnes but the father only none is God saâ—e the father only Paule also sayth â–ª not vnto the father wyse only but vnto God king euerlasting immortal inuisible and wyse oniy that is to the blessed Trinitie be honoure and prayse for euer and euer For if we take him otherwise we make him a lier who grauÌ„teth power immortalitie and wisdome in diuerse and sundry places both to Christ our sauiour and to the spirite the comforter And these thinges do onlye apperteyne and belong to them thre neither are they attribute to any other Wherupon it muste nedes folowe that they be one God Nothing proueth this more plainly then the hebrue text whersoeuer the scripture cryeth vnto vs that ther is but one god Moses saith vnto y e Israelits Iehoua Elohenou Iehoua Ecadh that is the Lord our God is one God or one Lord â–ª This text can not be spoken of the father onlye for the hebrue word for God is Elohim of the plurell nuÌ„ber not of the singuler to teach vs that there be thre vnconfounded which neuerthelesse are declared to be one God and of one essence maiestie and power for so much as they are Iehoua Ecadh For Iehoua is the peculier special honorabâ—â— and most blessed name of God for which the Iewes dyd vse to reade Adonai not that it could not be expressed in their language but for a more reuerence to Gods name Moises also saith in another place vnto the it was shewed that y u mightst know that the Lord is God that ther is none but he wheras for god the english he vseth Elohim so for the Lord he vseth Iehoua Esay the Prophet doth likewise speking of one God and reiecting al other Wherfore the Trinitie is one euerlasting the only immutable inuisible and almighty God I will proue this to be true in these foure wordes power name light vertue for the father is almighty as it is written I am the Lord almighty And the sonne also is almighty for the wyseman calleth him y e almighty hand and the almighty word of God The holy comforter also is almighty forasmuch as he is