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
busie them selues Let vs also first of all note that which expressely he doth adde That come vnto God by him by him I say that is our Mediatour Prieste and Intercessour Christe For by him onely and alone the way lyeth open for vs to goe to the father Vnto which also is annexed that hee liueth and for this end he liueth to make intercession for vs. The heauēly Saintes also doe line in the kingdome of God with Christe but they liue for them selues or for their owne benefite not for vs or our aduauntage Christe liueth for vs and maketh intercession for vs therefore he alone maketh intercession Saintes do not make intercession These reasons do proue vnto vs most manifestly I thinke that the Apostle speaketh of the mediation of intercession not of redemption Laste of all hee requireth in an intercessour such manner of marks or properties as a mā can not finde in any saue in Christe the Lorde onely and alone For although the Angels be innocent and harmelesse yet notwithstanding they are not higher than the heauens The heauenly Saintes although they be nowe purged and made cleane from sinnes yet for all that by nature they are not separated from sinners neyther are they made higher than the heauens as being Lordes ouer Angels and ouer euery creature Onely the sonne is suche a one and for him this glory is reserued and kept he alone therefore is the intercessour of the faithfull with the father Vnto these testimonies of Paule we wil yet ioyne one of Saint Peter and an other of the moste blessed Apostle and Euangelist Iohn Saint Peter doth teache that the Saintes that is we whiche are faithfull in this worlde are layde as liuely stones by faith vpon Christ the liuely stone and that we are made a spirituall building or house and an holy priesthood to offer spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christe Loe we are layde not vpon Saints but vpon Christ the liuely stone by whom we are both quickened and preserued in the building We are made a spirituall house and an holy prtesthood for this ende that we should offer not sacrifices of beastes but spiritual sacrifices to wit our owne selues and our prayers vnto God by Iesus Christe not by Saintes For they also are the spirituall house with vs the liuely stones layde vpon Christ and liuing through Christ Furthermore Iohn writeth My babes these things write I vnto you that ye sinne not and if any man sinne we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christe the iust or the righteous And he is the propitiation or reconciliation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but also for the sinnes of the whole world I doe not think that any thing could be deuised or spokē more agréeable to our purpose more euident more strong or better than this We heare that Christe is appointed and made vnto vs of God not onely a mediatour of redemption once to redéeme but to be an euerlasting mediatour yea of intercession who so often standeth an aduocate before God the father howe often sinfull man offendeth and hath néede of his helpe and defence vnto whō also the guiltie may boldly haue accesse cōmit vnto him their cause to be pleaded before god If any man sinne sayth Iohn we haue an aduocate with the father Loe Iohn calleth him an aduocate whome the defenders or mainteiners of the partroneship of Saintes doe call a mediatour of intercession For Aduocatus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an aduocate signifieth a Tutour a defender a fauourer a comforter a patrone or a proctour whiche pleadeth or hath our cause in handling But marke whome he defineth and setteth foorth to be our aduocate not the holy virgine not Peter or Paule not him selfe or Stephan but Iesus Christe If he had thought or beléeued that the patroneship of heauenly Saintes had béene ouer and besides necessarie and wholsome for men then woulde he haue ioyned thē with Christ the lord now he setteth forth vnto vs Christ alone He addeth The iust or the righteous As if he had sayde There is no cause why any shuld distrust or stand in doubt of his patroneship or thinke him a patrone not in his fathers fauor loue He is the sonne He is Christe He is the iustor righteous therefore he is highly in his fathers fauour and most acceptable who in the presence of the most iust God may appeare for vs that are vniust Such righteousnesse is not found in any one of Adams children But it is required in an intercessour Indéed he doth communicate his righteousnesse to the Saintes by fayth but that righteousnesse is imputed to the Saintes and it is imputatiue In Christe righteousnesse is natural and as it were borne in him yea it is properly his owne For Christe Iesus he is the onely righteous in heauen and in earth who néedeth not first for his owne sinnes and then for the offences of the people eyther to pray or to offer sacrifice For he onely hath no sinne and he is the righteousnesse of all He therfore maketh intercession with the father bycause none naturally and properly is righteous but Christ alone And it is not amisse in this place first of al to marke that Christ is called a propitiation or satisfaction not for sinners or people of one or two ages but for all sinners and all faithfull people throughout the whole worlde One Christe therefore is sufficient for all one intercessour with the Father is set foorth vnto all For how often thou sinnest so often thou haste ready a righteous intercessour with the father Not that we should imagine in Heauen as in a courte the Father vpon his throne to sit as a iudge and the sonne our patrone so often to fall downe on his knées and to pleade or intreate for vs as we sinne and offende but we vnderstande with the Apostle that Christe is the aduocate and the vniuersall prieste of the churche and that he only appeareth in the presence of the father bycause as the power force of his deth albeit he die not daily so the vertue of his intercession is alwayes effectuall Let vs therefore drawe neare and come to God by Christe the onely mediatour of our redemption and intercession our onely intercessour and aduocate We can not but be acceptable vnto God the father if we be commended vnto him by his only begotten sonne Furthermore weake are the argumentes wherewith the maynteiners of the heauenly patrones goe about to establish their patroneshippe or intercession The spirite saye they maketh intercession for vs according to the doctrine of the Apostle therefore Christ alone doth not make intercession I answere that Paule speaketh not of an other intercessour in heauen but of the spirite of man praying in this worlde which being inlightened and kindled with the spirite of God groneth and maketh intercession for the Saints The words of the Apostle are playne These men do yet adde We reade in scripture
beleeue that this sonne of God beeing God begotten of his father all together before all beginning did sanctifie the wombe of the virgin Marie and that of her he toke vpon him verie man begotten without the seede of man the two natures onlie that is of the Godhead and manhood comming together into one person onelie that is our Lord Iesus Christe Neither doe we beleeue that there was in him an imagined or any phantastical bodie but a sound verie bodie and that he both hungered and thirsted and taught and wept and suffered all the damages of the bodie Last of al that he was crucified of the Iewes and was buried and rose againe the third day afterwarde was conuersant with his disciples and the fortieth day after his resurrection ascended into heauen This sonne of man and also the sonne of God wee call bothe the sonne of God and the sonne of man. We beleeue verilie that there shall be a resurrection of the fleshe of mankinde and that the soule of man is not of the diuine substance or of God the father but is a creature created by the will of God The Creede of the fourth Counsell kept at Toledo taken out of the booke of Isidore AS we haue learned of the holie fathers that the father and the sonne and the holie ghost are of one Godhead and substance so is our confession beleeuing the trinitie in the difference of persons and openly professing the vnitie in the Godhead neither confounde we the persons nor diuide the substance Wee say that the father is made or begotten of none we affirme that the sonne is not made but begotten of the father and wee professe that the holie ghoste is neither created nor begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne And we confesse that the Lord him selfe Iesus Christe the sonne of God and the maker of all things begotten of the substance of his father before all the worldes came downe from his father in the latter times for the redemption of the worlde who neuerthelesse neuer ceassed to be with the father For hee was incarnate by the holie ghoste and the glorious virgine Marie the holie mother of God and of her was borne alone the same Lord Iesus Christ one in the trinitie beeing perfect man in soule and bodie taking on man without sinne beeing still what he was taking to him what he was not touching his godhead equal with the father and inferiour to his father touching his manhood hauing in one person the propertie of two natures For there are in him two natures God and man And yet not two sonnes or two Gods but the same God and man one person in bothe natures who suffered griefe and death for our saluation not in the power of his godhead but in the infirmitie of his manhood He descēded to them belowe to draw out by force the Saintes which were held there And he rose againe the power of death beeing ouercome He was taken vpp into the Heauens from whence he shall come to iudge the quick and the dead By whose death and bloud we beeing made cleane haue obteyned forgiuenesse of our sinnes and shal be raysed vp againe by him in the last day in the same flesh wherein now we liue and in that manner wherein the same our Lord did rise againe and shall receiue of him some in rewarde of their well-doing life euerlasting and some for their sinnes the iudgement of euerlasting punishment This is the faith of the Catholique church this confession we keepe and holde which whosoeuer shall keepe stedfastly he shall haue euerlasting saluation A declaration of the faith or preaching of the Euangelicall and apostolicall truethe by the blessed martyr Irenaeus taken out of the 2. Chap. of his first booke Contra Valent. THe churche dispersed through the whole worlde euen to the endes of the earth hath of the Apostles and their Disciples receiued the beliefe which is in one God the father almightie which made Heauen and earth the Sea and al that in them is And in one Iesus Christe the Sonne of God who was incarnate for our saluation And in the holie Ghost who by the prophets preached ▪ the mysterie of the dispensatiō the cōming of the beloued Iesus Christe our Lord with his natiuitie of the virgine and his passion and resurrection from the dead and his ascension in the flesh into the Heauens and his comming againe out of the heauens in the glorie of the father to restore all thinges and to raise vppe againe all flesh of mankinde so that to Christe Iesus our Lorde bothe God and sauiour and king according to the wil of the inuisible father euery knee may bow of thinges in Heauen and things in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euerie tongue may praise him and that he may iudge rightlie in all things and that hee may cast the spirites of naughtinesse with the angels which transgressed and became rebells and wicked vniust mischiefous and blasphemous men into eternall fire and that to the iust and holie ones and such as haue kept his commaundements and remained in the loue of him partely from the beginning and partely by repentaunce he may graunt life bestowe immortalitie and giue glorie euerlasting The Churche although it be dispearsed throughout the whole worlde hauing obteined as I haue saide this confession and this faith doeth as it were dwelling together in one house diligently keepe them and likewise beleeue them euen as if it had one soule and the same hart and doeth preache teach and agreeably deliuer these thinges euen as if it had al one mouth For in the world the tongues are vnlike but the force of teaching is one and the same Neither doe the Churches whose foundation is laide in Germanie beleeue otherwise or teache to the contrarie neither those in Spaine nor those in France nor those in the East nor those in Aegypte nor those in Libya nor those whiche are in the worlde beside but euen as the Sunne which is the creature of God is one and the selfe-same in all the worlde so also the preaching of the trueth shineth euery where and giueth light to all men whiche are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth And neither shal he which among the chiefe ouerseers of the Church is able to say muche speake cōtrarie to this For no man is aboue his maister Neither shal he which is able to say litle diminish this doctrine any whit at al. For seeing that faith is all one and the same neither doeth he which is able to say much of it say more than should be said neither doeth he whiche saith little make it euer a whit the lesser Reade further in the fourth chapter of his third booke Contra Valent. and you shall perceiue that by the terme of Apostolicall tradition he meaneth the Creede of the Apostles ¶ A rule of faith after Tertullian taken out of his Booke De praescriptionibus
c. 949 1 Let euery man be swift to heare slowe to speake c. 238 1 Pure religion and vndefiled before God the father c. 475. 668. 2 Abraham was not iustified by faith onely c. 465 2 Séest thou how faith was made perfect by workes c. 461 2 Let him aske in faith nothing wauering c. 922 2 Abraham and we are iustified by workes c. 28 2 If a brother or sister be naked destitute of daily foode c. 97 3 Touching the properties of the tongue c. 238 3 For the tongue is a little meÌ„ber and boasteth great things c. 319 4 Ye aske and receiue not because ye aske amisse c. 918 4 There is one law giuer which is able to saue and to destroy c. 905 5 Behold the hyre of labourers whiche haue reaped downe your fields c. 272 5 How the faithful should behaue themselues towards c. 1080 5 Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed c. 574. 580 5 Ye haue liued in pleasure vppon earth and beene wanton c. 299. 300. 509. 5 If any be sicke amonge you let him send for the elders c. 1139 ¶ Out of the first Epistle of S. Peter 1 YE are redéemed not with gold and siluer c. 60. 770 1 We are borne a newe not of corruptible seed c 21 827 1 The prophets did search at what moment or minute of time the spirite c. 363 1 Hope perfectly in the grace which is brought vnto you c. 305 2 Feare God honour the king 151. 2 Christ his owne selfe bare oure sinnes in his body vpon the c. 568 2 Ye are a chosen generation a royall priesthood c. 1106 2 ChristiaÌ„s are called priests 879 2 As frée and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse c. 448 2 The foundation of the church is Châ—isâ— c. 861 2 Submit your selues to all manner ordinance of man c. 107 3 The eyes of the Lord are vppon the iust c. 521 3 Touching the manner and ordering of womens apparel c. 239 3 That the Lord went in the spirit and preached vnto the spirits c. 66 3 Baptisme saueth vs not the putting away of the filth of the flesh c. 983. 989 4 Dearely beloued thincke it not straunge that ye are tryed with fire c. 294 4 Sée that none of you be punished as a murtherer c 296 4 As euery man hath receiued the gift euen so minister y same c. 905 4 The Gospâ—ll was preached also to the dead c. 765 4 Charitie couereth the multitude of sinnes c 584 4 The time is that iudgment must begin at the house of God c. 298 5 Be sober and watch for your aduersarie the diuel c. 749. 751 5 The elders that are among you I beséech c. 867 ¶ Out of the second Epistle of S. Peter 1 THe prophecie came not in old time by the will c. 10. 26. 717. 1 No prophecie in the scripture is of any priuate interpretation 907 2 God spared not the angels whiche sinned c. 745 2 The Lord knoweth how to deliuer his from temptation c. 174 2 There were false Prophetes among the people euen as c. 587 2 These are wells without water c. 449 3 In the Epistles of Paule many things are hard to be vnderstood c. 23. 24 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iude. THe Angels which kept not their first estate c. 745 Iude saith that the Angel fought with Sathan the diuel c. 747 ¶ Out of the fâ—â—st Epistle of S. Iohn 1 That which we haue séene and heard we declare vnto you 81 1 The bloud of Iesus Christ clenseth vs from euery sinne c. 82. 552 2 If we say we haue no sinne wée deceiue c. 401. 496. 917 2 They went out from vs but they were none of vs c. 604. 819. 820. 2 Annoynting annoynted c. 180 2 And the annoynting whiche ye haue receiued of him c. 707. 726 2 By this we know that he dwelleth in vs by the spirit that he gaue c. 825 2 My babes these thinges write I vnto you c. 664 2 If any man loue the world the loue of the father is not in him c. 482. 483 2 Who is a lyar but hee that denieth that Iesus is Christ c. 629 3 Now are we the sonnes of god and yet it doth not appeare c. 727 3 We knowe that when he appeareth we shal be like vnto him 608 3 If we receiue y witnesse of men c. 550 3 Who so hath this worlds good séeth his brother haue c. 289. 1124 3 He that committeth sinne is of the diuel c. 485 3 My babes let vs not loue in word nor in tongue but in déede 96. 4 Beléeue not euery spirite but try the spirites c. 715. 839 4 Whosoeuer coÌ„fesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God c. 463. 825 4 Euery one that loueth him that begat c. 55. 826 4 By this we know his loue because he gaue his life c. 150. 825 4 Euery spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 688 4 Little children ye are of God and haue ouercome in you c. 727 4 God is loue he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God c. 825 5 If any man sée his brother sinne a sinne which is vnto death c. 519 5 He that beléeueth not God maketh him a lyar c. 48 5 For all that is borne of God ouercommeth the world c. 54. 709 5 This is the loue of God that we kéepe his commaundements 409 5 And this is the confidence that we haue in him that if we aske c. 54 ¶ Out of the Apocalypse of S. Iohn 1 FEare not I am the first and the last c. 836 1 I am Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end c. 608 1 Iesus Christ prince of the kings of the earth loued vs c. 708 1 Iohn was banished into the Isle of 〈◊〉 c. 873 2 Remember from whence thou art fallen c. 593 2 To him that ouercometh I will giue to eate c. 863 3 These things saith he that is holy and true c. 836 4 And I saw another angel flying through the middst of heauen c. 653 6 Howe long 〈◊〉 thou Lord which art holy true c. 757. 766 7 After this I â—awe and behold a great companie c. 813 14 And I heard a voyce from heauen saying vnto me Write Blessed are the dead c. 780 17 Great Babylon the mother of whoredomes c. 869 18 Go out of her my people c 859 19 And I fell downe before the féeâ—e of the angel to worship him c 653 21 The fearefull and vnbeléeuing
the Virgin Marie by Iosephe or by any seede of man but by the holie ghoste not that the holy ghoste was in place of the seede For nothinge is begotten of the spirite but what is spirituall Neyther hath our Lorde a phantasticall but a very true body and of the same substance with vs So then our Lord was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin by the holie ghost For the holie ghost by his eternall power did bring to passe that the virginitie of the Virgine mother beinge vncorrupted shee I say being made with child cōceiued of her owne bloud and gaue a pure and verye humane bodie to the sonne of god As is declared at large by the Angell Gabriel in the first cap. after S. Luk. Of which place because I meane to speake else where more largely I do now passe it ouer vntouched God himselfe streight wayes after the verie beginninge of the worlde did foretel that such should be the manner of that cōception For he said not the seede of the man shal tread downe the Serpents heade but the seede of the woman Moreouer the Lord by the Prophets sayth I will rayse vp seede to Dauid But Moses law for the raysinge vp of seede to the brother departed is wel knowne For if the brother died without issue of Children his brother remayning aliue was compelled to marrie the deceassed brothers wife and of her to beget childrē which were called and counted not by the name of him that was liuinge but of the deade brother Wherefore when there was not to be found amā of Dauids lyne that was sufficientlie meete to begett on the Virgin the sonne of God the fauiour of the world God himself raiseth vp seede to Dauid and by his holy spirite maketh the Virgin with childe who although she were not with child by a man of Dauids lyne yet because shée was a daughter of Dauids stock and because God so workinge shée of her owne substaunce gaue substaunce to the sonne of God this her childe Christe both is and is called the sonne of Dauid What doth that argue moreouer that Dauid in the 110. Psalme sayth In the mightie power of holines the deaw of thy birth is to thee of the wombe of the morning Or the deaw of thy birth is to thee of the wōbe of the morninge in the mightie power of holines That is to say By a certaine mightie power of holines meruaylous meanes shalte thou bee borne For thy birth shal be like vnto the ingendring of the deaw which cōmeth of the pure morning as it were a child borne of the wombe For as in the day time the Sūne draweth out of the earth a vapour which by reason of the smallnes of the heat which draweth it vpwarde is by the coldnesse of the tēperat night or euenings drawn downe againe and resolued into water So God the is the Sunne of righteousnes tooke blood of the earth that is of the bodie of the vntouched Virgine Marie and by a wonderfull meanes did holilie and purely bring to passe that of her vnipotted wombe shoulde be borne and conceiued the most holie sonne of God. The causes whie this conception of the sonne of God in the wombe of the holie Virgine is most pure are these Hée that is conceiued in the wombe of a Virgin is God but God is a consuming fire which cannot take or suffer any vncleannesse in it self An other cause is this God came to cleanse our vncleannesse that is the vncleannesse of vs men hée himselfe verilie oughte to be exempte from all originall spots in all pointes most holie to the ende that being the onely vnspotted Sacrifice offered vp for the sinnes of all the world he might cleane take away all the sinnes of the world For that which is it selfe defiled cannot cleanse the thing that is defiled but rather the spot or filthines doth double his vncleannesse by the comminge too of that other vncleane thing The seconde member of this thirde Article is Hée was borne of the Virgin Marie The Lord was borne of Marie his mother and yet shée a Virgine still Hec is therefore very man which is borne of Woman Moreouer his byrth is pure For hee was borne of the Virgine so that together shée was a mother and yet a Virgine too For Esaias sayth Beholde a Virgine shall conceiue and bringe forth a sonne A Virgine sayth hee shall do both Conceiue and bringe foorth so that neuerthelesse shée may remaine a Virgine still The birthe therefore of the sonne of God is moste pure Also his birthe is a true birth verilie and in deede For hee taketh fleshe of the substaunce wombe of the Virgin. In which signification also our Lorde Iesus Christe is called the sonne of Dauid Hee coulde not bee called Dauids sonne vnlesse hée had taken verie humane substaunce of Marie a mayde or daughter of the stocke of Dauid Which that the Apostle Iohn mighte most properly signifie and expresse he sayth The Woord was made fleshe And the Apostle Paul sayth He doth no where take on him the Angells but the seede of Abraham And in the same place againe he affirmeth That the Lorde was made like to his bretheren in al things sinne excepted To the Philippians hee saith When hee was equall with God hee made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruaunte and made in the likenesse of men and founde in figure as a mā Againe the Apostle Iohn beareth witnesse sayth Euerie spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christe is come in the flesh is of God and euerie spirite which confesseth not that Iesus Christ is com in the flesh is not of God. Luke in his 2. Cap. hath at large set forth the manner of his Natiuitie And I do meane elsewhere to speake of it at the full Let vs therefore confesse that Iesus Christe was conceiued by the holie ghoste and borne of the Virgin Marie The fourth article of Christiā faith is this Hee suffered vnder Pōtius Pilate was crucified dead buried hee descended into hel In this fouth article is declared the end vse chiefeste comodity of the Lord his incarnation For he became man that he might suffer and dye and by dying suffering might redéeme vs from eternal death the torments of hell make vs beinge once clensed heyres of life euerlasting For this is the end of the Lorde his death as I will by by shew you and as Paule doth at large declare in the 9. chapter to the Hebrewes This article also is diuided into his partes First wée confesse that oure Lord suffered in very deede not phātastically to the appearaunce onelye that he suffered verily the calamities and myseries of this world and after that againe the tormēts of the slaughtermen and death it selfe in most bitter panges Hée suffered therfore both in soulde and bodye yea and that too in many facions For Esaias sayth He is a man of sorrowes
condemnation iustlie pronounced against them because when they liued they belieued not with Noe and them that were with him in the Sauiour that was to come Or else otherwyse by the lower partes or by hell wée vnderstād not the place of punishment appointed for the wicked but the faythful that are departed euen as al so by the higher parts we vnderstand them that yet are remayninge aliue Wherefore the soule of Christe descended into hell that is to say it was caried into Abrahams bosome wherein all the faythfull already departed were gathered together Therefore when hee sayd to the thiefe that was crucified wyth him This day shalt thou be wyth mee in Paradise he promised him the fellowship of life and of the blessed soules Touching Abrahams bosome our Lorde spake at large in the sixtenth Chapiter of the Gospell after S. Luk. For whereas the Lord is said to haue descended that commeth to passe by the manner of speakinge For otherwise it is euident by Luk that Abrahams bosome is a place seuered a great way from hell and placed vp aloft But to inquire or reason ouer curiouslye of these thinges is rather the point of a curious foole then of a godlye minded man Wée confesse in this article that the Soules are immortall and that they immediatelie after the bodilie death do passe to life and that all the sainctes from the beginninge of the worlde beinge sanctified by fayth throughe Christe do in Christe and by Christe receiue the inheritaunce of lyfe euerlasting I woulde adde to these the fifte article but that the houre is now alreadie spent Wée will therfore differre it vnto the next Sermon And nowe let vs altogether praye to God our father which is in heauen that hee will vouchsafe by his spirite to inspire vs wyth the true and quickening Fayth which is in the father and the sonne in the father as the maker of all thinges in the sonne as the sauiour of the whoale worlde who therefore came downe from heauen and was incarnate in the wombe of the moste holie Virgine Marie to the ende hee might bee the mediatour betwixte God and men and reconcile or make them at one againe betwixte themselues and that hee mighte haue wherewithal to make an oblation to appease Gods iustice and to purge oure sinnes which he bare on his body yea which he tooke awaye and made all the faithful heyres of lyfe euerlastinge Let vs nowe giue prayse to the grace of God and thanks to the sonne of god To whome alone all honour and glorie is due for euer and euer Amen Of the latter articles of Christian fayth conteined in the Apostles Creede ¶ The eight Sermon LEt vs firste of all pray to our God that he wyll vouchsafe to graunt vs an happie speedie and verye fruitefull proceeding in the declaration of the other Articles of Christian beliefe The fifte Article of oure beliefe is The thirde daye he rose againe from the deade And this article verilie of our beliefe is in a maner the chiefe of all the reste Neyther are the Apostles so busily occupied in declaring and confirminge the other as they are in this one For it had not beene enoughe if our Lorde had dyed onely vnlesse he had also rysen from the deade agayne For if hee had not risen from the deade but had remayned still in death who shoulde haue persuaded vs men that sinne was purged by the death of Christe that death was vanquished Sathan ouercome and Hell broken vppe for the faythfull by the death of Christe Yea verilye wee haue foolish fellowes that would neuer ceasse to blaspheme the verye God to make a mocke of oure hope and to saye Tushe who did euer returne from the deade to tell vs whether there be a lyfe in an other worlde after this or no and what kinde of lyfe it is Because therfore wée cannot finde finde that any man did euer returne from the deade that is to be doubted of which these babblers do tattle touchinge the lyfe of the world to come That the Lorde therefore mighte declare to the whole worlde that after this life there is an other and that the Soule dyeth not wyth the bodye but remayneth aliue hee returned the thirde daye aliue agayne to hys Disciples and at that instant shewed them that sinne was purged death disarmed the deuill vanquished and hell destroyed For the stinge of death is sinne Or the reward of sinne is death The deuill hath the power of Death and shutteth in Hell for sinnes Nowe therefore in that Christe ryseth aliue againe from the deade Death coulde haue no Dominion ouer him and because Death by sufferinge the Lorde to passe is broken It muste needes followe that the Deuill and Hell are vanquished by Christe And lastelie that Sinne the strēgth and power of them all is purelie purged It is euident therefore that the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ doth as it were certifie and by seale assure vs of oure Saluation and Redemption so that nowe wee cannot anye longer doubte of it Wee confesse therefore in this Article that oure Lorde Iesus Christe is rysen againe and that hee is rysen agayne for oure behoofe that is to saye that hee hath wipte awaye oure sinnes and that for vs hee hath Conquered death the deuill and hell accordinge to the saying of the Apostle God hath saued vs and hath called vs with an holie callinge not according to our woorkes but according to his owne purpose and fauour which was giuen vnto vs through Iesus Christe before all beginninge but is declared openlie now by the appearing of our Sauiour Iesus Christe who hath verilie put out death brought forth lyfe lighte and immortalitie by the Gospell There are many more like this in the 4. of his Epistle to the Romans and in the 15. of his first to the Corinthians For the Lord also in the Gospell after S. Iohn sayth I am the resurrection and the life hee that belieueth in mee althoughe hee be dead shall liue and euerie one that liueth and belieueth in mee shall not die for euer Nowe also let vs throughlie consider euery woorde of this article seuerallie by it selfe Wée confesse the Lord his resurrection But a resurrection is to rise againe That riseth which falleth The bodie of Christ fell therfore the bodie of Christ riseth yea it riseth againe that is to saye the verie same bodie of Christe which before it fell did both liue and stirre doth nowe rise againe it doth I say both liue and stirre againe For trulie sayde Tertullian of the resurrectiō of the flesh that this word Resurrectiō is not properly spoken of any thing saue of y which first fell For nothing can rise againe but y that fell For by rising againe because it fel we say the resurrection is made Because this sillable Re is neuer added but when a thing is done againe Wherefore the women in the Gospell when they wente to annointe the bodie of the Lord
these woords of the Lord in the Gospel must be beateÌ„ inâ—o the head of euery godly hearer Think not saith hee that I am come to destroy the lawe or the Prophets yea I came not to destroy but to fulfil theÌ„ Verilie I say vnto you heauen and earth shall passe but one iote or title of the lawe shall not passe till all bee fulfilled Whosoeuer therefore shall loose one of the smallest of these coÌ„mandements and shall teach men so he shal be called the least in the kingdome of heauen But whosoeuer shal doe and teach them hee shal be called great in the kingdome of heauen Let euery one therefore bée assuredly persuaded that the lawe of God whiche is the most excellent and perfecte will of God is for euer eternall and cannot be at any time disolued either by men or Angels or any other creatures Let euery man thinke that the lawe so farre as it is the rule howe to liue well and happilie so farre as it is the bridle wherewith wée are kept in the feare of the Lord so farre as it is a pricke to awake the dullnesse of oure flesh and so farre as it is giuen to instructe correcte and rebuke vs men that so farr I say it doth remaine vnabrogated and hath euen at this day her commoditie in the Church of God and therefore the abrogating of the lawe consisteth in this that followeth I told you that Gods commaundementes require the whole man and a very heauenly kinde of perfectnesse which whosoeuer performeth not hée is accursed and condemned by the law Nowe no man doth fulfill that righteousnesse therefore are wée all accursed by the law But this curse is taken awaye and most absolute righteousnesse is fréely bestowed on vs through Christ Iesus For Christ redéemed vs from the curse of the law being made the curse righteousnesse and sanctification for vs men And so in this sense the law is abrogated that is the curse of the lawe is thorough Christe taken from the faithfull and true righteousnesse is bestowed vppon vs thorough grace by faith in the same Christ Iesus For he is that blessed seede in whoÌ„ all the kinreds of the earth are blessed Hée is our righteousnesse For Paule saith By him euerie one that beleeueth is iustified from all things from which ye could not bee iustified by the lawe of Moses Therefore the law is put for the curse of the lawe or else the law of God is taken for that whiche is bewrayed or made manifest by the lawe that is to say it is taken for sinne For by the lawe commeth the knowledge of sinne Therefore the lawe is abrogated that is sinne is taken away not that it should not be or not shewe it selfe in vs but that it should not be imputed vnto vs and coÌ„demne vs For there is no damnatioÌ„ to them that are in Christ Iesu Moreouer the lawe is taken for the vigeance or punishment which is by the law appointed for transgressours Therefore the lawe is abrogated because the punishment appointed by the lawe is taken from the neckes of the faithfull beléeuers For the law is not giuen to the righteous man. For Christ deliuered the faithfull from eternall punishments whiles hée being guiltlesse did suffer afflictions for wicked sinners Furthermore the Apostle saith The fleshly mind is enimitie against God for it is not obedieÌ„t to the law of god nether can be But now this hatred or enimitie of Gods law is by faith pulled out of the harts of the faithful in stéed of it is graffed in the loue of gods most holy wil so that in this sense also the lawe is said to be abrogated beecause the hatred of the lawe is taken away And therefore the Apostle compareth them that are vnder the lawe to bondslaues and them that are frée from the lawe to sonnes and children to whome also hée attributeth the spirite not of bondage but of adoption For forbecause ye are sonnes sayth he God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes which crieth Abba father c. To these may be added that the lawe of God hath types and shadowes and that the Ceremonies are verie burthensome euen as also the whole lawe is called a yoke But nowe the sonne of God came into this world who fulfilling the figures shewed to vs the verie truth and did abolish those types and shadowes so that nowe no man can condemne vs for neglecting or passing ouer those Ceremonies or figures so againe in that sense the lawe of God is abrogated y is to say that kinde of gouernement whiche Moses ordeined did come to nought when Christ did come and his Apostles began to teach For they without regarde of the Ecclesiasticall regiment appointed by Moses did congregate Churches to whiche they taught not that kind of regiment which Moses had ordeined For they did coÌ„stantly reiecte the priesthoode of Aaron the sacramentes the sacrifices and choice of dayes of meates and of apparell which Moses had taught their elders And in stéed of al those rites they preached Christ alone and his two Sacraments c. This haue I said hetherto generally touching the abrogation of the law and now againe I will more largely expound the same by seuerall partes The whole lawe is diuided into the Moral the Ceremonial and the Iudicial lawes The Moral lawe nowe is conteyned in the tenne commaundements the first precept whereof doeth teach vs to honour and worshipp one God alone not to match any strange gods with him This coÌ„maundement did oure Lord Iesus in the Gospell so earnestly vrge and diligently teach that wée may perceiue very well that in it nothing is altered The second precept forbiddeth idolatrie that is the worshipping and honouring of al maner images whether they be the images of GOD himself or of any of his creatures But it is knowen that the Apostles in the doctrine of the Gospell did vse all meanes that they could to banishe and driue away all kinde of idolatrie Paule Iohn crie Flee from idolatrie And wheras Christ and his Apostles doe most diligently teach vs to sanctifie glorifie Gods holy name they doe thereby giue their consent to the establishing of the third coÌ„mandement which doth forbid to defile Gods name by taking it in vaine The 4. alone of all the commaundements concerning the sanctifying of the sabboth day is of S. Augustine called Ceremoniall But it must not be simplie vnderstoode to be Ceremoniall For so farre forth as the outward worship of God requireth a certeine appointed time to be exercised in carrieth with it the sacrifices of the lawe so farre I say it is ceremoniall but in respecte that it teacheth to méete in holy assemblies to worship God to pray to preache to be partakers of the sacraments and to offer spiritual sacrifices therein it is eternall not ceremonial As I haue before declared in the exposition of the Sabboth The fifte precept touching
haue For euen they also cried to God as to their father although they obteined it not by the lawe which terrifieth but by the grace of the Messiah Againe the same Apostle saith Whosoeuer are led by the spirite of God they are the sonnes of God. Which sentence we may thus conuert say that the sonnes of God are led by the spirite of God. But there is none vnlesse it bee such an one as neuer read the scriptures which will denye that the auncient fathers were the sonnes of God and were so called bothe by the Lorde him selfe and also by his seruaunt Moses What may be thought of the moreouer that our forefathers were called kings and priestes and so consequeÌ„tly a royall priesthood and a priestly kingdome which names Sainct Peter applyed to the faithful beléeuers in Christ Iesus Nowe such a kingdome and priesthood cannot be or consist without the vnction of the spirite The holy apostle Iohn I confesse in his Gospell sayde The holy Ghoste was not yet beecause Iesus was not yet glorified But as hee spake not of the substaunce of the holye Ghoste which is coeternall with the substance of the father and of the sonne so he doth not altogether denye that the fathers had the holye Ghost For in that place he speaketh of the excellent gifte which after the ascension of the Lorde was powred out vpon the people that did beléeue For Iohn him selfe interpreting him selfe doeth immediately before saye These wordes who so euer beleeueth on me out of his belye shall flowe riuers of water of life spake hee of the holye Ghoste which they that beleue on him shuld receiue The gifte therefore of the holie Ghoste was not at that time when the Lorde spake those words so commonly and plentifully powred vppon all men as it was vppon the faithfull after the glorification of the Lorde Iesus And verily our forefathers and the holie Prophets coulde not haue so precisely and eâ—pressely foretolde all the mysteries of Christe the church which the Euangelistes and Apostles do testifie to be nowe accomplished fulfilled vnlesse in their prophecies they had béene gouerned by the verie same spirite wherewith the Apostles were afterward instructed For it is a wicked thing for vs to thinke that the Prophets and patriarches did like madde men babble they knewe not what and speake suche woordes as they them selues vnderstoode not Abraham sawe the daye of Christe and was gladde of it for by that spirituall sight of his he had and felt with in him selfe a certeine kinde of spirituall ioye Howe manye times doth Dauid in the Psalmes testifie that the seruice of God and the holie congregation did delight him at the verie harte which wordes he vttered not so much for the ioye that he had in the externall ceremonies but for that he did by the spirite and by faith beholde in those ceremonies the true Messiah and Sauiour of the world And since it is euident that our forefathers were iustified by the grace of God it is manifest that that iustification was not wrought without the spirite of God through which spirite euen our iustification at this day is wrought and finished Therfore the fathers were gouerned by the verie same spirite that we of this age are directed by Of this opinion was sainct Augustine whose wordes dearely beloued I meane to recite vnto you worde for word out of his seconde booke de Peccato orig contra Pelag. et celest Cap 25. Things to come saith he were foreseene of the prophets by the same spirite of faith by which they are of vs beleeued to be alreadie finished For they whiche of verie faithfull loue could prophecie these thinges vnto vs coulde not choose but bee themselues partakers of the same And whereuppon is it that the Apostle Peter saith why temptye God to laye vppon the Disciples neckes the yoke that neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare but wee beleeue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ wee shal be saued euen as they Whereupon is I saye that Peter saith this but for because they are saued by the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christe and not by Moses lawe by which doth come not the saluing but the knowledge of sinne But nowe the righteousnesse of God is without the lawe made manifest witnessed by the lawe and the prophets Therefore if it be nowe at this time made manifest then must it needes bee that it was beefore although as then it were hidden The hyding whereof was prefigured by the vaâ—le of the temple which when Christe died was rent in pieces for a signification that it was then reuealed And therefore this grace of the onely mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus was then in the people of God but it was hidden in theÌ„ as it were rayne in a sliece which God doth separate vnto his inheritaunce not of duetie but of his owne voluntarie will but nowe that sliece being as it were wroung out that is the Iewish people beeing reprobated it is openly seene in all nations as it were vppon the bare grounde in an open place Thus much out of Augustine Nowe also there was sett beefore the eyes of Israel a earnall and temporall felicitie whiche yet was not all that they hoped vppon For in that externall and transitorie felicitie was shadowed the heaueÌ„ly and eternall happinesse For the apostle in the fourth eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrues saith that the fathers out of that visible and temporal inheritance did hope for an other inuisible and euerlasting heritage Neither was Christe to any other ende so expressely promised them nor the blessing and life in Christe for any other purpose so plainly layde defore them nor Christe him self almost in all their ceremonies so often prefigured for any other intent but that they thereby might bee put in hope of the verie same life into which wee are receiued through Christ our redéemer For the Lorde in the Gospell saith that wee shal bee gathered in the kingdome of heauen into the same glorie with Abraham Isaac and Iacob But here is an obiection made that life and saluation was promised onely and not perfourmed vnto the fathers but that they being shut vp in prison did looke for the comming of Messiah I for my parte do not finde any thing in the scriptures to bee written of such a prison whereinto the holie Patriarches were fast locked vpp Peter verily maketh mention of a prison but in that prison hee wil haue the disobedient not the obedient spirites to be But if any man obiect that Christe descended to them belowe we verily do not denye it but yet we say withal that he desceÌ„ded to the departed saincts that is that he was gathered to the companie of the blessed Spirites whiche were not in the place of punishment that is in torments but in the ioyes of heauen as the Lorde him self coÌ„firmeth the same when being readie to descende to them belowe
of Christ Iesu haue nothing to doe with the decrées of mans inuentions and that they are not bound to obserue mens traditions because they are dead to traditions with Christ that is to say they are by Christ Iesu redéemed and set frée from traditions whiche traditions did in Christe his deathe finishe and come to an ende while hee did make vs his owne and sett vs at libertie Then also hée doth by imitation counterfaite the woordes of them whiche make those decrées saye Oh touch not Taste not Handle not These thrée preceptes stretch very farre and comprehende manye petit decrées All which hee doeth unmediately confute with these probable argumentes First because they appoinct the worshippe of GOD to be in thinges that perish in the vse thereof But the kingdome of God is neither meate nor drincke but doth consiste in spirituall thinges And that whiche entereth in by the mouth doeth not defile the man Secondarilie béecause they are not made of God the authour of all goodnesse but haue their beginning of mans inuentions But in vaine doe they worshippe mée sayeth the Lord in the Gospell teaching doctrines the preceptes of men Neither doeth the holy Apostle saincte Paul wincke at and slylie passe ouer because hée will not aunsweare to the thinges whiche doe most commende these traditions First of all they are commended for the shewe and appearaunce of wisedome that is in them For they séeme to haue béene not without great wisedome ordeined of wise menne in that they doe so fittlie serue to euerye person time and place The earnest defenders of mens traditions crie out and saye Oure auncestours weee no fooles their lawes are full of wisedome But Ieremie cryeth out on the other side saying They haue reiected the woord of GOD therefore what wisedome can bee in them An other cause why traditions are commended is the Gréekes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say a chosen kinde of worshippe which wée of our owne braynes haue chosen and taken to oure selues to serue and do God worship with all For men do gladly and willingly receiue the traditions of men because they are agréeable to their inclination Yea Christ in the holie Gospell sayth If ye had beene of the world the world would haue loued her owne Nowe for because I haue chosen you out of the worlde the world doth hate you And againe hée saith That whiche men set great store by is abhominable vnto God. Moreouer mens traditions are commended for humilitie which is vnderstoode in two manners or respectes For first that is said to be humilitie if any man doe readily obey and easilie yéeld to that which is vrged obtruded and thrust vpon him by men of countenaunce and authoritie Secondarilie the lawes of men do séeme to exercise humblenesse and kéepe men in humilitie But such obedience and humilitie may rather bée called sacrilege because it is not ruled and directed by the woord of God as the thinge whereby alone it should be tempered and squared but doth transferre and conueighe ouer the honour of GOD from God to men Last of all mens traditions are commended for the neglectinge of the fleshe For Oh that discipline and chasticemente of the fleashe séemeth to them a goodlye thinge by whiche the wantonnesse of the flesh is somewhat brideled and tamed Finallie the Apostle addeth Not in any honour to the satistyinge of the fleshe that is to say Whiche thinges although they haue a shewe of religion and holinesse haue notwithstanding in verie déede no honour at all considering that those externall things are ordeined of GOD for the ease and reléefe of menns necessities Yea Paul doth flatly finde fault with those decrées because they giue the bodie no honour for the satisfying of the same that is according to the measure of the bodies necessitie For a moderate care and looking to the bodie is not only permitted but also commanded least wée perhapps by too muche lacke and neerenesse do marre the bodie and make it vnapt to doe good woorkes Neither is the care of the flesh in any place forbidden vnlesse it tend to lustes and sensualitie Wherfore the Apostle saith Cherish not the flesh vnto concupiscence Therefore God hath graunted to man for his necessitie the vse of meate drincke sléepe cloathing reste alloweable pleasures and other thinges necessarie In the fourth Chapiter to the Galathians Saincte Paule saith When the fullnesse of the time was come God sent his sonne borne of a womā and made vnder the lawe to redeeme them that were vnder the lawe that wee mighte receiue by adoption the right or inheritaunce of children Nowe because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes crying Abba Father Wherfore thou art no more a seruant but a sonne If thou be a sonne thou art also an heire of God thoroughe Christ And immediatly after againe Stand faste in the libertie wherewith Christe hath deliuered vs and bee not againe wrapped in the yoke of bondage In the second to the Hebrues hée saith Christe was made partaker of fleshe and bloud with vs to the ende that throughe death he might expell him that had Lordship ouer death that is the diuell and that hee might deliuer them which through feare of death were all their life time in daunger of bondage Thus I hope these testimonies of Scripture suffice for our purpose These thinges being wel weighed and throughly considered will plainely teache what kinde of libertie they haue whiche are made frée by Christ and what their propertie and inclination is to witt most religious and altogether giuen to holy thinges that is to say in all points addicted to the spirite without whiche there is no libertie and by which al the sonnes of God are alwayes gouerned The Lords frée men doe most diligently beware that they doe vnaduisedly offend no man by their libertie nor vainely abuse their purchased fréedome For they haue continuallie before their minds and eyes the weightie sayings of the holie Apostles of their Lord Christe Iesu Sainct Peter in the second Chapter of his first Epistle saith As free and not as hauing the libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse but euen as the seruauntes of God. And Paule hath Brethren ye haue beene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion to the flesh but by loue serue one an other For I when I am free haue made mee selfe seruaunte to all that I maye winne the more They therefore do specially abuse Christiā libertie who seeking after carnall things vnder the colour and pretence of the spirite and of libertie doe make their bragges that they by the preachinge of the Gospell are set free from all bodily debtes dueties and therefore they do denye to their maisters creditours magistrates and princes the dutie that they owe them by that meanes reuolting and rebelling againste them These fellowes are seditious stirrers and not the reuerencers of the Euangelical doctrin Paule crieth Giue to
the remnant and those thinges that are remaining behinde And Sainct Peter saith that Christ suffered for vs leauing behinde him an example for vs that wee might followe his trace and footesteppes Therefore the Apostle affirmeth that he by suffering fulfilled the remnaunt which was behinde After this againe they alledge the wordes of the Apostle Paul where he saith If I haue all faith so that I can remoue mountaines out of their place and yet haue not charitie I am nothing For vpon this they inferre Therefore not faith onely but also charitie yea rather charitie than faith doth iustifie But we say that Paul in this sentence doth neither denye that faith alone doth iustifie nor yet doeth attribute the iustification of the Sainctes to charitie For when we affirm that we are iustified by faith or when wée make faith the cause of iustification which thing must be by often repetition beaten into our memories wee do not vnderstand that faith as it is a vertue in vs doth worke and by the qualitie that sticketh to vs doeth merite righteousnesse in the sight of God but so often as wee make mention of faith wee vnderstande the grace of God exhibited in Christe whiche is through faith freely applyed to vs and receiued as the free gifte of God bestowed vppon vs And in that sense doeth Paule vse the name of faith when he affirmeth that faith doth iustifie But in this place of the thirteenth Chapter to the Corinthians hee doth not so take the name of faith but putteth it for the power of workinge miracles as is manifest by that which followeth where he saith So that I can remoue mountaines That faith doeth not comprehende Christe wholie but onely the power in shewing of miracles And therefore it may be sometime in an vniust man and an hypocrite as it was in Iudas Iscariot to whom the faithe of miracles profited nothing because hee was without the iustifying faith which faith is neuer without but of it selfe ingendreth charitie Againe whereas they obiect that saying out of the Gospell of Saincte Iohn Whosoeuer knoweth my commaundementes and keepeth them he it is that loueth mee and my father will loue him and we wil come to him and make our abidinge in him Therefore for the obseruation of the commaundements that is for our woorkes sake Gâ—d is ioyned to vs we againe alledge this saying of the same Euangeliste and Apostle Iohn By this wee knowe that weabide in him and he in vs because he hath giuen vs of his spirite But that spirit of God is a free gifte Therfore wee are ioyned to God by meere and frée grace It followeth in Iohn And wee haue seene and do testifie that the father hath sent the sonne to bee the Sauiour of the worlde Thou hearest I hope by what it is that the worlde is saued and what Christ the Sauiour of the worlde is Nowe who knoweth not that hee was sent vnto vs of the father by the méere and onely grace of God It followeth nowe howe that Grace is receiued Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus is the sonne of God God abideth in him and he in God. But in the sixte of Iohn in steede of confesseth is put beléeueth And no merueile since out of a true faith a true confession doth arise By faith therefore are we saued and by faith are wee ioyned vnto god But letting passe these wranglers who will neuer bee without store of such sophistical shifts we do againe returne to our purposed argument to shewe you howe and in what sense life and iustification are attributed to workes They that are well exercised in the reading of the holie Scriptures that they may reconcile the places of scripture that seeme at a blushe to bee at discorde do teache that faith works in verie déede are not separated one from another For the same holie spirite which giueth faith doth therwithall also regenerate the vnderstanding and will so that the faithfull doeth ardently desire and do his indeuour in all things to doe seruice to GOD his maker Therefore for the vnseparable knott betwixt faith and good workes which alwayes kéepe company and attende vpon faith we saye that iustification is somtimes somewhat vnproperly attributed to workes which is somewhat more properly to bee attributed to faith but moste properly of all to be ascribed to Christe apprehended by faith who is in verie deede the foundation subiect of our faith I will yet assaye to make this more manifest In true faith there are two thinges to be considered Reconciliation and Obedience Reconciliation because by faith wee vnderstande and verily beléeue that God is reconciled to vs for Christe his sake by whome wee are adopted into the number of the sonnes of god And Obedience because they that are reconciled doe wholie yelde them selues to him to whome they bee reconciled with carnest desire and zeale to doe his will and pleasure So then wee saye that faith is of two sortes the iustifying and the obeying faith Of the iustifying faith Sainct Paul maketh mention where he saith Beeing iustified by saith we haue peace toward God through the Lorde Iesus Christe by whome wee are reconciled Againe hee maketh mention of the obeying faith where hee saith Knowe yee not that to whome yee giue your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye are to whome ye do obey whether it bee of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousenesse that is to saye which obedience maketh you to doe the thinges that are righteous and to bee the seruauntes of righteousenesse which shall turne to you to eternall life and not the seruauntes of sinne which turneth vnto death Nowe therefore iustification is properly attributed to the reconciling righteousenesse through Christe Iesus and is improperly ascribed to the obeying righteousenesse or righteousenesse of obedience For the obeying righteousenesse is of the reconciling and without the reconciling righteousnesse obedience shoulde not bee called righteousenesse To which this also is to bee added that they which are iustified doe not put any confidence in this obedience as that which is alwayes spotted in this worlde by reason of our fleash To this also agreeth this other explication which I will here annexe The moste proper woorke of faith is purification and sanctification For Sainct Peter doeth expressely saye that by faith our heartes are purified But in sanctification the holie scriptures doe shewe to be two especiall thinges Firste that all the faithfull are fréely purified by the bloud of Christe Iesus For againe the same S. Peter saith Ye knowe that you are redeemed not with transitorie thinges as golde and siluer but with the precious bloud of Christe as of an vnspotted Lambe Sainct Paule saith Ye are sanctified by the will of God through the oblation of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made For with that one oblation he made them perfecte for euer whiche are sanctified Sainct Iohn also saith The bloud of Iesus Christ the sonne of God doth cleanse vs
ioye and alwayes bringeth gladnesse with it The tydings are that there is borne the Sauiour of the worlde euen the Lorde Iesus Christ he is borne and that too vnto and for vs that is to the health and saluation of vs mortall men Sainct Paule saith That the Gospel was promised afore of GOD by the prophets in the holie Scripture of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleshe who hath been declared to be the sonne of god with power after the spirite that sanctifieth by his resurrection from the dead And againe The Gospell is the preaching of Iesus Christe according to the reuelatioÌ„ which hath beene kept cloase from before beginninges but is nowe made manifeste and by the writinges of the prophâ—ts opened to all nations vnto the obedience of faith according to the apointment of the eternall God. And yet againe more briefely he saith The gospell is the power of God vnto saluation to all that do beleeue that is to saye the Gospell is the preaching of Gods power by whiche all they are saued that do beléeue But Christe is the power of god For he is saide to be the arme the glorie the vertue brightnesse of the father Now Christ bringeth saluation to euery one that doth beléeue For hee is the Sauiour of all Of all this wee doe nowe gather this definition of the holie Gospell the Gospell is the heauenly preaching of Gods grace to vs warde wherein it is declared to all the worlde being set in the wrath and indignation of God that God the father of heauen is pleased in his onely begotten sonne oure Lord Christ Iesus whome as he promised of olde to the holy fathers hee hath nowe in these latter times exhibited to vs and in him hath giuen vs all things belonging to a blessed life and eternal saluation as hee that for vs men was incarnate dead raysed from the dead againe was taken vp into heauen and is made our onely Lorde and Sauiour vppon condition y we acknowledging our sinnes do soundly and surely beléeue in him This definition I confesse is somewhat with the longest but yet withall I woulde haue you thinke that the matter which is in this definition described is it selfe verie large and ample which I haue therefore in this long definition or description with as greate light as I coulde endeuoured my selfe to make manifest to all men Wherefore I neither could nor shoulde haue expressed it more briefely This definition consisteth of iust partes which being once seuerally expounded and throughly opened euery man I hope shal euidently perceiue the nature causes effects and whatsoeuer else is good to bee knowen concerning the Gospell First of all that the Gospell is tydinges come from heauen and not begonne on earth that doeth moste of all argue because God our heauenly father did him selfe firste preach that tydings to our miserable parentes after their fall in Paradise promising his sonne who being incarnate should crushe the Serpents head Then againe the Apostle Paule doth in expresse wordes saye God in time past at sundrie times and in diuerse manners spake vnto the fathers by the Prophets and hath in these laste dayes spoken to vs by his sonne And Iohn before him is read to haue testified saying No man hath seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him And againe He that commeth from an high is aboue all he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth he that commeth from heauen is aboue all and what he hath seene and heard that he testifieth To this belongeth that the Prophets were beléeued to haue prophecied by the inspiration of the holie spirite Nowe they did in the holie Scriptures foreshewe the Gospell the especiall or chiefe poyntes whereof were by Angels descending from heauen declared vnto men For the incarnation of the sonne of God is by the Archangel Gabriel tolde first to the holie virgine and after that againe to Ioseph the supposed father of Christ and tutour of the vnspotted virgin The same Angel did preache to the shéepeheardes the birth of the sonne of god Moreouer to the women that came to the graue mynding after their countrie manner to annoynct the bodie of the Lord the Angels declared that hee was risen from the dead againe The same Angels at the Lordes ascension did testifie to the Apostles whose eyes were turned and surely fixed into the clouds that he was taken vpp into heauen that from thence hee shoulde come againe to iudge the quick and the dead And to all these testimonies may bee added the voice of the eternall father him selfe vttered from heauen vppon our Lorde and Sauiour saying This is my beloued sonne in whome I am pleased heare him Which testimonie of the father the blessed Apostle Peter doth in the zeale of the Spirite repeate in the firste Chapter of his seconde Epistle Therefore the preaching of the Gospell is a diuine spéech vnreproueable and brought downe from heauen which whosoeuer beleeue they do beléeue the worde of the eternall God and they that beléeue it not do despise and reiecte the woorde of god For it ceasseth not to bee the worde of God because it is preached by the ministerie of men For of the Apostles we do read that the Lord did saye It is not ye that speake but the spirite of my father which is within you And therefore we read that they departed not from Hierusalem vntill they were first instructed from aboue and had receiued the holie Ghost Neither is there any cause why the worde of God should be tyed to the Apostles onely as though after the Apostles no man did preache the word of god For our Lorde in Saincte Iohns Gospell doth plainly saye Verily I saye vnto you hee that receiueth whome soeuer I sende receiueth mee and he that receiueth mee receiueth him that sent mee Nowe our Lorde the highe priest and chiefe byshop of his catholique church doeth sende not Apostles only but al them also that are lawfully called and doe bring the worde of Christ Therefore we vnderstand it to be spoken concerning all the lawfull ministers of the churche where the Lorde doeth saye Whose sinnes soeuer ye forgiue they are forgiuen them and whose sinnes soeuer ye reteine they are reteined And againe whatsoeuer thou loosest on earth shal be loosed in heauen whatsoeuer thou byndest on earth shal be bound in heauen For in an other place the Lorde saith Verily I saye vnto you it shall bee easier for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of iudgement than for that citie that receiueth you not heareth not your sayings Nowe who knoweth not with howe filthie horrible sinne the men of Sodome did defile them selues and that the Lorde rayned fire brimstone and pitche froÌ„ heauen wherewith he burnt vp both the citie and her inhabitants Who therefore cannot gather therevppon that rebels
true Temple the true highe priest the true altar of incense and burnte offeringes euen Christe Iesus the Lord and Sauiour they haue the true worshippe whiche was of olde prefigured onelye in those externall Ceremonies As I haue alreadie declared vnto you in that place where I handled the Iewishe Ceremonies The Gentiles are out of euerie quarter of the world called vnto Christe Iesu All the promises touching the calling of the Gentiles haue béene hetherto most aboundantly fulfilled and are euen at this day Nowe are wee the chosen flocke according to the doctrine of Saincte Peter We are the royall priesthood an holie nation a peculiar people being called hereunto that wee should preach the power of him which hath called vs out of darckenesse into his meruailous light Therefore let the vnhappie Iewes vnlesse perhappes they had rather to bee intangled in greater errours to bée vexed dailye with endelesse calamities and so at laste perishe eternally turne vnto Christ by faith and together with vs beginne to worshippe him in whome their fathers hoped and in whome alone is life and saluation For that I may with the Apostles woords conclude this place GOD is made manifest in the fleshe iustified in the spirite seene to the Angels preached to the Gentiles beleeued in the world and receiued in glorie And euerie one that beleeueth him shal liue eternallie and neuer be confounded Wée haue nowe behinde the last part to expounde the contents whereof are that God the father who before was angrie with the world is pleased nowe in his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christ oure lord First of all therefore I haue to shewe you that God was angrie with the world whiche is no hard matter to proue For God is angrie at sinnes But the whole world is subiecte to sinne therefore it must of necessitie be that the most iust God is mightilie angrie with all the world And Paule sayeth The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlinesse vnrighteousnesse of men Againe the same Apostle sayeth that all men are subiecte vnto sinne for confirmation whereof hee citeth these sentences of the holy Scriptures saying There is none righteous no not one there is none that vnderstandeth or seeketh after God They are all gone out of the way they are all become vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Their throate is an open sepulchre they haue vsed their tongues for to deceiue the poyson of aspes is vnder their lippes Whose mouth is full of cursing bitternesse their feete are swift to shedd bloud Hartes greefe and miserie are in their wayes and the waye of peace haue they not knowen There is no feare of God before their eyes Nowe least the Israelites should aunsweare that these thinges doe not perteine to the people of GOD but to the heathen and vngodly alone hee addeth Wee knowe that whatsoeuer the lawe sayeth it sayeth it to them which are vnder the lawe that euerie mouth may bee stopped and that all the world may bee endaungered to God. No man is here excepted For to the Galathians the same Apostle sayeth Hee hath shutt vpp all vnder sinne that hee may haue mercie on all It followeth therefore that all the world was subiect to the wrath or indignation of the most iuste and righteous God as is at large proued in the second fourth and fifte Chapiters to the Ephesians But the heauenly father is appeased or recōciled to this wicked world thorough the onely begotten sonne our Lord Iesus Christe And this I hope I shall aboundantly proue by the onely testimonie of God himselfe For the father by sending downe a voyce from heauen vnto the earth vppon Christe first ascending newely out of the water after his baptisme and then againe at his transfiguration in the sighte of his disciples did significantly saye This is my beloued sonne in whom I am delighted pleased or reconciled heare him This testimonie is read to haue béene foreshewed in the 42. Chapiters of Esaies Prophecie And Peter the Apostle repeateth the same in the first cap. of his second Epistle Paule also did as it were expound this and saye It pleased the father that in the Sonne should dwell all fulnesse and by him to reconcile all things vnto himselfe since he hath sett at peace thoroughe the bloud of the Crosse by him both the thinges in earth and the thinges in heauen In heauen is God and wée men heere vppon earth Nowe Christe is the mediatour which goeth betwixte vs and reconcileth vs vnto his father so that nowe we are the beloued of the father in his beloued sonne For in the Epistle to the Ephesians the same Apostle sayth He hath made vs accepted in the beloued in whom wee haue redemption thorough his bloud the forgiuenesse of sinnes according to the riches of his grace All this shall be more fully vnderstood by that which followeth For nowe I must proue that God the father hath in his sonne giuen vs al things that are necessarie to a happie life and eternal saluation I name héere two thinges a happie life and euerlasting saluation By a happie life I vnderstand a holy and godly life whiche wee liue and lead quietly and honestly in this present world Eternall saluation is that felicitie of the life to come whiche wée with assured hope doe verilie looke for Nowe we haue in Christ a most absolute doctrine of a happie life taught vs by the Gospel wherein also wée doe comprehend the example of Christ his owne trade of life Verily our heauenly father hath made him oure teacher in saying Heare him And he himselfe in the Gospel after Sainct Matthewe sayeth Bee ye not called maisters for ye haue one master euen Christ who in the Gospel after S. Iohn is called The light of the world In an other place also he testifieth that his doctrine is conteyned in the holy Scriptures wherevppon it commeth that hee referreth his disciples to the diligent reading of the holy scriptures Touching which Scriptures Paule the teacher of the Gentiles and the vniuersall Church of Christ doth say All Scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to doctrine to reproue to correction to instruction whiche is in righteousnesse that the man of God may be perfecte instructed in all good workes Wherefore althoughe the whole world bee madd and that the obstinate defenders of the traditions rather than the Scriptures do whet their téeth for anger yet maugre their heades the word of the Apostle shal abide most firme wherein he testifieth that the doctrine of the scriptures otherwise called the Christian doctrine is in all pointes most absolute and thoroughly perfecte Touching whiche matter because I haue alreadie spoken in the first Sermons of the first Decade I am therfore here a great deale the briefer Nowe concerning the eternall saluation fully purchased for vs by Christe thus ye must thincke Eternall saluation is the séeing and enioying of the eternall God and so consequently an
waste my richesse that all at length is spent and I my selfe drawne drie For I kéepe good turnes in stoare for a thousand generations so that although the former age did liue neuer so wealthily with my richesse yet they that come are borne euen vntill the very end of the world shall neuerthelesse finde in me so much as shal suffice satisfie their desire For I am the wel-springe of good that cannot be drawne drie And if any man sinne against me afterwarde repent him of the same I am not vnappeaseable For euen of mine owne frée will I doe forgiue errours sinnes and heinous crimes And yet let no man therefore thinke that I am delighted with sinnes or that I am a Patrone of wicked doers For euen I the same doe punish wicked and impenitent men and chasten euen those that are mine owne that therby I may kéepe them in order office But let no man thinke that he shall sinne and escape vnpunished because he séeth that his auncestours did sinne and were not punished that is did sinne and were not vtterly cutte off and wiped out For I reserue reuengement till iuste and full time and do so be haue my selfe that all are compelled to confesse me to be a God of iudgement Now when Moses the seruaunt of God had hearde and séene these thinges he made haste and fell downe prostrate to the earth worshipped Let vs also doe the same beinge surely certified that the Lorde will not vouchsafe so long as we liue in this transitorie worlde to reueale himselfe and his glory any whit more fully and brimly than in Christe his Sonne exhibited vnto vs Let therefore the thinges that sufficed Moses suffice vs also let the knowledge of Christ suffice and content vs. For the moste euident and excellent way and meane to know God is layde forth before vs in Iesu Christe the sonne of God incarnate and made man For therefore we did euen now heare that before Moses was set the shadowe of Christe when it pleased God most familiarly to reueale himselfe vnto him And the Apostle Paule placeth the illumination or appearinge of the knowledge of the glorie of God to be in the face of Iesus Christ And in an other place the same Paule calleth Christe the brightnesse of his fathers glorie and the liuely image of his substaunce Truely he himselfe in the Gospell doeth most plainely say No man knoweth the Father but the Sonne and he to whome the Sonne will reueale him For he is the way vnto the father the father is séene beheld in him For we doe againe in the gospel reade No man hath euer seene God at any time the onely begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath reuealed him vnto vs. But againe the Apostle saith After that in the wisdom of god the world through their wisedome knewe not God it pleased god through foolishnes of preaching to saue theÌ„ that beleeue That which he in this place calleth the wisedome of God is the verie creation workmaÌ„ship of the world and the woonderful works of God in which God would be knowen to the world and in the beating out considering whereof all the wisedome of all the wisemen till then did altogeather lye But for because the consideration of those thinges did no good by reason of mans wisedome for the most part referring the causes of things to somewhat else than to God the true and onely mark whereto they should be referred and while men thought them selues wise as the same Apostle teacheth vs euen in their owne reasonings they became fooles it pleased God by an other way to be knoweÌ„ to the world to witt by the foolish preaching of the Gospell which is in verie déed moste absolute and perfect wisedome but to the worldly wisdome of mortall men it séemeth foolishnesse For it séemeth a foolishe thing to the men of this world that the true and verie God béeing incarnate or made man was conuersant with vs men héere in the Earth was in pouertie was hungry did suffer and die And yet euen this is the way whereby God is moste euidently knowen to the world together with his wisdome goodnesse trueth righteousnesse and power For the wisdome of God which no tongue can vtter doeth in the whole ministerie woonderful dispensation of Christ shine out very brightly but far more brimly if we discusse beate out the causes of which I speake else where throughly weigh the doctrine of Christ In the incarnatioÌ„ of the sonne of God it appeareth how wel god wisheth to the world being sunk drownd in sinne as y to which he is bound by an indissoluble league doth through Christe adopt the sonnes of death and of the diuell into the sonnes and heyres of life euerlasting Now whereas Christe doeth moste exactly fullfill all those things which the Prophetes by the reuelation of god did foretel of him and whereas he doeth moste liberally performe the things which GOD the father did promise of him that doeth declare how vnchaungeable and true the eternall God is In the déedes or miracles of Christe our Lorde in his resurrection in his glorious ascension into Heauen moste plentifull powring out of his holie spirite vppon his disciples but especially in conuerting the whole worlde from Paganisme and Iudaisme to the Euangelicall trueth doe appeare the power longe suffering maiestie and vnspeakeable goodnesse of GOD the father In the death of Christe the Sonne of GOD doth shine the great iustice of God the father as that which béeing once offended with our sinnes could not bée pacified but with such and so great a sacrifice Finally because he spared not his only begotten sonne but gaue him for vs that are his enimies and wicked rebelles euen therein is that mercie of his made knowen to the world which is verie rightly coÌ„mended aboue all the woorkes of god Therefore in the sonne and by the sonne God doeth moste manifestlye make himselfe manifest to the world so that what so euer is néedefull to be knowen of God or of his wil what soeuer is belonging to heauenly and healthful wisdome that is wholy opened and throughly perceiued séene in the sonne Therefore when Philipp said to Christe Lord shew vs the father and it sufficeth vs we reade that the Lord aunswered Haue I beene so long with you do ye not yet know me Philipp he that hath seene me hath seene the father And how sayest thou shew vs the father doest not thou beleeue that I am in the father and the father in me Now hée rein he â—alleth back all the faithful from ouer curious seaching after God laying before them the mysterie of the dispensation wherein he would haue vs to rest and to content our selues namely in that that God was made man Therefore whosoeuer desire to sée and knowe God truely let them cast the
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
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
do serue Thou mayest saye that iniurie is done to the Maiestie of God if it be compared with mortall things But for because the holy scripture doeth not a little condescend and attemper it selfe to oure infirmitie I will put a similitude although in very déed much vnlike which is vsually taken and commonly vsed Behold the Sunne the beames that come from it then the heate that procéedeth frō them both As the Sunne is the head-spring of the light and the heate so is the Father the headspring of the Sonne who is light of light And as of the Sunne and the beames together the heate doth come so of the Father and the Sonne together the holy Ghoste proceedeth But nowe put case or imagine that the Sunne were such as neuer had beginning nor euer shall haue ending and should not then I pray you the beames of this euerlasting Sunne be euerlasting too and should not the heat which procéedeth of them both bee euerlasting as well as they finally should not the Sonne be one still in Essence or sustaunce and thrée by reason of the thrée subsistences or persons This parable of the Sunne did Tertullian vse whose words whiche do also conteine other similitudes I will not be gréeued to recite vnto you I wil not doubt sayeth he to call both the stalke of a roote the brooke of a springhead a beame of the Sunne by the name of a Sunne for euery originall is a parent and euery thinge that issueth of that original is a sonne much more then the word of God may be called a Sonne whiche euē properly hath the name of Sonne yet neither is the stalke separated from the roote nor the brooke from the spring-head nor the beame from the Sunne no more is the woord separated from god Therefore according to the fashion of these examples I professe that I say there are two God his Word the Father and his Sonne For the roote the stalke are two thinges but ioyned in one And the spring-head the brooke are two kindes but vndiuided And the Sunne and the beames are two formes but both cleauing the one to the other Euery thing that cōmeth of any thinge must néedes bée seconde to that out of which it commeth and yet it is not separated from that from which it procéedeth But where a second is there are two and where a third is there are thrée For the third is the spirite of God and the Sonne euen as the third from the roote is the fruite of the stalke the third from the spring-head is the riuer of the brooke and the third from the Sunne is the heate of the beame yet none of these is alienated from the matrix of which they take the properties that they haue So the Trinitie descending by annexed and lincked degrées from the father doeth not make against the Monarchie and doth defend the Oiconomical state that is the mysterie of the dispēsation Vnderstand euery where that I professe this rule wherein I testifie that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost are vnseparated one from an other and so thou shalt know how euery thinge is spoken And so forth For all these are the woordes of Tertullian who flourished in Africa not long after the age of the Apostles But letting passe the parables similituds or comparisons of mans inuention let vs stedfastly beléeue the euident word of god What mans capacitie cannot atteine vnto that let faith hold fast What the sacred scriptures declare vnto vs what Christ in his flesh did teache vs what was by so many miracles confirmed for oure sakes what the spirite of God in the true Church doth tell vs that must be thought more true and certeine than that whiche is proued by a thousand demonstrations or that whiche all thy senses are able to conceiue Paule denieth that hee would heare an Angel if hée should speake any thinge cōtrarie to the Gospell of Christ Yea surely it is a prancke of arrogant foolishnesse to doubt of the thinges that are in the Scriptures with so great authoritie layde forth and taught vs But it is a greater madnesse if a man wil not beléeue the oracles of God for none other cause but for that oure vnderstanding cānot atteine to the knowledge of all things when as neuerthelesse wée know that our vnderstāding is naturally blinde and hateth god Amonge Philosophers hee is counted an impudent fellowe which relecteth the authoritie of any notable and approued writer It was enough to persuade the scholers of Pythagoras for a man to say to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hee said it And then dareth a Christian séeke starting holes and iangle about asking of curious questions when it is said vnto him GOD said it and taught thee to beleeue it No man doubteth of the kings letters patents if so bee the seale be acknowledged therefore what a follie is it to doubt of the diuine testimonies whiche are so euident and firmely sealed with the spirite of God Wherefore that I may héere recapitulate briefely expresse the principall summe of this oure exposition I will recite vnto you déerely beloued the woordes of the holy father Cyril which are to be found Libro in Ioan. 9. Cap. 30. in this sense following True faith is in God the father and in the Sonne not simplie but incarnate in the holy Ghoste For the holy and consubstantiall Trinitie is distinguished by the differences of names that is by the properties of the persons For the father is the father and not the sonne and the sonne is the sonne and not the father and the holy Ghost is the holy spirite proper to the father the sonne For the substaunce of the Deitie is all one or the same wherefore we preach not thrée but one god Therefore wée must beléeue in God but distinctly and more fully expounding oure faith wée must so beléeue that wée maye referre the same glorification to euery person For there is no difference of faith For we ought not to haue a greater faith in the father than in the sonne and in the holy Ghost but the measure and maner of it must bée one and the same equallie consisting in eache of the thrée persons so that by this meanes wée may confesse the vnitie of nature in the Trinitie of persons This faith must firmely bee grounded in our mindes whiche is in the father and in the sonne the sonne I say euen after that hee was made man in the holy Ghost Thus much out of Cyril Nowe all these pointes shal be thoroughly confirmed with more full testimonies when wee come once to proue the diuinitie of the sonne of GOD and of the holy Ghoste Whiche I meane to reserue till time conuenient But let a man thincke that this beliefe of the Vnitie and Trinitie of the God-head was either inuented by the fathers or bishops of the churches or first of all preached by the Apostles
immediately vppon Christe his death and ascension For after the same manner that I haue hetherto declared vnto you euen from the beginning of the world did all the holy Patriarchs Prophets and electe people of GOD beléeue and ground their faith Although I denie not but that the mysterie of the Trinitie was more cléerely expounded to the world by Christe yet is it euident by some vndoubted testimonies whiche I will adde anon that the mysterie of the Trinitie was very well knowen vnto the Patriarchs the Prophets but first by the way I will admonishe you that the holy Patriarchs and prophets of GOD did hold themselues content with the bare reuelation and woord of GOD not raysinge curious questions about the Vnitie and Trinitie of God. They did clearely vnderstand that there is one God the father of all the onely sauiour and authour of all goodnesse and that without or beside him there is none other God at all And they againe did euidently sée that the Sonne of GOD that promised séed hath all thinges common with the father for they did most plainely heare that hée is called the Sauiour and is the redéemer from whome all good thinges do procéede and are bestowed vppon the faithfull whereby nowe it was easte for them to gather that the father and the sonne are one God althoughe they differ in properties For in so much as they were assuredly certeine that the damnable doctrine of the pluralitie of Gods did spring from the diuel they did not worship many but one God whome notwithstanding they did beléeue to consist of a Trinitie of persons For Moses the vndoubted seruant of God in the very first verse of his first booke sayeth In the beginning Creauit dij God created heauen and earth Hee ioyneth héere a Verbe of the singular number to a Noune of the plurall number not to make incongruitie of speach but to note the mysterie of the Trinitie For the sense is as if hée should haue said That GOD which doeth consiste of thrée persons created heauen and earth For a litle after God consulting with him selfe about the making of man doeth say Let vs make man in our Image Loe héere he sayth Let vs make and not Let me make or I wil make And againe hee sayeth In our Image and not In my Image But least any man should thinke that this consultation was had with the Angels let him heare what God him selfe doeth say in Esaye I the Lord sayeth he make all thinges and stretch out the heauens alone of my selfe that is of mine owne power without any help or fellowe with mée and set the earth fast Therefore the Father consulted with the Sonne by whome also hee created the world And againe least any man should thincke as the Iewes obiecte that these things were after the order and custome of men spoken of God in the plurall number for honours sake and worshipp thou mayest heare what followeth in the end of the third Chapter Behold this man is become as one of vs in knowing good and euill Now heere by Enallage hee putteth these wordes Is become for Shall become or Shall happen so that his meaning is as if he should haue said Behold the same shall happen to Adam that shall come to one of vs that is to the Sonne to witt that hee should haue triall of good and euill that is that hee should féele sundrie fortunes namely sickenesse calamities and death and as the prouerb is should féele both swéete and sowre For that is the lot or condition of man But the Sonne being incarnate for vs not the Father nor the holy Ghost was found in shape as a man and had triall of sundrie fortunes of death whiche was foretold to Adam as it is manifest for consolations sake and not in the way of mockage For as the good Lord did with a garment strengthen the body of oure first parent against the vnseasonablenesse of the ayre when for his sinne he purposed to banishe him out of Paradise so did he comfort and chéere vpp his sorrowfull minde with a full example of the sonnes incarnation and suffering And when he had so armed him in body and soule he casteth him out of the Garden of felicitie into a carefull and miserable exile There are in euery place many examples of this matter like vnto this For Abraham sawe thrée but with them thrée he talked as with one and worshipped one And The Lord rayned vppon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone fire from the Lord out of heauen and ouerthrew those cities But least any man should interprete it and say The Lord rayned from the Lord that is from heauen he himselfe doth presently ad From heauen For as the father created all thinges by the Sonne so doth he by him preserue al things and doth euē still by him worke all things Nexte after Moses the notablest Prophete Dauid in his Psalmes doeth say By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the breath of his mouth So heere thou hearest that there is one Lord in whome is the woord and the spirite both distinguished but not separated For the Lord made the heauens but by the Word the whole furniture of heauen doth stand by the Breath of the mouth of the lord The same Dauid sayeth The Lord sayd to my Lord sitt thou on my right hand vntill I make thine enimies thy footestoole Note that in an other place the same Dauid doth flatly saye that beside the Lord there is none other And yet héere againe he doeth as plainely saye The Lord said to my Lord meaning the father who had placed the sonne whiche was Dauids Lord at his right hand in heauē Out of Esaie may be gathered very many testimonies But the notablest of all the rest is that whiche Matthewe the Apostle citeth in these words Behold my sonne whome I haue chosen my beloued in whome my soule is pleased I will put my spirite vpon him c. With this agréeth that whiche Luke citeth saying The spirite of the Lord vppon me because hee hath annoynted mee to preache the Gospell to the poore hath hee sent mee c. In these testimonies heere thou hast the father the sonne and the holy Ghost A fewe out of many For I do not couet to turne ouer the whole scriptures of the old testament So then this faith wherewith wée doe beléeue in God the father y sonne and the holy Ghoste we haue receiued of God himselfe being deliuered vnto vs by the Prophetes Patriarchs but most euidently of all declared by the sonne of God him selfe oure Lord Iesus Christe and his holy Apostles wherevppon nowe we doe easilie gather wherfore it is that all the sincere bishops or ministers of the Churches together with the whole Church of Christe haue euer since the Apostles time with so firme a cōsent mainteyned and had this faith in honour It were
called Christ a Chrismate that is to say of annointing Kinges also and priestes were annointed he was annointed king and priest Beeing a king hee fought for vs Beeing a priest he offered himselfe for vs When he fought for vs he was as it were ouercome yet by right hee hathe ouercome in verie deede For he was crucified and on his crosse whereon he was nailed he slewe the diuell and then was hee our king But wherfore is he a priest because he hath offred himselfe for vs Let a priest haue somewhat to offer What could man finde to giue A cleane sacrifice what sacifice what cleane thing can a sinner offer O wicked sinner O vngodly wretch What so euer thou shalt bring it is vncleane Seeke within thy selfe what to offer thou shalt find nothing Seeke out of thy selfe what to offer hee is not delighted in rammes or goates or bullockes They are all his though thou offer them not Hee found nothing cleane among men whiche he might offer for men therfore he offered himselfe a cleane offering an vndefiled sacrifice Therfore he did not offer that whiche we gaue vnto him but that which he tooke of vs and that he offered pure cleane He tooke fleshe in the wombe of the virgin that hee might offer pure and cleane flesh for vs that were vncleane He is a king he is a priest In him let vs reioyce To him be glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ Of the holie Ghost the third person in Trinitie to be worshipped and of his diuine power ¶ The eighth Sermon IT remaineth that after wee haue expounded the mysteries of the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ we consequētly speake of the holy Ghost and of his diuine power and operation For vnlesse he inspire our minds and rule our tongue wee shall neuer bee able worthily or profitably either to speake or heare any thing concerning him For as no man knoweth those things which are of God but the spirite of God so men fetche the vnderstanding of heauenly thinges and the knowledge of the holy ghost from no where else than from the same spirite of god Let vs therefore pray and beséech God the father that by his sonne Iesus Christe hee would vouchsafe to inlightē our darke and mystie mindes by sending this his holy spirite into our hearts and to direct vs in the sincere waye of trueth according to the holy Scriptures And first of all it séemeth not vnprofitable to expound the woord spirite because in the scripture it is diuerslie taken and very often vsed so that not séeldome times hee shall greatly erre which is ignoraunt of the force of that word Spirite properly is the signification of an element signifying aire winde breath In that signification we read this spoken of our Sauiour The winde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof but canst not tel whence it commeth whither it goeth And Paule saith If I pray with an vnknowen tongue my spirit prayeth but my vnderstanding is made vnfruitefull Loe the Apostle vseth spirite for the breath or voice For he ioyneth it to the tongue and setteth it against the minde By a Metaphore it is translated to euery bodilesse substance and is set against the body Spirite therefore signifieth an Angel either good or badd For the Prophete whose wordes Paul hath also rehearsed sayth Which maketh his Angels spirits and his ministers a flaming fire And againe Are they not all ministring spirits These testimonies are vnderstoode of good Angels when the scripture speaketh of euil Angels commonly it addeth somewhat as an euill spirite or an vncleane spirite Wée call also spirites or ghostes whiche haue taken some shape that cannot well be discerned spirits So the Apostles not beléeuing that the Lord was risen againe with his true bodie when they sawe him they thought they had séene a spirite To whom shewing his féete and his handes hee sayeth A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye see mee haue Againe spirite is taken for the breath of life as with the Latines to breath is to liue to leaue breathing is to die Dauid sayeth When thou giuest it them they gather it when thou openest thy hand they are filled with good When thou hydest thy face they are troubled when thou takest away their breath they die and are turned againe to their dust And the Lord in Moses sayeth I will destroy all flesh wherein there is breath of life The reasonable soule also of man is peculiarly called spirit in so much that spirite is verye often taken in the holy scripture for the resonable soule of man For in the Gospell thou doest read Iesus when hee had bowed downe his head gaue vp the ghost or the spirite And thou doest read of the holy martyre Stephan They stoned Stephan calling on and saying Lord Iesu receiue my spirite For Solomon said before The dust shal be turned againe vnto earth from whence it came the spirite shall returne vnto GOD who gaue it And sometimes spirite signifyeth the affection and motion readinesse and prouocation of the minde For Solomon sayeth A man that refraineth not his appetite or spirite is like a cittie whiche is broken downe Thou mayest oftentimes finde in the Scriptures the spirite of pride anger luste or enuie taken for a proud angrie lustfull or enuious affection Also in Luke the 13. the verie sore disease or force of sickenesse is called the spirite of infirmitie The spirite also signifieth those spirituall motions which the holie Ghost stirreth vp in the heartes of the Saincts yea and the verie gifts powred into the hearts of men by the spirite Whiche in euery place in Paule is to be séene Else-where spirite is opposed against the letter the bodie the figure the type or shadowe and is vsed for a more highe or mysticall meaning and for the very pithe of the thing as when Paule sayeth The circumcision of the heart is the circumcision which consisteth in the spirite not in the letter And againe The lord hath made vs able ministers of the new testament not of the letter but of the spirite For the letter killeth but the spirite giueth life Therefore thou mayst finde spirite to be taken for inspiration reuelation and doctrine For Iohn sayeth Beleeue not euerie spirite but proue the spirites whether they bee of God or not And againe Quench not the spirite despise not prophecies Last of all God is called that vnmeasurable and vnspeakeable power of the spirite God sayeth our Lord is a spirite they that worship him must worship him in spirite and in trueth By this meanes the word spirite is common to al the persons of the reuerend Trinitie howbeit it is peculiarlie applied to the third person in Trinitie of whom we make this sermon And albeit the holie Ghoste forsomuch as hee is God can be compassed within no limits for by
his owne nature he is vnspeakeable vnmeasurable incomprehensible euerlasting yet notwithstāding that I may say somewhat in a certeine order concerning him if it will be no otherwise I will at the last shadowe out that which the scripture the inspiration of the holie Ghoste himselfe verie largelie declareth of him The holie Ghost is the third person in Trinitie to bee worshipped very God procéeding from the father and the sonne which inlighteneth regenerateth sanctifieth and fulfilleth the faithful with all good graces But that the holie Ghost is the third person in the holie Trinitie I thincke it is sufficiently at large declared in the third Sermon of this Decade Surely this onely sentence of our Sauiour Baptize them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghost doeth aboundantly confirme to godly mindes that the holy Ghost is the third person in Trinitie Moreouer that he is verie God of the same power glorie maiestie and Beeing with the father and the sonne that especiallie proueth beecause hee is the third person in the holie Trinitie Neither must we thinke that he is lesser than they because hee is reckoned in the third place For though the blessed Trinitie be remembred of vs in order yet notwithstanding there is no degrée no time no place or number in the blessed Trinitie For blessed Athanasius made his confession according to the Scripture and said The catholique faith is this that wee worshipp one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the father another of the sonne another of the holie ghost But the Godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste is one the glorie equall the maiestie coeternall Such as the father is such is the sonne and such is the holie Ghost The father vncreate the sonne vncreate the holie Ghost vncreate The father incōprehensible the sonne incomprehensible and the holie Ghost incomprehēsible That father eternall the sonne eternal and the holy Ghost eternal and yet are they not three eternalls but one eternall c. And Augustine also in his 15. booke De Trinitate cap. 26. sayth In that high Trinitie which is God there are no distances of times whereby it may bee shewed or at least demaunded whether the sonne were first borne of the father and afterward the holie Ghoste to proceede from them both c. Truly we confesse that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost is one God and that the same is eternall Therefore let it trouble no man that the spirit is put in the last place For when the Apostle in his epistle to the Corinth framed his blessing he said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holie Ghost be with you all he maketh mention of the holie Ghost in the last place but the same Paule sayeth There are diuersities of gifts but it is the selfe same spirite And there are differences of administrations but it is the selfe same Lord and there are diuerse maners of operations but it is the selfe same God which woorketh all in all setting the spirite in the first place teaching that the order of names doth not make difference of dignities After this manner also in the former testimonie he placed the sonne before the father not ouerthrowing the order which the Lord hath set downe in Matth. but shewing the equalitie of the Trinitie in honour For what canst thou more plainly saye thā that which the scripture saith that the holie ghost doth sanctifie renue regenerate giue life and saue and these are operations agréeable to God onely By operations therfore we manifestly acknowledge that the holie Ghoste is God of the same Essence and power with the father and the sonne For the holie Ghost from the beginning beefore all creatures visible and inuisible is a creatour not a creature as Iob witnesseth His spirite hath garnished the heauens Againe The spirite of GOD hath made mee and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen mee life Zacharias the priest and father of S. Iohn Baptist sayeth Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for he hath redeemed his people as hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets whiche haue beene since the world began And S. Peter sayeth For the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of GOD spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost By this I pray you who cannot gather that the holy Ghoste is God For God spake by the mouth of the Prophets and the holy Ghoste spake by the mouth of the Prophets Therefore the holy Ghost is God. The same Peter also in expresse words hath called the holy Ghost God when he accused Ananias of theft yea and also of sacrilege for when he had said Howe is it that Sathan hath filled thy heart to lie vnto the holy Ghost by and by he addeth Thou hast not lied vnto mē but vnto God. To the doctrine of Saint Peter agrée those thinges in all poinctes whiche S. Paule the doctour of the Gentiles hath taught For hee called the beléeuers the temples of God Knowe ye not sayeth he that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of GOD dwelleth in you And againe Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and yeare not your owne To be the temple of God and to be the temple of the holy Ghost Paule taketh to bee one and the selfe same thing it followeth therfore that the holy Ghost is god For in his Epistle to the Corinthians hee expresly nameth the holy Ghost god For after he had said There are diuersities of giftes but it is the selfe same spirite and had reckoned vpp the kindes of giftes by and by hee addeth And all these things woorketh euen one and the selfe same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerally euen as hee will. And he himselfe had said a litle afore There are diuerse manners of operations but it is the selfe same GOD which worketh all in all But Didymus Alexandrinus a man of excellent learning doeth knit vp a most euident argument of the Godhead of the holy Ghost declaring also that his nature doeth altogether differ from the nature of Angels For in his 1. lib. de Spiritu Sancto hée hath left this written S. Hierome so interpreting it If the holy Ghost were a creature he should haue at the least a limitable substance as haue all thinges whiche are made For althoughe inuisible creatures are not limitted within place and boundes yet in propertie of substaunce they are limitted but the holy Ghost since hee is in many places hath not a limitable substāce For Iesus sending forth the preachers of his Gospel he filled them with the holy Ghost But neither did all the Apostles goe to all
nations together but some into Asia some into Scythia other dispersed into other natiōs according to the dispensation of the holye Ghost whiche they had with them euen as they also heard the Lord saying I am with you alwayes euen vnto the ende of the world Herevnto doeth that also agrée Ye shal be wittnesses vnto mee euen vnto the vttermost partes of the world If therefore they being sent into the furthest parts of the earth to beare wittnesse of the Lord were seuered one from another with a very great distaunce of place and yet had present with them the holy Ghost dwelling within them whose substance is not limitable it is manifest that the power of Angels doeth farre differ from this power of the spirite For to vse an example the angel whiche was present with the Apostle when he prayed in Asia could not together at the selfe same time bee present with other whiche were abiding in other partes of the world But the holy Ghost is not onely present with men being seuered one from another but is also a continuall dweller in euerie Angel principalitie throne and dominion c. Now who cannot hereby gather that the holy Ghoste is true and very God The selfe same authour hath gathered very many argumentes of the true godhead of the holy ghost and next him the holy father Cyrill and holy Athanasius hath absolutely discoursed vpon that matter Lib. de Trinitate 11. to Theophilus These fewe testimonies thus farre rehearsed wée thinke shal suffice those that obey and loue the trueth They that stedfastly beléeue these things are not moued with any straung opinions and questions curiouslye yea wickedly brought in about this matter by ill occupied persons For some are reported to haue denied the holy Ghost to be lord For they haue taught that he is a minister and as it were a certeine instrument of the father and the sonne But Christ oure Lord ioyned the holy ghost to himselfe and to the father when hee deliuered the fourme of baptisme For he sayth Baptising them in the name of the father and of the sonne of the holy Ghost And yet it is manifest that a creature is not ioyned to the creatour in baptisme neither that there is any seruile condition in the Godhead Therefore the counsell of Constantinople in their créede giue to the holy Ghost certaine termes whereby they might destroye certaine errours calling him lord giuer of life for when he calleth him Lord he maketh him equall to the sonne and excludeth the condition of a seruaunt or minister beside that he denieth that he is their instrument For there is one Lord there are not many Lords And the sonne is not Lord of the holy Ghoste but the Lordshipp is common to the thrée personnes whiche are onely one lord And séeing the holy Ghost is the Lord surely he is not appointed to a seruile ministerie but indued with Lordly authoritie nether is he an vnderseruaunt to doe the worke but is a ioynt worker with the father and the sonne yea and he himselfe doth worke as Lord. Againe certaine other are reported to haue taught that the holy ghost is not a substance or a person but as it were an accident that is to saye a stirring vp a prouocation or a motion of a Godly and renued minde And in very déed our minde being illuminated with the holy Ghoste is oftentimes called spirite but we must wisely distinguishe the creature from the creator and the accident from the substance The blessed Apostle distinguished our spirite from the holy spirite of God when he said As many as are ledd by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of god The spirite it selfe beareth wittnesse to our spirite that wee are the sonnes of God. And the same Apostle saith The flesh lusteth cōtrary to the spirite the spirite cōtrarie to the flesh And who vnderstandeth not that the mind of man instructed of the holy Ghost is héere called the spirite not the third person himselfe in the reuerend Trinitie And that minde as touching illumination is not of it selfe but procéedeth from the holy Ghoste illuminating it neither commeth it from any other thā from him which is the third person in Trinitie but that minde is not the very person of the holy Ghoste as imagination procéedeth from the soule and yet it is not the soule it selfe That stirring of the spirite in vs is an accident but GOD is not an accident neither is mingled with the accident We must therefore confesse according to the Scriptures that the holy Ghost is a person subsisting coequall in nature or essence with the father and the sonne and therfore to be worshipped and glorified of vs as very God and creatour againe that a godly and holy motion stirred vpp in the mindes of holy men by the spirite is the effecte and woorking of this holy spirite and is called a holy spirite but after a certeine manner proper to it Otherwise we denie not that the holy Ghoste him selfe beeing promised is communicated vnto vs but after our capacitie and as he will. For what is hée amongest men that is able to comprehende the fullnesse of the eeuerlastinge and incomprehensible GOD Furthermore touching the procéeding of the holy Ghost from the father and the sonne the Diuines haue curiously subtily and busily disputed For the question is asked whether he procéed from the father alone or from the sonne also In which question the Latinistes séeme to disagrée verye much from the Grecians The question is also asked what maner of procéeding this is Wée omitting many curious questions wil briefly declare those thinges vnto you whiche are wholsome and agréeable with the holy Scriptures For who shal be able to canuasse out al the questions of curious men and all the bould and vncleane thoughtes of idle heads without offence to good men and especially of the simple hearers That the holy Ghost procéedeth from the father and the sonne the scripture manifestly teacheth which most plainly sheweth that hee is the spirite of either or both of them For hée it is of whome the Apostle sayeth Beecause ye are sonnes God hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes And the sonne speaking of the same spirit sayeth For it is not you that speake but the spirite of your father hee it is which speaketh in you Againe the same sonne sayeth of the holy Ghost Whome I will sende vnto you from the father And againe he sayeth else where Whome the father will sende in my name Therefore hée procéedeth from both as well from the father as from the sonne For although this bee read else-where to bee spoken of the holy Ghoste Whiche proceeded from the father yet it is not denyed that he procéedeth from the substance of the sonne also But that more is Cyrill a Gréeke writer expounding the Gospell of S. Iohn and interpreting this selfe same place Lib. 10.
Cap. 33. sayeth When he had called the comforter the spirite of trueth that is to say his spirite for he is the trueth he addeth that he procéedeth from the father For as hee is the spirite of the sonne naturally in his abiding and through him procéeding so also surely is hée the spirite of the father But vnto whome the spirite is common surely they cannot by any meanes bee disseuered in substance Againe S. Augustine in his fiftéenth booke De Trinitate Cap. 26. sayeth Who may vnderstand by this that the sonne sayeth as the father hathe life in himselfe that he gaue life vnto the sonne as béeing then without life but that hee so begatt him without time that the life whiche the father gaue to the sonne in begetting him is coeternall with the life of the father which gaue it him Let him vnderstand as the father hath power in himselfe that the holy Ghoste mighte procéede from him so hath he giuen to the sonne that the same holy Ghoste maye procéede from him and both without beginning and so it is said that the holie Ghoste procéedeth from the father that that which procéedeth from the sonne might be vnderstoode to be of the father and the sonne For if the sonne haue ought he hath it of the father surely hee hath it of the father that the holy Ghoste procéedeth from him Thus farre hée By all this wée gather that the holy Ghost procéedeth as well from the father as from the sonne Nowe as concerning the manner of procéeding wée saye that the procéeding of the holie Ghoste is two-fouldor of two sortes temporall and eternall Temporall procéeding is that whereby the holie Ghoste procéedeth to sanctifie men The eternall procéeding is that whereby from euerlasting he procéedeth from god The spirite procéedeth from both partes from both of them as well from the father as the sonne Neither doeth hée procéede from the father into the sonne seuerally and from the sonne into creatures For I say the nature and substaunce of the father and the sonne is one and the self same inseparable and coeuerlasting too Temporall procéeding commonly is called a sending and gifte For the holie Ghoste is sent two manner of wayes vnto men visiblie that is to say vnder some visible fourme as of a Doue of fierie tongues as hée is read in the Gospell and in the Acts of the Apostles to haue béene giuen to Christe and the Apostles inuisibly hée is daily and as it were euerie moment giuen to the faithfull the spirite of Christe wateringe vs with his grace and giuing faith hope and charitie vnto vs. Moreouer the eternall procéeding of the holie Ghoste whereby hée procéedeth out of the substaunce of the father and the sonne is vnspeakeable as the begetting of the sonne by the father Wherevppon it is not said in the Gospel hath procéeded or shall procéede but Proceedeth for so the Lord declareth his eternitie of procéeding and that the substaunce of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste is coeternall and vnseparable and nothinge at all differing Sainct Augustine in his fiftéenthe booke De Trinitate and 26. Chapiter sayeth Hee that is able to vnderstand the beegetting of the sonne by the father without time let him also vnderstand the proceeding of the holie Ghost from them both without time And if anye aske this question Since the holie Ghoste proceedeth from the substance of the father and the sonne howe commeth it to passe that hee is not called the sonne I aunsweare that the Scripture calleth the second person the sonne and testifyeth that hée is the onely begotten of the father and that the same no where maketh any mention that the holie Ghoste is begotten or that hée is called the sonne Neither haue the auncient fathers made any other aunswere to this question And I like the similitude whiche whâ—ere expressed If one streame should flowe from two springs it might wel bee saide to flowe from them both yet it could be said to be the sonne of neither of them Herevnto I shall not séeme vnfruitfully nor beside the purpose to add the disputations of Didymus concerning sending least any should vnderstand that peruersly and according to the flesh whiche is spiritually to be interpreted by faith The holy Ghost the comforter is sent of the sonne sayeth he not according to the ministerie of Angels or Prophets or Apostles but as it becommeth the spirite of God to bee sent of the wisedome and trueth of God hauing an vnseparable nature with the selfe same wisedome and trueth For the sonn being sent of the father abiding in the father and hauing the father in himselfe is not separated nor sundered from the father And the spirite of trueth also being sent of the sonne after the manner aforesaid procéedeth from the father not from elsewhere remouing vnto other thinges For this is impossible and blasphemous likewise For if this spirite of trueth bee limitted within a certaine space according to the natures of bodies leauing one place he goeth to another but euen as the father not consisting in place is farre aboue and beyond the nature of all bodies so also the spirite of trueth is not limitted within space of place séeing he is bodilesse and as I may more truly say excelling all and euerie reasonable creature Béecause therefore it is impossible and wicked to beléeue these thinges which I haue said in bodily creatures we must vnderstand that so the holy Ghost went out and came from the father as oure Sauiour doeth beare witnesse that he himselfe went out and came from the father saying I went out and came from God. And as we separate places and chaunginges of places from bodilesse things so also we do separate these speaches inwardly I meane outwardly from the nature of things intellectuall For these two woordes perteine to bodies that may bee touched haue biganes Therefore wee must beléeue the vnspeakeable woord whiche faith onely and alone maketh knowen vnto vs that our Sauiour is said to come out from GOD and the spirite of trueth to procéede from the father c. Other questions both scrupulous and very many I passe ouer vntouched in these things I require a mind religious and not a curious a faithfull minde and not a subtile Now there is but one holy Ghost béecause hee is alwayes one and the selfe same god It is the same spirite therefore whiche spake vnto the Patriarches prophets and Apostles and whiche at this day speaketh to vs in the Church For therefore the counsel of Constantinople is thus read to haue confessed their faith I beleeue in the holy Ghost the Lord. And anon after Who spake by the prophets And I beleeue one Catholique and Apostolique Church These sayings are taken out of the holy Scripture For S. Peter testifieth in expresse words that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophetes and there was none other spirite in the Apostles than the spirite of
Christe And Paule the Apostle sayeth Seeing then wee haue the same spirite as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken wee also beleeue and therefore speake Vppon which testimonie Tertullian inferreth and no doubt soundlie It is one and the selfe same spispirite therefore whiche was in the Prophetes and the Apostles He promiseth that the selfe same spirite shal be alwayes in the Church They erred therefore yea foulye they erred who so euer among them of old feigned one God and spirite of the olde Testament and an other of the newe Testament Didymus Alexandrinus the bright light in his age of all the Grecian Churches in his first booke intituled De Spiritu sancto saith Neyther ought we to thinke that the holy Ghost is diuided according to substaunces bicause he is called the multitude of good graces For he can not suffer he can not be diuided neyther yet be chaunged but according to his diuers maners of workings vnderstādings he is called by mny names of good graces bycause he doth not indue his partakers with his cōmunion after one and the selfe same power c. Furthermore the holy ghost hath increasing or fulnesse and diminishing and want in man not that in God who as it is commonly and truely sayde neyther receiueth more or lesse there is any chaunge to be founde but bycause man according to his capacitie receiueth the spirite plentifully and liberally or measurably sparingly euen as it pleaseth the holy ghoste The portion of the spirite of Helias was giuen double from heauen to Heliseus And it is sayde of our Sauiour that the father gaue him the spirite not by measure For the Lord himselfe elswhere saith Whosoeuer hath to him shall be giuen and hee shall haue more aboundance but whosoeuer hath not from him shall bee taken away euen that he hath Saule had receiued excellent graces but bicause he did not vse exercise them the good spirite of God departed from him and the euill spirite succéeded and tormented him And the spirite of God departeth euen as it commeth also at one instant For when we are forsaken of the Lorde the spirite of God departeth from vs Wherevppon we reade that Dauid prayed Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirite from me And againe Stablishe me with thy principall spirite Next after these things it séemeth y we must diligently search out what the effect what the power of the holy Ghost is The power of the Almightie and euerlasting God is vnspeakable therefore no man can fully declare what the power of the holie ghost is Yet somewhat I will say making those things manifest which he worketh chiefly in men For otherwise the father by the spirit worketh all things by him he createth susteyneth moueth giueth life strengtheneth and prescrueth al things by the selfe same he regenerateth his faythfull people sanctifieth and indueth them with diuers kyndes of graces Whervpon in the description aboue mentioned of him cōprising in foure members his principall powers and effectes which shewe them selues by their working in men I sayde that he doth illuminate regenerate sanctifie and fulfill the faithfull with all good graces Which things that they may the better be vnderstoode it shal be good first of all to declare as well as we can the appellatiōs or names of the holy ghost which the holy scripture giueth him and then to recite one or two places of the old and new Testament to set foorth declare the power of the holy Ghost First he is called the holy spirite of God bicause all creatures as many as are sanctified are sanctified by him The heauenly father sanctifieth with his grace but throughe the bloud of his beloued sonne and sanctification is deriued into vs and sealed by the spirite Therefore the holie trinitie being one God doth sanctiūe vs It is a wicked thing therefore to attribute sanctification to straunge and forreine things It is a wicked thing to translate purification and iustification from the Creator vnto the Creature Moreouer he is called holy to make a difference of him from other spirites For we reade in the Scriptures that there was and is a spirite of the worlde a spirite of infirmitie a spirite of fornication and vncleannesse and a spirit of pride From all these the holy ghost is separated which inspireth into vs the contempt of this worlde whiche openeth vnto vs the Scriptures and confirmeth vs in trueth whiche purifieth our heartes and maketh oure mynds chast and so preserueth them finally whiche maketh vs lowly and gentle and driueth away from vs all maliciousnesse The same holy Ghost is called the spirite of God and of the sonne Of God to make a difference betwéene it and the spirite of sathan And it is called the spirite of the sonne bicause it is the proper and naturall spirite of the sonne which he also communicateth vnto vs that we also might be the sonnes of god For Paule sayth Ye are the temple of God and the spirite of God dwelleth in you Againe If any man haue not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And againe Bicause ye are sonns God hath sent the spirit of his sonne into your harts crying Abba father Moreouer our Lorde him selfe in the historie of the Gospell calleth the holy Ghost a comforter saying I will pray the father and he shal giue you an other cōforter that he may abide with you for euer euen the spirit of truth whom the world cannot receiue bycause the worlde seeth him not neyther knoweth him but ye know him for he dwelleth with you and shal be in you For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a comforter a stirrer vp or a prouoker an exhorter an aduocate or patrone which pleadeth the cause of his client For the holy Ghoste is the mouth the eye the heart the counsel the hande and the foote of all the faythfull Didymus in his worke intituled De spiritu sancto sayth Christe Giuing the holy ghost a name answerable to his working calleth him the comforter Bycause he doth not onely comforte those whō he findeth worthy of him and setteth them frée from all heauinesse and trouble of mynde but giueth vnto them a certeine incredible ioy and gladnesse in so muche that a man giuing God thankes bycause he is counted worthy of suche a guest may say Thou hast giuen me gladnesse in my heart For euerlasting ioy and gladnesse is in the hearte of them in whome the holy Ghost dwelleth The holy ghost verily alone maketh the consciences of men voyde of care quiet and at peace before God in the matter of iustification and in all temptations of the worlde Paule sayth This only I desire to learne of you whether ye haue receiued the spirite by the workes of the lawe or by the preaching of faith The Apostles being beaten with roddes when they were indued with the
celebrated in stéede of other ordinances of god came in a high heap of foolish and superstitious Ceremonies whervnto a great number of men yelding made themselues subiect to the sea of Rome In the meane space notwithstanding the church of God was not vtterly extinguished throughout al the world neither the holy ministerie of the word of God the true worship of God vtterly decayed amongest all men For there were found spred abrode in euery place not a few men who neither alowed the Pope and his conspirators nether his corruption in matters of the church But they worshipped the lord Christ whom they acknowledged to be the onely authour of saluation and therfore they kept them selues frée from Popish filthines And god also sent almost in euery age since the beginning of Popedome men that were graue godly and learned who greuously accused the Popes kingdome and tyrannie euen as the Prophets did of old time in the dayes of Ieroboam the idolatrous corruption coÌ„stantly requiring the reformation of the church from Popish corruptions and also teaching the true doctrine of saluation the true vse of the sacramentes And wheras a pure reformation by reason of Antichristes tyrannie could not bée obteined there was notwithstanding found a continual studie of puritie a godly desire of the lawful vse of the sacraments euen as I said there was in the elect members of the true church of God in the dayes of IeroboaÌ„ Achab Manasses in the time of the captiuitie of Babylon But euen as in those times the true prophets of God were not acknowleged for true prophets of the priests of Baal but were coÌ„demned for scismatiques heretiques eueÌ„ so in certeine ages past the bishops of Rome with their conspiratours did excoÌ„municate persecute godly and learned men who preached the word of God called for the reformation of the church many of them did they put to death with fire and sword which thing our Lord and maister himselfe with the prophets and Apostles did foreshewe should come to passe Moreouer God could vndoubtedly reserue to himselfe a mightie church euen vnder the Papisme euen as we doubte not but hee hath done a very gret vnder Mahometanisme for who will thinke that no meÌ„bers of the church of God are remayning in all Asia and Africa Could not our merciful god with his mightie power in the last calamitie and ruine of gods church reserue againe as sometime he did 7000. meÌ„ of whom neuer a one had worshipped the beast or receiued his mark What hath béen don in Turkie or what at this day is don let them declare that can do it best most rightly What hath béene done amongest vs in these last ages no man can denie Through the great goodnesse of God we sée it is come to passe that euen as circumcision the signe of gods couenaunt of old was giueÌ„ vnto the people of god euen in the middest of the falling from god so also at this day in the greatest darcknesse of Antichrist most holy baptisme was giuen to the ChristiaÌ„s to be as a seale of the forgiuenesse of sinnes inheritance of the children of god Surely the purenes of doctrine was prophaned with infinite most grosse traditions by the Popes sworne frends yet in the meane time it was not altogether abolished For that I repeat not againe any thing of that which I haue said of godly and learned men sent of God crying for reformation of the Church and greatly profiting with all the children of God was it not with a certein vniuersall consent receiued for most certeine and vndoubted that in the decalogue or tenne commandements there was set downe a short and most absolute summe of all the commaundements of God and that in the Lords prayer was taughte vs a most ample forme of prayer vnto God And that in the Apostles créed was conteyned a most perfect rule of faith or of y which was to be beléeued Surelie the custome was to recite the créede almost vnto euery one that was departinge out of this world and to those that lay euen at the last gasp as a most perfect rule of that faith whiche bringeth saluation Neither do we doubt that the mercifull God and father of mercies who vouchsafed to saue the théefe vppon the crosse euen at the giuing vp of his life had mercie vppon those that were oppressed with the tyrannie of Antichrist and through his vnmeasurable grace touched the hearts of men both liuing and readie to die taught them by his holy spirite and that they coÌ„fessing one God the father maker of all things and one Iesus Christ the sonne of God redéemer of the world to haue suffered and risen againe and one holy Ghoste and finallie the holie catholique Church that he hath sanctifyed them forgiuing them all their sinnes and hath translated the soules of such faithfull men into life euerlasting according as they beléeued into which place also wee beléeue our flesh being raised againe shal be caried in the end of the world They haue here therfore their answere also who aske whether all oure elders who died beefore these last times wherein the Gospell is reuealed be damned Let therfore those that bee aliue rather looke least for their contempt of the word of God and contâ—ntions raised against the word of God they come to worse end thaÌ„ their forefathers came Therfore thoughe we acknowledge not the Popish Church to be the true Church yet it followeth not thereof that there neither is or was any Church of God in the earth For we say that is the true Church of GOD which beléeueth in Christe and forsaketh not his word which Church also we haue plentifully enough described We know moreouer that wée our selues which at this daye beléeue in Christe are the true Church of Christ our lord For wee cleane by faith to oure onely head Christe and to all the members of the catholique church so as we are not destitute of the true markes of the true Church of God. But we read not say they that vnder the bishops priestes and kings of the Church of the Iewes either the prophets that is to saye the guides of the faithfull or else the faithful themselues did depart away from the high priest from the king or from their vniuersall Church and ordeyned vnto themselues new particular sacrifices as you at this day doe For you departing from the bishopp of Rome from kinges and gouernours and from the vniuersal Church do congregate vnto your selues a Church farre vnlike the vniuersall Church both in preaching and ministring of the Sacraments Wherevnto I aunswere that the old fathers before the comming of oure maister Christe for a certeine prescribed cause did not séeke places to offer new sacrifices in the temple being abused and defiled with idolatrie For it was vnlawfull to offer sacrifice without the bounds of the temple As is to be séene in the 3. of Leuit. and the 12. of Deut. Neither
holie ghost c. 872 1 He which sent me to baptise with water the same sayde vnto me Vppon whom so euer thou shalt sée the holie Ghost c. 1033 1 I am not Christ but am sent before him to beare record of him c. 578 1 Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world c. 365. 568 2 Away with these thinges from hence make not my fathershouse an house of merchandize c. 586 3 He that commeth from on high is aboue al He that c. 527 983 3 I am the voyce of a cryer in the wildernesse make streight the waye of the Lord c. 983 3 Ye your selues are witnesses that I saide that I am not the Christe c. 867 3 If I haue tolde you of earthly things and ye beléeue not c. 964 3 This is condemnation bycause the light came into the worlde c. 546 3 He whom God hath sent dothe speake the words of god For God giueth not the spirite by measure vnto him c. 627 3 God so loued the worlde that he gaue his onely begotten sonne c. 48. 546. 549 3 He that beléeueth in the sonne of God is not condemned c. 779 3 And as Moses lifted vp the serpent in the wildernesse c. 48. 549 3 No man hath ascended vp into heauen but he that came downe froÌ„ heauen c. 696 3 Verily I say vnto you Except a man be borne of water and of the spirite c. 501. 1046. 1049 3 The winde bloweth where it lusteth and thou hearest the sounde thereof c. 714 3 Hée that beléeueth not is condemned alreadie bycause hâ—e hath not bâ—léeued in the name c. 643 4 God is a spirite and they that worship him must worship him in spirite and truth c. 416 427. 715 4 I knowe that the Messiah shal come which is caled Christ c. 539 4 Iesus him selfe did not baptise but his disciples c. 1056 4 The home coÌ„meth when ye shal neyther in this mounteine neither at Ierusalem worship c. 1004 4 He whiche drinketh of this water shall thirst againe c. 1002 5 They that haue done good shall come foorth vnto the resurrection of life c. 747 5 The father hath giuen all iudgement to the sonne that al might honour the sonne as they honour the the father c. 661. 686. 920 5 Therefore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabbaoth daye c. 59. 683 5 Who so hath the sonne hath life who so hath not the sonne of God hath not life c. 643 5 My father worketh hetherto I worke c. 638 5 Thinke not that I will accuse you to my father there is one that accâ—â—eth you c. 402 5 There is one which accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye hope c 376 5 The Lord conueyed him selfe away while the people woulde haue made him a king c. 218 5 We know that the sonne of god is come hath giuen vs a mynde that we should knowe him c. 685 6 The words of our lord touching the eating of his body make muche for the meaning of the wordes vsed in the sacramental supper c. 54 6 He that eateth me shall liue by me c. 49 6 I am the liuely bread that came downe from heauen c. 684 6 Exâ—ept ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye haue no life in you c. 1049 6 My fleshe is meaâ—e in déede and my bloud is drinke in déed c. 696 6 He that cateth my flesh drinketh my bloud dwelleth in c. 825 6 No man commeth vnto me vnlesse my father drawe him c. 589 6 This is the wâ—l of him that sent me the â—ather that euery one which sâ—â—th the sonne and beleueth in him shoulde haue euerlasting life c. 48 643 6 Lord to whome shal we go thou hast the wordes of eternall life and we beleeue and knowe c. 569 6 Doth this offend you What therefore if you shall sée the sonne of man c. 69 7 The holy Ghoste was not yet there bicause Iesus was not yet glorified c. 430 7 If any man thirst let him come vnto me drinke c. 706. 725. 825 8 I am the light of the world He that followeth me doth not walke in darknesse 686. 833 8 The diuell was a murtherer froÌ„ the beginning and abode not in the truth c. 485. 746 8 We are not borne of fornication we haue one father eueÌ„ god c 683 8 If ye abide in my sayinge ye shal be my disciples in déede and ye shal knowe the truth c. 676 8 Verily I say vnto you before Abraham was I am c. 678 8 He that is of God dothe heare the word of God c. 822. 827 8 Abraham was glad to sée my daye and he saw it and reioyced c 433 8 Verily verily I say vnto you c. if the sonne therfore shall make you frée c. 444. 591 9 Maister who sinned this man or his parentes that he was borne blinde c. 293 9 Doest thou beléeue in the sonne of God c. 59. 652 10 I am the doore c. 662 10 Many good works haue I shewed you from my father for which of these good works do ye stone me c. 683 10 I and my father are one Then the Iewes tooke vp stones c. 59 10 How long doest thou make vs doubt c. 538 10 I haue power to forgiue â—innes to raiâ—e to life whome I will and to giue righteousnesse c. 696 10 My shéepe heare my voyce I knowe them and they follow me c. 645. 822. 827 10 I giue vnto my shéepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perish for euer c. 683 11 I am the resurrection and the life he that beléeueth in me c 68 12 My soule is heauie euen vnto the death c. 64 12 I when I shal be lift vppe from the earth will drawe c. 64 12 Verily verily I say vnto you vnlesse the séede of corne c. 65 13 Verily verily I say vnto you He that receiueth whome so euer I shall send receiueth me c. 1104 13 About the end of the Supper the diuell entred into Iudas c. 80. 515. 1108 13 Verily I say vnto thée the cock shall not â—â—â—we till thou hast denyed me thrise c. 564 13 He that is washed néedeth not saue to washe his feete c. 772 13 The Apostle or messinger is not greater than he that sent him c. 877 13 A newe commandement I giue vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue c. 826 14 Ye beleeue in God beleeue and in me c. 692 14 That comforter whiche is the holie Ghost whome the father will send in my name c. 627. 724 14 I will praye the father and
liued without lawe c. 502 7 O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death c. 409 7 With the mynde the same I or euen I doe serue the Lawe of God c. 515 7 Wee knowe that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder sinne c. 405. 496 7 I knowe that in me that is in my flesh there is no good c. 482 589. 594. 7 I knewe not sinne but by the lawe for I had not knowne lust except the lawe c. 325. 401 7 I finde when I would doe good that euill is present with by and in me c. 515 8 Those which he knewe before he did also predestinate that they should be like c. 894 8 It is God that iustifieth who is he that can condemne c. 662 8 Who spared not his sonne but gaue him for vs all howe can it be that he shoulde not also with him giue vs allthings c. 644 8 You haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but you haue receiued the spirite of adoption c. 565. 660 8 If any haue not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his c. 660. 925. 1055 8 As many as are led by the spirite of GOD they are the sonnes of God c. 718 8 They that are in the fleshe can not please God c 728 8 Bâ—cause ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your hearts c. 723 8 Who shall separate vs from the loue of GOD shall tribulation c. 93. 311 8 The affection of the flesh is death but the affection of the spirit is life c. 325 8 The lawe of the spirite of life through Christe Iesus hath made mée frée c. 446 8 Wée are saued by hope but hope that is séene is no hope For howe can a man c. 305 8 What the Lawe could not do in as much as it was weake through the flesh c. 407 8 We sufferwith Christ that with him we may be glorified For I am c. 310 9 It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercie c. 644 9 They are not all Israelits whiche came of Israel neither are they c. 820 9 Which is God in all thinges to be praised for euer c. 685 10 Faith coÌ„meth by hearing and hearing commeth by the woord of god c. 827 10 With the heart man beléeueth vnto righteousnesse and with the mouth c. 974 10 But how shall they call vppon him in whome they haue not beléeued c. 660 10 If thou shalt knowledge with thy mouth the Lord Iesus and shalt beléeue in thine heart c. 1007 10 The same Lord ouer all is rich to all them that call vppon him c. 546. 11 Wée say that faith was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse c. 1011 11 I haue left vnto me selfe 7000 men in Israel who haue neuer bowed c. 855 11 O the depth of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God c. 642 12 I beséeche you brethren by the mercies of god that ye giue vp your bodies a liuely sacrifice c. 668 12 Dearely beloued reuenge not your selues but rather giue place vn to wrath c. 197 12 For as we haue manâ— meÌ„bers in one body and all members haue not c. 826 13 Owe nothing to any man c. for he that loueth another hath fulfilled the Lawe c. 98 13 The magistrate is Gods minister giue therefore to all men honour to whome honour belongeth c. 650 13 Wée must not obey the magistrate for anger onely but for â—onscience sake c. 220 13 Let euery soule be subiect to the higher powers c. 170. 755 14 Let vs followe the things that make for peace and al things wherby we may one edifie c. 426 14 Him that is weake in faith receiue ye not to strifes of disputations c. 451 14 All thinges are lawfull for mée but all thinges are not expedient c. 449 14 The kingdom of GOD is not meate and drinke but righteousnes and peace c. 699 16 Phebe a woman deacon of the Church of Cencrea c. 879 ¶ Out of the first Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians 1 THe Lord sent me to preache the Gospel and not to baâ—tise c. 1055 1 Were ye baptised in the name of Paule c. 627 1 I thancke God that I baptised none of you but Crispus and Gaius c. 1033 1 Nowe we sée in a glasse euen in a darcke speaking but then we shall sée face to face c. 608 1 After that in the wisedome of God the world through their wisedome knewe not God c. 619 2 God hath reuealed them vnto vs by his spirite For the spirite searcheth all thinges c. 728 2 Had they knowen it they would not haue crucified the Lord of glorie c. 695 2 My preaching was not in the enticeing words of mans wisedom but in the shewing of the spirite c. 603. 825 2 I was among you CorinthiaÌ„s in weakenesse and in feare and in much trembling c. 831 2 The natural man perceiueth not the thinges of the spirite of GOD c. 500. 589 3 As a skilfull buildes I haue laid the foundation c. 860 3 For wee together are Gods labourers ye are gods husbandrie c. 860 3 Other foundation can no man lay than that which is layed which is c. 861. 862 3 He which watereth is nothing nor he which planteth c. 20. 3 Who is Paul And who is Apollos but the ministers by whom ye beléeued c. 860. 873 983. 1137 3 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God that the spirit of God dwelleth in you c. 717. 723. 861 3 Not that we are sufficient of our selues to thinke any thing as of our selues c. 646 3. 4. Ministers are fellowe labourers with God and disposers of the secretes c. 873 4 Let a man so estéeme of vs as the ministers of Christ and disposers c. 881 4 For it is required in the disposers that a man be found faithfull c. 895 4 I begat you in Christe Iesu thorough the Gospell c. 827 5 God was in Christ reconciling the world vnto himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them c. 555. 569. 5 If any man that is called a brother be a théefe or a whoremonger c. 819. 1131 5 Therefore let vs kéepe the feast not in the old leauen nor in the leauen of malice c. 367 6 Yee are bought with a price become therefore the seruants c. 60 446. 1138 6 The holy and pure vse of the body seuearely requâ—red without all fâ—lthy and vncleane c. 426 6 Knowe ye not that your bodies are the members of Christe c. 235 6 Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temple
shall preach any other Gospel c. 559. 898 2 I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in mée and the life whiche I nowe line in the fleshe I liue by the faith of the sonne of God c. 454 763 825 2 If righteousnesse come by the lawe then Christ died in vaine c. 771 2 Titus being a Gréeke was not circumcised because of incommers being false c. 451 2 Wee knowe that man is not iustified by the woorkes of the Lawe c. 49 3 The séede of Abraham wherein we haue obteined blessing is Christ Iesus c. 687 3 All ye that are baptised haue puâ— on Christ c. 1061 3 If there had béene a lawe giuen which could haue giuen life then no doubt c. 40â— 3 For it is written Cursed is euery one that continueth not in all thinges which c. 407 3 The Lawe was our Scholemaster vnto Christ that wée should c. 1001 3 There is neither Iewe noâ— Greeke neither bond man nor frée c. 813 3 O foolish Galathians who hath beewitched you that yee should not beléeue the trueth c. 1020 3 The same oure father Abraham was not iustified by the Lawe c. 51 4 The sonne of God is made of a woman to witt according to mans nature c. 688 4 After that ye haue knowen God howe chaunceth it that ye returne againe to weake and beggerly elements c. 1142 4 Because ye are sonnes GOD hath sent the spirite of his sonne into your heartes c. 719 4 He feygneth that there are twoe mothers the one wherof doeth gender to boundage c. 437 4 God sent his sonne made of a woman that we by adoption might receiue the right of sonnes c. 448. 629. 4 Ye despised not neither abhorred my triall which was in the 〈◊〉 c. 876 4 Hierusalem whiche is aboue is frée which is the mother of vs all c. 827. 868 5 Brethren ye haue béene called vnto libertie onely let not libertie be an occasion c. 448 5 Loe I Paule say vnto you that if ye be circumcised Christ shal profite you nothing c. 419 5 The flesh lusteth contrary to the spirite and the spirite contrarie to the flesh c. 594. 718 5 The fruite of the spirite is loue ioy peace long suffering gentlenes goodnes c. 729 6 While wee haue time let vs worke good to all men c. 95. 289. 1125 6 Brethren if a man be preuented in any fault ye whiche are spirituall restoare such c. 574 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Ephesians 〈◊〉 YE are sealed with the holy spirite of promise whiche is the â—arnest of our inheritance c. 727. â—016 〈◊〉 God hath chosen vs in Christe 〈◊〉 efore the foundations of the world were layde c. 643 〈◊〉 God raised Christ from the dead â—nd sâ—t him on his right hand in â—â—auenly places c. 701. 865 〈◊〉 Christe dwelleth in oure heartes â—hrough faith c. 825 〈◊〉 Now therefore ye are no more â—â—raungers and forteners but 〈…〉 ns c. 862 〈◊〉 Wherefore remember that ye â—eing in time passed Gentiles in â—â—e flesh c. 1021 〈◊〉 Wée were by nature the sonnes wrath euen as other c. 501 〈◊〉 Wée are created in Christ Iesus â—â—to good workes whiche GOD 〈…〉 th before c. 473 〈◊〉 By grace are ye saued throughe 〈…〉 th and that not of your selues c 2 Christ is our peace which hath made both one and hath broken downe c. 413 4 Christ gaue some Apostles some Prophets some pastours c. 41 828. 877. 3 By Christe wee haue bouldnesse and entraunce with confidence by faith c. 921 3 God by reuelation shewed the mysterie vnto mée as I wrote c. 18. 4 There is one body and one spirite euen as you are called in one hope of your vocâ—tion c. 841 2 Christ is the head of the church and the same is the Sauiour c. 865 4 Hee instituted ministers for the gathering together of the Sainctes for the worke c. 875 4 Bee ye tenned in the spirite of your minde and put on that newe man c. 490 4 Layinglies a side speake ye euery man the truth to his brother for we are members c. 273 4 One Lord one faith one baptisme one GOD and father of all which is aboue all c. 624. 1033 4 This I saye and testifie in the Lord that ye henceforth walke not as other Gentiles walke c. 503. 592 4 Be angrie and sinne not Let not the Sinne set vpon c. 164 4 Let no filthie communication procéede out of your mouth c. 238 4 Gréeue not the holy Spirite of God by whome ye are sealed vnto the day of redemption c. 1016 5 Christ is the head of the church and he it is that giueth saluation to the bodie c. 702 5 So must husbandes loue their wiues euen as their owne bodies c. 230 5 Neither whoremongers nor adulterers shal inherite the kingdom of God c. 235 5 Christe loued the Churche and gaue himselfe for it c. 80. 973 1061 5 Bée not drinken with wine wherein is excesse but be full-filled c. 933 5 Let not fornication or any vncleannesse or couetousnesse be once named c. 238 5 Giue thanckes alwayes for all thinges vnto GOD and the father c. 952 6 Children obey your parents for this is right Honour thy father c. 158 6 Fathers prouoke not your children to anger c. 161 6 Brethren be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Put on c. 594 6 Take vnto you the whole armour of GOD that ye may be able to resist in the euill day c. 754 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Philippians 1 I Desire to be dissolued and to be with Christ c. 767. 777. 1 To you it is giuen for Christe not onely to beléeue in him but also to suffer for him c. 455. 591 2 When Christe was in the fourme of GOD he made himselfe of no reputation c. 63 689 2 There is a name giuen vnto Christe which is aboue all names that in the name of IESVS euery knée should bow c. 689 2 God worketh in vs both to wil and to doe euen of his good pleasure c. 591. 646 2 An exhortation to loue If therefore there bee any consolation in Christ c. 99 3 Christ shall transforme this vile body of oures to make it conformable c. 85. 88 3 Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee loke for a Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ c. 71. 87. 690. 4 Let your requests be shewed vnto God in prayer and supplication c. 914 4 Wée haue learned in what estate so euer we are therewith to be content c. 312 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Colossians 1 IT pleased the father that all fullnesse should dwell
c. 6â—â— 2 Let euery one that calleth vpâ—â— the name of the Lord depart froâ— iniquiâ—ie c. 6â—â— 2 No man whiche goeth a 〈◊〉 fare intangleth himseâ—fe with 〈◊〉 affaires c. 9â—â— 2 Studie to shewe thée selfe approued vnto God A worke-man not to be ashamed c. 908 2 Remember that Iesus Christ of the séede of Dauid was raised c. 294 2 It is a faithful saying For if we be dead with him we shal also liue c. 469 3 All Scripture giuen by inspiration of God is profitable to teache c. 17. 542 4 Paul could not deale against diseases as hee would example of Trophimo whome hee left sicke at Miletum c. 838 4 Bée thou vnto them that beléeue an ensample in word in conuersatioÌ„ c. 901 4 The time shall come that they shall not abide to heare sound doctrine c 324 4 I charge thée therefore before GOD and before the Lord Iesus Christ c. 908 4 Till I come giue attendaunce to reading to exhortation and doctrine c. 911 4 I haue fought a good fight I haue fulfilled my course I haue kept the faith c. 468 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to Titus 1 REbuke them sharpely that they may be sound in the faith c. 109. 1 For this cause I left thée in Creta that thou shouldest ordeine c. 894. 895 1 Who can denie that to the cleane all thinges are cleane c. 226 1 That the mouthes of vaine â—alkers stirrers of minds must be c. 908 1 In words they confesse that they knowe God but in their déeds they denie him c. 570 2 Exhort seruants to be obedient vnto their owne maisters and to please c. 273 2 Speake to the elder women that they may teach honest thinges c. 225 2 The grace of God that bringeth saluation hath appeared c 61. 546 3 God according to his mercie hath saued vs by the founteine of regeneration c. 629. 973. 1064 3 Warne them to be subiect to rule and power and to obey magistrates c. 170 3 Touching an heretique obiectons made out of S. Paule c. 203 5. Bring diligeÌ„tly Zenas the lawyer and Apollo vpon their way that they may want nothing c. 1115 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Paule to the Hebrues 1 GOD in times past at sundrie times and in diuers maners spake vnto c. 527 1 Are they not all ministring spirits c. 714. 732 1 God by his sonn hath made the worlds and doth rule and vpphold them with the word of his power c. 638 2 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and bloud he also himselfe likewise toke part with them c. 448. 691 2 Thou madest him litle inferiour to the angels c. 696 2 It became him in all thinges to be made like vnto his brethren c. 61. 687 2 He doeth no where take on him the Angels but the séed of Abraham c. 63. 687. 691 3 Exhort yee one another daily while it is called to day least any of you be hardened c. 710 4 To vs was the Gospel preached as wel as vnto them but the word c. 983. 1026 5 No man taketh the honour to himselfe but hee that is called of God as was Aaron c. 704. 893 5 In the dayes of his flesh when he did offer vp prayers supplications with strong crying and teares c. 707 6 It cannot bee that they whiche were once illuminated if they fall away c. 27. 518 6 Men verily sweare by the greater and an oath for coÌ„firmation c. 132 7 Christ euer liueth to make intercession for vs c. 662 7 And amonge them many were made priestes because they were not suffered to endure by reason of death c. 707 7 Christ for that he endureth for euer hath an euerlasting priesthoode c. 663 7 Our high priest had no néede as those high priestes had first to c. 373 7 The forerunner is for vs entred into heauen after the order of Melchisedech made a priest for euer c. 704 8 Because I will be mercifull to their vnrighteousnesses and I will no more c. 438 8 Christ were no priest if he were on earth c. 706 9 Christ entred not into the Tabernacle made with hands but into the very c. 373. 708 9 If the ashes of a younge cow sprinkled doeth sanctifie them c. 377. 9 Christ appeared once before the end of the world to put away sinne by offering vp himselfe c. 1094 10 Euery priest appeareth daily ministring and oftentimes offereth one maner of offering c. 708 10 Christ being one onely sacrifice offered vp for sinn â—â—tteth for euer at the right hand of GOD c. 569. 1069 10 Ye haue néede of patience that after ye haue done the will of God c. 469 10 If we sinne willingly after we haue receiued the knowledge of the trueth c. 518 10 Cast not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward c. 304 11 Whosoeuer will come to God must beléeue c. 1099 11 And all these holy fathers hauing through hope obteined good report c. 433 11 They wandered about in shéepe skinnes and goate skinnes being c. 312 11 Faith is the substance of things hoped for the euidence of thinges c. 30 11 These through faith did subdue kingdomes wrought righteousnes c. 150 12 Ye are come into the citie of the liuing God the heauenly Hierusalem and to an innumerable companie of Angels c. 737 12 God speaketh to you as to his sonnes My sonne despise not thou the chastening of c. 307 12 The fathers of your flesh did for a fewe dayes chasten you after their owne c. 310 12 Ye came not vnto Mount Sina to a fire to a whirlewinde astormie c. 814 13 To doe good and to distribute forgett not for with such sacrifice God is pleased c. 1125 13 By Christ we offer the sacrifice of praise alwayes vnto God that is the fruite of lippes whiche confesse his name c. 659. 710. 952 13 Hée suffered without the gate and offered himselfe a liuely and most holy sacrifice c. 706 13 Be mindefull of them that are in bonds as bound with them c. 97 13 Wedlock is honourable among all and the bedd vndefiled c. 223. 226. 1132 13 Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and giue place vnto them c. 154 13 The bodies of those beastes whose bloud is brought into the holy place c. 374 ¶ Out of the Epistle of S. Iames. 1 If any of you lacke wisedome let him aske of God c. 16. 304 1 Euery good guieing euery perfect gift c. 918 1 Let no maÌ„ say when he is tempted he is rempted of God c. 485 1 For when he is cried he shall receiue the crowne of life
ignorant in no pointe of those thinges which Adam had taught Noe dyeth which is maruell to be tolde and yet very true in the. 59. yere of Abrahams age Sem the sonne of Noah liued many yeares with his father For he liued in all 600. yeres He was borne to Noah about 96. yeres before the deluge He sawe and heard therfore not onely his father Noe and his grandfather Lamâ—ch but also his great grand siar Methusalem with whome he liued those 96. yeres before the deluge Of him he might be informed of all those thinges whiche Methusalem had hearde and learned of Adam and the other Patriarches Sem dieth after the death of Abraham in the. 52. yeare of Iacob which was 37. yeares after the death of Abraham in the. 112. yeare of Isaac his age So that Iacob the Patriarch might very well learne all the true diuinitie of Sem him self euen as he had heard it of Methusalem who was the thirde witnesse and teacher from Adam Furthermore Iaacob the Patriarch deliuered to his childreÌ„ that which he receiued of God to teach to his posteritie In Mesopotamia there is borne to Iaacob his sonne Leui and to him againe is born Kahad whiche both sawe and hearde Iaacob For Kahad liued no small number of yeares with his grandfather Iaacob For he is rehearsed in the roll of them which went with Iaacob downe into Egypt but Iaacob liued 17. yeares with his children in Egypt This Kahad is the grandfather of Moses the father of Amram from whom Moses did perfectly draw that ful and certain tradition by hand as concerning the will commaundements and iudgements of God euen as Amram his father had learned theÌ„ of his father Kahad Kahad of Iaacob Iaacob of Sem Sem of Methusalem and of Adam the first father of vs all so nowe that Moses is from Adam the seuenth witnesse in the worlde And from the beginning of the worlde to the byrth of Moses are fully complete 2368. yeares of the worlde And who so euer shall diligently reckon the yeres not in vaine set downe by Moses in Genesis and Erodus he shall find this account to be true and right Now also it behoueth vs to know those chiefe principles of that liuely tradition deliuered by the holy fathers at the appointment of God as it were from hande to hande to all the posteritie The fathers taught their children that God of his naturall goodnesse wishing well to mankind woulde haue all men to come to the knowledge of the trueth and to be like in nature to God him selfe holy happie and absolutely blessed And therefore that God in the beginning did create man to his owne similitude and likenesse to the intent that he should be good holy immortal blessed and partaker of all the good gifts of God but that man continued not in that dignitie and happie estate but by the meanes of the deuill and his owne proper faulte fell into sinne miserie and death changing his likenesse to God into the similitude of the deuill Moreouer that God here againe as it were of freshe began the worke of saluation wherby mankind being restored and set free from all euill might once againe be made like vnto God and that he meant to bring this mightie and diuine worke to passe by a certain middle meane that is by the worde incarnate For as by this taking of flesh he ioyned man to God so by dying in the fleshe with sacrifice he cleansed sanctified and deliuered mankinde and by giuing him his holy spirit he made him like againe in nature to God that is immortall and absolutely blessed And last of all he worketh in vs a willing indeuour aptly to resemble the propertie and coÌ„ditions of him to whose likenesse we are created so that we maye be holy bothe body and soule They added moreouer that the word should be incarnate in his due time and appointed age And also that there did remaine a greate daye for iudgement wherein though all men were gathered together yet the rightuous onely shoulde receiue that reward of heauenly immortalitie So theÌ„ this is the brief summe of the holy fathers tradition whiche it is best to vntwist more largely and to speake of it more diligently as it were by parts First therefore the fathers taught that the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost are one God in the moste reuerend Trinitie the maker and gouernour of heauen and earth and all things whiche are therein by whome man was made and who for man did make all things and put all things vnder mankind to minister vnto him things necessarie as a louing father and most bountiful Lorde Then they taught that man consisted of soule and body and that he in déede was made good according to the image and likenesse of God but that by his owne faulte and egging forwarde of the deuill falling into sinne he brought into the worlde death and damnation together with a webbe of miseries out of whiche it can not ridde it selfe So that nowe all the children of Adam euen from Adam are borne the sonnes of wrath and wretchednesse But that God whose mercy aboundeth according to his incomprehensible goodnesse taking pitie on the miserie of mankinde did euen of his méere grace graunt pardon for the offence and did laye the weight of the punishment vpon his only sonne to the intent that he when his heele was crushed by the Serpent might him self breake the Serpents heade That is to say God doth make a promise of seed that is of a sonne who taking fleshe of a péerelesse woman I meane that Virgine most worthy of commendations should by his death vanquishe death and Sathan the authour of death and shoulde bring the faythfull sonnes of Adam out of bondage yea and that more is shuld by adoption make them the sonnes of God and heires of life euerlasting The holy fathers therefore taught to beléeue in God and in his son the redéemer of the whole world when in their very sacrifices they did represent his death as it were an vnspotted sacrifice wherwith he ment to wipe away and cleanse the sinnes of all the worlde And therefore had they a most diligent eye to the stocke and lineall descent of the Meschias For it is brought down as it were by a line from Adam to Noe and from Noe by Sem euen to Abraham him selfe and to him againe it was sayde In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth be blessed in which wordes the promise once made to Adam as touching Christe the redeemer and chaunger of Gods curse into blessing is renewed and repeated againe The same line is brought downe from Abraham by Isaac vnto Iacob and Iacob being ful of the spirit of God pointed out his sonne Iuda to be the roote of the blessed séede as it is to be séene in 49. of Genesis Lastly in the tribe of Iuda the house of Dauid was noted out of which
to lay hand on the life to come The faithfull Saints could in no wise haue don these things vnlesse the doctrine whiche they beléeued had béene of god Although therefore that the Apostles were men yet their doctrine first of all taught by a liuely expressed voyce and after that set downe in writing with penne and yncke is the doctrine of God and the very true word of god For therefore the Apostle left this saying in writing When ye did receaue the woord of God whiche ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which effectually worketh in you that beleeue But nowe the matter it selfe and place require that I gather also and plainely reckon vp those bookes wherin is conteined the very word of God first of all declared of the Fathers of Christ himselfe and the Apostles by-word of mouth after that also written into Bookes by the Prophetes and Apostles And in the first place verely are set the fiue bookes of Moses Then follow the bookes of Iosua of Iudges of Ruth two bookes of Samuel two of Kinges two of Chronicles of Esdras Nehemias and Hester one a piece After these come Iob Dauid or the booke of Psalmes Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and Cantica With them are numbered the foure greater Prophets Esaias Ieremias Ezechiel and Daniel then the twelue lesser Prophetes whose names are very well knowne With these bookes the olde Testament ended The Newe Testament hathe in the beginning the Euangelicall hystorie of Christ the Lord written by foure Authors that is by two Apostles Mathewe and Iohn and by two Disciples Marke and Luke who compiled a wonderfull goodly and profitable booke of the Actes of the Apostles Paule to sundrie Churches and persons published 14. Epistles The other Apostles wrote 7. whiche are called both Canonical and Catholique And the books of the new Testament are ended with the reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche he opened to the Disciple whome he loued Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle shewing vnto him and so to the whole church the ordinaunce of God touching the Churche euen vntil the day of iudgement Therefore in these fewe and meane not vnmeasurable in these plaine and simple not darke and vnkemmed books is coōprehended the ful doctrine of godlynes whiche is the very word of the true liuing and eternall God. Also the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes through so many ages perils and captiuities came sound and vncorruptted euen vntill the time of Christ and his Apostles For the Lord Iesus the Apostles vsed those bookes as true copies and authentical which vndoubtedly they neither would nor could haue done if so be that eyther they had béen corrupted or altogether perished The bookes also whiche the Apostles of Christ haue added were throughout all persecutions kept in the Church safe and vncorrupted and are come sound and vncorrupted into our handes vpon whome the endes of the world are falne For by the vigilāt care vnspeakable goodnes of God our Father it is brought to passe that no age at any time either hathe or shal want so great a treasure Thus muche hitherto haue I declared vnto you derely beloued what the word of God is what the beginning of it in the Churche was what procéeding dignitie and certaintie it had The word of God is the speache of God that is to say the reuealing of his good will to mankinde whiche frō the beginning one while by his owne mouthe and an other whyle by the speache of Angels he did open to those first ancient and most holy Fathers who againe by tradition did faithfully deliuer it to their posteritie Here are to be remembred those great lightes of the world Adam Seth Methusalem Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iaacob Amram and his Sonne Moses who at Gods commaundement did in writing comprehend the hystorie and traditiōs of the holy Fathers whervnto he ioyned the written lawe and exposition of the lawe togeather with a large and lightsome hystorie of his owne lyfe time After Moses God gaue to his Churche moste excellent men Prophets and Priestes who also by worde of mouthe and wrytings did deliuer to their posterity that whiche they had learned of the Lord After them came the Onely begotten Sonne of God himselfe downe from heauen into the world and fulfilled all whatsoeuer was found to be written of himselfe in the Lawe and the Prophetes The same also taught a moste absolute meane howe to liue well and holily He made the Apostles his witnesses Which witnesses did afterwardes first of all with a liuely expressed voice preach al things which the Lord had taught them and then to the intent that they should not be corrupted or clean taken out of mans remembraunce they did commit it to writing so that nowe we haue from the Fathers the Prophetes and Apostles the word of God as it was preached and written These thinges had their beginning of one the same spirite of God and do tende to one end that is To teach vs men how to liue well and holily He that beléeueth not these men namely the only begotten Sonne of God whom I pray you will he beleeue We haue here the moste holie innocent vpright liuing most praise worthie most iust moste ancient most wise and most diuine men of the whole world and compasse of the earth and briefly suche men as are by all meanes without comparison All the worlde cannot shew vs the like againe although it shuld wholy a thousand times be assembled in Counsels The holy Emperour Constantine gathered a generall counsell out of al the compasse of the earthe thether came there together out of all the worlde thrée hundred and eightéene moste excellent Fathers But they that are of the wisest sorte will say that these are not so muche as shadowes to be compared to them of whome we haue receiued the worde of god Let vs therefore in all thinges beléeue the worde of God deliuered to vs by the Scriptures Let vs thinke that the Lorde him selfe whiche is the very liuing and eternall God dothe speake to vs by the Scriptures Let vs for euermore prayse the name and goodnesse of him who hath vouched safe so faythfully fully and plainely to open to vs miserable mortall men all the meanes howe to liue well and holyly To him be prayse honour and glory for euermore Amen Of the worde of God to whom and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse ¶ The seconde Sermon DEarely beloued in the laste Sermon you learned what the worde of God is from whence it came by whome it was chiefly reuealed what procéedings it had and of what dignitie and certaintie it is Now am I come againe and by Gods fauour and the helpe of your prayers I will declare vnto you beloued to whome and to what ende the worde of
is bestowed on vs and deriued from him to vs by the holy Ghoste For the Apostle sayth God which anoynted vs is he also which hath sealed vs and hath giuen the earnest of the spirite in our hearts And againe Ye were in deede defiled with naughtinesse but nowe ye are cleansed and sanctified and lastely iustified throughe the name of the Lorde Iesus and by the spirite of our God. The Father in déede doth sanctifie too but by the bloud of Iesus Christe and poureth the same sanctification out of him into vs by the holy Ghost so that it is as it were the propertie of the holy Ghoste to sanctifie wherevpon he is called Holy or the sanctifier Therefore so often as we heare the holy Ghost named we must by and by think of the power in working which the Scripture attributeth to him and we must looke after the benefites that from him doe flowe to vs For the power operation or action of the spirite is that what so euer the grace of God doth work in vs through the Sonne so that of necessitie we must beléeue in the holy Ghost And in this eight Article we doe professe that we doe verily beléeue that all the faithfull are cleansed washed regenerated sanctified inlightned and inriched of God with diuers gifts of grace for Christ his sake but yet through the holy Ghost For without him there is no true sanctification wherefore we ought not to attribute these giftes of grace to any other meanes this glory belongeth to the holy Ghost onely Of whome I will more largely and fully discourse in my other Sermons The houre is spent which warneth me to wrappe vp briefly and make an ende therefore I exhort you al to haue your faithe religiously bent vpon the Lorde Iesus for him hath the heauēly father sente to vs in him hath he wholy expressed and shewed him selfe to vs and him doth the holy Ghoste printe in our heartes and kéepe in our mindes And in Christ is all mans saluation and euery part thereof contained wherefore we must beware that we deriue it not from any thing else It pleased the father saith the Apostle that all fulnesse shoulde dwell in the Sonne and in him to recapitulate and as it were to bring into a summe all points of saluation that in him all the faithfull may be fulfilled For if saluation be sought then euen by his very name are we taught that saluation is in his power For he is called Iesus that is a sauiour If we desire the holy spirit of God and his sundry gifts we shal finde them also in the annointing of Christ For he is called Christ the annoynted I saye the holye of holies and the sanctifier or else the annoynter of vs with his spirite If any man haue néede of strength and might of power and deliueraunce well he hath to looke for it in Christe his dominion For Christe is Lorde of all In the same Christ we finde redemption For he hath redéemed vs that were solde vnder Sathans yoake In his conception we haue puritie in his natiuitie we haue sufferance For he became like to vs that he might suffer griefe as well as we For in his passion we haue forgiunesse of sinnes in his condemnation we haue absolution satisfaction in his offering or cleansing sacrifice cleansing in his bloude and an vniuersall reconciliation in his descending into hell In his buriall we haue the mortificatiō of our flesh the newnesse of life yea rather the immortalitie of the soule and resurrection of our bodyes in his glorious resurrection We haue also the inheritance of the heauenly kingdome with the assured sealing thereof in his ascension and sitting at the right hand of the father And there is he our mediatour priest and king our safegarde and our heade oure defender and moste sure rest From thence he poureth into vs his holye spirite the fulnesse of all good thinges and dothe communicate him selfe wholy to vs ioyning vs vnto him selfe with an indissoluble knot From thence we doe with confidence and ioy looke for him to be our iudge to be I say our patrone and deliuerer whiche shall condemne and sende downe hedlong into hell all our enimies with sathan but shal take vs and al the faith full of euery age vp into heauen with him self there to sing a newe song and to reioyce in him for euer and euer To him be glory for euer Amen Of the latter Articles of Christian fayth contained in the Apostles Creede ¶ The nynth Sermon LEt vs call to oure Father in heauen through our Lord Iesus Christe that he wil vouchsafe to poure his grace into vs that we may to our no smal profit dispatch and expound the last part of the Articles of Christian beliefe The nynth Article of fayth is this The holy Catholique Churche the communion of Saintes After the confession of our belief in the holy Trinitie and in the mysterie of the Sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christe and lastly in the holy Ghost the sanctifier and restoarer of al now in the fourth part is reckoned vp the fruite and power the effect and ende of fayth and what doth come to and is bestowed on the faithfull There commeth to them communion of God and all Saintes sanctification remission of sinnes the resurrection of the fleshe and life euerlastinge Of which I will speake in order as they lye so farre foorth as the bountifull Lord shal giue me abilitie Nowe then here we haue to rehearse out of the eight Article this worde I beléeue we must I meane say I beléeue the holy Catholique Churche Some vnlearned there are which hold opinion that in this point of our confession we should say I beléeue in the holy Church The reason that leades them so to thinke is this bycause they finde written in the Constantinopolitane Créede And in the holy Ghost the Lorde that giueth life who procéedeth from the father and the sonne who together with the father the sonne is to be worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophetes in one Catholique and Apostolique Churche For these wordes they doe so distinguishe that as they doe repeate out of the premisses these wordes I beléeue and make this the sense I beleeue in the holye Ghoste the Lorde euen so here againe they doe repeate these wordes I beléeue making this to be the sense I beléeue in one Catholique and Apostolique Church But this is more then néedeth yea and against all godlynesse doe they wrest these wordes of the Créede For this In one Catholique and Apostolique Church is not referred to the Verbe I beléeue but to the holye Ghoste bycause he spake by the Prophetes in one Catholique and Apostolique Churche For our meaning is and we confesse that one and the same spirite did all thinges in both Testamentes contrarie to the opinion of them whiche imagined that there were two spirites contrarie one to the other Moreouer Sainte Cyprian in his exposition
the strict kéeping of Moses lawe This rule must alwayes be kept obserued Sainct Peter doth simply commaunde and saye Submitt your selues to all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishement of euil doers but for the laude of them do well And yet the same Apostle affirmeth that we ought rather to obey God than men so often as men do publish lawes against true religion iustice and equitie concerning which I spake in the exposition of the commoÌ„ place of the magistrate And so thus much I thought good to saye touching the abrogatioÌ„ of the Iudiciall lawes Now if euery one of you do throughly ponder with him selfe the things y I haue hithereto saide touching the lawe of God the partes of the lawe the vse or effect the fulfilling and abrogating of the same it will be a thing of no difficultie to determin what euery one ought to think concerning that point or title of this treatise wherof I promised in the beginning of this sermon that I woulde speake somewhat towarde the ende to witte that the testament of the olde and new church is all one and that there is but one way of true saluation to all that eyther are or haue bene saued in this worlde and also wherein the newe testament dothe differ from the olde For since I haue alredie shewed that all the pointes of the lawe haue a respect and a kinde of Relation vnto Christ and that hee was in the lawe preached to the fathers to be the onely Sauiour in whome alone they were to be saued who is it which cannot perceiue that they had none other but the verie same manner and way to be saued which we at this day doe enioy by Christ Iesus And yet that this may appeare more euident I wil not stick to bestowe some paines to make this matter more manifest vnto you with as plaine a demonstration as possible may be although a playner cannot likely be than that which I haue alredie shewed you Verily there is no difference of the people of the testament of the church or of the manner of saluation betwixt them among whom there is found to be one and the same doctrin the same faith the same spirite the same hope the same inheritance the same expectation the same inuocation and the same sacraments If therefore I shal be able to proue that all these thinges were indifferently common to them of the olde church as wel vnto vs then haue I obteined that which I shott at to wite that in respect of the substance there neither was nor is any more than one testament that the olde fathers are one and the same people that we are liuing in the same church and communion and saued not in any other but in Christe alone the sonne of God in whome also wee looke for saluation That they and wee haue all one and the same doctrine I proue thus Our doctrine is the doctrine of the gospel But that the fathers were not without the sanâ—e doctrine it is euident by Sainct Paule who testifieth saying God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his prophets in the holie Scriptures of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleash and hath been declared to bee the sonne of God with power by the spirite c. What could be saide more plainly The Gospell which is at this day preathed was of olde promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures to wite that the sonne of God should come into the worlde to saue all faithfull beleuers This Gospell also teacheth that the faithful are not iustified by the works of the lawe but freely by grace through faith in Christe Sainct Paule saith By the deedes of the law there shal no fleash be iustified in his sight For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of god declared without the law being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the prophets the righteousnesse of God coÌ„meth by the faith of Christ Iesus vnto all and vpoÌ„ all them that beleeue With Paule S. Peter also doth fully agrée where in the Synod helde at Hierusalem he saith Neither we nor our fathers were able to beare the yoke of the lawe but do beleeue euen as they to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Christ Iesus And so consequently in all other substanciall and material poynctes there is no difference in doctrine betwixt vs and them To procéede nowe they whose doctrine is al one must of necessitie haue all one faith For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god What doeth that argue that Abraham the rest of the holie fathers are set before our eyes as examples of faith for vs to followe wee sée that it is so in the holie Gospel of the Lord the sacred writings of the Apostles But who would giue vs such forreine examples to imitate as doe not concerne the thing for which they are giuen Paule in many places but especially in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes sheweth that faith must bée imputed to vs for righteousnesse as we reade that it was imputed vnto Abraham nowe that faith of his was not another but the vâ—rie same faith with ours which restâ—th vppon the promise of God and the blessed séede For he calleth Abraham the father not of these onely which are borne of the circumcision but of those also which walke in the stâ—ppes of the faith which was in Abraham before hee was circumcised Besides that also the confirmation of the Christian rule I meane the Apostles Creede or articles of our beleefe is fetched out of the Scriptures of the fathers of the olde testament which is vndoubtedly a moste manifeste argument that their faith and ours is the verie same faith They did beléeue in the Messiah that was then to come and wee beléeue y he is alreadie come and do more fully perceiue neerely see all that which was spoken of before in the prophets as I will anon declare when I come to shewe the difference betwixte the two testaments That all one and the same spirite did gouerne our forefathers and the people of the newe couenaunt who can doubt considering that the spirit of God is one alone and that Sainct Peter doth in expresse wordes testifie that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophets And Sainct Paule also saith Since we haue the same spirite of faith according to that which is written I beleeued and therefore I spake and we beleeue and therefore do we speake Therefore although the same apostle doth in another place saye that the faithfull haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but the spirite of adoptioÌ„ whereby they crie Abba father Yet doth he not denie but that the faithful fathers had the same spirite that wée
he saith not Let not sinne be in you or in your mortall body but he saith Let not sinne reigne in you or in your mortall bodie But when reigneth sinne Forsoothe sinne reigneth then when wée obey it thorough the lusts thereof that is when we resiste not but doe fulfill the lustes of the fleshe Sinne therefore doth not reigne in our mortall bodie so longe as it is but fealt in the bodie and not obeyed or permitted to rule but rather resisted and trode vnder foote This same sentence doth he expound by an other somwhat more easie to be vnderstood I would not haue you to permit your members to sinne as to a tyraunt to vse them as instrumentes to woorke all vnrighteousnesse I rather require you to giue your selues to bée ruled and gouerned by god For since hée hath set you frée from death brought you to life againe it is requisite that ye should giue your members to God as liuely instrumentes to woorke all righteousnesse And that shall ye bée easilie able to doe because ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace Vppon this doth all the rest of that Chapiter depend vnto the end What then saith hée shall we sinne because wee are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace God forbidde Knowe ye not how that to whomsoeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye are to whome ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse But God be thanked that ye were the seruants of sinne but ye haue obeyed with heart the fourme of doctrine into the which ye are brought vnto Being then made free from sinne ye are become the seruauntes of righteousnesse And yet he sheweth that the fréemen of Christ do not abuse their libertie and giue themselues againe to be gouerned by their old tyrannous maister Sinne. For he maketh Sinne and Righteousnesse to bée as it were two maisters and addeth to eche of them the hire or reward that they giue to their seruauntes the one Life the other Death Lastly he saith generallie that we are his seruaunts to whome wée giue our selues to obey Vppon which hée inferreth Being redeemed by the grace of God from the bondage of sinne and from death whiche is the rewarde of sinne we are translated into the bondage of righteousnesse whose reward is life that thereby we may liue For he doth more significantly expresse his meaning in that which followeth saying I speake after the manner of men because of the infirmitie of your flesh As ye haue giuen your mēbers seruaunts to vncleannesse and iniquitie vnto iniquitie euen so now giue your members seruauntes to righteousnesse vnto holinesse For when ye were the seruauntes of sinne ye were free from righteousnesse What fruite had ye then in those thinges whereof ye are nowe ashamed For the end of those thinges is death But nowe ye being made free from sinne made the seruants of God haue your fruit vnto holinesse and the ende euerlasting life For the reward of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life thoroughe Iesus Christe oure lord All this is so plaine and euident that it néedeth no larger exposition of mine And yet in the seuenth Chapiter next following hee doeth by comparison in a parable more fullie expounde all that hée said before The woman saith hée whiche is in subiection to the man is by the lawe bound to the man as longe as hée liueth If while the man liueth shée goe a side to an other she is counted an adultresse But if the man be dead shée may couple her selfe with an other man Euen so I saye wée are dead to the lawe For Christ died for vs and was in his bodie offered vpp to be a sacrifice or oblation to cleanse and purge oure sinnes that we might thenceforth bée vnited and coupled to him and that wée being conceiued and made with childe with his holy spirite maye trauaile bring foorth and be deliuered of an excellent issue holie fruite of good works euen as while we serued sinne were subiecte vnto it as to oure maister wee brought foorth an ill fauoured babe of death I meane iniquitie and wickednesse for the punishing whereof death is appointed and ordeined But let vs now heare the verie woords of the holie and blessed Apostle saying Euen so my brethren wee also are deade concerning the Lawe by the bodie of Christe that wee should bee coupled to an other who is raysed from the dead that wee should bring forth fruite vnto god For when we were in the flesh the lustes of sinne which were by the lawe wrought in oure members to bring forth fruite vnto death But no we are wee deliuered from the law and dead vnto it wherunto wee were in bondage that wee may serue in newenesse of spirite and not in the oldnesse of the letter That place in the eighth Chapiter to the Romanes is vnknowen to no man where he saith The lawe of the spirite of life thorough Christ Iesus hath made mee free from the lawe of sinne and death The manner of this deliueraunce hée doeth immediately after add saying For what the lawe could not doe that GOD did by sending his owne sonne And so forth as followeth For the woordes are sufficiently plaine and vnderstoode of all men In the seuenth Chapiter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians hee saith Yee are bought with a price doe not ye become the seruauntes of men In these woordes the holy Apostle exhorteth seruauntes vnder the colour or pretence of worldly bondage not to committ anye thinge for their earthly maisters pleasure whiche soundeth against sinceritie and is repugnant to pure religion to witt althoughe they bee called by the name of seruauntes yet that they should not obey the wicked lawes and vngodly ordinaunces of mortall men The cause that oughte to pull and draw vs from it is Because we are redeemed and set at libertie by the price of Christes his bloud It would therefore be to to bad and vnwoorthie a thinge if wée contrarie to the effecte of oure libertie should obey the naughtie lawes and ordinaunces of man. This also is extended stretcheth oute to the lawes of men whiche are made in matters of religion For in the fiftéenth Chapiter of the holy Gospell written by the Euāgelist S. Matthewe the Lord and Sauiour sayeth In vaine doe they worship mee teaching doctrines the precepts of men And Let them alone they are blinde leaders of the blinde And the Apostle S. Paul saith If ye be dead with Christe from the rudimentes of the world why as yet liuing in the world are ye ledd with traditions Touche not Taste not Handle not Which all doe perishe in abusing after the commaundementes and doctrines of men which thinges haue a shewe of wisedome in superstition and humblenesse of minde and in neglecting of the body not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh First of all hee sheweth that the faithfull ones
euery one that which is due tribute to whome tribute belongeth custome to whome custome is due feare to whom feare and honour to whome honour doeth appertaine Owe nothing to any maÌ„ but this that ye loue one another Moreouer they also do abuse Christian libertie who when they haue not receiued the spirite of libertie and of the sonnes of God when they are not as yet deliuered from Satan nor iustified by Christ do notwithstanding promise libertie to all men and think that for the opinion which they haue conceiued of their libertie they maye do whatsoeuer it pleaseth them by that meanes gainsaying good lawes and seuere discipline with exclamations outcries that libertie by lawes is intrapped betrayed and trode vnder foote Against such and especially against the teachers of that vaine and pernicious libertie Sainct Peter taketh stomach and saith These are welles without water clowdes that are carried with a tempest to whome the myste of darknesse is reserued for euer For when they haue spoken the great swelling wordes of vanitie they entice through lustes in the voluptuousnesse of the fleash suche as were cleane escaped from them which are wrapped in errour while they promise them libertie wher as they them selues are the bondseruaunts of corruption for of whome a man is ouercome vnto the same is he brought in bondage And so foorth as followeth Nowe when men doe after that manner abuse libertie that licentious lust is not worthie to be called by y name of libertie Last of all they doe abuse Christian libertie whosoeuer do abuse thinges indifferent and haue no regarde of their weake brethren but do offende them vnaduisedly Wee must therefore in this case alwayes haue in minde this notable saying of Sainct Paule All things are lawful for mee but all thinges are not expedient all things are lawfull for mee but all things do not edifie Touching this matter there is more to bee séene in the fourteenth Chapter of S. Paules Epistle written to the Romanes And here by occasion yea rather being compelled by necessitie I will speake a little and so much as shall be requisite for the godly disposed to knowe touching offences ScandaluÌ„ which worde the Latines borrowe of the Gréekes doth signifiâ— a fallinge a tripping a stumbling blocke an offence a let or hinderance such as are stones in a streate that sticke vpp higher then the rest or ginnes that are of purpose subtily sett or hidde to snare the féete of them that passe ouer them For they which doe either light on or stumble at them doe fall or else are turned out the streight path Now this kinde of snare or stumbling blâ—ck is by a metaphore transferred to the estate of religion and manners of meÌ„ For he giueth an offence whosoeuer doth with ouerthwart foolishe or vnseasonable wordes or deedes either do or saye to another man any thinge whereby he taketh an occasioÌ„ to sinne Therefore Scandalum is an occasion giuen to sinne and doe wickedly and the verie impulsion or driuing to a fall or to wickednesse Other there are that do define Scandalum to be an offence ioyned with a contempt For an offence doth vsually drawe a contempt with it or as we may say also an offence doth rise vpon contempt To conclude therefore it is put for an iniurie offered by one man to another Nowe wee offende other men either by our woordes or else by our deedes The offence that is giuen by wordes is partely in euil foolish and vnseasonable doctrine and partely in our daily talke or communication The greatest offence is that which doth arise of wicked doctrine directly contrarie to the true doctrine of the holie Gospell The nexte to this is that offence which doeth arise of foolishe vnseasonable doctrine which though it be deriued out of the worde of God is notwithstandinge either vnaptly vttered or vnwisely applyed For the preacher may sinne either by too much sufferinge or lenitie or else by too much sharpnesse and ouerthwart wai wardnesse so that the hearers beeing offended do wholie drawe back from all the hearing of the Gospell And yet for all this the light of the Gospel must not bee hidden nor the trueth sliely winked at because men wil be offended but preachers must with all their diligence take heede that the woorde of God bee wisely set foorth and aptly dispensed What soeuer thinges are against the lawes of God those must moste constantly be accused and without feare moste diligently confuted howsoeuer the worlde and worldlinges do storme against the same Nowe they do by their daily talke cause their brethren to stumble whosoeuer let their toungues runne loose to talke they care not what and at their pleasure without aduise to babble they care not howe of which sorte are filthie spéech and ribaulorie but especially such blasphemous wordes as are vnreuerently vttered against God the holie Scriptures and articles of our faith For euil wordes corrupt good manners I do not here exclude the letters or writinges of men which doe vnaduisedly offend their brethren Lastly stumbling blockes of offence are laide before many men either by promises or else by threatenings so often I meane as by alluring inticements of many faire promises or else by terrible threates and torments they are turned from the right path of trueth into bywayes and errours For so did Pharao laye a stone of offence before king Zedechias by causing him to make a league with him by that meanes to truste more in the power of Aegypt than in the mightie hand of God. Tyrauntes doe often times giue weake Christians causes of offence while they by torments driue them to deny the name of their maister Christ Now the déedes whereby men are offended bee of two sortes that is to saye they be either lawfull and at our frée choice or else vnlawfull and vtterly forbidden vs But euen lawfull déedes are by abuse made vnlawfull For it is lawfull for the faithfull to eate what they luste For to the cleane all thinges are cleane But thy eatinge is made vnlawfull if thou doest eate with the offence of thy weake brother For he doeth not vnderstande that it is lawfull to eate indifferently euery kinde of thinge and thou knowest verie wel that if thou eatest hee will bee offended and yet notwithstanding thou doest eate and despise him assure thy selfe in so dooing thou giuest cause of offence and sinnest not a little against thy weake brother To this wee adde all vnseasonable vsing of frée things and indifferent But here ye must note that the doctours of the Churche doe diligently distinguish and make a difference betwixt weake brethren and stubborne persons The weakelinges are such as be vtterly ignorant in some points of religion and yet notwithstanding are tractable enough and feare the Lorde not erring of purpose with malicious ouerthwartnesse but touched with a certeine weakenesse of faith and religion suffering themselues neuerthelesse willingly to bee instructed Of such the Apostle saith
spéeche the fruites of the spirite and of faith both are notwithstanding and are also sayde to bee ours that is to saye the woorkes of faithfull men partely because God worketh them by vs and vseth our ministerie in the dooing of the same and partely because wee are by faith the sonnes of God and are therefore made the brethren and ioyntheires with Iesus Christ For by this right of inheritaunce all the workes of God which are in vs Gods giftes do beginne to be not anothers but our owne and proper woorkes Yea the verie Scripture doeth attribute them to vs as vnto sonnes and fréeborne children For the Lorde in the Gospell saith The seruaunt abideth not in the house for euer the sonne abideth for euer Therefore as all thinges in the fathers house do by right of inheritance and title of proprietie come to the sonne although the sonne hath not gotten them by his owne industrie nor gathered them by his owne labour but hath receiued them by the liberalitie of his parents euen so the workes of God which he doth woorke in vs and by vs which are Gods gifts bestowed vppon vs both are and are saide to be our owne because we are the sonnes of the houshold as it were by adoption and therefore are the lawful heires Wherefore it were the signe of a verie vnthankfull minde for an adopted sonne beeing forgetfull of his fathers beneficence liberalitie to make his bragges that all those goods which hee enioyeth by right of inheritaunce were gotten come by through his owne labour and trauaile Whereuppon Paule saide verie religiously What hast thou that thou hast not receiued if thou hast then receiued it why doest thou yet boast as though thou receiuedst it not Verie well thought the holy martyre of Christe Sainct Cyprian who was wont to saye We should boast of no thing because wee haue nothinge of our owne And to this place belongeth that saying of the Prophet Esaie Shall the axe boast against him that heweth with it or shal the sawe brag against him that draweth it We verily are the instrumentes or tooles of God by which he woorketh For the Apostle saith We are ioyntworkers with God ye are Gods husbandrie ye are Gods building according to the grace which God hath giuen me Therefore according to the meaning of the Apostles writing Sainct Augustine lib. de Gratia et libero arb in the sixte Chapter doth saye When grace is giuen then doe our merites begin to be good and that through grace For if grace bee taken awaye then man doth fall not being set vp but cast downe headlong by free wil. Wherefore when man beginneth to haue good workes hee must not attribute them to him selfe but vnto God to whome it is saide in the Psalme Be thou my helper oh forsake mee not In saying forsake mee not he sheweth that if he bee forsaken he is able to do no good of him selfe So then in these woordes sainct Augustine doeth plainly enough declare that good workes are oures after that sorte that yet notwithstanding they ceasse not to be the workes of God yea that they ought neuerthelesse to bee ascribed to the grace of God that worketh in vs. Nowe by this which wee haue hitherto alledged out of the scriptures touchinge the true originall cause of good workes wee may easily vnderstande howe and after what manner the Scripture doeth attribute righteousnesse vnto oure merites For I haue in another place sufficiently declared and will againe saye somewhat when I come to the treatise of the Gospel that faith not woorkes doeth iustifie vs in the sight of God which is the especiall point and chiefe foundation of the Euangelical and Apostolicall doctrine All our workes generally are either the works of nature or the fleshe or else the workes of the lawe or else the workes of faith or grace Nowe the workes of nature or the fleshe do not iustifie but cōdemne vs Because that which is borne of fleshe is fleshe But the luste of the fleshe is death and enimitie against God. What the Apostle thought and saide touching the woorkes of the lawe I did declare to you in my former sermon By the woorkes of the lawe saith he shal no fleshe be iustified But if we beat out and examin the workes of grace and of faith wee shal finde that they both are and haue béene done by faithfull and iust men Whereupon it is manifest that iustification did alwayes goe beefore the workes of righteousnesse For the iust man doth worke righteousnesse so the righteousnesse is the fruite that the iust do bring forth Man verily is iustified freely by grace and not by woorkes which followe after iustification What may be saide to that where the Scripture saith that euen Abraham the father of all that beléeue was not iustified by the woorkes of grace and of faith He liued 430 yeres before the lawe he beléeued in God and by true faith did most excellent workes and yet by those his woorkes of faith hee was not iustified For Paule doth plainly argue thus If Abraham were iustified by workes than hath he wherein to boast but not before god For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was counted vnto him for righteousnesse To him that worketh is the rewarde not reckoned of grace but of dutie But to him that worketh not but beleeueth on him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is counted for righteousnesse Nowe whereas wee conclude that we also shal bee iustified according to the example of Abraham by faith and not by workes wee ground that conclusion not vppon our owne mindes but vppon the Apostles doctrine who saith Neuerthelesse it was not written for him onely that faith was imputed to him for righteousnesse but it was written for vs also to whome it shal be reckoned if wee beleeue in Christ Touching this matter I haue alreadie disputed in the sixte sermon of the first Decade I verily am persuaded that this doctrine of the Apostles and Euangelistes ought to bee laide vp in the bottome of euery faithfull heart that wee are iustified by the grace of God not by merites through faith not through workes But while wee vrge and repeate this doctrine vnto the people we are saide of many to be the patrones of all naughtinesse and vtter enimies to al good workes and vertues But wee by this our preaching and doctrine of faith which doeth only iustifie do not contemne good woorkes nor thinke them to be superfluous Wee do not saye that they are not good but do cry out vppon the abuse of good woorkes and the corrupt doctrin of good works which is defiled with the leauen of the Phariseis For we teache to do good woorkes but wee will not haue them to be set to sale to be bought I cannot tell in what order of bargaining we wil not haue any man to put confidence in them wee will not haue any man to boast of the giftes of God wee
the same that the heate is Neither is it a good consequence to saye the Sunne giueth light to the worlde therefore the heate of the Sunne giueth light to the worlde Because in the Sunne the heate and light cannot be separated Yea rather the Sunne in respecte of his light doth lighten the worlde not in respect of the heate that it hath And yet the Sunne doeth both warme and lighten the earth at once In like manner wee are freely iustified by the mercifull grace of God for Christe his sake our Lordâ— and Sauioure not in respect and consideration of the works of Gracâ—â— that are found in vs although 〈◊〉 woorkes are ingendred and brought forth by that frée grace And so we must attribute all glorie wholy to the grace of God and not parte stakes with him and take to our owne share any parte of his glorie These wranglers haue yet another shifte and saye although we saye that eternall life is giuen by God to all faithfull beléeuers not for faith onely in Christ Iesus but also for the workes of faith all the glorie neuerthelesse shall redounde to God namely since we acknowledge and confesse that those workes are wrought in vs by the power and grace of god To this our answere is that glorie must so be giuen to God as he doth please to haue it giuen him If the will purpose and counsell of God were to receiue vs into his friendship for the workes sake which his spirite and grace doeth bring foorth in vs then should he vnaduisedly without discretion haue sent his onely begotteÌ„ sonne into the worlde and rashly haue appointed him to the terrible pangues of bitter death But God in all that he hath created either in heauen or earth much lesse in this case which is the greatest that belongeth to man the chiefe and most excellent creature that he hath made did neuer at any time doe any thing rashely without greate aduisement Wherefore it is assuredly certeine that it was neuer the counsell and purpose of God for our own good woorkes and vertues to redéeme vs from the tyrannie of Satan and to accept vs for his sonnes but for the only sacrifice and satisfaction of his onely begotten sonne Christe Iesus oure Lorde and Sauiour For the iudgement of Paule in this matter remaineth firme and inuincible where hee saith If righteousnesse come of the workes of the lawe then did Christe die in vaine And that diuine saying of Sainct Peter remaineth for euer vncomptroleable There is saluatioÌ„ in none other Againe they doe laye certeine places of Scripture together and therevpon do argue thus Although Paule in one place doth saye Ye are saued by grace through faith yet in another place the same Paule doth saye we are saued by hope Now who knoweth not that hope is as it were vpheld and strengthened by patience Christ him selfe in the Gospell agréeing therevnto and saying In your patience ye shal possesse your soules Therefore not faith onely but hope and patience doe bring vs to saluation To this we aunswere thus that the holie Apostle doeth sufficiently expound him selfe if a man will take the paines to read him through out and weigh with him selfe the end and cause for which he spake euery seuerall sentence Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith and that not of your selues it is the gifte of God not of woorkes least any man should boast c. Hath he not in these fewe wordes most euidently declared what his beléefe is touching grace or faith and workes who would desire a plainer spéeche There is none so verie a dorrhead as that hee vnderstandeth not that the benefite of saluation is wholie and merely ascribed to grace For hee doeth not diuide saluation or iustificatioÌ„ partly to faith or grace and partely to woorkes neither doeth hee attribute the firste place to faith and the seconde place to woorkes Hee doeth vtterly exclude all boasting Ye are saith he saued by grace through faith And immediately after hee addeth and that not of youre selues Hee annexeth the cause It is the gifte of God. And againe not of workes He sheweth why Least any man should boast Hee that vnderstandeth not this doth vndoubtedly vnderstand nothing at all He that wresteth or otherwise cauilleth at this doth speake againste the Sunne and saith that the light is darknesse Nowe whereas the same Apostle doeth in another place saye We are saued by hope it is by the marking of the whole place to be gathered that his meaning is as if hee had saide I told you that they which beléeue in Christ are the sonnes and heires of God and haue thereby their saluation and felicitie but I woulde haue euery one to vnderstande it in hope and expectation not in enioying the very thinge it selfe and present fruition Nowe who can herevppon inferre therefore hope doth iustifie But we do rather make this argument patience is no patience at all vnlesse the patient man be firste iustified by true faith therefore the commendation of patience doth wholy depende vppon faith and not the praise of faith vpon patience although faith be declared and shewed forth by patience For it t s a sentence vtterly vnworthie to come out of a Christian mannes mouth to saye that faith is made perfect by good workes that is to say where faith doth want a piece that there good workes do patch it vp For when wee name faith wee doe not name simplie the qualitie of beléeuing which is in our minâ—es but wee haue an eye to Christe him selfe our Lorde and Sauiour together with his righteousnesse and heauenly giftes vppon whome alone as vppon a base and sure foundation our faith doeth rest and firmely stande But to go about to supply the want of any thinge in Christe Iesus is nothing else but with diuelish blasphemie to disgrace the sonne of god The faith of Sainctes I confesse doth declare shewe it selfe by woorkes but it followeth not there vppon that workes do therefore make perfect that which séemeth to be wanting in Christ his perfectioÌ„ For there is nothinge lacking in our deliuerance redemption and iustification wrought by Christ The Apostle Iames did saye in déede Seest thou howe faith was made perfect by workes but his meaning was none other but to say seest thou howe faith by the workes which followed it did declare it selfe to be a true and righteous faith and not an hypocriticall faith For before these woordes he saide Seest thou howe his faith was effectuall through workes Againe the Apostle Paule saide I fulfill that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christe in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the church But you may better translate the Gréeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be that rather which is behinde than that which is lacking to the afflictions of Christ For the Gréekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not only those thinges that are wanting but also the remnant which word Sainct Ambrose also vsed I meane
the second parte where wee haue to shewe you that GOD the father hath faithfully perfourmed to vs that which he promised to our forefathers in giuing to vs his onely begotten Sonne who is that true and looked-for Messiah that is to bee blessed world without ende In making this matter manifest the Euangelistes and Apostles of oure Lord haue taken great paines and set it forth so well and faithfully that it cannot be bettered They shewe that Christ doth come of the stocke of Dauid descending lineally of the séede of Abrraham they tell that his mother was the Virgin which did conceiue by the holie Ghost and being a Virgin still brought him into the world They note the time wherein Christ was reuealed in all points correspondent to the Prophets prophecies They add that the place of his natiuitie was aunswerable to that whiche Micheas foretolde In the Easte there appeareth a starre whiche moueth the Princes or wisemen to goe and salute the newe borne Kinge They come therefore and euen in Hierusalem doe openly professe that the Messiah is borne and that they are come out of the Easte to worship and honour him According to their woordes so were their déedes For when by the leading of the starre they had once found him they fall downe before him and doe by offering to Christ the giftes that they brought not obscurely declare howe ioyfull they were and how much they set by their Lord and Sauiour In the verie citie of Hierusalem the most iust man Simeon with great ioye of heart and godly gratulation doeth in the temple openly testifie that God according to his eternall goodnesse and constancie had giuen to the world his onely begotten sonne whome hee had promised vnto the fathers therewithall protesting that hee was willing to die He addeth the cause For that saith hee mine eyes haue seene thy saluation to witt that Schilo the Sauiour whome thou O God hast determined to set before al people a light to lighten the Gentiles and to be the glorie of thy people Israel that is that hee shaking off al darckenes should bring the light of trueth life vnto the Gentiles to lighten them withall and that hee should bée the glorie and life of the people of Israel Herevnto also belongeth the testimonie of that notable man Zacharie the holie priest of God saying Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for hee hath visited and redeemed his people hath raised vp a horne of saluation for vs in the house of his seruaunt Dauid As hee spake by the mouth of his holie Prophets whiche haue beene since the world began And so forth as is to be séen in the first of Lukes Gospel Moreouer Iohn the sonne of this Zacharie syrnamed the Baptist than who we read not that any one more holie was euer borne of women did with his finger pointe at Christ Iesus and openly declare that hee is that looked for Messiah whome all the Prophetes promised and that God by giuing him vnto the woorld hath done that hee promised and wholie powred himselfe with all his benefites into and vppon all faithful beléeuers And as the people wayted saith Luke and thought in their heartes of Iohn whether hee were verie Christ Iohn aunswered saying to them all In deed I baptise you with water but one stronger than I commeth after me whose shoes latchet I am not worthie to vnloâ—se hee shall baptise you with the holie Ghost and with fire And in the Gospel after S. Iohn wee read The next day Iohn seeth Iesus comming vnto him and sayeth Beehold the lambe of God which taketh away the sinne of the world This is he of whome I said After mee commeth a man which is preferred before mee because he was before mee and I knewe him not but that hee should be declared vnto Israel therfore am I come baptising with water And immediatly after hee sayeth I sawe the spirite descending from heauen like vnto a doue and it aboad vpon him And I knew him not but he that sent mee to baptise with water the same said vnto me vpon whom thou shalt see the spirite descending tarying still on him the same is hee whiche baptiseth with the holie Ghost And I sawe and bare record that this is the sonne of God. Againe when the disciples of Iohn did enuie the happie successe of Christ that it gréeued them to sée their maister Iohn as it were neglected in coÌ„parison of Christ Iohn said to his disciples Ye your selues are witnesses that I said I am not Christ but I am sent before him Hee that hath the bride is the bridegrome but the friend of the bridegrome whiche standeth and heareth him reioyceth because of the bridegrome Therfore this my ioy is fulfilled hee must increase but I must decrease The father loueth the sonne and hath giuen all thinges into his hand He that beleeueth in the sonn hath life euerlasting hee that beleeueth not in the sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth vppon him These testimonies are firme cleare and euident enough and might suffice for the confirmation of this cause But let vs yet of a many moe picke out and add a fewe whiche may declare that Christ is alreadie exhibited vnto vs Therefore our Lord himselfe whome wee beléeue to bee Messiah when hee had a great while béene verie greatly commended by the testimonie of Iohn doeth at length come abroad preach the woord of life But it is not read that in any age before or since there was euer any y taughte with so great grace And therewithall hee shewed almost incredible and wonderfull miracles which do easilie argue who hée was and were sufficient to winne such a man with whome no woordes might possiblie preuaile Hee was louing and gentle to sinners repeating still and beating into their heads that hee was come to saue them and call them to repentance Therefore when the disciples of Iohn did once come vnto him saying Art thou hee that should come or shall we looke for an other Hée aunsweared Goe ye and tell those thinges to Iohn whiche ye see and heare The blinde receiue their sighte and the lame walke the lepers are clensed the deafe heare the dead are raised to life and to the poore is preached the glad tydinges of the Gospell Nowe by these his doctrine I meane and his woorkes or miracles his minde was to shewe that hee was exhibited the true Messiah vnto the world and that none other is to be loked-for Moreouer in the Synagogue at Nazareth where hee read and expounded Esaies prophecie of the comming of Messiah he declared there that that Scripture was in himselfe fulfilled And to the historie is immediatly annexed And all bare record vnto him and wondered at the gratious sayings that proceded froÌ„ his mouth Againe in the tenth Chapiter of S. Iohn his Gospell The Iewes came round about the Lord and said How longe doest thou make vs to doubt If thou
hereafter speake in a seueral sermon by it selfe In this place I will onely touche summarily such poynts of repentance as séeme to make for the demonstration of the Gospell Our Lorde Christe Iesus doth in the preaching of the Gospell require faith and repentaunce neither did he him selfe when hee preached the Gospell procéede any other waye For Marke hath Iesus came into Galile preaching the Gospell of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdome of God is at hand repent and beleeue the Gospell Neither did he otherwise instructe his disciples when he sent them to preache the Gospell vnto all nations For S. Luke saith Christ saide to his disciples so it is written and so it behoued Christ to suffer and to rise againe the thirde daye from the dead and that in his name should be preached repētance and the forgiuenesse of sinnes vnto all nations Sainct Paule like a good scholer following his maister in the Actes of the Apostles saith Ye knowe that I haue helde backe nothing that was profitable vnto you but haue shewed you haue taught you openly and throughout euery house witnessing both to the Iewes and also to the Greekes the repentance that is towarde god and the faith that is towarde our Lorde Iesus Christe In his Epistle to the Romanes where he doth compendiousely handle the Gospel he taketh occasion to beginne the preaching thereof at sinne conuincing both Iewes and Gentiles to be subiect therevnto Nowe hee beginneth at sinne to this ende and purpose that euery one descending into him selfe may sée and acknowledge that in him selfe he hath no righteousnesse but that by nature he is the sonne of wrath death and damnation not that suche acknowledging of sinnes doth of it selfe make vs acceptable vnto God or else deserue remission of sinnes and life euerlasting but that after a sorte it doth prepare a waye in the mindes of men to receiue faith in Christe Iesus and so by that meanes to embrace Christ Iesus him selfe who is our only and absolute righteousnesse For the hoale néede not the Physician but suche as are sicke and diseased They therefore whiche thinke them selues to be cleare without sinnes and righteous of them selues do vtterly reiect Christ and make his death of none effect but on the other side they that féele the diseases of the mynde and do from the bottome of their heartes confesse that they are sinners and vnrighteous not putting any trust in their owne strength and merites doe euen pant for the haste that they make to Christ which when they do then Christe doeth offer him selfe in the Gospell promisinge vnto them remission of sinns and life euerlasting as he that came to heale the sicke and to saue repentant sinners But the promise is receiued by faith and not by woorkes therefore the Gospell and Christ in the Gospel are receiued by faith For wee must diligently distinguishe betwirte the precepts and the promises The promises are receiued by faith the preceptes are accomplished by workes Wherevppon Paule is read to haue saide If the inheritaunce be of the lawe then is it not nowe of promise But god gaue Abraham the inheritaunce by promise The same Apostle to the Romans conferring the lawe and the Gospell together doth saye The righteousenesse which is of the lawe doth say whosoeuer doeth these thinges shall liue by them But the righteousenesse of faith doth saiye if thou beleeuest thou shalt be saued The lawe therefore is grounded vppon workes wherevnto it séemeth to atttribute righteousnesse But because no man doth in woorkes fulfill the lawe therefore is no man iustified by works or by the lawe The Gospell is not grounded vpon works For sinners acknowledge nothing in them selues but sinne and wickednesse For they féele in them selues that they are wholie corrupted and therefore they flée to the mercie of god in whose promises they put their trust hoaping verily that they shall freely obteine remission of their sinnes and that for Christ his sake they are receiued into the number of the sonnes of God. I would speake more in this place concerning faith in Iesus Christ the remission of sinnes and the inheritannce of life euerlasting if I had not alreadie in the sirste Decade declared them at large Here by the way ye haue to remember that the Gospell is not sincerely preached when ye are taught that we are made partakers of the life of Christe for our owne desertes and meritorious woorkes For wee are fréely saued without respect of any workes of ours either first or last And although I haue oftener than once handeled this argument in these Sermons of mine yet beecause it is the hooke wherevpon the hindge of the Euangelicall doctrine whiche is the doore to Christe doth hang and that this doctrine to wite That Christe is receiued by faith and not by workes is of many men verie greatly resisted I will for the declaration and confirmation sake thereof produce here two places onely but suche as be apparant enough and euident to prooue and confirm it by the one out of the Gospell of Christ our Lorde the other out of Paules Epistles Our Lorde Iesus Christ being about to teache briefely the waye to txue saluation that is to preach the gladd tydinges of life vnto Nichodemus in the Gospell after Saincte Iohn doth firste of all beginne at repentaunce and doth wholie take Nichodemus from him selfe leauinge him no merites of his owne wherein to put his trust For while hee doeth vtterly condemne the firste birth of man as that which is nothing auailable to obteine eternall life what doeth hee I beeséech you leaue to Nicodemus wherin he may bragge or make his boaste For he doth expressely saye Verily verily I say vnto thee vnlesse a man bee borne from aboue he cannot see the kingdome of god If the firste birth and the giftes thereof were able to promote a man to the kingdome of God what neede then shoulde he haue to bee borne the seconde time The seconde byrth is wrought by the meanes of the holye Ghoste which beeing from heauen powred into oure heartes doth bring vs to the knowledge of our selues so that wee may easily perceiue assuredly knowe and sensibly féele that in our fleshe there is no life or righteousenesse at all and so consequently that no man is saued by his owne strength or merits What then The Spirite forsooth doth inwardly teache vs that which the sounde of the Gospell doeth outwardly tell vs that We are saued by the merite of the sonne of God. For the Lorde in the Gospel saith No man ascendeth into heauen but hee that descended from heauen the sonne of man that is in heauen For in an other place he doth more plainely saye No man commeth to the father but by mee And againe to Nicodemus he saith As Moses did lift vpp the Serpent in the Wildernesse so muste the sonne of man be lift vp that euerie one which beleeueth in him shuld
hee is not regenerate and is yet without the true light of Gods moste holie Spirite For in another place the Apostle saith We are not able to thinke any good as of our selues but all our abilitie is of God. And therefore it is that wée do so often in the Scriptures finde mention of Inlightening or I lumination which shoulde without cause be expressed or named if so bee mannes vnderstanding were cleare of it selfe not darke and mistie There is therefore borne togeather with all men a blindenesse of heart mynde a doubting in the promises of God and an vnbeléefe and peruerse iudgement in all heauenly thinges For albeit that man hath at Gods hand receiued vnderstanding yet by reason of his owne corruption ignoraunce is a peculiar and proper heritage belonging vnto him For he is then in his kingdome when he is blynd when he doth erre when he doth doubte when hee doth not beléeue nor vse the gifts that God hath giuen him rightly as hee should that is to his owne saluation and the glorie of his maker Let vs nowe sée what the will of the olde man is able to doe Therefore since this will doeth followe a blynde guide God wote that is to say corrupt affection it is vnknowen to no man what foolishe choyce it maketh and wherevnto it tendeth And although the vnderstanding bee neuer so true and good yet is the will like to a shippe tossed to fro with stormie tempestes that is of affections For it walloweth vpp and downe with hope feare lust sorrowe and anger so that it chooseth and followeth nothing but euil For the holie Apostle speakinge of him selfe doth saye I knowe that in mee that is in my fleash there dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with mee but I finde no meanes to perfourme that whiche is good For the good that I woulde doe I not but the euill which I woulde not that do I. But nowe since the Apostle spake this of him selfe when he was regenerate what I praye you shall wee saye of the will of the olde man The olde man willeth all thinges whiche God willeth not and breakinge into all kinde of wickednesse doeth foulie fulfill his filthie lustes that is to say hee giueth his members seruauntes vnto vncleannesse and wickednesse from one iniquitie vnto another We haue of this verie many examples exhibited vnto vs bothe by the holie Scriptures and daily experience Let vs nowe against this oppose or set the newe man that is the man which is regenerate by the spirite of GOD through the faith of Iesus Christe Nowe regeneration is the renuing of the man by which through the faith of Iesus Christe we whiche were the sonnes of Adam and of wrath are borne againe the sonnes of God and do therefore putt off the olde man and put on the new which bothe in vnderstanding and wil doeth fréely serue the Lorde This regeneration is the renuing of the minde not of the bodie as we hearde in an other place out of the thirde Chapter of Sainct Iohns Gospell The author of this regeneration is the holie Ghost which is from heauen giuen vnto man I meane to a faithfull man For the gifte of the holie Ghoste is giuen for Christe his sake and that too vnto none but those that do beléeue in Christe This spirite of God doeth testifie with our spirite that wee are the sonnes of God and therefore the heires of his kingdome Wee are therefore a newe creature repayred nowe according to the image of GOD and indued with a newe nature or disposition whereby it commeth to passe that wee doe dayly put off that olde man and putt on the newe whiche thinge is done when we walk not in concupiscence after the Carnall inclination of the fleshe but in newenesse of sense according to the woorkinge of the holie Ghoste by whome wee are regenerate The same substaunce forme of the bodie abideth still the minde is chaunged the vnderstanding and wil renued For by the spirite of God the vnderstandinge is illuminated faith and the vnderstanding of God and heauenly thinges is plentiousely bestowed and by it vnbeleefe and ignoraunce that is the darkenesse of the olde man are vtterly expelled according to that saying of the Apostle Through Christe ye are made riche in all thinges in all speeche knowledge Againe Wee haue not receiued the spirite of the worlde but the spirite which is of GOD to knowe what thinges are giuen of Christe to vs. And againe We haue or know the spirite or mynde of Christ And againe ye haue no néede that any man teache you but as the verie annoynting doth instruct you of all thinges and is true abide ye in it And in this regeneration of man the will also doth receiue an heauenly vertue to do the good whiche the vnderstandinge perceiued by the holie Ghoste so that it willeth chooseth and woorketh the good that the Lorde hath shewed it and on the other side nilleth hateth and repelleth the euil that the Lorde hath forbidden it For Paule saith I knowe to be humble and I knowe to exceede I can doe all thinges through Christ who strengtheneth mee And againe to the Philippians he saith To you it is giuen for Christe not onely to beléeue in him but also to suffer for him And againe yet he doeth more plainly say It is God that worketh in you bothe to will and to performe according to the good purpose of the minde But now note this that what soeuer they doe whiche are regenerate by the spirit of God they doo it fréely not by compulsion nor against their willes For like as God requireth a cheerefull giuer so where the spirit of the Lord is there is frée libertie and hartie goodwil And Zacharie the Father of Iohn Baptist saide That we beeing deliuered from the handes of our enimyes might serue him without feare in holinesse and righteousnes before him all the dayes of our life Yea and our Lorde him selfe in the Gospel saith If ye abide in my sayings ye shal be my Disciples in deede and ye shall know the trueth and the trueth shall make you free And againe If the sonne set you at libertie or make you free then shall ye be free in deede Touching this libertie of the sonnes of GOD I haue alreadie discoursed in the ninthe Sermon of my first Decade This libertie of the sonnes of God wée doe willingly acknowledge and fréely confesse but the arrogant disputations of some blasphemous praters concerning frée will as thoughe it were in our power of our selues to doe any heauenly thing wee doe vtterly reiecte and flatly denye And yet wee doe not make man subiecte to fatall necessitie nor turne vppon GOD the blame of iniquitie As we haue else-where more at large declared And S. Augustine in his controuersie with the Pelagians did so attemper his disputation that hee attributed the good to the Grace of God and the euill vnto our nature so that
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
omnipotent must be present with all men in all places The sonne of God therfore is true and verie God bycause he is the Messias Furthermore what is more manifest and lesse called in controuersie than that God only forgiueth sinnes It must needes be therefore that nothing is more euident and lesse doutfull than that we beléeue Christ to be true and verie God bycause He is the Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world Againe whereas Paule truly calleth Christ Our hope for Esay foretolde In him shal the Gentiles trust And wheras Ieremie cryeth Curssed be the man that putteth his trust in man but blessed is the man that putteth his truste in GOD we muste necessarily confesse that Christe is god For in Iohn he oftentimes repeateth Verily I say vnto you he that beleueth in me hath euerlasting life I coulde bring innumerable examples of this kynd out of the scriptures which witnesse that the sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christe is of one and the selfe same nature with the father and therefore is verie God of verie God but I trust that to holie hearers and not giuen to contention those whiche I haue alreadie cited will suffice It remaineth that we declare vnto you that the sonne of God was incarnate for vs and was borne verie man of the Virgine Marie consubstantiall or of the selfe same substaunce with vs in all pointes sinne excepted The Lawe the Prophetes and the Apostles shewe vnto vs most manifest arguments of the true flesh or humanitie of the sonne of god For in the lawe the Lorde saith The seede of the woman shall crushe the serpents head But who knoweth not that the heade of the serpent is the kingdome force or power of the diuell And that Iesus Christe brake this power the whole scripture doth witnesse And here he is called the séede of the woman And truely he is called séed to verifie his true humane nature and he is termed the séede of the woman not of the man bycause of his conception by the holy Ghoste and his byrthe of the Virgine Marie And bicause she was the daughter of Dauid of Abraham and Adam it followeth that the sonne of Marie was verie man For as we haue heard it sayd to Adam The seede of the woman shall bruise the serpents heade so also we read that the same promise was renued and repeated to Abrahā in these wordes In thy seede shall al the nations of the world be blessed And Paule to the Galat. manifestly sayth that this séede of Abrahā wherin we haue obteined blessing is Christ Iesus The same Apostle sayth For in no sorte tooke he the Angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham By Angels doubtlesse excluding all manner of spirituall substaunces by the séede of Abraham vnderstanding the verie substance it selfe of the fleshe of man. For he addeth Wherefore in all things it became him to be made like vnto his brethren And bicause they be partakers of flesh and bloud he also him selfe likewise tooke part with them of the same Verily the Scripture draweth the lineall descent of Christe most diligently from the loynes of Abraham vnto Iacob and frō him againe to Iudas and from him in like sort to Dauid To him againe the promises of the incarnation of the sonne of God are remied For Nathan sayth to Dauid Thus sayth the Lorde When thy dayes bee fulfilled thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers I will set vp thy seede after thee which shal procede out of thy body and will stablish his kingdome he shall build a house for my name and I wil stablish the throne of his kingdome for euer Neyther is there any cause why any mā shuld interpret this of Solomon For he was borne while his father Dauid liued his kingdome quickely decayed But Nathan speaketh of a sonne which should be borne to Dauid after his death When thou shalt sleepe with thy fathers sayth he I wil set vp thy seede after thee And what maner of séede this should be he most euidently declareth and sayth Whiche shall proceede out of thy bodie For in the 132. Psalme we reade Of the fruite of thy body will I set vpon thy seate Furthermore Marie the virgine descende lineally of the séed of Dauid of whome Christ our lorde was begotten and borne of whome the Angel speaking and expounding those olde and auncient prophecies sayth vnto the Virgine And the lord God shall giue vnto him the seate of his father Dauid and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome there shall be none ende Herevnto also belongeth that which Elizabeth sayth to the virgine which came out of Galilée into the hil countrie of Iuda And whence commeth this to me that the mother of my Lorde should come to mee Blessed art thou among womē and blessed is the fruite of thy wombe Truly Matthewe and Luke drawe the lineall descent of Christe from the loynes as it were of Dauid euen vnto the virgine Marie whiche conceiueth by the holy Ghoste that is the holy Ghoste making her fruitfull She when the moneths were fulfiled that she shoulde bee deliuered brought foorth a sonne and he which is borne in all respectes appeareth to be true and verie man he is layde in a manger wrapped in swathling cloutes he grewe in stature and increased in yeares according to the manner of mans body he is wearied he is refreshed he is glad he is sad he is hungrie he is thirstie he eateth he drinketh he feareth to be short he dyeth Whiche the trueth of the historie of the Gospel in many words declareth Neyther is the Scripture it selfe ashamed to call Marie the mother of our Lorde not the putatiue or supposed but the true and natural mother whiche of the substaunce of her owne body gaue true fleshe and substaunce of man to the sonne of God the Angel of God so witnessing with Esaie and saying A virgine shall conceiue in her wombe and shall bring foorth a sonne Loe he sayth In her wombe And againe in Matthewe the selfe same Angel saith That which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghoste Wherevppon the Apostle vnto the Galathians sayth that The sonne of God is made of a woman to wit according to mans nature For Christe is the fruite of the body of Dauid and of the virgine Marie begotten and borne of the loynes of Dauid and Iohn also the Apostle and Euangelist saithe The worde was made fleshe and dwelt among vs. In calling God fleshe doubtlesse he calleth him verie man For the same Apostle in an other place fayth Euerie spirite that confesseth that Iesus Christe is come in the fleshe is of God And euerie spirit which cōfesseth not that Iesus Christe is come in the flesh is not of God. Therfore we fréely pronounce that Valentinus Marcion Apolles and Manichęus denying the true and very flesh
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
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 where the spirite of the Lord is there is libertie This is he which by water woorketh the second byrth or regeneration being a certeine seede of heauenly generation and he that consecrateth the heauenly natiuitie being a pledge of the promised inheritance and as it were a certein hand writing of euerlasting saluation who maketh vs the temple of God and bringeth to passe that wee be his dwelling house who perfourmeth the office of an Aduocate maketh intercessioÌ„ for vs in the hearing of God with sighes that can not be vttered And pouring foorth his gifts of defence is giuen to be a dweller in our hearts and a worker of holinesse who exercising that in vs bringeth oure bodies vnto euerlastingnesse and vnto the resurrection of immortalitie while hee accustometh them to bee partakers in him of his heauenly power and to bee coupled with the heauenly eternitie of the holy Ghost For our bodies are trayned vp in him by him to proceede to immortalitie whilest they learne to behaue them selues moderately according to his ordinaunces For it is he that lusteth contrarie to the flesh bycause the fleshe fighteth against him It is he which bridleth insatiable lustes which tameth immoderate coÌ„cupiscences which quencheth vnlawful desires which vaÌ„quisheth flaming affections whiche abhorreth drâ—nkennesse whiche banisheth 〈◊〉 which abandoneth 〈◊〉 bâ—nkettings which knitteth the knot of loue and charitie which subdueth the affections driueth awaye sectes sheweth the rule of truth conuinceth heretiques casteth out the wicked is a dâ—fence to the gospell Of him the apostle also saith For we haue not receiued the spirite of the world but the spirit which is of god Of this spirit he triumpheth saith And I thinke verily that I haue the spirite of god Of him he saith And the spirite of the prophets is subiect to the prophetes Of him he saith againe Nowe the spirit speaketh euidently that in the latter times some shal depart froÌ„ the faith giuing hede vnto spirits of error and doctrines of diuels which speake false in hypocrisie hauing their conscience scared with an hote yron No man beeing guided by this spirit calleth Iesus execrable no man denyeth that Christe is the sonne of God or forsaketh god the Creator no man vttereth any of his own words against the scriptures neither doth any maÌ„ establish other wicked decrees no man coÌ„mandeth contrarie lawes Whosoeuer blasphemeth against this spirite shall neuer haue forgiunes neither in this world nor in the world to come It is he that in the Apostles beareth witnesse to Christ that sheweth constant faith of religioÌ„ in martirs that planteth maruelous continencie of assured loue in virgines that kepeth the lawes of the Lords doctrine vncorrupted and vndefiled in others that confoundeth heretikes reformeth the froward reproueth the vnfaithful reuealeth dissemblers and punisheth the wicked and preserueth the church chaste and vnstained in purenesse of perpetuall virginitie and holinesse of trueth Thus farre Tertul. Thus farre not without trembling we haue intreted of the moste holie mysterie of the reuerend Trinitie the father the sonne and the holie ghoste which we haue learned out of the scriptures and here nowe we will stay humbly worshipping this vnitie in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie And let vs kéepe in mind and acknowledge this distinction or diuision most manifestly declared in the scriptures and the vnitie also coÌ„mended vnto vs with excéeding great diligence For in the scripture the beginning of doing and the flowing founteine and welspring of al things is attributed to the father wisedome counsel the verie dispensatioÌ„ in doing things is ascribed to the sonne y force effectual power of working is assigned to the holy ghost Howbeit let vs take heede least through the distinction we separate the vnitie of the substaunce of god For there is but one God in whome those properties are It is but one fire thoughe there be thrée things séene in it light brightnesse and heate For these rise together and cease all at once The light goeth not before the brightnes 〈◊〉 that the 〈◊〉 before the heate And though onâ— thing â—e â—â—â—â—â—buted to â—he light an other thing to the brightnesse and a third thing to the heate yet they worke vnseparably Therefore when we reade that God created the worlde we vnderstande that the father from whome are all things by the sonne by whom are all thinges in the holy ghoste in whome are all thinges created the worlds And when we read that the sonne became flesh suffered died and rose againe for our saluation we beleue that the father and the holy ghost though they were not partakers of his incarnation and passion yet notwithstanding that they wrought that our saluation by the sonne whom we beléeue neuer to haue bene separated from them And when sinnes are said to be forgiuen in the holy ghoste we beléeue that this benefite and all other benefites of our blessednesse are vnseparably giuen and bestowed vpon vs from one onely true liuing and euerlasting God who is the father the sonne and the holie ghoste To whome be peayse and thankesgiuing for euer and euer Amen Of good and euill spirites that is of the holie Angels of God and of diuels or euill spirits and of their operations The ninth Sermon NExt vnto this sermon of the holie Ghost I will adde a treatise of good and euill spirites that is of the holie Angels of god and of diuels or wicked spirites and of their operations Of whome since the holy scripture deliuereth vs an assured doctrine and in all pointes profitable it séemeth that we ought not lightly to regard it but with as much faith and diligence as we can to bring it vnto light It were a foule fault in him that studieth after godlinesse to be ignorant of the dispositions of good and euill angels of whome so often mention is made in the holy scriptures yea it were a thing most dangerous not to know what maner of creatures the diuels are which vnder that 〈…〉 spoyle vs â–ª But firâ—â— we will speake of holy angels and then 〈…〉 The worde Angel some sâ—y to â—e a name of office not of 〈…〉 common to the 〈◊〉 and Gréeks of whome it is borrowed and it signifieth an embassadour or legate and therefore it hath a larger signification For the preachers of the truth are called Angels as in Malachie and in the Apostle Paule For they are the embassadours or messingers of the Lord of hoastes S. Peter also calleth euill spirites Angels as Paule also doth saying that the faithful shal one day iudge the Angels and that the Angel or messinger of Sathan was sent vnto him howbeit the scripture peculiarly calleth Angels the blessed spirites of God Ministers and messingers and heauenly armies But the Saduceis denied that there be angels For Luke in the Actes of the Apostles sayth The Saduceis say that there is no resurrection neyther Angel nor spirite but the
death of the soule But neuerthelesse y reasonable some liueth in his proper Essence or béeing so that when it liueth miserably a miserable life is in verie déede called death but desperation also is the very death of the soule For by hope wée liue And Paule sayeth I liue yet not I but Christe liueth in mee and the life whiche I nowe liue in the fleshe I liue by the faith of the sonne of God therefore they that are destitute of faith are dead they that haue faith liue S. Augustine Cap. 10. De fide Symbolo sayeth The soule as it may bee called corruptible by reason of finne and wickednes so it may be called mortal For the death of the soule is the reuolting or falling from God whiche first sinne of the soule was committed in Paradise as is declared in the holy Scriptures And the same Augustine againe Lib. de Trinitate 14. Cap. 4. sayeth The soule also hath his death when it lacketh a blessed life whiche is to bee named the true life of the soule But for this cause it is called immortall for that whatsoeuer life it liueth yea thoughe it bee most miserable yet it neuer ceaseth to liue Wée therefore fréely confesse that the soules of men separated or taken out of their bodies doe not die but liue immortall for euer the faithfull in euerlasting ioye and felicitie but the vnbeléeners in eternall damnation Whiche thing I will now goe on to confirme by some substantial testimonies of Scripture But first take this with you that testimonies of scripture in this case are farre more liuely than mans reasons framed out of Philosophie For these testimonies are fetched from the verie mouthe of the liuing God himselfe whiche preserueth vs in life who since he is true cannot lie and who since hee giueth life and is life it selfe is able to wittnesse most certainely aboue all other touching life Neither is it doubtfull that the spirit of God worketh ioyntly with the word of GOD of whom vnlesse the heartes of men be touched the reasons of Philosophie howe manifest soeuer they bee shall preuaile nothing especially in the daunger of death and in other temptations They are fleshlie therefore and brutishe altogether whiche are not ashamed to say That they cannot be persuaded or brought to beléeue the immortalitie of soules by the Scriptures onely Nay which is more that shall neuer be stedfast and stable in temptations whiche shall procéede from fleshe and bloud Wee will therefore add some certaine testimonies and those too most manifest Dauid the most nuissaunt and happiest king in the world comprising in one verse both the immortalitie of soules and the resurrection of bodies sayeth Thou O Lord shalt not leaue my soule in hell neither shalt thou suffer thine holie one to see corruption Man consisteth of bodie and soule The bodie rotteth awaye when it is dead and is turned into dust but it shall not therefore perish For as the bodie of Christ which was buried did not rat but rose againe the third day so in the day of iudgemente shall oure bodies be raised vpp and by Christe â—e deliuered from corruption And our soul goeth not into hell there to remaine But as the soule of Christ returned from the nether parts vnto his bodie and ascended into heauen in his bodie which he had taken againe euen so shall oure soules also liue by Christ â–ª they shall not dit Solomon the sonne of Dauid excelling all kinges and mortall men in wisedome in one verse likewise expounding the prouidence of GOD touching the soule and the body saith The dust shall bee turned againe vnto earth from whence it came and the spirite shall returne vnto God who gaue it Solomon calleth mans bodie Dust béecause it is said in Moses that GOD made it of the dust of the earth Therefore the bodie turneth againe vnto dust for it putrifieth and is resolued into that which first it was euen vntill the Iudgement daye as the Lord sayeth For dust thou art and into dust shalt thou be turned againe But the spirite that is to say the reasonable soule dieth not with the bodie it is not resolued into dust béecause it is not taken out of the dust neither is it scattered into the aire because it doest not consist of aire but returneth aliue from death vnto god And therefore it returneth vnto GOD because God gaue the soule and after a singular manner made man after his owne likenes image breathing into his face the spirite of life of life I say that is of liuely power not the spirite of death Therefore the soule caÌ„not perish béecause it receiueth immortalitie from God who since hee is life is able to preserue that breath of life which he hath made The Lord Iesus the true and verie sonne of God the life and resurrection of the faithfull sayeth plainely in the Gospell Feare ye not them whiche kill the bodie but are not able to kill the soule but rather feare him whiche is able to destroye both bodie and soule in hell If when the bodie being slaine by tyrauntes the soule is not killed then it remaineth aliue after the bodie is destroyed and so assuredlie it remaineth that hauing put off the bodie it should bee caste of the most iust God into hell there euerlastingly to burne for his vnâ—aithfulnes For in the same Gospel the Lord saith againe Whosoeuer wil saue his life shall loose it againe whosoeuer will loose his life for my sake shal finde it For not he only looseth his life or soule whiche bridleth it from the pleasures of the world and liueth most temperately but hée also who offereth himselfe into the bloudy hands of tyrants to be slaine for the confession of Christian faith And hée findeth his life or soule whiche he lost Therefore the soules of men euen after the death of the bodie remaine aliue and immortall In the Gospel according to S. Iohn the Lord saith Verilie verilie I say vnto you hee that heareth my word and beleeueth on him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement â–ª but is eâ—caped from death vnto me Thou hast in these words of the Lord the death of the bodie But forthwith afterward he witnesseth that wée Escape vnto life therefore mens â—oules remaine aliue after death For nowe hee speaketh nothing of the raising againe or of the saluation of the bodie but of the life of the soule after death In the same Gospel the Lord sayth againe Verilie verilie I say vnto you if a man keepe my saying he shall neuer see death But it is euident that all men are ordeined once to die namely with bodily death therefore the soule liueth after the death of the bodie For it must néedes be that a faithfull man shall neuer sée or â—eele death vnlesse hee told a lie who affirmed with an oth that which he spake For in euery other place he
people being God his flocke was called a Synagogue For this woord Synagogue signifieth as much as Ecclesia the Congregation But because of the stubbornesse of the Iewes and the vnappeasable hatred whiche they bare towards Christian religion this word Synagogue is not estéemed but is almost quite growen out of vse But we will not dispute by due and right order of the Churches either of the Iewes or the Turkes or of other strange Churches of the Gentiles whereof we know there are many sortes and kinds Wée will speake of the Christian Church and congregation of the faithfull which the Germans do call Die kirch alluding peraduenture to the Gréeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For they call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 any thing belonging to the Lord to witt a house or a people as the Germans doe call Die kirchen both the people of God themselues and also the place wherin they assemble together to worship god But first of all wée will describe a little plainelier what the Church or congregation is The Church is the whole companie and multitude of the faithful partly being nowe in heauen and partly remayning yet here vpō earth where it doth agrée plainely in vnitie of faith or true doctrine and in the lawefull partaking of the Sacraments neither is it diuided but ioyned and vnited together as it were in one house and fellowship This Church was vsuallie called Catholique that is to say vniuersall For shée bringeth forth her branches in all places of the wyde world in all times of all ages and generally doth comprehend all the faithfull of the whole world For the Church of God is not tyed to any one region nation or kinred to condition age sexe or kinde all the faithfull generally and each one specially where euer they or hée be are citizens and members of this Church Sainct Paule the Apostle sayeth There is neither Iewe nor Greeke neither bondman nor free neither man or woman for ye bee all one in Christ Iesu The Church is distinguished into the Triumphant and the Militant The Triumphant is that great companie of holy spirits in heauen triumphing for the victorie gotten against the world sinne and the diuel still enioying the sight of God wherein consisteth all fulnesse of all kinde of ioye and pleasure Wherevppon they set forth Gods glorie and praise his goodnesse for euer This Church doth S. Iohn the Apostle set forth verie notablie in his Reuelations saying After this I sawe and behold a great companie which no man was able to nūber of all nations peoples tongues standing before the Throne and in the sighte of the Lambe clothed in white garments and Palmes in their handes and they cryed out with a lowde voice saying Saluation belongeth to him that sitteth vppon the throne of our God to the Lambe And a little after that he sayeth And one of the Elders aunsweared said vnto me These which are clothed in white garments who are they or frō whence come they And I said vnto him Thou knowest lord And hee said vnto mee These are they that haue come out of great affliction and haue spread abrode their garments haue made them white in the bloud of the Lambe therefore are they before the Throne of God and serue day night in his holy temple And hee that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell ouer them They shall neyneither hunger nor thirst henceforth any more neither shall the Sunne shine on them or any heate beecause the Lambe who sitteth in the middest of the Throne shal gouerne them bring them to the springes of the water of life And the Lord shall wype away all teares from their eyes Brethren ye haue heard a notable description of the triumphant Church in heauen and that too triumphinge truely thoroughe the bloud of Iesus Christ by whom they conquered and doe nowe reigne For Christ is that Lambe of God that taketh away the sinnes of the world By whome all which be sanctified are sanctified and shal be sanctified and doe liue from the first creation of the world vnto the end of all times Sainct Paule in a certeine place giuing vnto vs also a notable description of this Church telleth that wée whiche as yet are busied in the Militant Church shall sometime bée translated to the same and be made fellowes with the Angels of GOD receiued amonge the orders of the Patriarches and placed in the companie of the blessed spirites with the most highe God himselfe and the Mediatour oure Lord Iesus Christe For hée preaching the greatnesse of Gods grace brought vnto vs by the Gospell exhorting vs to receiue the same with a true faith Ye came not sayeth he vnto mount Sina to a fire to a whirlewinde a stormie tempest and darckenes but vnto mount Sion to the citie of the liuing God to heauenly Hierusalem to the innumerable companie of Angels and to the Church or Congregation of the first begotten whiche are written in heauen and to God the Iudge of all and to the spirites of the perfecte iust and to the mediatour of the newe testament Iesus Christe speaking better things than the bloud of Abel spake And therefore all the Sainctes in heauen do belonge vnto our companie or rather we belonge vnto their fellowship For we are companions and fellowe heyres with the Sainctes from Adam vnto the end of all worlds and Gods householde Which conteyneth the greatest comfort of all mans life and moueth most of all to the studie of vertue For what more worthie thing is there thā to be of Gods househould Or what may be thought more swéete to vs than to thincke our selues fellowes with the Patriarches Prophets Apostles Martyrs of all Angels blessed spirits This benefite I say Christ hath bestowed on vs To him therfore be praise glorie and thankes for euer and euer Amen The Militant Church is a congregation of men vppon earth professing the name and religion of Christ continually fightinge in the world against the diuel sinne flesh and the world in the campe and tentes and vnder the banner of oure Lord Christe This Church is to be cōsidered two wayes For either it is to bee taken strictly comprehending them onely which bée not onely called but are in very déede the Church the faithfull and electe of God liuely mēbers knit vnto Christ not with bandes and other outward markes and signes but in spirite and faith often times by these meanes without the other Of which matter wee will speake hereafter This inward and inuisible Church of GOD may be wel named the electe spouse of Christ onely knowen vnto God who alone knoweth who are his When wée bee first taught to knowe this Church we confesse her with the Apostles créede saying I beleeue the holie Catholique Church the communion of Sainctes And in these fewe woords wee conclude that there is a Church also what is the Church and what
all his faithfull which shoulde abide with them for euer sayeth In that day ye shall knowe that I am in my father and you in me and I in you to witt by the holie Ghoste Iohn the Apostle expounding it and saying By this we knowe that he dwelleth in vs by the spirite that he gaue vnto vs. And againe By this we knowe that wee dwell in him and he in vs because he hath giuen of his spirite vnto vs. S. Paule the vessell of election differeth not from Saincte Iohn writing and saying to the Romanes If any man hath not the spirite of Christe the same is none of his And whosoeuer are led by the spirit of God they are the children of God. Now as touching true faith which tyeth vs vnto the Lord S. Paule saith I liue now yet not I but Christe liueth in me But the life whiche I now liue in the flesh I liue yet thorough the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and gaue vp him selfe for me And againe he saith Christe dwelleth in our hartes thorough faith With which sayings Sainct Iohn the Apostle agréeing againe saith Whosoeuer confesseth that Iesus Christe is the sonne of God God dwelleth in him and hee in God. For the Lord him selfe before that said in the Gospell He that eateth my fleshe and drincketh my bloud dwelleth in mee and I in him And he eateth Christes flesh and drinketh Christes bloud that beléeueth Therefore Christe our Lorde is ioyned vnto vs in spirite and wée are tyed to him in minde and faithe as the body vnto the head they therefore that lack this knotte and bonde that is that haue not the spirite of Christe nor true faith in Christe are not the true and liuely members of Christe the Lord him selfe in the gospell witnessing and saying If a man abide not in me he is cast foorth as a branch and withereth and men gather them and cast them into the fier and they burne Which words of our sauiour the Apostle imitating as we said euen now said He that hath not the spirite of Christ is none of his But they that are not destitute of the spirite of Christe are inflamed with the loue of god Neither do we separate loue from faith the same S. Iohn so teaching vs saying God is loue and he that dwelleth in loue dwelleth in God and GOD in him For the Lord saith in the gospell If a man loue me he will kepe my word and my father will loue him and we wil come vnto him wil dwel with him But although properly faith ioine vs to our head Christ yet the same also doth knit vs to all Christes members vpon earth For whereas there is but one faith of them al and therefore the same spirit there can not but be the same mouth the same minde the same sentence amongest them all although faith be not nowe taken only for a confidence in the mercy of God through Iesus Christe but also for an outwarde confession of fayth For we all confessing one faith and one and the selfe same head with one spirite and mouth we also together professe that we all are members of one and the selfe same body Neither is there any thing else in the worlde that more vnappeaseably disseuereth the mindes of men than the diuersitie of faith or religion and therfore there is nothing that maye more nearely ioyne vs together than vnitie of faith We come nowe to speake of loue whiche I sayde ioyneth together the members of the ecclesiasticall body mutually amongst them selues The Lord saith in the gospel A new commandement giue I vnto you that ye loue one an other as I haue loued you that ye also loue one an other By this shall all men knowe that ye are my disciples if ye haue loue one to an other It is therfore out of doubt that the onely marke of the church next after faith is loue a bond most firmely knitting together all the members This groweth from the communion of Christ and vnitie of the spirit For insomuch as Christ the king the head and highe Byshop of the catholique churche enduing vs all with one and the same spirite hath made vs all his members the sonns of God brethren and fellow heires whom vndoubtedly he loueth tenderly euery faithfull man can not choose but with feruent loue embrace the members and fellowe heires of their king their head and their high Byshop For Iohn the Apostle saith Euerie one that loueth him that begatte doth loue him also that is borne of him If any man say I loue God and hateth his brother he is a lyar For howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whome he hath not seene Paule to the end that he might moste properly expresse before oure eyes and as it were set to viewe and beholde this vnitie and agréement of the members vseth a parable taken from the members of a mans body and saith For as we haue many mēbers in one body and all members haue not one office so we being many are one body in Christ and euery one one an others members The same in the twelfth chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians more largely and plainely expounding ioyning together of the heade and the members and that chiefly by the sayd parable of the members of a mans body and publishing it very eloquently witnesseth that betwéene the highest members of the churche and the lowest members of the same there is a very greate and apt consent and moreouer a diligent care and a helpe both continuall and most faythfull Of all whiche it appeareth that the markes of the true liuely church of Christ are the cōmunion of the spirit of Christ sincere fayth christian charitie without the which thinges no man is partaker of this spirituall body By these thinges also it shall be easie to iudge whether thou art in the fellowship of the churche or thou art not Moreouer we gather out of those things which we haue hitherto disputed touching the markes of Christes churche from whence is her original also how the church is planted spred abroade preserued Her originall is heauenly for S. Paule speaking of the churche saith Ierusalem which is aboue is free which is the mother of vs all Therefore he calleth the church heauenly not that it dwelleth altogether in heauē but that she being here on earth hath a heauenly beginning For the children of God are not borne of flesh bloud but from heauen by the renuing of the holy spirit who through the preaching of Gods word planteth faith in our hearts by which faith we are made the true members of Christ his church For Peter saith Ye are borne a newe not of mortal seed but of immortall by the worde of God whiche liueth and lasteth for euer And Paul saith I begat you in Christ
what are they not It is rehearsed out of the Registre of Gregorie that hee who neuerthelesse was verie fauourable to the monkes himselfe would put him out of the cleargie who beeing a monke would take the degrée of an abbat for asmuche as the one dignitie would hinder the other Clearkes who are the Lords inheritaunce or whose lot the Lord is in times past suche were called as were studentes or professours of diuinitie that is to say the very séed of pastours of the churche and such as were euen as it were consecrated to succéed in the ministerie of the church that is suche as liued vnder gouernment and were trained vp by the doctours and elders in the studie of the liberall sciences holy scriptures This institution is auncient not new neither inueÌ„ted by man For in time past amonge the old people of the Iewes they were called Nazarites And that the most excellent churches haue coÌ„tinually had famous scholes euen from the time of the Apostles Eusebius doth often witnes But vnto those students the affaires of the church somwhat increasing it séemeth that the charge of opening shutting the temple or church was committed and to prepare al things in the church and further to read openly before the people such places of scripture as the bishop appointed them Wherevppon perhaps the names of dorekepers and readers sprang which are at this day reckoned amoÌ„gst ecclesiastical orders But they which were more familiarly present with the bishops accompanied them were estemed as those who after the decease of the bishops might succéed in their places were called Acoluthi as if you would say folowers For it is a gréeke word And as in time for the most part all things become worse euen so these things the further off from their first institution the more filthilie were they wrested In som things you shal sée nothing left but the bare name some things vtterly lost some things are turned altogether to another vse And here for witnes I alledg Isidorê° Rabanus Innocentius Durandus and other writers of this kind They make 2. sorts of ecclesiastical persons one of dignitie another of order Of dignitie as Pope patriarche primate archbishop archpriest archdeacon prouost Of order as the minister or priest the deacon c. But some account 6. orders other some 8. All with one accord doe reckoÌ„ dorekéepers or porters readers or singers exorcists acoluthes subdeacous deacoÌ„s elders or priests Those againe they diuide into greater lesser orders Among the greater orders are the priest or elder the deacon the subdeacon The rest are called the lesser orders Of which orders there remayneth nothing in a maner beside y bare name The office of dore-kéepers is turned ouer to the sextens which they cal Holy water clearks There are no readers for that auncient reading is worne out of vse The Psalmistes or singers doe vnderstand nothing lesse than that they rehearse or singe Touching the exorcists this they say Iosephus writeth that king Solomon found out the maner of exorcisme that is of coniuring wherby vncleane spirits were driuen out of a maÌ„ that was possessed by Eleazar the exorcist so that they durst no more come againe To this office they that are named exorcistes are called Of whom it is read in the Gospel If I thrugh Beelzebub cast out diuels by whom do your children to witt your exorcists or coniurers cast them out Thus much they say which I rehearse to this end that it may appeare to all men that these men are the very same of whom the Apostle foretold that it should come to passe that they shall not suffer wholesome doctrine but shal be turned vnto fables For who knoweth not that it is most fabulous which is reported of Solomon Who knoweth not that the Apostles of the Lord were not exorcists neither vsed at any time any manner of inchantments or coniurations For with a word they cast out vncleane spirits that is by calling vppon and by the power of the name of Christ Those gifts ceased long agoe in the church of god Those sonnes of ScÄ™ua the priest in the Actes of the Apostles were said to be exorcists whom the euil spirite though they called on the names of Iesus and Paule ranne vpon and tare the clothes from their backs and so by Gods appointmeÌ„t made knowne vnto all men how much the eternal God is delighted with exorcistes And yet these fellowes thrust them vpon vs as yet Touching the Acoluthes or followers thus they write heare I pray you howe trimly they reason The Acoluthes say they are waxe-bearers because they carrie waxe candles For when the Gospell must bee read or masse is to bee said waxe candles are lighted to signifie the ioy of the minde Who hearing these thinges will say that these men doâ— vnlearnedly handle no mysteries Subdeacons and deacons are no longer prouiders for the poore but being made ministers of superstition they attende on the Popishe masse The deacons office is to singe the Gospell the subdeacons to singe the epistle In fewe woordes I cannot expresse what foolish men do fondly chatter cocerning these masters Ouer these they haue set an archdeacon which is a name of dignitie and preeminence Sacrificers who are also called priestes are diuerslye distinguished For there are regular priestes and secular priestes By regular priestes they vnderstand monkes whereas they are nothinglesse than those they are said to be Truly they resemble those that of â—ld were called monkes in no point of their doings A greate part of them are a rule and lawe vnto them selues Of these men some are doctours appointed to the office of preaching but yet rather occupied in saying of their houres and in singing and saying of masses And these men sowe superstition and most obstinately defend it most bitterly do persecute true religion Another sort and the greatest part of these monkish priestes doe nothing else but singe in the church and mumble masse and that for a very slender price But you may sooner number the sandes of the coast of Libya than the whole rable of these But they are vnprofitable both vnto God and to the church also euen to themselues men vtterly vnlearned and slow bellies yet in the meane season sworne enimies to the truth of the Gospel Among the secular priestes the chiefe are canons whiche for the most part are idle persoÌ„s giuen ouer to voluptuousnes gluttons and in very déed secular that is to saye worldly They thinke they haue gailie discharged their duetie if they make an end of the houres which they call canonical and be present gazers on at the masse and if they honour and beautifie with their presence gods seruice as they cal it They séeme to be more streit and not to be secular priests â–ª who say masse both for the quick and for the dead There are reckoned also in the number of secular priestes parish priests whom they call
all things vnto God and the father in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ And againe he saith By him wee offer sacrifice of prayse alwayes to God that is the fruite of lippes confessing his name But that we may be thankefull for all the benefites of God and offer continuall thankesgiuing vnto God it is néedefull firste to acknowledge and well to weigh with oure selues the benefites of god For these being not yet knowne or rightly weyed our mynde is not set on fire to gyue God thankes for his benefites And these are indéede diuers yea they are infinit For they are priuate publique generall and speciall spirituall corporal temporal and eternall ecclesiasticall and politicall singular and excellent But who can reckon vp all their kindes and partes God created beautified garnished and made this worlde fruitfull for man To the ministerie of this he seuerally appointeth angelicall spirites whom hee had created ministers for him selfe He giueth vs soules and bodies which he furnisheth and storeth with infinite gifts and abilities and that which farre passeth all other benefits he loosed man being intangled in sin he deliuered him being a bondslaue to the diuell For the sonne of GOD setteth vs frée into the libertie of the sonnes of God by dying he quickeneth by sheading his bloud he purgeth and cleanseth he giueth vs with his spirite whereby we may be guided and preserued in this banishement vntill we be receiued into that oure euerlasting and true countrie They that consider these thinges with a true fayth can not choose but be rapte into the prayse and setting foorth of Gods â–ª goodnesse and into a wondering at a thing doubtlesse to be maruelled at that the gratious and mightie God hath suche a special care of men than whome this earth hath nothing either more wretched or miserable Here the Saints of God are destitute of words Neither haue they words méete enough for this so great a matter Dauid cryeth O Lorde our God howe woonderfull is thy name in all the worlde for that thou hast set thy glorie aboue the heauens and as followeth in the eight Psal. And againe the same Who am I O Lorde God and what is the house of my father that thou hast brought me hitherto or so aduaunced me And what can Dauid say further vnto thee for thou Lord God knowest thy seruant and so foorth as followeth in the 2. booke of Samuel cha 7. The same Dauid hath set downe a moste notable forme of blessing or praising or giuing thankes vnto God in the 103 Psal. whiche beginneth thus Blesse the Lorde O my soule and all that is within me blesse his holy name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not all his benefites who forgiueth al thy wickednesse And so forth But what néede any more wordes The Lordes prayer may be a moste perfect forme of praysing God and giuing thankes to God for all his benefites serue in stead of many For as the preface and all the petitions do call vnto our remembraunce and absolutely set foorthe vnto vs Gods greatest benefites most liberally bestowed vpoÌ„ vs also vpoÌ„ al other so if we consider that it is our dutie â—o giue thanks to God for euery one of these and by and by beginne euen at the beginning of the Lordes prayer to weighe this chiefly with our selues that God the father of his vnspeakeable mercie to vs ward hath adopted vs miserable sinners into the number of sonnes by whome he will be sanctified and in whom he wil reigne and at the laste also translate vnto his euerlasting kingdome that I maye speake nothing of other petitions what plentifull matter of praysing God and giuing thankes vnto him shall be ministred But these thinges are better and more rightly vnderstood by good godly and deuout exercise than by preceptes thoughe neuer so diligent And the Lord doth so much estéeme this thankes giuing offered vnto him with true humilitie of mynde and also faith that he receiueth it and counteth it for a most acceptable sacrifice Of this thing there is very often meÌ„tion in the olde Testament as when it is sayde Who so euer offereth me thankes and prayse hee honoureth me I will not reproue thee bycause of thy sacrifices I will take no bullockes out of thy house nor goates out of thy fouldes Offer vnto God the sacrifice of prayse and paye thy vowes vnto the most highest And call vpon me in the day of trouble I will heare thee and deliuer thée and thou shalt glorifie me Againe I wil offer vnto thee the sacrifice of thankesgiuing and I will call vppon the name of the Lorde And Oseas also sayth Take these wordes with you and turne ye to the Lord and say vnto him O for giue vs all our sinnes receiue vs gratiously Nim recht fur gut and then will we offer the calues of our lippes vnto thee After which maner Malachie also hath left written I haue no pleasure in you sayth the Lorde of hoastes neyther will I receiue an offering at youre hande For from the rising of the Sunne vnto the going downe of the same my name is greate among the Gentiles and in euery place incense and a pure offering shall bee offered to my name for my name is greate among the Gentiles sayth the Lord of hoastes Furthermore this Pure offering al the old interpreters with great coÌ„sent Irenaeus chiefly Tertullian doe interprete Eucharistia that is to say prayses and thankesgiuinges and prayer procéeding from a pure heart and a good conscience and an vnfeigned fayth Truely for no other cause haue the auncient fathers called the Euchariste or mysticall Supper of Christe a sacrifice than for that in it prayse and thankesgiuing is offered vnto god For the Apostle Paule sheweth that Christe was once offered and that he can not be offered often or any more For great is the worthinesse power and vertue not onely of prayse or thankesgiuing but also of prayer wholy I meane of inuocation also it selfe Whereof although I haue already spoken somewhat where I declared that our prayers are effectual yet do I adde these fewe words The Saintes truely had a most ardent desire of praying bycause of the wonderfull force of prayer For that I maye say nothing of those moste auncient fathers before and anonafter the floud did not Abraham praye when he receiued the promises and as often as he chaunged his dwelling did not he call vppon God At his prayer king Abimelech is deliuered from death and barrennes whiche the Lord being displeased layed vppon his house is cured Iacob powred forth most ardent prayers vnto God and receiued of him inestimable benefits In Exodus Moses prayeth not once but often and taketh away the plagues from the AegyptiaÌ„s which the Lord by his iust iudgement had brought vppon them At the prayer of Moses the Amalechites turne their backes and when he ceassed or left off the Israelites
vnto saluation that baptisme is superfluous he hath despised the ordinance of God is condemned for a rebell and an enimie to God. Furthermore that place of Iohn 3. is not to be vnderstood of the ourward signe of holy baptisme but simplie of the inward most spiritual regeneration of the holy spirite which when Nicodemus vnderstoode not perfectely the Lorde figured and made the same manifest vnto him by parables of water of the spirit that is to say of the winde or the ayer by elements verie base and familiar For by and by he addeth That whiche is borne of the flesh is flesh c. Again The winde bloweth where it lusteth c. whiche must néedes be ment of the ayer For the other part of the coÌ„parison followeth So is euery one that is borne of the spirite Furthermore he addeth If I tel you of earthly thinges and ye beleeue not how will you beleeue if I tel you of heaueÌ„ly things But the argumeÌ„t which he put forth was not altogether earthly For this is the argument of his whole disputatioÌ„ Except a man be borne from aboue he cannot see the kingdome of God That is to say vnlesse a man be renued as it were borne againe by the spirite of God which is giuen from aboue that is to say powred into him from heauen he caÌ„not be saued The doctrine is altogether heauenly but the meanes wherby he deliuered declared set forthe this heauenly doctrine is earthly For by thinges taken from the earth he shadowed out to man beeing grosse of vnderstanding earthly a spiritual and heauenly thing laid it open as it were euen â—â— the view of his eyes As by water ayre oftentimes the qualities of bodies are changed and as the effecte and woorking of water and the aire in bodies is merueilous in like manner is the working of the holy Ghoste in the soule of man which it changeth purifieth and quickeneth c. For so the Lorde himselfe afterward whiche I tolde you euen now expoundeth an other parable of the spirite And because al olde writers for the moste part by water haue vnderstood sacramentall water that is to say holy baptisme we also receiue this interpretation For we willingly graunte that baptisme is necessarie to saluation as wel in such as are of perfect age as also in babes or infantes so that necessitie constraine not the contrarie For otherwise if we goe forwarde stubbernly with S. August to condemne infantes by this place truely we shal be compelled also to coÌ„demne euen those that are baptised if they departe this life without partaking of the bodie and bloud of Christ For S. Augustine béeing infected with the like errour defendeth that the sacrament of the Lordes supper ought to be put into the infantes mouthe or else they are in daunger of death and damnation because it is written Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man drink his bloud yee haue no life in you Therefore after this same order he placeth these two sentences Except a man be born of water and of the spirite he cannot see the kingdome of God. And Excepte ye eate the flesh of the sonne of man c. So that if thou persist obstinately in S. Augustines sentence verily thou wilt condemne the whole Church at this day which denieth the partaking of the Lordes supper vnto Infantes But if in this thing there be admitted a coÌ„uenient interpretation why are ye so rigorous obstinate in another the like place cause not disagréeable What wil you say if in this opinion Augustine doeth not satisfie no not himselfe in all and euery point To a Lay-man he thinketh it veniall sinne if he baptise in time of necessitie He cannot tell whether it be godlily spoken the baptisme ministred by a lay-man ought to be iterated or done againe But how much better and safer had it béene letting the necessitie of baptisme pas which hath no lawful causes to holde opinion the infantes if they be not preuented by death ought to be baptised of the minister of the church in the church their parents procuring it as opportunitie first serueth that too too spéedie souden death which we cal the pinch of necessitie is no let or hinderance to saluation to them which are not yet broght to be baptised The same Augustine trembleth and is afraide to determine of the punishmente of damned infants for not beeing baptised neither knoweth truly what he might certeinly say In his first booke De anim c. ca. 9. hée saith Let no maÌ„ promise to infantes vnbaptised as it were a middle place of rest or felicity whatsoeuer it be or whersoeuer it be betweene hell and the kingdome of heauen But that sentence is for the most part receiued of all men â–ª whervpon also the infantes are buried in the churchyarde in a certeine middle place betwéene the prophane holy ground And againe the same Aug. contra Iulianum Pelagianum lib. 5. ca. 8. writeth That those infantes of all other shal come in the easiest damnation And immediately bee addeth Which of what maner how great it shal be although I cannot describe yet I dare not say that it were better for them to be as no body thaÌ„ to be there And againe in his Epistle to Sainte Hierome 28. he sayth When I come to determine of the punishments of little infants beleeue me I am driuen into narrowe streightes neyther finde I any thing at all to aunswere Héere also may that be added whiche hee disputeth vppon Lib. 4. contra Donatist cap. 22. 23. touching the théefe whiche was crucified with Christe among other things saying That then baptisme is fulfilled inuisibly when not the contempt of religion but the poynt of necessitie excludeth and shutteth out from visible baptisme Why then should wee not beleeue also that in infantes departing by to to timely death baptisme is inuisibly perfourmed since that not contempt of religion but the extremitie of necessitie whiche can not bee auoyded excludeth and debarreth them from visible baptisme And since verie many at this day doe graunt that any man of perfect age withoute baptisme in the point of necessitie may bee saued so that hee haue a desire of baptisme why then may not the godly desires of the parentes acquite the infantes nowe newly borne from guiltinesse But thus much hitherto Touching this also who are to be baptised both in time past our age there hath bene bitter iarring Pelagius in time past denyed that infants ought to be baptised which we heard euen nowe Before Pelagius time AuxeÌ„tius Arianus with his sectaries denyed that they are to be baptised Some in the time of S. Barnard denied the same as we may gather out of his writings The Anabaptistes at this day a kinde of men raysed vp of sathan to destroy the Gospel denie it likewise But the Catholique trueth whiche is deliuered vnto vs in the holy scriptures
The same also is mentioned in Luke In the Gospel of Iohn the third chapter baptisme is called Purifying In the Actes of the Apostles Peter saith to the people which demaunded what they should do Repent ye and let euery one of you be baptised in the name of Iesus Christe for the remission of sinnes Ananias also sayth to Paule Arise and be baptised wash awaye thy sinnes in calling on the name of the Lord. And now Paule himselfe saith Christ loued the church gaue himselfe for it to sanctifie it when he had cleansed it in the founteine of water in the word Wherefore the promise yea the trueth of sanctification and â—rée remission of sinnes is written and ingrauen in oure bodies when we are baptised For God by his spirite thorough the bloud of his sonne hath newly regenerated and purged againe oure souls and euen now doth regenerate and purge them And baptisme is sufficient and effectual for the whole life of man yea and reacheth and is referred to all the sinnes of all them that are baptised For the promise of God is true The seale of the promise is true not deceiueable The power of Christ is euer effectuall throughly to cleanse and wash away all the sinnes of them that be his Howe often therefore soeuer wee haue sinned in our life time let vs call into oure remembrance the mysterie of holy baptisme wherewith for the whole course of our life we are washed that we might know not doubt that our sinnes are forgiuen vs of the same God and oure Lord yea and by the bloud of Christe into whome by baptisme once we are graffed that he might alwayes woorke saluation in vs euen til we be receiued out of myserie into glorie Neither is there any doubt that Abraham in his whole life had continually in his minde the mysterie of circumcision and rested in God and the séede promised vnto him Yet I thinke that that ought diligently to be marked which S. Augustine pithily plainly hath ofteÌ„ cited That our sinnes are forgiuen or purged in baptisme not that they are no more in vs for as long as we liue concupiscence beareth swaye alwayes breedeth and bringeth forth in vs somewhat like it selfe but that they shuld not be imputed vnto vs neither that wee may not â—inne but that it should not bee hurtfull for vs to haue or had sinned that our sinnes may be remitted when they are committed not suffered to be continued De Fide operib cap. 20. And also many more of this kind Gratian reciteth Distinct 4. de Consecrat Beside that by baptisme wee are gathered together into the fellowship of the people of god Wherevppon of some it is called the first signe or entrie into Christianitie by the whiche an entraunce into the churche lieth open vnto vs Not that before wee did not belong to the church For whosoeuer is of Christ partaker of the promises of God and of his eternall couenaunt belongeth vnto the Churche Baptisme therefore is a visible signe and testimonie of our ingraffing into the bodie of Christ And it is rightly called a planting incorporating or ingraffing into the bodie of Christe For I said in the generall discourse of Sacramentes that wee first by baptisme were ioyned with Christe and afterward with all the members of Christ our brethren For Paul saith All ye that are baptised haue put on Christ But to put on Christ is to bée made one with him as as it were to be ioyned and incorporated in him that he may liue in vs and we in him For hée onely by his spirite regenerateth and renueth vs and most liberally inricheth vs with all manner good giftes which the same Apostle in another place expresseth in these words God saued vs by the founteine of the regeneration renuing of the holy Ghost whiche he shedd on vs richly through Iesus Christ our sauiour Yea and therefore Christ our Lord is baptised in oure baptisme to declare that he is our brother and we ioynte-heires with him Verie well therefore said S. August That baptisme is thus farre forceable that wee beeing baptised are incorporated into Christ and counted his members The same Aug. calleth Baptisme the sacrament of Christian felowship For we are gathered againe visibly by baptisme into the vnitie of one bodie with all the faithfull as many as haue beene are and shal be For Paule also saith By one spirite wee are all baptised into one bodie And it followeth hereby that baptisme serueth for our confession and is rightly called the token of Christian religion For it is a badge or cognizaunce wherby we witnesse and professe that wée consent and are lincked into Christian religion Wée coÌ„fesse that we by nature are sinners and vncleane but sanctified by the grace of God through Christ For if we were cleane by nature what néeded we then any cleansing But now since wee are cleansed who doubteth of the truth of God Therefore when we receiue baptisme wee truely and fréely confesse both our sinne wherein we were borne and also frée forgiuenesse of sinnes Lastly the remembrance and consideration of the mysterie of baptisme putteth vs in minde of the dueties of Christianitie and Godlines that is to say al our life long to weigh diligently with our selues of whose bodie we be made members to denie our selues and this world to mortifie our fleshe with that coÌ„cupiscences of the same and to be buried with Christ into his death that we may rise againe in newnesse of life and liue innocently to loue our brethren as our meÌ„bers with whom by baptisme we are knit together into one bodie to remaine in the bond of concord in the vnitie of the church not to followe straunge religions béeing mindeful that we are baptised into Christ to whome alone we are consecrated and farre separated and diuided from all other Gods worships or religions and to be short from all heresies Let vs thincke also that wée must constantly and valiantly fighte against Sathan and the whole kingdome of Sathan As often therefore as wée remember wée are baptised with Christes baptisme so often are these thinges put into our mindes and wée admonished of our duetie But the Apostle handleth this matter more at large in the sixt Chapter of his epistle to the Romanes where hee expresly maketh meÌ„tion that we by baptisme are made the graftes of Christ that is to say that we might growe out of him as braunches out of the vine and féele in our mindes and bodies both the death and resurrection of Christe For since we are indued with the spirit of Christ which worketh in vs our body verily dieth daily but oure spirite liueth and reioyceth in Christe To whom be glorie for euer and euer Amen ¶ Of the Lords holie Supper what it is by whome when and for whome it was instituted after what sort when and howe oft it is to be celebrated and
not of the bread Eate yee all of this But when he tooke the cup he added Drinke yee all of this Saint Marke also adioyneth herevnto not without déepe iudgement And they drank all thereof Herevnto also apperteineth that which the Lord speaketh in S. Luke Take this and diuide it among you S. Paul the Apostle hauing a special regard vnto this excelleÌ„t plaine institutioÌ„ of Christ thrée or foure times ioyneth the cup to the bread saying As often as you shal eate of this bread and drinke of this cup you shall expresse the Lords death Againe Whosoeuer eateth of this bread or drinketh of the Lords cup vnworthily he shall be guiltie of the bodie and bloud of the Lord. And againe he saith Let a man examine himselfe and then let him eate of the bread and drinke of the cup Againe Who so eateth and drinketh vnworthily c. These testimonies are manifolde and worthie absolutely to be beléeued vnto which al traditions of all men whatsoeuer should giue place The Lord hath instituted the cup of the supper vnto all the faithfull wherfore the Apostles exhibited the same vnto all the faithfull For if the sacrament of the bloud of Christ were giueÌ„ to the Apostles only surely then the thing it selfe to wit the remission of sinnes which is obteined through Christes bloud belongeth only vnto the Apostles Howbeit the Lord saith plainly This is the bloud of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sinnes It is also in other places of the scripture manifestly set downe the Christs bloud was shed for the remission of the sinns of al the faithful Wherfore if the Laitie be capeable of the thing how muche more of the signe Now if our aduersaries procéede further and say that the Apostles only sate at the supper who represented the figure of the priestes and that the vse of the cuppe was graunted vnto them only and not to be graunted vnto other but to such only as were present at the first supper then doe we demaunde of them by what authoritie they giue the Lordes bread to the Laitie or by what right they do admitte simple women vnto the Lordes supper since it is manifest that neither the one nor the other according vnto their speaking in this matter sate at the Lords table And in this point they being taken tarde can goe no further But they obiect the daunger of the cup which if it be giuen vnto all without exception it would come to passe through the follie negligence of men there might some great offence be committed in letting it fall or powring it on the floore As who shuld say the eternal prouidence hath not foreséen so great an offence which these wisemen doe well perceiue nowe at length in the end of the world and do amend that wherein the Sonne of God did amisse For they crie out that one kinde is enough for the lay people for asmuch as by a necessarie coherence it foloweth that where the bodie of Christ is there is his bloud also and thus must it then followe that the one kinde is instituted in vaine But the lord distinctly first offered the bread and afterward the cup the Lord instituted nothing in vaine therefore both kinds since the Lord hath so coÌ„manded ought to be parted among all the faithful which as many as haue read the writings of the ancient fathers wil report was obserued euer before euen almost vnto the time of the counsell of Constance Of whom many haue not beene afraide to say that the diuiding of this sacrament after this maÌ„ner could not be done without sacrilege The matter substaÌ„ce of the supper being declared there is lightly some question moued concerning the forme or of the consecration of the breade and wine But for asmuch as I haue intreated hereof in the generall consideration of the sacraments there is no cause why I should with lothesomnesse to the bearers repeate the selfe same thing againe We do not acknowledge any transubstantiâ—tion to be made by force of wordes or characters but we affirme that the bread and wine remaine as they are in their owne substances but that there is added vnto them the institution will and worde of Christ and so become a sacramente and so differ muche from common bread and wine as we haue saide in place conuenient Consequently insueth the question touching this point Who should administer the Supper that is to say Whether any one of the congregation ought to be chiefe in the celebrating of the supper then Who the same should be Surely the thing it selfe requireth and nature also commaundeth that euery thing bee done decently and in good order and religion requireth that all thinges apperteining to the supper bee done according to Christs example But he was the chiefe dealer in the supper And he likewise hathe appointed ministers of the Churche by whom he will haue the sacraments to be administred Wherefore like as euerie man doth not baptise but the lawfull minister of the church so apperteyneth it not vnto euerie man to prepare minister the holy supper but to the minister which is ordeyned by god Herein now we disproue the Papistical doctrine which alloweth of priuate Masses teacheth that the prieste offreth vp the bodie and bloud of our Lord for the standers by and that by the Masse he applteth the merite of redemption vnto them that with deuotion come to that sacristce For as there is no one worde of the Lord extent that commaundeth the priestes to sacrifice or priuately to apply the supper for others or that promiseth any thinge vnto them that stande by and looke on it for he sayth Doe this eate yee and drinke ye all in the remembraunce of me he sayeth not Looke vppon the priests onely while they be eating and drinking for you so Christ is not bodily present in the breade and wine he is ioyned vnto our heartes and mindes by his spirit For it were to none effect that he remained in the breade And if he were present there in déede yet coulde he not be sacrificed both for that he hath offered vp him selfe once vppon the crosse neither can the moste worthy and onely begotten sonne of God be offered vp againe to God the father by a sinnefull man as also for that there is no néede for him to offer againe For S. Paule saith Christ beeing one onely sacrifice offered vp for sinne sitteth for euer at the righte hand of God looking for that which is yet to come vntill his enimies bee made his footestoole For by one oblation hee hath made them for euer perfect that are sanctified And againe he sayeth Whereas is full remission of sinnes there is no more oblation for sinne But we haue full remissioÌ„ of sinne by the death which Christ once suffered Therfore there is no sacrifice in the church for sinne In déede the Churche doth celebrate the memoriall of the sacrifice which
laide not a side his true and very body 2. Cor. 5. Philip. 3. Christ â—ath a reasoâ—able soule Matth. â—0 Matth. 26. Iohn 12. Luke 22. Luke 9. The hereticall error and the sounde truethe touchinge the mysterie of Christes â—ncarnation * Aprouer biall kind of speache whereby is meante that in avoyding a lesse error he fall into a greater Of the vnitinge of Chrste his Godhead and manhood Iohn 1. â— Tim. 3. Heb. 2. Heb. 2. Christ reteineth both natures vnmeddled or vnconfounded to gether 〈◊〉 7. â—sai 9. 〈◊〉 5. Matth. 22 Psal. 110. Luke 1. Iohn 14. Marke 14. Matth. 28. Rom. 1. The Natures in Christ are not mingled or coÌ„founded Christe in one persoÌ„ remaineth vndiuided 1. Cor. 2. Actes 20. Of communicatinge of â—â—opeâ—ties Iohn 3. Heb. 2. Iohn 6. Iohn 20. The person of Christ is not diuided Matth. 8. Marke 16. Actes 1. Actes 8. Christ is king of al. Gene. 3. Luke 11. Colos 1. 2. Pet. 2. Matth. 21. Christ is a monarche Psal. 2. Psal. 110. Esai 49. Isai 16. Ierem. 23 Of the kingdome of God. Mich. 4. Rom. 24. Matth. 25. Luke 23. The kingâ—ome of God which 〈◊〉 one iâ—â—wo waiâ— â–ª â—â—nfidereâ— Gods kingdome of grace in â—arth Pro. 24. 1. Sam. 7. Howe Canst reigâ—etâ— on 〈◊〉 in â—is kingâ—ome â—poc 1. The spiritual kingdome of God. Iohn 18. The â—ounds of Christes kingdome â—n earth The seate of our King Christe 〈◊〉 1. Ephe. 5. Gods kingdome of glorie in heauen Apoc. 21. 22. The kingdome of Christe is in euerlastinge kingdome Matth. 16 Matth. 24 Dan. 7. Matth. 6. The kingdome of the world what maÌ„ner of one it is Iohn 12. 2. Cor. 4. 1. Iohn 3. Christ Ieâ—us the â—â—gh pries â–ª Psal 110. Heb. 6. Hebr. 7. Gen. 14. Hebr. 5. Psal. â— Christ is aÌ„noynted Psal. 45. Esai 61. Howe Christ our priest doth the offices of a priest Christ the teacher of the church Christ maketh intercession Christ blesseth Christ sacrificeth Christ sanâ—â—ifieth Iohn 7. Iohn 17. Of Christs priesthood Heb. 8. Heb. 13. 1. Iohn 2. Esai 4 4. Hebâ— 5. Iohn 16. Heb. 9. Heb. 10. Apoc. 1. 1. Pet. 2. Of the name of a Christian Christians are kinge and priests Christians are kinge Rom. 6. I. Iohn 5. Christians are priests Heb. 3. Heb. 13. The name of a Christian moste auncient There are but fewe Christians Esa. 66. Matth. 7. A gainste false Christians The conclusion The word Spirit is â—â—pounded Spirit is â—ayer or 〈◊〉 Iohn 3. 1. Cor. 14. Spirit signifieth an Angel. Psal. 104. Hebr. 1. Spirit signifieth life Psal. 145. 104. Gene. 6. Spirit signifieth the soule of man. Luke 23. Iohn 19. Actes 7. Eccle. 12. Spirit signifieth affection of minde Spirit signifieth spiritual motions Rom. 2. 2. Cor. 3. Spirit â—ignifieth reuelation 1. Iohn 4. Iohn 4. What the holy ghosâ— is That the â—olyghost 〈◊〉 verie God. 1. Cor. 13. 1. Cor. 12. Matth. 28. ob 25. Luke 1. 2. Pet. 1. Actes 5. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6 1. Cor. 12. The holy ghost is neither minister â—or instrument The holie ghost is a substance not an accident Rom. 8. Gal. 5. Of the proceeding of the holie ghoste The holie ghost procedeth froÌ„ the father and the sonne Gal. 4. Matth. 10. Iohn 15. Iohn 14. Iohn 15. Iohn 5. The proceeding of the holie ghost is two-fouldor of twoe sortes Temporal proceding Eternall proceding Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decade about the beginning 1 Pet. 1. 2. Cor. 4. â—ncreasinges of the spirite 4. Reg. 2. Iohn â— Matth. 13. 1. Sam. 16. Psal. 51. Of the effect and power of the holie ghost The holie ghost The holie ghost is the Spirite of God aâ—d of the sonne 1. Cor. 3. Rom. 8. The holâ—e ghost is the comforter Iohn 14. The holiâ— ghoste is a comforter giueth ioye and gladnesse The holie ghost is the Spirite of trueth Iohn 16. Iohn 14. The Spirit of promise Gal. 3. The holie ghost the singer of god Luke 11. Exod. 8. Looke in the. 3. Sermon of this decad what things are spoken against the heretiques called the Anthropomorphites The spirit is called water and a liuely founteine Esai 44. Iohn 7. The holie ghost is fire The holie ghost a mightie winde The holie ghost a fiâ—ie tongue The holie ghost a loue Matth. 3. â—sai 53. â—ohn â— Actes 8. â—api 7. The holie ghost oyle and aÌ„noyning 1. Iohn 2. Iere. 31. Hebr. 8. 2. Cor. 1. The holy ghost is the earnest of our inheritance Ephe. 1. 1. Iohn 4. 1. Iohn 3. The holie ghost loue or charity Rom. 5. The operations of the holie ghost Isai 1â— Wisdome VnderstaÌ„ding Counsell Strength Knowledg Feare Rom. 8. The spirit doth morâ—fie and quicken The spirit â—r holie ghost reuealeth â—he mysteries of the â—ingdome of God. 1. Cor. 2. Iohn 16. The spirite foresheweth thinges to come Actes 11. The diuers giftes of the holy ghost Gal. 5. Tertullians notatable treatise of the holy ghost Isai 11. Isai 6â— Psal. 54. Rom. 8. â— Cor. 3. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 7. 1. Cor. 14. 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 12. Mark. 3. A summe of the vnitie and Trinitie of God. Aâ— angel â—al 2 3. 1. Cor. 11. â— Pet. 2. 1. Cor. 6. â— Cor. 12. That there are angels Actes 23. Matth. 22. A. Steuchus in his 6. and. 8. booke de perenni philosophia What Angels are That Angels are created Heb 1. Coloss 1. When Angels were created Angels are Substances Heb. 1. Matth. 22. Hebr. 2. What maÌ„ner of Substances angels are Psal. 104 â–ª Bodily SubstaÌ„ces What bodies are taken of Angels Angels are incorruptible Matth. 22. 1. Cor. 15. Luke 20. Angels are moste free swifte and speedie Actes 5. Actes 1â— Iohn 5. Luk. 23. 16. Dan. 9. The strength of Angels Dan. 10. The knowledge of Angels Of the multitude and order of Angels Dan. 7. Matth. 26 Hebr. 12. The exposition of names giuen to Angels Angels Archangels 1. Thes 4. Thrones or Seates Psal. 18. Lordships Principalities Powers Cherubim Seraphim God vseth the ministerie of Angels Psal. 103. Exod. 19. Dâ—uâ— 5. Actes 10. Luke 15. Zacha â–ª 1. What the ministeries of angels are Esai â— Ezech. 3. Luke 2. 1. Pet. 1. Matth. 13. Luke 1. Matth. 2. Luke 22. Gen. 16. Actes 17. Exod. 12. Actes 12. 4. Reg. 19. 2. Reg. 24. 2. thess. 1. Apoc. 16. Psal. 34. Psal. 91. Matth. 18. Gen. 32. 4. Reg. 6. * Seruants Gene. 24. Exod. 34. 〈◊〉 10. â—an 4. We muste â—ot attribute too much vnto Angels Sainctes wil not be worshipped of vs. Actes 7. Gen. 16. Actes 27. Apoc. 22. The worâ—hippinge â—f Angels greatly coÌ„demned Marke what he thinketh of the temple builte to S. Michael in Mount Garganuâ— Of euill spirites That there are diuels What the diuel is That the diuel is a creature The diuel was not created euil Of the fall of Angels from heauen Iob. 4. 2. Pet. 2. Iohn â— Isai 14. Ezech. 2â— The diuel is euerlastingly coÌ„demned Maâ—th 25. Mark 9. Iohn 5. Daâ— â—2 Apoc. 20. Diuels are spirits and
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
that séede and branch of life should come Moreouer the holy fathers taught that God by a certaine league hath ioyned him selfe to mankind and that he hath most streightly bounde him selfe to the faythful and the faythfull likewise to him selfe againe Wherevpon they did teache to be faythfull to God ward to honour God to hate false Gods to call vpon the onely God and to worship him deuoutly Furthermore they taught that the worship of God did consist in things spirituall as fayth hope charitie obedience vpright dealing holinesse innocencie patience trueth iudgement and godlinesse And therfore did they reprehend naughtinesse and sinne falshoode lacke of beliefe desperation disobedience vnpatientnesse lying hypocrisie hatred dispitefull tauntes violence wrong vnrightuous dealing vncleannesse riottousnesse surfetting whoredome vnrighteousnesse and vngodlynesse They taught that God was a rewarder of good but a punisher and reuenger of euill They taught that the soules of men were immortall and that the bodyes shoulde rise againe in the daye of iudgement therefore they exhorted vs all so to liue in this temporall life that we doe not lese the life eternall This is the sum of the worde of God reuealed to the fathers and by them deliuered to their posteritie This is the traditiō of the holy fathers which cōprehendeth al religion Finally this is the true auncient vndoubted authenticall catholike faith of the fathers Besides this the holy fathers taught their children childers children the accompt of the yeares from the beginning of the world also the true historicall course as well profitable as necessarie of things from the creation of the worlde euen vnto their owne times leaste peraduenture their children shoulde be ignoraunt of the beginning and succession of worldlye things and also of the iudgementes of God and examples of them whiche liued as well godly as vngodly I coulde declare vnto you all this euidently and in verye good order out of the first booke of Moses called Genesis if it were not that thereby the sermen shoulde be drawne out somewhat longer then the vse is But I suppose that there are few or rather none at al here present whiche doe not perceiue that I haue rehearsed this that I haue said touching the tradition of the auncient fathers as it were worde for worde out of the booke of Genesis so that nowe I maye very well go forwarde in the narration which I haue begonne So then what so euer hitherto was of the fathers deliuered to the world by worde of mouth as it were from hand to hande that was first of all put into writing by the holy man Moses together with those thinges whiche were done in al the time of Moses life by the space of 120. yeares And that his estimation might be the greater throughout all the worlde among all men and in all ages and that none shoulde but knowe that the writings of Moses were the very worde of God it selfe Moses was furnished and as it were consecrated by God with signes and wonders to be meruelled at in déede whiche the almightie by the hande that is by the ministerie of Moses did bring to passe and verily he wrought them not in any corner of the worlde or place vnknowne but in Egypt the moste flourishing and renoumed kingdome of that age Those miracles were greater and farre more by many then that they can be here rehearsed in fewe wordes neyther is it néedful to repeate them bicause you dearely beloued are not vnskilfull or ignorant of them at al. After that also God by other meanes procured authoritie to Moses For many and often times God had communication with Moses and amongst the rest of his talke sayde he Beholde I will come to thee in a thicke cloude that the people may heare me talking with thee may beleue thee for euermore Neyther was the Lord therewith content but commaunded Meles to call together all the people sixe hundreth thousand men I say with their wiues and children They are called out to the mount Sina where God appeareth in a wonderfull and terrible fashion and he him selfe preaching to the congregation doth rehearse vnto them the ten Commaundements But the people being terrified with the maiestie of God doth pray and beséech that God him self would no more afterward preach to the congregatiō with his owne mouth saying that it were inoughe if he would vse Moses as an interpreter to them and by him speake to the Church The most high God did like the offer and after that he spake to the people by Moses what soeuer he would haue done And for bycause that the people was a stifnecked people by keping company with Idolaters in Egypt was not a little corrupted Moses nowe began to set downe in writing those things whiche the holy fathers by tradition had taught the things also which the Lorde had reuealed vnto him The cause why he wrote them was least peraduenture by obliuion continuance of time and obstinancie of a people so slowe to beleeue they might either perish or else be corrupted The Lord also set Moses an example to folow For what so euer God had spoken to the Church in Mount Sina that same did he streight way after write with his owne finger in two tables of stone as he had with his finger frō the beginning of the world writtē the same in the harts of the fathers Afterward also in plain words he commaunded Moses to write what soeuer the Lord had reueled Moses obeyed the Lordes commaundement and writ them The holy Gheste whiche was wholye in the mynde of Moses directed his hand as he writ There was no abilitie wanting in Moses that was necessarie for a most absolute writer He was aboundantly instructed by his auncestours For he was borne of the holiest progenie of those fathers whome God had appointed to be witnesses of his will commaundements and iudgements suppose Amram Kahad Iacob Sem Methusalem and Adam He was able therefore to write a true and certain Hystorie from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill his owne time Wherevnto he added those thinges which were done among the people of God in his owne life time whereof he was a very true witnesse as one that sawe and heard them Yea and that more is whatsoeuer he did set forth in his bookes that did he read to his people and amongst so many thousandes was there not one found which gainsayed that whiche he rehearsed so that the whole consent and witnesse-bearing of the great congregation did bring no small authoritie to the writings of Moses Moses therefore contained in the fiue bookes called the fiue books of Moses an hystorie from the beginning of the world euē vnto his own death by the space of 2488. yeres In which he declared most largely the Reuelation of the worde of God made vnto men whatsoeuer the word of God dothe containe and teach In which as we haue the manyfolde Oracles of God him self
the father is in mee Againe wee read in the Gospell of Iohn The Iewes therefore sought to kill Iesus ▪ not onely because hee had broken the Sabboth day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but said also that GOD was his father euen his proper or verie owne making himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equall to God. Furthermore the Grecians expound 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to saye Equall by this woorde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say Like Neither can that equalitie any where else haue place than in the substance For the Iewes vnderstand that wherof the Arians will bée ignoraunt that the Lord after a certeine peculiar and speciall manner called GOD his father to witt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper or verie owne father by nature or by byrth of whome the sonne beeing naturally begotten is naturall and consubstantiall with his father For it followeth Making himselfe equall to or with God namely in vertue or power in euerlastingnesse and Essence For the same Lord sayeth in the same Euangelist I proceeded and came from God. Hée did not say onely I came but I proceeded He procéeded from the father such a one in substaunce as the father is surely Light of light Verie God of verie god For he sayeth againe to the Iewes Verily I saye vnto you before Abraham was I am He doth not say I haue beene or I wil bee but I am alluding to the name of the Lord Iehouah and declaring that the substaunce of his Godhead is the verie same with the substaunce of the father and that he is therefore consubstantiall with the father For yet againe he sayeth more plainely I and the father are one One I say not in concord or agréement but in selfe-same-nesse and Béeing For in that place the power and Maiestie of God are handled And when the Iewes would without further staye stone the Lord to death hauing spoken these words they declared plainly enough after what sorte they vnderstoode his words For they stoned blasphemers to death who with reuileings either empaired Gods glorie or else vsurped and tooke the same vnto themselues Hetherto belongeth that whiche Paule speaketh concerning the sonne of God saying Who is the image of the inuisible God the first borne of all creatures because all thinges were created by him For if hee be the image of the inuisible God he must néeds be fellowe or coequall with god For in another place Paule calleth the same Christ The ingrauen fourme of god and his expresse image and aunswearable in all respects most truely to his paterne or first figure An image verily and likenesse is of things that are not vnequall or vnlike but of things equall and like And he is called The first borne beecause hee is Prince and Lord not that hee is reckoned amonge creatures For all things that were made by him they were made therefore hee is no creature but true God to witt of the nature and substaunce of God one with the father The same Apostle sayeth to the Philippians that the sonne is in the forme or shape of god But to be in the forme or shape of God is nothing else than in all respectes to be fellowe or equall with God to be consubstātiall with him and so in déede GOD himselfe For what it is to be in the fourme or shape of God is by the cōtrarie clause verie manifestly declared For it followeth Hee tooke vppon him the fourme of a seruaunt Whiche is againe expounded by that which followeth Beeing made in the likenesse of men that is to say béeing made very man vnlike in nothing to all other men sinne excepted whiche in another place is plainely expressed And here he addeth againe And foūd in figure as a man. Therefore to bée in the fourme of God is to be coequal and consubstantiall with god For he addeth He thought it no robberie to be equall with God. For robberie is the taking away of that which another doth owe for it is possessed by iniurie The sonne therefore is coequal with the father and true God by Nature and after the most proper manner And this is the meaning of S. Paule his woords Albeit the sonne were of the same glorie and maiestie with the father and could haue remayned in his glorie without humiliatiō or debafement yet had hee rather abase himselfe that is to say take vnto him the nature of a man and cast himselfe into daungers yea euen into death it selfe For otherwise according to his godhead he suffered no chaunge For God is vnchaungeable and without variablenesse Since the case so standeth godly is the saying of S. Ambrose in his booke De fide against the Arians and fift chap Séeing therefore thou doest knowe this vnitie of substance in the father and the sonne not onely by the authoritie of the prophetes but also of the Gospell howe sayst thou that Homoousius consubstantiall is not founde in the sacred scriptures as though Homoousius were somewhat else than that he sayeth I went out from God the father And I and the father are one c. The scholer S. Augustine following his maister Ambrose in his controuersie had with Pascentius cōfirmeth Homoousius by places of scripture and declareth that this is holily vsed in our fayth and religion The same doth he also in his thirde booke against Maximinus bishop of the Arians and 14 chapter But what néedeth heaping vp of more wordes For I trust it is plainely enough declared by euident places of holie Scripture that the sonne is consubstantial with the father and that so it must be beléeued We hope also that in the treatise following this selfe same point shall not a little be made manifest by testimonies of Scriptures Arius with his complices denyed that the sonne of God our Lorde Iesus Christe is true god But the most true Scripture doth so euidently proue and confirme it that none which loueth the truth from his heart can doubt any thing at all thereof We wil presently cite some testimonies and arguments that are moste plaine and apparaunt whereby thorough the assistance of the holy ghost our faith may be established and the Catholique and sound trueth it selfe made manifest In the third chapter of Matthew the heauens are opened to our Lorde as he was baptised by Iohn Baptist and the holie Ghoste came downe in the likenesse of a Doue and allighted vpon the heade of our Lord Iesus Christe and foorthwith was a voyce hearde out of the cloudes pronounced by the glorious God in this sorte This is my beloued sonne in whome my soule is well pleased And Iohn sayth in his Gospell I sawe the spirite descending from heauen in the likenesse of a Doue and it abode vpon him and I knewe him not but hee that sent mee to baptise with water hee sayde vnto me Vppon whome thou shalt see the spirite descending and abiding vpon him this is hee which doth baptise with the holy Ghoste And I sawe and
bare witnes that this is the sonne of God. Herevnto belongeth that which Peter beeing asked of the Lorde But whome do ye say that I am answered in the name of all the Disciples Thou art that Christe the sonne of the liuing God. And againe the Lorde obiecting this Will you also be gone Peter againe made answere in the name of them all Lorde vnto whome shall we goe Thou haste the wordes of euerlasting life and wee beleeue and haue knowne that thou art Christe the sonne of the liuing God. We also verily are called the sonnes of god howbeit by adoption But Christe not by adoption neyther by imputation but by nature For in the 14. chapter of Marke the high Prieste saith vnto our Lord Art thou Christ the sonne of the blessed In Matthe we also the same high priest saith I adiure or charge thee by the liuing God that thou tell vs whether thou be the sonne of the liuing God Iesus answered I am For ye shal see the sonne of man sitting at the right hand of power and comming in the cloudes of heauen Which appeareth to be repeted out of the seuenth chapter of Daniel Furthermore they bring this confession of the Lorde before Pilate as blasphemous and not to be satisfied but with death crying Wee haue a lawe and according to our lawe hee ought to dye by cause he made him selfe the sonne of God. But they them selues in the historie of the gospel thunder out these words against the Lord We are not borne of fornication we haue one father euen God. It is certeyne therefore that the Iewes accused our Sauiour for none other cause of high treason committed against Gods maiestie than for that he named him selfe the naturall not the adopted sonne of god For the firste did not deserue death but the last was worthie of death For we read also in the first of Iohn Therfore the Iewes sought the more to kill him not onely bycause he had broken the Sabboth day but also for that he sayd that God was his father making him selfe equall with God or Gods fellowe Loe thou haste the manner howe he called him selfe the sonne of God not by adoption or reputatiō but by nature substance For yet againe the Lord himselfe obiecteth this to them that would haue stoned him Many good works haue I shewed you frō my father for which of these good works do ye stone me The Iewes answered againe saying for thy good woorkes or wel going wee doe not stone thee but for blasphemie namely bycause thou being a man makest thy selfe God. Loe what could be spoken more plainely Thou makest thy selfe God. And what I praye you had he spoken whereof they gathered these thinges I giue vnto my sheepe euerlasting life neyther shall they perishe for euer neyther shall any plucke thē out of my hande My father whiche gaue them mee is greater than all and none can pull them out of my fathers hande I and the father are one To giue life euerlasting doth belong to the power of God to preserue and so to preserue that none may be able to plucke them out of his handes belongeth to the same power Nowe the Lorde proueth his saying with this argument or reason None is able to pull the shéepe out of my fathers hands therefore none can pul them out of my handes The proofe of his antecedent bycause the father is greater than all that is to say is the greatest of all whose diuine power is aboue all The proofe of his consequent bycause I and my father are one to wit not in will and agréement onely but in maiestie also and power whereof we doe at this present entreate not of concorde or agréement but of power to make aliue and to preserue Touching whiche the Lorde him selfe most plentifully discourseth throughoute the whole fifte chapter of Sainte Iohns Gospell shewing that he forgiueth sinnes that by his power he maketh aliue and rayseth vp from the deade euen as his father doeth therefore that he is of one and the same diuine power and maiestie with God the father These thinges are so euident playne and manifest that albeit we had none other testimonies yet these may aboundantly suffice to proue the assertion of the true Diuinitie or verie Godheade of the sonne of God that the sonne indéede is true and verie God. Againe the selfe same our Lorde and Sauiour with greate libertie of speache and playnenesse of wordes without all manner of riddle darke sentence and obscuritie of wordes openly and expressely sayth to his disciples Let not your hearte be troubled or vexed You beleeue in God beleeue also in mee I am the way the trueth and the life Hee that hath seene mee hath seene the father Doe ye not beleeue that I am in the father and the father in mee And certeine it is that Christe our Lorde is the heauenly doctour or teacher the moste constant defender of the truth who neyther hath seduced neyther yet coulde seduce and leade out of the way no not so muche as one But biddeth vs beleue in him as true and verie god Therefore our Lorde and Sauiour is true and verie god For in another place he sayth moste plainely I am the liuely breade or the breade of life that came downe from heauen Hee that beleeueth in me hath life euerlasting He againe in the Gospell playnely pronounceth and saythe Father the houre is come glorifie thy sonne that thy sonne may also glorifie thee As thou haste giuen him power of al fleshe that so many as thou haste giuen him hee might giue them lyfe euerlasting And this is euerlasting life that they should knowe thee only true GOD and whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe By whiche wordes hée hath expressely proued both the vnitie of GOD that is to say that there is but one GOD againste the Ethnickes who worshipped many GODS and notably touched the distinction of the persons in the meane while likewise declaring him selfe to be verie GOD with the father For by and by he addeth Glorifie thou me O Father with thine owne selfe with the glorie which I had with thee before this worlde was Héere I thinke must not be ouerslipped of me the argument of Tertullian whiche I will recite vnto you Dearely beloued out of his booke De Trinitate wherein he doth gather together verie many most sound and strong reasons of Christe his diuinitie or Godheade If sayth he Christ be only man why hath he appointed set vs downe suche a rule to beléeue wherin he should say And this is life euerlasting y they might know thée y onely true or very God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christe If also he would not be knowne to be God why doth he adde And whome thou haste sent Iesus Christe but for that he woulde be taken also for GOD Bycause if he would not be knowne to be GOD he would haue added And whome thou haste