with the same Spirit ioyned with the Father but also according to his person of mediator bicause if he had not had that power he had come to vs in vaine After whiche meaning he is called the seconde Adam geuen frō heauen to be a quickning Spirit whereby Paule compareth the singular life that the sonne of God breatheth into them that be his that thei may be alone with hym with the natural life that is also common to the reprobate Likewise where he wissheth to the faithful the fauoure of Christ and the loue of God he ioyneth withall the common partaking of the Spirit without which no man can tast neither of the fatherly fauoure of God nor of the bountifulnesse of Christe As also he saith in an other place The loue of God is poured out into oure heartes by the holy Spirite that is geuen vs. And here it shal be profitable to note wyth what titles the Scripture setteth out the holy Spirite where it entreateth of beginninge and whole restoring of oure saluation Fyrste he is a called the Spirit of adoption bicause he is a wytnesse vnto vs of the free goodwil of God wherewyth God the Father hathe embraced vs in hys beloued onely begotten Sonne that he might be a father vnto vs and doth encourage vs to praie boldly yea and dothe minister vs wordes to crie with oute feare Abba Father by the same reason hee is called the earnest pledge and seale of our inheritance bicause he so geueth life from heauen to vs wandringe in the worlde and being like to deade men that we maie be assured that oure soule is in safegarde vnder the faithefull keping of God for which cause he is also called life by reasō for righteousnesse And forasmuch as by his secret watering he maketh vs frutfull to brynge forth the buddes of righteousnesse he is oftentimes called water as in Esaie All ye that thyrste come to the waters Againe I will poure out my spirit vpon the thyrsty and stoodes vpon the drie land wherewith agreeth that sayeng of Christ which I did euen now allege If any thyrste let him come to me Albeit sometime he is so called by reason of his power to purge and cleanse as in Ezechiell where the Lord promiseth cleane waters wherwith he wil washe his people from fylthinesse And forasmuch as herestoreth norisheth into liuely quicknes them vpō whom he hath poured the liquore of hys grace he is therefore called by the name of oyle and anoyntement Agayne bycause in continually seethynge oute and burninge vp the vices of oure luste hee setteth oure heartes on fyre wyth the loue of God and zeele of godlynesse he is also for thys effect worthyly called fyre Finally he is described vnto vs as a fountaine from whense do flowe vnto vs all heauenly rychesse or the hande of God wherewyth he vseth hys power bycause by the breathe of hys power he so breatheth diuine lyfe into vs that wee are not nowe styrred by oure selues but ruled by hys styrringe and mouynge so that yf there bee any good thynges in vs they bee the frutes of hys grace but oure owne gyftes wythout hym bee darkenesse of mynde and pereuersnesse of hearte Thys poynte ys sette oute playnely enoughe that tyll oure myndes bee bente vpon the holy ghoste Christe lyeth in a manner idle bycause we coldely espye wythout vs yea and farre awaye from vs. But wee knowe that hee profyteth none other but them whose heade hee ys and the fyrste begotten amonge brethren and them whyche haue putte on Hym. Thys conioynynge onely maketh that as concernyng vs he is come not vnprofytably wyth the name of sauioure And for proofe hereof serueth that holy mariage whereby we are made fleshe of hys fleshe and bones of hys bones yea and all one wyth hym but by the Spirite onely hee maketh hym selfe one wyth vs by the grace and power of the same Spirite wee are made hys membres so that hee conteyneth vs vnder hym and wee agayne possesse hym But forasmuche as faithe is his principall woorke to it are for the moste parte referred all those thynges that we commonly finde spoken to expresse his force and working bicause he bryngeth vs into the light of the Gospel by nothyng but by faith as Ihon baptiste teacheth that this prerogatiue is geuen to them the beleue in Christ that thei be the childrē of God which ar borne not of flesh blood but of God wher setting God againste fleshe and bloode he affirmeth it to be a supernaturall gift that thei receiue Christe by faith whoe otherwise shoulde remaine subiect to their owne infidelitie Like where vnto is that answer of Christe Fleshe and bloode hathe not reueled it to thee but my Father whiche is in heauen These thinges I do nowe but shortly touche bycause I haue already entreated of them at large And lyke also is that saieng of Paule that the Ephesians were sealed vp with the holy spirit of promisse For Paule sheweth that he is an inwarde teacher by whose workynge the promyse of saluation pearceth into oure mindes whiche otherwise shoulde but beate the ayre or oure eares Likewyse when he saith that the Thessalonians were chosen of God in the sanctification of the spirit and beleuing of the truth by whiche ioyning of them together he brefely admonisheth that faythe it selfe proceedeth from nothing els but from the holy spirit whych thyng Ihon setteth out more plainely saieng We knowe that there abideth in vs of the spirit whiche he hathe geuen vs. Againe By this we knowe that we dwel in him and he in vs bicause he hath geuen vs of his spirit Therfore Christ promised to his Disciples the Spirit of truthe whiche the worlde canne not receiue that thei might bee able to receiue the heauenly wisedome And he assigneth to the same spirit this propre office to put them in mynde of those thynges that he hadde taught them by mouthe Bicause in vaine shoulde the light shewe it selfe to the blinde vnlesse the same spirit of vnderstanding shoulde open the eyes of their minde so as a man may rightly call the holy spirit the keye by which the treasures of the heauenly kingdome are opened vnto vs and may call his enlightning the eyesight of oure minde to see Therefore doth Saint Paule so muche commend the ministerie of the spirit bycause teachers shoulde crie without profiting vnlesse Christ himselfe the inwarde maister shoulde drawe them with his spirit that are geuen him by his Father Therefore as we haue sayde that persecte saluation is founde in the person of Christ so that we may be made partakers therof he doth baptize vs in the holy spirit and fyre lightning vs into the faith of his Gospell and so newe begetting vs that we maie be newe creatures and purging vs from vnholy fylthynesse doth dedicate vs to be holy temples to God The seconde Chapiter Of faithe wherein bothe is sette
the definition of it and the propreties that it hathe are declared BUt al these thinges shal be easy to vnderstand when there is shewed a plaine definitioÌ„ of fayth that the readers may knowe the force and nature thereof But fyrste it is conuenient to call to minde againe these thynges that haue ben already spoken that syth God doth appoint vs by his law what we ought to do if we fall in any point thereof the same terrible iudgement of eternall death that he pronounceth doth rest vpon vs. Againe that forasmuch as it is not only hearde but altogether aboue oure strength and beyond all oure power to fulfill the lawe if we only beholde our selues wâ—ie what estate is worthy for our deseruinges there is no good hope left but we lie cast away from God vnder eternall destruction Thirdly this hath ben declared that there is but one meane of deliuerance to drawe vs out of so wretched calamitie wherin appeareth Christ the Redeemer by whose hand it pleased the heauenly father hauing mercie vpon vs of his infinite goodnesse clemencie to succoure vs so that we wyth sounde faith embrace thys mercie and with constant hope rest vpon it But now it is conuenient for vs to weie this what manner of faith this ought to be by which al thei that are adopted by God to be hys chyldren do enter vpon the possession of the heauenly kingdome forasmuch as it is certaine that not euery opinion nor yet euery perswasion is sufficient to bring to passe so great a thing And with so much the more care study must we loke about for and searche out the natural propretie of faith by how muche the more hurtfull at thys day is the erroure of many in this behalf For a great part of the world hearing the name of faith conceiueth no hier thing but a certaine common assent to the historie of the Gospel Yea when thei dispute of faith in the scholes in barely callynge God the obiecte of faithe thei do nothinge but as we haue saide in an other place by vaine speculation rather draw wretched soules out of the right way thaÌ„ direct them to the true mark For wheras God dwelleth in a light that none can atteine to it behoueth of necessitie that Christe become meane betweene vs and yt For whyche cause he calleth hym selfe the light of the world in an other place The way the Truth the Life bicause no man commeth to the father which is the fountaine of life but by him bicause he onely knoweth the Father by him the faithful to whome it pleaseth him to disclose him According to this reason Paule affirmeth that he accompteth nothing excellent to be knowen but Christ and in the .xx. chapiter of the Actes he saith that he preached faith in Christ c. And in an other place he bringeth in Christ speakeinge after this manner I wil send thee amonge the Gentiles that thei maye receiue forgeuenes of sinnes porâ—ion among holy ones by the faith which is in me And Paule testifieth that the glorie of God is in his person visible vnto vs or whiche is all one in effect that the enlightning of the knowledge of Gods glorie shineth in his face It is true in dede that faith hath respect only to the one God but this also is to be added that it acknowledge him whome he hath sent euen Iesus Chrste Bicause God himselfe shoulde haue lyen secret and hydden farre from vs vnlesse the brightnesse of Christe did cast his beames vpon vs. For this entent the father left al that he had with his onely begotten sonne euen by the coÌ„municatinge of good thynges wyth him to expresse the true image of his glorie For as it is saide that we must be drawen by the spirit that we maie be stirred to seeke Christ so againe we ought to be admonished that the inuisible father is no where els to be sought but in this image Of whiche mater Augustine speaketh excellently well whiche entreating of the marke that faith should shoote at saith that we must know whether we must goe and which waie and then by by after he gathereth that the safest waye against all erroures is he that is both God and man For it is God to whome we go and man by whom we go and bothe these are founde no where but in Christe Neyther dothe Paule when he speaketh of faith in God meane to ouerthrowe that whiche he so ofte repeteth of faith that hath her whole stay vpon Christe And Peter dothe most fittly ioyne them bothe together saieng that by him we beleue in God Therefore thys euell euen as innumerable other is to be imputed to the Scholemen whiche haue hidden Christe as it were with a veile drawen before hym to the beholdyng of whome vnlesse we be dyrectly bent we shall alwaie wander in many vncertaine mazes But bysyde thys that with theyr darke definition they doe deface and in a manner bring to naught the whole force of faithe they haue forged a deuyse of vnexpressed faith wyth which name thei garnyshing theyr most grosse ignorance doe with greate hurte deceyue the silly people yea to saye truely and plainely as the thinge is in deede thys deuyse doth not only burie but vtterly destroye the true faithe Is this to beleue to vnderstand nothing so that thou obediently submitte thy sense to the Churche Faythe standeth not in ignorance but in knoweledge and that not onely of God but of the wyll of God For neither do we obteine saluation by thys that wee eyther are ready to embrace for true whatsoeuer the Churche appoynteth or that we do committe to it all the office of searchyng and knowing but when we acknowledge God to be a mercifull father to vs by the reconciliation made by Christ and that Christe is geuen vs vnto ryghteousnesse sanctification and lyfe By thys knoweledge I saye not by submitting of oure sense we atteine an entrie into the kyngedome of heauen For when the Apostle saith that with the hearte we beleue to righteousnesse and wyth the mouthe confession is made to saluation hee sheweth that it is not enoughe if a man vnexpressedly beleue that whiche he vnderstandeth not nor seeketh to learne but he requyreth an expressed acknowleging of Gods goodnesse in whyche consysteth oure ryghteousnesse In dede I denie not such is the ignorance wherwith we are coÌ„passed that ther now be herafter shal be many thinges wrapped hidden from vs till hauing put of the burden of our flesh we come nerer to the presence of God in which very thinges that be hidden from vs nothing is more profitable than to suspend our iudgment but to stay our mind in determined purpofe to kepe vnitie with the Churche But vnder thys coloure to entitle ignoraunce tempered with humilitie by the name of faith is a great absurditie For faith lieth in knoledg of God of Christ not in reuerence of the
by vnskilfull men bene wrongfullye applied vnto this matter Yea and the same Hilarie hymselfe layethe it for a greate faulte to the heretikes charge that by theyr waywardnesse he is compelled to putte those thynges in perylle of the speche of men whyche oughte to haue beene kepte in the relygiousnesse of myndes playnely confessynge that this is to doo thynges vnlaufull to speake that ought not to bee spoken to attempt thynges not licenced A little after he excuseth himself with many words for that he was so bold to vtter newe names For after he had vsed the natural names Father Sonne and Holy ghost he addeth that what soeuer is sought further is beyōd the compasse of speache beyonde the reache of sense and beyonde the capacitie of vnderstandynge And in an other place he saith the happy ar the bishops of Gallia which neither had nor receiued nor knewe any other confession but that olde and simple one whiche from the time of the Apostles was receyued in all churches And muche like is the excuse of Augustine that this woorde was wroung oute of necessitie by reason of the imperfection of mens language in so greate a matter not to expresse that whiche is but that it shoulde not bee vnspoken howe the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste are three This modestie of the holy menne ought to warne vs that we doo not foorthwith so seuerely lyke Censors note them with infamie that refuse to subscribe and sweare to suche wordes as we propounde them so that they doo it not of pride of frowardnesse or of malicious crafte But let them again consider by how great necessitie we are driuen to speake so that by littell little they may be enured with that profitable maner of speche Let them also learne to beware least sithe we must mete on the one syde with the Arrians on the other syde with Sabellians whyle they be offended that we cutte of occasion from them both to cauill they bryng themselues in suspicion that they be the disciples either of Arrius or of Sabellius Arrius sayth that Christe is God but he muttereth that he was create and had a beginnyng He saith Christe is one with the father but secretely he whispereth in the eares of his disciples that he was made one as the other faithfull be although by singular prerogatiue Say ones that Christ is Consubstanciall with his father then plucke you of his visour from the dissembler and yet you adde nothyng to the scripture Sabellius sayth that the seueral names Father Son and Holy ghost signifie nothyng in God seuerally distincte saye that they are three and he will crye out that you name thre gods Saye that there is in one essence a Trinitie of persons then shal you in one word bothe saye what the scripture speaketh and stop their vayne babblyng Nowe if any be holden with so curious superstition that they can not abide these names yet is there no man though he wold neuer so fayn that can deny but that when we heare of one we must vnderstande an vnitie of substance when we here of thre in one essence that it is ment of the persons in the trinitie Which thyng beyng without fraude confessed we stay no longer vpon wordes But I haue long ago foūd and that often that who soeuer do obstinately quarell about woordes doo keepe within them a secrete poison so that it is better willyngly to prouoke theim than for their pleasure to speake darkly But leauyng disputation of woordes I will nowe begyn to speake of the matter it selfe I call therfore a Persone a subsistence in the essence of God which hauyng relation to the other is distinguished from them with vncōmunicable propretie By the name of Subsistence we meane an other thyng than the essence For if the worde had simply ben God and in the meane tyme had nothynge seuerally propre to it selfe Iohn hadde sayde amysse that it was with god Where he foorthewith addeth that God hymselfe was the same woorde he calleth vs backe agayne to the one single essence But because it could not be with God but that it must rest in the father hereof ariseth that subsistence which though it be ioyned to the essence with an vnseparable knot yet hath it a speciall marke wherby it doth differ from it So of the three subsistences ▪ I say that eche hauyng relation to other is in propretie distinguished Relation is here expressely mencioned For when there is simple and indefinite mencion made of God this name belongeth no lesse to the Sonne and the Holy ghoste than to the Father But when the Father is compared with the Sonne the seuerall propretie of eyther doth discerne hym from the other Thirdely what soeuer is propre vnto euery of them is vncommunicable For that which is geuen to the Father for a marke of difference can not agree with nor be geuen to the Son And I mislyke not the definition of Tertullian so that it be rightly taken That there is in God a certayne disposition or distribution which yet chaungeth nothyng of the vnitie of the essence But before that I go any further it is good that I proue the Godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost Then after we shall see how they differ one from an other Surely when the Worde of God is spoken of in the Scripture it were a very greate absurditie to imagin it only a fadyng and vanishyng voyce whiche sente into the ayre cometh out of God hymselfe of whiche sort were the oracles geuen to the fathers and all the prophecies when rather the woorde is mente to bee the perpetuall wisedome abidyng with the Father from whens all the oracles and prophecies proceded For as Peter testifieth no lesse didde the olde prophetes speake with the spirite of Christ than dyd the Apostles and all they that after them dyd distribute the heauenly doctrine But because Christe was not yet openly shewed we must vnderstande that the Worde was before all worlde 's begotten of the Father And if the Spirite was of the Worde whose instrumentes were the prophetes we do vndoutedly gather that he was true god And this doth Moses teache playnly enough in the creation of the world when he setteth the worde as the meane For why dooth he expressely tell that God in creatyng of all his woorkes sayd Be this doone or that doon but that the vnserchable glory of god may shiningly appere in his images The suttlenosed and babblyng men do easily mock out this with sayeng that the name Woorde is there taken for his byddynge or commaundemente But better expositors are the Apostles whiche teache that the worldes were made by the same and that he susteineth theym all with his mightie Worde For here we see that the Word is taken for the bidding or commaundement of the Sonne which is hymselfe the eternall and essentiall Word to the Father And to the wise and sobre it is not darke that Salomon sayth
the Faith and religion of one God by Baptysme we must nedes thinke him the true God in whose name we ar baptised And it is not to be douted but that in this solemne protestacion Christ meant to testifie that the perfect light of Faith was already deliuered when he said Baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne of the Holy ghost For it is as much in effect as to be baptised in the name of the one god which with perfect bryghtnesse hath appeared in the Father the Sonne the Holy ghost Wherby is euidente that in the essence of God abide thre Persons in which the one God is knowen And surely forasmuch as our Fayth ought not to loke hether and thether nor diuersly to waÌ„der about but to haue regard to the one God to be applied to him and to sticke fast in him it is hereby easily proued that if there be diuerse kindes of faith there must also bee many Gods Now wheras baptisme is a Sacrament of faith it proueth vnto vs the vnitie of God because it is but one And herof also foloweth that it is not lawful to be baptised but into one God bicause we embrace the Faith of him into whose name we are baptised What meant Christe then when he commaunded to be baptised in the name of the Father the Sonne and the Holy gost but that we ought with one Faith to beleue in the Father Sonne and the Holy ghost Therfore sithe this remaineth certayn that there is but one God and not many we determine that the Worde and the Spirite are nothyng els but the very selfe essence of God And very foolishly did the Arrians prate which confessyng the godhed of the Sonne did take from him the substance of God And suche a like rage vexed the Macedonians whiche woulde haue to be vnderstanded by the Spirite only the gyftes of grace that are poured foorth into men For as wisdome vnderstandyng prudence fortititude feare of God doo procede from hym so he onely is the spirite of wisedome prudence fortitude and godlinesse Yet is not he diuided accordyng to the distribution of his graces but howe â—oeuer they bee dyuersely dealt abroade yet he remaineth one and the same as the Apostle saithe Agayn there is shewed in the Scriptures a certain distinction of the Father from the Woorde and of the Worde from the Spirite In discussyng wherof howe greate religiousnesse and sobrietie we oughte to vse the greatnesse of the mysterie it selfe dooth admonishe vs. And I very well like that saying of Gregorie Nazianzene I can not thynke vpon the one but by and by I am compassed about with the brightnesse of the thre And I can not seuerally discerne the three but I am sodeinly dryuen backe to one Wherfore lette it not come in our myndes ones to imagine suche a Trinitie of Persons as may hold our thought withdrawen into seueralties and doothe not foorthewith brynge vs agayn to that vnitie The names of Father Sonne and Holy ghost doo proue a true distinction that no man should thynke them to be bare names of addition wherby God accordyng to his woorkes is diuersly entitled but yet it is a distinction not a diuision The places that wee haue already cited doo shewe that the Sonne hath a propretie distincte from the Father because the Worde had not ben with God if he hadde not ben an other thyng than the Father neyther had he had his glorye with the Father but beyng distinct from hym Lykewise he doothe distinguisshe hym selfe from the Father when he saythe that there is an other whyche beareth hym witnesse And for this purpose maketh that whiche in an other place is sayd that the Father created all thinges by the Worde whiche he coulde not but beyng after a certaine maner distinct from hym Moreouer the Father came not downe into the earth but he that came out from the Father The Father died not nor roase agayne but he that was sent by him Neither yet did this distinction beginne at the takynge of fleshe but it is manifest that he was also before the onely begotten in the bosom of the Father For who can abide to say that then the Sonne entred into the bosome of the father when he descended from heauen to take manhode vpon hym He was therefore before in the bosome of the Father and enioyed his glorie with the Father As for the distinction of the Holye ghoste frome the Father Christe speaketh of it when he saith that it procedeth from the Father And howe oft doothe he shewe it to be an other beside himself as when he promyseth that he wyll sende an other confortoure and often in other places But to borow similitudes from matters of meÌ„ to expresse the force of this distinction I knowe not whether it be expedient In dede the olde fathers are wont so to doo somtyme but withall they doo confesse that what soeuer they bryng foorth for like doothe muche differ For which cause I am muche afrayd to be any waye bolde least if I bryng foorth any thyng vnfittly it shuld geue occasion either to the malicious to cauill or to the vnskilfull to be deceiued Yet suche distinction as we haue marked to be sette out in scriptures it is not good to haue left vnspokeÌ„ And that is this that to the Father is geuen the begynnynge of woorkyng the fountayne and spryng of all thynges to the Sonne wysedome counsell and the very disposition in the doyng of thinges to the Holy ghost is assigned power effectual working And although eternitie belong vnto the Father and eternitie to the Sonne and to the Holy ghost also for as much as God coulde neuer haue ben without his wisdom power in eternitie is not to be sought which was fyrst or last yet this obseruation of order is not vayne or superfluous wherein the Father is reckened fyrst and then of hym the Sonne and after of them both the Holy ghost For euery mans mynde of it self enclineth to this fyrst to consider God then the wisedome risyng out of hym and laste of all the power wherwith he putteth the decrees of his purpose in execution In what sort the Sonne is said to be of the Father only and the Holy ghoste bothe of the Father and the Sonne is shewed in many places but no where more playnely than in the .viii. chapiter to the Romayns where the same Spirite is without difference somtyme called the Spirite of Christe somtime of him that raised vp Christ from the dead and that not without cause For Peter dothe also testifie that it was the Spirite of Christe wherewith the Prophetes did prophecie where as the Scripture so often teacheth that it was the Spirite of God the Father Now this distinction doth so not stand against the single vnitie of God that therby we may proue that the Son is one God with the father because he hath one Spirit
with hym and that the Holy Spirite is not a thyng diuers from the Father the Son For in eche Hypostasis is vnderstanded the whole substance with this that euery one hath his own propretie The Father is whole in the Sonne the Sonne is whole in the Father as hymselfe affirmeth I am in the Father and the Father is in me And the Ecclesiasticall writers doo not graunt the one to be seuered from the other by any difference of essence By these names that betoken distinction sayth Augustin that is ment wherby they haue relation one to an other and not the very substance whereby they are all one By whiche meanynge are the sayinges of the olde writers to bee made agree whiche otherwise would seeme not a little to disagree For sometyme they saye that the Father is the beginnyng of the Sonne and somtyme that the Sonne hath bothe godhead and essence of hymselfe and is all one begynnynge with the Father The cause of this diuersitie Augustine doothe in an other place well and planelye declare when he sayeth CHRIST hauynge respect to him selfe is called God and to his Father is called the Sonne And agayne ▪ the Father as to hymselfe is called God as to his Sonne is called the Father where hauynge respecte to the Sonne he is called the Father he is not the Sonne where as to the Father he is called the Son he is not the Father and where he is called as to hym self the Father and as to hymselfe the Sonne it is all one God Therfore when we simply speake of the Sonne without hauyng respect to the Father we do well and proprely say that he is of hym selfe and therfore we call hym but one beginnyng but when we make mention of the relation betweene him and his Father then we rightly make the Father the beginning of the Sonne All the whole fifth boke of Augustine concernyng the Trinitie dooth nothyng but sette foorth this matter And muche safer it is to reste in that relation that he speaketh of than into suttletle pearcyng vnto the hye mysterie to wander abroade by many vayne speculations Let them therfore that are pleased with sobrenesse cōtented with measure of Faith shortly learne so muche as is profitable to bee knowen that is when we professe that we beleue in one God vnder the name of God we vnderstande the one onely and single essence in whiche we comprehende thre Persons or hypostases And therfore so oft as we doo indefinitely speake of the name of God we meane no lesse the Sonne and the Holy ghost than the Father But when the Sonne is ioyned to the Father then commeth in a relation and so we make distinction betwene y◠Persons And because the propreties in the Persons bring an order with them so as the beginnyng and orginall is in the Father so ofte as mencion is made of the Father and the Son or the Holy ghost together the name of God is peculiarly geuen to the Father By this meane is reteined the vnitie of the essence and regarde is hadde to the order whiche yet dothe minishe nothyng of the godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghoste And where as we haue already seene that the Apostles doo affirme that the Sonne of God is he whom Moses and the prophetes doo testifie to be Iehouah the Lorde we must of necessitie alwaye come to the vnitie of the essences Wherefore it is a detestable sacrilege for vs to call the Sonne a seuerall God from the Father bycause the symple name of God doothe admytte no relation and God in respecte of hym selfe can not bee saide to be this or that Now that the name of Iehouah the Lorde indefinitely taken is applied to Christe appereth by the wordes of Paul wher he sayth Therfore I haue thryse praied the Lorde because that after he hadde receyued the aunswere of Christ. My grace is sufficient for the he sayeth by and by that the power of Christ may dwell in me It is certayne that the name Lorde is there set for Iehouah and therfore to restraine it to the person of the Mediatour were very fonde and childyshe for somuch as it is an absolute sentence that compareth not the Father with the Sonne And we knowe that after the accustomed maner of the Greekes the Apostles doo commonly sette the worde Kyrios Lord in stede of Iehouah And not to fetche an example farre of Paule dydde in no other sense pray to the Lorde than in the same sense that Peter citethe the place of Ioell who soeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued But where this name is peculiarly geuen to the Sonne we shall se that there is an other reason therof when we com to a place fitte for it Nowe it is enough to haue in mynde when Paule had absolutely praied to God he by and by bryngeth in the name of Christ. Euen so is the whole God called by Christ hymselfe the Spirite For there is no cause agaynst it but that the whole essence of God may bee spirituall wherin the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste be comprehended Whiche is very playne by the Scripture For euen as there we heare God to be made a Spirite so we do here the Holy ghost for so muche as it is an Hypostasis of the whole essence to bee called bothe God and procedyng from God But for as muche as Satan to the ende to roote out our Faith hath alway moued great cōtentions partly concernyng the diuine essence of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost and partly cōcernyng their distinction of Persones And as in a maner in all ages he hath stirred vp wicked spirites to trouble the true teachers in this behalfe so at this day he trauaileth out of the olde embres to kyndle a new fyre therfore here it is good to answere the peruerse foolishe errours of some Hitherto it hath ben our purpose to leade as it were by the hande those that ar willyng to learne and not to striue hande to hande with the obstinate and contentious But nowe the truthe which we haue already peasably shewed must be reskued from the cauillations of the wicked All be it my chiefe trauayle shall yet be applied to this ende that they whyche geue gentill and open eares to the woord of God may haue whervpon stedfastly to rest their foote In this poynt if any where at all in the secrete mysteries of Scripture we ought to dispute sobrely and with greate moderation and to take great hede that neyther oure thought nor oure tongue procede any further than the boundes of Goddes woorde dooe extende For howe may the mynde of man by his capacitie define the immeasurable essence of God whiche neuer yet coulde certainly determine howe great is the body of the Son which yet he daily seeth with his eyes yea howe may she by her owne guidyng atteyn to discusse the substaunce of God that can not
colour that Christ is echewhere called the Sonne of God where of they gather that there is none other proprely God but the Father But they mark not that though the name of God be also common to the Sonne yet by reason of preeminence it is sometyme gyuen to the Father onely because he is the fountayn and originall of the Deitie and that for this purpose to make the syngle vnitie of the essence to be therby noted They take exception and saye If he be truly the Sonne of God it is inconuenient to haue hym reckned the Sonne of a Person I answere that bothe are true that is that he is the Sonne of God because he is the Woorde begotten of the Father before all worldes for we come not yet to speake of the Person of the Mediatour and yet for explications sake we oughte to haue regarde of the Person that the name of God simply be not taken but for the Father onely For if we meane none to be God but the Father we plainly throwe downe the Sonne from the degree of God Therfore so ofte as mencion is made of the godhed we must not admitte a comparison betwene the Sonne and the Father as thoughe the name of God dydde belonge onely to the Father For trewely the God that appeared to Esaie was the true and onely God and yet Iohn affirmeth that the same was Christe And he that by the mouth of Esay testified that he should be a stumbling stone to the Iewes was the only God and yet Paule pronounceth that the same was Christe He that trieth out by Esaie I liue and to me all knees shall bowe is the onely God and yet Paule expoūdeth that the same was Christ. For this purpose serue the testimonies that the Apostle reciteth Thou O God haste laide the foundations of heauen and earth Agayne let all the angels of God worship him whiche thynges belong to none but to the onely God And yet he saith that they are the propre titles of Christ. And this cauillation is nothyng worthe that that is geuen to Christe whiche is propre to God because Christe is the shinyng brightnesse of his glory For because in eche of these places is fet the name of Iehouah it foloweth that it is so sayd in respecte that he is God of hymselfe For if he be Iehouah it can not be denied that he is the same God that in an other place crieth out by Esaie I I am and beside me there is no God It is good also to consider that saying of Hieremie The gods that haue not made the heauen and earth let them perishe out of the earth that is vnder the heauen Where as on the other side we must nedes confesse that the Sonne of God is he whose godhead is ofte proued in Esaie by the creation of the worlde And howe can it be that the Creatour whyche geueth beyng to all thynges shall not bee of hymselfe but borowe his beyng of an other For who soeuer saythe that the Sonne was essentiate or made to be of his Father denieth that he is of hym selfe But the Holy ghost saith the contrary namyng hym Iehouah Nowe if we graunt that the whole essence is in the Father onely either it muste be made partable or be taken from the Sonne and so shal the Sonne be spoyled of his essence and be a God only in name and title The essence of God if we beleue these triflers belongeth onely to the Father for as muche as he is onely God and is the essencemaker of the Sonne And so shall the godhed of the Sonne be an abstracte from the essence of God or a deriuation of a parte oute of the whole Nowe muste they nedes graunt by theyr own principle that the holy ghost is the Spirite of the Father only For if he be a deriuation from the fyrst essence whiche is onely propre to the Father of right he can not be accompted the Spirite of the Sonne whiche is confuted by the testimonie of Paul where he maketh the Spirit common to Christ and the Father Moreouer if the Person of the Father be wiped out of the Trinitie wherin shall he differ from the Sonne and the Holy ghoste but in this that he onely is God They confesse Christ to be God and yet they say he differeth from the Father Agayn there muste be some marke of difference to make that the Father be not the Sonne They which say that marke of difference to be in the essence doo manifestly bring the true godhead of Christe to nothynge whiche can not be without essence yea and that the whole essence The Father differeth not from the Sonne vnlesse he haue somethyng propre to hymselfe that is not common to the Sonne What nowe will they fynde wherin to make him different If the difference be in the essence let them answere if he haue not communicated the same to the Sonne But that could not be in part for to say that he made halfe a God were wycked Beside that by this meane they doo fowly teare in sunder the essence of God It remaineth therefore that the essence is whole and perfectly common to the Father and the Sonne And if that bee true then as touchyng the essence there is no difference of the one of them from the other If they say that the Father in geuyng his essence remaineth neuerthelesse the only God with whom the essence abideth then Christ shal be a figuratiue God and a God only in shew in name but not in deede because nothyng is more propre to God than to bee accordyng to this saying He that is hath sent me vnto you It is easy by many places to proue that it is false whiche they holde that so ofte as there is in scripture mencion made absolutely of God none is ment therby but the Father And in those places that they them selues doo alledge they fowly bewray their owne want of consideration because there is also sette the name of the Sonne Wherby appeareth that the name of God is there relatiuely takē and therfore restrained to the Person of the Father And their obiection where they say If the Father were not only the true God he should himselfe be his owne Father is answered with one worde It is not inconuenient for degree and orders sake that he be peculiarly called GOD whiche hath not only of hym selfe begotten his wisedome but also is the God of the Mediatour as in place fitte for it I will more largely declare For sythe Christ was openly shewed in the fleshe he is called the Sonne of God not onely in respect that he was the eternall Worde before all worlde 's begotten of the Father but also because he tooke vpon hym the Person and office of the Mediatour to ioyne vs vnto God And because they do so boldly exclude the Sonne from the honour of God I would fayne knowe whether the Sonne when he pronounceth that none is good but
God doo take goodnesse from himselfe I dooe not speake of his humaine nature least perhappes they shuld take exception and say that what soeuer goodnesse was in it it came of free gyft I aske whether the eternall Word of God be good or no If they say nay then we hold their vngodlinesse sufficiētly cōuinced in sayeng yea they cōfound themselues But where as at the first sight Christe semeth to put from hymselfe the name of Good that doothe the more confirme oure meanyng For sithe it is the singular title of God alone forasmuche as he was after the common maner saluted by the name of Good in refusing false honour he did admonish them that the goodnesse wherin he excelled was the goodnesse that God hathe I aske also where Paule affirmeth that only God is immortall wise and true whether by these wordes Christe be brought into the numbre of men mortall foolishe and false Shall not he then be immortall that from the begynnyng was lyfe to geue immortalitie to angels Shall not he bee wise that is the eternall wisedome of God Shall not the trueth it selfe be true I aske furthermore whether they thynke that Christe ought to be worshipped or no For he claimeth this vnto hymselfe to haue all knees bowe before hym it foloweth that he is the God whiche dyd in the lawe forbyd any other to be worshipped but himselfe If they will haue that meant of the Father onely whiche is spoken in Esaie I am and none but I this testimonie I tourne against theim selues for as muche as we see that whatsoeuer pertaineth to God is geuen to Christe And their cauillation hath no place that Christe was exalted in the fleshe wherein he had bene abased and that in respecte of the fleshe all authoritie is geuen hym in heauen and in earthe because althoughe the maiestie of Kyng and Iudge extende to the whole Person of the Mediatour yet if he had not been God openly shewed in fleshe he coulde not haue been auaunced to suche heighth but that God shoulde haue disagreed with himselfe But thys controuersye Paule doeth well take away teaching that he was egall wyth God before that he dyd abase hymselfe vnder the shape of a seruaunte Nowe howe coulde thys equalitie haue stande together vnlesse he hadde been the same God whoe 's name is Iah and Iehouah that rydeth vppon the Cherubin that is kynge of all the earthe and Lorde of the worldes Nowe howesoeuer they babble agaynste it it canne not bee taken from Chryste whiche Esaie sayeth in an other place He he is our GOD for hym we haue wayted whereas in these woordes he describeth the comming of GOD the redemer not onelye that shoulde bryng home the people from the exyle of Babylon but also fullye in all pointes restore the churche And with their other cauillation they nothynge preuayle in sayinge that Chryste was God in hys Father For thoughe we confesse that in respecte of order and degree the begynning of the Godheade is in the Father yet we saye that it is a detestable inuentyon to saye that the essence is onelye proper to the Father as thoughe he were the onelye God-maker of the Sonne For by thys meanes eyther he shoulde haue moe essence than one or ells they call Chryste God onely in tittle and imaginacion If they graunte that Chryste is God but nexte after the Father then shall the essence bee in hym begotten and fashioned whiche in the Father is vnbegotten and vnfashyoned I knowe that many quicke nosed men doe laughe at thys that we gather the distinction of Persons oute of the wordes of Moses where he bryngeth in God speakyng thus Lette vs make manne after oure image But yet the Godly readers doe see howe vaynly and fondely Moses shoulde bryng in thys as a talke of dyuerse together if there were not in God moe Persons than one Nowe certayne is it that they whom the Father spake vnto wer vncreate but nothing is vncreate but God himselfe yea the one onely God Nowe therefore vnlesse they graunte that the power of creating was common and the authoritie of commaunding common to the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste it shall folowe that God did not inwardly thus speake to himselfe but directed his speche to other forein woorke menne Finallie one place shall easilie answere two of their obiections For where as Christe himselfe pronounceth that GOD is a Spirite this were not conueniente to be restrained to the Father onely as if the Woorde himselfe were not of spirituall nature If then the name of Spirite doeth as well agree with the Sonne as with the Father I gather that the Sonne is also comprehended vnder the indefynite name of GOD. But he addeth by and by after that none are allowed for good worshippers of the Father but they that worshyppe hym in Spirite and trueth where vppon foloweth an other thyng because Chryste doeth vnder a hed execute the office of a teacher he doeth geue the name of GOD to the Father not to the entente to destroye his owne Godhead but by degrees to lyfte vs vp vnto it But in this they are deceiued that they dreame of certaine vndiuided singular thinges wherof eche haue a part of the essence But by the Scriptures we teache that there is but one essentially God and therefore that the essence as well of the Sonne as of the Holy ghost is vnbegotten But forsomuch as the Father is in order firste and hath of himselfe begotten his wisedome therfore rightfully as is aboue sayed he is counted the original and fountaine of al the Godhead So God indefinitely spoken is vnbegotten and the Father also in respecte of Person is vnbegotten And foolishly they thinke that they gather that by oure meaning is made a quaternitie because fasly and cauillouslye they ascrybe vnto vs a deuise of their owne brayne as though we dyd faine that by deriuacion there come three Persons out of one essence wheras it is euident by our wrytinges that we do not drawe the Persons out of the essence but although they be abiding in the essence we make a distinction betwene them If the Persons were seuered from the essence then paraduenture their reason were like to be true But by that meane it shoulde be a Trinitie of Goddes and not of Persons which one God conteineth in hym So is their fonde question answered whether the essence doe mete to make vp the Trinitie as thoughe we did imagine that there descende three Goddes oute of it And thys exception groweth of lyke foolyshenesse where they saye that then the Trinitie shoulde be withoute God For though it mete not to make vp the distinction as a parte or a member yet neither are the Persons withoute it nor oute of it Because the Father if he were not God coulde not be the Father and the Sonne is none otherwyse the Sonne but because he is God We saye therefore that the Godheade
which is incomprehensible The seconde part forbiddeth vs to honor any images for religious sake Morouer he shortly reciteth al the formes wherwith he was wont to be expressed in shape by the prophane and superstitious nations By those thinges that are in heauen he meaneth the Sunne the Moone and other Starres and paraduenture also birdes as expressyng his meanyng in the fourth of Deuteronomie he meaneth as well birdes as starres Whiche note I would not haue spoken of but that I sawe some vnskilfully to applie it to Angeles Therfore I omitte the other partes bicause they are sufficiently knowen of themselues And we haue already in the first boke taught plainely enough that what so euer visible formes of God man doth inuent they are directly contrarie to his nature and that therfore so sone as images come sorth true religion is corrupted and defiled The penall ordinance that foloweth ought not a litle to auayle to shake of our slouthfulnesse For he threteneth That he is the Lord our God a yelous God that visiteth the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the thirde and fourth generation in them that hate his name and sheweth mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue him and kepe his commaundementes This is as much in effect as yf he should haue sayde that it is he only vpon whome we ought to 〈◊〉 And to brynge vs thereunto he speaketh of his power that doth not without punishment suffer it selfe to be contemned or diminished Here is in deede let the name El whyche signifieth God Eut bicause it is deriued of strength do expresse the sense the better I did not sticke so to translate it or to put it into the texte Then he calleth himselfe â—elous that can abide no fellow Thirdly he affirmeth that he will be a reuenger of his maiestie and glorie yf any doe transferre it to creatures or to grauen images and that not with a short or sclender reuenge but suche as shall extend to the chyldren and chylderns children and childrens childrens children that is suche as shal be â—oâ—owers of their fathers vngodlinesse as also he sheweth a perpetuall mercie and bountifulnesse vnto longe continuance of posteritie to those that loue him and kepe his lawe It is a common manner with God to take vpon him the persone of a husband towarde vs. For the conuinction wherewith he bindeth himself vnto vs when he receiueth vs into the bosome of his church is like vnto a certaine holy wedlock that muste stande by mutuall faythfulnesse As he dothe all the duties of a faythfull and true husbande so agayne he requireth of vs suche loue and chastitie as ought to be in wedlocke that we yelde not our soules to Satan to lust and to filthy desires of the flesh to be defiled by them Wherupon he that rebuketh the Apostasie of the Iewes coÌ„plaineth that they did throwe away chastitie were defiled with adulteries Therfore as the husband the more holy chast that he himselfe is the more is he kindled to anger yf he see his wiues minde encline to a strang louer so the lord that hath wedded vs vnto himself in truthe testifieth that hath a most feruently burnyng ialousie so oft as neglecting the purenesse of his holly mariage we are defiled with wicked lustes but specially then when we traÌ„sferre to any other or do inâ—ectt with any superstition the worship of his name whiche ought to be most vncorrupted For asmuch as by this meane we doe not only breake the faith geuen in wedlocke but also do defile the very weddyng bed with bryngyng into it adulterers In the thretening is to be seen what he meaneth by this when he sayth that he will visit the iniquitie of the fathers vpon the children vnto the third fourth generation For biside that it staÌ„deth not with the equitie of gods iustice to punish yâ— innocent for an others offence God him self also sayth that he will not make the sonne to beare the wickednesse of the father But this sentence is more than ones repeted of prolongyng the punnishmente of the sinnes of the auncelters vpon the generations to come For so doth Moses oftentimes speake vnto him Lord lord â–ª that rendrest the iniquitie of the fathers to the children vnto the third fourth generatioÌ„ Likewise Ieremie Thou that shewest mercie in thousandes that rendrest the iniquitie of the fathers into the bosome of the children after them Many while they trauaile much in losyng this knot thinke that it is to be vnderstaÌ„ded only of temporall punishmentes whiche if the children suffer for the parentes faultes it is no absurditie for asmuch as they are ofteÌ„times layed vpon theÌ„ for their saluation which is in deede true For Elaye declared to Ezechias that his sonnes shuld be spoiled of the kingdome caried into exile for the sinne that he had coÌ„mitted The houses of Pharao Abimelech were plaged for offending AbrahaÌ„ But when that is alledged for assoiling of this question it is rather a shift than a true exposition For here in like places he threteneth a more greuous reuenge than that it may be limited within the boundes of this present life It is therfore thus to be taken that the iust curse of the Lord lieth not only vpoÌ„ the head of the wicked maÌ„ himself but also vpoÌ„ his whole familie when the curse ones lieth vpon them what is els to be loked for but that the father being destitute of the spirit of God liue most wickedly the sonne likewise forsaken of the lord for the fathers fault do follow the same way of destruction finally the childes childe the childe of the childes childe that cursed seede of detestable meÌ„ do fal hedlong after theÌ„ First let vs see whether such reuenge be vnsemely for the iustice of God If al the nature of maÌ„ be daÌ„nable we know that destruction is prepared for theÌ„ to whoÌ„ the lord vouchsaueth not to coÌ„municate his grace Neuer the lesse thei do perish by their owne vnrighteousnesse not by vnrighteous hatred of God Neither is there left any cause to quarel why they be not holpeÌ„ by the grace of God to saluation as other are Wheras therfore this punishmeÌ„t is laied vpoÌ„ wicked meÌ„ euel doers for their offenses that their houses be depriued of that grace of God during many generatioÌ„s who caÌ„ accuse God for this most iust reueÌ„ge But the Lord on the other side pronouÌ„ceth that the punishment of the fathers sinne shal not passe ouer vnto the sonne Note what is ther entreated of â—heÌ„ the Israelites had beÌ„ long coÌ„tinually vexed with many calamities thei began to vse â—or a Prouerbe that theire fathers had eateÌ„ a sower grape wherwith the childrens teeth were set on edge wherby thei meant that their fathers had coÌ„mitted sinnes wherof thei being otherwise righteous not deseruing it did suffer yâ— punishmeÌ„t rather by â— vnappeaâ—able wrathfulnesse of God thaÌ„ by a
he be the onely sonne in so great a numbre of brothren ▪ but bycause hee possesseth that by nature whiche wee haue receiued by gyfte And the honoure wee extende to the whole person of the Mediatore that he be truely and proprely the Sonne of God whyche was also borne of the Uirgin and offered hym selfe for sacrifice to hys father vpon the crosse but yet in respecte of hys Godheade as Paule teacheth when he saith he was seuered oute to preache the Gospell of God whiche he had before promised of his Sonne whiche was begotten of the seede of Dauid according to his fleshe and declared the sonne of God in power But why when he nameth him distinctly the Sonne of Dauid accordinge to the fleshe shoulde he seuerally say that he was declared the Sonne of God vnlesse he meante to shewe that this dyd hange vpon some other thinge than vpon the very fleshe For in the same sense in an other place he saithe that hee suffered by the weakenesse of the fleshe and rose againe by the power of the spirite euen so in this place he maketh a dyfference of bothe natures Truely they must needes graunt that as he hathe that of his mother for whiche he is called the Sonne of Dauid so he hathe that of his Father for whiche he is called the Sonne of God and the same is an other thing and seuerall from the nature of manne The Scripture geueth hym twoo names callynge him here and there sometimes the Sonne of God and sometimes the Sonne of Man Of the seconde there can be no contention moued but according to the common vse of the Hebrue tongue he is called the Sonne of Man bycause he is of the ofspringe of Adam By the contrarie I affyrme that he is called the Sonne of God in respecte of the Godheade and eternall essence bycause it is no lesse meete that yt be referred to the nature of God that he is called the Sonne of God than to the nature of man that he is called the Sonne of Man Again in the same place that I alleaged Paule dothe meane that hee whiche was accordinge to the fleshe begotten of the seede of Dauid was no otherwise declared the Sonne of God in power thā he teacheth in an other place that Christe whiche accordinge to the fleshe descended of the Iewes is God blessed for euer Nowe yf in bothe places the distinction of the double nature bee touched by what ryghte will thei saye that he whiche according to the fleshe is the Sonne of Man is not also the Sonne of God in respect of the nature of God They do in deede disordrely enforce for the maintenance of their errore the place where it is saide that God spared not his owne Sonne and where the Angel commaunded that the very same he that shoulde be borne of the Uirgin shoulde be called the Sonne of the highest But leaste thei shoulde glorie in so fickle an obiection lette them weye with vs a little how strongly thei reason For if it be rightly concludeth that from his conception he beganne to be the Sonne of God bycause hee that is conceiued is called the Sonne of God then shal yt folowe that he beganne to be the woorde at hys manifesting in the fleshe bycause Ihon saith that he brengeth them tydinges of the Worde of life whiche hys handes haue handled Lykewyse that whiche is reade in the Prophete Thou Bethleem in the lande of Iuda art a little one in thousandes of Iuda Out of that shal be borne to me a guide to rule my people Israell and hys comminge fourth from the beginninge from the daies of eternitie Howe wyll they bee compelled to expounde thys yf they wyll be content to folowe suche manner of reasoninge For I haue protested that we do not agre with Nestorius whiche imagined a double Christe whereas by oure doctrine Christe hathe made vs the sonnes of God wyth hym by ryghte of brotherly conioyninge bycause hee is the onely begotte sonne of God in the fleshe whiche hee toke of vs. And Augustine dothe wisely admonishe vs that this is a bright glasse wherein to beholde the maruellous and syngular fauoure of God that he atteined honoure in respect that he is man whiche he coulde not deserue Therefore Christe was adorned with this excellencie euen accordinge to the fleshe from the wombe of his mother to be the Sonne of God Yet is there not in the vnitie of person to be fained suche a mixture as maye take awaye that whiche is propre to the Godheade For it is noe more absurditie that the eternall woorde of God and Christe by reason of the twoo natures vnited into one person bee dyuerse waies called the Sonne of God than that hee bee accordinge to diuerse respectes called sometime the Sonne of God and sometyme the Sonne of Man And no more dothe that other cauillation of Seruertus accomber vs that before that Christe appeared in the fleshe he is no where called the Sonne of God but vnder a figure bycause although the describinge of hym then was somewhat darke yet where as it is already clerely proued that he was no otherwise eternall God but bycause he was the worde begotten of the eternal father and that this name dothe no otherwise belonge to the person of the Mediatore whiche he hathe taken vpon him but bicause he is God openly shewed in the fleshe and that God the Father had not been called Father from the beginninge if there hadde not then been a mutuall relation to the Sonne by whome all kinred or fatherhoode is reckened in heauen and in earthe hereby it is easy to gather that euen in the time of the lawe and the Prophetes he was the Sonne of God before that this name was commonly knowen in the Churche But if they striue onely about the onely woorde Salomon discoursinge of the infinite hyghenesse of God affyrmeth as well hys Sonne as hymselfe to be incomprehensible Tell hys name yf thou cannest saithe he or the name of his sonne Yet I am not ignorant that with the contentions this testimonie will not be of sufficient force neither do I muche grounde vpon it sauinge that it sheweth that thei do maliciously cauill that denye Christe to be the Sonne of God but in this respect that he was made man Bysyde that all the oldest writers with one mouthe and consent haue openly testified the same so that their shamelesnesse is no lesse worthy to bee scorned than to be abhorred which dare obiect Ireneus an Tertullian againste vs bothe whiche do confesse that the Sonne of God was inuisible whiche afterwarde appeared visible But althoughe Seruettus hathe heaped vp horrible mounstruous deuises whiche paraduenture the other woulde not allowe yet yf ye presse them harde ye shall perceiue that all they that do not acknoweledge Christe to be the Sonne of God but in the fleshe do graunt it only in this respect that he was conceiued in the
wombe of the Uirgin by the holy Ghost like as the Maniches in olde time did foolishly affyrme that man hath his soule as it were by deriuation from God bycause thei reade that God breathed into Adam the breathe of lyfe For they take so faste holde of the name of Sonne that they leaue no difference betweene the natures but babble disordrely that Christ being man is the Sonne of God bycause accordinge to hys nature of man he is begotten of God So the eternall begettinge of Wysedome that Salomon speaketh of is destroyed and there is noe accompte made of the Godheade in the Mediatore or a fantasyed ghooste is thruste in place of the Manhoode It were in deede profitable to confute the grosser deceytes of Seruettus wherewith he hathe bewitched hymselfe and some other to the ende that the godly readers admonyshed by thys exaumple maye holde them selues within the compasse of sobrenesse and modestie sauinge that I thinke it shoulde bee superfluous bycause I haue already done it in a booke by it selfe The summe of them commeth to this effecte that the Sonne of God was a forme in mynde from the beginning and euen then he was before appointed to be man that shoulde be the essentiall image of God And hee dothe acknowledge no other Woorde of God butte in outewarde shewe This hee expoundeth to bee the begettinge of hym that there was begotten in God from the beginninge a will to begette a Sonne whiche also in acte extended to the nature yt selfe In the meane tyme hee confoundeth the Spirite wyth the Woorde for that God distributed the inuisible Woorde and the Spirite into fleshe and soule Finally the fyguration of Christe hathe with them the place of begettinge but he saithe that hee whiche then was but a shadowyshe sonne in fourme was at lengthe begotten by the woorde to whyche hee assigneth the office of seede Whereby it shall folowe that hoges and doges are as well the chyldren of God bycause they were create of the original sede of the woorde of God For althoughe hee compounde Christe of three vncreate elementes to make him begotten of the essence of God yet he faineth that hee is so the fyrste begotten amonge creatures that the same essentiall Godheade is in stones accordinge to their degree And leaste he shoulde seeme to strippe Christe oute of hys Godheade hee affyrmeth that hys fleshe is consubstantiall wyth God and that the Woorde was made manne by tourninge the fleshe into God So whyle he canne not conceyue Christe to be the Sonne of God vnlesse hys fleshe came from the essence of God and were tourned into Godheade he bryngeth the eternall person of the Woorde to nothinge and taketh from vs the sonne of Dauid that was promised to be the Redeemer He ofte repeteth thys that the Sonne was begotten of God by knoweledge and predestination and that at lengthe he was made manne of that mater whyche at the begynnynge shyned wyth God in the three elementes whiche afterwarde appeared in the fyrste lyghte of the worlde in the cloude and in the pyller of fyre Now howe shame fully hee sometime dysagreeth with himselfe it were to tedious to reherse By thys shorte recitall the readers that haue their sounde witte maye gather that with the circumstances of thys vncleane doge the hope of saluation is vtterly extinguished For yf the fleshe were the Godheade it selfe it shoulde cesse to be the temple thereof And none can be oure redeemer but he that begotten of the seede of Abraham Dauid is accordinge to the fleshe truely made man And he wrongfully standeth vpon the wordes of Ihon that the Word was made flesh for as thei resiste the erroure of Nestorius so thei nothing further this wicked inuention whereof Eutiches was authore forasmuche as the onely purpose of the Euangelist was to defende the vnitie of persons in the twoo natures The .xv Chapter That we maie knowe to what ende Christ was sent of his Father and what he brought vs three thinges are principally to be considered in him hys Propheticall office his Kingdome and his Preesthoode AUgustine saithe rightly that although the Heretikes doe bragge of the name of Christe yet they haue not all one foundation wyth the godly but that it remayneth onely propre to the Churche For yf these thinges be diligently considered that belong to Christe Christe shall be founde among them only in name not in very dede So at this daie the Papistes although the name of the Sonne of God redemer of the world sounde in their mouth yet bicause beinge contented wyth vayne pretense of the name they spoyle him of hys power and dignitie this sayeng of Paule maie be wel spoken of them that thei haue not the head Therfore that faith maie finde sounde mater of saluation in Christ and so rest in him this principle is to bee stablished that the office whiche is committed to hym by hys Father consysteth of three partes For he is geuen bothe a Prophete a King and a Preest Albeit it were but small profite to knowe those names withoute knowledge of the ende and vse of them For thei are also named among the Papistes but coldly and to no greate profite where it is not knowen what eche of these titles conteineth in it We haue saide before how though God sending Prophetes by continuall course one after an other did neuer leaue his people destitute of profitable doctrine and suche as was sufficiente to saluation that yet the myndes of the godly hadde alwaie this perswasion that full lyghte of vnderstandinge was to be hoped for onely at the comminge of Messias yea and the opinion thereof was come euen to the Samaritanes whoe yet neuer knewe the true religion as appeareth by the sayeng of the woman When Messias commeth he shall teache vs all thinges And the Iewes hadde not rashly gathered this vpon presumptions in their mindes But as thei were taught by assured oracles so they beleued Notable among the other is that sayeng of Esaie Beholde I haue made him a witnesse to peoples I haue geuen hym to be a guide and Schoolemayster to peoples euen as in an other place he had called him the Angell or interpreter of the great counsell After this manner the Apostle commending the perfection of the doctrine of the Gospell after that he hadde saide that God in the olde time spake to the Fathers by the Prophetes diuersly and vnder manifolde fygures addeth that laste of all he spake vnto vs by his beloued Sonne But bicause it was the common office of the Prophetes to keepe the Churche in suspense and to vpholde it vntil the comming of the Mediator therefore we reade that in their scattering abroade the faithfull complayned that thei were depriued of that ordinarie benefite sayeng We see not oure tokens there is not a Prophet among vs there is no more any that hathe knoweledge But when Christe was now not farre of there was a time appointed
prophetes manners of speaking are to be noted as A child is borne to vs. Again Reioce the daughter of Siō behold thy king cōmeth to thee Also that confyrmation of loue shoulde be very colde whyche Paule setteth oute that Christe suffered deathe for his enemies For therevpon we gather that he had no respect of himselfe that same he plainely affirmeth in saieng I sanctifie my selfe for them For he that geueth awaie the frute of his holynesse vnto other doth thereby testifie that he purchaceth nothing for hymselfe And truely this is moste worthyly to be noted that Christe to geue him selfe wholy to saue vs did after a certaine manner forget himselfe But to thys purpose thei doe wrongfully drawe this testimonie of Paule Therefore the father hath exalted him geuē him a name c. For by what deseruinges coulde man obteine to be iudge of the worlde and the heade of the Angeles and to enioye the soueraigne dominion of God and that in hym shoulde rest that same maiestie the thousandth parte whereof all the powers of men and Angeles can not reache vnto But the solution thereof is easy and playne that Paule doth not ther entreate of the cause of exalting of Christe but onely to shewe the effect ensuing thereof that it might be for an example to vs. And no other thing is meant by that whiche is spoken in an other place that it behoued that Christe shold suffer and so enter into the glorie of his Father The thirde booke of the Institution of Christian Religion Whiche entreateth of the manner howe to receiue the grace of Christ and what profites do growe vnto vs and what effectes ensue thereof The fyrste Chapter That those thinges which are spoken of Christ do profite vs by secret working of the holy Ghoste NOwe it is to be seen howe those good thinges doe come vnto vs whiche the Father hathe geuen to his only begotten Sonne not for his own priuate vse but to enriche them that were without them needed them And fyrste this is to be learned that so longe as Christe is oute of vs and we be seuered from him whatsoeuer he suffered or dyd for the saluation of mankinde is vnprofitable and nothinge auayleth for vs. Therefore that he maye enterparten wyth vs those thinges that he hathe receiued of hys Father it behoueth that he become oures and dwell in vs. And for that cause he is called our heade and the fyrste begotten amonge many brethren and on the other side it is saide that we are graffed into him and did putte on hym For as I haue before saide all that euer he possesseth belongeth nothinge to vs vntyll we growe together into one with hym But although it be true that wee obteyne thys by faythe yet forasmuche as we see that not al without dyfference do embrace this enterpartening of Christe whyche is offered by the Gospel therefore very reason teacheth vs to clymbe vp hyer and to enquire of the secret effectuall workinge of the Spirite by whyche it is brought to passe that we enioye Christe and all his good thynges I haue before entreated of the eternall godhede and essence of the Spirit at thys present let vs be content wyth thys one speciall article that Christe so came in water and bloode that the Spirite shoulde testifie of hym leaste the saluation that he hathe purchaced shold slippe awaie from vs. For as there are alleged three witnesses in heauen the Father the Worde and the Spirit so are there also three in earth Water Bloode the Spirit And not without cause is the testimonie of the Spirite twise repeted whiche we feele to bee engrauen in oure heartes in steede of a seale whereby commeth to passe that it sealeth the washinge and sacrifice of Christ. After whiche meaninge Peter also saith that the faythfull are chosen in santification of the spirit vnto obedience and sprynkling of the blood of Christ. By whiche woordes he telleth vs that to the entent the shedinge of that holy bloode shoulde not become voyde oure soules are cleansed wyth it by the secrete wateringe of the holy Spirite According whervnto Paule also speakinge of cleansinge and iustification saieth that we are made partakers of them bothe in the name of Iesus Christe and in the Spirite of oure God Finally thys is the summe that the holy Spyrite is the bonde wherewyth Christe effectually byndeth vs vnto hym For proofe whereof also do serue all that wee haue taughte in the laste booke before thys concernynge hys anoyntynge But that this being a matter specially worthy to be knowen may be made more certainly euident we must holde this in minde that Christ came furnished with the holy Spirit after a certaine peculiar manner to the ende that he might seuer vs from the worlde and gather vs together into the hope of an eternal inheritance For this cause he is called the Spirit of sanctification bicause he doth not onely quicken and nourish vs with that general power which appeareth as wel in mankinde as in all other liuinge creatures but also is in vs the roote and feede of heauenly life Therefore the Prophetes do principally cōmend the kingdome of Christe by this title of prerogatiue that then shoulde florishe more plentifull aboundance of the Spirit And notable aboue all the rest is that place of Ioel In that day I will poure of my Spirit vpon al fleshe For though the Prophet there seeme to restraine the giftes of the Spirit to the office of prophecieng yet vnder a figure he meaneth that God by the enlightning of his Spirite will make those his scholers whyche before were vnskilfull and voyde of all heauenly doctrine Nowe forasmuche as God the Father dothe for his Sonnes sake geue vs his holy Spirit yet hathe left with him the whole fulnesse thereof to the ende that he shoulde be a minister and distributer of his liberalitie he is sometime called the Spirite of the Father and sometime the Spirite of the Sonne Ye are not saith Paule in the fleshe but in the Spirit for the Spirit of God dwelleth in you But if any haue not the spirit of Christe he is not his And herevpon he putteth vs in hope of ful renuing for that he which raised vp Christ from the deade shall quicken our mortall bodies bicause of his Spirit dwelling in vs. For it is not absurditie that to the Father bee ascribed the praise of his owne giftes whereof he is the author yet that the same be ascribed to Christe with whome the giftes of the Spirite are lefte that he maie geue them to those that be his Therefore he calleth all them that thirste to come to him to drynke And Paule teacheth that the Spirit is distributed to euery one according to the measure of the gifte of Christ. And it is to be knowen that he is called the Spirite of Christ not onely in respect that the eternall Worde of God is
also they fele the effect of his resurrection in the quicknyng of the Spirite Herupon he gathereth mater of exhortation that if we be Christians we ought to be dead to sinne and to lyue to righteousnesse This selfe same argument he vseth in an other place that we be circumcised and haue put of the olde man sins that we bee buried in Christ by Baptisme And in this sense in the same place which we haue before alleged he called it the washyng of regeneration of renewing Therfore first free forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of righteousnesse is promised vs and then the grace of the Holy ghoste whiche may reforme vs into newnesse of life Last of all our Faith receiueth also this profite of Baptisme that it certainly testifieth vnto vs that we are not only graffed into the death and life of Christ but that we are so vnited to Christ hymselfe that we are partakers of all his good thynges For therfore he hath dedicated and halowed Baptisme in his owne body that he might haue it cōmon with vs as a most strong bonde of the vnitie and felowshyp which he vouchsaued to entre into with vs so that Paul proueth therby that we be the children of God because we haue put on Christ in Baptisme So we see that the fulfillyng of Baptisme is in Christ whome also for this reason we call the propre obiect of Baptisme Therfore it is no meruaile if it be reported that the Apostles baptised into his name which yet wer commaunded to baptise into the name of the Father also and of the Holy ghost For whatsoeuer giftes of God are set foorth in Baptisme are founde in Christ alone And yet it can not be but that he whiche baptiseth into Christ do therwithall call vppon the name of the Father and of the Holy ghost For we are therfore cleansed with his blood because the merciful Father accordyng to his incomparable kyndnesse willing to receiue vs into fauor hath set him a mediator in the middest to procure to vs fauor with him But regeneration we so only obteyne by his death and resurrection if beyng sanctified by the Spirite we be endued with a new and spirituall nature Wherfore both of our cleansyng regeneration we obteine after a certaine maner distinctly perceiue the cause in the Father the mater in the Sonne and the effect in the Holy ghost So Iohn first baptised so afterwarde the Apostles with the baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes meanyng by this worde repentance suche regeneration and by forgeuenesse of sinnes washyng Whereby also it is made moste certaine that the ministerie of Iohn was altogether the same which was afterwarde committed to the Apostles For the diuers handes wherewith it is ministred make not the Baptisme diuers but the same doctrine sheweth it to be the same Baptisme Iohn and the Apostles agreed into one doctrine bothe baptised into repentance bothe into the forgeuenesse of sinnes bothe into the name of Christe from whome was bothe repentance and forgeuenesse of sinnes Iohn saied that he was the lambe of God by whome the sinnes of the worlde shoulde be taken away where he made him the Sacrifice acceptable to the Father the propitiator of righteousnesse the author of saluation What coulde the Apostles adde to this confession Wherfore let it trouble no man that the olde writers labor to seuer the one from the other whoe 's voice we oughte not so muche to esteme that it may shake the certaintie of the Scripture For who will rather harkē to Chrysostome denyeng that forgeuenesse of sinnes was comprehended in the Baptisme of Iohn than to Luke contrarywyse affirming that Iohn preached the Baptisme of repentance into the forgeuenesse of sinnes Neither is that suttletie of Augustine to be receyued that in the Baptisme of Iohn sinnes were forgeuen in hope but in the Baptisme of Christ they are forgeuen in dede For where as the Euangelist plainly testifieth that Iohn in his Baptisme promised the forgeuenesse of sinnes what nede we to abate this title of commendation when no necessitie compelleth vs vnto it But if any man seke for a difference out of the worde of God he shall fynd none other but this that Iohn baptised into hym that was to come the Apostles into hym that had already presented himselfe As for this that more abundant graces of the Spirite were poured out sins the resurrection of Christ it maketh nothyng to stablishe a diuersitie of Baptismes For the Baptisme which the Apostles ministred while he was yet conuersant in earth was called his yet it had no larger plentifulnesse of the Spirite than the Baptisme of Iohn Yea euē after his ascēsion the Spirit was not geuen to the Samaritans aboue the common measure of the Faithfull before the ascension althoughe they were baptised into the name of Iesus till Peter Iohn wer sent vnto them to lay theyr hands vpon them This only thyng as I think deceiued the old writers that they said that the Baptisme of Iohn was but a preparation to the baptisme of Christ because they red that they were baptised againe of Paul which had ones receiued the baptisme of Iohn But howe muche they were herein deceiued shall ells where be plainely declared in place fitte for it What is it therfore that Iohn said that he baptised in dede with water but that Christ should come whiche should baptise with the Holy ghoste and with fyre This maye in fewe wordes be assoiled For he meant not to put difference betwene the one Baptisme and the other but he compared his own person with the person of Christ saiyng that himselfe was a minister of water but that Christ was the geuer of the Holy ghost and should declare this power by visible miracle the same day that he should sende the Holy ghost to the Apostles vnder fyry tonges What coulde the Apostles boast of more than this What more could they also that baptise at this day For they be onely ministers of the outwarde signe and Christ is the author of the inward grace as the same olde writers thēselues do euery where teach and specially Augustine whose principal stay agaynst the Donatistes is this that what a one soeuer he be that baptizeth yet only Christ is ruler of it These thynges which we haue spoken bothe of mortification and of washyng are shadowed out in the people of Israell whom for the same cause the Apostle sayth to haue ben baptised in the cloude and in the sea Mortifiyng was figured when the Lorde deliueryng them oute of the hande of Pharao and from cruell bondage made for them a waye thorough the redde sea and drowned Pharao hymselfe and the Egyptiās their enemies that folowed them hard at their backes and were euen in their neckes to ouertake them For after the same maner also he promiseth to vs in Baptisme and by a signe geuen sheweth vs that we
I praye you and howe greate a thyng is thys that the name of the Sonne only is preached vnto vs whom he willeth to glory in the knowledge of hymselfe alone Who dare saye that he is but a creature of whom the onely knowledge is our whole glorye Beside that the salutacyons sette before the Epystles of Paule wyshe the same benefites from the SoÌ„ne which they do from the Father wherby we are taughte not only that those thyngs whych the Father geueth vs do come vnto vs by his intercessioÌ„ but also by communitie of power he is the author of them Whiche knowledge by practise is wythoute doute more certayne and perfecte than any idle speculacion For there the godly mynde doth beholde God moste present and in maner handle him wher it feleth it selfe to be quickened lightened saued iustified and sanctifâ—â—d Wherefore out of the same fountaines we must fetch our meane of prouing to confirme the Godhead of the Holy ghost Uery plaine is the testimonie of Moses in the history of the creacion that the spirite of God was vppon the depthes or vppon the vnfashioned heape because he sheweth that not onely the beautie of the worlde that is nowe to be seen is preserued by the power of the Spirite but ere this beautie was added the Spirite was then busied in preseruing that confused lumpe of thinges And that saying of Esaie cannot be cauilled against And now Iehouah and his Spirite hath sent me For he communicateth with the Holy ghost his chiefe power in sending of Prophetes Whereby appeareth the diuine maiestie of the Holy ghost But our best proufe as I haue saied shal be by familiar vse For that whiche the Scriptures impute vnto it is farre from the propertie of creatures and suche a thing as we oure selues doe learne by assured experience of godlinesse For he it is that being eche where poured abrode dooeth susteine and geueth growing and life to all thinges in heauen and in earth And by this pointe he is proued to bee none of the number of creatures for that he is not comprehended within any boundes but by pouring his liuely force into all thinges to breath into them life and mocion this is the very worke of God Moreouer if regeneracion into an incorruptible life be better and more excellent than any presente quickening what shall we iudge of him from whose power the same procedeth And that he is the author of regeneracioÌ„ not by a borrowed but by his own force the Scripture in many places teacheth and not of that onely but also of the immortalitie to come Finally as vnto the Sonne so vnto him also are applied al those offices that are most of all properly belonging to the Godhead For he searcheth the depe secretes of God wherwith none of al the creatures is of counsel He geueth wisdome and skill to speake wheras yet the Lord pronounceth to Moses that it is only his worke to do it So by him we come to a partaking of God so that we may fele his power as it were working life in vs. Our iustificacion is his worke From him is power sanctification truethe grace and what good thing soeuer maye be thoughte of because it is the Holie ghoste onely from whom procedeth all kinde of giftes For that sentence of Paule is righte worthy to be noted Although there be diuerse giftes and manifolde and sondry is the distribucion of them yet is there but one holie Spirite because he maketh him not onelye the original or beginning but also the author Whiche a little after is more plainly expressed in these woordes One and the same Spirite distrybuteth all thinges as he will For if he were not some thing subsisting in God he woulde not attribute vnto him choise of minde and wyll Therefore moste euidentlye doth Paule geue to the Holie ghost diuine power and sheweth that he is substantially resident in God And the Scripture it selfe when it speaketh of hym forbeareth not the name of God For Paul hereby gathereth that we are the temple of God because his spirite dwelleth in vs which thing is not lightly to be passed ouer For wheras God so often promiseth that he wil chose vs for a temple to himselfe that promyse is no other way fulfylled but by hys spirite dwelling in vs. Surely as Augustine very well sayeth if we wer commaunded to make vnto the Holy ghost a temple of timber and stone because such worship is due to God onely it were a cleare argument that he is God now therfore how much clearer is this that we ought not to make a temple but our selues to be a temple for him And the Apostle himselfe calleth vs sometime the temple of God sometime the teÌ„ple of the Holy ghoste both in one meaning And Peter repreheÌ„ding Ananias for that he had lied to the Holy ghost said that he lied not vnto men but vnto God And where Esay bringeth in the Lord of hostes speaking Paul teacheth that it is the Holy ghost that speaketh Yea where commonly the Prophetes say that the wordes whiche they vtter are the wordes of the Lord of hostes Christ and the Apostles doe referre them to the Holy ghost Whereby it foloweth that he is the true Iehouah that is the chiefe author of prophecies Again where God complaineth that he was prouoked to wrath by the stubbornesse of his people in steade of that Esay saith that his holy Spirite was greued Last of al if blasphemie against the Holy ghost be not forgeueÌ„ in this world nor in the worlde to come whereas he maye obteine pardon that hath blasphemed against the soÌ„ne his diuine maiesti is here plainly proued the offense or diminishment wherof is an vnpardonable crime I dooe wittingly and of purpose omitt many testimonies that the auÌ„cient writers haue vsed They haue thought it a maruellous mete place to allege out of Dauid with the word of the Lorde the heauens wer stablished and al the power of them with the spirite of his mouth to proue that the world was no lesse the work of the Holy ghost than of the Sonne But forasmuch as it is commonly vsed in the Psalmes to repete one thynge twise in Esay the spirite of his mouth is as much to say as his word that reason is very weake Therfore I thought good to touche a fewe such thinges as godly mindes might soundly rest vpon And as God hath more plainly disclosed himselfe by the comming of Christ so is he also in the thre Persons become more familiarly knowen But of al the testimonies lette this one suffice vs for this present Paule so knitteth these three together God Faith Baptisme that he reasoneth from the one to the other in this maner Because there is but one Faith he therby sheweth that there is but one God And because there is but one god he therby proueth that there is but one Faith Therfore if we be entred into
reache to knowe her owne substaunce Wherfore lette vs willingly geue ouer vnto God the knowledge of him selfe For he onely as Hylarie saieth is a conueniente witnesse to hym selfe whiche is not knowen but by hymselfe We shall geue it ouer vnto hym if we shall both conceiue hym to be such as he hath opened himself vnto vs and shall not els where searche to knowe of hym than by his owne worde There are to this ende written fiue homelies of Chrysostome against the Anomei Yet the boldnesse of Sophisters coulde not be restrained by them from bablyng vnbridledly For they haue behaued them selues in this behalfe no whit more modestely than they are wonted in all other By the vnhappye successe of whiche vndiscretion we ought to be warned to take care that we bend our selues to trauaile in this question rather with tractable willyngnesse to learne than with sharpnesse of witte and neuer haue in our mynde eyther to searche for God any where els than in his holy Worde or to thynke any thynge of hym but hauyng his Word goyng before to guide vs or to speake any thynge but that whiche is taken out of the same Worde The distinction that is in the one godhead of the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste as it is very harde to knowe so dooth it bryng more busynesse and comberance to some wittes than is expedient Let them remembre that the myndes of men doo entre into a mase when they folowe their owne curiositie and so let them suffer them selues to be ruled with the heauenly oracles howe soeuer they can not atteyne the heighte of the mysterie To make a register of the errours wherwith the purenesse of Faithe in this poynt of doctrine hath in tymes paste ben assailed were to long and full of vnprofitable tediousnesse and the moste parte of heretikes haue to attempted to ouerwhelme the glory of God with grosse dotyng errours that they haue thought it enough for them to shake and trouble the vnskilfull And from a fewe men haue spronge vp many sectes wherof some doo teare in sunder the essence of God some do confound the distinction that is betwene the Persons But if we hold fast that which is alredy sufficieÌ„tly shewed by the Scripture that the essence of the one God whiche belongeth to the Father the Son and the Holy ghost is syngle and vndiuided Agayne that the Father by a certayne propretie differeth from the Sonne and the Sonne from the holy ghost we shal stop vp the gate not only against Arrius and Sabellius but also the other olde authors of errours But because in our tyme there be risen vp certaine phrenetiâ—e men as Seruetto and other like which haue encombred all thinges with newe deceites It is good in fewe wordes to discusse their falsehoodes The name of the Trinitie was so hatefull yea so detestable to Seruetto that he sayde that all the Trinitaries as he called them were vtterly godlesse I omitte the foolishe wordes that he had deuised to raile withall But of his opinions this was the suÌ„me That God is made Tripartite wheÌ„ it is said that there abide thre Persons in his essence and that this Trinitie is but a thyng imagined because it disagreeth with the vnitie of God In the meane tyme the Persons he would haue to be certaine outward conceptions of Forme whiche are not truely subsistyng in the essence of God but doo represente God vnto vs in this or that fashion And at the beginnyng that there was in God nothyng distincte bicause ones the Worde and the Spirite were all one but sins that Christe arose God oute of God the Holye ghost sprong also an other God out of hym And though sometyme he colour his follies with allegories as when he saythe that the eternall Worde of God was the Spirite of Christ with God and the bright shinyng of his forme Agayne that the Holy ghost was the shadow of the godhed yet afterward he bringeth the godhed of them both to nothing affirmyng that after the rate of distribution there is bothe in the Son and in the Holy Spirite a parte of God euen as the same Spirite in vs and also in wode and stones is substancially a porcion of God What he babbleth of the Person of the Mediatour we shall hereafter see in place conuenient But this monstrous forged deuise that a Persone is nothyng ells but a visible forme of the glory of God needeth no long confutation For where as Iohn pronounceth that the Woorde was GOD before the Worlde was yet create he maketh it muche differynge from a conception of Forme But if then also yea and from farthest Eternitie of tyme that Woorde whyche was God was with the Father and had his owne propre glorye with the Father he could not be an outward or figuratiue shining but it necessarily foloweth that he was an hypostasis that did inwardely abyde in God And althoughe there bee no mencion made of the Spyrite but in the Hystorye of the creation of the worlde yet he is not there brought in as a shadowe but an essentiall power of God when Moses sheweth that the very vnfashioned lumpe was susteined in hym Therfore it then appeared that the eternall Spirite was alwaies in God when he preserued and susteyned the confused matter of heauen and earth vntill beautie and order were added vnto it Surely he coulde not yet be an image or representation of God as Seruetto dreameth But in other poyntes he is compelled more openly to disclose his wickednesse in sayeng that God by his eternall purpose appointyng to hymselfe a visible Sonne did by this meane shewe himselfe visible For if that be true there is no other godhed left vnto Christe but so farre as he is by the eternall decree of God ordeyned his Sonne Moreouer he so transformeth those imagined shapes that he sticketh not to fayne newe accidentes in God But this of all other is most abhominable that he confusely myngleth as well the Sonne of God as the Holye ghoste with all creatures For he playnely affirmeth that there bee partes and partitions in the Essence of God of whiche euerye portion is God And namelye he saythe that the Spirites of the Faithefull are coeternall and consubstanciall with God allbeit in an other place he assigneth the substanciall Deitie not onely to the soule of man but also to other creatures Out of this sinke came foorthe an other lyke monster For certaine lewde men meanyng to escape the hatred and shame of the wickednesse of Seruetto haue in dede confessed that there are thre Persones but addyng a maner howe that the Father whiche truely and proprely is the one onely God in formyng the Son and the Holy ghost hath powred his godhead into them Yea they forbeare not this horrible maner of speeche that the Father is by this marke distinguished from the Sonne and the Holy ghost that he is the only essentiatour or maker of the essence First they pretende this
man do shew that it is the principall parte Now wheras Paul doth exhort the faithful to clense thēselues from al defiling of the fleshe and the Spirite he maketh two partes of man wherein abydeth the filthinesse of sinne And Peter where he calleth Christ the shepeherde bishop of soules shold haue spoken fondly if there wer no soules about whom he might execute that office Neyther would that conuenientlye stande together which he saieth of the eternal saluation of soules and where he biddeth to clense our soules and where he sayeth that euil desires do fight against the soule and where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues sayeth that the Pastors do watch that they may yelde accōpte for our soules vnlesse it were true that soules had a proper essence To the same purpose serueth it that Paule calleth God for witnesse to hys own soule because it could not be called in iudgemente before God vnlesse it were subiect to punishment And this is also more plainly expressed in the words of Christ when he biddeth vs to feare him which after that he hath killed the body can throw the soule into hel fier Now where the author of the Epistle to the Hebrues doth distinguishe the Fathers of our flesh from God which is the only Father of Spirites he woulde not otherwise more plainly affirme the essence of soules Moreouer if the soules remained not aliue being deliuered from the prisons of their bodies Christ should very fondly haue broughte in the soule of Lazarus ioying in the bosome of Abraham and againe the soule of the richman subiect to horrible tormentes The same thing doth Paul confirme whē he teacheth that we wander abrod from God so long as we dwel in the flesh and that we enioy his presence being out of the flesh But because I wil not be long in a matter that is not obscure I wil adde only thys out of Luke that it is reckened amōg the errors of the Sadduces that they did not beleue that there were any Spirites and Angels Also a strong profe herof may be gathered of this where it is sayed that man is create lyke to the image of God For although the glory of God do appeare in the outwarde shape of man yet is it no doubte that the proper seate of the image of God is in the soule I do not deny that as concernyng our outwarde shape in asmuch as the same doeth distinguishe and seuer vs from brute bestes we doe also therein more nerely approche to God than they nether wil I much stand against thē which thinke that thys is to be accōpted of the image of God that where al other lyuynge creatures doo grouellyngwise beholde the grounde to man is geuen an vpright face and he is commaunded to loke vpon the heauē and to aduaunce his countenaunce towarde the starres so that this remayn certain that the image of God whiche is seene appereth in these outward signes is spiritual For Osiander whom his writyngs declare to haue ben in fickle imaginations fondly witty referryng the image of God without difference as well to the body as to the soule mingleth heauen and earth togither For he saith that the Father the Son and the Holy ghost did settle their image in man because though Adam had stande without fallyng yet shuld Christe haue become man And so by their opiniō the body that was appointed for Christ was but an example or figure of that bodily shape whiche then was formed But where shall he fynde that Christe is the image of the Spirite I graunte in deede that in the Person of the Mediatour shyneth the glorye of the whole Godheade But howe shall the eternall woorde be called the image of the Spirite whom he goeth before in order Finally it ouerthroweth the distinction betwene the Sonne and the Holy ghost if he doo here call him his image Moreouer I would fayne learne of hym how Christe dooth resemble the Holy ghoste in the fleshe that he tooke vppon him and by what markes and features he doth expresse the likenesse of hym And where as this saying Let vs make man after our image dooth also belong to the Person of the Sonne it foloweth that he must be the image of himselfe whiche is against all reason Beside that if Osianders inuention be beleued man was fashioned onely after the figure paterne of Christ in that he was man and so that forme out of whiche Adam was taken was Christ in that that he was to bee clothed with fleshe where as the Scripture in a farre other meanyng teacheth that he was create in the image of God But their suttle inuētion is more colourable whiche doo thus expounde it that Adam was create in the image of God because he was fashioned like vnto Christe whiche is the only image of God But that exposition also is not soūd Also som interpreters make a great disputation about Image Likenesse whyle they seke a difference betwene those two wordes where is no difference at al saying that this worde Likenesse is added to expoūd the other First we knowe that amonge the Hebrues suche repetitions are common wherin they expresse one thyng twise and in the thyng it selfe there is no doubt but that man is therfore caled the image of God because he is like to God Wherby appereth that they are to be laughed at which doo so subtilly argue about the wordes whether they appoint Zelem that is to say Image in the substaunce of the soule or Demuth that is to say Likenesse in the qualities or what other thyng soeuer it be that they teache For where as God determined to create man after his own image this being somwhat darkly spoken he doth as by way of explication repete it in this saying After his likenesse as if he wolde haue said that he woulde make man in whom he would represent hym selfe as in an image because of the markes of likenesse grauen in him And therfore Moses a little after recityng the same thyng dooth repete the Image of God twise leauyng out the name of Likenesse And it is a triflyng obiection that Oseander maketh that not a parte of man or the soule onely with the giftes thereof is called the Image of God but the whole Adam whiche hadde his name geuen him of the earth from whense he was taken Triflyng I say will all readers that haue theyr sounde witte iudge this obiection For where whole man is called mortall yet is not the soule thereby made subiect to mortalitie Again where he is called a liuyng creature endued with reason it is not therby meant that the body hath reason and vnderstandyng Although therfore the soule is not the whole man yet is it not inconuenient that man in respecte of the soule be called the image of God albeit I holde still that principle whiche I haue before stablished that the Image of God extendeth to the whole excellence wherby
destruction And there was no necessitie to compell God to geue him any other then a meane will and a fraile will that of mans fall he myghte gather matter for his owne glory ¶ The .xvi. Chapter That God by his power dooth monishe and mainteyne the worlde whiche hym selfe hath created and by his prouidence doeth gouerne al the partes therof BUt it were veray fonde and bare to make God a creatour for a moment which doeth nothyng sins he hath ones made an ende of his worke And in this poynte principally ought we to differ from the prophane men that the presence of the power of God may shine vnto vs no lesse in the continuall state of the world than in the first beginnyng of it For thoughe the myndes of the very wicked in only beholdyng of the heauen earth are compelled to rise vp vnto the creatour yet hath faith a certain peculiar maner by it self wherby it geueth to god â—he whole praise of creation And therfore serueth that saying of the Apostle which we before alleged that we do not vnderstand but by fayth that the world was made by the word of God For vnlesse we passe forward euen vnto his prouidence we do not yet rightly conceiue what this meaneth the God is the creator howe soeuer we do seeme to comprehende it in mynde and confesse it with tongue When the sense of the fleshe hath ones sette before it the power of God in the very creation it resteth there and when it procedeth furthest of all it dooeth nothyng but wey and consider the wysedom power and goodnesse of the workeman in making suche a piece of worke which thinges do of them selues offer and thrust them selues in sight of men whether they will or no a certain generall doyng in preseruyng gouerning the same vpon which dependeth the power of mouyng Finally it thinketh that the liuely force at the beginning put into all things by God doth suffise to sustein them But faith ought to perce deper that is to say whom it hath lerned to be the creatour of al things by and by to gather that the same is the perpetual gouernor preseruer of them and that not by stirryng with an vniuersall motion as wel the whole frame of the worlde as all the partes therof but by susteynyng cherishing caring for with singular prouideÌ„ce euery one of those thinges that he hath created eueÌ„ to the least sparow So Dauid after he had fyrst said that the worlde was created by God by by descendeth to the continuall course of his prouidence By the worde of the Lorde saith he the heauens were stablished all the power therof by the spirite of his mouth By and by he addeth The Lord looked down vpon the sonnes of men so the rest that he saith further to the same effect For although they doo not al reason so orderly yet because it were not likely to be beleued that God had care of mens matters vnlesse he were the maker of the worlde nor any man doeth earnestly beleue that God made the worlde vnlesse he be perswaded that God hath also care of hys workes therefore not without cause Dauid doeth by good order conueye vs from the one to the other Generally in dede both the Philosophers doe teach and mens mindes doe conceiue that all partes of the worlde are quickened wyth the secrete inspiration of God But yet they atteine not so farre as Dauid both hymselfe procedeth and carryeth all the godly wyth hym saying all thynges wayte vpon thee that thou mayest geue them fode in due season Thou geuest it to them and they gather it Thou openest thy hand and they are filled with good things But if thou hide thy face they are troubled If thou take awaye theyr breath they dye and returne to theyr dust Againe if thou sende forth thy Spirite they are created and thou renewest the face of the earth Yea although they agree to the saying of Paul that we haue our being and are moued and do lyue in God yet are they farre from that earnest felyng of grace which he commendeth vnto vs because they taste not of gods speciall care wherby alone his fatherly fauor is knowen That thys difference maye the better appeare it is to be knoweÌ„ that the Prouidence of God suche as it is taughte in the Scripture is in comparison set as contrary to fortune and chaunces that happeÌ„ by aduenture Nowe forasmuche as it hath been commonly beleued in al ages and the same opinion is at thys daye also in a manner in al men that all thynges happen by fortune it is certayne that that which ought to haue been beleued concernyng Prouidence is by that wrong opinion not onely darkened but also in manner buried If a man light among theues or wylde beastes if by wynde sodenly rysen he suffer shipwrack on the sea if he be kylled wyth the fall of a house or of a tree if an other wandryng in deserte places fynde remedy for hys pouertie if hauing been tossed with the waues he atteine to the haueÌ„ if miraculously he escape but a fynger bredth from death all these chaunces as well of prosperitie as of aduersitie the reason of the fleshe doeth ascrybe to fortune But whosoeuer is taught by the mouth of Chryst that all the heares of hys hed are numbred will seke for a cause further of and wyll fyrmelye beleue that all chaunces are gouerned by the secrete councell of God And as concerning thinges without lyfe thys is to be thought that although euery one of them haue hys owne propertie naturally put into it yet doe they not put forth their power but only so farre as they be directed by the present hande of God They are therefore nothing els but instrumentes whereby God continually poureth in so much effecte as pleaseth him and at hys will boweth and turneth them to thys or that doyng Of no creature is the power more maruellous or more glorious than of the sunne For besyde that it geueth lyght to the whole worlde wyth hys bryghtnesse howe greate a thyng is thys that he cherysheth and quickeneth all lyuing creatures wyth hys heate that he breatheth frutefulnesse into the earth wyth hys beames that out of sedes warmed in the bosome of the grounde he draweth a budding grenenesse and susteyning the same wyth new nouryshmentes doth encrease and strengthen it tyll it ryse vp in stalkes That he fedeth it with continuall vapoure till it growe to a floure and from a floure to fruite That then also wyth bakyng it he bryngeth it to rypenesse That trees likewise and vines being warned by him do first budde and shote forth braunches and after sende out a flower and of a flower do engeÌ„der frute But the Lord because he would claime the whole glory of all these thinges to himselfe made the lighte first to be and the earth to be furnished with al kindes of herbes and fruites before
made of ayre but to the sonne of Dauid and to the frute of his wombe Therefore beyng deliuered in the flesh he is called the sonne of Dauid and AbrahaÌ„ not bicause he is only borne of the wombe of the Uirgin create in the ayre but bicause as Paule expoundeth it he is accordyng to the flesh made of the seede of Dauid as in an other place the Apostle teacheth that he descended of the Iewes For whiche cause the Lorde himselfe not contented with the bare name of man doth oftentimes call himself the sonne of manne meanyng to expresse more plainely that he was man truely issued of the seede of mankinde Sithe the holy ghoste hath so oft by so many meanes with so great diligence and simplicitie declared a thinge not obscure of it self who would haue thought any men to be so shamelesse as to presume yet to spred mistes to darken it And yet we haue other testimonies at hand if we listed to heape vp more of them As is that sayeng of Paule that God sent his sonne made of womaÌ„ And innumerable other places whereby appereth that he was subiect to hungre thirst colde and other infirmities of our nature But out of many these are chiefly to be chosen that maye moste auaile to edifie our mindes in true coÌ„fideÌ„ce As where it is sayd that he gaue not so great honour to the Angels as to take their nature vpon him but toke our nature that in flesh and bloud he might by death destroy him that had the power of death Agayne that by benefite of that communicating we are reckened his brethreÌ„ Againe that he ought to haue ben made like vnto his brethren that he might be made a merciful and â—aithâ—ull intercessour that we haue not a Bishop that can not be compariont of our infirmities And such like And for the same purpose serueth that whiche we touched a litle before that it behoued that the sinnes of the world should be cleansed in our flesh Whiche Paule playnely affirmeth And truely what so euer the â—ather hath geuen to Christ it doth therefore belong to vs bicause he is the head from whiche the whole body beyng knit together groweth into one Yea otherwise that will not agree together whiche is sayd that the Spirit was geuen him without measure that all we shoulde drawe of the fulnesse thereof For asmuch as there is no greater absurditie than to say that God is enriched in his essence by any accidentall gifte And for this cause Christ sayth in an other place I do sacrifice my self for them As for the places that they bryng forth to confirme their errour they doe to vnaptly wrest them and they nothyng preuayle by their triflyng suttelties when they goe about to wipe away those thinges that I haue alleged for our part Marcion imagineth that Christ did put on a fantasticall body in stede of a true body bicause in some places it is sayd that he was made after the likenesse of man and that he was found in shape as a manne But so he nothing weyeth what is Paules purpose in that place For his meanyng is not to teach what manner of body Christe toke vpon him but that whereas he might haue shewed â—orth his godhed he made none other shewe of himself but as of an abiect and vnregarded man For to exhort vs by his example to submission he sheweth that for asmuch as he was God he might haue by and by set forth his glory to be seene to the worlde but yet that he gaue ouer some of his owne right and of his owne accord abaced himself bicause he did put on the ymage of a seruant and contended with that humilitie suffred his godhed to be hidden with the veile of the flesh He doth not here teache what Christ was but how he behaued himselfe And also by the whole processe of the texte it is easily gathered that Christ was abaced in the true nature of manne For what meaneth this that in shape he was founde as manne but that for a time the glorie of his godhed dyd not shyne forth but only the shape of manne appered in base and abiect estate For otherwise that place of Peter coulde not stande together that he was dead in the fleshe but quickened in the spirit yf the sonne of God had not ben weake in the nature of manne whiche Paule expresseth more plainely in sayeng that he suffred by reason of the weakenesse of the fleshe And hereunto serueth the exaltation bycause it is expressely sayd that Christe atteyned a newe glorie after that he abaced himselfe whiche could not well agree to be spoken of any but of a man hauing fleshe and soule Manichees framed Christ a body of ayre bycause Christ is called the seconde Adam heauenly of heauen But neyther in that place doth the Apostle bryng in a heauenly essence of the body but a spirituall force whiche beyng poured abrode by Christ doth quicken vs. Nowe as we haue alredy seene Peter and Paule doe seuer the same from his fleshe But rather that doctrine whiche is receiued among the true teachers concernynge the flesh of Christ is vâ—ry well proued by that place For if Christ had not all one nature of body with vs it were a very vaine argument that Paul with such vehemencie â—oloweth that yf Christ be risen agayne we shal also rise agayne and yâ— we do not rise then that Christ also is not risen By what cauillatioâ—s so euer eyther the olde Maâ—ichees or their newe Disciples goe aboute to escape they shall not winde theÌ„selues away It is a fowle shifte that thei fondly say that Christ is called the sonne of manne in so much as he is promised of menne For it is playne that after the Hebrewe phrase very man in deede is called the Sonne of manne And Christ without doubte kepte the phrase of his owne tonge Also it ought to make no question what ought to be vnderstanded by the children of Adam And not to goe farre of the place of the .viij. Psalme whych the Apostles apply to Christ shal be sufficient enough What is man that thou arte myndefull of him or the sonne of man that thou visitest him In this figure is expressed the true manhode of Christe For though he were not immediatly begotten of a mortall father yet his race came from Adam For els that place could not stande whiche we haue alredy alleged that Christ is made parâ—aker of fleshe and bloud that he might gather to him yonge childreÌ„ to the seruice of God In which wordes it is plainely determined that Christ is made fellow partaker of all one nature with vs. In whych meanyng also he sayth that bothe the authour of holinesse and they that are made holy are all of one For it is proued by the processe of the text that the same is referred to the felowship of nature bicause he by and by addeth Therefore he
of his manhoode For the erroure of Nestorius is to be driuen farre away from vs which when he went about rather to draw in sonder than to distinguish the nature did by that meane imagine a doble Christ. Wheras we see that the Scripture crieth oute with loude voice against it where bothe the name of the sonne of God is geuen to him that was borne of the Uirgin and the Uirgin her selfe is called the mother of our Lorde We must also beware of the madnesse of Eutiches leaste while we goe about to shewe the vnitie of the person we destroie either nature For we haue already alleged so many testimonies there are euery where so many other to be alleged where his Godhede is distinguished from his manhoode as may stoppe the mouthes euen of the moste contentious And a little here after I will adioyne some testimonies to confute better that fained deuise but at this present one place shal content vs. Christ woulde not haue called his bodie a Temple vnlesse the Godhed did distinctly dwell therein Wherefore as Nestorius was worthily cōdemned in the synode at Ephesus so also was Eutiches afterwarde condemned in the synodes of Constantinople Chalcedon for asmuch as it is no more lawfull to confounde the twoo natures in Christ than it is to drawe them in sonder But in oure age also there hath risen vp no lesse pestilent a monster Machaell Seruettus whiche did thruste in place of the sonne of God a fained thing made of the essence of God of spirit fleshe and three elementes vncreate And firste he denieth that Christ is by any other way the sonne of God but in this that he was begotten of the holy ghost in the wombe of the Uirgin But to this ende tendeth his subtletie that the distinctiō of the two natures being ones ouerthrowen Christe might be thought to be a certaine thing mingled of God and man and yet neither God nor man For in his whole processe he trauaileth toward this point that before Christ was openly shewed in the flesh there wer onely certaine shadowish fygures in God whereof the trueth or effect then at length was in being when that worde whiche was ordeined to that honore began truely to be the sonne of God And wee in dede do confesse that the Mediator which is borne of the Uirgin is proprely the sonne of God For Christ in that he is man coulde not be the mirore of the inestimable fauoure of God vnlesse this dignitie were geuen him to be and be called the onely begotten sonne of God But in the meane season the definition of the Church standeth stedfastly grounded that he is cōpted the sonne of God bicause he being the Worde begotten of the father before all worldes did by hypostatical vnion take vpon him the nature of man Now the hypostatical vnion is called with the olde fathers that whiche maketh one person of twoo natures whiche phrase of speache was deuised to ouerthrowe the dotinge erroure of Nestorius bicause he fained that the sonne of God did so dwell in fleshe that yet he the same was not man Seruettus slaundereth vs that we make twoo sonnes of God when we saie that the eternall Word was already the sonne of God before that it was clothed with fleshe as if we did saie any thinge els but that he was manifested in the flesh Neyther dothe it folowe that if he were God before that he was man he beganne to be a newe God And no more absurditie it is to saye that the sonne of God appeared in the fleshe whiche yet had this alwaie from eternall begetting to be the Sonne whiche the Angeles wordes to Marye do secretly shew That holy thinge that shall be borne of thee shall be called the sonne of God as if he shoulde haue saide that the name of the Sonne whiche was obscure in time of the lawe shoulde nowe become famous and euery where knowen abroade Wherewith agreeth that sayenge of Paule that nowe by Christe we are the children of God freely and with boldnesse to crye Abba Father But were not the holy fathers in the olde tyme also accompted among the chyldren of God Yea and bearynge them bolde vpon that interest they called vpon God by name of theyr Father But bicause sins the only begotten sonne of God was brought fourth into the worlde the heauenly fatherhod is become more plainely knowen therefore Paule assigneth this as it were a priuilege to the kingdome of Christ. But yet this is stedfastly to be holden that God neuer was father either to Angelles or men but in respecte of the onely begotten sonne and that men specially whome their owne wickednesse maketh hatefull to God are his children by free adoption bycause hee is the sonne of God by nature And there is no cause why Seruettus shoulde cauill that this hangeth vpon filiation or becomming a sonne whiche God hadde determined with him selfe bicause oure purpose is not heare to speake of the fygures howe the expiation was shewed in the bloode of beastes but bicause thei coulde not in dede be the children of God vnlesse their adoption were grounded vpon the head it is with out reason to take that from the heade which is common to all the mēbres I goe yet further Whereas the Scripture calleth the Angelles the sonnes of God whose so greate dignitie dyd not hang vpon the redemption to come yet muste it needes be that the sonne is in ordre before them whiche maketh the father to be their father I will repete it againe shortly adde the same of mankinde Sith from at their first beginning bothe Angelles and men were created with this condition that God shoulde be common father to them bothe if that sayeng of Paule be true that Christe was alway the heade and the firste begotten of all creatures to haue the firste degree in all I thinke I do rightly gather that he was also the sonne of God before the creation of the worlde But if his Filiation if I may so terme it beganne sins he was manifested in the fleshe it shal folowe that he was also Sonne in respect of his nature of man Seruettus and other suche frentike men woulde haue it that Christe which appeared in the flesh is the sonne of God bycause out of the fleshe hee coulde not be called by that name Nowe let them aunswere me whether he be the Sonne accordinge to bothe natures and in respect of bothe So in deede thei prate but Paule teacheth farr otherwise We graunte in deede that Christe is in the fleshe of man called the Sonne but not as the faithfull are that is by adoption onely and grace but the true and naturall and therefore onely sonne that by this marke he may be discerned from all other For God voutsaueth to geue the name of his sonnes to vs that are regenerate into a newe life but the name of the true and onely begotten sonne he geueth to Christ onely How can
appeareth sufficiently though it were but by this that while we muste liue in warfare vnder the crosse during the whole course of oure life our estate is harde and miserable what then sholde it profite vs to be gathered together vnder the dominion of a heauenly kinge vnlesse we wer certaine to enuy the frute therof out of the state of this earthly life And therefore it is to be knowen that whatsoeuer felicitie is promised vs in Christ it consisteth not in outward coÌ„modities that we shold leade a merry and quiet life florish in wealth be assured from al harmes flowe full of those deliteful thinges that the flesh is wont to desire but that it wholy belongeth to the heauenly lyfe But as in the worlde the prosperous desired state of the people is partly mainteyned by plentie of good thinges and peace at home and partely by strong forceable defenses wherby it maie be safe against outward violence so Christe also dothe enriche his with all thynges necessarie to eternall saluation of soules and fortifieth them with strength by whiche thei mai stande inuincible against al assaultes of spiritual enemies Whereby we gather that he reigneth more for vs than for himself and that both within without that being furnished so farr as God knoweth to be expedient for vs with the gyftes of the spirite wherof we are naturally empty we maie by these fyrste frutes perceaue that we are truely ioyned to God vnto perfect blesednesse And then that bearinge vs bolde vpon the power of the same spirit we may not doubt that we shall alwaie haue the victorie against the Deuell the worlde and euery kinde of hurtfull thinge To thys purpose tendeth the a unswer of Christe to the Pharises that bicause the kingedome of God is with in vs it shal not come with obseruation For it is likely that bicause he professed that hee was the same kinge vnder whome the souereigne blessinge of God was to be hoped for they in scorne requyred hym to shewe fourth his signes But hee bycause thei who otherwise are to muche bent to the earth shoulde not foolishly rest vpon worldly pompes byddeth them to enter into their owne consciences bycause the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy ghosâ—e Hereby we are breefely taughte what the kingedome of Christ auayleth vs. For bycause it is not earthly or fleshly subiecte to corruption but spirituall he lifteth vs vp euen to eternall lyfe that we maie patienth passe ouer this life in miseries hunger cold coÌ„tempt reproches and other greues contented with this one thinge that oure king will neuer leaue vs destitute but succoure vs in oure necessities till hauing ended oure warre we be called to triumph For suche is his manner of reigning to communicate with vs all that he hathe recâ—iued of his father Nowe whereas he armeth and furnisheth vs wyth power and garnisheth vs with beautie magnificens enricheth vs with wealth hereby is ministred vnto vs moste plentyfull matter to glorie vpon also bold courage to fight without feare against the Deuell sinne and death Finally that clothed with hys righteousnes wee may valiantly ouercome al the reproches of the world and as he liberally filleth vs with his giftes so we againe for oure parte may bring forth frute to his glorye Therfore his kingly anointing is set forth vnto vs not done with oyle or ointmeÌ„tes made with spices but he is called the anointed of god bicause vpoÌ„ him hath rested the spirit of wisdome vnderstaÌ„ding couÌ„sel strength and feare of God Thys is the oyle of gladnesse wherewpth the Psalme reporteth that he was annoynted aboue his fellowes bicause if there were not suche excellencie in hym we shoulde be all needy and hungry For as it is already saide hee is not priuately enriched for hym selfe but â—o poure his plentie vpon vs being hungry and drie For as it is sayde that the father gaue the spirite to his sonne not by measure so there is expressed a reason why that all we shoulde receiue of his fulnesse and grace for grace Oute of which fountaine floweth that liberall geuinge whereof Paule maketh mention whereby grace is diuersly distributed to the faithful according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Hereby is that whiche I saide sufficiently confyrmed that the kyngedome of Christ consisteth in the spirite not in earthly delytes or pompes and therefore we muste forsake the woorlde that we maye be partakers of it A visible signe of this holy anoyntinge was shewed in the baptisme of Christe when the holy ghooste rested vpon him in the lykenesse of a doue That the holy ghooste and hys gyftes are meante by the woorde Anoyntinge oughte to seeme neither noueltie nor absurditie For we are none other waie quickened specially for so muche as concerneth the heauenly lyfe there is no droppe of lyuely force in vs but that whiche the holy ghoste poureth into vs whyche hathe chosen his seate in Christe that from thense the heauenly rychesse mighte largely flowe oute vnto vs whereof wee are so neady And whereas bothe the faythfull stande inuincible by the strengthe of their king also his spiritual richesse plenteously flow out vnto them thei are not vnwoorthyly called Christians But this eternitie wherof we haue spoken is nothynge derogate by that sayeng of Paule Then he shall yelde vp the kyngdome to God and the Father Againe â–ª the sonne hym selfe shall be made subiecte that God maye be all in all thynges for hys meaninge is nothynge els but that in that same perfect glorie the administration of the kyngedome shall not bee suche as it is nowe For the father hathe geuen all power to the sonne that by the sonnes hande he maye gouerne cherishe and susteine vs defende vs vnder hys sauegarde and helpe vs. So whyle for a lyttle time we are waueringe abroade from God Christ is the meane betweene God and vs by lyttle and lyttle to brynge vs to perfect conioyning wyth God And truely whereas he sytteth on the right hande of the father that is as muche in effecte as yf hee were called the fathers deputee vnder whome is the whole power of his dominion bycause it is Gods will to rule and defende hys Churche by a meane as I maie so call it in the person of hys Sonne As also Paule dothe expounde it in the fyrste chapiter to the Ephesians that he was sette at the ryght hande of the father to be the heade of the Churche whyche is his body And to no other meanynge tendeth that whyche hee teacheth in an other place that there is geuen hym a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus all knees shoulde bowe and all tongues confesse that it is to the glorie of God the Father For euen in the same woordes also hee setteth oute in the kingedome of Christe an ordre necessarye for oure presente weakenesse So Paule gathereth ryghtely that God shall then bee by
that he should spare none but that he should acquite altogether taking away their condemnation although they were gilty of offense And we do say that they whiche were loste haue their sinnes buried and so are iustified before God bicause as God hateth sinne so he can loue none but them whome he iustifieth But this is a maruellous manner of iustifieng that they beyng couered with the righteousnesse of Christ stand not in feare of the iudgement which they haue deserued and when they worthily condemne themselues are accompted righteous without themselues But the readers are to be warned that thei take good heede to the misterie whiche he braggeth that he wil not hide from them For after that he hath longe and largely trauailed to proue that we do not obteine fauour with God by the only imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ bicause this should bee impossible for him to compte them for righteous that are not righteous I vse his owne wordes at lengâ—h he concludeth that Christ was geuen vs vnto righteousnesse not in respect of his nature of manhod but of his nature of Godhed and that although this righteousnesse can not be found but in the person of the Mediatour yet it is the righteousnesse not of maÌ„ but of God He doth now bynde vp his rope made of two righteousnesses but he plainely taketh away the office of iustifieng from Christes nature of maÌ„hode But it is good to see how he disagreeth It is sayd in the same place that Christ was made vnto wisedome which beloÌ„geth to none but to the eternal word Therfore Christ in that he is man is not wisedom I answer that the only begotten sonne of God was in deede his eternal wisedome but in Paules writinges that name is geuen him in diuerse wise bicause al the treasures of wisedome knowlege are laied vp in him That therfore which he had with his father he disclosed vnto vs so that which Paule sayth is not referred vnto the essence of the sonne of God but to our vse and is rightly applied to Christes nature of manhode bicause although he shined a light in darkenesse before that he did put on fleshe yet it was a hidden light till the same Christ came forth in the nature of man the shinyng sunne of righteousnesse which therefore calleth himself the light of the world Also it is folishly obiected of him that the power of iustifieng is far aboue bothe Angeles men for asmuch as this hangeth not vpon the worthinesse of any creature but vpon the ordinance of God If Angels will take vpon theÌ„ to satisfie God they can nothyng preuaile bicause they are not apointed therunto But this singularly belonged to Christ being man which was made subiect to the lawe to redeme vs froÌ„ the curse of the law Also he doth sclaunderously cauil that they which denie that Christ is our righteousnesse accordyng to his nature of Godhed doe leaue but one part of Christ which is worse do make two gods bicause although thei coÌ„fesse that God dwelleth in vs yet they saye againe that we are not righteous by the righteousnesse of God For although we call Christ the author of life in respect that he suffred death to destroye him that had the power of death we do not by by take awaye that honor from whole Christ as he was openly shewed God in the flesh but we only make a distintioÌ„ how the righteousnesse of God is coÌ„ueyed vnto vs that we may enioy it In which point Osiander hath to fowly erred Neither do we denie that that which is opeÌ„ly geueÌ„ vs in Christ procedeth from the secret grace power of God we striue not agaynst this that the righteousnesse whiche Christ geueth vs is the righteousnesse of God that procedeth from God but we hold this stedfastly that we haue righteousnesse life in the death resurrection of Christ. I ouerpasse that heapyng together of places whereof he maye wel be ashamed wherwith he hath tediously coÌ„bred the readers without choise without coÌ„mon reason to proue that whersoeuer is made mention of righteousnesse there ought to be vnderstanded this essentiall righteousnesse As where Dauid calleth vpon the righteousnesse of God to help him wheras he doth the same aboue a hundred times Osiander sticketh not to corrupt so many senteÌ„ces And nothing stroÌ„ger is the other obiectioÌ„ that that is properly rightly called righteousnesse whereby we be moued to do rightly but that God only worketh in vs both to will to performe For we do also not denie but that God reformeth vs with his Spirit vnto holinesse of life righteousnesse but we must first see whether he do this by himself and immediatly or by the hand of his Sonne with whom he hath lefte al the fulnesse of his holy Spirit that with his abundaÌ„t store he should supplie the neede of his meÌ„bres Moreouer although righteousnesse come vnto vs out of the secret fountayne of the godhed yet it foloweth not that Christ which saÌ„ctified himself in yâ— flesh for our sakes was righteousnesse vnto vs according to his nature of godhed No lesse fond is that which he sayth that Christ himself was righteous by the righteousnesse of God Bicause vnlesse the wil of his father had moued him he could not himself haue satisfied the office coÌ„mitted vnto him For though we haue in an other place sayd that al the deseruings of Christ himself do procede froÌ„ the mere good will of God yet that maketh nothing to that fantastical thing wherwith Osiander bewitcheth both his own and simple mens eyes For whoe would suffer a maÌ„ to gather this coÌ„clusion that bicause God is the fountaine beginning of our righteousnesse therfore we be essentially righteous the essence of Gods righteousnesse dwelleth in vs In redeminge the church sayth Esaye God did put on his righteousnesse as a harnesse but dyd he so to spoyle Christ of his armure which he had geuen him to make him to be no perfect redemer But the Prophet meante nothyng els but that God borowed nothing out of himselfe nor was holpen by any ayde to redâ—me vs. Which thing Paule brefly expressed in other wordes sayeng that he gaue vs saluatioÌ„ to the shewyng of his righteousnesse But this doth not ouerthrowe that which he teacheth in an other place that we are righteous by the obedieÌ„ce of one maÌ„ Finally whosoeuer wrappeth vp a double righteousnesse that poore soules maye not rest in the mere only mercie of God he dothe in a mockerie crowne Christ with thornes But for asmuch as a great part of meÌ„ imagineth righteousnesse to be made of faith workes let vs first shew this also that the righteousnesse of fayth and workes doth so differ that when the one is stablished the other must needes be ouerthrowen The Apostle fayth that he estemed al thinges as dong that he might winne Christ finde in him the
but to strengthen thy minde with constant certaintie perfect assurednes to haue whervpoÌ„ to rest fasteÌ„ thy fooâ—e He adioyneth also an other thing that is that the promise shal therby be made of no effect voide For if the fulfilling therof do hang vpon oure deseruing when shal we come thus farre as to deserue the bountifulnes of God Also this second point hangeth vpon the former For the promise shal not be fulfilled but to them that beleue it Therfore if faithe be fallen ther shall remaine no force of the promisse Therfore the inheritance is of faith that it may be according to grace to stablishe the promise For it is abundantly wel stablished when it resteth vpon the only mercy of God bicause his mercy truth are with a perpetual knot ioyned together that is to sai whatsoeuer God mercifulli promiseth he also faithfulli performeth So Dauid before that he required saluation by the word of God first determineth the cause therof to be in his mercye Let thy mercies saith he come vnto me thy saluation according to thy word And rightfully bycause God is by no other meane perswaded to make the promise but of his own mere mercie Therfore we must herin stay deepely fasten all our hope not to loke to our own works to seke any helpe of theÌ„ And that you shold not think that I herin speake any new thing Augustine doth also teache that we ought so to do Christ saith he shal reigne for euer in his seruantes God hath promised it God hath said it and if that be not enough God hath sworne it Therefore for asmuch as the promise is stablished not according to our deseruinges but according to his mercie no man ought to speake fearefully of that of whych he can not doubte Bernarde also saythe The disciples of Christe saye Whoe canne bee saued Butte hee aunswered thys ys impossible with menne butte yt is not impossible wyth God This is all our confidence this is our only comforte this is the whole grounde of oure hope but beyng assured of the possibilitie what saye we of hys wyll Whoe knoweth whether he be worthy of loue or hatred Who hath knowen the Lords meaning â–ª Or who hath ben his counseller Here now faith must of necessitie help vs here must his truthe succoure vs that that which is hidden from vs in yâ— heart of the father may be reueled by the Spirit his Spirit testifieng it may perswade our heartes that we are the sonnes of God And it may perswade vs by calling iustifyeng vs freely by fayth in which things ther is as it were a certaine meane passage from the eternall predestination to the glorie that is to come Brefely let vs thus conclude The Scripture declareth that the promises of God are not stablished vnlesse they be taken hold of with assured affiance of conscience whersoeuer there is any doubting or vncertaintie it pronounceth that thei be voide Againe yt pronounceth that they do nothing but stagger wauer if thei rest vpoÌ„ our own workes Therfore we must nedes either lose righteousnesse or we must not coÌ„sider our own workes but only faith must take place whose nature is this to lift vp her eares shut her eies that is to say to be hedefully bent to the promise only and to turne away her thought from all mans worthinesse or deseruing So is yâ— notable prophecie of Zacharie fulfilled that when the wickednes of the land shal be done away a man shal call his frend vnder his vine vnder his figge tree where the Prophet declareth that the faithful do no otherwise enioy true peace but after obteining of the forgeuenesse of sinnes For this cauelatioÌ„ is to be remeÌ„bred in the Prophetes that wheÌ„ thei speake of the kingdome of Christ they set out the outward blessinges of God as figures of the spirituall thinges Wherupon Christ is called both the king of peace our peace because he appeaseth al the troublesom motioÌ„s of coÌ„science If we seke by what meane he doth it we must nedes come to the sacrifice by which God is appeased For he shal neuer cesse to tremble for feare that shall not determine that God is appeased by the only satisfactorie cleansing wherin Christ hath susteined his wrath Finally peace is no where els to be sought for but in the terrors of Christ our redemer But why do I vse so darke a testimonie Paul euery where denieth that there is peace or quiet ioy left to consciences vnlesse it be determined that we be iustified by faith And he therwithall declareth whense that assurednes cometh namely when the loue of God is poured into our heartes by the holy Ghost as if he had said that our coÌ„sciences can not otherwise be quieted vnlesse we be certeinly persuaded that we please god WherupoÌ„ also in an other place he crieth out in the persone of al the godly Who shall seuer vs froÌ„ the loue of God whiche is in Christ because we shall â—reÌ„ble euen at euery litle breath till we be arriued into that haueÌ„ but we shal be without care euen in the darkenes of death so long as the lord shal shew him selfe a pastor to vs. Therfore whosoeuer prate that we are iustified by faith because being regenerate we ar iust by liuing spiritually they neuer tasted the swetenesse of grace to coÌ„sider that God will be merciful vnto theÌ„ WherupoÌ„ also foloweth that they do no more know the manner of praiyng rightly than Turkes whatsoeuer other profane Nations For as Paul witnesseth it is no true faith vnlesse it teache put vs in minde of the most swete name of Father yea vnlesse it opeÌ„ our mouth freely to crie out Abba father Whiche in an other place he more plainely expresseth where he saith that in Christ we haue boldnesse entrie in coÌ„fidence by the faith of him Truly this cometh not to passe by the gift of regeneration which as it is alway vnperfect in this flesh so it conteineth in it self manifold mater of douting Wherfore we must of necessitie come to this remedy that the faithful shold determine that they may by no other right hope for the inheritaÌ„ce of the heaueÌ„ly kingdome but because being graffed into the body of Chist they are frely accoÌ„pted righteous For as touching iustificatioÌ„ faith is a thing merely passiue bringing nothing of our own to the recouering of the fauour of God but receiuing of Christ that whiche we want The .xiiii. Chapter ¶ What is the beginning of iustification and the continuall procedinges therof THat the mater may bee made more plaine let vs searche what may be the righteousnesse of maÌ„ in the whole course of his life let vs make fower degrees therof For meÌ„ either being endued with no knowledge of God are drowned in idolatrie or being entred into profession by sacrameÌ„tes denyeng God with vncleannes of life whom thei
honour not weyeng the worthinesse of them that he accompteth them of some value The third that he receiueth the very same workes with pardon not imputyng the imperfectiō wherwith they al beyng defiled should otherwise be rather reckened amōg sinnes than vertues And hereby appereth how much the Sophisters haue ben deceiued whiche thought that they had gaylye escaped al absurdities when they sayd that workes do not of their owne inwarde goodnesse auayle to deserue saluation but by the forme of the couenant bicause the Lord hath of his liberalitie so much estemed them But in the meane time they considered not howe far those workes whiche they would haue to be meritorious were from the conditiō of the promises vnlesse there went before bothe iustification grounded vpon only fayth and the forgeuenesse of sinnes by which euē the good workes themselues haue neede to be wiped from spottes Therefore of three causes of Gods liberalitie by which it is brought to passe that the workes of the faythfull are acceptable they noted but one suppressed two yea and those the principall They allege the sayeng of Peter whiche Luke rehearseth in the Actes I finde in truthe that God is not an accepter of persones but in euery nation he that doth righteousnesse is acceptable to him And hereupon they gather that which semeth to be vndouted that if man doth by right endeuors get himselfe the fauor of God it is not the beneficiall gift of God alone that he obteyneth saluation yea that God doth so of his mercie help a sinner that he is by workes bowed to mercie But you can in no wise make the Scriptures agree together vnlesse you note a double acceptyng of man with God For such as man is by nature God findeth nothyng in him whereby he maye be enclined to mercie but only miserie If therfore it be certayne that man is naked and needy of all goodnesse and on the other side full stuffed and loden with al kindes of euels when God first receyueth them for what qualitie I pray you shal we say that he is worthy of the heauēly calling ▪ Away therefore with the vaine imaginyng of merites where God so euidētly setteth out his free mercifulnesse For that which in the same place is sayde by the voice of the Angell to Cornelius that his prayers and almes had ascēded into the sight of God is by these men most lewdly wrested that man by endeuor of good workes is prepared to receiue the grace of God For it muste needes be that Cornelius was already enlightened with the Spirit of wisdome sithe he was endued with true wisdome namely with the feare of God that he was sanctified with the same Spirit sith he was a folower of righteousnesse which the Apostle teacheth to be a most certaine frute therof Al those things therefore whiche are sayd to haue pleased God in him he had of his grace so far is it of that he did by his own endeuor prepare himself to receiue it Truely there cā not one syllable of the Scripture be brought forth that agreeth not with this doctrine that there is none other cause for God to accept man vnto him but bicause he seeth that mā should be euery way lost if he be left to himselfe but bicause he will not haue him lost he vseth his own mercie in deliueryng him Now we see how this accepting hath not regard to the righteousnesse of man but is a mere token of the goodnesse of God toward men beyng miserable and moste vnworthy of so great a benefit But after that the Lord hath brought man out of the bottomlesse depth of destruction and seuered him to himselfe by grace of adoption bicause he hath nowe begotten him and newely formed him into a newe life he nowe embraceth him as a newe creature with the giftes of his Spirit This is that acceptyng whereof Peter maketh mention by whiche the faythfull are after their vocation allured of God euen in respecte also of workes for the Lorde can not but loue and kisse those good thinges whiche he worketh in them by his Spirit But this is alwaye to be remembred that they are none otherwise acceptable to God in respect of workes but in as muche as for their cause and for their sakes whatsoeuer good workes he hath geuen them in encreasyng of his liberalitie he also vouchesaueth to accept For whense haue they good workes ▪ but bicause the Lord as he hath chosen them for vessels vnto honor so will garnish thē with true godlinesse Whereby also are they accompted good as though there were nothing wanting in them but bicause the kinde Father tēderly graunteth pardon to those deformities spottes that cleaue to them Summarily he signifieth nothing els in this place but that to God his children are acceptable louely in whom he seeth the markes and features of his owne face For we haue in an other place taught that regeneratiō is a repairyng of the image of God in vs. For asmuch as therfore wheresoeuer the Lord beholdeth his owne face he both worthily loueth it and hath it in honor it is not without cause sayd that the life of the faithful beyng framed to holinesse righteousnesse pleaseth him but bycause the godly beyng clothed with mortall fleshe are yet sinners and their good workes are but begonne and sauoryng of the faultinesse of the fleshe he can not be fauorable neyther to those nor to these vnlesse he more embrace them in Christ than in themselues After this manner are those places to be taken whiche testifie that God is kinde mercifull to the folowers of righteousnesse Moses sayd to the Israelites The Lord thy God kepeth couenant to a thousand generations which sentēce was afteward vsed of the people for a common manner of speache So Salomon in his solemne prayer sayth Lord God of Israell whiche kepest couenant and mercie to thy seruātes which walke before thee in their whole heart The same wordes are also repeted of Nehemias For as in al the couenātes of his mercie the Lord likewise on their behalues requireth of his seruātes vprightnesse holinesse of life that his goodnesse should not be made a mockerie that no man swelling with vaine reioysing by reason therof should blesse his owne soule walking in the meane time in the peruersnesse of his own heart so his wil is by this way to kepe in their dutie them that are admitted into the cōmuniō of the couenāt yet neuerthelesse the couenāt it self is both made at the beginnyng free perpetually remayneth such After this māner Dauid when he glorieth that there was rēdred to him reward of the cleannesse of his hādes yet omitteth not that fountaine which I haue spoken of that he was drawen out of the wombe bicause God loued him where he so setteth out the goodnesse of his cause that he abateth nothyng from the free mercie whiche goeth before all giftes whereof it is
testifieth which reporteth that in the time of Ambrose the Chirch of Millain first began to sing when while Iustina the mother of Valentinâ—an cruelly raged against the true Faith the people more vsed watchinges than they were wont and that afterwarde the other westerne Chirches folowed For he had a litle before sayed that this maner came from the Easterne Chirches He telleth also in his seconde boke of Retractations that it was in his time receiued in Africa One Hilarie sayth he a ruler did in euery place wheresoeuer he could with malicious blaming raile at the maner which then began to be at Carthage that the hymnes at the altar should be pronounced out of the boke of Psalmes either before the oblation or wheÌ„ that which had ben offred was distributed to the people Him I answered at the commaundement of my brethren And truely if song be tempered to that grauitie which becommeth the preseÌ„ce of God and Angels it both procureth dignitie and grace to the holy actions and muche auaileth to stirre vp the myndes to true affection and feruentnesse of prayeng But we muste diligently beware that our eares be not more hedefully bente to the note than our myndes to the spiritual sense of the wordes Wyth which peril Augustine in a certaine place sayth that he was so moued that he sometime wished that the maner which Athanasius kept shold be stablished which commaunded that the reder shoulde sounde hys wordes with so small a boowing of hys voice that it should be liker to one that readeth than to one that singeth But when he remembred howe muche profite he hymselfe had receyued by syngyng he inclined to the other side Therfore vsyng this moderation there is no dout that it is a most holye and profitable ordinance As on the other side what songes so euer are framed only to swetenesse and delite of the eares they both become not the maiestie of the Chirch and can not but hyely displease God Whereby it also playnly appereth that common praiers are to be spoken not in Greke among Latine men nor in Latine among Frenchemen or Englishemen as it hath heretofore ben eche where commonly done but in the peoples mother tongue which coÌ„monly may be vnderstoode of the whole assembly forasmuche as it ought to be done to the edifiyng of the whole Chirch whiche receiue no fruite at all of a sound not vnderstanded But they which haue no regarde neither of charitie nor of humanitie shold at least haue ben somwhat moued with the authoritie of Paule whoe 's wordes are nothyng doutfull If thou blesse saieth he in Spirite howe shall he that filleth the place of an vnlerned man answer Amen to thy blessing sith he knoweth not what thou saiest For thou in dede geuest thankes but the other is not edified Who therfore can sufficiently wonder at the vnbridled licentiousnesse of the Papistes which the Apostle so openly crying out againste it feare not to roare out in a strange tongue moste babblyng prayers in whiche they themselues sometyme vnderstand not one syllable nor wold haue other folkes to vnderstand it But Paule teacheth that we ought to do otherwise How then I will pray sayth he with spirit I will praye also with mynde I will syng with spirite I will sing also with mynde signifieng by the name of Spirite the singular gifte of tonges which many being endued with abused it when they seuered it from the mynde that is froÌ„ vnderstaÌ„ding But this we must altogether thiÌ„k that it is by no meane possible neither in publike nor in priuate praier but that the tong without the hart must hyely displease God Moreouer we muste thinke that the mynde ought to be kyndled with feruentnesse of thoughte that it maye farre surmounte all that the tong maye expresse with vtterance Fynally that the tong is not necessarie at all for priuate prayer but so farre as the inwarde felyng either is not able to suffice to enkindle it selfe or the vehemence of enkindlyng violently carieth the woorke of the tong with it For though very good prayers sometyme be without voyce yet it oftentymes betydeth that when the affection of the mynde is feruent bothe the tong breaketh foorthe into voice and the other membres into gesturyng without excessiue shew Hereupon came the mutteryng of Hanna and such a like thing all the holy ones alway fele in themselues when they burst out into broken and vnperfect voices As for the gestures of the body which are wont to be vsed in praier as knelyng and vncoueryng of the hed they are exercises by which we endeuor to ryse vp to a greater reuerencing of God Now we must learne not onely a more certaine rule but also the very forme of prayeng namely the same which the heauenly Father hath taught vs by his beloued Sonne wherin we may acknowe his vnmesurable goodnesse and kyndenesse For besyde this he warneth and exhorteth vs to seke hym in al our necessitie as children are wont to flee to their fathers defence so oft as they be troubled with any distresse because he saw that we did not sufficiently perceiue this how sclender our pouertie was what were mete to be asked what were for our profite he prouided also for this our ignoraÌ„ce what our capacitie waÌ„ted he supplied furnished of his own For he hath prescribed to vs a form wherin he hath as in a Table set our whatsoeuer we may desire of him what soeuer auaileth for our profit whatsoeuer is necessary to ask Of whiche his gentlenesse we receaue a great fruit of comfort that we vnderstand that we aske no inconuenient thyng no vnsemyng or vnfit thyng finally nothyng that is not acceptable to hym sith we aske in a maner after his owne mouthe When Plato sawe the folly of men in making requestes to God whiche beyng grauÌ„ted it many tymes befell much to their owne hurt he pronounced that this is the best maner of prayeng taken out of the olde Poete Kyng Iupiter geue vnto vs the beste thynges bothe when we aske them and when we doo not aske them but commaunde euell thynges to be away from vs euen when we aske them And verily the heathen man is wyse in this that he iudgeth howe perillous it is to aske of the Lorde that whiche our owne desire moueth vs and therwithal he bewrayeth our vnhappy case that we can not ones open our mouthes before God without danger vnlesse the Spirite do instructe vs to a right rule of praying And in so muche greater estimation this priuilege is worthy to be had of vs sithe the onely begotten Sonne of God ministreth wordes into our mouthe which may deliuer our mynde from all doutyng This whether you call it forme or rule of praying is made of six petitions For the cause why I agree not to them that diuide it into seuen partes is this that by puttyng in this aduersatiue word But it semeth that the Euangelist men to
of name where God hath sette the memorye of hys name Whereby he playnly teacheth that without the doctrine of godlinesse there is no vse thereof And it is not douteful but that for the same reason Dauid with greate bitternesse of Spirite complayneth that he is by the tirannous crueltie of hys enemyes kepte from entring into the Tabernacle It semeth commonlye to many a childishe lamentation because it shoulde be but a very small losse and also no greate pleasure shoulde be forgone thereby to wante the entrie of the temple so that there were enoughe of other delytefull thinges But he bewaileth that with this one griefe anguishe and sorowe he is freted and vexed and in a manner wasted for nothyng is of greater estimation wyth the faythfull than thys helpe wherby God by degrees lyfteth vp his on hye For this is also to be noted that God in the mirror of hys doctrine alway so shewed himselfe to the holy Fathers that the knowledge was spiritual Wherfore the tēple is called not onely his face but also to take awaye all superstition hys foote stole And thys is that happy metyng into vnitie of Fayth whyle from the hyest euen to the lowest all doe aspire to the head All the temples that euer the Gentyles vpon any other purpose builded to God were but a mere prophaning of hys worshyp whereunto thoughe not with lyke grossenesse yet somwhat the Iewes fell Whereof Stephen out of the mouth of Esay reprocheth them where he sayeth that God dwelleth not in temples made wyth handes c. Because onely God doeth by hys worde sanctifie to himselfe temples to the lawefull vse And if we rashly attempt any thing wythout his commaundemente by and by to an euill beginning doe cleaue newe deuises by whyche the euill is spreade abrode without measure Yet Xerxes when by the coūsell of the Magitians he burned vp or plucked downe all the temples of Greece vndiscretely sayed that the goddes to whō al thynges ought to be freely open were inclosed within wals and tyles As thoughe it were not in the power of God to the entente he myght be nere vs after a certayne manner to descende vnto vs and yet neyther to chaunge place nor to fasten vs to earthly meanes but rather by certayne chariotes to carry vs vp to his heauenly glory which with the inmeasurable greatnesse thereof fylleth all thynges yea and in heygth surmounteth the heauens Now forasmuche as at this time there hath been greate strife about the effectualnesse of the ministerie while some excessiuely amplyfye the dignitie thereof and some other affirme that that whiche is properly belonging to the Holy ghost is wrongfully geuē away to mortal mā if we thynke that ministers and teachers do pearce to the mindes and hartes to amende as well the blindnesse of the mindes as the hardnesse of hartes it is mere that we geue a ryght determination of thys cōtrouersy All that they contende on both partes shal easily be accorded by expresly noting the places where God the author of preachyng ioyning his Spirite with it promiseth fruite therof or againe when seueryng hymselfe from outwarde helpes he chalengeth to himselfe alone as wel the beginninges of Fayth as the whole course thereof It was the office of the seconde Elias as Malachie witnesseth to enlighten the mindes and to turne the hartes of fathers to the children and vnbeleuers to the wysedome of the righteous Christ pronounceth that he sendeth the Apostles that they shoulde bryng fruite of theyr labor But what that fruite is Peter shortly defineth saying that we be regenerate with incorruptible sede And therefore Paule gloryeth that he by the Gospell begate the Corinthyans and that they were the seale of hys Apostle shyppe yea that he was not a lyterall minister suche as dyd onely beate the eares wyth sounde of voyce but that there was geuen hym an effectualnesse of Spirite that his doctryne shoulde not be vnprofytable In whiche meaning also in an other place he saieth that hys Gospell was not in worde onely but in power He affyrmeth also that the Galathyans by hearyng receiued the Spirite of Fayth Finallye in many places he maketh hymselfe not onely a woorker together wyth GOD but also assygneth hymselfe the offyce of geuynge saluatyon Truelye he neuer broughte fourth all these thinges to this entent to geue vnto himselfe any thing were it neuer so little seuerally from God as in an other place he shortlye declareth saying our laboure was not vnprofitable in the Lord according to his power mightily working in me Againe in an other place he that was mightie in Peter towarde the circumcision was also mightie in me towarde the Gentiles But howe he leaueth nothing seuerally to the ministers appeareth by other places as he that planteth is nothing and he that watereth is nothing but God that geueth the encrease Again I haue laboured more than all not I but the grace of God that was with me And truely we must holde fast those sayinges where God ascrybing to himselfe the enlyghtenyng of the mynde and the renewing of the harte teacheth that it is a robberie of God if man take vpon himselfe any parte of either of them In the meane time if any man offer hymselfe to the ministers whom God ordeyneth willing to learne he shall knowe by the frute that thys manner of teachyng not in vaine pleased God and that this yoke of modestie was not in vaine laied vpon the faithful But as for the Churche visible and whiche is within the compasse of our knowledge what iudgemente is mete to be geuen therof I thinke it already appeare euidently by that which we haue before saied For we haue sayed that the holy Scripture speaketh of the Churche after two sortes Somtime when it nameth the Churche it meaneth that churche which is in dede before God into which none are receiued but they that are both by grace of adoption the children of God and by santification of the Spirite the true members of Chryst. And then truelye it comprehendeth not onely the holy ones that dwell in earth but also all the electe that haue ben sins the beginning of the world But often times vnder the name of the Church it signifieth the vniuersall multitude of men scattered abrode in the worlde whiche professe that they worshyp one God and Christ by Baptisme entre into hys Fayth by partaking of the Supper testifie their vnitie in true doctrine and charitie haue an agremente in the worde of the Lorde and for the preaching thereof doe kepe the ministerie ordeined by Christe In thys Churche there be mingled many hipocrites whiche haue nothyng of Christ but the name and outward shewe there be many ambicious couetous enuious euill speakers some of vncleane life which be suffred for a time either because they can not by lawfull order of iudgemente be cōuinced or because there is not alway in vre that seueritie of discipline that oughte to be Therefore as
bicause the Lord hath determined to haue mercie vpoÌ„ men to this ende that they shuld repeÌ„t he teacheth men whether they shall trauaile if they will obteine grace Therfore so long as we shall dwell in the pryson of our body we must continually wrastle with the vices of our corrupt flesh yea with our own naturall soule Plato sayth in certayne places that the life of a Phylosopher is a meditation of death but we may more truely say that the life of a Christian maÌ„ is a perpetuall studie and exercise of mortifieng the fleshe till it beyng vtterly slayue the Spirit of God get the dominion in vs. Therefore I thinke that he hath much profited that hath learned much to mislyke himself not that he should sticke faste in â—hat myre and goe no further but rather that he should haste and long toward God that being graffed into the death life of Christ he should studie vpon a continuall repentance as truely they can not otherwise do that haue a naturall hatred of sinne for no man euer hated sinne vnlesse he were first in loue with righteousnesse This doctrine as it was most simple of all other so I thought it beste to agree with thâ— truthe of the Scripture Nowe that Repentance is a singular gift of God I thinke it be so wel knowen by the doctrine aboue taught that I neede not to repete a long discourse to proue it agayne Therfore the church prayseth and hath in admiratioÌ„ the benefit of God that he hath geuen the Gentiles repentance vnto saluation And Paule commaundyng Timothee to be patieÌ„t and milde toward the vnbeleuers sayth If at any time God geue them repentance that they maye repent from the snares of the Deuel God in deede affirmeth that he willeth the conuersion of al meÌ„ and directeth his exhortations generally to all men but the effectual workyng therof hangeth vpon the Spirit of regeneration Bicause it were more easy to create vs men than of our owne power to put on a better nature Therfore in the whole course of regeneration we are not without cause called the worke of God created to good workes which he hath prepared that we should walke in them Whom soeuer the lordes will is to deliuer from death those he quickeneth with the Spirit of regeneration not that repentance is properly the cause of saluation but bycause it is alredy seen that it is vnseparable froÌ„ fayth and from the mercie of God sithe as Esaye testifieth there is a redemer come to him and to those that in Iacob are returned from their wickednesse This truely standeth stedfastly determined that were so euer liueth the feare of God there the Spirite hath wrought vnto the saluation of man Therfore in Esaie when the faithful complaine and lament that they are forsaken of God they recken this as a token of beyng reprobates that their heartes were hardened by God The Apostle also meanyng to exclude apostataes from hope of saluation apointeth this reason that it is impossible for them to be renewed vnto repentance bicause God in renewyng them whom he wil not haue perish sheweth a tokeÌ„ of his fatherly fauour and in a maÌ„ner draweth them vnto him with the beames of his cherefull and mery contenaÌ„ce on the other side with hardenyng them he thundereth agaynst the reprobate whose wickednesse is vnpardonable Whiche kinde of vengeance the Apostle threateneth to wilfull apostataes whiche when they depart from the faith of the Gospell do make a scorne of God reprochefully despise his grace and defile treade vnder feete the bloud of Christ yea as much as in them is they crucifie him agayne For he doth not as some fondly rigorous men would haue it cut of hope of pardon from all wilfull sinnes but teacheth that apostasie is vnworthy of all excuse so that it is no maruell that God doth punish a contempt of himself so full of sacrilege with vnappeasable rigour For he sayth that it is impossible that they which haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted of the heauenly gift haue ben made partakers of the holy ghost haue tasted of the good word of God the powers of the world to come yf they fall shuld be renewed to repeÌ„tance crucifiyng againe of newe and makyng a scorne of the sonne of God Againe in an other place If sayth he we willingly sinne after knowledge of the truth receyued there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinnes but a certayne dreadfull expectation of iudgement c. These also be the places out of the wroÌ„g vnderstandyng wherof the Nouatians in old time haue gathered matter to play the mad men with whose rigorousnesse certaine good meÌ„ beyng offended beleued this to be a counterfait Epistle in the Apostles name whiche yet in all partes doth truely fauour of an Apostolike spirite But bycause we contend with none but with theÌ„ that allowe it it is easy to shewe how these sentences do nothing mainteine their errour Firste it is necessarie that the Apostle agree with his maister whiche affirmeth that all sinne and blasphemie shal be forgeueÌ„ except the sinne agaynst the holy Ghost which is not forgeuen neyther in this world nor in the world to come It is certaine I saye that the Apostle was contented with this exception vnlesse we will make him an aduersarie to the grace of Christ. Whereupon foloweth that pardon is denied to no special offenses but only to one whiche procedyng of a desperate rage can not be ascribed to weakenesse and openly sheweth that a man is possessed of the Deuell But to discusse this it behoueth to enquire what is that same so horrible offense that shall haue no forgeuenesse Whereas Augustine in one place defineth it an obstinate stifnesse euen vnto death with despeire of pardon that doth not well agree with the very wordes of Christ thaâ— it shall not be forgeuen in this world For eyther that is spoken in vaine or it maye be coÌ„mitted in this life But if Augustines definition be true then it is not committed vnlesse it continue euen vnto death Wheras some other saye that he sinneth against the holy ghost that enuieth the grace bestowed vpon his brother I see not froÌ„ whense that is fetched But let vs bring a true definitioÌ„ which beyng ones proued with sure testimonies shall easily by it selâ—e ouerthrowe all the reste I saye therefore that they sinne agaynst the holy ghost which of set purpose resist the truthe of God with brightnesse wherof they are so daseled that they can not pretend ignorance whiche they do only to this ende to resâ—st For Christe meanynge to expounde that whiche he had sayd immediatly addeth He that speaketh a worde agaynst the sonne of man it shal be forgeueÌ„ him but he that blasphemeth agaynst the holy ghost shal not be forgeuen And Matthew for the blasphemie against the holy Spirit putteth the spirit of blasphemie But how can a maÌ„ speake a reproche against the
Sonne but it is also spoken agaynst the holy ghost They that stumble vnware against the truthe of God not knowyng it which do ignorantly speake euell of Christ hauyng yet this minde that they would not extinguish the truth of God disclosed vnto them or ones with one worde offend him whome they had knowen to be the lordes anoynted these men sinne agaynst the father and the sonne So there are many at this day that do most hatefully detest the doctrine of the Gospell whiche if they did know it to be the doctrine of the Gospell they would be redy to worship with all their heart But thei whose conscience is conuinced that it is the worde of God whiche they forfake and fight agaynst and yet cesse not to fight agaynst it they are sayd to blaspheme the holy ghost for asmuch as they wrastle against the enlightening that is the work of the holy ghost Such were many of the Iewes whiche when they could not resist the Spirit that spake by Stephen yet endeuored to resist It is no doubt but that many of them were carried vnto it with zele of the lawe but it appereth that there were some other that of malicious wickednesse dyd rage agaynst God himselfe that is to saye agaynst the doctrine whiche they were not ignoraunt to be of God And such were those Pharisees against whoÌ„ the Lord inueyeth which to ouerthrow the power of the holy ghost defamed him with the name of Beelzebub This therfore is the Spirit of blasphemie when mans boldnesse of 〈◊〉 purpose leapeth forth to reproche of the name of God Which Paule signifieth wheÌ„ he sayth that he obteined mercie bicause he had igâ—oraÌ„tly coÌ„mitted those thinges through vnbelefe for whiche otherwise he had ben vnworthy of Gods fauour If ignoraÌ„ce ioyned with vnbelefe was yâ— cause that he obteined pardoÌ„ therupoÌ„ foloweth that there is no place for pardon where knowlege is ioyned to vnbelefe But if thou marke it wel thou shalt perceiue that the Apostle speaketh not of one or other particular fal but of the vniuersal departyng whereby the reprobate do forsake saluation And it is no maruel that they whom Iohn in his canonical epistle affirmeth not to haue ben of the elect froÌ„ whom they went out do fele God vnappeasable For he directeth his speache against them that imagined that they might reâ—urue to the Christian religion although they had ones departed froÌ„ it and calling them from this false pestilent opinion he sayth that whiche is most true that there is no way of returne open for them to the coÌ„munion of Christ that wittingly willingly haue cast it awaye But they cast it not away that only in dissolute licentiousnesse of lyfe transgresse the word of the lord but thei that of set purpose cast away his whole doctrine Therfore the deceit is in these wordes of fallyng sinning Bicause the Nouatians expound Falling to be if a man beyng taught by the law of the Lord that he ought not to steale or to coÌ„mit fornication absteineth not from stealing or fornication But coÌ„trarywise I affirme that there is a secret comparison of contraries wherein ought to be repeted althinges coÌ„trarie to that which was first spokeÌ„ so that here is expressed not any particular fault but the whole turning away froÌ„ God and as I may so cal it the Apostasie of the whole maÌ„ Therfore when he sayth they which haue fallen after that they haue ones ben enlightened haue tasted the heaueÌ„ly gift ben made partakers of the holy ghost also tasted the good worde of God and the powers of the world to come it is to be vnderstanded of them that with aduised vngodlinesse haue choked the light of the holy spirit haue spit out agayne the tast of the heauenly gift haue enstraÌ„ged themselues from the sanctificatioÌ„ of the holy ghost haue troden vnder foote the word of God the powers of the world to come And the more to expresse that aduised purpose of wickednesse in an other place afterwarde he addeth this worde by name Wilfully For when he sayth that there is left no sacrifice for them that sinne willingly after knowlege of the truthe receiued he doth not denie yâ— Christ is a continual sacrifice to purge the iniquities of the holy ones which he expresly crieth out almost in the whole epistle where he declareth yâ— priesthode of Christ but he sayth that there remaineth no other wheÌ„ that is ones forsaken it is forsaken when the truth of the gospell is of set purpose renounced But whereas some do thinke it to harde and to far from the tender merciefulnesse of God that any are put awaye that flee to beseching the lords mercie that is easily answered For he doth not say that pardon is denied theÌ„ if they turne to the lord but he vtterly denieth that they can rise vnto repentance bycause they are by the iuste iudgement of God striken with eternall blindnesse for their vnthankefulnesse And it maketh nothyng to the contrarie that afterward he applieth to this purpose the example of Esau whiche in vaine attempted with howling and wepyng to recouer his right of the firste begotten And no more doth that threatenyng of the Prophet When they crie I wil not heare For in such phrases of speache is meante neyther the true conuersion nor callyng vpon God but that carefulnesse of the wicked wherewith beyng bouÌ„d they are compelled in extremitie to loke vnto that which before they carelesly neglected that there is no good thing for them but in the Lordes helpe But this they doe not so muche call vpon as they mourne that it is taken from them Therefore the Prophet meaneth nothing els by Cryeng and the Apostle nothing els by Weping but that horrible torment which by desperation fretteth and vexeth the wicked This it is good to marke diligently for els God should disagree with himself which crieth by the Prophet that he wil be merciefull so sone as the sinner turneth And as I haue alredy sayd it is certayne that the minde of man is not turned to better but by Gods grace preuentyng it Also his promise concernyng callynge vpon him will neuer deceyue But that blinde torment wherwith the reprobate are diuersly drawen when they see that they muste needes seeke God that they may finde remedie for their euels and yet do flee from his presence is vnproperly called Conuersion and prayer But a question is moued whereas the Apostle denieth that God is appeased with fained repentance how Achab obteined pardon and turned awaye the punishment pronounced vpon him whom yet it appereth by the reste of the course of his life to haue ben onely striken amased with sodeine feare He did in deede put on sacke cloth scattered ashes vpon him laye vpon the ground and as it is testified of him he was huÌ„bled before God but it was not enough to cut his garmentes when his heart remayned thicke and swollen