displesur where he is not a bene factor he is a punisher wher he is not a dweller he is an auenger Who can deny him to be a substauÌ„ce who filleth y e world not y e world only but Christ also the only sauiour of y e world of whoÌ„ it was written Iesus full of the holy ghost returned from IordaÌ„ If he fil the world he is God for this belongeth only God as I haue proued before If he be God theÌ„ is he a substaunce not an inspiracioÌ„ coÌ„ming from God as our english Saduces outlandish Libertins do teach The Prophet Esay recordeth y t he gouerned the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of the Israelits y t he was their deliuerer out of Egipt their guid in y e wildernes y e worker of wonders saying where is he who brought theÌ„ froÌ„ y e water of y e sea as a shepherd doth his flock where is he which â—ed Moises by the right hand w t his glorious arme Where is he that led them in the depe as an horse is led in the plain and he answereth The spirit of the Lord led theÌ„ as a tame beast goeth in the field He gouerneth also the present congregation for Christ promiseth that he would pray the father to send vs another comforter to abide w t vs for euer And Paul testifieth that the spirit geueth to one vtteraunce of wisdome to an other fayth to an other giftes of healyng to another power to doe miracles to another prophecy to another iudgement of spirites to another diuerse toÌ„gues to another interpretacion which be necessary offices in the congregation so that the holy spirit may say also The father worketh hytherto so do I for he workth inseperably with the father and the son Wherof it must neades folow that he is a substaunce and that he is God for the gouernaunce of the world belongeth to the maiestie of the Godhead as I haue proued before If he were nothing but a Godly motion a good affection and inspiration he would not ne coulde haue shewed himselfe in the likenes of a doue and in the similitude of fyrie tongues He is the fynger of God he is fyre oyle anoynting water an aduocate a cole for all these the scripture geueth hym Wherfore he is a substaunce forasmuch as al these be substaunces not inspirations For the scripture doth not lyken substaunces to thinges that be no substaunces He is also to be prayed vnto to be called vpon for what is baptisme but an inuocation of the father the sonne the holy spirit and therfore a substauÌ„ce No man prayeth vnto an inspiration no man crieth to an affection Our praying vnto hym proueth hym to heare vs to be almighty God to be euery where to know the thoughtes of all men but nothing heareth nothing searcheth thoughtes but a substaunce then he can not be a thought a motion comming from God yea rather these properties proue hym to be the third persone in the ouer gloriouse deite That comforter sayeth Christ the holy ghost whom my father wyl send in my name he shall teach you all If he be a teacher he must nedes be a substaunce If he be an inspiration he is the doctrine which is taught not the teacher therof He gaue Symon an aunswer that he shuld not se death before he had sene the lord Christ. He through the mouth of Dauid spake before of Iudas He at Antioche coÌ„maundeth to seperate Barnabas Paul to the worck wherunto he had called them He forbiddeth theÌ„ to preach Gods word in Asia S. Luke of the actes telleth that he monished Philip to ioyne himself to the chariot of the gelded man Do not these textes proue him to gouerne the congregation Doe they not witnes him to be mindfull of both good and euil Doe they not deny hym to be an inspiration coming from God Do they not fortifie him to be a substaÌ„ce to be y e third persone to be God S. Peter when he saith holy meÌ„ of God spake by the inspiration of the holy ghost putteth a plain difference betwene him an inspiration for he is not the inspiration but the worker therof the sender of it Wherfore as the worckman is not hys worck as Protogenes is not Ialysus Appelles is not Venus the carpenter is not the house no more is the holy spirite an inspiration He also forgeueth synne maketh vs the sonnes of God for we ar christened in his name that we should beleue that y e holy spirit worketh in baptisme it pleased the almighty Trinitie y t he shuld notably appere at Christes baptising For this coÌ„sideration the holy coÌ„forter at that time shewed himself in the likenes of a doue Doth any aungel forgeue sinne or Archaungel No truly this belongeth to the father only the sonne only the holy ghost only But me thinketh one replieth Seraphin speketh vnto the Prophet Esay Behold this hath touched thy mouth and thine vnrightuousnes is taken away thy sinne forgiuen He saith not I haue taken it away but this speaking of a hote cole taken from the alter with the toÌ„gues not châ—rcoale not seacoale but the cole of the holy ghost who may be wel called a coale for he is fire The pacient man Iob telleth vs that almighty God garnished y e heauens with his spirit with his hand wounded the rebellious serpent w t whoÌ„ Dauid agreeth saying By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the spirite of his mouth Wherfore in y e worke of creatioÌ„ Moises maketh relation of him telling vs that the spirit of God was born vpoÌ„ the waters Basyl who for his great learning was surnamed Magnus expoundeth this place of the holy ghost saith that his predecessours toke it so for the word spirit can not signifie wynd there which was then not made Was borne vpon the waters is no blowyng but as much to say as he sat on the waters for as the Hen sytting on her egs hatcheth her yoÌ„g ones so the holy ghost hatched al creatures whiche there are called waters as it is wrytten when thou lettest thy spirit go fourth they are made so y u renuest the face of the earth Is the garnisher of the heauens maker of y e world forgeuer of synnes myndfull of the congregation no substaunce but a phantasie an imagination And here I suppose it be agreable vnto my matter to speake somwhat of al good aungels in general and euyl spirites for if I can proue them to be no motioÌ„s but substaunces much more the holy comforter is a substauÌ„ce But if it be beside our purpose yet it shal be a profitable necessary digression for there be many late Libertines and late English Saduces which wold teach out of scripture that there is nether place of rest ne paine after this life that hel is nothing els but a
THE JMAGE of God or laie mans boke in which the right knowledge of God is disclosed and diuerse doubtes besides the principal matter made by Roger Hutchinson 1550. ¶ Newly imprinted at London by Iohn Day dwelling ouer Aldersgate Anno do 1560. Cum gratia priuilegio Reginae maiestatis per septennium ¶ The contentes and Chapters What God is We must learne what God is of gods word and not of mans wisdom Chap. 1 God is of himself Chap. 2. fol. 6 God is a spirit and how the scriptures do graunt vnto him a head eies haÌ„ds fete and al other parts of mans body he is a bird a shoter a husbandman Christ is his Image and man also Chap. iii. Fol. 7 God is immutable and how he is other whiles angry otherwhiles pleased somtime a slepe somtime awake somtime forgetfull standing sitting walking c. Chap. iiii Fol. 14 God is vnsearcheable chap. v. 17 God is inuisible and how the faithful of the old testament sawe him diuers times chap. vi 18 God is euery where and how Christ is in the Sacrament chap. vii 19 God is ful of vnderstanding cha viii 31 God is truth and whether it be lefull to lie for any consideration chap. ix 73 God is full of compassion chap. x. 42 God is full of rightuousnes and of the prosperitie of euil and the affliction of good men chap. xi 43 God is ful of al goodnes chap. xii 46 God only is immortall and of the immortalitie of soules and aungels chap. xiii fol. 47 God is the maker of all thinges wherof he made them by whome and who made the deuill and of the beginning of syn and euyl Chap. xiiii 48 God ruleth the world after his prouideÌ„ce and how he rested the seuenth day Chapter xv Fol. 53 God only knoweth al things ch xvi 73 God only forgeueth synne our pardoning what it is of losing and binding Chapter xvii fol. 76 God only is almighty and whether he can synne die or lye with other properties Chap. xviii fol. 92 God is defined by y e scripture ch xix 99 xx 100 What a persone is In what order he wyl write of a person A person is not a difference of vocatioÌ„ and office and that the fathers of the old testament worshipped a Trinitie Chapter xxi fol. 101 A persone is no outward thing why the churche hath vsed thys worde Chapter xxii fol. 107 That there be thre persons Christ is a substaunce Chap. xxiii 109 The holy spirit is not a Godly inspiracion is gouernour of the world to be prayed vnto a forgeuer of synne Chapter xxiiii fol. 112 Christ is vnconfounded why he became man and why he came so longe after Adams fall Chap. xxv fol. 120 The holy comforter is vnconfounded why he descended in the lykenes of a doue Chapter xxvi fol. 130 Corporal similitudes of God cha xxvii folio 134 That all thre are but one God The deitie of Christ and the spirite deny not a vnitie Chap. xxviii fol. 142 All the partes of the definition made of God are proued to agre vnto Christ. Chap. xxix fol. 161 All the partes of the same definition are proued to agree to the almighty comforter and spirit Chap. xxx fol. 166 Heresies confuted in this boke AGainst the heresy of transâ—stantiatioÌ„ and corporal or locall presence cha vii fol. 21. Against the Anthropomorphites otherwise named humaniformiaÌ„s which suppose God to be of corporal forme and shape chap. iii. fol. 7.8.9 Agaist popish and outward priesthod the sacrifice of the masse Chap. viii folio 33.34.35 c. Against the Priscillianistes which think that for some consideration sometime lying is not forbiddeÌ„ cha ix 13.37.38 Against the Origeniftes which say that all men women and deuels also at length shalbe saued chap. x. fol. 42 Against the late Epicures which thinke that God so rested the seueÌ„th day froÌ„ all his workes that now he worketh no more Chap. xv fol. 53 Against Astrologers that thynke all thinges are gouerned by fate destinie by the influence and mouing of the starres Chap. xv fol. 61 Against such as thinke that we through loue or forgeuing other deserue remission of our misdedes Chap. xvii Folio 76.78 Against our late Anabaptistes and Donatistes whiche teache that euill ministers can not christen lose and bind Chap. xvii Fol. 80.81 Against Peters primacie cha xii 81.82 Against the late Anabaptistes and Nouacianes whiche denie those that fall after Baptisme to be recouerable Chapter xviii fol. 91.92 Against the Patripassians and Sabelanes whiche confounde the Father Christ and the holy spirit saying that they be thre names and one thyng Chap. xxi fol. 101.102 Against our late englysh Saducees and Libertines which deny the almyghty comforter to be a substaunce holde that he is a godly inspiration Chap. xxiiii fol. 112 Against the same Libertines and Saduces whiche make the vnlearned people beleue that good aungels are nothing els then good mocioÌ„s and that hel is nothing but a tormenting conscience and that a ioyfull quiet and mery conscience is heauen Chap. xxiiii Fol. 112 Against the damnable opinion that the deuill is nothing but a filthy affection coming of the flesh and that all euyll spirites are carnall mocions and sensual lustes Fol. 116.117 Against the assercion of the Arriannes that Christ toke vpon hym our flesh but not a soule also fol. 121 Against the damnable opinioÌ„ of the late Anbaptist whiche denied that Christ toke his humanitie of the blessed virgin Chap xxv fol. 121.122.123 Against the Arians that deny the father Christ and the holy spirit to be of one substaunce and essence fol. 142.143 Against the multitude of Gods 145 Against the Manicheis whiche make two Gods calling them two contrary principles fol. 144.145 Against the heresie of praying to saintes Folio 145.146 Against vnwritten verities 104 TO THE MOST REVErend father L. Thomas Cranmer Archbishop of Cantorbury Primat of al England and Metropolitane his most humble Roger Hutchinson wisheth peace welfare and eternal felicitie PVblius Scipio he that was first surnamed African ryght honorable Father was wont to say that he was neuer les idle then when he was Idle meaning therby forsomuch as he was a magistrate that he most earnestly thought mused of coÌ„mon wealth matters when he semed to others least occupied A worthy saying for so noble a man and to be embraced of all rulers namely in these troubelous dayes in whiche so manye thinges be disordred and nede reformacion So albeit I am no Magistrate as noble Scipio was buâ— a priuate persone yet I haue thought it my boundeÌ„ dutie to see suche houres in whiche I myght haue ben vnoccupied which some spend in banketting rioting and gamning bestowed neither vnthriftely ne idelly but to the profite of the common wealth to teache the laye people vnderstanding science to the vttermost extente of my small power Vnderstanding is a seede that God soweth in mans soule and among al his gyftes knowledge is
hogs filthy couetous men to roote and treade down thy vineyard any lenger but hold vp the staffe of thyne enheritaunce Let not the preaching of thy smete son encrease the damnacion of thy people but doe thou drawe and turne them worke their ameÌ„dement who holdest in thy handes the hartes of rulers and al meÌ„ Al these enormities be the fruites of euil hartes make them O God cleane hearted that they may powre forth good fruites by the operation of thy holy spirit who preserue your grace in good health and make your gouernment prosperous to you to this Realme and to the churche of God So be it At London the .xxvi. of Iune ¶ Maister doctor Byll Images are made to put vs in mynde Of that which is dead or farre absent But God is neither as we do fynde But aye liuing and eche where present Images are cursed grauen by mans wyt In place that are set for any religion But an Image made out of holy wryt Is not forbidden in myne opinion An Image is painted here in this boke Neither with false 〈◊〉 nor maÌ„s inueÌ„tioÌ„s But out of Gods boke set out to all folke Fruitfull necessary to al true christiaÌ„s Hutchinson shope it for good men to regard With thankes his costes with prayse his paynes rewarde AN EXACT TABLE OF AL the principall matters conteined in this boke A ABsolutioÌ„ of the the minister 90 Abraham lyed not to Abymeleck Fol. 38 Abrahams vision 103 135 A clene sacrifice 33 Accidens remaine in in the sacrament 117 Against fate and destinie or the influence of the starres 61 Against Peters premacy â—â— A glasse 104 A glasse to se God in Fol. 138 Against prayinge to sainctes 145 An exhortatioÌ„ to swerers 1â— Angels are Gods repers Fol. 13 Against the corporall presence 21 All lying is forbidden 37 All thinges were made of nothing 52 A new sacrifice 34 An exhortation to kinges 55 Angels apere in diuers shapes 66 Angels ar ministring spirites 74 Anabaptistes doctrine euill 80 Anabaptistes aledge two seedes in Mary Fol. 123 Anabaptistes would be calde to geue a reconing of their faith Folio 173 Arme of God 9 Armour to fight against the deueil 118 Aâ—rius interpretation coÌ„futed 155.142.178 Aristotle 150.145 As there is a God so is there a deuil â–ª 117 A single nature not mixâ— 161 B Baptisme commaunded Fol. 1 Baptisme purifieth vs. fol. 1 Baren ground resembled to men â—â— â–ª Byshop Firmius answer to the king 40 Bishops must haue an eye to their vocatioÌ„ Folio 87 By the euerlastinge word al things wer made 110 Borne vpon the waters what it is 49 C Cause of sicknes 50 Christ became man why 120 Christ toke both soule and body 121 Christ brought not his flesh from heaueÌ„ 1â—â— Christ toke not the fede of angels 12â— Christs flesh holy 124 Christes flesh is to be worshiped 177 Christ borne of a pure virgin 124 Christ not the holy ghostes sonne 128 Christ did decke him self with our nature Folio 126 Christ why he was teÌ„ted 1â—7 Christ suffered for vs. Folio 106 Christ â–ª the begotteÌ„ son of God 103 Christ confuted his enemies with scriptures 4 Christ not in the sacrameÌ„t touching his humanitie 21 Christes body receiued from heaueÌ„ by faith Folio 23 Christes fleshe geueth life 23 Christ is the vyne touching his flesh 24 Christs priesthod hath ended the Leuites 32 Câ—â—ist loked vpon Peter â—â— Christes praier preserued Peter 87 Christes comming or sending what it is Folio 125 Christ is a substaÌ„ce 161 Christ is a spirit 161 CleaÌ„â—hes .iiii. reasons Fol. 60 CorrinthiaÌ„s punished for abusing the sacrament 29 Creatures are not punished by desteny 67 Corporally 108 D Dauid obtained vnderstanding how 31 Deuill no fleshly mocion 119 Deuils confesse Christ to be the sonne of God 119 Dial declarth y e dai 56 Diues Lazarus 58 Diagoras 59 E Eyes of God what they signifie 8 Earth cursed of God why â—â— Epiphanius 95 Euil meÌ„ receiueth not Christes body 28 F Fantasticall heads 2 Fancies what cause 3 Face of God what it signifieth 8 Fate what it is 67 Father vnbegotteÌ„ â–ª â—3 Fete of God what 10 Fear god aboue al. 21 First point of our profession 1 Finger of God 92 Figure of Christ. 110 Filleth heuen earth Folio 162 G God a pure substance Fol. 99 God a pure natur 14 Gods nature hid from our eies 12 Gods maiestie shewed Folio 3 Gods power vpholdeth y e heauens 62 Gods remission goeth before our loue 78 Gods word the keye of knowledge 52 gods sho what it is 11 Gods remission goeth before our pardo 74 God is a father 152 God is life 158 God only of hiÌ„self 62 God is a spirit 27 God is full of vnderstanding 31 God ia full of truth mercy 41 God is full of rightuousnes 43 God is ful of compassion 45 God is a floud or streme 158 God worketh al thiÌ„gs to purposes 56 God honored by swearing how 10 God is saide to be an husbandman 12 God is said to be a shoter how 12 God is saide to be angry how 15 God is said to slepe 15 God loketh vpon the earnest repentant 89 God was seene of the fathers how 18 God seeth the wicked euery where 21 God geueth vnderstanding to his 31 god is ful of mercy 41 God loueth whome he scourgeth 44 God saueth no man against his will 45 God maker of al thiÌ„gs Fol. 47 God made not the deuyll 51 Gods iudgement vnchercheable 17 Gods head 8 Gods repers 13 God robed of his 2 Good angels 115 Gospel is the spiritual sword 4 Gospel a sermon of gods mercy 5 Gospell maketh true christians idem H Hears of god 8 Hand of god 9 How god doth laugh Fol. 15 How god is said to awake to forget to remember to sit to staÌ„d to go to walke 16 How god is in all places 20 How god dwelleth w t vs. idem How god is vnto all men idem How Paule was a citezen of Rome 40 Hell hath thre significations 43 How god is said only to be immortal 46 How God is said to reste the seuenth day 71 How God is saide to repent 73 Howe we doe forgeue one another 77 How the Pope loseth and bindeth 83 How y e father is sene in Christ. 105 Holy ghost to be praid vnto 113 Holy ghost appeared like a doue 130 How Christ is a flour or a rose 132 How God is named y e somme of vnderstaÌ„ding 135 How God is fyre 〈◊〉 lyght 137 Heathen opinion confuted 144 How the father Christ and the holy spirite be one God 152 I Image of God 1 Image of the father is an Idol 13 Image of God lost 14 I am the vine this my body are diuers phrases 24 Iacobs saying to his father is no lie but a mistery 39 In hel no redeÌ„tion 42 Immortall properly Folio 47 Impossible for herd Fol. 94 K Kingdomes why they are translated 55 Kingdomes scourged why 58 L Leauen of the Phariseis 3 Letter kylleth what
it is 5 Left hand of God 9 Logyck necessary 17 Lying hated of God Folio 36 Loue suffereth al thinges 86 Lybertines errour 111 Lawe is an axe 126 M Mouth of God what Folio 9 Man made after the Image of God 13 Mans soul what ther is in 14 Malachie maketh nothinge for y e masse is plainly declared 32. Fol. 34 Man that was wounded 35 Ministers haue no sacrifice but common with the laitie 36 Marchaunt man 37 Mydwyues of Egipt Folio 37 Mans soule is bothe mortal and immortall 47 Man maketh himselfe euill 51 Mens knowledge vnperfect 73 Mary Magdalen 76 Ministers howe they do forgeue retaine synne 79 Manichies confuted Fol. 148 N Nose of God what it signifieth 8 No sacrament is a sacrifice 35 No perfect difinition can be made of God Folio 99 O Only God is to be sworne by 10 Our lyfe a shadow in this world 16 Obiections answered Folio 29.42.44 Origenistes belefe 42 Oppression what mischief cometh therof 55 Our life a warfar 134 One God who ruleth all 147 One name 156 〈◊〉 grace 159 Our thoughtes miserable 179 P Picture none can be made of God 1.2 Papistes will haue their gloses 4 Papistes seke al meanes possible to driue vs from scripture 4 Phylosophy the true vse therof 18 Papistes saye here is Christ and there is Christ. 22 Pyghius calleth gods word a nose of waâ— Picklock 23 Pyghius argument answered 32 Peters vision 33 Papistes haue made seuen orders 36 Perfit causes 67 Peters keye what it is Folio 81 Pope cannot shew Peters last will 87 Proceading of the holy ghost 104 Parsonally 108 Papistes stubburn in their doings 116 Prophetes neuer prayed to no creaturs 121 Pithagoras 150 Perminides idem PreachiÌ„g a work â–ª 173 Papistes would be called to geue an auns to their faith 174 Peter prayeth to the holy spirit 175 R Right had of god 9 Reasons to proue thre persons 102.103 Resurrection 115 RaueÌ„s and not doues who 131 Reasons against praiyng to saynctes 146 S Symonides aunswer what god is 2 Spirit of god teacheth what god is 2 Straunge doctrine what it is 3 Samaritanes 3.2 Scripture is the power of god 4 Scripture ought to be studied 4 Scripture is the immortal sede 5 Shoulders of God what is ment 9 Synne seperateth vs from god 20 Substaunce of bread remayneth 24 Substaunce or natural propertie 26 Substaunce of bread not chaunged 27 Sacramentes of the new testament beter then the olde 27 SacrameÌ„tal receiuing necessary 30 Sacrifice of thaÌ„kes offred in all places 33 Scripture vseth to cal al thinges new 34 Scriptur ful of tropes and figures 39 Synne the cause of barones 49 Serpentes flyes and wormes why they were made 51 Syt in the temple of god what is signifieth 90 Samosathan an arch-heretike 109 Spirit is euery wher Folio 112 T Touchstone 3 Tong of god 9 This is my body expounded 24 Thre similitudes in y e sacrament idem Thankes ought to be geuen for the death of Christ. 50 Theues that robbed y e wouÌ„ded man 35 Thorder of ministers â–ª only 36 To affirme y t is false is to lye 38 The mouth that lieth killeth the soule 40 Trouble maketh vs to leran to know god 43 The cause in vs of coÌ„dempnation 45 The holy spirit is the maker of y e world 48 To maiÌ„tein a king 55 Thre opinions 66 To wash Christ. 76 To be renewed 96 the word substaÌ„ce 108 Thre bodies 109 The holy spirit forgeueth sinne 113 Two sortes of resurrections 115 The Godhead is vndefileable 125 The doâ—e a scholemaster vnto vs. 132 The workes of the .iii persons be vnseperated 139 Thaâ—es Milesius 149 Temples are to be dedicate to God only Fol. 176 V Uoice of God must be harkened vnto 1.2 Unwritten verities Folio 104 W What God is 1 WeapoÌ„s of our warfare 3 Worldly wisdom folyshnes 5 What is ment by these wordes he y â— is 7 Wombe of God 9 What stained red clothes be 11 Winges of God what they signifie 12 We shall see God face to face 16 Wickednes coueteth y e darke 2â— We caÌ„not escape gods hand 21 We must receiue the sacrament why 31 Wounded man what is signified 35 Wicked shal haue endles paine 42 Why god doth punish the Godly aferd 43 World is the workemanship of the whole trinitie 47 Why Christ is named a worde 48 World the workmanship of y e trinitie 49 Workes of God in beastes be not vnprofitable 51 Worlde gouerned by Gods prouidence 54 Why good men are afflicted 58 Why starres appeared at the birth of Christ Folio 64 Who is forgeuen and when 80 Who is the rock 83 Why Peter was named Sephas 84 Why Christ byddeth Peter thrise fede my shepe 85 What is most necessary in a preacher 86 Whether God can sin or lye or not 92 Word person 108 Why christ was born of a woman 120 Who are the brethren of Christ. 124 Why christ was born of a virgin espoused and maried 125 Why all men ar borne babes not able men Folio 126 We are the sonnes of God by adoption Fol. 126 Why Christ came in thende of the world Fol. 125 Why Christ was baptised 127 Why Christ suffered death 128 Why he died on the Crosse. 128 Why Christ toke our nature 128 Why the holy ghoste apered 130 Why the spirit is named oyle 167 FINIS AN OTHER TABLE TO finde harde textes and suche as haue bene abused for euill purposes plainly and truly expounded GEne 1. In y e begynninge God created heauen and earth 48 Gene. 1. The spirit of the Lorde was borne vpon the waters 49 Gene. 1. God saide let ther be light God said let there be a firmameÌ„t Folio 49 Gene. 1. Let vs make man to our similitude and after our likenes fol. 13. cha 27. fol. 138 Gene. 1. God behelde all that he had made â—o they were exceading good 49.50 Gen. 2. God rested the seuenth daye from all his workes 71.72 Gene. 3. Adam where art thou 73 Gene. 3. Cursed be the earth in thy worke in sorowe shalt thou â—ate therof 50 Gen. 3. The sede of the woman shal grinde the serpentes head 123 Gene. 4. Where is Abel thy brother 73 Gene. 6. I repent me y t I made man 73 Gene. 12. AbrahaÌ„ said to Sara his wyfe say I pray thee that thou art my sister 38.39 Gene. 18. And the lord appeared vnto AbrahaÌ„ and he lift vp his eies and loked and lo three men stoode not far froÌ„ him 103.104 Gen. 18. And ther came two angels to Sodom at euen 104 Gene. 24. You shall bring my hoare heares w t sorow vnto hel 43 Gen. 26. Isaac dwelled in Gerat the men of the place asked him of his wife he said that she was his sister 38 Gene. 27. Isaac sayde vnto Iacob art thou my son Esau and he said I am Esau thy eldest son 38 Exod. 1. And the mydwyues answered Pharao y e Hebrues womeÌ„ are sturdy women deliuered before we come at them God therfore
earth and al the glorious fairnes of them they brought the children of Israel out of the house of bondage they preserued them from the tyranny and oppression of the Heathen they gaue also vnto the Heathen prosperitie and aduersitie peace war pouertie and riches â–ª they gouerne the vniuersal church whose workes be vnseparable Wherfore I thinke it necessary to declare what God is and what a persone signifieth in the deitie for as much as the commen sort of peple are ignoraÌ„t of their maker and gouernour and the signification of a persone is applied to diuerse things And because these two pointes be darke and hidden misteries and no lesse necessary to be knowen of al men then hard to teach I wil shape my speach after such a perceiuable fashioÌ„ that I may by Gods help make an Image of God for the capacitie of y e simple and vnlearned God spake to the Israelites out of the fire in the mount Oreb it is writteÌ„ y t they heard a voice but they sawe no Image because they should make none after it For it is a dishonor to God a derogation and defaming of the diuine nature to make any similitude therof ether of gold siluer stone wood or in thought and minde We must hear his voyce we must learn what God is out of Gods boke not of mans wisdome For if al thinges which be vnder the sunne be to hard for man as the wyse maÌ„ telleth how much more be the secretâ—â— of Gods nature hid from his eies of the whiche Esay wryteth Truly Lorde thou art hidden from vs counting himselfe one of the ignoraunt Simonides a famous clarke among the HeatheÌ„ teacheth vs how feble maÌ„s wyt is in declaring this misterie who when he was enquired of king Hiero what a thing God was he asked a day respite and the next day when he was enquired again he asked two daies more when they were expired he asked more not ceassing to double his daies vntil Hiero required of him why he did so For because said Simonides the more I consider it the darker it is vnto me And no maruel for as no man knoweth what is in man but y e spirit of maÌ„ so al men be ignorant what God is except thei be taught of y e spirit of God For seing Paul saith the eie hath not sene nor the eare hath not heard ne yet haue entred into the hert of maÌ„ the things which God hath prepared for them that loue him howe much more doeth he himself surmount our capacities But it foloweth God hath opened them vnto vs by his spirit for the spirit searcheth al things yea the botom of gods secretes And this spirit speaketh breatheth on vs in the scriptures as it is written My wordes are spirit and life Experience doth teache vs and the Apostle warneth vs how saÌ„tastical our heads be in searching Gods misteries For some imagine God to be a corporal thing of maÌ„s shape and forme because the scripture doth grauÌ„t in diuerse places vnto God hands fete eares eies mouth tong called comenly Anthropo morphites Read the .x. boke of the tripartite historie .vii. chap. and there you shal finde a great contention coÌ„cerning this matter betwene the monkes of Egipt and Theophilus bishop of AlexaÌ„dria albeit the sect of the Epicurus held this assercion long before as it appereth in the first bok of Tullie De natura deoruÌ„ wher this opinion is eloquently confuted by Cotta a Senatour of Rome Other rob God of his glory geue it vnto his creatures worshipping y e Sun the Mone the fier yea and mortal men for the immortal God and vnreasonable beastes for the authour of al reason wisdome and vnderstanding And some dishonor him by honoring of dead saintes and worshipping of bread and wine without any coÌ„maundment of the scripture any exaÌ„ple in the old or new testament any authoritie of the doctors I wyll not stand in rehersing the sundry phantasies of men as touching God What is the cause of al these phansies diuersities but that for which Esay controleth vs saieng The oxe knoweth his Lord and the asse his masters stall but we know not god Come therfore good christen people harken to the wordes of the Lorde I wil shew you in them y e maiestie of God himself his face countenaÌ„ce his magnificeÌ„ce highnes which cannot abide the felowship of any creatures Paul vnto the Hebrues warneth vs that we be not caried away with diuerse and straung doctrine which 〈◊〉 much to say as if he shuld coÌ„maunde vs to flie mans doctrine For mâ—n be the strauÌ„gers whose doctrine he biddeth vs flie as Peter witnesseth â—early beloued I besech you as straungers Pilgâ—ims c. Paul also expouÌ„deth hâ—mâ—elf saying that Abraham Isaac and Iacob confessed themselues to â—e straungers and Pilgrimes vpoÌ„ the 〈◊〉 dwelling in tentâ—s And Christ saith that his shâ—pe hear not the voice of straungers that is the doctrine of men the whiche in the viii of Marâ—â—e is called the leauen of the Pharisies and of Herod Wherfore if we be shepe of his pasture and people of his handes let vs folow his counsel for he is our shepeheard our head and the truth and of his Apostles for they are his labourers and workemen remembring that Dauid saith vnderstanding is good to them that doe after it For he that knoweth his maisters wil and will not folow it he shal be more greuovsly punished Christ saith vnto a woman of Samaria at Iacobs wel besides Sichar y t she her people worshipped they knew not what for they leaned to custume fathers rather then to the text of Gods word saiyng our fathers worshipped in this mountain But the Ieweâ—â—leauing vnto Gods word and worshipping in the temple knew what they worshipped the whiche was written for our enstruction that we shuld repare vnto the scriptures in all doutes and controuersies the which is the only touch stone to examin and trie al doctrine the forged pretensed and false from the sincere germane true The weapons of our warre saith Paul are not carnal thinges but the power of God to cast down strong holdes to ouerthrow inuentions that is to vanquish heresie to destroy all il doctrine Verely the Gospel is that power of God for so Paul tearmeth it vnto saluation to all them that beleue The Gospel is the spiritual swerd that shall preuaile against Sathan much more against heretikes and his members this swerd shal ouercome Antechrist whom god shal sley w t the breath of his mouth With this swerd Christ confounded the deuil mainteined his disciples sclaundred of the Phariseis as Sabboth breakers proued the resurrectioÌ„ against the Saduces taught a certain yong man y e way to heauen contented the Phariseis touching mariage with this swerd the Apostels in diuerse assembles confuted the Iewes after Christes
ascension as in their actes is regestred The papistes replie that the scripturs are not sufficieÌ„t and able to confouÌ„d heretikes but their interpretations and gloses vpon them because they be not plaine and euident but dark and hard and may be wrested to many purposes How did Christ confute the deuil With scripture or expouÌ„ding the scriptures Again Gods word is a lanterne a light it turneth the soule it geueth wisdome eueÌ„ vnto babes it reioyseth y e hart it lightneth the eyes it is a candle shining in a darke place therfore not hard nor darke but easy plain and to be studied of all men hygh low pore and rich spirituall and lay For the holy pacieÌ„t man Iob saith that the lyfe of man is nothing els then a very warfare vpon the earth ful of misery trouble set about with a great multitude of mortal enemies the deuil the world and the flesh Wherfore the sweard of Gods word is very necessary vnto al that be in this warfare For who goeth to battell without a sweard Doth not he y t taketh away thy sweard betray the vnto thyne aduersaries Christe saith he y t hath no sweard let him sel his coat by him one and the papistes seke al meanes possible to spoyle y e people of their sweard which is Gods word saieng it wil make them heretiks for Litera occidit spiritus est qui viuificat The letter killeth and the spirit quikneth is Gods word the letter TheÌ„ we must not reade it â–ª least it kill vs least it make vs heretykes But harken what master Doctour of all veritye saith Sermo tuus veritas est Thy word is truth And Peter calleth the selfe same immortall seed by which we are borne a newe and which lasteth and lyueth for euer Doth immortal seed kyl vs Doth truth make vs heretikes Christ declareth the operatioÌ„ of this seed saieng now you ar cleane by my word Paule saith Fides exauditu that faith commeth therof not heresy These frutes this seed engeÌ„dreth where it is sowen truth cleannes of life regeneration and faith He that talketh with wyse men becometh wiser by ther coÌ„munication And shall not he that talketh with God y e authour of al wysdom in his scriptures be edified therby TheÌ„ what is Littera occidens the murthering letter Truly the lawe which causeth anger by which cometh knowledge of sin which is a scolemaster vnto Christ. The lawe first killeth that Christ may make alyue it condempneth that Christ may iustify it sheweth sinne he healeth sinne The gospel is a sermon of Gods mercy that he hathe blotted out oure sinnes by fayth onelye in Chrystes bloude it maketh no heretykes xii men by preachynge of it made the vnfaythefull and heretikes faithful and true Christians this candel was not light to be put vnder a bushel but to be set in the candelstick to geue light to them that be in Gods house For Christe crieth wo worth them that take away the key of knowledge nether entring them selues ne yet suffring other to enter The key of knowledge is Gods holy testament and word that whiche before we called the touchston to discerne good doctrine froÌ„ euil When thei had taken the touchstone from vs they made vs beleue that Peuter was siluer and they sold vs copper for gold making y e scriptures a nose of wax and a tenis baule wresting them vnto euery purpose Thus we sée from wheÌ„ce we must fetch the knowledge of God verely out of Gods word whiche is the truth and not out of the questionistes or schole meÌ„ or other like For he saith by his Apostle I wil destroy the wisdome of the wyse and I will cast away the vnderstanding of the prudent Where is the wise where is the Scribe wher is the searcher of this world Hath not God made y e wisdom of this world folishnes As God is knowen only of himself so we must only learne of hym what he is As for man he knoweth no more what God is then the vnreasonable beastes know what man is yea and so much lesse as there is more difference betwene God and man then betwene man and the beastes Wherfore all leauen al straunge doctrine and mans wisdom set apart I will see what the scriptures teach vs concerning God nor I wil not disdain to aske where I shall see cause nor be ashamed to learne where I am ignorant desiring him that readeth this treatise where the scripture is plain to beleue for except we beleue we shal not vnderstand where it is doubtfull to search with me where he seeth himself out of the way to reuoke his opinion where he seeth me in an errour to enforme me and I will be glad to learne and so we shall folow the rule of charitie searching both after God whome it is written Seke the Lorde and hys strength seke his face euermore The second Chapter ¶ God only is of him self WHen Moses desired y e Lord to shew him his name the Lord saide vnto him I am that I am That is to wit I am of my self I am only Nothing is of it selfe without creation without corruption saue only I which am that I am Whiche vnderstanding God himself doth declare speaking further vnto Moses this shalt thou saye vnto the childreÌ„ of Israel He that is did send me vnto you for nothiÌ„g is saue only God forasmuch as they stand not by their proper strength but by the power and goodnes of him The heauens the waters the earth the hillâ—s would fall onles he measured the heauen with hys span held the waters in his fist comprehended the whole earth in thre fingers weyed the mountaines and hilles in a balaunce by which phrases is ment that he gouerneth ordreth and disposeth theÌ„ as he listeth Nether the Sunne could geue light ne yet the fire heat al thinges would decay and perishe onles he did rule them as the soull doth mans body vnto whom only that belongeth and apperteineth â–ª which the Grekes cal on the Latinistes est as witnesseth the Apostle Non est in illo est non sed est in illo est Of all other thinges non may be said for once they were not but not of God because he was alwaies he is and he is to come all thinges haue their being of him and he of him self Except we vnderstand this saying he that is sent me vnto you after this sort it maketh no difference betwene God and his creatures For all be it they haue not their beginning of themselues but of him yet it is truly said of them that they are Moreouer what could y e Isralites haue thought Moses to haue ment by these wordes he that is then a certain man sent hym vnto them If they had taken Moises so they would not haue left Egipt and folowed hym into the wyldernes but they toke these wordes he that is
for God himself and therfore folowed him â–ª the which throughout the Bible be neuer spoken of any creature but only of him that made all creatures The name of God also declareth thys sence to be true which is Ihuh of foure letters in all tongues in Greke Theos in Latin Deus in English Dutch God in the FreÌ„ch Dieu in spanishe Dios in the Almaines tong Gott and therfore called Tetragram maton and in Latin Quadrilitterum deriued of Essendo or rather that word that signifieth Esse in the Ebrue is deriued of it The Iewes read for that worde Adonai not that it can not be expressed in their tongue but for a reuerence to Gods name the which as they thought was not once to be named The .iii. Chapter ¶ God is a spirit and how the scriptures do graunt vnto him a head eies handes feet and all other partes of mans body God is a bird a shoter a husbandman Christ is his Image and man also WE reade also in y e scriptures that God is a spirit and no corporall thing God is a spirit and thei that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth the Lorde no doubt is a spirit But you will say if God be a spirit how is it thâ—t the Prophet affirmeth him to measure heauen with his span to hold the waters with his fist the earth in thre fingers Dauid also saieth The eies of the Lord are ouer the rightuouse and his eares are opeÌ„ vnto their praiers and the hand of the Lord hath driueÌ„ out the HeatheÌ„ Hath a spirit fingers haÌ„ds eies and eares Whersoeuer scripture doth attribute vnto God a head eares eies eieliddes nose mouth lips tonge heart wombe handes right or left fingers or a finger an arm hinder partes fete it is not to be vnderstand litterally but a spirituall sence is to be gathered of such wordes Bycause our vnderstandinges be weak not able to perceiue God if he should vse such words as become his maiestie he boroweth coÌ„mon plain words to declare a difficult matter vnto vs and euen as mothers before they can teach their yoÌ„g babes to speak are faine as it were to lispe stammar stut with them so God to teach our capacities vseth these familiar maner of speches When thou readest that God hath a head thou must vnderstand his deuine nature which was beâ—â—re all thinges vnto it al thinges be obedieÌ„t His heares signifie his Angels and the whole multitude of the chosen Dan. 7. his clothing was as whit as snow y e hear of his head lyke pure woll where the head of God is his deitie and Godhead his clothing and his heares be his Angels and elect which be like whit snow and pure woll God is said to haue eies bicause he seeth al thinges and nothing is hid from him in whose sight as the Apostle telleth no creature is vnuisible for all thinges be nakâ—d and open vnto his eies His eies also sometimes be taken for his fauour The eies of the Lord are ouer the rightuous His eie liddes be taken for his secret iudgements His eie liddes beholde the children of men He is sayd to haue eares bicause he heareth al things The eare of the gelouse heareth all thinges the noise of the grudgings shall not be hid His nose doth signifie his inspirations in the herts of the faithful Smoke went out of his nosetrelles The face of God is the knowledge of his deuine nature of the whiche is wrytten shewe vs the lyght of thy couÌ„tenaunce and we shall be hole that is graunt vs to know thee Otherwyse Gods face signifieth y e vnuisible nature of Christes deuinitie as Exo. doâ—h declare you shal se my hinder partes but my face you can not see that is thou shalt se Christes humanitie but his diuinitie can not be seen Gods mouth is takeÌ„ for the sonne of God the father We haue prouoked his mouth vnto wrath or his commaundement The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Gods tongue is the holy Ghost My tongue is the pen of a redy wryter His arme signifieth Christ of whom Ieremy writeth Thou hast brought thy people of Israel out of the land of Egipt w t an almightie hand with a stretched out arme Wher also Christ is called y e hand of God For he is both his arme his hand Moreouer Gods hand is taken some tyme for his power Beholde ye house of Israel ye are in my hand euen as the clay in the potters hand Some time for his scourge saith he I wil stretche forth my hand ouer Iuda and Hierusalem and I wil rote out the remnaunt of Baal of the which scourge Iob saith the hand of the Lord hath touched me Furthermore Christe iâ— called Gods right hand The right hand of the Lord hath done maruelles the right hand of the Lord hath gotten the victory It is vsed also for the glory of the father concerning which he saith to his sonne syt on my right haÌ„d And in some places for euerlasting ioy and life And he shal set y e shepe on his right hand and the Goats on the left hand wher as his right hand is taken for uerlasting ioye so his lefte hand signifieth the tormentes of the wicked Gods finger is the holy ghost If I cast out deuils in y e finger of God c. For where Luke saieth in the finger of God it is in Mathew If I cast out deuils in the spirit of God Gods finger therfore is his holy comforter For as the hand finger and arme are thre and yet but of one body so y e father y e sonne and the holy ghost are thre persons and one substaunce one God The heart of God y e father signifieth the secret of his wisdom of which he begate his word that is his sonne without beginning without any passion my heart is enditing a good matter His wombe is vsed in thesame signification Of my womb before the morning star I begat thee God is said also to haue shulders because he beareth vp all thinges as it were vpoÌ„ his shulders for al things stand by him The hinder parts of God is Christs humanitie the which he toke vpon him in the end of the world that we might liue without end which is called also Gods fete For as his head signifieth his deuinitie so his fete signifie Christes humanitie the which is subiect vnto Gods deitie as our fete are vnto our heads Thou hast put all thinges in subiection vnder his fete In some places preachers of Gods worde be ment by his fete They that drawe nigh hys fete shal tast of his doctrine You swearers blasphemers which vse to swear by Gods heart armes nailes guttes legges and handes learne what these thinges signifie and leaue your abhominable othes For when thou swearest by Gods heart
thou swearest by Gods wisdom when thou swearest by Gods armes thou swearest by Christ when y u swearest hands legs thou swearest by his humanitie wheÌ„ thou swearest by his tong and finger thou swerest by the holy ghost and swearing by his head thou swerest by his diuine and blessed nature and swearing by his heares thou abusest his creatures by which thou art forbiddeÌ„ to swear WheÌ„ an oth is necessary we are bounde to swear by God only vnto whom al honor is due for we honor that thing wherby we swear It is naught to swear by the Masse a prophanacion of Christes supper and a patched creature of the Byshop of Rome which was longer in patching then SalomoÌ„s great teÌ„ple in building Nether is it lawfull to swear by any sainctes as Iudges and Stewardes make the simple people do at cessions and courtes for if they be to be sworne by they are to be praied vnto and to be honored Dauid saieth all they that swear by him shalbe commeÌ„ded And Paul vnto the Hebrues speaketh thus that God because he had no greater thing to swear by swore by him self wherby we must gather y t we must swear by God only Thei that swear by his creatures or by the Masse be Idolaters But some wil say if we honor y â— thing wherby we swear let vs swear by God that we may honor him Brother be not deceiued God is honored by swering but how Truly when thou swearest by him in a waighty matter of life death before an officer or in any other matters of importaunce thou dost hym honor and homage but if in euery trifle thou call him to witnes thou dishononorest him and breakest his commaundement which saith Non assumes nomen domini c. Thou shalt not take y e name of thy Lord God in vaine Swear therfore by God as God hath commauÌ„ded thee thou honorest him I trust nowe it is euident that God not withstaÌ„ding all these forsaid partes and members is a spirit and no bodely no corporall no sensible thing If ther be any that think otherwyse I would fain learn how thei set the scripturs together which can not be contrary one to another for scripture is truth and truth can by no meanes be contrary to the truth If they wil proue of the places before that God is like man I will proue also because the scripture saith who is this y t cometh froÌ„ Edom with stained red clothes of Bosra whiche is so costly that God goeth in a red coat whiche if it be true he must nedes haue a tailer or els make it himself for those wordes ar spoken of God as the place sheweth But if we weigh the place diligently we shall find that Edom is the earth the stained red clothes are Christes bloude whiche he did shed vppon earth for our sinnes And they whiche demaund who he is be his creatures which shall maruel at the wisdom of God in deliuering mankind from the bondage of the spiritual Pharao by bloud by death by the crosse I wil proue also y t he hath shoes for he saith by Dauid ouer Edom wil I strech out my shoe And then he must nedes haue a shomaker or els make shoes him selfe But Edom is the earth the Apostels fete be his shoes for it is written how bewtiful are the fete of them which bryng glad tidinges of peace He stretched his shoe ouer the earth when he sent them to preach to al creatures For their sounde went into all landes their words to the ends of the world I may proue also with lyke argumentes vnto these bycause Gods worde doth attribute wynges vnto God that he is a byrd and so if he be lyke a man and a byrd both he is a moÌ„ster and bicause it doth attribute vnto him bow shaftes quyuer that he vseth shoting bicause it graunteth to him a fan a flore wheat chaffe that he occupieth husbandry Dauid saith defend me vnder the shadowe of thy wynges likening God to a bird forasmuche as he is no lesse carefull for his chosen then the Hen is for her chickens as Christ declareth very well crying Ierusalem Ierusalem howe often wold I haue gathered thy children together as the hen gathered hir chickeÌ„s vnder hir winges and ye would not And it graunteth God bow and shaftes and a quiuer to signifie him to be a punisher of the vngodly and a rewarder of the Godly for as muche as men minister helpe or vengeaunce one to another oftentimes through bowes and shaftes and one Prince aideth an other with archers He hath bent his bow saith Dauid and made it ready he hath prepared weapons of death and ordeined arowes to destroy that is he wil aueÌ„ge euil meÌ„ he wil reward them for their oppression â–ª he wil punish them for their vngracious deuises except they amende he hathe whet his swerde And â—ell may God be compared to a shoter For as the shoter the lesse or more he draweth his shaft his stroke is therafter and if he draw it far and vp to the Iron then it payeth likenes of God Yea truly but in soule in mind in y â— inward man not touching his body Wherfore Augustin a man most expert in Gods word crieth out against the Image of the trinitie calling it Sacrilegium A staining of Gods honour and an Idoll because the glory of the immortall God is chaunged into y e similitude and Image of mortall man forbidding such an Image not only in the church but also in thought mind I suppose that the Antropomorphites erected this Image When Philip desired Christ to shew him the father he rebuked him and aunswered he that seeth me seeth the Father for he is the only Image of the Father as Paul writeth not a domme Image for he is his word not a dead Image for he is life and resurrection not couÌ„terfet for he is truth God is a spirit not fleshe a soull not a body The soull of man is sayde to be made Ad imaginem similitudinem dei after the Image of God because it is a spirituall creature vnuisible vncorruptible not of the substaunce of God as the Maniches and the Priscillianistes do falsly defend but made of nothing For then it should know all thinges as God knoweth and be ignoraunt of nothing it should be voyd of al affections mutabilitie and vnconstancie There is in mans soull reason discerning good from euil truth from falshead There is memory by the whiche he remembreth thinges past there is will by the whiche he choseth what hym lyketh Besides this our first parentes were made with out spot voyd of sinne clean righteous holy replenished with al floures of vertues and knowledge In these thinges man was formed after the lykenes of God In these we be like y e Angels our bodies we haue comen with the brute beastes it was made of the
spirituall creatures and whatsoeuer also is visible is also mutable God is said only to be inuisible bicause he is void of all mutabilitie He saieth vnâ—â— Moyses no man shall see me and lyue By Iohn Baptist no man hath sene God at any time If no man hath seen GOD howe did the faithfull of the olde Testament se him The scripture saith that the Lord spake vnto Moises face to face as a maÌ„ speaketh vnto his frend And Micheas affirmeth vnto king Achab the wicked I saw the Lord sit on his seat and all the company of heaueÌ„ standing about him Steauen also y e first martir that we read of in the new Testament loking vp stedfastly with his eies vnto heauen sawe y e glory of God Iesus standing on his right hand To these I answer Moises saw not God with his bodely eies who is a spirit nor thou cannot gather any such thing of the text which saieth that God spake vnto hym face to face as a man vnto his frend that is God talked familiarly with hym not that he sawe him in that place albeit we read oftentimes that God appeared vnto him and to all the Israelites but not in his owne nature and substaunce but in his creatures and visible formes For Moises desireth God afterward if I haue fouÌ„d fauour in thy â—ight shew me thy self manifestly wherfore he did not se him manifestly before but only talked with him And as for Micheas and Steauen they sawe God as Paul did when he was caried vp vnto the third heauen with the eies of their belefe of their minde not of their body As long as we continue in this life we shall neuer se the deuine and blessed nature because our hartes be vnclean Blessed be the pure in hart saieth Christ for they shal se God This lyfe is a warfare and a purifying of our hartes by faith from sinne As long as the warfare endureth there is no perfect victory of sinne for victory maketh an ende of warre the victory of sinne is the perfect vision of Gods glory whiche is gotten by faith as Iohn the beloued disciple testified This is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the worlde but he that beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God Of these it appereth that God is a pure nature vnchaungeable vnsearcheable inuisible The .vii. Chapter ¶ God is euery where and howe Christ is in the Sacrament HE is also euery where by nature not by grace according to which he saith by Ieremy heauen and earth do I fill For the heauens be hys seat and the earth is his fotestole Thys thing belongeth only vnto God and to no creature nether spirituall ne corporall A certain Christen man being demaunded of a Phllosopher where God was enquired of him wher he was not Wherfore the sonne and the holy ghost be no creatures for of the sonne it sayd wisdom reacheth from one end vnto an other mightely and ordereth al thinges louingly and of the holy comforter lykewyse The spirit of the Lord filleth the round compasse of the worlde and vpholdeth all thinges There is a great difference betwene mans soull and his body but exceading more difference betwene God his creatures who made both the soull and the body He is not sayde to fulfyll the world as the water the ayre the Sunne light which by deuisioÌ„ be in many places he is in al places without diuision wholy and conteined in no place But as a sound or noyse is hard more of some lesse of other some being of equal distaunce from it as they be of quick or dull hearyng so all be it God be present with all thinges yet he is in some more plentifully in some lesse not with parcialitie but according to the diuersities of their capacities If God be in all places how is it true that wysdom doth not enter into a frowarde soule ne dwell in a body subdued vnto synne Surely synne doeth seperate vs from God for what coÌ„pany hath lyght with darkenes What concord hath Christ with Beliall What felowship hath truth with falshod I answer God is said to dwel to enter where he fauoureth where he loueth after whiche sort he is not in the wicked but after another sort he is in them For where he is not by hys fauour and grace he is by his righteousnes where he is not a benefactour he is a punysher where he is not a dweller he is an auenger But Christ saieth if a man loue hym that his father and he wyll come to hym if they wyll come to hym they were not with hym before and so God is not in al places This text sheweth howe all suche thinges are to be vnderstanded in God The words expouÌ„d one another which be these If a man loue me he wyl kepe my word and my father also wyll loue him and we wil come vnto him dwell with him Where the comming of God the father and dwelling is the same that goeth immediatly before my father also wyl loue hym These wordes be a good comentary to the other wordes before we wyl come to hym we wil dwel with him Wherof it is manifest that all such phrases darke speaches and ridels make nothing against the presence of God in al places but rather fortifie and establish it we can go no whither from his spirit we can flie no where from his face if we climme vp vnto heaueÌ„ he is there if we go down vnto hell he is also there We must not imagin him to be coÌ„teined in place and yet he is al thing in al. He is to all men as he findeth them he is good in them that he findeth good yll to them that be yll he is a helper in them that be good and a punisher in theÌ„ that be euill If thou lokest for any succour help or ayd at Gods hand forsake that is euill aâ—d folowe that is good When thou stealest or goest about aduoutry thou tariest for the darke thou louest the night because thy workes be of darkenes lest thou shouldest be seen and shamed lest thou shouldest be taken and hanged Thou goest vnto the kings high way and takest a standing thou goest to thy neighbours house and robbest hym thou ridest vp to London to sue thy neighbour to robbe him of his right Cal to remembraunce that God is with thee euery where he is with thee goyng he is with thee by the way he is with thee when thou art doing thy deuelish purpose he staÌ„deth by and loketh on wryting thy fact as it were in a paire of tables and at the last day he wil make it knowen vnto al men to thy vtter confusion shame and condemnation If thou be afrayed of men that destroy the bodi fear him that hath power to throw both thy body and soull headlong into hell into the lake that
a contrite heart a cleane sacrifice Yea truly or els it were not to be offered vp vnto God to whom no vncleane thyng is to be presented Paul speaking of this sacrifice calleth it a holy and an acceptable sacrifice saying I besech you therfore brethren by the mercies of God y t you make your bodies a quick sacrifice holy and acceptable vnto God c. He meaneth not that we should kyl ouâ— bodies slea our selues but kil al our carnal lustes vnlawful desires euil affections in the body which is a sacrifice of a contrite and humble hart And wher as Pighius affirmeth against this that our harts be vnclean I deny it not but neuerthelesse God accepteth them as clean and calleth theÌ„ so in his word as by Dauid saying Make me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me And by Christ blessed be y e pure in heart or clean hearted for they shal se God We read in the actes when Peter was a hongred at Cornelius house that the heauens opened certen vessels came doun to him as it had bene a great shete knit at four corners wherin were all maner of four â—oted beastes and that he was bidden to arise and kill but he would not saying he did neuer eat no vncleane thinges but he was aunswed and commaunded not to esteme any thing vnclean which God hath câ—â—nsed Euen so I say vnto Pighius y t seing Paul Dauid Christ cal it a clean sacrifice and that GOD hath puritiâ—ied our hearts it becometh not hym to name it otherwyse For a good man a good tree out of the good treasure of his heart bryngeth out good fruit But the papistes say that this is no new sacrifice I affirme that it is for as much as God saith behold I make al thinges new If all thinges be new then this is a new sacrifice albeit we haue it commeÌ„ with the fathers of the old testament The scripture vseth to call thinges new when they be commaunded a new as Christ commaunding his disciples to loue one another before his passion saith I geue you a new coÌ„mauÌ„dement that ye loue one another And Iohn likewise again a new commaundement I wryte to you not that these coÌ„maundements were not meÌ„cioned before but that they were so necessary that it pleased God to renue them againe in which signification the oblation of a coÌ„trite heart may also be called a new sacrifice and that after the phrase of the holy scripture although Pighius spurne against it who not knowing or not remeÌ„bring this acception of neâ—enes doth falsly affirme that the sacrifice that Malachie entreateth only apperteineth vnto priests I trust I haue sufficiently declared bi the testimonies of Gods word that a contrite heart is that cleane and new sacrifice offred in al places of which Malachie speaketh That y e Lordes supper which men cal the masse is not a sacrifice for sinne S. Paul declareth plainly saying sine sanguinis effusione c. that without sheding of bloud no sacrifice caÌ„ blot out sinne If Christ be sacrificed or offred in his supper for the expiacion of sinne his precious and moste coÌ„fortable bloud is shed again is poured forth again for without bloudshed is no remission it must be a bloudy sacrifice not a drie sacrifice for which synne is pardoned Christ saieth Paull by his owne bloud entred once for all into the holy place and found eternal redemption so that all sinne both that is past and that which is to come in the chosen is shal be pardoned by hys eternall sacrifice which was offred once for al on y e crosse And sinne being forgeueÌ„ as the Apostle telleth by the vertue of it there remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne but only a coÌ„memoracion a memorial For the loue of God of our own soules let vs kepe vse this sacrament and other in the church as Christ the author of all sacramentes coÌ„maundeth He mencioneth no such vse or rather abuse and prophanacion That is a sacrament in whiche God certifieth vs by some outward and sensible signe y t he geueth vnto vs sumwhat as for an exaÌ„ple in baptisme there is water which preacheth vnto vs remission of sinnes by Christs bloud Now a sacrifice is an other thing for in a sacrifice we geue dedicate and presente some thing vnto him Wherfore the supper of the Lord is no sacrifice for sin for asmuch as it is a sacrament Marke this differeÌ„ce brethren and be no longer disceiued The parable of the theues teacheth vs y t Christes coming hath disanulled al such priesthod as is called sacerdotiuÌ„ but presbiterum remaineth The priestes and Leuites passe by leaue the wounded maÌ„ which was robbed going froÌ„ HierusaleÌ„ to Iericho vnholpeÌ„ vnprouided for Is not he socoured only of the SamaritaÌ„ The wounded man sigâ—ifieth all mankind who descended from Hierusalem to Iericho when he was expulsed out of paradise into this miserable world For Hierusalem is as much to say as visio pacis or visio perfecta a peaceable visioÌ„ of God which maÌ„ had in paradise The theues y t robbed and wouÌ„ded him were the Deuils that entised him to eat of the tree of concupiscence robbed him of his vnderstaÌ„ding of fre wil of dominioÌ„ lordship ouer al creaturs of y e image of God after which he was made made hym after the image of the deuil himself The priests the Leuits were not able to help him but only the Samaritan that is Christ healeth him and restored him to the image of God again Read ouer the four fiue seuen nyne and ten to the Hebrues and thou shalt find that the mark y t S. Paule shoteth at in thâ—se Chapters is only to fortifie that al suche outward priesthod is taken away Moreouer marke what I say vnto thee Read ouer al the new Testament and thou shalt not find once this word Sacerdos Priest applied or spoken of any one sort of ministers as the commen sort do vse it but wheÌ„ it is refeâ—â—ed to the Phariseis to such as do apperteine without al doubt to the old testameÌ„t it is referred always to all christen people which all be Sacerdotes thorow Christ and ministers haue no maner of sacrifice but commen with the laitie both men and women that is to say the sacrifice of thankes geuyng the quicke and lyuely oblacion of their own bodies the new Testament requireth no other sacrifice I doe not meane that euery man or woman may christen marie purify women may leuse binde consciences may distribute the holy sacrament but I mean that popish outward priesthod is crept into the churche of God against the word of God and I do beleue and confesse no mo orders of ministers but thre that is Deacons and Presbiters Bishops These thre the scriptures aloweth and shewed the maner of their creation and declareth their
this was no audible voyce no sounding or transitory noyse commyng from the lightes but God said be there light fyrmament c. that is to saye God made these thinges by his saying â–ª by his word by his voice which is christ as it is writteÌ„ In y e beginniÌ„g was y e word that is in y e father was christ al thiÌ„gs were made by it and nothing was made without iâ— as Moises teacheth very wel repeting these wordes Deus dixit God sayd in y e creatioÌ„ of euery thiÌ„g And why is Christ called his fathers word Truly bicause he is his image and no man cometh to the knowledge of the father but by the sonne And as we do open manifest and declare our mindes one to another by our words and communication so God is disclosed opened and discouered by Christ. No man hath sene God at any time thonly begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him in his sermons he is sincerely published and plainly painted and portraied For this cause he is surnamed y e saying of God and an audible and a traÌ„sitory word not properly but by a metaphore and borowed spech And this traÌ„sitory word made al thinges vpholdeth al thinges gouerneth al things Nowe touching the holy spirit we read in the first Chapter of generation spiritus domini ferebatur the spirit of y e Lord was born vpoÌ„ the waters Many do expouÌ„d by the spirit in this text the wynd but it can not be taken so for many causes First the wynd is the exhalatioÌ„ or spirit of the waters this was y e spirit of God as the text doth say Moreouer y e wind then was vncreat vnmade For I think no man wil defend that the wind was made before the first day which is made after these wordes And others do read for ferebatur super aquas fouebat vel exclu debat aquas the spirit did bring forth or hatch the waters so in dede the word signifieth in the Sirian tonge wherfore was borne vpon the waters is no blast of wind but a metaphore of the hen and a borowed speach The hen is borne of her egs and sittteth vpon them and so hatcheth her yong and so the holy ghost was borne vpoÌ„ the waters sat vpon theÌ„ brought forth and hatched all creatures which there are called waters For as it is wrytten when thou lettest thy spirit go forth they are made Basil who for his great learning was surnamed magnus expoundeth this text thus sayth that his predecessors toke it so and S. Austen is of the same mind and Philip MelancthoÌ„ aloweth their interpretatioÌ„ Thus it is euident y t the vniuersal world is the workmaÌ„ship of the whole trinitie whose workes be inseperable as they be inseperable and one almighty euerlasting inuisible vnsercheable god of one substaunce and nature power and maiestie who gathered the waters together as it werin a bottel who maketh y e cloudes his chariot and goeth vpoÌ„ the winges of the wind and who spreadeth out heauen like vnto a curteyn After that he had finished al his workes he beheld theÌ„ and â—o they were exceading good Now there be many thinges not good vnprofitable vnfrutful perilouse for thornes and thistels prick vs the gout greueth vs the pocks the canker consumeth vs the sciatica payneth vs spasmes palsies feuers noy vs serpentes doe poysen vs flies do bite vs cats do scrat vs flees do eat vs mouÌ„taines weary vs snow doth let vs thonders do fear vs the cocodrils do kil our bodies the deuyl our souls God made not these thinges for al that he made was good and if he made not these he made not al thinges The earth bringeth forth thornes and thistels and other venemous herbes not by nature but thorow the synne of man vnto whoÌ„ God speaketh Because thou hast obeyed the voyce of thy wyfe and hast eaten of the tree of which I commaunded the not to eat Cursed be the earth in thy worke In sorow shalt thou eat therof al the daies of thy lyfe and it shall beare thornes and thistels vnto thee and thou shalt eat the herbes of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread Before sinne we read not that the earth brought forth thistels bushes vnfruitful trees but grene gras fruitful trees herbes bearing holsome sedes The fal of Adam also caused al maner of griefs panges sicknes disease which then began to torment man when God had said In sorow shalt thou eat therof all the daies of thy life By this word sorow al such thinges be ment and signified If you aske me why God suffred the earth to bring forth thornes and vnfruitful trees my answer is not to pain the earth with theÌ„ which feleth no pain but to admonish vs of our synne to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of our fault to be a warning vnto vs as often as we se theÌ„ to take hede that we synne no more For if he punish the earth for our sinnes how much more will he punishe vs Wherfore this memory shall continue vntyll the sting of death which is sinne be taken away vntil that be brought to passe that is written death is consumed into victory death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory by vnfruitful trees he warneth vs y t we be not vnfruitful For as husbandmen forsake their trees not doÌ„ging not watring theÌ„ when they be baren but to burn them euen so God ceaseth to poure his blessinges vpon the vnfruitfull for he is a husbandman herken what his only son saith whom we are coÌ„maunded to hear I am the true vine and my father is the husbandmaÌ„ He that abideth not in me is cast forth as a braunch and is widdered and men gather it and cast it into the fier and it burneth This fruit we may gather and learn of the vnfruitfull tree By siknes partly he scurgeth vs for our sinne partly he trieth vs and lerneth vs his will as it is wrytten the ouen proueth the potters vessell so doth temptation of trouble try rightuous meÌ„ Now we are come to those whiche demaund who made serpentes Cocodriles flies wormes c. Of which much harm and no profite coÌ„meth Verely he who made al thinges Although they be hurtful vnto vs for our disobedience yet be they exceading good in their own nature and profite vnto the furnishing of the whole world no lesse then the other which we recount more profitable and preciouse If an ignoraunt man chaunce to go into a conning mans shop and happen to see many â—oles there that he knoweth not he thinketh them either to be vnprofitable or not necessary Euen so we in almightie Gods shop which is the world do iudge many thinges to be naught because we are ignoraunt The Cocodrill the litle flie the small flee haue their coÌ„moditie albeit we know it not Our
with y e holsome words of our Lord Iesus Christ nor with the doctrine of Godlinesse go out of theyr way walke in darknes ouerwhelm theÌ„ selues with reasons of mans wisdome â–ª learn always neuer can get the knowledge of hym wast their braynes about vnprofitable questions strife of words wheâ—of spring enuy railinges euill surmisings vaine disputacioÌ„s of men with corrupt myndes destitute of the truth Wherfore as the child before he is born into the worlde abideth in his mothers wombe and taketh all nourishment of her so we must learn what God is with in the boundes of his worde not at rouers vntil he mercifully deliuer vs from this bondage and out of the dungion of the body and graunt vs to behold hym face to face Now gathering a summe of my sayinges I wyll define what God is not that any perfect definition can be made of him for he is vnsercheable but for the capacities of the laytie for whose sakes I write this that they may behold him in a glas and a shadow who caÌ„ not be sene in this life perfectly God is a spirituall and pure substaunce or nature immutable inuisible vnsearcheable fyllyng heauen and earth ful of vnderstanding of truthe and rightuousnesse of mercy of wysdom of al maner of goodnes without beginning without ending not create not made and maker of al thinges subiect to nothing and gouerning al thinges knowing al things yea euen the inward thoughtes ententes and heartes of men forgeuing sinne only to be honoured called vpon only hearing iustifying and sauing vs of an almighty arme and maiestie the father vnbegotten the sonne bâ—gotten the holy spirit proceading from them both I haue declared before all these thinges to be attributed vnto God in hys holy worde and the scripture doeth not only not deny but eftsones graunt the same al and euery one vnto Iesus Christ our sauiour and to the holy ghost our comforter as it shall appeare more euidently hereafter Whervpon it must nedes folow that both Christ is God and the almighty conforter also by nature not by name only as thei of whoÌ„ it is writteÌ„ Ego dixi dii estis I haue spoken you are Gods The .xx. Chapter ¶ In what order he wil write of a persone NOw seyng that I haue shewed what God is accordynge to the talent of my knowledge I thinke it conuenient vnto my matter to declare what this word persoÌ„ signifieth in this place forasmuch as the signification therof is referred to diuerse things And because many heretikes do mistake and wrongly expouÌ„d this word in the glorious blessed trinitie as they know which haue read auncient chronicles of times past I wil first shew what a person is not the which is easier and with thesame that there be thre persons in y e supergloriouse deitie For we must learne weightie hard matters by foreknowledge of easy thinges This done I wil shew what the word persone doth signifie in the godhed then I wil applie the definitioÌ„ therof to Christ and then I wyl referre the same to the holy comforter I wil proue Christ to be a substauÌ„ce and I wil fortifie the holy spirit to be a substaunce and Christ to be vnconfounded and the holy spirit to be vnconfounded Finally I will portray paint the thre persons â—hat is the trinitie by corporal similitudes whose nature in it self is ineffable and vnsearcheable And albeit these thinges be profound and high misteries and as hard as they be necessary and vnknowen and neuer yet disclosed in our mothers tonge yet I wil so shape and order my oration and speache after such a homely perceiuable fashion as shalbe most mete agreing to the capacitie of those that be simple The .xxi. Chapter ¶ A persone is not a difference of vocation and office and that the fathers of the old testament worshipped a Trinitie THe PatripassiaÌ„s SabelliaÌ„s after them Phoâ—inus of late Seruetus define a person to be a certain coÌ„dition differeÌ„ce of office as wheÌ„ we say Rosâ—ius somtime susteined the persone of Achilles somtime of Blisses or y t a king a prophet be diuers persons For as one man may represent y e person of Achilles Vlisses nothing letteth but one maÌ„ may be a king a prophet as Dauid was so thei say that y e father is the son y e holy spirit also that they be not thre seueral persons The story of Christes christening banisheth this opinioÌ„ wher we se a notable difference of the thre persons The father soundeth these wordes this is my beloued son The son is sene staÌ„ding in Iordan y e holy ghost lighteth vpoÌ„ him in y e likenes of a doue If the father the son the holy ghost be thre names one thing as of this heretical definition of a person it must nedes folow then the father both souÌ„deth the forsayd words was baptised of IhoÌ„ in y e famous riuer of Iordan appeared also in y e likenes of a doue But this doctrine is contrary to the truth of the gospel Wherfor a persone is not a differeÌ„ce of office Furthermore the Apostles are coÌ„maunded to christen in the name of the father the son the holy ghost If the father be all thre he is named thrife so it is Tautologia ociosa a folish and vain repeticioÌ„ And this of S. Paul likewise Grace be with you peace from God our father froÌ„ the Lorde Iesus Christ who vseth this maner of salutatioÌ„ in al his Epistles the which is vain superfluous if we credit this dampnable opinion Hearken what he saith in an other place Vnto vs there is but one God whiche is the father of whom are al things and we in him and one Lord Iesus Christ. By whom are al thinges we by him Doth not he teach vs here that there be two persons one of the father the other of the son not confouÌ„ded together and that these two persons be but one God Christ saith My doctrine is not myne but my fathers which sent me Wherfore he and his father be seueral persons not one thing Isaac was a figure of Christ For as Abraham at the coÌ„maundement of God led him vnto his death So Christ was sent of God to be slayn for our sinnes And Sampson likewise many others but Abraham Isaac Manoad Sampson were seueral persones wherfore the father and Christ be not all one thing But I wil speake of al the thre persons of the glorious Trinitie And forsomuch as many hold opinion that they of the old Testament nether worshipped ne knew any Trinitie but honoured only an vnitie and sought no further I will fyrst begyn with the testimonies of the olde Testament â–ª that it may appeare that this doctrine was preached from the creation of the worlde The begynning of the boke of generation teacheth vs
that there be three seueral persons saying In the begynninge God created Heauen and earth Where euideÌ„tlye by y e name of God the father and by the beginning his sonne by whome he made all thinges are to be vnderstand For who is the beginning but Christ who answereth the Iewes asking what he was I am y e beginning which spake vnto you and in whose behalfe Dauid speaketh in y e beginning of y e boke it is writeÌ„ of me After these words of the father the sonne it foloweth immediatly The spirit of God was borne vpon the waters the which is the thirde persoÌ„ in y e gloriouse trinitie Some take the spirite here for the wynd blowing vpon the waters If they examine the text diligently they shall fynd y e wynd was yet vnmade and that y e waters there do not signifie that which we call water coÌ„monly but the confused heape of which God formed all thinges If God were not a trinitie he wold not haue saide let vs make man to our similitude after our likenes â–ª For these words let vs our similitude our likenes cannot be spoken of one person Neither they which are spoken after the miserable captiuitie and faule of Adam The Lord God saide lo Adam is become as one of vs in knowledge of good and euill But here thou wilt say these Phrases proue not many personnes for doth not the king say we wil that this or that be done and yet he is but one Kinges and Emperours vse to say so because they haue couÌ„selloures commonly whose prudent aduises they folowe but of God it is wrytten Quis cognouit mentem Domini aut quis illi fuit a consiliis Who hath knowen the mind of the Lord or who is his counselloure And therfore he doth not say so for lyke coÌ„sideratioÌ„ but because y t as Pithagoras saith He is Ternarius numerus The third numbre which coÌ„nteineth al other numbres both vnitie euens oddes Esayas teacheth vs the same where he saith that he saw the seraphins flacker from aboue and cry each one to other Holy Holy Holy is y e Lord of Hostes. By this word holy thrise repeted we are taught that there be thre persons and â—y the wordes folowing the Lord of hostes not iterate that there is but one Lord. I will proue the same by the propertyes of the thre personnes The Congregation confesseth the father to be vnbegotten and no heretyke can deny it and the scripture telleth vs that the son is begotten to whome y e father saith Thou art my son this day I begat the not that the father is elder then Christ for as he was alwayes a father so he was neuer without a son but begat him without time also of my wombe before the mornyng star begat I the. God y e father hath no wombe or corporal form but by his wombe we must vnderstand his substauÌ„ce as if he said of my substauÌ„ce of my owne nature I begat thee If God the father begat Christ of his owne substaunce which is immutable howe could of the same substauÌ„ce his mutable flesh be made as our late Anabapt defend God begat God and light begat light as a man getteth a man and a dog gettech a dog for a man cannot get a dog The holy ghost is neyther called vnbegotten nor gotten For if we cal him vnbegotten we bring in .ii. fathers If we name him begotten we make .ii. Christs He is said to prosede equally from the father from the son as he is equally God equally almightye to be honored equally and euery wheare equally PeradueÌ„ture some wil requyre profe out of the scripture of y e proseeding of the holy coÌ„forter because we say that nothing is to be beleued vpon payne of dampdatioÌ„ which is not in y e scriptures For many do allege this processioÌ„ of the holy spirite for vnwritten verities therfore I say I wil proue it by certaine testimonies albeit I will not deny but that many thinges be true verities which be not in the scriptures as it is true that I wrote this boke not written it is true that king Edw. the .vi. God saue his noble grace is King of EnglaÌ„d vnwritteÌ„ But marke good christen people when we disalow vnwritteÌ„ verities we except such and do speake only of such thinges as be nedefull necessary for the sauing of our soules All such things we say be written in Gods boke For Ihon sayth these are written y t ye myght beleue and haue eternal life if we obserue these thiÌ„gs we shal haue eternal life what caÌ„ we desire more Al such necessari points be writeÌ„ Away therfore w t vnwritteÌ„ verities But how proue ye y e processioÌ„ of y e holy spirite bi scripture That he procedeth froÌ„ y e father christ techeth his disciples saing wheÌ„ y e coÌ„forter is come whom I wil send vnto you from the father he shall beare witnes of me That he procedeth also of Christ these S. Paules wordes be a sufficient record If there be any man that hath not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his For he can not be Christes spirit not proceding of him He is y e vertue which went out of him and healed y e people of Ierusalem of Tyre and of Sidon Further our Sauiour Christ after his victorious and gloriouse resurrectioÌ„ to teach vs that the holy ghost proceadeth from him equally as he doth from the father breathed on his disciples and said receiue the holy ghost and lo I send the promis of my father vpon you If therfore the father be vnbegotten y e son begotten not made the holy comforter proceding there be thre personâ—s not coÌ„founded together The father is a spirit and the sonne likewyse and the father is holy and the sonne likewise but nother of both is the holy spirit the holy ghost He is an vnspeakeable communioÌ„ of the father and sonne also therfore these two wordes be truly verified seuerally of theÌ„ both but not together If the holy ghost be the father he sendeth him self that is he proceadeth from himself If he be the sonne he is the son of the father and of Christ also for euery son is the son of twaine of the father of the mother But God forbid that we shuld imagin any such kind of thing in the father and Christ. If he be nether of both he is a seueral person No earthly man is able to discusse this natiuitie of Christ and procession of the holy ghost after what maner both be done for both be vnspeakeable as it is writteÌ„ Who can declare his generatioÌ„ Of the holy coÌ„forter it may be said also who can declare his proceding wherfor we must eschue curious talking of these misteries stedfastly beleue because of y e scriptures Christ saith the father is greater then I. If he be greater ether they be
no couÌ„terfet but the bryghtnes of the euerlasting lyght the vndefiled mirrour of Gods maiestie the liuely image of the fathers substauÌ„ce And for asmuch as he is the image of the father he is not one personne with hym no more then the Image of your personne is your selfe or the image of my father William Hutchynson is my father or the Image of our noble kyng Edward the .vi. is the kyng God graunt that vertue knowledge may mete in his roial heart to the coÌ„fusion of euil doers heretikes They be .ii. persons not .ii. gods For y e kinges Image is called the kyng and yet they be not two kings S. Iohn speaketh after the same maner of all thre together there are thre which bear record in heauen the father the worde and the holy ghost these thre are one Doth he not teache vs plainly that God is a trinitie Thus to conclude this chapter if the father be both the sonne the holy ghost he toke our nature vpon hym he was tempted of the deuil he suffred hunger thirst he was buffeted and scourged of the Iewes and put to death cruelly and he also came downe in the lykenes of a doue and in the similitude of fyrie tongues he begat himself he sent himself he graunted himself a seate of the right haÌ„d of himself he is an Image he is greater then himself he is God to himself If he can not be these thinges we may easely perceiue that he and his sonne and the spirit be distinct and vnconfounded persons and that this worde persone in the glorious trinitie doth not signifie a difference of vocation The .xxij. Chapter ¶ A persone is no outward thing what a persone is in the Godhed why the churche hath vsed this word concerning God THis word also is vsed for all suche thynges as doe cause fauour parcialitie regard and frendship or anger hatred displeasur enmitie both in the old new TestameÌ„t as for riches authoritie office countrey beautie and pouertie bondage scarcitie deformitie After this signification and acception king Iosaphat a worthy prince an earnest promoter of godlines and learning witnesseth that with God ther is no vnrightuousnes no regarding of persones S. Paul also telleth the Gallathians that he loketh on no mans persone and that w t out parcialitie he regardeth both Iewe and gentil bond and fre man woman And Iames biddeth vs to auoid such coÌ„sideration and regard But in the gloriouse trinitie a persone is nether any outward thing nether any condition or difference of vocation but as we may gather of the scriptures as meÌ„ learned in theÌ„ teach a persone in the Trinitie is an vnconfounded substauÌ„ce or as other define with many wordes A persone is a singuler substaunce indiuisible not confouÌ„ded declaring vnto vs a distinctioÌ„ of the godhead not a trinitie of Gods I suppose it necessary for y e vnderstanding of this definitioÌ„ to declare for what coÌ„sideration skil the faithful congregation hath euermore vsed this word For as much as y e scripture teacheth vs our belief telleth vs y t god is thre thei thought it necessary to declare what thre God is who is not thre fathers for nether Christ is the father nor y e holy coÌ„forter nor thre sonnes for y e father is not the son nor the holy ghoste nor thre holy comforters Then what thre is God Hear an example wheÌ„ we sai Sydrack is not Mysak nor Misack Abdenago we graunt they be .iii. but if we wil know what .iii. they be we must find out a more general word that is .iii. men Likewise Mary our sauiour Christs mother Mary Magdalene Mary of Iames be .iii. if we be further demauÌ„ded what thre they be we answer with general word that they be .iii. women Euen so y e congregatioÌ„ answereth this questioÌ„ what thre is God with this general word person to declare y t ther is a destinctioÌ„ betwene Christ his father â— the holy spirit For a person is a general word beloÌ„ging also vnto men for as much as one man is a substauÌ„ce vnconfounded with another as Abraham is not Isaac he is not Iacob ne Iacob is AbrahaÌ„ But here we must â—ote that as AbrahaÌ„ Isaac Iacob ar one sustaunce touching mans nature y t so God albeit he be .iii. persoÌ„s yet he is not .iii. substauÌ„ces but only one substauÌ„ce If ther be .iii substauÌ„ces ther be thre Gods Som clatâ—er prate y t no such wordes as substauÌ„ce persone be found in gods boke therfore that thei be not to be vsed coÌ„cerning God What if I shew find theÌ„ in gods boke in the Bible boke wilt thou then vse theÌ„ I wil shew this first after I wyl proue that the meaning of these wordes may be gatherd of infinit textes of scripture Thirdly finally concerning this treatise of a persone I wil paint the Trinitie by corporall similitude whose nature it self is ineffable and vncomprehensible We fynd the word substaunce spoken of God in Pauls letter to the Israelites where he recordeth that our Sauiour Christ is a liuely image of y e fathers substaunce Also in his letters to the CorinthiaÌ„s he witnesseth that to God only that belongeth which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latinistes est saying Non est in illo est non sed est in illo est We may fynd in the same Apostle the word persoÌ„ in the foresaid cception and signification for in his letter to the CollossiaÌ„s he writeth of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in him in Christ dwelleth all the fulnesse of y e godhed corporally or bodily that is Christe is a diuine person For corporally in this place is asmuch to say as that we call in the gloriouse Trinitie personally as the Greke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth manifestly proue We fynd also y e word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 spokeÌ„ of the godhead in the boke of the second lawe otherwise named Deuteronomie Moyses exhorting the people vnto obedience and fulfilling the lawe saith The Lord spake vnto you out of fier and you heard his voice but you saw no Image Where the latin texte of these words ye sawe no Image is Corpus non vidistis For the Grecians in whose language S. Paule did wryte this letter at y t time vsed this worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which we call nowe a persone and as we say there be thre personnes so they acknowleged 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thre bodies Therfore as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth a person so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must nedes signifie personally But because many heretiks racked this word to proue y e thre persons to be of corporall form and shape the successors of the Apostles were constrayned to vse another worde for the same meaninge and so they vsed for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
wytnesse let vs aske the scripture what the deuill is let vs enquire of Peter Paul let the Prophets the Euangelists testifie S. Peter saith that our aduersari the deuil walketh about like a roaring lion seking whome he mak deuour He compareth him to a Lion he walketh he seeketh And the chosen vessell Paule warneth vs to put on y e armour of God that we may stand stedfast against the crafty assaults of y e deuil forasmuch as we wrestle noe against flesh bloud but against rule against power against worldly rulere of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse for heauenlye things He maketh a difference betwene the deuill his assaults which be beastly affectioÌ„s saieng against y e crafty assalts of the deuill and he calleth them rulers powers wherfore thei be no fleshly motions But you will say he calleth them spirituall wickednesses a wickednesse is no substauÌ„ce So Terence calleth Dauus Scelus Tully calleth Cateline Pestis so the scripture caleth God loue truth and light il men darknes We read in y e story of Iob y t wheÌ„ y e seruauÌ„ts of god came stode before the Lord Satan came also among them God talketh w t him and he aunswereth that he had walked through the land and craueth of God to suffer him to scourge Iob without whose leaue he could do nothing After he rayseth the Sabees against Iob he kylleth his seruaunts he slayeth his childreÌ„ he smiteth him with marueilous sore byles froÌ„ the sole of his fote vnto his croune so y t he scraped away the filth of them with a potsherd Did an affection worck these things or a spiritual rule and substauÌ„ce To deceiue wycked king Achab he promiseth that he wil be a liyng spirit in the mouth of .iiii. C. prophets he vexeth kiÌ„g Saul Christ seeth him as lightning falling doun from heauen he blyndeth all those that beleue not the Gospel he worketh al iniquitie he seduced Adam and Eue he is y e enemy which soweth tares to destroy the sede of euerlasting life y t is of Gods worde he is the strong harnessed man and spirituall Pharao ouercomeÌ„ of our sauiour Christ he is the gouernour that ruleth in the aier and king of this world he setteth Christ on the pinacle of the temple and on a high mountain sheweth hym the glory of y e world he buffeteth S. Paul leâ—t he should be exalted out of measure through the abuÌ„daunce of reuelations he striueth w t Mighel the Archaungell disputeth about the body of Moises he shal cast the faithful congregation into pryson for .x. days he is the dragon cast out of heaueÌ„ by the bloud of the lambe and pursuing the woman Then he is no fleshly motioÌ„ vnles our sauiour Christ had such beastly motions vnlesse also heaueÌ„ were ful of such which was ful of traiterous angels In the countrey of the Gargasites two deuils seing christ cried out what haue we to do with thee O Iesu son of God art thou come hether to torment vs before y e time And they besech him of leue to go into the herd of swine Do affections cry talke kil smite fall from heauen tempt Christ pursue the church Christ telleth vs they shalbe punished in the fyre with the wicked saying depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and hys aungels S. Peter sayeth that God spared not hys aungels that synned but cast them downe into hell and delyuered them in to chaynes of darkenes to be kept vnto dampnation Paull commaunded the Corinthians to deliuer him which helde his fathers wife to SataÌ„ for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh He meaneth not that thei should giue him ouer to the lustes of the flesh suffer him to abide in vaine pleasures Wherfore deuels ar no fleshly lustes carnal motions sensuall affections Deuels beleue tremble saith Iames. They confesse Christ to be the sonne of God as in the EuaÌ„gelists we may read more theÌ„ once or twise But I think our Saduces wilbe edified more by a coniurer theÌ„ by the words of godlines wherfore I send theÌ„ to coÌ„iurers sorcerers enchauÌ„ters charmers witches which wyl learn and perswade theÌ„ that there be deuils and that they be not lustes of the flesh but spirituall substaunces spirits created for vengeaunce which now in y e end of the world shall powre out theyr strength to plucke the Lambe of God out of the myndes of al men If therfore al angels both good and euil be substauÌ„ces and not Godly or beastly lustes much more God the holy ghost maker of al spirites knower of thoughtes gouernour of the church forgeuer of syns hatcher of y e creaturs filler of al places is a spiritual substaunce no inspiration The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Christ is vnconfounded why he became man why he was borne of a woman he toke both the soule and body of man why he chose a virgin to be borne of and why a virgin hand fasted and maried why he was a babe at his beginning not an able man as Adam was at his first creation why he came so long after Adams fal why he was baptised tempted crucified c. NOw albeit both Christ be a substaunce and the holy ghost also yet it doeth not folow that thei be two persons in the supergloriouse trinitie for they may be both one as the Sabellians do teache Wherfore now I wil proue that they be vnconfounded y t which being proued no man can doubâ—e hereafter but thei be two persones for a persone is an vnconfounded substaunce We may learne out of Gods boke that nether the father nor the holy comforter toke mans nature vpoÌ„ them but Christ only For as through a natural man we were banyshed out of paradise made the children of euerlasting damnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie nether by an aungel or Archaungel but by a natural man to restore vs againe make vs heires to saluation as Paul witnesseth by a man came death by a man commeth resurrection of the dead For as by Adam al die eueÌ„ so by Christ al be made aliue And the will of God was that he shuld be born of a woman God sent his son Factum ex muliere borne or made of a woman But why was Christ born of a woman Truly because syn death ouerflowed the world through y e first woman he worketh the misterie of life and rightuousnes by an other woman y t the blame of sinne should not be imputed to his creature which is good but to y e will by which Eue sinned For seing he is a sauiour both of men and women he becoÌ„meth man forsomuch as maÌ„ is the better kind yet he is borne of a womaÌ„ y t we shuld beleue him to be a sauiour of women also so that his birth of a woman his becomming maÌ„ declareth him
wil in assent consent and not in their substaunce nature and diuinitie to which I make answer that in al the scripture they can not finde vnum sunt spokeÌ„ of thinges which differ in substauÌ„ce and nature Wherfore spoken of the thre persons thei proue theÌ„ to haue no diuersitie in ther nature if that be true thei must grauÌ„t of necessitie y t they be one God by nature S. Paul saith y t he y t plaÌ„teth he y t watreth vnuÌ„ sunt are one â–ª Are they of diuers substauÌ„ce nature no verely for both of theÌ„ were men He speaketh these wordes of himself of Apollo for the coÌ„gregation reioysed in them forbidding the Corinthians to reioyse in men and teaching them to reioyce in God only Wherfore these words Vnum sunt in this place are not spokeÌ„ of things which differ in substaunce Let vs ponder other textes The same Paul vnto the Galathians saith Al you Vnum estis in Christo Iesu are one in Christ Iesu. He speaketh this of the Gala. whiche al were of one nature of one lompe and substauÌ„ce For they al were men of men Here thou seest also reader that these wordes vnum sunt are not spoken of thinges which differ in substaunce But the Arrians reply that y e Apostle witnesseth that he which is ioyned vnto the Lorde is one spirit yet he is not of the same substaunce that the body is The latin there is not vnum sunt are one of which I doe speake but Qui adheret domino vnus spiritus est he y t is ioyned to the Lorde is vnus spiritus one spirit For vnus ioyned with another word as with spiritus may be spokeÌ„ of thinges which are of discrepant nature as iâ— is here but vnum sunt is neuer so spoken Search al the Bible through out and thou shalt find this to be true I graunt that the wordes vnum sunt be spoken often of assent in wil but only in those thinges which differ not in nature and substaunce And truly the father the son the holy ghost vnum sunt voluntate are one in wil and assent but also of one substauÌ„ce nature diuinitie forasmuch as vnum sunt are one is neuer spoken of things which differ in substauÌ„ce The Arrians replie further y t Christ praied for his elect vt sint unum that they may become one as he his father were one He doth not pray that they he the father may be one but that thei be one as he and his father be one both in nature and wil as it foloweth in thesame texte Vt omnes vnum sint sicut â—u pater in me ego in te ipsi in nobis vnum sint That they al may be one as thou father art in me I in thee that thei also may be one in vs. For mortal men can not be of the same substaunce that God is they may be one in God but not with God they may be one as the father Christ be but not of their nature that is the thre persons of the glorious trinitie are one in wyl assent substaunce also so the chosen after this life as they are now of one substaunce so shal they be then also not with God but in God of one assent coÌ„sent wil not squaring one with another for thei shalbe al one in Iesus christ Christ shalbe al thinges in al and God shalbe all thynges in al whiche proueth Christ God vnum sunt is spoken here of the elect which differ not in substaÌ„ce for they be men Therfore the father y e son the holy ghost ar of one substauÌ„ce diuinitie and if they be of one substaunce diuinitie they ar not thre Gods but one God as it is written Harken Israel the Lord thy god is one God He saith vnto Israel by Moises where are their gods wherin they trusted the fat of whose sacrifices thei eat and dranke the wyne of their vessels Let theÌ„ arise vp help you and be your shild Se now how I am alone that there is no God but I. I can kil make aliue what I haue smitten that can I heale I wil lifte vp my hand to heauen and say I liue euer If ther be many Gods their kingdom is deuided but the kingdom of God is euerlasting wherfore it is not deuided for euery kiÌ„gdom deuided shalbe destroied The hebrue word for God is Elohim whiche is not of the singuler number but of y e plurel For there be thre persones but it is alway ioyned with a verb singuler lest y t we shuld thinke there were many gods Moises vseth this word for the englishe which is God when he saith in the beginning god created heaueÌ„ earth wherfore we may learne that the world is the workmaÌ„ship of y e hole trinie This word is vsed coÌ„monly for god to signifie that whatsoeuer is done is the worke of the thre persones for as they be not seperable so they work vnseparablie The heathen supposed there were many Gods because it semed to them impossible for one to rule and gouerne all thinges yet they deuided the gouernance therof betwene thre geuing heauen and earth to Iupiter the seas to Neptune the lowe partes and hell to Pluto But the scriptures which is truth caÌ„not lye testifieth that the thre persons without deuision without labour or payne without tyme gouerne al thynges for their workes be vnseperable If so 〈◊〉 there be many Gods then is there somwhat where in one of them doth differ from another Now if that be any good thing he is no God that lacketh or waÌ„teth any thing y t good is For as he that nameth a kyng doth in this one word comprehend many excellent thinges so he that nameth God doth comprehend in this word an infinite sum of al good things We read of a certain ruler whiche called Christe good maister asking him what he shuld do to get and atchiue eternal life whom Christ rebuked saying why callest thou me good None is good but God only If God only be good theÌ„ al goodnes is in him as I haue proued in my first matter He is life is truth he is light he is strength he is health he is Thassos agathon that is a treasure heape of al goodnes And if that thing wherin they differ be an euil thing that can not be God y t hath any euil thing in him for he wilâ—eth no wickednes The Heathen which worship many Gods did do think no euill to come by theÌ„ by y e light which thei had of nature iudged theÌ„ to reuenge punish al that thei toke to be sinne Nowe if God be a rightuous punisher of vice he must be void of the same Wherfore naturall reason teacheth that there is but one God Doth not the noble and worthy Phylosopher Aristotle
his letters professeth him self to be y e seauaunt of Iesu Christ wherfore he is to be honored theÌ„ he is one God with the father for it is writteÌ„ Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God and hym only shalt thou serue You cal me saith Christ Lord and maister and ye say well for so am I. And he warneth vs that we call not one another maister for one is our maister The Apostle also witnesseth y t ther is but one diuinitie one power and maiestie of Christ the father saying although ther be y t are called Gods whether in heaueÌ„ or in earth as ther be gods many Lordes many yet vnto vs is ther but vnus deus one God which is y e father of whom are all thinges we in him and vnus dominus one Lorde Iesus Chriâ—st by whom are al thinges we by him For as in that he saith that ther is but one Lord Iesus Christ the father is not denied to be Lord so these wordes vnto vs ther is but one God which is y e father denie not Christ to be God He numbreth not him emong those whiche are Gods by nuncupation but ioyneth coupleth him with the father froÌ„ whoÌ„ he is vnseperable The Prophet Baruch saith of him he is our God and there is none other able to be coÌ„pared vnto him Wherfore ether we must graunt him to be one God with the father or els make the father vnderlyng to hys sonne for none is to be compared to him That the Prophet speaketh these words of Christ the same text folowing sheweth it is he that hath found out al wisdom and hath geuen her vnto Iacob his seruaunt and to Israell his beloued Afterward did he shewe himselfe vpon earth and dwelt among men This text declareth also that Christ gouerned the congregatioÌ„ of the Israelits in that it sayth he fouÌ„d out all wisdome and gaue her vnto Iacob and Israell Read that Chapter thou shalt fynd y t he prepared y e earth at the beginning filled it with all maner of foules and beastes and that he gouerneth the same and that he wotteth al things that he is great and hath no end high vnmeasurable which things all proue him one God with the father as he testifieth of himselfe saying to his father Hec est vita eterna c. This is life euerlasting that they might know thonly tru God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ that is that they might knowe the and Iesus Christ to be thonly true God Neither doth only here deny the holy ghoste to be one God with them forasmuch as he is of the same esseÌ„ce that they be for he procedeth of them both nomore then y e father is excluded by the same word and the sonne where it is written The thinges of God knoweth none but the spirit of God The father and Christ are not excluded from that knowledge which is said here to apperteine only to the holy ghost So wheÌ„ soeuer they two are said to be the only true God the almightie coÌ„forter is not denied to be god also with them We read in the reuelation of S. Ihon of a name which none knewe but he only who had it written that is Christ yet both y e father knewe it who knoweth al scieÌ„ce the almightie coÌ„forter also for he searcheth al thinges yea the botome of Gods secretes Wherfore wheÌ„ Moises crieth Harken Israell the Lorde thy God is one God when all the Prophets preach that there be no more Goddes but one the diuine nature and esseÌ„ce is not denied to Christ and to the almightie comforter nomore then dominion and Lordshippe is denied to the father because Paule saith to vs is but one Lord Iesus Christ. So God is said onli to haue immortalitie and yet nether Christ is immortal who saith vnto the rebelliouse Iewes Verely verely I say vnto you if a man kepe my word he shall neuer se death For if the keping of Christes worde lead vs to immortalitie howe much more is he himselfe immortal without beginning or end Neither y e holy comforter for of him Paule writeth If the bloud of oxen and of goates and the ashes of an heyfer when it was spryncled purified the vncleane as touching the purifieng of y e fleshe how much more shal y e bloud of Christ which through the eternal spirit offered himself withoute spotte vnto God pourge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God So God is said only to forgeue sinne only to be wise only to be mightie only to be good which textes and sayinges are spokeÌ„ of the gloriouse Trinitie If they were spoken of the father only as the Arrians teach then the euangelist wold haue said who can forgeue sinnes but the father only none is God saâ—e the father only Paule also sayth â–ª not vnto the father wyse only but vnto God king euerlasting immortal inuisible and wyse oniy that is to the blessed Trinitie be honoure and prayse for euer and euer For if we take him otherwise we make him a lier who grauÌ„teth power immortalitie and wisdome in diuerse and sundry places both to Christ our sauiour and to the spirite the comforter And these thinges do onlye apperteyne and belong to them thre neither are they attribute to any other Wherupon it muste nedes folowe that they be one God Nothing proueth this more plainly then the hebrue text whersoeuer the scripture cryeth vnto vs that ther is but one god Moses saith vnto y e Israelits Iehoua Elohenou Iehoua Ecadh that is the Lord our God is one God or one Lord â–ª This text can not be spoken of the father onlye for the hebrue word for God is Elohim of the plurell nuÌ„ber not of the singuler to teach vs that there be thre vnconfounded which neuerthelesse are declared to be one God and of one essence maiestie and power for so much as they are Iehoua Ecadh For Iehoua is the peculier special honorabâ—â— and most blessed name of God for which the Iewes dyd vse to reade Adonai not that it could not be expressed in their language but for a more reuerence to Gods name Moises also saith in another place vnto the it was shewed that y u mightst know that the Lord is God that ther is none but he wheras for god the english he vseth Elohim so for the Lord he vseth Iehoua Esay the Prophet doth likewise speking of one God and reiecting al other Wherfore the Trinitie is one euerlasting the only immutable inuisible and almighty God I will proue this to be true in these foure wordes power name light vertue for the father is almighty as it is written I am the Lord almighty And the sonne also is almighty for the wyseman calleth him y e almighty hand and the almighty word of God The holy comforter also is almighty forasmuch as he is
the finger of God wherfore thei are one God They haue also one name for the Apostles are commaunde to christen al nations in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghost Note here that the scripture sayeth in y e name not in the names and to teache vs that there is one diuinitie one maiestie and one name of the thre persones the scripture telleth that Christ the holy ghost come not in diuers and sondry names but in one name Christ saith I come in my fathers name and ye receiue me not This name of y e father is Christes name also for the Lord sayth in the boke of departure to him Ego anticedo in nomine meo vocabo te nomine meo domini in coÌ„spectu tuo That is I wyl go before thee in my name and I wyll call thee by my name Lord in thi presence Thou learnest here that Christ and his father haue one name learne also that the almighty and alknowing comforter hath the selfsame name in that he cometh in the name of Christ as it is writteÌ„ that comforter the holy ghost whom the father wyl send in my name He is sent in Christes name wherfore he hath one name with hym the father This is the name of y e blessed trinitie of which it is wrytten ther is no other name vnder heauen in whiche we must be saued wherfore they haue but one diuinite I wil proue y e same of those thinges which the scripture saith of god God is light sayth Iohn in him is no darkenes Christ also is light for of IhoÌ„ the baptist it is writeÌ„ he was not y e light but to bear witnes of y e light which lighteth al men coming into the world God is light 1 Iohn 1. Christ is the true lyght Iohn 1. Ergo Christ is the true God Of the almightie comforter also it is written Signatum est super nos lumen the lyght of thy countenaunce O Lorde is sealed vpon vs but who is the light sealed who is the seale that is y e holy ghost of whom Paul writeth ye are sealed w t the holy spirit of promes whiche is the earnest of our inheritaunce Note also y t he is not another light but thesame light that the father is for he is the light of his countenaunce wherfore he is the same God and one God with the father and the sonne But some felowe wil aske me where I find the father to be lyght truly in Paul who calleth Christ the brightnes of euerlasting lyght where by euerlasting lyght the father is ment Christ also is vertue for Paul calleth hym Dei virtutem atque sapienciam the vertue wisdome oâ— God We read also that the father is vertue where it is written Videbitis filium hominis ad dexteram virtutis ye shall see Christ ye shal se the sonne of man on the right hand of the vertue or power And that the holy ghost is vertue Christ witnesseth saying Accipietis virtutem adueâ—ientem in vos spiritus sancti you shal receiue vertue or power of the holy ghost Luke also speaketh this of the holy gost Virtus exibat de eo vertue gushed out of him wherfore thei be one God The son is life who saith I am the way truth life So the father also is life as IhoÌ„ witnesseth saying that which was from the beginning which we haue heard which we haue sene with our eies whiche we haue loked vpon and our handes haue handled of the word of lyfe for the lyfe appeared and we haue sene beare witnes and shew vnto you that eternal life which was with the father Here he named our sauiour Christ the word of life and eternal life But what meaneth he bi calling him the word of life then that he is the word of the father wherfore the father also is lyfe And if so be the Apostle call Christ lyfe why is not the alknowyng comforter lyfe who is the spyrite of lyfe as it is wrytten The spirite of lyfe was in the wheles Note here reader that Christ is not another lyfe but thesame life that the father is in asmuch as he is that eternal lyfe whiche was with the father For if he be one life with the father theÌ„ must he nedes be one god with him The father also is a flud as he recordeth of himself I will flowe vpon you like a water flud of peace and like a flowyng streame And Christ caleth y e almigtie comforter a fludde saying out of his belly shal flowe riuers of water of life This spake he of the spirit Wherfor the holy ghost is a flud or streame and that a mighty and great flud washyng and clensing the heauenly citie of Hierusalem from al filth and vnclennes as Dauid winesseth there is a flud which with his riuers reioyseth the citie of God the holy dwelling of the hyghest no other stream can wash purifie clense vs but this God graunt that this flud may ouerflow the bankes of Englande God send it into the court into the kinges chamber into his heart into his counsels chamber and into the middest of the parliameÌ„t house to wash banish away all couetousnes in spiritual thinges as ferming of benefices pluralities of prebendes personages absence froÌ„ cures from colledges improperations first fruites c. and parcialitie and the gredy wolfe of ambicion pride vnmercifulnes and oppression out of the hearts of nobilitie God send it into the hearts of Byshops that they may once againe yet be preaching prelates and al priestes that they may power forth clean pure doctrine as diligently as they haue powred holy water many a day The holy spirite is the true holy water the true flud wasshing away our sinnes not the vnprofitable ceremonies of the syre of Rome Wherfor our sauiour Christ must nedes be a flud also for out of him gushe these streames of eternal life They haue also one operation thei do worke al things vnseperabli as I haue proued in y e chap. before wher I declared mans soull to be the image of God wherfore they haue one diuitie Moreouer it is writteÌ„ grace with you and peace froÌ„ God the father and our Lord Iesus Christ. Behold thou seest here that one grace commeth from the father and the sonne one peace lykewise thesame also come from the holy ghost for of peace it is writteÌ„ the fruit of the spirit is loue ioy peace long suffring Zachary calleth him y e spirit of grace God hath promised to poure vpon Hierusalem the spirit of grace and mercy Peter saith to those that were pricked in their hearts through his preaching Accipietis graciaÌ„ spiritus sancti you shall receiue the grace of the holy ghost They haue also one charitie one loue for of y e father the son it is written
definition are proued to agree to the almightie comforter and spirit THe alknowyng comforter also is one God with them both for asmuch as it caÌ„not be denied but y t all and euery one of the same thinges doe apperteine vnto him For a plaine and euideÌ„t profe of this I will course ouer the difinition or rather descriptioÌ„ of God once again prouing the same to be the definition of the holy comforter God is a spiritual substaunce so is the holy comforter That he is a spirit no man wyl deny that he is a substaunce not a godly mocion or coÌ„citation not an accideÌ„t I haue proued in my .xxiii. Chap. He is also a pure nature vnmixed vncompost vncreate for he is no creature whiche all and euery one are bonde and seruauntes vnto their maker not fre nor at their libertie as it is written Vniuersa seruiunt tibi al thinges serue the. The holy spirit speketh this by Dauid He saith not seruimus we serue the but seruiunt thei serue Paul also saith Creatura liberabitur a seruitute corruptionis The creature shalbe deliuered from the boÌ„dage of corruptioÌ„ But of the holy ghost it is written vbi spiritus domini ibi libertas where is the spirit of the Lord there is fredome We read also of him that he deuideth to euery man seueral giftes as he wil. 1 Cor. 12 All creatures do serue Psalm 118. The holy ghost is at libertie 2 Cor. 3 Ergo the holy ghost is no creature And if he be no creature he is a singuler pure nature void of all coÌ„position and mixture Immutable what soeuer is immutable is a creatur Inuisible al spirits be inuisible but not immutable for to be both immutable inuisible apperteineth only to the maiestie of God Wherfore the holy ghost is God Filling heauen erth foloweth in y e diffinicioÌ„ which thing truly beloÌ„geth only to y e diuine blessed nature as y e Psalmograph witnesseth domini est terra plenitudo eius The earth the fulnes therof is y e Lords he sayth by Ierem. I fil heauen and earth Now that the blessed coÌ„forter doth so y e booke of wisdom telleth saying The spirite of the Lord filleth the round compas of the world and Dauid teacheth thesame saying whether shal I go theÌ„ from thy spirit whether shal I go from thy presence If I clime vp into heauen c. What angel what archaungel what rule what power what creature is sayde to fill the world the whiche the holy comforter doth Yea more then the whole world for he fylled the sauiour of the world as it is written Christ ful of the holy ghost returned from Iordan God only is euery where The holy ghost is euery where Ergo the holy ghost is God Vnsearchable no man can comprehend what maner of thing his own spirit and soul is and the mynd which almost iudgeth and discusseth al thinges is not able to discusse it self much more the spirit of the almighty God surmounteth our vnderstandinges and not only ours but also of angels and archangels for of the spirit Dauid writeth God which is thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnes aboue thy felowes The holy ghost is this oyl and anointmeÌ„t for Peter witnesseth that Christ was anointed with the holy ghost And wel is the holy ghost named the oâ—l of gladnes lest thou shouldest suppose him to be a creature For the nature of oyl is such that it wyl not be mingled with any moist creatur but heaueth aloft kepeth aboue when other naturs descend to the botom Ful of vnderstanding for he is the spirite of vnderstanding Ful of troth for he is y e spirit of troth which the world can not receiue and which procedeth froÌ„ the father of him it is wrytten he shal teach you al truth Ful of rightuousnes for as the sonne is our iudge so iudgement belongeth to the holy coÌ„forter as it is written when I depart I wyl send the comforter vnto you when he is come he shal iudge the world of synne of rightuousnes and of iudgemeÌ„t This text thacheth him to be a punisher of sinne an aueÌ„ger of vnrightuousnes wrong iudgemeÌ„ts Noble king Salomon through his inspiration gaue rightfull iudgement of the two infantes Daniel except he had bene inspired by him could neuer haue disclosed the lie of lechery When Susanna was condempned vnto death through y e false accusation of y e elders she cried with a loude voyce vnto God and obteined remedy When she was led forth vnto death it is regestred that the Lord raised vp the spirit of a yong child whose name was daniel c. Also the spirit of Moises was deuided among .lxx. of the elders of Israel that they might iudge the people according to right Wherfore the holy ghost who both teacheth other to iudge aright and is a iudge himselfe must nedes be ful of al righteousnes Ful of mercy He is ful of mercy forasmuche as he sent Christ to restore vs when we were forlorne as the Prophet telleth vs in Christes person Misit me dominus spiritus eius the Lord sent me and his spirit His sending is his incarnatioÌ„ as I haue proued before Full of wisdom for he is the spirit of counsel and wisdom Full of al maner of goodnes He is the spirit of life the spirit of knowledge wisdom and vnderstanding counsel strength of the fear of God of truth of sanctification of iudgement of adopcion of promes of grace and loue ioye peace long sufferyng gentlenes goodnes it selfe faithfulnesse mekenesse temperauncie be the fruites and giftes of the holy spirit Eternal many things be euerlasting which had their beginning as aungels as the soule of man and other but they are not eternal for that apperteineth only to the maiestie of the deitie That the holy and almyghty comforter is eternal the Apostle witnesseth saieng How muche more shal the bloud of Christr who through the eternall spirite offered hym self without spot to God purge your coÌ„sciences He is not content to call hym eternall but telleth vs also that Christ through the spirit offered himselfe a slain sacrifice for our synnes And we reade that Christ before the foundacion of the world chose vs. Wherfore the holy comforter who was the worke maister therof was before the foundation of the worlde and for as muche as as he was before all he hath no ende For that whiche is with out all begynnyng is also without endyng God only is eternall The holy ghost is eternall Ergo the holy ghost is God Maker of al thinges Iob telleth that God with his spirite garnished the heauens vnto whoÌ„ Dauid agreeth saying the spirit of his mouth formed al the hostes of them Wherfore in the worke of creacion Moises maketh relatioÌ„ of him shewyng vs that the spirit of God was borne vpon the waters Basyl
who for his great learning was surnamed Magnus expouÌ„deth this text of y e holy ghost and saith that his predecessors toke it so and S. Austen is of thesame mind Philip Melancthon aloweth their interpretacion as I declared before For truly y e word spirit can not signifie wynd in that place the which when these woâ—ds were spoken was vncreat What is ment theÌ„ by these wordeâ— Borne vpon the waters Verely no blast of wynd but that he sate on the waters for as the hen sitting on her egs hatcheth her yoÌ„gones so the holy ghost hatcheth al creaturs which ther are called waters as it is written when thou lettest thy spirit go forth they are made so thou renuest y e face of thy earth He that made all things is God Heb. iij. The holy ghost made al thinges Ergo the holy ghost is god Iob also saith of him Spiritus diuinus qui fecit me the diuine spirit who made me confessing him both diuine and his maker And as when we read Opera manuuÌ„ tuarum sunt celi The heaueÌ„s are the workes of thi hand we acknowledge Christ the maker of the worlde who is Gods hand so when we read Videbo celos tuos opera digitorum tuorum â—unam stellas que tu fundasti That is I wil behold the heauens the workmaÌ„ship of thi fingers the mone the starres whiche thou hast made Let vs acknowledge also the holy ghost Gods finger to be our maker for as much as thesame works in other places are called the workes of God For as when the hand worketh the fingers worke also so the hole trinitie formed al thinges of a confused heap whose workes be vnseperable as I haue proued before Gouernour of al thinges The canticle of Moises recordeth that he gouerned the congregation of the Israelites For when they had passed ouer the sea they gaue herty thankes for their deliueraunce to al the thre persons to y e father and the sonne in these wordes Thi right hand O Lord is glorious in power thy right hand hath also dashed the enemies and to the holy ghost saiyng with y e spirit of thine anger the water gathered together as a rock For Christ is Gods right hand and by the word spirit the holy ghost is ment in that he saith Lord he signifieth the father Wherfore their deliueraunce is the workmanship of the whole trinitie which worketh al things in heauen and earth But the Prophet Esay protesteth the gouernaunce of the holy ghost more plainly saying Where is he who brought them from the water of the sea as a shepeheard doth his flok Where is he whiche led Moises by the right haÌ„d with his glorious arm Wher is he that led theÌ„ in the depe as an horse is led in the plain and he answereth The spirit of the Lord led theÌ„ as a tame beast goeth in the field The same spirit gouerneth the present congregation geuyng to one vtteraunce of wisdome to another fayth to another giftes of healyng to another power to do miracles to another prophecie to another iudgement of spirits to another diuerse tongues to an other interpretation as the Apostle witnesseth which be necessary offices in the church Who gaue Simeon an aunswer that he shuld not se death before he had sene our spokesman Iesus Christ The holy ghost Who leadeth the congregation in to al truth who teacheth vs al veritie y e holy ghost Who coÌ„maundeth to seperate Paul and Barnabas to the worke wherunto he had called them that is to preach the swete tidinges of the gospel to the gentyles The holy ghost Who forbyddeth them to preache in Asia who coÌ„maundeth Peter to aryse and get hym down and go with Cornelius seruauntes who sent those seruauntes vnto Simon the Tannars house for Peter The holy ghost Who monysheth Philp the Deacon to ioyne hym selfe to the chariot of the gelded man which was chamberlein to Candace Quene of the Ethiopians The holy ghost Do not these textes proue hym to gouerne the congregation to be myndfull of both good and euyl Do they not denie him to be a creature do they not fortify him to be y e third person in the gloriouse Trinitie and to be God Yes verelye All thynges are gouerned by God The Holy ghost gouerneth all thinges Ergo the Holy ghost is God Knowing al things foloweth the which belongeth to the alknowyng comforter for asmuch as he is the spirite of knowelege The Apostle witnesseth that man neither by the helpe of his outward senses nor through the gift of reason can atteine to the vnderstaÌ„ding of those things which are prepared for the chosen He denieth this knowdlege to the senses saying Oculus non videt neque auris audiuit the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard for these be the two principall powers and to all mannes reason and wisdom by these words folowing Neque in cor nethre hath entred into y e heart of man the thinges c. for the heart is the place of vnderstanding Angels also are ignoraunt of some thinges as of the last day and houre which the father knoweth only But of the holy comforter it is written the spirit searcheth al things yea the bottome of Gods secretes Paule is not content only to say this of the spirite but he addeth two argumentes prouing the same The one is a similitude that as the spirit of man knoweth the thinges of man so the spirite of God knoweth y e things of God al things be his Ergo he knoweth al things His other reasoÌ„ is that y e spiritual man through his inspiration discusseth all thinges He who knoweth all thinges is GOD The Holy ghost knoweth all thinges Ergo the Holy ghost is GOD. The next propertie in my definition beloÌ„ging to God only is to forgeue sin How proue you that the holy ghost can do this Harken what Chryste our mercy stocke saith Receyue the holy ghost whose sinnes ye remit thei are remitted vnto them Note that the holy ghost pardonth sinne No man can remit sin they do onli minister forgeuenes in the name of the father of the soÌ„ne and of the holy ghost they pray God pardoneth they employ their seruice remâ—ssion and mercy coÌ„meth from aboue as I haue declared and proued in my Chapt. that God onely forgeueth sinne Furthermore ye are washed saith S. Paule ye are sanctified ye are iustified by the name of the Lord Iesu and by the spirite of oure God Ergo the spirite forgeueth sinne The Prophet Esay telleth that one of the Seraphins with a hot coale taken from the aulter wyth tongues touched his mouth and his sin was molten away He meaneth neither charcole nor sea cole but the cole of the holy ghost who maye be well called a cole for he is fier wherfore the holy ghoste doth forgeue sinne No man can deny but that in baptisme sinnes be forgeuen The holy
Esay 59. Tongue Psal. 44. Arme. Iere. 32 Hand Christ. Power Iere. 18 Scourge Soph. 1 Iob. 19 Right haÌ„d Christes glory Psa. 116 Math. 25 Left hand Luke 11 Math. 12 His finger The hert of God Psal. 44. Wombe psal 109 Shulders psalm 90 Hinder partes Fete psal 8 Deu. 33 An exhortatioÌ„ to swerers God is honored by swearing God only is to be sworne by Psal. 62 Heb. 6 Iohn 17 Esay 63 What stained red clothes be Edom Psal. 59 what gods shoe â—s Iohn 10 Psal. 18 Psal. 16 Psalm 7 Math. 3 Math. â—3 How God is said to be a shoter Psalm 7 The image of y e father is an Idol Iohn 14. Hebr. 1 How man was made after the Image of God Gene. 1 Priscillianistes Gene. 2 Ephe. 4. Collossi 3. How God doth laugh Prou. 2. How he is said to slepe Psal. 44 To awake Forget RemeÌ„bre Sitte Psal. 46 Sapien. 7 To stande Gooe Walke Esay 55. 2. Cor. 6 1 Cor. 3 Rom. 11 Lodgike 1 Tim. 3 Colloss 2 1 Thm. â— Exo. 30 Iohn 1 Exod. 33 3 Reg. 33 Act. 7 How Moises Micheas Steuen sawe God who is inuisible Exod. 33 1 Cor. 12 Math. 5 1 Ioh. 5 Hiere 23 Sapi. 8 Sap. 1 Sap. 1 2 Cor. 7 Iohn 1. Psal. 137 wickednes coueteth y e darke God seeth the wicked eury wher Fear God aboue al. We caÌ„not escap gods hand Against the corporall presence Christ is not in the sacrament touching his humanitie Mar. 13 Math. 24 An obiectioÌ„ The aunswer Pighius interpretacion Marke 13 Math. 34 The keye The pycklock We receiue Christs body from heauen Math. â— Math. â— Luke 7. Ihon. 15. Christ is y e vyne towchynge his flesh I am the vine this my bodye are diuers phrases This is my body expounded Luke 22. Math. 26 Mark 24. The substaunce of bread remaineth Thre similitudes in the Sacrament Of norishing Of vnitie 1 Cor. 10 Of conueâ—â—sion Ciprian de cena domini How the doctors do say that the substaunce of bread is chaunged 4 Reg. 6 3 Reg. 18 Ambrose de sacramâ—tis Exod. 3 Dan. 3 Substance for natural propertie Ireneus An obiection The aunswer Origen Augustin 1 Cor. 10 How our sacrameÌ„ts are better then the sacramentes of the olde testament Math. 9 Euill men do not receiue Christes body Iohn 6 The first reason The secoÌ„d reason 1 Cor. 11 The third reason Iohn 6 an obiectioÌ„ aunswered The .iiii. reason A Silogisme Thankes ought to be geuen for y e death of Christ. Psal. 94 The sacramentall receiuyng is necessary The absolution of the minist Iacob 1. Psal. 118 Psal. 98 Psal. 18. 3. ReguÌ„ 3 Luke 24. 2. Cor. 12 Exod. 31. Hebre. 13 â–ª Malachy maketh nothyng for the sacrifice of the masse or popish priesthode Pighius argument Psalm 50 Esaie 63 The aunswer The sacrifice of thaÌ„kes is offered in all places A clean sacrifice Roma 11 Psal. 50 Math. 5 Act. 1 Math. â— A new sacrifice 2 Cor. â— â–ª Iohn 1â— 1 Iohn â— The first reason Hebr. 9 The secoÌ„d reason Heb. 10 The third reason No sacrament is a sacrifice The .iiii. reason Luk. 10 The wounded man IerusaleÌ„ Theues The .v. reason the .vi. reason Ministers haue no sacrifice but coÌ„meÌ„ with the laitie The order of Miniâ—â— only Seuen orders Psal. 24 Psal. 5 Iohn 24 Prou. 6 Prou. 1â— â–ª Marchanâ— man Nasica Ennius Sara Gen. 18 Abraham Gen. 12 Iacob Gen. 20 Gen. 27 The midwiues Exod. 1 Raab Act. 5 Iosu. 2 Iosu. 6 Hebr. 11 King Iehu Iosu. 2 Iosu. 6 4 Reg. 10 Luk. 24 Act. 2â— Act. 23 The aunswer Abraham lyed not Genes 12 Genes 26 The sayiâ—â— of Iacob iâ— no ly but â— misteryâ—e Gene. 27. Luke 13 Româ— 9 â–ª Roma 1â— Apoca. 5 1. Cor. 10 Ihon. 11 Math. 13 Ihon. 15 Luke 22 Hiere 23 Psal. 143 Psal. 38. Exodus 1. Iosu. 2. â— Bishop Firmius 4 Reg. 10 how Paul was a citezen of Ro. Luke 24 Luk. 16 Luk. 15 Iudi. 9 Math. 2â— Math. 25 Luk. 15 Luk. 18 Math. 13 Luke 1â— Horatius â–ª Esopus 1. Ihon. 2 Psa. 103 Math. 5 Psal. 32 Psal. 105 Psal. 144 Eccle. 18 Math. 25. Thansweâ— Math. 5 Psalm 6 Marke 9 An obiectioÌ„ 1 Reg. 2 Dan. 3 Psal. 15 Hel hath thre signâ—cations Gen. 2â— â–ª Psal. 144 â–ª Roma 3 1 Cor. 11 Psal. 118 Esay 28 Esay 26. 2. Cor. 4 Genesis Prouerb â— Hebre. 12 An obiectioÌ„ Rom. 9 The aunswer Rom. 9 The causâ— in vs not in God Math. 23 Iacob 1. 1. Cor. 3 Iacob 1. Roma 2 Psal. 102 Psal. 14â— Psalm 63. Iames. 1 Roma â— Galath 3 Deute 7 Psal. 144 Psal. 101 Psal. 8. Math. 7 Hebre. 1. Luke 18 Apcalip 1 1. Timo. 6. How God in ly is said to be immortall Aungels Mans soul is both mortal and immortal Math. â— Immortal properly Apoca. 1 The world is y e workemanship of the whole Trinitie Ihon. 1 Psalm 32. Christ maker therof Genesis 1 In the begynning Ihon. 8 Psalm 38. Hebre. 1â— Genesis 1. God saide Ihon. 1. why Christ is named a word Hebr. 1 Iohn 1 The holy spirit is maker of y e world Gen. 1 Born vpon the waters what it is Psal. 103 Basil. Austen Melanch Sinne the cause of barenne Genes 3 Genesis 1 The cause of sickenes Why God curseth the earth 1 Cor. 15 Iohn 15 Eccl. 27 who made the serpeÌ„ts flies and other like Sapien. 11 who made â—he Deuill Luke 10 Genes 1 Math. 20 Sapien. 12 All things were made of nothing together in six dayes Eccle. 18 Sap. 12 Gen. 1 Psal. 14â— Psal. 144 â–ª Psal. 103 Gene. 33 Gene. 45 Psal. 104 Exod. 10 Exod. 7 Psal. 78 Exod. 8 Exod. 1â— Exod. 14 Exod. 13 Psal. 11 Exod. 1â— Iosu. 3 Iosu. 6. Iosua 1â— Psal. 134 â–ª Nume 21 Deuter. 3 Iosua 12 Psal. 23 1. Peter 2 Actes 14. Actes 17 Iob. 38 3. Reg. 20 3. Reg. 19 Eccle. 10 An exhortation to Kynges Math. 6 Prou. â— 1. Esdr. â— God worketh all thinges to purposes The dial The globe Tounes Cities Realmes An obiection answered Telamon Regulus Cinna Marius Dionisius Diogines Lazarus Luke 10. Why good men are aflicted Iudic. 3 Iudic. 4 Iudic. 19 Iudic. 3 Iudic. 4. Iudic. 5 Diagoras atheos Actes 27 Cleanthes 4. reasons An induction A house An armye A Ship Genes 7. Iob. 38 Exod. 16 3. Reg. 17 Luke 12 Iob. 38 Daniel 7 Maâ—h 10 AgaiÌ„st fate destinie or the infleÌ„ce of y e stars Gene. 1â— Luke 10 Ihon. 1 Marke 8 Ihon. 18 Marke 9 Libertines â— Cor. 6. Gene. 3 â— Ihon. 2 Luke 18 Math. 19 Gene. 7. Exod. 14 â–ª Gene. 1â— Exod. 32 Num. 1â— Math. 2 Anaxagoras Why stars apeared at the birth of Christe Math. 2 Colloss 1 Psal. 8 Thre opinions touching thys Starre Iosua 10 4 Reg. 20. Angels appeare in dâ—uers shapâ— Exod. 3 Iosua 5 4 Reg. 2 Gene. 1 Iud. 13 Apoc. â— Num. 24. Act. â— What fate is Perfit causes Unperfit Exod. 2 â–ª Dan. 3 Gene. 17 Gene. 18 Luc. 1 Num. 17 Iosua 10 Math. 1 Math.