For seynge that this manhoode of his was ioyned too the woord by personall vnion yea and so ioyned as it was moste holy in it selfe who caÌ„ think if y said humane nature be considered without the charge of mediatorship which is not of it selfe coincident too the manhoode but inioyned to the sonne by the father of his owne good wyll and willinglye vndertaken by the sonne I say who can thinke that there was anye defaulte in this manhoode whiche hée had taken vnto him so as it should not foorthe wyth haue byn moste woorthye of the euerlasting lyfe euen from the very fyrst moment of the saide vnion Therefore this his beinge bounde too the performance of the lawe is not properlye by nature but of good will nor simplye for that Christ is a man but bycause he béecame man for our sakes which condition he vndertooke of his owne accorde and performed it not in his owne behalfe for by good right he was moste blessed already but in our behalfe for whom it was his will to become subiecte too the lawe to the intent to redéeme them that were vnder the lawe Furthermore sée how vncertaine a sayinge that is whiche thou spakest laste of all concerninge the satisfyinge for our synnes For that is euen the chéefest parte of hys obedience or fulfillynge of the lawe as wée haue prooued a little afore So then if he fulfilled the lawe in his owne béehalfe you must néedes confesse that he dyed for his owne sake also Quest You say then that we be iustified before god that is to say that we be couÌ„â—ed and denounced rightuous beecause Christes obedience is imputed vnto vs â—hich consisteth chiefly of two partes â—amely of satisfaction for our sinnes â—f full performance of all rightuousnes â—f the lawe An. I say so Quest To what purpose then is Christ furthermore made our sanctificatioÌ„ for doubtlesse he that is accepted for rightuous is also accounted for holy Ans Whosoeuer is rightuous muste also of necessitie be holye but not contrarywise except there come newe grace too the former graces after the maner that we haue auouched the terme Rightuous too bée taken in this present matter that is too wyt for suche a one as not onely is not hild for a transgressor of the lawe because his sins be clensed away in Christ but also hath fulfilled the rightuousnesse of the lawe in him To bée shorte I saye that this holinesse is the goodnesse and vncorruptnes of his person and y this rightuousnesse whereof wee intreate as now and whereof the beléeuers are termed rightuous in themselues is not the rightuousnesse that commeth by imputation but the imp of that holinesse so as the former is as the trée and this other is as the fruite of it â–ª After this sorte was Adam created holye that is too saye good and faultlesse and hée had also béecome rightuous if he had kept the lawe whiche his creator had appoyncted him Que. But al men are corrupt by nature An. Agein except Christ the second AdaÌ„ who was conceiued by the holye ghost too the ende y the nature of man might in him not onely recouer the clennesse which it had loste but also be aduaunced too a degree of goodnes far higher without measure For the fyrste Adam was but created after the image of God but the latter Adam is also God bycause he is vphild in the euerlasting sonne of god who hath by vnutterable meanes sanctifyed the nature that he hath taken vnto him and that is doone too the intent the same should also make vs holy Quest And wherefore do you call christ the second Adam An. Bicause y like as Adam was created too the end y al men should be borne of him by naturall generation So christ â—ath taken mannes nature vpon him â—oo the ende that all suche as beleeue in â—im should bee spiritually borne a new 〈…〉 him by grace Quest VVas it not ynough for vs to be â—orne once by naturall meanes Ans Yes as apperteyning to this lyfe 〈…〉 respect wherof it were a folie to think wée bée borne any oftener But for asmuch as Adam hath put himself in daunger of dubble death both for himself and for his ofspring it behoued vs eyther to perishe or too bee borne againe intoo euerlasting life after a far other sorte And therefore this other Adam is geuen vs that both holinesse and euerlasting life might flowe spiritually out of him intoo vs by grace like as sin and death were sprede into vs from the first Adam bodily and by nature Quest Layforth yet more plainely this sanctification of ours in Christ Ans That thing is sayd too bee sanctified or made holy whiche is sorted out from the common vncleannesse that it may bee moste pure and wholly consecrated vntoo God the vtter enemy of all vnclennesse After this sort is our nature sanctified or halowed in Christe euen from the very instant of his conception and that too the intente to sanctify vs whiche thing is done two wayes For first like as I sayde that wee be accounted throughly rightuous afore god by imputation of Christes rightuousnes not in ourselues but in him too whome wee bee vnited by faith Euen so also I say that by the imputation of his perfect holinesse and sowndnesse our persones are accounted throughly holy and sound and so consequently are acceptable too the father not in ourselues but in christ Further I say that the force and efficacie of this moste pure holinesse which is in the fleshe of Christe floweth euen in too vs by the working of the holy Ghost in vs so as we be halowed in ourselues that is to say wee bee segregated from the defilinges of this worlde and serue God both in spirit and body Which benefite is euerywhere in the scriptures called Sanctification or holinesse regeneration or newbirth Illumination or Inlightening the new man the new creature and the Spirite or Spiritualnesse Que. you say then that this latter sanctification is not a thing without vs nor ours by imputation only but a new indowment perfectly greffed stickinge in vs bestowed vpon vs in christ by the mere grace of the heauenly father and wrought in vs by the vertue of the holy Ghoste An. So say I. Que. What neede then haue wee of the other sanctification of our nature which is imputed to vs An. Forasmuch as this holinesse that sticketh in vs is but onely begonne in vs according as it appeareth by the continual debate betweene the flesh and the spirit euen in the best sort of men Therfore to the intent our persones may bee acceptable vnto god and so coÌ„sequently the thing that proceedeth from vs may please him for the life of holy men is as it were a continuall offringe vp of themselues wherunto the Apostle exhorteth vs there had neede to steppe in a farre other holinesse namely the same whiche is moste full and
A booke of Christian Questions and answers Wherein are set foorth the cheef points of the Chrisâ—â—â—â—â—â—ligion in maner of an â—…dgment A worke right necessary and profitable for all such as sâ—al haue to deale with the captious quarelinges of the wrangling aduersaries of Gods truthe Written in Latin by the lerned clerke Theodore Beza Vezelius and newly translated into English by Arthur Golding Imprinted at London by William How for Abraham Veale dwellyng in Paules Church yarde at the signe of the Lambe Ano. 1574. ¶ To the Right honorable and his singular good Lorde Henry Earle of Huntingdon Baron Hastinges Knight of the most noble order of the Garter c. Arthur Golding wissheth abundance of Gods grace increase of honour and longe continuance of life in health and prosperitie MY very good Lord it is daylie and in maner commonly to beseene I pray God that our vnthankefulnes cause vs no more to feele it that the peruerse through setled Papists the professed enemies of God all goodnes linking theÌ„selues in league with worldlinges Epicures Athiestes Neuters birdes of their own broode do euen yet after so great light of the Gospell and so manifest conuictioÌ„ of their Grosse errors stil boldly persist in their wilfull wickednes not only hardening their own stubborne hartes against the apparant truth but also as much as in theÌ„ lyeth stealiÌ„g away the kie of knowledge froÌ„ others that would fain enter into the kingdome of heauen if they letted theÌ„ not casting stumbling blockes in the waies of the weake vncircumspect of whose soules they make marchandise by their deceiuable and inuenimed speeche But certesse although long impunity haue made theÌ„ ouer bould both to prate to Practise in maner what they lyst â—…et not withstanding for as much as the general brightnes of Christes Gospell discouereth their grosser sorte of â—ealinges vntoo mostmen they assaulte vs not nowe so much with open manifest vntruthes whiche were ordinary weapons of their warfare wheÌ„ they had the swoorde of souereintie and the law of crueltie in theyr owne hand as with secret inuasions of sophisticall reasons and crabbed questions specially where they finde hope of victorie by meanes of other mens simplicitie want of learning to withstand them And truly in that art no folke are so cunning as the children of darknes For worldly wisdome hauing bent hir self to mainteine error is a fruiteful moother of all sortes of quiddities and the olde serpent is both slie and vnslothfull in traÌ„sforminge himselfe and his impes into all shapes to doo mischiefe For asmuch therefore as there be many godly and welminded persons who hauinge not yet mounted aboue the short reache of naturall reason doo still measure Gods misteries howbecit with a single meaninge mind by their slender capacitie of their small vnderstaÌ„dinge dealinge in likewise as if a man that were iorneying by the first dawning of the day shoulde trip his foote against some stone which he woulde eschew at the comminge of the cleere and open light whose faith is often times shaken yea and nowe and then crased also eyther by such as standing vpon the reputacion of their owne skil hunt for vainglory by russhinge vnaduisedly into the discourse of Gods deepest misteries whiche ought not to be spoken of without great reuerence and modesty or by suche as being wilfully blind diffame the things that they know not or by such as being giuen vp too a hardened minde blaspheme the knowen truthe through malicious spitefulnes or by such as being giuen wholly to their belly their bed cannot abide to hecre of any thing that might make them goodmen or else by suche as haue learned in Lucians schoole to scoffe at all thinges that like not their fantasticall folie too the intent that the godly persos might alwaies haue at hand as well wherwith to satisfie themselues and other well disposed persoÌ„s in doubtful cases as also to stop the slauÌ„derous mouthes of the quarelinge aduersaries or at leastwise wherwith to aunswere their captious cauelinges in the chiefe points of our religion I haue translaied this Christen treatise of the learned writer Theodore Beza who by a certein modest questioninge answering ther vnto doth in dialogwise briefely set forth vnto vs the true knowing of God our selues the right vse and end of the same For taking his beginning at the intent of our creation he declareth that God must be worshipped and serued in none otherwise than hee himselfe hath taught vs by his worde written The authoritie wherof being auouched by many profes he setteth downe what the same teacheth vs to beleeue concerninge the Godhead the three persons therof Then shewing vs what we ought to consider chiefely in God he vnfoldeth the misterie of the vnioÌ„ of the two natures in the one person of Christ whereby hee confuteth the heresie of the Manichees and layeth forth the order of our saluatioÌ„ by Christs incarnation death resurrection and AscentioÌ„ Here vpon he taketh occasion to â—hew the maner of Christs being present absent and thereby condemneth the errors of popishe transsubstantiation of the vbiquitie or euerie where being of Christs maÌ„hod mainteined by Brentius and certeine others After this he passeth forth to Christes mediation intercession where he disproueth the heresie of Arrius the opinioÌ„ of surmising three Gods the dotages of Samosatene the forgeries of the Papists in praying vnto saincts FroÌ„ thence he descendeth to the laste iudgement and answering by the way to an obiection of the foreiudgemeÌ„t that eche seuerall person receiueth at his departure out of this life he procedeth to the generall rising again of the flesh to the rewards of the godly the punishment of the wicked whereby he taketh occasion too inquire of the way to eternall life which is Christ taken holde on by fayth There sheweth he what faith is and whence it coÌ„meth and so discoursinge largely of mans corruptioÌ„ he disproueth the Pelagians freewyll declareth in what wise mans naturall will woorketh together with Gods preuentinge grace and how the continuance of Gods graces insewinge is the cause of the effectuall working of the former graces wherby he vtterly ouerthro weth the merit or deseruing of meÌ„s owne workes Afterward hauing first shewed the maner of the spreding of originall sin into al mankind he returneth to the â—emedie therof by being greffed into Christ the maner wherof he describeth at large and there agein confuteth the heresie of Transsubstantiation and declareth faith to be the free gift of god through christ by whom wee obteine wisedome Rightuosnes Holines and RedemptioÌ„ which are the fruites of beinge greffed into him by the benefite whereof we begin also in part to vnderstand aright to will aright and to woorke a right whiche is as muche as to liue after the spirite In the layinge forth of these things he rippeth vp the feeblenes of mans naturall reason wassheth away the excuse of his vnhablenes to
full power sauinge him that hath made all thinges subiect vnto it Quest what meanest thou by essentiall properties An. That which beinge taken away the thing must of necessity no more be that which it was afore As for example if a body bée bereft of quantitie it must of necessitie cease to be a body Quest But God is almightie An. Who denies that Qu. Ergo he can bring to passe that one selfsame body may either bee in many places at once or somwhere as in a place and other somwher not as in a place but after some other incomprehensible maner An. That god can cause a thing y is not to be any more aswell as he hath caused the thinge to be which was not no man doubteth except he be stark mad and therfore a much les likelihod is it that he sholde not be able to alter the shapes qualities of thinges at his pleasure But to bringe to passe y a thinge should at once both be and not bee or at once be of suche sort and not of such sort god cannot do because he cannot lye And not to be able to lye is not a signe of weakenes but of vnuariable mightines Quest Then do you conclude that Christ is now absent from vs as concerning his madhod Ans Yea and so far of from vs as the earth where we be is distant from that place which is aboue al the heauens whither that fleshe of his is caried vp Q. Yet hath he himself said that he was then in heauen when he talked with Ni codemus vpon earth An. This and such other thinges are ment by cōmunicating of proprieties Quest What callest thou proprietie A That which logicians call propre after the fourth maner As for example to be infinite is a proprietie in the nature of the godhead and quantity is a proprietie in all thinges created and specially in bodily thinges Quest Then is this communicating false for asmuch as such maner of proprietie ceaseth to be propre or peculiar assone as it becommeth common An. This later part I simplye graunt vnto but not vnto the other Quest But these two thinges seeme to sticke inseperably together An. Then take thou the case to stand thus Either of christs natures y is to say his godhead his manhod keepe still theire essential properties to themselues with out communicating them the one to the other accordinge as I haue saide already which thing vnlesse we graunt infinite and vtterly wicked absurdities will insew For if his godhead shuld receiue into it selfe y properties of his manhod it shuld be trāsformed into māhod cōtrariwise if his manhod shuld admit into it selfe y properties of his godhead it shuld become a certaine counterfet godhead so as christ might be said to be neither verie god nor very man so consequently he shuld not be our sauior And therefore there is not any intercommuning either of natures or of essentiall properties For loke how false and wicked are these propositions flesh is the godhead and the godhead is flesh euen so false and wicked are these also Christs flesh is euery where or Christ is euery where as touching his flesh christs godhead is not euery wher◠or christ is not eueri wher as touching his godhead most false of al thē are these The godhead was crucifyed or died christs flesh is infinite Now although these two natures together with theire essentiall properties cannot communicate eche wyth other as I sayde afore yet are they vnited in such sort as they make but one selfesame partie or one person onely Therefore loke how false are these saide speches the godhead is flesh and flesh is the godhead ▪ so true catholyke are these god that is to wit the word is a man a man is god And that is by reason of the vnitie of y persons which springeth not of the comunicating of natures for as I told you there is no suche thinge vnlesse ye take cōmunicating for vnion whyche were to vnproper but of the vniting of natures For god is not a man in that he is god which thing must notwithstanding nedes folowe if the natures of the very essences that is to say of the godhed and of the manhod communicated eche with other that is to wit were the one as wel as y other but in another respect that is to wit in y he hath vnited a man vnto him Neither is a man god in y he is a man but in another respect namely in that he is vnited vnto god And looke what I haue said cōcerning the natures the same must also be vnderstoode cōcerning the essentiall properties which are vncōmunicable as well as y other Most trewe therfore are these speeches they must be laid forth in former wise god y is to wit y word was conceiued borne suffered was crucified died was buried rose againe namely in that he vnited a mā vnto him not in that he is god So also are these spéeches A man is y eternal infinite and inuisible son of god filling al things c. not as in himselfe y is to say not in y he is a man nor by any cōmunicating of properties but in y he ys takē into one person by the son of god Quest But these maner of speeches seme hard and very strange Ans Nay truly If thou woldest caste away thy misconceiued and preiudiciall opinion thou sholdest find thē to be excedinge fit to let forth the vnion of y natures which is so great y looke what thing cannot be sayde of the seuerall y is to wit of the godhead by it self or of the manhod by it self The same may very well be attributed to eyther of both ioyntly ▪ y is to wit eyther to god or to the man and that is because y of the two natures their is not made one nature but one person And therfore we auouche that in the natures there is an vnion not an vnitie and the the vnite is of the person onely Whervpon it cummeth to passe that the whole person not only is signified by the name of the whole person y is to say by Iesus which comprehendeth both y natures vnited together but also is ment by the name of either of both the natures that is to say by the sonne of god the sonne of man howbeit as considered ioyntlye not seuerally So also wheras the name Christe that is to say anointed agreeth properly but to the manhod onlye for the godhead was not anoynted but did anoynt yet doth it betokē y who le person And it is a cōmon ordinary matter in al things to speake of persons after the like maner to shew y vniting of the partes of which the vnity of y persō cōsisteth So this maner of spéeche Peter is an apostle is as proper as may be agreing to Peters whole persō to the seueral parts therof y
of the diuine nature that toke it 〈…〉 to it Therfore in this work of mediaâ—… that is to say of reconciliatioÌ„ or attoâ—…ment some doings are attributed to 〈…〉 who le person of Christ that is to saye both his natures working together sâ—… to his godhead seuerally by it self soâ— to his manhod seuerally by it selfe but conclude none of bothe his natures hâ—… the mediatorship by it selfe alone Quest But what shall we beleue concâ—â—ning the office of intercession for suâ—…ly he that maketh intercession for anâ—ther is inferior vnto him to whom tâ—… intercession is made An. Nay that is vntrue for what shoâ—… let but that one equall maye intreat aâ—â—ther his equall or the superior maye 〈…〉 treat his inferior for another man Aâ— therefore it should not follow y the sonâ— were lesser then the father although 〈…〉 had taken this charge vppon him or 〈…〉 own will euen without taking any flâ—… vnto him But I haue shewed alreadâ— how the thinges that are writen of chrâ—… intercession must not bee restrained â—e reason that agréeth with the souereinâ—s degrées of this worlde Moreouer â—…w the worde is a meane betwéene the â—ther and vs in respecte of the vnion of â—…e twoo natures and howe he is the â—ediator betwéene the father and vs in â—…spect of his office I haue shewed euen â—…ow Quest They say also it shuld seme that â—…e Godhead maketh intercession to it â—…lfe if Christ should be called an interâ—…ssor in respect also that he is God Ans They say so in déede but very vnâ—ilfully For although the Godhead beâ—…ge a thinge vndiuidable be whole and â—erfect as well in the sonne as in the faâ—â—er and in the holy ghost Yet notwithâ—tanding when we consider the godhead â—â— the persons we consider it not withâ—ut relation of one person to another â—nd therefore put the case which thinge 〈…〉 most trew that Christ maketh interâ—ession for vs to the father euen in his Godhead vnited to the manhod whiche â—…e tooke vnto it yet shall it not followe â—hat he maketh intercession to himselfe â—einge that the father is one and that sonne â—s another in seuerall person throughlye distincte albeit that the father and thâ— Sonne be both one thing and one godâ— if the Essence of them bee consydereâ— with out their persons For like as iâ— Christ incarnate there be seueral thingâ— and not seueral persons so in the godâ— heade there be seuerall persons but nâ—â— seuerall thinges Quest What opinon hast thou oâ— praying vnto Angels and Sainctes deceased An. That it is wicked Idolatrie Quest Yet it may bee that they whicâ— praye vnto Angels and Sainctes deceased cannot awaye with the makinge oâ— any Images Ageyne yee shoulde haue made a distinction betwene suche aâ— pray to the trew and blessed Angelles or to the soules of them that were godlye and holy men in deede and suche aâ— worshippe counterfet Aungelles that is to saye feendes or whiche worshyppâ— suche maner of Goddes as althoughâ— they were Goddes yet shoulde they euen by their owne confession be buâ— wicked Goddes Aunswere I graunt not onely that somme sinâ—es are more heynous than others â—ut also that suche as are giltye of one â—elfe same sinne are not alwayes a like â—iltye Neuerthelesse he that synneth â—he greeuouslyer dischargeth not hym that synned lesse heynouslye out of the â—umber of offenders And therefore â—et vs suffer all this geere to slip wherâ—f there is no question betwixte vs. â—dolles are conceyued by fonde fancye and broughte foorthe by the hand Therfore are they Idolaters also whose Idoll â—urketh like a shapelesse conception in â—he wombe of theyr imagination neyâ—her is there anye kynde of idoll more â—wglye than this which is set vp in the â—ery bowels of the mind Quest But why callest thou that thing Idoâ—atrie which leaneth vpon good reaâ—on Answere Fie on that reason whiche not onely â—eaneth not to Goddes woorde but also â—eyghteth fully against it And yet I see â—ot what good reason may bee alleged to defend so grosse a wickednes Quest I praye thee shew me why thou sayest so Ans To call vpon one that is absent whom thou canst not make priuye to the méening of thy mynd it is a poinct of extreame blockishnes And to suppose that the soules of suche as be deceased eyther be present euery where or if they be absent and heare mens woordes do neuerthelesse perceiue the thoughtes of their mindes I say that both of them are manifest and horrible sinnes of Idolatry atleast wise if it be Idolatrye to father that thinge vpon the creature whiche is proper or peculiar to god alone And wheras they make exception that God discloseth our peticions vnto the sainctes or else that the sainctes beholde all thinges in I wote not what a wonderfull glasse of the trinitie looke howe easie a matter it is for them to saye it so easie is it for vs to shake it of as a foolishe and grosse forgerie Moreouer as concerninge the angelles we héere in déede that the Lordâ— vseth their seruice in defendinge his children and no doubt but they execute their charge as it is inioyned them and are carefull after their maner for the welfare of the godly But what makes thys that wée shoulde pray to them for howe â—â—aye that be doone in faith séeynge wée â—nowe not neither when they come nor â—hen they goe nor when they bée preâ—ent nor when they be absent nor finde â—ny woorde or example of it in the holy Bible but rather that the Angelles haue â—ot admitted so muche as any outwarde â—eligious reuerencinge finally seeinge â—ere is none in the whole worlde to bee â—ompared eyther in power or loue toâ—ardes vs vnto Christ God and man â—hiche sitteth at the right hand of the faâ—â—er makinge intercession for vs as the â—â—ely mediator betwéene God and men â—herevpon sprange the rable of pety inâ—rcessours but of manifest distrust in â—â—m And as for the vnfailinge loue â—â— the Sainctes which manie men harp â—â—on althoughe it be trewe yet notâ—ithstanding it is so awklye applide forâ—â—e proofe of prayinge to Sainctes as it â—edeth no disproofe at all Quest Yet notwithstanding wee pray â—e for another desire one of vs the â—â—ayers of another and in so doinge the â—ostle hath gone before vs by his own example Ergo. to require the intercession of some others besides Christ it nâ— why timpeacheth the offyce of the onely mediatour vnto whom wee say not pray for vs but haue mercy vpon vs. Answere Fyrst wee are sure that the maynteyners of this praying to Angelles anâ— deadfolkes holde not them selues within those boundes but doo craue theiâ— healpe in their daungers and distresses no lesse than the openest Idolaters thaâ— euer were did in olde tyme craue helpâ— at the handes of their petygoddes thaâ— were vnder the throne of their Iupiteâ— Againe for the members of one body too requeste one of vs too praye for anâ— ther so longe as wée maye bée able