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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
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
here iustly say that euerlasting fier is taken for a long fier albeit the latin word eternum bee some tyme taken so Prodâ—uturno for the Greke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is neuer taken but for euer more world without end As for their argument that the punishment must be no greater then the fault I answer that our least fault deserueth euerlasting fier because it is committed against GOD who is euerlasting all be 〈◊〉 the fault be begonne and ended in tyme so that he is more to be considered against whose diuine wil it is done then what is done For the scriptur denieth him y e kingdom of heauen that breaketh one of the least coÌ„mauÌ„dements Doth it not cry that in hel there is no redemptioÌ„ And in death who remeÌ„breth thee And who wil geue thee thankes in hell And where the tree falleth there it shall lie The continuance of hel fier is described notablie of Christ where he coÌ„maundeth vs to cut of our hand our fote and to pluck out our eie that is to prefer heauenly thinges to our fathers and mothers familiar frindes saying if thy hand offend thee cut hym of It is better for the to enter into lyfe maimed then hauing two handes to go into hel into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goth out What caÌ„ be more plainli more vehemently spokeÌ„ of the endles pain of the wycked then these wordes into fier vnquencheable where their worm dieth not and the fier neuer goeth out whiche termes in y e same place be repeated twise more afterward If there be no redemption in hell how is it written in the boke of the kynges our Lord bryngeth folke doune into hel and bryngeth theÌ„ again we read also that Anania Azaria and Misaell blessed the Lorde for delyuering them out of hel and sauing from y e power of death This worde hel in the first place doth not signifie that which is commenly ment therby but a graue or pit that is digged for the Hebrue worde is sheol If any euill chaunce vnto my sonne Ben Iamin in the land whether you go you shal bring down myne hore heares with sorow vnto hel that is into my graue In Daniel it signifieth aduersitie trouble and misery as in many other places The .xi. Chapter ¶ God is ful of rightuousnes and of the prosperitie of euill men and the affliction of good men This endles punishment of the wicked is no derogacioÌ„ to Gods great mercy but rather a mirrour of his rightuousnes for as he is merciful so is he rightuouse as the mercy endureth for euer toward thâ— good so his rightuousnes endureth no lesse time toward the euil Dauid testifieth him to be iust in al his waies holy in al his workes By his rightuousnes he hated Cain Esau the thief on the left hand by his mercy he loued Abel Iacob hym that hong on y e right hand thorow these two happened the blindnes of y e Iewes and the fulnes of the Gentils If he be vnrightuous how shal he iudge y e world His sainctes iudgements be rightuous he shutteth the vnrightuous out of heauen he rewardeth right dealers wherfore he himself must nedes be a rightuous God Thou wilt say why theÌ„ doth he suffer the wicked to prosper geuyng them riches honour and children And why doth he punish the godly with pouertie sicknes and al kind of misery Why doth he suffer wicked Manasses to murder cruelly Esai Why doth he let Ieremy be slaine of Apires Zacharie of the hie priestes Iohn Baptist of Herode Christ of Pilate Why doth he suffer the Deuil to plage y e pacient maÌ„ Iob with al kind of aduersitie Why wyll he al good meÌ„ to bear a crosse in this world S. Paul telleth vs when we ar iudged we are chastened of the Lord lest we be damned with the world And it is good for me said Dauid that I haue bene in trouble that I may learn thy statutes Here two causes be rehearsed why God layeth affliction trouble and the crosse vpon the shulders of his elect that they may auoid dampnation and learne to kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts for trouble geueth vnderstanding Lord saith Esay in trouble they cry vnto thee the aduersitie which they suffer is a lesson vnto theÌ„ When the outward man perisheth the inward is renued day by day Moreouer God hath set at the entring of the garden of pleasure Cherubin with a fyrie sweard mouing in and out to kepe y e way to the tree of life to which there is no accesse but by affliction which is porter as it is written we must enter thorow much trouble into the kingdom of heauen Wherfore God loueth them whom he troubleth and he scourgeth euery sonne y t he receiueth they that are vnder no correctioÌ„ ar called bastards no sonnes Cato when Pompey was ouerthrowen of valeaunt Iulius Ceasar began to be angry w t God thinking hym percial but we christen mâ—n may not do so knowing aduersitie to be a token of Gods fauour an occasion of vnderstandiÌ„g a cause of ameÌ„dmeÌ„t These scripturs teach vs y t God punisheth his elect for their erudicion and coÌ„moditie nor for any vnrightuousnes albeit y e holiest man that euer was deserueth a crosse in this life His rigtuousnes enpouerisheth vs plageth vs and condempneth vs hys mercy enricheth vs healeth vs crouneth vs. But it is written of Iacob Esau that or they were borne or they had done good or euil God loued the one hated the other which was contrary to al true iudgement S. Paul in the same place compareth God to a potter and men to clay The potter hath power ouer the clay to make euen of one the same lompe one vessel vnto honour and another vnto dishonour And hath not God power ouer vs which be but clay that is naught the children of wrath to condempne or to saue The Latin worde here declareth more plainly what we be which is Ex eodem luto We be al becom durt by the faul of the first Adam If he croune durt it is his mercy thorowe the second Adam If he coÌ„dempne it he geueth right iudgement Thou wilt say then why blameth he vs For who can resist his wyl He made thee not clay that is the child of death but after the Image of God without sin Thou art durt and clay thorow the sinne of Adam not because of thy creation For God wold haue al meÌ„ saued And why be thei not the cause is not in hym but in vs not that we be able to withstand his wil but bycause he will saue none against their wil he wil saue al that is al that wil take it when it is offred them al that refuse not the saluation of their own souls as the Israelites did For Christ saieth vnto them that he wold haue
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
as the other Gods haue so the mo Gods they be in number the lesse is their power authoritie As for example y e king is most mighty who hath all the world vnder him for al things are his y e riches of al men belong vnto him If there be many kings they are of lesse power ther is no such authoritie among theÌ„ no such power for eueri one of them hath his dominion his portion to rule presumeth not beyond his owne bonds Euen so if ther be many Gods they are of lesse power but reason geueth God a perfit and an absolute power Wherfore ther is but one God only for asmuch as perfit power cannot be in many Also it ther be many howe do they knowe that they shal coÌ„tinue of one mynd and will If thei do not as it is like for it is a common saying Tot capita tot sensus as many myndes as heades then this diuersitie wil prouoke them to battail as we read in Homer who bryngeth in y e Gods fighting one with another some of theÌ„ takyng parte with the Troyanes some with y e Grekes for diuersitie in will causeth warre The heatheÌ„ grauÌ„t that God hath a generall aucthoritie and a perfite power but they saye that he hath many Gods of lesse power which ar called minores dij to gouern the world vnder him But thei lie for thei be no gods because thei be ministers vnder him nomore theÌ„ y e officers vnder the king as chauÌ„celers maires presideÌ„ts iudges shriues bailies and Constables are kinges God is not like a man he worketh all thynges without handes without any werinees or payne nether doth tyme measure his workes with whom it is Dixit facta sunt he spake the word and it was done WheÌ„fore he nether hath nede to rule vnder him nether can any such be Gods wherof it must nedes folow y t the world is gouerned by one God No citie is wel ordred but of one Mayre no host of meÌ„ but of one general captaine Wherfore the Grekes sayling vnto the famous citie of Troye chose Agamenon to be king of kinges and wylled all to be obedient vnto hym If in one host there be so many chief captains as there be thousands if euery haue his captain whom he must only obey no order no aray can be kept for euery captaine will be with his men where hym lysteth and euery one of theÌ„ wyl refuse to endaunger hymselfe and his men and wyl passe the ieopardie to hym that is next Euen so except by one God the whole worlde be gouerned all thynges wyl decay and peryshe If it be true which is comenly sayd among meÌ„ Omnis potestas impatiens est consortis that power receiueth no felowship howe much more is it true in that ineffable power which apperteineth to God whose highnes receiueth no felowship of any other What a king is to his realme that God is in y e world one realme hath but one so one world hath but on God For this cause and other the scriptures vse to call him a king No ship is well gouerned of many maisters no flock of mani shepeherdes no schole of many scholemaisters no citie of many Mayres no hoste of many captaines no kyngdome of many kinges all thinges stande and are preserued by an vnitie And Virgill recordeth this thing saying Principio celuÌ„ ac terras caÌ„posque liquentes Lucentemque globum lune titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totamque infusa per artus MeÌ„s agitat moleÌ„ et magno se corpore miscet First heaueÌ„ earth clay fields in dede with mone stars y e spirit w tin doth fede The mind spread through the vayns eke moues the mole Mixing it self vnto the body whole The Poet Virgil beareth record that there is but one God for one body hath but one mynd and God is the mynd of the world wherfore as there is but one world so there is but one God And that no man shoulde misâ—â—me this spirit and mynde of whiche he speakith not to be God he expoundeth these wordes in another place saiyng Deum namque ire per omnes Terrasque tractusque maris celumque profundum God goeth through al sene or vnsene with eye Through earth and sea through heauen depe an hie â—uide also in his boke called Metamorphosis witnesseth that one God formed al thinges of a confused heape I do not cal poetes to witnesse that I thinke any credite to be geuen to their wordes but to shewe that this thing is so manifest a truth that they which were blynd did se it But as I haue spoken of poets so wyl I speake of the Phylosophers Thales Milâ—sius one of y e seuen famous wise men held opinion that water is the stuffe matter of which al thinges were made and that God formed them therof grauÌ„ting both one God to be maker of al thinges also telling wherof For the scriptures call the confused heape of which al things were made bi the name of water as it is writteÌ„ The spirit of god was born vpon y e waters Pitagoras also defineth god to be a mynd filling ruling al the porcions of y e world And one body hath but one minde wherfore the world hath but one God For God is a mind the world is the body He also said that the nuÌ„ber of thre was the beginning of al things teaching the people of his time that god is a trinitie in a riddle obscure speach because it wold not be born openly If ther were many worlds as some thinke it wer some probabilitie to say ther were many gods Parmenides thinketh y t there is but vnuÌ„ ens The noble worthy philosopher Aristotle de partiÌ„g out of this life praied vnto y e same ens saiyng ens entium miserere mei And wel may god be called ens who only is of himself al things haue their being of him Plato also saith y t the â—ouernaÌ„ce of this world is a Monarchie that God only both made ruleth it Hermes trismagist teacheth thesame thing that he is vnsearchable Marcus Tullius the famouse orator agreeth with them who teacheth that God is Mens soluta quedâ— libera segregata ab omni concrecione mortali omnia sentiens omnia mouens that is to witte God is a simple mynde nether being made of matter form nether mingled with accideÌ„ts knowing all thinges and ordryng them The Sibilles also taught the same in old time which were womeÌ„ that did prophecie before the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ so called because they did disclose many of Gods secrets For the Aeolians cal the gods Sions â–ª not Theous counsel or secrets not Boulen but Bullen and there were ten of theÌ„ The most famous of them which was called Erithrea saith thus of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One God alone thete is I wot Both infinite