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
the chiefest It ordreth the mynde gouerneth the body directeth al our workes and affaires teaching vs what ought to be done what is to be left vndone without whiche nether a kyng can rule his subiectes nor the captaine guide his armie nor a Byshop enstruct his flocke ne any man of science or craftes man shewe forth and practise his arte or occupation Nowe if we recount other thynges to be of great price and value your wysdome knoweth that the knowledge of God surmouÌ„teth so farre all other sciences as God hymselfe excelleth all other creatures And thesame without denay is most profitable and necessary both vnto kynges Dukes Erles and Lordes as appereth Psalm ii Deute xvii Esay xlix where they be named the nourses of Religion and also vnto gentlemen marchauntmeÌ„ yeomen husbandmen to al degrees spirituall and temporal Vaine are all men which haue not the knowledge of God sayth the wyseman and Paul testifieth that because it semed to them not good to haue the knowledge of god god gaue them vp into a leude minde to their own heartes lust and to all vnclennes For if he be lyght suche as know not hym do stumble in darkenes if he be the waye they that be ignoraunt haue loste theyr waye if he be the truth al suche as haue no acquaintaunce with hym be blinded disceiued if he only be good we must borow craue all good thinges of hym alone if al science be the lordes we must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods scholers if he only be almighty all our power strength and habilitie cometh froÌ„ him if he be life the end of such as be ignorauÌ„t wil not seke to know the Lord shal be eternal death For our sauiour mercie stock saieth y t this knowledge is eternal lyfe This is eternal life to know thee Iesus Christ whom thou hast sent 〈◊〉 be y e true God But we must fetch the right knowledge and true description of hym out of holy wryte whiche as the Apostle telleth is profitable to teache to controll to amende and to instructe in all rightuousnes I haue made this treatise of hym out of the same and forasmuche as my entent and matter herein is to portray and paint our sauiour Christ who is the bryghtnes of the euerlastyng lyght the vndefiled glasse and liuely Image of the diuine maiestie I doe call it the Image of GOD. Or els because suche thinges be here opened and discouered which be necessary to be beleued and knowen of the laye and vnlearned people I would not haue them vtterly lacke Images name it if ye wyl the laye mans boke for images wer wont to be named Libri laicoruÌ„ the bokes of the laitie I am not the fyrst that hath painted Christ Paul painted hym longe sithe to the Galathians as he wytnesseth I haue paynted Iesus Christ before your eyes and haue cruâ—â—fied him amongst you and all the other Apostles Euangelistes and Prophetes were painters My mynd is not to portraye any newâ— â—â—raunge or vnknowen Image but to renew and repayre again the olde Image that Paul made which hath bene so darkened with gloses and is so bespotted with coloures of mans witte so stayned through shamefull couetousnes libertie and gredy ambicion that marueyle it is to se men so vnreuerent towardes the maiestie of God their maker Seneca a wise and sage Phylosopher willeth y t mete giftes be not vnmeetely geuen to vnmete persons as armour to women nettes to studentes wyues to boyes and Christ the wysdome of God commaundeth Geue not that which is holy to dogges neyther caste ye pearles before swyne meaning therby that all kynd of giftes ought to be agreable and answerable to their degrees and vocacions to whome they are geuen Nowe what thyng coulde bee deuised more agreable to your graciouse estate then his Image whose glory honour you haue alwayes sought to aduaunce not without great daunger of your goodes and lyfe for whiche you are bound to render hym moste harty thankes that he chose your grace for a blessâ—â— instrumente to sweepe cleane his house and churche to redresse all abuses and to restore agayne his fallen and decayed glorye maugre the head of all ennemies Therfore I do presente and dedicate this Image honorable father vnto your grace bothe for the worthines of the matter whiche is incomparable for the metenes of your person for a perpetual monument of my good wyll towardes your Lordship and also for a testimony token and declaration of my zeale and beneuolence to my contrey men If I shal se it to be profitable to them I shall be encoraged to take mo fruitfull matters in hande in whiche I desyre continually to occupy my selfe but the worlde is so euyll so vnkynde so vnthankefull to studentes that pouertie causeth them to remitte and slacke their studies and to seke the worlde to maynteine their necessities Aboundaunce and wealth dwelleth only with those whyche haue Gods houses in possession whiche eate vp hys people lyke bread and are not content to lyue vpon theyr owne sweate but doe lyue vpon other mens goods and laboures vpon the church goodes which are the pores I do meane all suche as in the papistical tyme were wont to lyue of their landes to kepe good hospitalitie to mainteine scholes and houses of almes and nowe they be purchessars and sellers awaye of the same vsurers rent raysers grasiers and farme mongers wherby hospitalitie tillage and many good houses be decayed in Englande and the Realme is vnpeopled and disfurnyshed Besydes some be berebrwers some fermers of benefices some persons some vicares byers of improparations some deanes of colledges some prebendaries and officers also in the kynges house Agayne priestes which should be preachers and distributers of the holy sacramentes be lawiers commissaries chauncellors officialles proctors receiuers stewards the office of saluacioÌ„ is vnregarded through couetousnes And lawiers whiche be no priests be parsons vicars prebendaries against the ordinauÌ„ce of God of whiche saynt Paule recordeth Euen so dyd the Lorde ordeine that they whiche preache the gospel should lyue of the gospel and no other neither kynge Lorde Gentleman ne lawier And 〈◊〉 this mingle maÌ„gle of spirituall and temporall regiment and offices is suffered as if ther were nether god ne magistrate ordeined of god to redresse suche abuses What marueile is it if mans ordinaunces and statutes be broken wher the ordinaunce of God is plainly resisted and not receiued Other some that pretend they be true preachers of Gods word and are counted holy and discrete men reteined the kynges chapleines and with other lordes both spirituall and temporall be in deede benefice mongers prebend mongers haue many archdeaconships deanries and they do not the office of one of their vocatioÌ„s some once a yere or twise peraduenture doth preach a sermon before the kyng or at y e spittle or at Pauls crosse to delude and paynte the worlde and to
Of which scriptures it doth consequently folow that he gouerneth the world by his prouidence not by the whale of fortune or by force of destinie For if he gouerneâ— theÌ„ he gouerneth vs seing the earth is the Lordes al that is therin the coÌ„passe of y e world al that dwel therin But some do say that he gouerned the Israelites the sede of Abraham the chosen generatioÌ„ but not the refydne of the earth which he gaue vp to their own gouernaunce Verely God ruled all as he is Lord of al. For Paule preacheth to the Athenians that we liue moue and be in him He gaue them also rain light corn grasse as he hymself teacheth Iob out of a storme saying Who deuideth the abouÌ„dauÌ„ce of waters into riuers or who maketh a way for y t stormy wether that it watereth and moystureth the dry and barren grounde to make grasse grow wher no body dwelleth Who is the father of rayne Or who hath begotteÌ„ the drops of our dewe out of whose wombe came the yse Who hath gendred y e coldnes of the ayer y t the waters are as hard as stones and ly coÌ„geled aboue the depe Did he not styr vp Pharao among y e Egiptians Benhadad among y e Sirians Salmanasar amoÌ„g the Assirians Nabuchodonozer among y â— Babilonians Darius among the Medes Artaxarces among the Parthians Alexander among the Macedonians and Vaspasian amoÌ„g the Romaines In the boke of y e Kinges Elias is coÌ„maunded to anoynt Hasaell king of Siria Iehu of Israell Eliseus to be Prophete in his roume Wherby he teacheth vs y t he maketh Prophetes and Kings and taketh away their kingdomes as it is written Propter iniustitias iniurias diuersos dolos c. Because of vnrighteouse dealing wrong dyuers deceipts kingdomes shalbe traÌ„slated from one to another for y e power of the earth is in the hand of God If kings wold earnestly beleue this which is Gods owne voice behold how many kings he deposed in y e boke of kings and for what causes they wold be as earnest to set forth Gods glory that is to cause the gospell to be preached thorowe their dominioÌ„s and to relieue their pore brethren which be members of the same body that they be children of the same father and heires of the same kingdome and that which is done to them is done to Christ as thei haue ben diligent politike yea rather deceitfull in encreasinge their reuenues in filling their hutches w t gold siluer thei wolde first seke for the kingdome of God then God wold be ther castle cast al other things vpoÌ„ theÌ„ or els he is vntrue of his promes One being demauÌ„ded how a king might rule safely and assuredly answered if he dâ—uyse good lawes and se them diligently practised This is a necessary lesson for al princes that wil lyue in quietnes or that wil enioy their crounes with long continuance And a king aught to be a father to his subiects not onli to the gentlemeÌ„ but rather to his pore coÌ„mons for they haue more nede He is the head of them as wel as of the other What causeth vprores insurretioÌ„s soner then oppressioÌ„ of the pore Or what prouoketh y e wrath of God more against them If I were demaunded how a king might not only pas his time safeli but also al his posteritie ofspyrng coÌ„tinue in possessioÌ„ of the kingdome I wold answer if he seke the glory of God vnfaynedly For if kyngdomes be translated for vnrightousnes they ar preserued by rightousnes If promotion come neyther from the east nor from the west but from the king of heauen the wai to attein it and to maintein and continue iâ— â–ª is to please the king of heaueÌ„ The pacient man Iob saith that almightye God oftentimes for the wickednes and sinne of the people suffereth an hipocrite to reigne ouer them Nowe I thinke that ther was neuer more godly pretence more outward shew of holynes more dissimulation in Rulers then now is and this is Ipocrisy and all the people be lyke the rulers I warant you I wold wish that all kings wold diligeÌ„tly reade ouer and earnestly beleue y e cronicle of the kings there thei should fynd that which is written by me kyngs do raigne Cirus kyng of Persie caused a proclamatioÌ„ to be made throughout his empyre that the Lord God of heaueÌ„ had geuen him al the kingdomes of y e earth Is God of lesse abillitie now to do these things theÌ„ he was Or is he of les knowlege and vnderstaÌ„ding But to the matter againe If he do not gouerne y â— world by his prouidence it is either because he cannot and he is not able or that he will not or that he is ignoraunt what is done here But there is no ignoraunce with him to whome all thinges be naked and manifest and he lacketh no cunning for he is almighty and nothing is impossible to him and he lacketh no will for he is full of goodnes mercy compassion and promiseth plenty of all good things to the godly and scarcitie to the euill wherfore he ruleth al by his prouidence he causeth thuÌ„der lightning haile frost snow darknes life death barennes fruitfulnes raine faire wether wind hunger battel peace and pestilence as it is written prosperitie and aduersitie lyfe and death pouertie riches come of the Lord. God sendeth al these things partly to admonish vs of our frailnes partly to punish the il and partly to try the good as I haue intreated before I put case thou knewest not wherfore he ordeined many thinges as thou art ignoraunt why he formed thee a man and not a woman an English man and no Italian were that a iust cause denie hys prouidence Were it not a like thing as if thou shouldest deny that I would be at London at the beginning of Michaelmas tearme because thou knowest not my sute We must think almighty God to forme al thinges to good purposes al be it his workes surmount our capacities When y u â—okest vpon a dial which declareth how the daie passeth away thou art moued to thinke that it is made by art and not by chaunce If one wold carie a globe into Ireland whose dayly turnings would work thesame thing in sunne the Mone and the fiue mouable sterres whiche is done in heauen euery day and euery night which of theÌ„ wold thinke in y t wild countrie the globe to be made without singuler conning And do we think that God gouerneth the world the which comprehendeth both the dial and the globe and the makers of both bi luck and fortune Are the partes gouerned by reason framed by art finished by conning and not the whole Or did Archimides by art couÌ„terfet the mouinges of heauen and God not rule the same bi his prouidence If God doe not rule it there is some thing more
mightier then he which doth it But he is almightie none is able to coÌ„pare w t him Townes cities kingdoms Empiers be gouerned by counsell much more the whole The world is called of wisemen the citie of al creatures Wherfore as Athens Lacedemon Venise Rome Paris London and Yorke haue Mayres Aldermen Bailifes and Constables to gouerne them after counsel Euen so hath it but who is able to be Maire or Constable therof but y e hiest therfor it is only ruled of him But you wil say that citie is not wel gouerned where vice is mainteined and vertue punished as Telamon who denieth Gods prouidence bicause good men be pained euil fauoured why was Regulus tormented of the Carthaginians why did cruel Cinna kill so many noble men Why did C. Marius sley the good quene Catulus Why did Dionisius Pisistratus Phalaris put so many to death Diogenes Cinicus was wont to say that Harpalus a strong thefe vpon y â— seas bare witnes against God that he was not mindful of vs bicause he coÌ„tinued so loÌ„g Albeit this obiection be partly resolued before yet I will touch it againe that it may be plentifully confuted taking an example of S. Paul who vnto y e PhilippiaÌ„s writeth It greueth me not to write one thing oftentimes for to you it is a sure thing If Paul Gods chosen vessel to whoÌ„ he gaue no singular grace thought it nedeful to write one thing oftentimes how muche more must we thinke the same of our small vnderstandinges and â—eble braines whiche be lesse able to paint Gods secrets at one time When thou seest one exceading riche vnworthy of riches thinke not him happie coÌ„demne not Gods prouidence iudge not al things to go by luck and fortune Remember Lazarus and the rich glutten y e one was cruel proud vnmerciful vnpitiful and yet stored with al thinges The other humble meake ful of pacience ful of goodnes and yet of notable pouertie and siknes he did not accuse God deny his prouidence complaining with any such words as these I haue not greatly sinned against God and yet I am hunger pined pained with cold punished with sicknesse but this euil man liueth in wealth pleasur ease and health How can it be that God is mindfull of vs How it is true y t he gouerneth y e world No truly he toke it pacienly he thought himself worthy of Gods rod. Wherfore he was caried by Aungels into Abrahams bosome the riche man was condempned to hell torments The prosperitie of the euil in this life encreseth their dampnation in the other and the good haue aduersitie in this world that thei be not dampned in the worlde to come There is a comen saying the end trieth y e dede Many theues in this life liue welthily many aduoutrers many extortioners many Idolaters many tenderlin ges c. Is this a sufficient cause to deny Gods prouidce No truly If at the latter day he condemne the good croune the euil then say that he was vnmindful of vs if not say he is a righteous God mindful of both good and il for the end teacheth y e no lesse If therfore thou haue affliction in this lyfe deny not Goddes prouidence but cnumfort thy selfe with thexaÌ„ple of Lazarus of Paul of Christ. Think that he punisheth sin in this lyfe that thou be not daÌ„ned for it in thother But nowe I will speake of euill rulers God suffereth euill men to reygne ouer the people because of their sinne and abhominable liuing as the coÌ„mon saying is Qualis populus talis princeps That is lyke people lyke prince He scourgeth them w t tyraunts because they be a froward and ouerthwart generatioÌ„ going a stray from him and starting aside like a broken bow The boke of the Iudges registreth that God lefte to scourge Israell fyue Lords of the Philistines and all the Sidonites Heuites that dwell in mounte Lybanon he styrred against them when they synned Chusan Rasathaim king of Mesopotamia Eglon Kyng of the Moabies Iabin Kyng of Canaan he suffred Abimelech a cruell tyraunt to raigne ouer them Wherfore was Israell so oft sold into the hands of the Egiptians Chaldees Assirians but for ther wickednes If God spared not his choseÌ„ generatioÌ„ natural braunches and his owne house wil he forbeare the wyld oliues Cinna and Marius Dionisius and Phalaris Pisistratus Harpalus wer rods and scourges wherw t he scourged the heathen for their Idolatry shameful lusts and vnthaÌ„kefulnesse as Chusan Eglon and the Philistines were vnto the Israelytes If they wolde haue forsaken their vicious liuing and returned vnto â—nd whome they knew of his workes but were vnthankefull not glorifiiÌ„g him as God he wold haue deliuered them from those tirauntes by good rulers and magistrates as he deliuered the Israelites from Chusan Rasathaim kyng of Mesopotamia by Othoniell y e son of Kenes from Eglon by Ahud from Iabin king of Canaan by Barak Debora Wherfore these examples do not deny Gods prouidence but proue vs to be sinners and declare his rightful iudgements both vpon y â— Iewe and gentil yea rather they do establish fortifie his gouernaunce teaching hym to be mindful of al natioÌ„s in geuing theÌ„ good kinges for their vertue or cruel tirauntes for their vice Diagoras he that thought God to be vnmindful of men comming to Samothratia a frend of his shewed him a table wherin many were painted which through vowes had escaped shipwrack and were come into the hauen to whom he said but they are not painted which vowed and neuertheles wer drouned ascribing their deliuerauÌ„ce vnto the blindnes of fortune and not vnto the goodnes of God Doth Ionas so Doth Paul so in the Actes when he and al that were with him were in ieoperdie of shipwrack No truly he biddeth them be of good comfort he taketh bread and geueth thankes vnto God who had promised him by an angel that an hear shuld not fall from the head of any of them It chaunsed an other time Diagoras sayling vpon the sea that a great slawe of wynd arose the mariners thought that God had sent them a tempest bicause thei had taken him into the shyp and agreed among them selues to cast hym into the seas thinking that then they would be quiet But Diagoras desired theÌ„ to loke about and shewing them other ships in no lesse daunger he asked them whether Diagoras was in those other shippes also meaning that teÌ„pestes come not of gods prouidence but by fortune luck How much wiser and more likely is the opinion of the noble clerk and most excellent Philosopher Cleanthes who fortifieth Gods prouidence with four reasons One is bicause he forseeth al thiÌ„gs The second for as much as he geueth plentie and scarsitie cold and heat corn encrease of catel and infinite other The third bycause he feareth vs with thunderboltes poureth down shoures haile snow causeth plages
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
tormenting and desperat conscience and that a ioyful quiet mery conscience is heauen and that deuils ar euil thoughtes good aungels good thoughtes First if this doctrine be true we beleue in vaine the resurrectioÌ„ of our bodies which is grouÌ„ded of scripture nothing els so y t if you beleue scripture this is a false pretensed damnable doctrine If our bodies shal not ryse then is Christ not risen saith Paul al preachiÌ„g is vanitie but our bodies be dead through y e syn of AdaÌ„ shalbe raised through the rightuousnes of Christ Iesus By a man came death of soul body and by a man cometh resurrection of soul body Were not many christen men baptysed ouer dead mens graues in the primatiue church in token that the dead should rise againe S. Paul in his .xv. Chapter to the Corinthians the first letter doth nothing els but confute this damnable opinion of the Saduces denying the resurrection which now the Libertines begin to renew But our Saduces grauÌ„t the resurrection they say we must rise froÌ„ syn if we wil come to heaue which is a mery and ioyful conscience There be two sortes of resurrections expressed in Gods word of which it is written Lykewise as Christ was raised vp froÌ„ death by y e glory of the father Euen so we also should walke in a new life This new life is resurrection from sinne Christes raising is the other resurrection that is of the body which began in Christ the first fruits of the dead For Paul saith He that raysed vp Christ from death shal quickeÌ„ our mortal bodies in another place it shall rise a spiritual body Our Saduces because they ether wil not or can not perceaue the difference betwene these two sortes of resurrection which both are in scripture grauÌ„t in words deny in dede both heauen hel both good aungels il defending al resurrection to be from sinne to vertue froÌ„ vice to godlines froÌ„ vnclennes to sanctifitation Resurrection from sinne is but a figure of the other resurreccion For Paul saith Christ being once raised from death not from synne who neuer sinned dieth no more Likewyse imagen ye also that ye are dead coÌ„cerning sinne but are aliue to God TheÌ„ it disanulleth not resurrection of bodies but fortifieth the same forasmuche as if there be a shadow there must nedes be a body Now let vs search what the scripture teacheth vs of good aungels beleue them For a scripture geueÌ„ by inspiration of God is profitable to teache to control to amend and it is truth No maÌ„ can deny aungels to be creaturs and almighty Gods workmanship as Paul witnesseth He maketh his aungels spirites and his ministers flames of fyre How then are they inspirations Luke regestreth that at Christes birth a multitude of heauenly souldiours which wer angels song glory to God on high and peace in earth and reioysing to men Therfore they be no inspirations Did an inspiration appeare to priest Zacharie burning inceÌ„se in the temple Did an inspiration shew him that Elizabeth his wife shuld beare him a sonne Did an inspiration make him specheles No truly for the aungel telleth what he is saying I am Gabriel that standeth in the syght of God and am sent to speak vnto thee In y t he saith I stand I am sent he declareth that he is a substauÌ„ce And if Gabriel be a substance y e rest be also substaÌ„ces They reioyse ouer euery sinner y â— repenteth they behold the face of the father in heauen they assist beare vs vp in their hands thei cari Lazarus into Abrahams bosome they minister vnto Christ after his temptation they deliuered y e law vnto the Israelites thei shal come to the generall Iudgement with Christ and after the resurrectioÌ„ they shalbe made like vnto them If they be inspirations tell me how speaking singing staÌ„ding seÌ„ding ioye seing punishing handes helpe and infinite other things which the scripture geueth to Angels can be in an inspiratioÌ„ and without a substaunce Me thinke this assercion hath affinitie with the doating opinion of transubstaÌ„tiation For our Romanistes although they more stubburnely then truely and more obstinately then deuoutly defend that no bread remaineth after the consecration yet they cannot deny but that many accidents remaine as the culloure of bread the tast of bread bredth length and other the which cannot be in y e comfortable and swete flesh of Christ wherfore either the substauÌ„ce of bread remayneth or els we must sai with the papists that these things be without a substauÌ„ce the which is as if we should say there is sickenes and there is helth there is cold and heat moisture drith but ther is no such thing as a body An angel of y e Lord comforteth Agar y e Egiptian besyde the well of Seer and commauÌ„deth her to returne to her mistris Abraham promiseth his seruaunt that an Angel shall ayd and further him in his iourney Iacob when he blesseth Ephraim Manasses prayeth y t the Angel of y e Lord which had ben his succour at all times might blesse and multiplie them We read that an Angell gouerneth y e hostes of the Israelites an Angel of the Lord killeth thousaÌ„ds of the Assyrianes Angelles certifie women of Christes resurrectioÌ„ and the disciples of his glorious returne Wheafore they be no inspiratioÌ„s no mocioÌ„s cuÌ„ming from God but spiritual substauÌ„ces and ministring spirites sent to minister for their sakes which shalbe heyrâ—s of saluation Now as I haue spoken of good Angels so I thinke it no lesse nedefull somwhat to speake of euil Angels For ther be many late borne Saduces which haue perswaded theyr owne wauering myndes and allure the consciences of others to y â— to the foresaid opinion that the deuill is nothing but Nolitum or a filthy affecton of the flesh and swaruing from honesty vertue and godlines I thinke such haue either already said in their harts ther is no God or y t they may as easely be brought thervnto as Cherea was vnto Pamphila Cherea durst not ieopard in his owne apparell but fained himself to be anoteer Euen so our late Saduces Libertines will not reason these thinges stifly for disturbing y e coÌ„monwelth or rather for losing their lyues But it is to be feared that vnder the coloure of christians they say they reason in the way of disputation when they speake from y e bottom of their hearts If any man winch at my wryting he declareth y t he is a Saducie If there be a God as we most stedfastly must beleue verely ther is a deuill also if ther be a deuill there is no surer argument no stronger profe no playner euidence that ther is a God Be not al euill angels spirits Then ar they not sensual motioÌ„s but spiritual substauÌ„ces But I will leaue argumeÌ„ts call truth to
to be mindful of both kindes But here we must note that Christ toke mans nature vpon him not by the turning of his godhead into his manhead but by assumpting of manhead vnto his godhead not by confusioÌ„ or mixture of substauÌ„ce but by vnitie of person For as the reasonable soul the fleshly body is one man so y â— deitie humanitie is one Christ. WheÌ„ I say Christ toke our nature vpoÌ„ him I meane not y t he toke flesh only as some heretikes haue thought but the soull of man also forsomuch as he is no halfe sauiour but a redemer of both For he witnesseth of himself Tristis est anima mea my soull is sad vnto death I haue power to put my soul from me I haue power to take it again no maÌ„ taketh it froÌ„ me Dauid speaketh also in his behalfe thou shalt not leue my soul in hel nether shalt thou suffer thy saint to se corruptioÌ„ Some are moued to thinke that Christ toke not mans soull vpon hym but the body only because his beloued disciple sayth Verbum caro factum est the worde was made flesh makyng no mencion of a soul. S. Iohn sayeth the word was made flesh as Paul recordeth that by the deades of the lawe no fleshe shall be iustified The whiche in another place he sayth more plainly through the lawe no man shall be iustified vnderstanding by the worde fleshe not the body only but the hole man both body soul. This maner of speaking is often in the scripture for Dauid saith thou hearest y e praier therfore al flesh coÌ„meth vnto thee all flesh for al men And note here a vehemencie in the wordes thou hearest as if he shuld say We pray to thee for we do know that thou dost hear but of other we know not that they hear and therfor we only call on thy name Thus did the olde Patriarkes this was their fayth We neuer read that they praied to any creature And Ieremy curseth him that maketh flesh his arm that is putteth his trust in man And Iohn Baptist testififieth that al flesh shall se the sauiour sent of God So Ihon the Euangelist saith the worde was made fleshe as if he had said the word was made man toke maÌ„s flesh and nature which worde is Christ. I haue declared before whi he is named a word and what maner of word he is But wherof was he made fleshe Of what matter and stuffe was his humanitie shapen or did he bring it out of heauen No truly The first AdaÌ„s flesh was formed of the earth as it is writteÌ„ then the Lord God shaped man of the mould of the earth And wherof the second Adams flesh was made the blessed apostle S. Paul telleth saing When the fulnes of time was expired God sent his sonne Factum ex muliere made or born of a woman He did not passe thorow her as water gusheth thorow a pipe or condite but toke part of her substaunce and nature Wherfore y e Prophet Esay nameth him a flower or blossome coÌ„ming out of the rote of Iesse Salomon nameth hym a Lily a Rose among thornes Doth not euery floure take his nature of the body and stok out of which it groweth Doth not the Lily Rose likewise Are grapes gathered of thornes or fygges of appell trees Besides this it was nedefull that thesame flesh shuld be punished on y e tre which offended in eating of the fruit of the tree that the same flesh shold be iustified ryse in rightousnes which died in synne and vnrightuousnes For by a man sayth Paul came deâ—â—h and by a man cometh resurreccion of the dead And as by the disobedience of one man many became dead so by the obedieÌ„ce of one man many be made aliue Wâ—y coÌ„sider the coÌ„parison that Paul maketh betwene the first Adam the second Adam in the .v. to the Romains and it destroyeth this opinion vtterly Besides S. Paul saith that we be flesh of his flesh bones of his bones speaking of Christ MeÌ„bra sumus de corpore eius de carne eius de ossibus eius We are meÌ„bers of his body of his flesh and of his bones But how are we good christen people flesh of Christs flesh except he be flesh of Maries flesh and bones of Maries bones Besides he did suck his mother toke his norishment out of her swete brestes For we read that a certain womaÌ„ came vnto him said Beatus venter qui te portauit vbera que suxisti Happy is the wombe that bare the the paps whiche gaue y e suck Nether Christ who is truth doth not reproue her as a lyer wherfore we must neds grauÌ„t that he toke his nature substaunce manhod flesh of her I do touche this matter because not loÌ„g sith I communed with a certain womaÌ„ which denied this point and when I M. Whytehead Thomas Leuer and others alleadged this text against her opinion Semen mulieris conteret caput serpentis The sede of the woman shal grind or breack the Serpentes head She aunswered I deny not that Christ is Maries sede or the womans sede nor I deny him not to be a man but Mary had two sedes one sede of her faith and another sede of her flesh and in her body There is a naturall and a corporall sede and there is a spirituall and an heauenly sede as we may gather of S. IhoÌ„ wher he sayth The sede of God remayneth in him and he can not synne And Christ is her sede but he is become man of the sede of her faith and belief of spirituall seede not of naturall seede for her sede and flesh was synful as the flesh sede of others The sede which is promised vnto Adam is named to be Semen mulieris the sede of a woman the same is the sede of Eue the self same afterwarde is called the sede of Abraham of Iacob the sede of Dauid and of the blessed Virgin But the sede that S. Ihon speaketh of is Semen Dei the sede of God that is y e holy spirit not Abrahams sede Dauids sede or Maries sede How caÌ„ it be their sede which toke no substaunce of them Further thesame promise is renued vnto Abraham Iacob Dauid and others with al these special words that of their wombes of their bodies of their fruit of their bellies of their loynes of theyr flesh the sauiour of y e world shalbe born not of their fayth of their belief Wherfore it must nedes be a fleshly a natural and a corporal sede of which Christ was made man maugre the head of the deuil al heretykes He toke not sayth Paul on hym the angels but the sede of Abraham taketh he on him Now y e spirituall sede is in aungels more plentifully then in men for so much as thei be not depressed
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