to do your lordships Wyll coÌ„maundment in all poyntes that maye be perfourmed by this weake vayne of wytte in me Proct ANd thus haue I confuted the same your opinion by writyng accordynge to the truth of the pure scriptures of God affirmyng contrary to your assercioÌ„ Iesus Christ to be the naturall sonne of God the Father and true God in all poyntes equall consubstanciall to his father and this doctrine to mainteyn and defende I am prest and ready a gaynst you al other that wyl deny it to thuttermost of all my power And forasmuche the vayne of your wytte be but weake as ye saye I wolde wysh that ye shulde not ouercharge it so much neither strayne it so farr as to compasse such matters whiche the strongest wyt can neuer bring to passe If therfore your wit be but lytle spende it all well all lytle inough And so doyng ye shal not neede to beseche or requyre anye man to take in good parte your doynges they themselves coÌ„mendynge themselfe deseruyng fauour at euery honest mans hande But if ye perseuer in this wycked fascioÌ„ as to perswade blacke to be whyte chalke chese then eche wyse man may well thiÌ„ke wyll wyt to haue wrestled in you so long that wyll hathe driuen wyt out of possession wholly optayneth the souereigntie in you so you to do all thyng vpon wyll without wyt Of all men I am lothest to see it in you for I protest before god that I beare as good hert and wysh as much good vnto you as I do to my self The contrary I wold not haue you thiÌ„ke in me although I haue taken vpon me to condemne your opinion and whyles I do the same shall seeme sumwhat roughly to talke vnto you perchauÌ„ce but rather that I greatly detest abhor the opinion and sect whiche can not to sharply be touched for to youre ê‘son I owe no displeasure or malice at al. And thou christiaÌ„ reder in stede of long conclusioÌ„ in the matter that I treate of reade the Psalme of Athanasius which herafter foloweth Besechyng the to take in good part these my doynges wherin good wyl hath wrought all that it coulde how soeuer power facultie haue ben answerable therto Mutuo oremus vt saluemur ⧠THE SENTENCE AND BELEFE OF Athanasius touchig the deuinite of Iesus Christ WHosoeuer wyll be saued before all thyngê it is necessarye that he holde the Catholike fayth Which fayth except euery one do kepe holy vndefiled without dout he shall perysh euerlastingly And the Catholyke fayth is this that we worshyp one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in vnitie Neither confoundyng the persons nor deuydynge the substaunce For there is one person of the father another of the sonne and an other of the holy ghost But the godheade of the father of the sonne and of the holy goost is al one the glorye equall the maiestye coeternall Such as the father is such is the sonne and such is the holy ghost The father vncreate the sonne vncreate and the holy ghost vncreate The father incomprehensyble the sonne incompreheÌ„syble and the holy ghost incomprehensyble The father eternal the sonne eternall and the holy ghost eternal And yet they are not thre eternales but one eternall As also there be not thre incomprehensybes nor thre vncreated but one vncreated one incompreheÌ„sible So lykewyse the father is almightye the sonne almighty and the holy ghost almyghtye And yet they are not thre almightyes but one almyghtie So the father is god the sonne is god and the holy ghost is god So lykewyse the father is Lorde the soÌ„ne Lord the holy gost Lord. And yet not thre lordes but one lord For lyke as we be coÌ„pelled by yâ— christiaÌ„ veritie to acknoweledge euery person by hiÌ„self to be god and lorde So are we forbydden by the Catholyke religion to say there be thre goddes or thre lordes The father is made of none neither created nor begotten The sonne is of the father alone not made nor created but begotten The holy gost is of the father and of the soÌ„ne neither made nor created nor begotten but procedyng So there is one father not thre fathers one sonne not thre sonnes one holy goost not thre holy goostes And in this trynytie none is afore nor after other none is greater nor lesse then other But the whole thre personnes be coeternall together and coequall So that in al thiÌ„ges as it is afore sayde the vnitie in trinitie the trinitie in vnitie is to be worshippyd He therfore that wyl be saued must thus thinke of the trinitie Furthermore it is necessary to euer lassing saluacion that he also beleue ryghtlye in the incarnacion of our lorde Iesus Christe For the right faith is that we beleue confes that our lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God is god and man God of the substance of the father begotten before the worldes and man of the substauÌ„ce of his mother borne in the worlde Perfecte god and perfecte man of a reasonable soule and humayne fleshe subsystynge Equall to the father as touching his Godheade inferyor to the father touchynge his manhoode Who although he be god and maÌ„ yet he is not two but one Chryst One not by conuersyon of the god heade into fleshe but by takynge of the manhood into God One altogether not by confusiâ—â— of substance but by vnitie of perâ—â— For as the resonable soul flesh 〈◊〉 one man so god maÌ„ is one Christ Who suffereth for oure saluacyoâ—â— descended into hell rose agayne the thirde day from the deade He asseÌ„ded into heauen he sitteth on the ryght hand of the father god almyghty from wheÌ„ce he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead At whose cuÌ„myng al men shal ryse agayne with theyr bodyes shall gyue accomte of theyr own workes And thei that haue done good shal go into lyfe euerlasting they thaâ— haue done euyl into euerlastiÌ„g fyet This is the Catholike faith which excepte a man beleue faythfully he can not be saued ¶ Imprinted at London in Fletestrete at the signe of the George by WilliaÌ„ Powell An. DnÌ„i D. CCCCC XLIX MeÌ„s Decemb. ix Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solom
beleue vs to be most wyse Wherfore natural iudgement carnall reason serte a parte let vs become scolers to fayth vntyl we haue well learned this lesson And fayth wyll teache plainly what euery true Christian is bounde to thynke and beleue herein She wyll teache vs to beleue stedfastly that Iesus Christ is true God not made but whiche was from the begynnyng equall to God the Father agayne that Iesus Christ was true man borne of Mary styll Virgin that he dyed on the Crosse to redeme mankynde beyng lost through the fal of Adam and that he rysed a gayne the thyrde daye accordynge to his promesse Conqueror of death and synne and that he now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father a continuall solicitor for all that beleue in him Fayth wyl teache vs also that there be .iii. distincte and seueral persons the Father the Sonne the Holye Ghost yet no .iii. Godddes but one God all .iii. and all .iii. one God This is one parte of Faythes doetrine to hyge for our carnall senses to reach vnto And the it soundeth muche agaynst our reason to thinke it true yet it maketh all with oure saluation to beleue it most true And albeit right nowe good syr ye promysed to folow right fayth and the true vnderstandyng of the scriptures yet canne ye not brooke thys geare but earnestlye contende that there is no suche thynge because your eye and other your corrupte senses tell you that he was here in a visible forme and that he dyed c. whiche is not to be founde in the deuine nature ye say and I graunte forsothe that God is inuisible and immortall and that in no wyse the Godhead canne be seene or dye I graunte lykewyse that Christe was here seene in the worlde lyke a man and that he dyed yet fayth byddeth me to saye and a byde by that Iesus Christ is God notwithstandynge that visibilitie and that mortalitie If ye aske me by what rule I proue this very by the rule that neuer squareth not of mans inuencions but of the worde wherof the truthe it selfe is author Iesus Christe the true naturall and only sonne of god the father and in him self true God and man he and his woorde be all one he can not lye and hys worde can not be false his worde beareth wytnes that it is so and fayth therfore requyreth me to beleue it without further question Herken therfore and I shall tell how the scriptures in many places doo testifye of this truthe and to begynne at the old law I rede in the .xxv. Psalme Psa xiv Et concupiset Rex decorem suum quoniam ipse est Deus tuus adorabis eum The Kynge shall requyre his beautye for he is thy God and thou shalt worship him And in the .ix. of Esaye Esay ix Paruulus natus est nobis filius datus est uobis vocabitus nomen eius DEVS fortis Pater eternae vitae A lytle one is borne to vs and a sonne is gyuen to vs and his name shall be called mightye God father of euerlastyng lyfe In the fyrst of Iohn Ioh. i. In principio erat verbum verbum erat apud deum In the beginnyng was the worde and God Tues Christus filius dei viui Mat. x. was the worde In the .xx. of Iohn Thomas sayeth Dominus meus Deus meus .i. My Lorde my Godâ— And S. Collo ii Paule in the seconde to the Collosians writeth of him thus Iâ— quo hahitat omnis plenitudo deithtis corporalis that is In whom abydeth all fulnesse of the Godhead corporally The .ix. Rom. ix to the Romaynes Christus qui est Deus sup omnia laudanus in secula Christ whiche is God ouer all thynges blessed foreuer These places of the scripture do playniye declare and shewe that Christ is God Agayne who is euerlastyng but God Christ is euerlastyng therfore true God Ante luciferum genui â—â—â— That is Psal c.ix I saith God the Fatheâ— haue begotten thee before all begynnyâ—g and withoute begiÌ„nyng Saint Iohn recordeth the same Iohn i. In principio erat ver bum In the beginnyng the worde was It followeth to make the matter playne Et ver bum erat apud Deum et deus erat verbum omnia per ipsum facta sunt .i. And the worde was with God and God was the worde and all thinges was made by hym Yf al thing was made by hym then it foloweth that he was not made if he be not made then accordyng to saynt Austen he is no creature if he be no creature he is of the same substaunce and essence with the father if he be of the same essence with the father theÌ„ is he God euen as the father is What can be more playnely spoken And as I haue recyted a fewe places for the profe hereof so coulde I alleage a nomber mo tendynge to the same ende But ynoughe they saye is as good as a feaste One proufe more I wyll adde hereto touchyng Chryst deuinitie And then I shall come to the partes of your argumente In all the Scriptures throughe out euery where we be commaunded to adore and worship to inuocate to put our trust and confidence in Iesus Christ With the same facte the Scripture dothe artrybute vnto Christe power infinite that he is euery where that he searcheth the hertes heareth in all places at all tymes the supplycacions and prayers of the people and that he rewardeth iustyce and lyfe euerlastinge If this be so as it is not to be doughted the Scriptures bearing witnes to the same as after ye shall here Then of force it foloweth that Iesus Christ is true god and hath in hym the deuine nature For no creature ought to be iniuocated but God alone no creature is euery where but God alone in no creature we ought to put our truste and confydeâ—s but in God alone No creature sercheth the hertes but God alone no creature can rewarde life euerlasting but God alone And that Iesus Chryst oughte to be inuocated as he that can doo al this the scripture is cleere Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis onorati estis et ego reficiam vos i. Mat. xi Come ye to me all whiche do labor and are loden and I wyll refresshe you This one sentence wer ynough to perswade vs that Iesus Chryste ought to be called on and inuocated as he that doth here vs eueri where ayde and socoure vs euerye where Whiche is for God onely to do Concupiscet rex decorem tuuÌ„ quoniam ipse est de tuus adorabis eum Psa xiv The king shall require his beauty for he is thy God and thou shall honor hym Psa 72. Et timebunt eum do nec erunt sol luna .i. And they shall feare hym as longe as Soone and Moone shal be Qui non honorat filium non honorat patrem .i. Iohn
iii. He that honorethe not the Sonne honoreth not the father None worthye to be honored but onyle God Chryst therefore is true God â—â—â—sâ—p ii because he is to be honored and worshipped In nomine Iesu flectatur omne genu Qui credit in filium habet vitam eternam Act. vii He that beleueth in the son hath lyfe euerlastinge â— thes iii. Domine Iesu suscipe spiritum meum Lorde Iesu receaue my spirite Ipse deus pater noster dnÌ„s noster Iesus Christus dirigat viaÌ„ nostram ad vos .i. God hym selfe our father and our Lorde Iesus Chryste directe our iourney vnto you ii thes ii Ipse Dominus noster Iesus Christus deus pater noster qui dilexit nos et dedit consolacionem eternam etspem bonam in graciam confirmeÌ„t vos .i. The lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe and God our father which hath louyd vs and gyuen vs euerlastynge consolacyon and a good hope throughe grace comforte your hertes and stablyshe you c. And in these and the lyke Testamonies of the scripture it is spoken of the perpetuall and euerlastynge inuocacion of Chryst yea when he is not visiblelye present and conuersant emongest men Wherfore this adoracyon and inuocacion dewe to Chryst may not be vnderstanded of an exâ—erne significacion of honor as the Iues cauell suche as is exhibeted to one present in our eye as to a king holdinge the Cyuyll imperie But these sayenges doo preache of Messyas perfectlye and louinglye heryng the supplicacion of his people in euery place at all tymes and seasons defending and comeforting the faythfull And these are the proprietes of the omnipotent nature It is therfore good and profytable for vs diligently to weyghe and coÌ„sider this doctryne concerninge the inuocacion and adoracioÌ„ of Messias Iesus Christ Which doctrine not only instructeth vs of Christes deuinite but doth also greatly coumfort and solace vs and vehemeÌ„tly exuscicate and stir vp our hertes to cal vpoÌ„ hiÌ„ For as muche therfore we ar required by the scriptures to inuocate and cal vnto Chryst let this consyderacioÌ„ be euer fraÌ„ke in our mindes that we must graunte and acknowledge deuine Nature to be in hym Because the inuocacion of him whiche is absent whiche is not bodelye present doth argue his omnipotensie For it letteth vs tunderstande that he can and dothe see the secrete motions and coÌ„ceptes of the hertes of men in all places Whiche is for God to doo alone Remember we also the example of the Churche so often repeting this prayer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Chryste haue mercye vppon vs Chryste haue mercy vpon vs. This prayer is a manyfest profession of Christes deuinitie Againe volue we often in our myndes the fourme of our baptyme whiche is the sume of the hole Gospell Mat. viâ— In the last of Mathewe it is wrytten Baptisans illos in nomine patris filij spiritus sancti Baytysing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the holye ghost Here are thre persons named and to all thre lyke power and honor ascribed The sence and menynge of whiche wordes I baptyse the in the name of the father of the son and of the holye ghost is this I wytnes and testyfye the to be accepted of the euerlasting father and of the son and of the holye ghoste and throughe the mercy and power of them to be delyuered from synne and death euerlastyng and to be rewarded with ryghtuesnes and lyfe euerlastyng Examine we the wordes well and they lette vs to vnderstande that god the father is omnipotente is to be inuocated And for as much they do so muche attribute to the father And seing the son and the holy ghost are matched and ioyned with him in that honor as lyke doers Necessitie inferreth theyr power to be equall and lyke And their power beynge equall and lyke out of question they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the grecians terme them that is to saye of one essence and nature Of which wordes also of Baptisme Basil that graue and Auncyente wryter dothe myghtelye contende the father the son the holy ghost to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hereunto accordeth all the olde and graue fathers whose autorytes and censures I wyll not alleage to auoide tediousnes Onlye one or .ii. places of S. Austen it shall not be frome the purpose to recyte nor vnplesaunt to the godly reader whose iudgement vppon the scryptures is to be regarded muche more then youres is for sondrye causes This holye S. Austen made whole bokes in confutacyon of Arrius and other good bloodes of the same heare beynge heuye masters to Chrystes deuinitie And in all other his workes al most he taketh occacion somwhat more or les to speake of this truthe he sayth Lib. de heâ—esibus Cap. c. Ambo scilicet pater et filius eterni nec caeperunt esse nec desierunt That is both as well the father and the son be euerlastynge nor began they to be neather ende they Agayne Proprium est filij quod a patre genitus est solus a solo coetertus consubstancialis patri Lib de in quisicone â—tiuitaus That is it is onelye proper to the son that he was begotten of the father a lone of a lone coeterne and consubstaunciall to the father Li â—â— de trinitate Cap. xxi Sed plane sidenter dixerim vnius erusdomque substantie patrem silium spiritum sanctum But I dare boldely saye the father the son and the holye ghost to be of one and the same substaunce In these fewe places S. Austen vttereth his opinion playnelye And declareth him self to be resolued and out of dought coÌ„cerniÌ„g this verite In comparison what he hath written touchinge this mater that which I haue brought of his is nothing yet ynoughe for the purpose presentlye Thus haue I perfourmed the fyrst parte of my promysse in declaring by the scriptures that Iesus Christ is true God It remianeth now the I shewe howe it standeth that Iesus Chryste beynge veray God whose nature is not to be seene not to dye nor to suffer any affecte or passyon wherunto the nature of man is subiecte as ye haue taught was heare seene suffered the Calamities of maÌ„ and fynallye dyed Whiche thinge donne I shall I hope confirme and stablishe thy consciens gentle Reader in this hyghe mysterye of oure fayth wherof thou art all ready perswaded perswade other that hethervnto doughted sufficiently answere to youre obiection and wholye accomplyshe my promyse Ye shall vnderstande therefore that in Christ are .ii. natures th one deuine by whiche he is veray God thother humaine by which he is true man That he receyued of God he father without mother This he receaued of Marye his mother without father What tyme he dyscharged the veale of the lawe leaded vs from fleshelye matters to spirytuall thynges And wroughte the hyghe misterye of our redemption Saynt IohnÌ„ wytnesseth of bothe natures when
and subiect to oure vnderstandinge and therefore ye aske howe may it be true religion c. To th ende ye wolde lerne howe and by what meanes Chryst coulde be both god and man visible and inuisible mortall and immortall Trulye he that were perswaded that gods couÌ„cell workynge and wyll are incomprehensible in explycable wolde neuer aske howe this or that myght stande with true religion touching Gods misteris For as muche therfore ye nowe aske howe and beinge in dought of the matter in deede otherwyse your howe myght be allowed and tofore by grauntinge hym to be incomprehensible in all his doynges dyd condemne such doughtfull and curyous questyons howe may it be thought the contrary but your tonge can and wyl sound mere contrarieties touching one matter But concernynge this questyon of youres because ye be in doughte thereof in deede you haue not wytte ynoughe to lerne the truthe thereof and I lacke cunning to teach it you vnles ye firste beleued and then ye wolde aske how For I tell you such howe 's touchynge gods instrutable mysteries are nether laudable nor profitable vnles it be in faythe If ye be not in faythe yf ye stedfastlye beleue not before ye aske how your howe can not be resolued Aske not howe with Sacarye lest ye receaue punyshement for your incredulytie Aske howe with Marye the moste blessed virgin and mother of Iesus Chryste then ye shall receaue fruite of your question She asked howe but beleued firste and therfore she receaued an Aunswere that contented her He also required howe but beleued not seekynge rather to vnderstande then to beleue rather by argument to learne then by faythe And therfore in stede of an aunswere he receauid condingne punyshemeÌ„t for his vnbeleefe Therfore my aduise and couÌ„cel to you is that ye ley a syde suche curyous and vayne inquisicions concernynge Gods dyspensacion suspect your reason for it wanteth right iudgement mistruste your wyt for it lackethe wysedome condemne your sences for they haue not experyence to decide iudge and determine any one iote of gods misteries Cuius sapieÌ„cie non est inuestigacio Esay 40 .i. whos 's wisedome is inuestigable sayth Esay And as Hieremy dothe wryte Hier. 32. Magnus est concilio et incoÌ„prehensibilis cogitatu .i. God is greate in councell and incomprehensible in thoughte And measure God and Godes councell accordynge to the rule prescribed in the holy scriptures searche after the vnderstandinge of his wyll and doynges by such meanes as he wolde be searched for then shal ye attaine such knowledge of his Godhead that vnderstandyng of his wyl and coucelles as shal be suffycient for your saluacion euerlastinge In the olde lawe God dyd open and reuele him selfe vnto his people by worde and syngne that is to wyt by the voyce of the lawe and promyce of reconciliacion gyuen vnto them And also by wonderfull miracles amongest them at that tyme wrought to th end they shuld not toose and tugge their braynes in vayne cogitacions and endlesse inquisicions what he was howe and by what meanes he dothe this that but referre their myndes wholly to this woorde and testimonye And by this woorde and testimony tunderstaÌ„de how thei shuld acknowledge honor and inuocate that God which opened him selfe to them by that worde and testimony As in the fyrste precepte he byndeth them to the worde which sounded to their eares in the mount Sina and to the testimony exhibited in coÌ„ductyng leadyng them out of Egipt Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus qui eduxi te de terra Egipti That is I am thy lord thy god which brought the furthe of the lande of Egypte He made with them also a promyse of a medyatoure that shulde come throughe whome the worlde shulde be saued Byndyng them to cal vppon that God which dyd leade them out of Egipt and couenauÌ„ted with them of a medyatour Nowe that mediatour beynge come crucyfyed and resurged the lyght of the Gospell knowen he wylleth vs to fyre our eyes and set our myndes wholy vpon him that by hym as most surest testymony we may knowe what God is and his wyll He leadeth vs directlye into the knowledge of the father yf he leade vs not we can not but straye al together out of the ryght path we cannot avoide darknes but wander therein to our vtter confufyon Nether haue we nowe receaued a prerogatyue by Chryst to be inquisitiue in Godes matters to be curyous in searchynge out the causes of Gods operacions councelles as to try out what the deuyne nature is in it selfe how God the father begatte the son Iesus Chryst howe the holye ghost proceded from them both Howe one Chryst could be bothe God and man and howe this and that commeth to passe Yea he condemneth suche speculacion in man vehemently alloweth no questyon to be moued in his hye mysteries especiallye out of fayth that is to saye vnlesse we beleue assuredlye first the wordes of hym as Marye dyd for when Gabryell saluted her she replied with these wordes Quoâ—odo fiet esse istud Luc .i. howe maye this be Yet dyd she not mystruste or dought whether it coulde come to passe or not but beleued sertenlye that it bothe myght and wolde be consyderynge and faythfully credetynge all impossybilities to be most possible and veraye easye to hym whose wordes sounded to her eares contrarye to Zacharye Nicodeme and the Capharnites Luc .i. Iob iii. Ioh .vi. Who in their incredulitie serched after Gods mysteries and thereby procured Gods displeasure vnto them Philip was veray besy with Chryst and required hym to shewe his father But Christ was with hym quickely rebuked him disalowed his question and reuocated his mynde from such inquisicion saienge Qui vide◠〈◊〉 videt patrem meum Ioh. xiii .i. He that feeth me seeth my father He wylleth vs not to comber our braines with such fon and vncerten speculacions But earnestlye to leye hande on hym the true and naturall sonne of God the father Before promised and nowe exhybited vnto vs to our inestimable comforte ioye and solas And by hym to knowe God and the way to come vnto hym for none knoweth God the father but by hym none commeth to the father but by hym Who so euer is a searcher of Gods misteries with other instrument theÌ„ fayth and loue by other meane then the son Iesus Christ he is opprest of his glory and no otherwise the if he had directely and intentiuely somewhyle looked in the son departeth as blynde as a haddorke for as the scripture saythe Tenebre eum non apprehendunt Ioh .i. Nowe syr yf ye be at this poynte yf ye wyll thus captyue youre senses and submytte your selfe to faythes doctryne then aske of me howe c And I dare teach you this lesson with many mâ— so perfectlye that ye shall not neede to dought agayne thereof But yf ye wyll not leane hereunto but wylfully and stouburnly persist in your folye trustynge to your vnreasonable iudgemente indescreete
place Christ in the .x. of Iohn declareth to agree to the Prophetes Whyles he studieth to auoide the crime of blasphemye for that he callyng God father had signified hiÌ„ selfe to be the sonne of God And Paule in .i. to the CoriÌ„ viii And though ther be which are called goddes Whether in heaueÌ„ other in erth as there be gods many and lords many yet vnto me is there but one God whiche is the father of whom ar all thynges and we in him And sayth Paule There be to whom their bely is god but to many Idols according to that sayeng al the gods of Gentyles Idols And Paule in the ii to the Corin. iiii dothe call Satan the god of this Worlde To men it is applyed but syldome yet somtyme it is and then wee vnderstande it as a name of a meane power not of the euerlastyng power Exod. xxii Thou shalt not detract the gods Moyses be he a god to Pharao Agayn Paule to the Rom. ix calleth Christ God blessed for euer and in the Gospel of Iohn Ca. xx Thomas Didimus doth acknowledge him God throughe the feelyng of the wounde Many tymes that I remember I do not fynde that he is called by this name Proct NOW the mater thynke ye is without ê‘aduenture for what warantise haue we so good strong for the proufe of Christ Godhead ye thynke as that he now and then is called in the scriptures by the name of God which confuted as a weake reason to no effecte and purpose as therby to auouche him God equall to the Father what haue they then to say but Conuictus a. um Well bragged spr for sooth Yet haue ye mist the cushyn for all your hast as ye shal haue therof by and by profe to your reproufe In deed if one and the same fyne or ende were bothe of runnynge and of dysputacyon ye myghte well clappe handes for the game were yours by reason ye haue preueÌ„ted me iÌ„ telling your tale fyrst But Sophocles putteth me out of dought that it is not so for best said best haue sayth he be it fyrst or last Therefore tho ye haue ended youre tale and myne not yet begonne yet stakes maye be so parted hereafter that ye may leese the whole I saye as ye saye that there is one true God and one alone And I say as ye say not that this one and true god is .iii. in person and one in substaunce the first parte ye graunte the place recited oute of the Deut by you prouethe the same But the laste parte ye laboure to improue with all the wit ye haue God is one I say and so is he .iii. too one in nature .iii. in person The scriptures teachethe vs the same As in Mathewe Christ him selfe sayeth to his disciples Mat. 28. god and teach all nations baptisinge them in the name of the father the sonne and the holye gost here .iii. are named and lyke powre and honoure attrybute to all .iii. Agayne in Iohn Iohn 1. Cap. v. there be iii. which gyue testimonie in heuen the father the son and the holy ghost here .iii. are named and lyke power and honour attribute to all .iii. Agayne in IohnÌ„ there be iii. whiche giue testimony in heauen The father the son the holye ghost here are thre dystincte persons expressed also and that these .iii. are but one nature or essens S. IohnÌ„ is playne sayeng Hij tres vnum sunt That is these thre are but one essence or nature He sayth vnuÌ„ not vnus Wherfore the father the son Chryst and the holye Ghost thre distincte and not the same in person but one and the same in nature One nature or substaunce of all .iii. and all .iii. of one nature or substaunce The father God the son God the holye ghost God Yet one onely God and not iii. Gods but .iii. persons of one Godheade The father not one part but one person the son not one part but one person the holye gost not one parte but one person of deuine nature One only godheade is the same the father hathe holye and presentlye the same the sonne hath holye and presentlye the same the holye ghost hath holy and presently So thre be god yet one and the selfe same godhead thre are omnipotent yet one and the selfe same omnipotensye thre are wyse yet one and the selfe same sapyence Thre are mercyful yet one and the selfe same mercye c. This is the catholyke fayth tho it be not youres Nowe spr this God beynge one in nature and thre in person is the true God And accordynge to his omnipotensye he is God of all be they good or badde but accordinge to the proprieties of the scriptures he is called God onlye of suche as worshippe him loue and drede hym preferre him before al other thinges In whiche sence he is called God of Abraham God of Isaac God of Iacob and so Dauid cryeth Deus meus my God Shamfullye do they crye Deus meus whose God is theyr bellye whose God is mammon whose god is sensualytie or riotousnes shamefully do they call hym father which are of the father the deuyll who fathereth thereth all such as despyse theyrâ— neiboure shamefully do they call hym lorde which obey not his preceptes But most shamfullye dare they call him theyr God which do sequestrate them selues from Chryst his naturall son his equall in all omnypotensye all eternitie all myght all vertue For he is not the God of heretykes And who more heretykes then you whiche affyrme such blasphemy agaynst Iesus Chryst This is a serteine rule in IohnÌ„ IohnÌ„ v. Qui non honorat filiuÌ„ non honorat patreÌ„ .i. He whiche honoreth not the son honoreth not the father But rather fleeth from God the father runneth headling into al contempt and blasphemye Ye must therefore seeke an other God for this is none of yours ne wyll be as longe as ye continews in this foule heresye Howe be it he can not be Godles that hath so many Gods in store Ye may haue your choyse of a fayre company which ye haue repeted by name As the bely ydolles spreetes Satan proper gods all as ye haue clerkely declared Ye may appoynte vnto youre selfe one of them seuerall whiche ye list if ye be not alredy receiued wtal This hyeghe and most excelente nature of God tho it be not agreable or communicable to any thyng without this holy Triade yet is the terme or name God often tymes applyed and trasferred to other As ye haue inferred and I denye it not But what other aswell men as domme and dead materse are called vnder metaphor or tralacion gods therfore is not Iesus Chryst God but after the lyke maner as they are Gods yea syr to this end you haue taken paynes to gather these places togoether To aunswere you and your argument I say with the Prophete Dauid Non est similis tui domine c. That is none lyke to the
the societie or feloweshyppe with the same onely the two natures in hiÌ„ are vnited to the person of his Godhead inconfusely by a miraculous vnion as at large I haue tofore declared And the text folowynge tho ye force and drawe it neuer so muche Yet wyll it not folowe that waye as ye wolde haue it He dwelt amongst vs as man Igraunt he was full of grace and truthe I denye notte The style in deede folowynge in Iohn declareth no lesse but what foloweth of yours therupon verely that ye wold haue him not God but man only wel disposed to the loue of God and the obseruacion of the lawe But the style folowing taught ye not to conclude so which if ye wold frame your blynde fansye to folowe nor force the same to folow your mad brayne ye shulde then folowe the better and sure guyde and in the righte waye For many styles folowynge in saynt Iohn wyl leade you into the perfect vnderstandyng of Christ deuinitie if it wold please you ordinatly to folow after them marke theÌ„ with an indiffereÌ„t eye And in the same place where ye were last you fynde that Christ is the true lyght Iohn i. which dothe illuminate euery man comynge into this worlde Ye fynde also that grace truthe came by Iesus Christ Iohn i. Ye fynde agayne Iohn i. Rabby thou art euen the very sonne of God thou art the kyng of Israell Euen there also behold the laÌ„be of God which taketh away the synnes of the worlde Now syr to be the true lyght Iohn i To illuminate all that come in to the worlde To be grace and truthe it selfe as in another place he dooeth wytnesse the same of him selfe sayeng I am the way Ioh. iiii the veritie and lyfe To take awaye the synnes of the worldle To be euen the veray sonne of God Is it for man or for God say ye For God onlye ye can not denye And the styles folowyng euen in the same chapter do ascribe all this to him wherefore he is true God Thus your style euery wher lacketh edge to cut the butter that may stycke to your breade Arri. AND IF oportunitie serued to searche the Scriptures accordingly it shulde easely appeare that Christ is not of the same substaunce or nature neither equall with God the father And suche places and testimonyes as now come ot my remembraunce I wyll hereunto add c. Proct BVT before ye adde any more let me adde my subtraction to youre firste addicion and then adde and multiply what you lyst Ye say it may easely appeare by the scriptures Christ nto to be equal with God the Father neither to be of yâ— same substaÌ„ce or nature with him And I saye it were veray harde for you to make that easelye appeare to any all if ye had neuer so muche oportunitie to searche the scriptures The best ye can do ye haue already done therin But it easely appereth I dout not to euery right ChristiaÌ„ by that your best doyng that ye can do least with the worst to bring that your purpose aboute I haue sufficientlye before declared by the sincere and vncorrupte scriptures to the full contentacyon of any Christian mynde I hope the equalitie of the sonne Iesus Christ bothe in power also nature with God the father Notwithstandyng sythen now eftsones in this place ye denye the same I shall not let presently also to sai somthing that may make with Christ and agaynst you I wold were therfore of you what in all the scriptures is attributed to God the Father that is not also attributed ascribed vnto the soÌ„n Iesus Christ If in the scriptures nothiÌ„g is referred to God the father but that whiche is lykewyse applyed to the sonne Iesus Christ thaÌ„ of force it foloweth that by the scriptures the Father and the Sonne ar of one and the same substaunce or nature and equall in all poyntes touchyng Deninitie And that the scriptures do matche hym with the Father in all poyntes of the Godhead be ii proued by the scriptures in this discourse The Father is called God in the scriptures so is the Sonne of whome it is sayde i. Ioh. v. This same sonne Iesus Christ is veray God and eternall lyfe The Father is called Lorde so is the Sonne of whom it is sayde And one Lorde Iesus Christ which is God aboue all thyng Mat. xxii Psa c. ix blessed for euer And agayne The Lord sayd vnto my Lorde c. The Father is called holy so is the Sonne of whom it is written I know the what thou art Mark i. euen the holy one of god c. The Father is called Iudge so is the Sonne of whow it is sayde There is one lawmaker Iudge Iam. iiii which is able to saue and distroye The Father is called iust so is the Sonne of whom it is sayd The iust righteous iudgement of God shal be opened which wyll rewarde euery man accordyng to his dedes Here ye see that hys iudgement is called iust and the iudgement of God wherfore he is iust and God The father is called true So is the Sonne and truth it selfe him selfe sayiyng I am the way veritie and lyfe Ioh. xiiii The father is called hyghe so is the Sonne of whom it is writtenâ— Hygh aboue all nacions the Lorde Psa cxii aboue the heauens his glorye Psa c ii The Father is called the lyght so is the Sonne himselfe saiyng I am the lyght of the worlde Ioh. viii he that foloweth me doth not walke in dâ—rkenesse but shall haue the lyght of lyfe The Father gyueth lyfe euerlastyng so doothe the Sonne himself saiyng Iohn x. My sheepe do here my voyce and they folow me and I do giue lyfe euerlastyng vnto them The Father doth saue so dothe the Sonne of whom it is sayde Mat. i. he shall make hys people safe frome their synnes The Father doothe rayse quicken so dothe the Sonne of whom it is written Iohn v. As the Father doothe rayse vp the dead and quicken euen so the sonne dothe quycken whome he wyll The Father is called euerlastyng so is the sonne Iohn i. Ioh. viii of whom it is sayde In the beginnyng was the worde Ioh. viii c. himselfe saiynge Before Abraham was I am The Father made all thyngê so dyd the sonne of whom it is sayde All thyng was made by him Iohn i. with out him nothyng is made The Father doth know the secret thoughtes and cogitacions of the mynde so dothe the Sonne of whoÌ„ it is said But he knew their though tes Cor. xi Apo x. sayd vnto them c. Agayn al Congregacions shall knowe that I am the sercher of the hertê myndê The Father is euery where so is he Sonne of whom it is sayde In omni loco dominaciones eius Psal c ii And he him selfe sayeth Where soeuer .ii. or .iii. are
preest in the Churche of Alexandry the yeare of our Lorde CCC and .xx. who was the fyrst Dadd and parent of this impe now eftsones buddynge and springyng vp through your engendryng and trauell and as he then so you wolde gladlye nowe father it vpon the holy worde of God to the ende it might prosper and come forwarde the better and the people by suche pretence allured shulde cull coll embrase and make much of it as thought it were the true fruite of that holye worde But ye are foule deceaued syr your carde of .x. can not out â—ace vs so for we know what ye haue in youre hande as well as your selfe Ye may not looke therfore to spede better then he that went before you of whom I shall more largelye speake afterwarde If he at that dayes was founde what he was and by the whole Councell of Nicene whervnto the Emperoure Constance the greate with CCC and .xviii. Bishops was assembled condemned as an heretike his opinion iudged to be of the deuyll and not of God Looke not you hardely for any better successe or fortune especially now in these dayes vnder great EDWARD whose yeares not so matjure as CoÌ„stancynes Yet in Grace Vertue as great in all iudgement as rype to descerne suche wycked bastarde wares from the sincere and pure Merchaundes of Christ is holy testameÌ„t Who incesstantly laboureth daily to wede out banysh extincte all suche wyckednesse from his people and the same to enstruct with the vnfallyble rule how and by what marke and token they may certenly knowe auoyde detest all suche as ye are with youre fruites of iniquitie tho they be faced and coloured with neuer so gret holynesse This Mayden Kynge Noble EDWARD Securis rationum vestrarum as Demosthenes was wont to say of Phosion toward him selfe ward the ax of al your wycked purposes cutteth downe faste by he roote what so euer is not planted vnder the commission and warrant of Iesus Christ but let vs see what foloweth of yours Arri. TO whiche sacred founten iust and right faith ought to cleaue and leane in all contrauersyes touchyng Religion chiefly in this poynt whiche seemeth to be the pyller and stay of our religioÌ„ where it is called into question concernyng the inuocation of sayntes or expiacion of soules A man may err without great dauÌ„ger in this point being the grouÌ„d and foundacion of our fayth We may not err without damage to religion I call that true religion whiche instructeth maÌ„s mynd with right faith and worthy opinion of God And I call that right faith which doth credit beleue that of God which the scriptures do testify not in a few places the same depraued detort in to wrongsense but as ye wyll saye throughlye with one and the same perpetuall tenor and concent Proct. GREAT Alexandre kynge of Macedonie what tyme diuers persons had hyghly commended the frugalitie spare maner of liuynge that Antipater vsed who leade a life homely voyde of delices Yea ê™ Alexander Foris albo vtitur pallio Antipater intus vero totus purpuratus est That is to saye Antipater weareth a whyte robe outwardlye but within he goeth in purple euery inche of him Notyng the conserable sparyng of the sayde Antipater where as in very deede he was that notwitstandyng as ambicious and stately as the best The lyke hipocrisy coulerable handlyng gentle reader but in a hygher matter this felow presently vseth to deceue seduce and intrapp thy simplicitie But feare not to say or beleue it with out saiyng that he weareth a white robe outwardly but within he is dashst vp in purple euerye ynche of him that is he beareth the in hand with hys outwarde wordes that he is an honest plaine man and a good Christian and yet notwithstanding in veray deede he is a great hereticall blasphemor agaynst Christ euery ynche of him If naked wordes ought only to be weyed and expended as sufficient testimony and triall of a man who better christian then this man whose wordes in this place sounde as godlye as any can be spoken But good Christian reder I exhort councell the agayne and agayne for the loue of God take heede of suche false prophetes Tho they speake and glose neuer so fayre tho the scripture drop oute of their mouthes neuer so thycke yet I crye take heede weygh and consyder with thy selfe well to what ende purpose their plesauÌ„t faire talke their mouthes full of scripture do tende and then by grace ye maye anone fynde them saye vnto your selfe as Phosion sayde vnto the people of Athens beyng very brag vpon the heresay or brute of Alexander his death If he be dead to day ê™ Phosion he wylbe dead to morow also so furth c. If it be true that they tell you it wyll be styll true folowe the prouerbe Festina lente This hast spedeth best wheÌ„ al other hast maketh wast Beholde howe iolylye thys man preacheth to vs nowe in this place Ryght fayth must leane saythe he cleaue to the Worde of God That is well The scriptures must try and decide all contrauersyes touchynge true Religion That is well Trew Religion is that whiche instructeth with right fayth and worthy opinioÌ„ of God And that is well Ryghte fayth is that which doth beleue and credit that of God which the scriptures with one concent throughout do testify of him Wonderous well Finally he improueth such as doo depraue detort and wrest the scriptures into wronge sense all this is meruelously well spoken yea nor Paule neither Peter taughte better doctrine Sed fugite hinc pueri later anguis in herba Marke gentle Reader to what ende purpose all this geare goeth and then thou shalte well perceaue both Actu 8. ê™ illi noÌ„ est sors i sermone isto that he hath no parte in the tale told by him as Paule sayde to Symon Magus how that all this whyle also he laieth but whiles to deceaue the he setteth thy teeth an edge with a pleasunt bayte the rather to take thee with the hooke whiche yet thou seest not For is it not his purpose intent to perswade thee that Christ was but a creature a passible man and not God equall to his Father in his deuine nature Yes for soth and is not this cleane contrary to al scripture true Religion and ryght fayth Nothyng more contrary as it shal apeare afterwarde Yet now he wolde make thee beleue that he wyll decide thys matter by the sciptures accordyng to right fayth and true religion O plene omni dolo omni falacia sili diaboli inimice omnis iusticiae non desinis vias domini peruertere rectas Acto xiii O full of all subteltie and al deceatfulnesse Ictu 13 the chylde of the deuyll and ennemy of all righteousnesse ceasest thou not to ê‘uert the streight waies of the Lord Could Paule trow ye speke this senteÌ„ce then to