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
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
withoute the companynge together of manne and womanne in the Acte of generacyon And therefore he saythe thus Sicut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur Aug de erposâ—ciove simboli ser i. sic spiritu sancto illustrante et sanctificante cor virginis nulla sementiua carnis origine operante concepta est vnde se vtrini Christus comparans per psalmistam ait ego sâ—m vermis non homo i. Non coÌ„ceptus more humano Which is as muche to saye As the worme is engendred of the pure and onely slyme or mudde beynge made hote with the warmesume euen so the holye ghost illustratynge and halowynge the herte of the vyrgyn she was conceyued with chylde without any humane acte of engendrynge wrought therein In conlideration whereof Chryste comparynge hym selfe to a worme sayth by Dauid I am a worme and not man that is I am not conceaned after the maner and fashyon of man Thus farre Saynt Austen Further he is called I graunte peccatum .i. synne but accordynge to his humanite in which he became the sacryfyce for synne to our inestimable comforte He was not in deed synne as the letter soundeth neither had he any syn in hym at any tyme. The peyne for synne onelye was in him which he admitted to him selfe to th ende he wolde put awaye and dyscharge from vs his people both as well the synne as the peyne dewe for the same In the lawe sayth S. Austen synne is taken for the sacryfyce for syn suche a syn was Chryst and none other In which sence S. Paul sayth 2. Cor. v. Eum qui non nouit peccatum pro nobis peccatuÌ„ secit That is he hath made him to be synne for vs which knewe no syn And therefore in the eyght to the Romans it is sayde of him Roma 8. Misit Deus filium suum in similitudinem car nis paccati That is God sent his son in the symylitude of synfull flesshe and not in fynfull fleshe Where as ye saye therfore that Chryst is called synne ye must vnderstand that worde syn to sygnyfye the sacrifyce for synne which he being veray true God and man vouchesaued to be to th ende he that was our creatour in his Godhead myght be also oure redemer in his manhead And we therby shulde be made that ryghtwysnes whiche before the father is allowed And this was nothynge preiudycyall to his deuinitie Fynallye of these names and the lyke aswell whiche ye haue pycked together as all the rest applyed to Iesus Chryst in the Scrypture ye ought reuerentelye to thynke that they are attributed vnto hiÌ„ in some consideracion touchinge his humanitie or els as Dionise Areopagita doth councel accordyng to some deuine anagoge that is an hyghe and subtyl vnderstandyng Nowe forth Arri. HE is called nowe and then the Image of God for that I suppose his lyfe is as ye wolde saye the glasse of the deuyne wyl to warde vs. Proct YEA and for that he is of the same essence and substaunce that the father is of And therfore he is also called splendor gloriae And Character substancie patris And in thapostolyke Crede Lumen de lumine Deum de deo That is light of lyght God of God And Chryst onlye is the ymage of God Other are secundum imaginem dei That is accordyng to the Image of God The father saythe vnto the son make we man and addeth secudnnm imagineÌ„ nostram That is accordynm to our Image By which wordes it is euident sayth saynt Austen that the father and the son are but one Image Arri. HE is called the worde also verelye because he was nerest vnto the father And as ye wolde saye the orgen or instrument of the deuine voyce For the worde is made fleshe what els dothe it signifye then that the felshe receyued the worde And that God the father dyd greeffe into Chryst as ye wolde saye by inplantacioÌ„ that heueÌ„ly doctrine which shuld concile vs vnto him and in maner coÌ„uerted the same into his nature That he shuld not say ne thinke any thyng but the worde of the Lorde not that the fleshe was conuerted into the deuine nature or admitted into societie and feloship with the same As it seemeth veray absurde at the fyrst blushe And that it is not true the style folowynge declareth plainely And he dwelleth emongest vs. c ful of grace Grace power is of God The fulnesse whereof doth make men desposed to the loue of God and the obseruacion of the lawe not Gods Proct. SYnguler as ye are so is youre iudgement vpon the scryptures singuler But I appeale to the wyse reader whether such singularity proceede not of a single wyt and thyne brayne As many as euer wrote vppon Iohn as dyuers holy and well lerned fathers haue donne Do expounde that plae of him the worde is made fleshe after this sorte That the worde the seconde person of the Godhead Iesus Christ came downe and was made fleshe that is to wit receaued the nature of man wholye and perfectly both body and soule vnitynge the same to the person of his Godhead And nowe syr contrarye to all theyr iudgementes and most of all contrary to saynte Iohn his minde who of purpose wrote his Gospell only to dysclose and declare Chryst his deutâ—itie ye haue shaped a straunge exposicion vpon that texte Bul howe fyt and meete what dâ—â—â—e perceaueth not The worde is made â—â—she that is to weete ye saye the flesâ—hâ—e receyued the worde and not the worde receyued fleshe which any reasonable man wolde certenly gather of that place And not that the fleshe receyued the worde For S. Iohn saythe not Caro verbum facta est The flesshe is made the worde But his phrase is Verbum caro factum est The worde is made flesshe whereof no man can iustlye gather that the flesshe receyued the worde but rather and as the truthe is the worde receyued fleshe for the worde was made fleshe sayth saynte Iohn meanyng by the worde made that the worde Iesus Chryst receyued and tooke vnto hym flesshe and by the worde fleshe he vnderstandeth the hole and perfecte nature of man bothe bodye and soule to th ende as I haue saide often that where as he was but the son of god and true God Nowe by the recepte of this nature he myght be knowen vnto vs the sonne of man and true man also He is therefore called the word not for that he was the origen or instrumente onelye of the deuyne voyce as ye saye he was But for thta he was in verytye the deuyne voyce it selfe and the true worde it self And this deuine voyce and true worde Chryst was made verelye fleshe That is to saye receaued of Marye the veray fleshe of man and became true maÌ„ as before true God So that nowe in one person he was perfecte God and perfecte man Yet his deuine nature not coÌ„uerted into the nature of maÌ„ or in any coÌ„sideracion admytted into
gathered togyther in my name there am I in the myds of theÌ„ The Father gyueth vnderstandyng so dothe the Sonne of whom it is sayd ii Tim. ii Vnderstand what I sayâ— for the lord wil geue the vnderstaÌ„diÌ„g Thus muche haue I done vpon the oportunitie receaued at your haÌ„des that ye may bothe vnderstande the equalytie of the Father and the Sonne and also hereby to occasion you to seke oportunitie for serchyng the scriptures aswell that ye maye perfectly knowe that which I haue nowe sayde as lykewyse to see the much more lefte vnspoken that may be sayde for the proufe of the same whiche you denye Nowe wyl I reherse your places one after another and answerethe same Arri. TO syt on my right hande and on my lyst hande is not in me to gyue Mat. xxii Proct ONE named Chius a vintner as Plutarche writeth if I remembre wel vsed to bye the best wynes for other to drinke and he him selfe wolde drynke none other but suche as were mustye and had loste their verdure whose seruaunt on a tyme beynge demaunded what hys Maister dyd at home mary ê™ he Cum adfint bona querit mala That is to say Where muche good is at hande he seeketh for that whiche is naught Let this Chius good syr be as it were a Christall for you to see your owne condicion and disease in that beynge in the vyneyarde on euerye syde beset in cluster with the grape of that heuenly nectar beyng in the treasury replenyshed with so many incomparable good thynges passyng golde pearle or precious stone yet leauinge so pleasaunt and good iuce Vappa sitis vappam neclectyng so dyuers and incomparable good thyngs Malus queris mala Ye hunt after that whiche is euyll And forasmuche in the Testament of Iesus Chryst whiche is that heuenlye vyneyarde and ryche treasury I speake of nothing can be founde but right good Ye practise to corrupte the good that it maye serue your naughty appetite wherwith it can not agre that Iesus Christ shuld be God but only a pure man as ye are And therfore ye haue gathered certayne places whereby ye wolde diswade Christ deuinitie and perswade him to be a Creature and man onlye And the fyrste place ye haue taken out of saynt Mathewe Mat. xx where it is sayde to syt on my right hande and on my lefte hande is not mine to giue Which wordê in deede were spoken by Christ to the mother of Zebedees children what tyme she fell doune before him and desyred that her two sonnes might syt in his kyngdome the one vpon his ryght hande the other vpon his left hand to whom Iesus finall answere was to syt vpon my right hande and on my left is not myne to gyue but vnto them for whome it is prepared of my father which is as much to say that accordyng to this present state wherin ye see me I am not come to dystribute the places seates of my kyngdome for know ye that frome the beginnyng my father I haue distributed and appoynted theym Therefore be not you carefull as thoughe they were voyde This is the right and true vnderstandynge of that place Now let vs see what woulde you conclude hereof that Christ is not God and howe so Perdye thus God is of power to gyue the seate on the right hande on the lefte hande in the kyngdome of heauen But to syt on the right hand and on the left hand is not myne to glue sayeth Christ Wherfore Christe is not God This argument is starke naughte and not worthe a rush For Christ beynge bothe perfect God perfect maÌ„ somtymes as I haue ofteÌ„ times sayde speaketh as God somtymes as man as here in this place in coÌ„sideracion of his manhead and accordyng to the present dispensacion of the flesshe whiche he receaued he sayth to the mother of Zebedees children that it is not in him to giue for any to sit on his right hand on his left hand Wherfore it foloweth not hereby that he is not God no more then it foloweth that he is not man when he speaketh as God And as in this place in consideracioÌ„ I say of his presente state then and hys humanitie he sayde that it was not in his power to dispose the seates of his kyngdome so mought you haue easely found without great seekyng in other places howe that he dothe chalenge vnto him the same thynge whiche here he seemeth to refuse as where he sayth App. iii. Qui vicerit dabo illi sedere c. To him that shall ouercome I shall graunt to syt with me in my seat c. And in another place Verely Verely I say vnto you Luc. xxii that ye whiche haue folowed me in regeneracion what tyme the Sonne of man shall syt in the seate of his magestie ye shall also syt with him c. In whiche place Christ manifestly declareth that he hath power aucthoritie in him selfe to appoynt and dispose the places of the heueÌ„ly king dome therfore if by your owne reasoÌ„ Christ is not God because he saith to syt on his ryght hande and on his lefte hande it is not his to gyue why wyl not your reason serue you to beleue him to be very God which now sayeth I wyll graunte him to sytte with me and ye shall sytte with me in the seate of my magestie If ye deny him to be god because he hath not the power to distribute graunt the seatê of the heauenly kyngdoÌ„e wyll ye not confesse and beleue hym to be God if he hathe that power in him I can not thynke how ye can auoyde it And do not these places proue certenlye that he hathe that power in hym If not then what saye ye to that in Math Mat. 28. Omnis poiestas concessa est mihi in coelo in terra Vnto me is geuen all power in heauen and in earth sayth Christ If all power in heauen and earth be gyuen to him then is it in his power to dispose the seatê of his kingdome in heauen if not then is he a lyer that sayeth all power in heauen and in earthe is gyuen to me But Christ is true and truth it selfe and his worde can not be false Now syâ— I make this reason It is for God and not man to apoynte the places of the heuenlye kyngdome but Chryst hath power to appoynt the places of the heuenlye kyngdome wherefore Chryst is veray God Answere hereunto at your leysure yf ye can And this aunswere is suffycyente to your nexte texte whiche is thus Arri. OF THAT day or houre no maÌ„ knoweth neyther the aungels whiche are in heauen nor the sonne but the father onely c. Proct THE son knoweth not of that daye and houre accordynge to his humanitie by any naturall reason but yet the son knoweth perfectlye dothe the daye and houre otherwise wise howe may it be said of him Iohn x. Ego et Pater vnum sumus
I and the father be al one Mat. 28. if in this point they be diuers how can it stande that al power both in heauen and yerth is gyuen vnto hym Iohn iii yf this be not in his power and knoweledge howe is it that the father hath gyuen hym all thynges into his handes yf this be out of his handes and power to tel Shall he be the hyghe iudge when that daye and houre commeth Iohn v. and yet knoweth not wheÌ„ it shal be Iohn i. Dyd he make all thynges and nothynge was made withoute hym and yet knoweth not of that day and houre Abydeth in hym all plenytude and fulnes of the deite Collo ii corporallye that is substanciallye naturallye from the begynnynge with the father not spiritually and through fayth only as in sonnes by adopcyon and yet laboureth he with this defecte and wante Dothe he knowe the father euen as perfectlye and as deeplye as the father knoweth hym Iohn v. and yet knoweth he not this point of his councell Dothe he gyue lyfe euerlastynge Iohn v. and yet knoweth not the daye and houre when he shall perfourme it Yes no dought as perfectlye and assuredlye as the father doth All if in this place in consyderacyon of his humanytie and to declare that the secretes and councels of God are beyonde mans vnderstandynge and knowledge he sayth of that day and houre no man knoweth neyther the Aungels which at in heauen ne the son but the father onely For he one beynge both God and maÌ„ knoweth and knoweth not knoweth as God knoweth not as man Both partes are apparaunit by the scriptures that are alleaged in so apparaÌ„t mater therfore dought not any lenger throughe ignorance to be deceaued it is excusable but vppon knowledge to be obstynate what shall excuse you Your thyrde texte is this Arri. WHY callest thou me good noone good but God Proct. MAgister bone good master sayde the yonge man what shal I do to optayne lyfe euerlasting whiche questian proceded from hym whiche stoode some what in his owne conceyte and moued this questyan to th ende he wolde rather be commended in that whiche he had donne theÌ„ in deede to lerne what he shulde do Mar. x. And therefore Chryst beynge as it were offended with that Arrogaunt name layde vnto hym what callest thou me good none good but God As yf he sayde why call ye me good whiche surname is aboue the dignitye of man and yet ye beleue not that I am veray God and the naturall sonne of God the father sente emongest you in the shape of a seruaunt for the redempcyon of mankynde He wold be called Good and acknowledged God or els he wolde none of bothe And all thoughe in this place for causes rehersed he semeth to rebuke the yonge man for callynge him good master yet shall ye fynde that in an nother place he vouchesauethe that name yea and calleth hym selfe good shepeherde Iohn x. Admytte the one and refuse not the other But and if ye thynke it proper for God to be called good lette hym be man in that he refused to be called good master in th one let him be God which calleth him selfe good shepeherde in thother And beleue assuredlye that it is not vnsyttynge for hym to be called good with the father whiche truely sayth Ego pater vnum sumus I and the father be all one yf bothe but one Why bothe not good aswell as one Arri. Gloryfye thy son c. Ioh. xvii Proct. IF this dothe proue that Chryst is not God then by the same it foloweth that the father is not god also for the sentens wholy recited which you seldome do importethe no les Clarifica filium vt et filius clarificet te Ioh. xvii Father sayth Christ gloryfie thy sonne that thy sonne also may gloryfye the. And in another place he saythe Ioh. xix Ego te clarificaui super terram I haue gloryfied the vpon the earth ye see then that this is but borowed ware it cummeth and goeth betwixt the father and the son with iust retorne if therfore Christ maye not be god because he is gloryfyed of the father neither the father must be god because he is gloryfied of the sonne for eche of them gloryfieth an other as ye haue herde Howe be it if a man wolde axe ye what is meaned by these wordes gloryfye thy son and what gloryficacion Chryst spake of I dought not but that your answere shuld vtter your folly and confirme my saieng vnles ye wolde euer of purpose and malycyouslye aunswere contrarye to your knoweledge and coÌ„science For in the same Cha. wherhens ye had this ye reade playnely these wordes Ioh. xvii Clarifica me pater apud temetipsum claritate quaÌ„ habui priusquam mundus fieret apud te That is glorifie me thou father with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had or euer the worlde was made If Chryst hadde glorye with the father or euer the worlde was the was Chryst with the father ab eterno eternallye from the begynnynge as Iohn dothe wytnes also in the begynnynge of his Gospell that he was yf Chryst was eternally from the beginninge with the father then was not Chryst any creature yf he was no creature then was he God Thus is Chryst true god euermore gloryous and the Lorde of glore Pauls wordes prouinge 1. Cor. 1. Si cognouissent nnncquam dominnm gloriae crucifixissent .i. If they had knoweÌ„ they had neuer crucified the lorde of glory Notwithstanding being also maÌ„ in his manhead as he could be crucisied so mought he be gloryfied likewise Acknowledge at leÌ„gth that in whom one semblable claryficacyon is in them is no dyfference of power Arri. ALL are yours you ar Christes and Chryst is Gods Cor. iii. This place of saint Paul Athanasyus that auncyent wryter dothe expounde in this wyse All thynges are yours onelye for that God hath subierte all thynges vnto you and haue ordeyned all thinges to serue your commoditie and pleasure You are Chrystes throughe your creacion seruitude Christes is Gods because he was before the wordle with the father and was of the same essence and substance that God the father is of And hereunto all the olde fathers agre and of our late doctors I knowe none that dissent in this poynt so that it is euydente that ye haue soked this out of your owne brain only as to contend that Christ is not god or of the saine nature with the father because Paule sayeth Christe is Gods or of Godâ— Vpon which wordes Bullinger writeth thus Christ is gods that is to saye sayeth he Christ is coequall with the Father and vnto him the Churche is subiect not as to man but as to the lyuynge God If ye marke well S. Paules wordes or rather the right meanyng of them ye shall not fynde Christê deuinitie denyed but rather manifestlye auouched as who in the same place and
delyuered vs from the seruitude of Satan dyslorded him of vs and tooke the lordshyp and domynion ouer vs vppon him selfe Arri. BVT not to trouble your lordship any lenger with my rude barberous talke shortly thus I thinke of Iesus Chryst Verely that he was the most electe vessel the orgen or instrument of the deuine mercy a Prophet and more then a Prophete the son of God but according to the spreete of Sanctificacion the syrst begotten but emongest many brothers c. Proct. HEre is Christe defined as vnchristeanly as euer I herd and who so is werye of the christianitie let hym beleeue as ye teache for in dede it is contrary to Christe and al Christianitie but who soeuer â—eioâ— seth in the name Iesus Christe and looketh to enioye lyfe euerlastynge through him he must nedes confesse and beleue Christe to be otherwyse then ye do presently acknowledge Fayne wold you that Christ shuld not be god but your faint profe ther of declareth what spirite ye ar of â— NotwithstaÌ„dyng ye do what ye caâ— which is nothyng in effect whâ— can any doo more against so heygâ—â— and manifest truthe Ye leaue â—â— one stone vnmoued to further yâ—â— purpose saue only the chiefest stone which wyll not rolle that waye with all that you canne And ye are well content to let it alone proue ma\steries with the rest Much lyke ye are vnto Patroclus who when he went into the warres toke with him all the armour and weapons of Achilles hys speare only excepted which he thought to be to weghty great for hys arme No otherwyse you descendynge into the fielde agaynst Christ is deuienitie brought with you to ouerthrowe the same all kynde of armour and weapon saue only the veritie and truthe whiche was not for your weariÌ„g the speare and shyelde of all Catholyke and Christian men of force in all suche causes to vpholde and support the â—â—ght in spyght of all myght And â—â—ith this weapon as I haue hither vnto made you to stoupe so a none I dought not I shall geue you the doune fall And here ioyne wee in this quarell In this your discripcion of Christ I fynde that all yâ— your inteÌ„tis altogither wycked yeâ— some parte of your woordes in the same sounde well and maye be well taken as where ye saye that Christ was the moste elect vessell was the orgeyn or instrument of the deuine mercye was a Prophet more then a Prophet These phrases are good Catholyke in a good Catholike mans mouthe where the intent is pure godly Therfore your wordes that sounde Iesus Christ to be a moste electe vessell be they good but your intent that wold haue him an elect vessell only must needes â—â— wycked Your wordes that souâ—â—â— Iesus to be the orgen of the deuâ—â— mercy he they good but your inâ—â— whiche wolde haue him an orgeâ—â—â— instrumeÌ„t only of the deuine mercy and not the author of mercy mercy it self must needes be wycked Your wordes that sounde Iesus Christ to be a Prophet and more then a Prophet be they good but your intent which wole not haue him the giuer of all prophercye as God almighty must nedes be wicked because it concordeth not with the veritie of Christis condicion and consent of all the Catholyke Church which beleueth stefastly bothe aswell that whiche your wordes affirme and that also which your intent denyeth It foloweth in our descripcion He is the sonne of God but accordynge to the spirite of sanctifâ—yng Your But maâ—â—festly discloseth where at ye shute Which terme is yours the rest is in S. Paule to the Romains but not â—â—nakedly as ye haue alleaged it as here afterwarde it shall appeare First let vs examine what ye meane when ye say that Christ is the sonne of God but accordyng to the spirit of sanctuiyng If ye meane as S. Paule meaneth then your meaning is good if not then is your meanyng deuelysh wycked But your But I say vttereth your intent verely that Christ is the sonne of God onlye as other good men are whose heartes the holy ghost hathe anctified ye meane the sonne of God by adopcion and therfore ye knyt vp your definicion with First gotten but amongst many brothers S. Paules wordes wholye and sincerely without wrestyng maÌ„gling of them are these Rom. 1. of his sonne which is made of the seede of Dauid to â—â— chyng the flesh declared the soâ—â—â— of God in power accordyng to 〈◊〉 holye spirite and by his resurrecâ—â—â— from the dead This is S. Paule sentence conteinynge muche more then ye brought in eke somewhat lesse by your But whiche if it were in Paul as it is in yours then your next But myght folowe the better In these wordes S. Paul teacheth Christ to be not only the Sonne of man touching the flesh but also the Sonne of God and true God by three wayes that is to saye By power by the spirite and by resurrection By power as by miracles and workes whiche were aboue the condicioÌ„ of man of which he spake in Iohn Ioh. v. x. Si veâ— bis meis non creditis operibus saltem credite .i If ye beleue not my wordes yet haue credit to my workes By the holy gost as in sundrye places so in that that the holy ghost came doune in visible forme vppon hym what tyme the â—oyce of the father sounded Mat. iii. xvii Hic est silius meê° in quo mihi bene cuÌ„placui .i. This is my sonne in whom I am well pleased And hether unto appertayneth that of Ioh. in his caconicall epysiel Et spiritus est qui testificatur He promised also to sende and accordynge to his promyse dyd sene the holye ghost to be a comforter and gyde in his bodely absence vnto all such as faythfully trace his wayes Which was for god to do and not maÌ„ The thyrde argument whice S. Paul vseth in that place to proue Christes deuinitie is his resurrection For who could rayse hym selfe froÌ„ death by his owne power and vertue but the naturall son of God which said Tollite templum hoc et in triduc excitabo illud .i. Destroye ye this teÌ„ple and in thre dayes I wyl builde it vy agayne Iohn x. ego ponam animam meaÌ„ iterum sumam eam nemo tolleâ— eam a me sed ego ponam eam ameipsâ— potestateÌ„ habeo ponendi eam iteruÌ„ potestatem h abeo sumeÌ„di cam That is to saye I wyl put my soule from me and I wyll take the same again vnto me None shall take it frome me but I wyl put in from meselfe I haue power in my selfe to putte it awaye and I haue power in me to take it agayne Ye see then what s Paule meaned in that place and ye heare howe that other partes of the scriptures do confirme also his menyng intent in that behalf Wherfor your meanyng and intent which is repugnaunte hereto must needes be wycked
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
pleasure Lyue we the lyfe in Satan his tabernacle we shall dye the deathe euerlastynge in hell with most terrible tormentes vnspeakable paynes Choose the best whyles choyse lyeth in lot HERE to breake vp this matter gentle Reader and at lengthe to come to the declaracion and disclosyng of my purpose and intent in this my lytle booke whiche I haue entituled THE FAL OF THE LATE ARRIAN Thou shal vnderstand that I haue in the same confuted the opinioÌ„ of a serten man who lately denyed Christ deuinitie and equalitie with God the father affirmynge that he was but a mere Creature and a passible man only not God And this was Arrius opinion of whom in my booke I do treate more at large and as many as do holde that opinion are called of Auncient wryters Arrians and therfore I intitle my treactise The fall of the late Arrian not disclosynge hys name throughe oute my worke but vnder the name of Arrian whom I wold be loche to displease if he hath Recanted that blasphemous oppinion as some saye that he hathe This oure late Arrian therfore not long synce was before serten of the Counsell dyuers other Learned men for his opinioÌ„ by whose procurement I know not And deliuered the same his opinion with his prouffes in writyng to the lord Archbishop of CauÌ„terbury beyng therunto at length required as in the begynnyng of his writyng he confesseth Wherof dyuers copies came into diuers mens haÌ„des And one was sent to me from a frende of myne who required me to peruse the same and to let him dnderstand what I thought of it To whome I dyd eftsones restore it incontineÌ„t writyng vnderneth the same for my answere to my frendis demaunde nothing els but Vae hoi per queÌ„ venit scaÌ„daluÌ„ tantuÌ„ Then being of mynd neuer to haue sayde one worde more vnto it Yet I thought it veray necessary and expedient that so blasphemous perilous opinion shuld be confuted by some man and that with speedye expedicion In consideracion the people nowe a dayes for the most parte be so good of takyng that nothyng is to harde for them to learne especiallye if they heare of any new lesson not taught or herd of a long tyme before Then nothyng cometh a mysse vnto them nothyng to harde for them to learne and beare away althoughe it be in deade neuer so muche agaynst God the Father and his natural Sonne Iesus Christ But in this behalfe I was in maner carelesse for remeÌ„brynge what a ioylye multitude of fresh writerse there ar in these daies I thought this geare coulde not escape vnlooked on But seeyng in other trifelyng matters of no effect importauunce to speake of in comparison of this they are so readye with their confutyng bookes ballettes and pleyes In so weyghtye a cause as this is I reckened they wold not be seene slacke or necligeÌ„t but out of hande with all celeritie and speede withstande it How be it reckeners without their hoste muste recken twyse I haue hearde saye Hytherunto not one of them haue sayde one worde vnto it or by mirth pley or ernest game that I caÌ„ heare of what they wyll I knowe not For my parte at begynnynge I thoughte nothynge lesse then to attempte anye suche enterprise as I haue nowe taken in hande partely because I haue not exercysed me self in the lyke before tyme and chieflye for that I suspected much my wytte and connyng therfore I supposed beste for me hauynge neither exercyse ne connynge to dwell in myne olde silence and not to mell especially in this matter beyng of such importaunce and hygh difficultye far aboue my compasse and reache Besyde this I pondered the present sent condicion of this worlde with me selfe I thought in suche hurlye burlye in so great tumultes the voyce of such one shuld not be herd For if the wordes of Ecclesiasticus are true that the voyce of the wyse is hearde in quietnesse it booted not to speke in so vnquiet a time as this is I thought and of such matter And to helpe forwarde the saiynge of the Prophet came eueÌ„ in the nick to my remembraunce Intelligens in tempore illo tacebit .i. The wise wyll keepe silene in that tyme. All this notwithstandyng when I coulde not perceyue or here tell that any had taken in hande to improue and confute this most daungerous blasphemous opinion Charitie whiche seeketh not any priuate contentacion or pleasure at any tyme but euermore couetyng to vanquish the difficultie of all tymes seasons vehementlye prouoked me to vtter some parte of my mynde in this behalfe Wherunto the chyldren eke whiche were in Babylon dyd not a lytle as me thought encourage hexten me forwarde whose example enstructeth vs that we ought with free courage and good heart cherefully to witnesse the truth although the whole worlde were agaynste it which euen out of the myo burnyng fyre sange merely Psalme to God not regardig the multitude of them which despised the truthe but satisfyed them selfes beyng iii. in noÌ„bre Wherfore neither my small exercise nor my slender knowledge ne yet the aboundaunce of Iniquytie which kepeth reuell now a dayes haue defased me But my hope fixed in the helpe of the Holye Spirite I haue not kycked agaynst the spurre of Charitie nor haue spurned agaynst the zeale and oue whiche I beare towarde my Countrey bothe a lyke togyther prickynge me forwarde herto But haue most wyllyngly I wotte not how happely shewed forthe the truthe touchynge this mater of Christis Deuinitie Besechyng the Christen Reader if I haue not satisfyed thy expectacion in all poyntes yet wyll good to my good wyll and beare with my weakenesse sufficient it is and ynough to wyll well in highe maters writers sayen the matter is hyghe my wyl is good accept th one for the others sake Valete Reason both wonder how sayth tel can That a maid is a mother god a man Let reason go and beleue the wonder Fayth is aboue and reason is vnder ê™ Antiquitte THE FAL OF THE LATE ARRIAN Arrian ALBEIT IN thys vehemente and vnthought on perturbacion of mynde reuerende father all labor is odious writyng dyffyculte and harde coÌ„mentacion vnplesaunt and gruous vnto me yet in the defence of my cause beyng required to write for the reuerence which I owe vnto your Lordship aboue other I haue purposed briefly and compendiously to commit in writyng what I thinke touchyng tharticles Proctor THO I was resolued in my mynde that ye were well worthye emprisonment fetter chayne that feared not to conceaue maynteyne and teache suche blasphemye agaynst God the Father his naturall Sonne Iesus Christ true God Yet I doubted whether your bodye was after that sort or by any other meanes puny shed or not wher of I coulde not by your owne relacion neither by hearsay learne one worde so muche but rather that ye were takeÌ„ vp emongst states much made of and frendlye enterteyned for ye wyll not lye
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
Lorde emongest them al. And therfore the scryptures as often they applye the vocable God to any other do euermore adde some manifest token whereby we may dyscerne and perceaue the dyfference betwyx the true God and them to whome the name attrybute fyguratiuelye As in the place by you alleaged where it is sayde Stetit deus in singagoga deorum .i. Ps lxxxi God stode in the synagoge of gods here the name is applyed to other But it folowethe in the texte tho it do not in your allegacion Et in medio eorum deos diuidicat That is and in the middes of theÌ„ he iudgeth the gods a playne reasoÌ„ that they were not true gods but gods onely in name and not in power and vertue because they are iudged for none can iudge the true God Euen so Idolles are called gods in Paul But it foloweth gentium of gentyles Lykewyse Satan is termed god But it foloweth huius seculi Agayne it is sayde to Moyses Ecce feci te deum pharani beholde I haue made the a god to Pharao by whome Gods purpose was to declare and open his deuine power and therefore the wyse men called magi confessed that the finger of Godde was in the myracles of Moyses But the one worde made maketh playne declaracyon that he was not a true God for it agreeth not to God to saye that he is made Neither doth the scripture say absolutelye I haue made the a God but it foloweth to Pharao Further to th ende we myght easely vnderstand the difference betwene the true God and other counterfeyte Gods the scriptures call hym God of vertues the Lorde of hostes Lorde omnipotent maker of heauen and yerthe God of Hebrues God of Abraham Isaac and Iacob the God of our fore fathers againe God of peace God of comforte God of reuenge Nowe good syr vewe and examine with your selfe wel this that I haue sayde touching the discrepauÌ„ce betwyxte the true God and youre other foren and straunge gods and then tel me who is a foole Then tel me whether ye canne yet dygest it in your stomacke that Iesus Chryst is true God or no which is so ofte called in the Scriptures euerlastynge omnipotent creatour of al thinges founten of all goodnes authour of peace Lorde of euerlasting lyfe c. Whiche are the propryetyes of the deuine nature onelye What and yf he were not named by this terme God at all throughe out the seryntures shulde we therfore dought of hiâ— Godhead of whome the serynture doth so absolutelye pronounce that he was in the begynnyng euerlastyng with the father that al thinges was made by him that he restâ—red the deade to lyfe he sanctifyeth he searcheth the thoughtes of mans herte he gyue the lyfe euerlastyng and so forth which are onely fyt and proper for that God whiche is the true God and Lorde of all Dothe not he hym selfe say Pater meus vâ— que modo oratur ego operor que ille facit et filius similiter facit that is to wit my father worketh hetherto and I worke whatsouer he doth that doth the son also Againe IohnÌ„ v. Sicut pater exuscitat mortuos et vnieat sic et filius quos vult vnicat that is As the father doth rayse vp the dead and quickeneth them euen so the quickeneth and relyueth whome he lyste What startinge hole haue ye in so manyfest sentences wherein it is so playnly declared that Chryst together with his father doth creat doth susteyne the creatures defende and saue the churche restore lyfe to the dead Whiche out of all dought are onely fytte proper and conuenient for the deuine and omnypotente nature Adde hereunto Iohn i. Ego vitam eternam do eis c. I gyue lyfe euerlastynge to them Ioh. xiiii Quicquid petieritis in nomine meo hoc faciam What so euer ye shall require in my name that same wyll I do Iohn xv Sine me nihil potestis facere Without me ye can do nothynge Mat. 18. Vbicunque sunt duo aut tres coÌ„gregati in nomine meo ibi sum in medio eorum Where so euer two or iii. are gathered together in my name there am I in the myddes of them Iohn xx Dat spiritum sanctum He giâ—ueth the holye GhosTe IohnÌ„ xx Priusquam Abraham natus est Ioh. viii ego sum Before Abraham was borne I am To gyue lyfe euerlastyngeâ— to do what so euer we require in his name to be euery where To gyue the holy ghost to be euerlastynge is it not for God alone impossible and beyonde the power of all creatures Were it not to cleere ye wolde petchaunce deny it For asmuche therfore the scryptures euery where do this witnes of Chryst ascribingeâ—â— hym suche doynges as are not for any creature to do but only for God thonlye creatoure and ruler of â—â— thinges were it not proufe suffycient that he is true God al if he were not termed by this name God at alâ— Yes doughtles for the name is to no purpose the deuyne power and vertue shining and appering in his doinges declare him God and not the name Your argument therfore ye syr is to yonge and a great dele to weake as therwith to proue that Chryst is not a true God because the Prophetes and other more vyle creatures are called goddes in the scriptures the name is to no effecte where the power is not thei I grauÌ„t were in name gods but not in power Iesus Chryst was not onely in name but in all power true God equall to his father as is declared And as the name makethe not that God whereunto it is applyed So is it veray madnes to contende and affyrme therefore Iesus Chryst not to be God bycause the Prophetes with other creatures be termed god in the scriptures and yet not gods therby As ye seeme to do Ye shuld haue compared their doynges and qualities together with Chrystes and so declare youre rable of gods to be as muche gods as Chryst is aswell in power as in name But ye were well assured that in so doynge ye shulde haue marde all the mater you go about and therfore ye pleied a wise pagent not one word so much to speak therof to dye for The prophetes I graunt were termed gods and they dyd many myracles But none so manye none with the lyke vertue none with the like authorite as Chryst dyd For Chryst neuer prayed neuer called vpon the helpe of the father at any tyme when he wolde do any myracles Who had so al his power of his father that he had the same equal with the father Demona dii gentium sayth Saynt Paul But marke what oddes is be twyxte them and Chryst Chryst beray God became man dyed for man with his deathe reconsyled man to God his father What haue your gods done syr or what do they that you make your comparison betwene them and Christ for soth thei delude the sely pore soules that they myght
be companyons of darkenes with them But Chryst brought lyghte into the worlde made open the veritie whereby he healed all They entysed and allured them to all abhominacioÌ„ and wickednes But Christ toke away the synnes of the worlde They tumble downe into the pyt of hell theyr worshyppers But Chryst auaunceth his into heauen Satan also is called god but Chryste and he gods far vnlyke Thone author of all goodnes thother author of al wyckednesse th one peace maker thother soweth dyssension and stryfe wheresoeuer he is receyued Thone treated al thinges good in the right vse thother laboureth to make all thinges yll by abuse Th one sauâ—th thother leeseth Th one calleth to euerlastynge lyfe thother to euerlastynge fyre The bely is called God likewise yea so is Couetousnes or auacies a great god now a dayes to whome much blasphemy idolatry is committed euerywhere If Paule douted not to call auarice idolatrye If Christ in the Gospell doth set manimon agaynst God as an other god I maye boldlye auouche them to be blasphemers and idolaters whiche serue the same which do more estâ—me their money then the true God As this auarice of money is the cause of muche mischief so it engendreth one wonderful yl thyng betwent the Princes of therth and their people I meane flatery adulacion wheâ— by the subiect perswadeth the 〈◊〉 oftenymes that he is Gods felow attributeth deuine honor vnto him driueth in to his head that all thyng is well godly what so euer he shall attempte all if it be directly against God and all to creepe in to fauour to aspiere to promocion and wealth And the Kyng or Prince of thother parte is not offended therwithall but taketh vppon hym what suche kynde of men ascribe vnto him So that it chaunceth somtymes that the people in stede of a good Christian Kyng haue a very tyraunt a spoyler oppressor of the Comen weale mainteyners of all iniquitie vyce reynyng ouer them And the Kyng agayne in stede of honest subiectes and graue councelours hath flatterers pyckthankes and holders vp yea and nay Finally what so euer ye preferre before God and his holy preceptes that same ye make a god But if it had lyked you to haue compared theire deedes as well as the name and the cause whoe they are called gods with Christis doingê the cause why he is god ye mought haue benne soner a shamed of your leude comparison And sayde with Dauid Non est similis tui Domine non est secundum opera tua That is None lyke vnto the O Lorde and none accordyng to thy workes Seekest thou honor and renoume he giueth the euerlasting glory Desyrest thou souereigntie he admitteth the into his kyngdome wherof shall be no ende Requirest thou richesse in him thou maist possesse all thynges who only is Lorde of all Seekest thou oracles or the certeintie of thynges Thou hast the scripture of most certen truthe in which he true God speaketh vnto the oute of his priuie closet as ofte as thou lyst Wylt thou haue pleasure he only gyueth perfect ioye whiche no man can take away Delyrest thou ease he cryeth mercifully Omnes qui laborati onorati estis venite ad me ego reficiam vos That is to say All ye that laboure and are laden come ye to me I wyl refresh you If to your gods this may be worthely applyed then out of doute your comparison was right and ye may iustly affirme them true gods as Iesus Christe is to whome the Scripture dothe ascribe this with much more mightely prouyng him to be God not in name only but in power and vertue deuine To conclude I say therfore with s Paule that though there be whiche are called goddes whether in heauen or in erthe as there be many goddes and lordes many yet vnto me there is but one God which is the Father of whom ar all thyngê we in him one Lorde Iesus Christ by whome are all thynges and we by hym This sentence of s Paule your selfe brought in but curtailed as ye vse all the rest for ye lefte oute the laste parte therof and good cause why for it made all agaynst your wicked purpose Therfore in any case see ye alleage not one worde as nyghe as ye can that may make agaynst your but wring and wrest tosse tugge mangle and heaw euery part therof vntyll ye frame it to your mynde if ye caÌ„ not leaue it cleane out a gods name take that which wyl serue And to theude the Christian Reader may vnderstande that ye are youre craftê maister in this point ye haue craftely practysed the same in all the places almost which ye haue hither vnto hereafter wyl alleage for the maintenauÌ„ce of your blasphemous error And where as the former sentence out of Paule ye curtayled now ye alleage another place of S. Paule but the myddes the bodye of the same cleane left out onlye ye bryng in the head and the tayle the rest discharged whiche is the effecte and chiefest parte of all it is out the .ix. to the Rom. and this is your alligacion S. Paule calleth Christ God blessed for euer But betwene God and blessed for euer S. Paul hath these wordes ouer al thinges and this is his saiyng Christ which is God ouer all thynges blessed for euer Amen Blessed s Paule wolde putte vs out of doubte that Iesus Christ was God not in name only as other are but in deede not in opinion but in nature power true God and therefore he added ouer all thynges for to be God ouer all thynges is only agreable to the omnipotent nature But S. Paule his mynde yours is not lyke And therfore no meruell if ye agree not in woordes He mynded to declare him to be true God and therfore he sayeth Christ God ouer al things but you wolde perswade that he is God only in name as other manye are and therfore ye say Christ god blessed for euer leauyng out ouer all thinges which wordes strongly only proue in that place the true Godhead in Christ For to be called God or to be blessed for euer is no proufe that he is true GOD The Prophetes with other were called goddes Dyuers were blessed foreuer yet none of bothe true goddes therby But to be called God and God ouer all thynges yea by the mouth of S. Paule what double can there remayne in any Christian mans herat but that Iesus Christ is true God And the place of S. Iohn Iohn xx which ye also reciâ—e doth confirme Pauls menayng and confounde your wicked opinion very plainly Yet can ye lyke pourselfe bryng it in craftely for contirmacioÌ„ and probacion of your iniquitie it is not to be denyed that Christ studyed to auoyde the crime of blasphemy But what dyd he therfore graunte that he had committed blasphemye in callynge God Fathe Or dyd he deny that he was the naturall Sonne of God the father
No forsothe all if you wolde with your blynde and deceatfull allegacion of the place make the simple to beleue it The Iues abiected blasphemye vnto him because he beyng a mere man to their sight made him selfe God namynge God father so often and were redye to inuade him with stones as a blasphemour He auoyded the blasphemye not in denyenge that whiche he to fore had affyrmed But for thaâ—pesinge and taminge the Iues rage and fury in giuing them a softe and gentle answere And in the same his aunswere more myghtely declaring his Godhead natwithstaÌ„dinge then he dyd in the wordes before Therefore when they leyde blasphemye to his châ—rge for callynge God father he aunswered vnto them that it was no blasphemy for if sayde Chryst in the olde lawe such were called gods with out blasphemye to whome the worde of God was spoken Howe iustlye then maye I call my selfe â—â— Sonne of God which am the woâ— itselfe which am sanctrfied of God the father and am sente from God the father inito the worlde But â—â—â—tent your selfe weyghe and conâ—â—â— with your selfe well my workes and doinges that and if ye percaue â—â—â— that I do thynges aboue the myght of man and which are only for god to do then beleue not that I am the Sonne of God but it I doo then at leastwise credit my workes if ye wyll not credit me and beleue assuredly that the father is in me and I in him Thus Christ tempered his answere auoidyng the blasphemye and appeasyng his aduersaryes furious madnesse and yet not denieng that he was the true Sonne of god and true god but rather with much modesty vindicatyng and challengyng the same vnto him whiche to dissemble he thought not coÌ„uenient because in deede he wolde not be vnknowen vnto vs what he was Nowe if ye aske me wherfore he answered not simplely and directly without all other circuÌ„staunce that he was god in deede it was because the Iues were in great fury rage and sought occasioÌ„ to sley him And the tyme not yet come when he purposed to suffer the extremitie for the safegarde of mankynde Therfore he dyd not only stay and let them by his deuine power from hurlyng any one stone at him although they had taken vp some in their handes for the same purpose but also to the ende their hoat fearsenesse and crueltie aswaged and mittigated they shuld in their quietnesse vnderstand that which they coulde not abyde in their rage it seemed best to his high prudence rather by suche gentle and moderate drift of wordes to insynuate the same vnto them then shortly to answere them yea it is true I am God Whiche shulde haue encreased their furye and lesse perswâ—ded them Nowe good syr forasmuche it is thus manifest playne in that place of S. Iohn necessarelye prouynge Christ deuinitie and in the selfe same Chapt. also dyuers other sentences inuincible and ineuitable tendynge to the same effect are to be seene and reade as that Iohn x. Sicut nouit me pater ita ego noui patrem As the Father knoweth me euen so knowe I the Father Potestatem habeo pouendi animam c. I haue power to putte my soule from me I haue power to take it agayne Vitam aeternam do eis I gyue lyfe euerlastynge to them Pater ego vnuÌ„ sumus The father and I be one Which places can not be auoyded forasmuche I say aswell that selfe place whiche ye inferre for your purpose is so vehement agaynst you and so many other of the like importaunce within the same Chapter so nyghe couched togyther and so plainly set forth in your waye that ye coulde not but stomble on some of them or ye came to your standyng where ye wrought your pleasure Mercyfull Lorde howe great and odious is your iniquitie that haue not chosen to cleue and leane to so maifest a truthe in so many places expressed rather thaÌ„ thus blasphemously and wylfullye not only refuse and sporne agaynste it but also wretchedly most shamfully wrest and wryng the pure scriptures for maynteynyng and vpholding your lewde and abhomynable heresye But ye wyl say perchaunce ye sawe them not and I beleue it For as the Prophet sayeth many haue eyes and see not many haue eares and heare not Sapi. ii c. Excaecauit enim maliclaeos For iniquitie hath blynded them vt non videat oculis nec corde intelligant That they see not with eyes sayeth Esay nor vnderstande with hearte I haue readen of Polemon the Sophist that what tyme his fyngers and toes waxt corny or harde he warned the Phisicions to digge incide or cutte Polemons quaryes of stones saying Commedendum est manus non habeo ambulandum est pedes non habeo dolendum est manus habeo pedes That is to wyt I neede to eat I haue no handes I neede to walke I haue no feete I must suffre ache and payne and I haue bothe handes and feete therto Wherin are ye like to this PolemoÌ„ Verely in that that ye haue nor haÌ„d nor foote in some kynde of busynes and in some thyng agayne ye haue bothe hande and foote with al other your ioyntê nimble redy ynough but the condicion farre vnlyke betwene you because he fayne wolde and coulde not and you well canne but wyll not It was all agaynste his wyll to his great griefe that he had not his handes and feete as well to feede and walke withall as he had them readye to hys restlesse payne But contrary wyse it standeth all with your wyll and it is to your full contentacion and pleasure that when you shulde see the truthe youre eyes be blemysshed when ye shulde heare the truthe your eares be stopte when ye shulde speake the truthe your toungue be blystered when ye shuld write the truthe eche of your fingers against other iustle as hansomly as a bere picketh muscles and when ye shulde walke in the truthe your feete be then quarry stonye that ye can not But contrary to blemysh the truthe ye haue youre eares open to heare to blaspheme the truthe ye haue your tong souÌ„de quicke to speake to contend agaynste the truthe ye haue youre fingers nimble speedy letter shyft penne to write To walke in wickednesse in spite of the truthe ye haue youre feete swyfte to trudge a pace whyther the pathe of iniquitie can leade you it foloweth in your epist Arri. WHERE as he is notable by other dyuers names Whiche for the most part al if they haue great coÌ„mendacioÌ„ in maÌ„ they ar not admitted to the deuine nature as humilitie obedience gentlenes paciency muche lesse these Sheepe Lyon Worme Hoste Synne cursyng and other lyke Proct ARISTOTILES Stagerites oftentymes vpbrayded the Athenians for because whereas they had inuented Corne and Lawes as it thinges veray necessary to be had in a Comen weale they onlye dyd vse th one and not thother dyd enioy the corne and reiected the lawes How
muche more iustlye maye I accuse you good syr which promysed so largelye in the firste entrie of your matter that you wolde folow in decidynge and determinynge the same not the wordê of the scriptures only but the right vnderstanding of the same also And yet hytherunto haue vsed th one not thother haue recited the wordes and lefte the syncere and true meanyng of the same The Athenyens deuysed not corne alone but also lawes as bothe fytte for them but of bothe th one they reteyned in vre onely as thereby to feede and pamper vp their carcases Thother whereby they knewe theyr dyssolute lyfe and beastely maners shulde be noted and corrected they let slipe and wolde not exercise You lykewyse all yf ye were appoynted vpon both and promysed to vse not the wordes of the scripture only but also the catholyke sence of the same Yet styll contrary to your fyrste appoyntment and promyse ye only vse th one yea forcyng the same to put on more straunge formes fygures then euer Proteous hadde and al to maynteine and defende youre follye so dyuers and varyable But the syncere meanynge of the wordes in scripture ye haue not hetherunto vsed but obstynatlye refused In this pointe I can not alowe you and Aristoteles doth condemne you If it be incident vnto youre nature that when your promyse consisteth of .ii. partes th one shuld be false thother true then belike it is naturall vnto you And forasmuche that whiche is naturall can not easely be routed out of man it is to be feared leaste ye wyll dye an heretycke Ye haue brought iÌ„ scryptures and euer more doo brynge by clusters and heapes to make good your concept but the true vnderstandynge of the scriptures ye seldome mell with al. Thone ye lyke well and therfore ye tye it at your gyrdel before you to th ende ye wyll alway folowe it but thother ye haue thruste in the wallette with your owne deedes hanging behind at your back to thend you wold not be coÌ„bred with the sight of any of both at any tyme. God wolde haue bothe coÌ„ioyned together but ye your felowes haue made a playne deuorse to th end ye might without checke of th one committe aduoutery with the other And as I do nowe tell you of it so haue I done afore and after wyll as ofte as I perceyue you so to abuse the scriptures And if ye be ashamed to here of it after this sort be also ashamed hereafter eftsones to do it And for my parte when ye shal be a fearde to mynister the occasion then shall I feare to leye it to your charge To approche to our purpose Ye saye that in the Scriptures Chryst is termed by these names as humble meeke obedient c And agayne worme lyon syn with other the lyke Whiche names ye saye may not be admytted to the deuyne nature therfore ye conclude that Chryste beyng called by these names can not haue in him the deuyne nature And how well it foloweth who so blynde that seethe not I haue by the scriptures declared at large the Chryst was not God alone nor man alone but bothe God and man And had in him self not onelye the nature of man as ye wolde haue it but the veray nature of god also as ye wolde not he hadde with your good wyl And as he was true man so was he humble obedyent meeke pacient Which names haue great commendacion in man ye saye and so let them haue in hym To the deuyne nature ye wyll not haue them applied well I wyll not much contende against you therin I graunte againe that he is called by these names in the scripture as sheepe ly on synne c. But to affirme that he is not true god therfore because he is termyd by suche names it were to groselye and more then folye As well ye may conclude that he was not man For a sheepe is not man nor the lyon man nor the worme man But Chryst in called sheepe lyon and worme ergo he is not maÌ„ As iuste as germans lyps By the same reason I mought proue that the father is not God because in Deute iiii he is called ignis and Eccle. xxxix Fluuius and Hiere ii Fons with dyuerse other names applyed vnto hym in the Scritpures The application of whiche names aswell prouethe the father not to be God as the son So by your allegacion we shal haue no God anone But acknowledge rather bothe the father and the sonne to be God and vnderstaÌ„d with me that such names are attrybuted to Chryste to do vs knowledge howe that Chryst all yf he was true God and thoughte it no roberye to be equall with God the father in all omnipotensye As Paul wytnesethe of hym Yet for our sakes becam eman and in his humanitie dyd humble him selfe as man in this worlde was obedient to his sendynge gentlely and pacyentlye suffered thextreme crueltye and outragious vilany of the Iues excerctsed vppon him And for this innocensie in him and pacience he is called ouis and agnus in the Scryptures And to saye some thynge the rest He is called Lyon in consyderacion of his fortytude and power Whereby he vanquysshed the rorynge Lyon our aduersarye the deuyll Accordynge to that in the Appocalyppes Vicit leo de tribu Iuda Apoca. v. That is the lyon from the trybe of Iuda hath ouercome Whiche is spokeÌ„ of Chryst who suffered meeke as a lamme conquered stronge as a Lyon the rorynge Lyon I saye whiche as the scrypture sayth roometh about sekynge whom he may deuoure Bothe are called Lyons th one Lyon in power thother Lion in cruelty th one myghty to defend thother stronge to destroye He is called Vermis a worme in consideracion of the humilitie which was in hym aboue other who dyd humble hym selfe to all thynges for oure sakes Pouertye is an heuye burdeÌ„ and he wolde be most poorest for oure sakes Peyne is an harde thinge and he wolde suffer most bitter paynes for our sakes Death of all thingse most bytter And he submytted hym selfe vnto the same for oure sakes More spytefull then death is ignomy And he refused not to be spytted at to be checked slaundered dysdayned and blasphemed for our sakes Yea in that he receyued our common nature he was equal with other men But in that he was so pore and lyued in such peine and dysdayne he was inferioure to many Agayne in that he was mortal and died he was as al other are But in that he suffered wyllynglye suche kyne of death and for oure desertes he was vnder the condycion of many men In consyderacyon wherof he sayth by the mouth of the Prophete Ego vermis non homo That is I a worme and not man Howbeit besydes this saynt Austen supposeth hym to be called Vermis for an hyegher consideracion Why is Chryst called worme sayeth he Because he aunswereth he was mortall he was borne of the fleshe and begoten
by the same wordes which ye aleage instructeth the Corinthians that albeit al thynges whether it be Paule either Appollo or Cephas whether it be life or death c. ar ordeyned to their weale and comforte yet ought they not to glory in them but in Christ only throughe whome they haue atchyued all and who is their head their god and therfore not to glory in man only but in him whiche is bothe God and man euen as he himselfe dothe glorye in God his Father Arri. YEA more aptly is this declared of Paule whyles he explaneth that of Dauid he hathe subiecte all thynges vnder his feete c. Cor. xv Proct. THE whole and perfect sentens of Paule is thus Then cometh the ende when he hath delyuered vp the kyngdome to God the Father when he hathe putte doune all rule aucthoritie and power for he must reigne tyll he hath put all hys enemyes vnder his feete but where he sayth all thing is put vnder him it is manifest that he is excepted whiche dyd putte all thynges vnder him when all thynges are subdued vnto him then shall the Sonne also him selfe be subiecte vnto him that put all thynges vnder him that god may be all in al. These are s Paules wordes Nowe syr what fynde ye herin that improueth Christis deuinitie Assuredly nothyng all if ye fynde in this sentence of S. Paule that the Sonne shal be subiected vn to the Father for her vpon pyrcheth your hope to compas your purpose which wyl neuer turne to good hap And if ye please to comefurth of this wylfull ignoraunce and conforme you to ensue trace the knowledge of Gods worde accordynge to the Catholyke and Christian faith then shall ye vnderstande that in thys place s Paule dothe the CorinthiaÌ„s to wyt that then shall th ende come when all thynges shall be subdued vnto Iesus Christ and Christ the sonne shall delyuer vnto his father his kyngdome that is the Church the whole noÌ„ber of the Elect which he hathe by his death redemed then also Christ the Sonne him selfe shal be subiect vnto the father touchyng the dispensacion of the flesh and in his membres the sayntes by whiche it is meaned that then the misterye of Christ shall ceasse the preachyng of the Gospell shal be leaft and no longer any suche in the euerlastyng kyngdome of God and the sayntes shall be as was in the Militaunte Churche when the worlde was subiect vnto the preachyng of the Gospell For where no synne and disease is there needeth no remission or medecyne And thys subiection of the sayntes shall be the most free kyngdome vnto theym For then Iesus Christ veray God and man shall be all in all God in God reignynge ouer all thynges creature in creatures and to God subiect as a creature And howe shal he not be all in all which is thonly goodnesse of al the righteousnesse of all i Ioh. ii Ioh. xiiii Psa xrvi Ephes ii the lyfe of all comfort of all health of all the felicitie of all the peace of all and glory of al in whoÌ„ al haue life euerlastiÌ„g abouÌ„ding in all good thyngê And how shall he be subiected vnto the father whose magestie honoÌ„r glory is the same with the fathers who sayeth Ego Pater vnuÌ„ sumus i. I and the Father be all one Iohn x. And howe shall he notte reigne euerlalstingly with God the father as god Iud. viii whiche proceded frome the Father before all begynnynges whyche vnmade and vncreate Iohn i. made and created all thynges with his father and of whom it is writen Mich. iiii Et regnabit Dominus super eos in monte Syon ex hoc nuÌ„c vsque in seculum .i. And the Lorde shall reigne ouer them in the mounte of Syon for nowe and euer more Agayn Iohn xii Nos audiuimus ex lege ê™ Christus manet inaeternum i. We haue hearde out of the lawe that Christ coÌ„tinuth for euer And of whom it is writen by Luke Luke i. Regnabit in domo Iacob inaeternum .i. He shall reygne in the house of Iacob for euer Verely touchynge the dispensacioÌ„ of the flesh and the misterye nowe in force and vre Christ shal be subiected vnto the father but beynge true God consubstanciall sonne of God the father hath shal euerlastiÌ„gly haue one indiuisible reigne kyngdome with the father Thus are ye answered taught as the pure chatholyke faith teacheth in Iesus Christ who graunte that ye may lykewyse beleue Arri. CHRIST lyueth through the vnitue of God and there is one only Lorde c. what more manifest then this Proct. VERELY nothiÌ„g more manifest against you nothing more playne to confounde your folye 1. Cor. 13. Christ lyueth through the vertue of God that is true and thereby s Paule meaneth that altho Christ was crucified through infirmitie of the flesshe whiche he caryed about yet relyued he againe by the deuine power vertue of god whiche was in him selfe beyng veray God and in whom sayth saint Paule all fulnes of the deitie dwelled corporally naturally Colos ii What dothe this make agaynst Christê deuinitie yea doth it not mightelye make with it And the place that foloweth doth so plainly confirme the same that ye may be ashamed to recite it to the contrary There is but one Lorde whiche is Iesus Christ c. sayeth S. Paule What of this is not Christ therfore God because he is thonly lord Oh what blyndenes is this Quis vos facinauit Galla. 3. Who hath bewitched you no dought the blynde may see that wyll see herein whtche you vppon wilfulnes wil not se doth Paul saye ye teache that there is but one onelye Lorde Iesus Chryst and do not you see that by the same Saynt Paul byndethe you to beleue that Iesus Chryst is god the self same thyng essens that God the father is For yf no other Lorde is but Chryst how shall the father be lorde then if he be not the same thyng essence that the sonne is and if they bothe be not one in Godhead The father is called Lorde for it is written the Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde here the father is called Lorde and the sonalso Lorde Yet Paul sayth that there is but one Lorde the son Iesus Chryst throughe whome all thingse and we by hym how maâ— this stande yf we make the father and the sonne dyuers in nature and not on No doute the father and the son al one the father God and lorde the sonne God and lorde bothe one God both one lorde and one both And this appellacion lorde when it is applyed to Chryst is of the same force importauÌ„ce in the scriptures that God is of He is called Lorde more often then God aswell for that the Prophetes most commonly called him Lord and also because that name dothe more allude to the mysterie of his incarnacion Throughe which he
and naught And somethyng to say of your next But which is Christ is the first begytten sonne of God but a mongest many broothers I pray you which of all his brothers can saye Ego ex Deo processi veni .i. Ioh. viii I proceeded further and came from God Whiche of so many can saye Ioh. xiiii Creditis in Deum in me crdite .i. Beleue ye in God and beleue in me Which of so many brothers can sya Iohn x. Ego pater vnum sumus .i. I and my Father be one which of them all can say as he sayde to Philip Qui videt me videt patrem He that seeth me seeth the Father which of so many can saye performe Qui credit in me habet vitam aeternam He that beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastyng Which of you then can saye Mat. xvi Qui non honorat filium non honorat patrem He that honoureth not the sonne honoureth not the father Agayne to whom of so many brothers was it euer sayde Thou art Christ the sonne of the lyuyng God To which of so manye brothers may it be sayde Iohn iii. Qui non credit iam iudicatus est quia non credit in nomine vnigeniti filii Dei That is He that beleueth not is alredye condemned because he beleueth not in the name of the onlye begotten sonne of God If ye can declare any to be equall with hym in these poyntes then wyll I graunte with you that he hath mo brothers euery of them true God For none but God can saye as he hath sayde to none but to God can it be sayde whiche ye haue hearde In meane tyme I beleue him to be brotherles and confesse him to be thonly begotten sonne of God consubstanciall coequall to the father in al power honor and glorye And for your further instructioÌ„ reade at your leisure s Paule in the first to the Hebrues where ye shall fynde that S. Paule proueth hym to be brotherles the naturall sonne of God true god for .iii causes chiefly th one is because he is the creator and maker of Aungels as there he proueth the other for that he is honored of angels that third because he hath his seat for euer euer Now sit all if euery iust maÌ„ is the sonne of God by adopcioÌ„ who so iuste that made the Angels that is honored of Angels that sytteth at the right hand of God the fathers magesiie iÌ„ seat for euer euer But Iesus Christ alone whom S. Peter calleth VeruÌ„ filium ii Pet. i. The true sonne of God not the sonne by adopcioÌ„ And of whom s Iohn sayeth Hic est verus Deus vita aeterna This is true God lyfe euerlastiÌ„g And if none made aÌ„gels none to be honored of angels none hathe seate euerlastiÌ„gly but Iesus Christ then of likelihod he is brotherles Agayn to creat Aungels to be honored of Angels to haue seate for euer euer if it be for God only then is Christ God and I beleue that he is Arri. FVRTHER he was notable by miracles but which god wroght by hiÌ„ as also the Prophets of the old lawe dyd many wonderful miracles yet may we not cal theÌ„ gods therfore Proct. FOrsothe I graunte that bothe Christ and the Prophets of the olde lawe did veray great miracles yet their miracles not lyke great nether the maner of doynge one as anone ye shall heare And where ye say that God dyd suche miracles by him I graunt that he dyd So did he make and create all thyngê by him also What Had he not in himselfe therfore yâ— power to make create all thinges Yes no doute as who is the same selfe thing essens nature that the father is so that to say that the father made all thynges by the sonne is as much to say that the father the sonne one god one power made al thyngê not one doing more then thother for ther is not betwene theÌ„ one then another but both one touchyng the deitie and .ii. persons of the same Therfore to graunt vn to you that God wrought miracles by Christ yet doothe it not folowe that Christ had not in himselfe power to doo miracles for he had power in him to do all thyng as absolutely as the father had who sayth I and the father be one Iohn x. Agayn The father is in me and I in him Iohn iii. And All power is gyuen me in heauen and in earthe What greater miracle can there be then to put away the soule and take it agayne And Christ did so sayde that he had power in him selfe so to do Iohn x. and dyd so in deede Now syr although the Prophetes other dyd veraye great miracles yet the maner of doynge so dyuerse betwene Christ and them well proueth him to be God and these not to be goddes For as thei dyd nothing of themselfe so dyd Christ absolutly all of himselfe They euer vsed inuocations and prayer er they were able to do any miraculous matter But Iesus Christe dyd all of hym selfe neuer prayed neuer inuocated the father what tyme he wolde shew any miracle but of his owne deuine power and with his onlye worde he wrought miraculons woÌ„ders what sayde he too Lazarus Iohn xi Lazare veni foras What dyd or sayde he to the wydow her sonne Lukc vii but Adolessens tibi dico surge .i. Yonge man I saye vnto the ryse What dyd or said he to the doughter of the ruler but Puella surge .i. Damesell arise Math. ix Helyas I graunt dyd rere vppe the dead but first prayed 4 Re. 4 Helyzeus wheÌ„ he relyued the sonne of Sunamite prayed a lone in a chauÌ„bre the dore cloose shutte vnto him Peter also relyued Tabita but first prayed earnestly on his knees and then sayde Tabita aryse Act. ix Lykewise to Eneas which kept his bed .viii. yeares he sayd Eneas the lord Iesus Christ make the whole aryse and make thy bead If S. Peter coulde worke so hygh miracles in Christes name was not Christ hiÌ„selfe able to do the lyke and more greater in hys owne name Wherfore loke howe muche difference is betwene coÌ„maundyng and desyring geuyng deseruyng of him selfe by anothers power so much discrepauÌ„ce is betwene Christ other in workyng miracles And forasmuche to coÌ„maunde to giue of himselfe and by no other power life to the dead health to the sycke c. is for god only to do Beleue Christ to be god that hath and can do that same And the other that dyd nothing but vpon desyre desert through fayth and prayer and by an other power call them not godds neither coÌ„pare them with Iesus Christ for shame Arri. THIS haue I vttered my opinioÌ„ in Writyng accordynge to your good Lordships coÌ„maundment besechyng your lordship to take the same in good part as the thyng done by hiÌ„ which is prest and readye