burneth with fire and brimstone whiche is the seconde death Thou mayest escape the punishement of man but thou canst not escape Gods hand who punisheth more greuously then man Whâ—ther wilt thou flie from God surely thou canst not flie from him but by flying vnto hym thou canst not escape his wrath whiche is his righteousnes but by appealyng vnto his mercie Dauid compared God to a man that draweth a bowe the farther he draweth his shaft whiche is his punishment the greater is the stroke therof There is a great altercation nowe a daies whether God be in the sacrameÌ„t or not he must nedes be ther for he is in al places But whether is he ther by his diuinitie or humanitie Christ warneth vs that in the latter age there shall aryse many false Prophetes and Pseudochristi that is false anointed which be the Byshop of Romes gresed butchers and sacrificers which shal say lo here is Christ and there is Christ. These Pseudochristes be not they of whom they speake afterward in thesame chapters many shall come in my name saying I am Christ but another sort for these shall not chalenge this to them selues but direct maÌ„ to other and of these false anointed that shal point vs to other he saith Nolite credere beleue theÌ„ not and therfore I dare not say that he is there after his humanitie least I be a false Prophet for this is spoken of his humanitie not of his diuinitie Touching his diuinitie I say vnto you good people lo here is Christ and there is Christ for it is here there in the towne in the citie in the chappel in the church and wildernes and euery wher as I haue declared The papistes say y t this place maketh not against y e presence of Christes body vpoÌ„ earth but against false Prophetes which should preach in the last age false doctrine True it is Christ speaketh here against suche But what false doctrine shal they teach Shal ther come two at one time in one age of which false prophets shal say he is christ and an other shal say no this is Christ pointing to some other There were neuer yet two in one age which both were said to be Christes of any false prophets nor the scriptures do not mencion or regester any such thing to come for the veritie saith y t many such shal come Now we neuer read that many haue reported and said here is Christ and there onles we take it to be spoken of the papistes whiche shewe Christ vâ—to vs in many places at once in euery chapell and on euery Aultar Many shall say of them selues that they are Christ but these be other doctours compare their wordes together and thou shalt fynd that I say true the one text doth not expounde the other but they be two dyuerse prophecies of two diuerse things This false doctryne then is nothynge els but to teach Christes body after his ascentioÌ„ to be vpon the earth visibly or inuisibly Pighius who calleth Gods worde a nose of ware wresteth this text to another purpose taking Christe here for his church Lo here is Christe and there is Christe saith Pighius that is heretikes shal say here is the church and there is y e church O wyse exposition shall heretikes saye that Christ is here there touchyng his members and church No verely this is no heresy for Christes church is in many places in deserts and other If Christ must be taken for his church in this text then we are compelled also to vnderstaÌ„d the church by him in the text which immediatly foloweth where he saith beleue them not Christe that is the church shall come as lightnynge we must take Christ for the same thorow out the chapter Read diligently examen the circumstaunce whych is chieflye to be regarded in the exposition of doubtful places open the scripture with the key not with the pykelocke that is expound it by tt selfe not by priuate interpretation and y u shalt fynd that Christe there is taken for Christ not for y e church as Pighius wold straine the place making of y e scriptures a nose of wax You wil ask me then whether we receiue Christes body yea truly from heauen from the right hand of the father not out of y e bread nor in y e bread For onles we eat his flesh and drink his bloud we shal not dwell in him we shall not arise at the last day we shal not haue eternall life Christes humanitie is the mean wherby we must obtein al things the way by which we must clyme vp to heaueÌ„ the ladder that Iacob sawe going vnto Mesopotamia reaching vp to heauen with aungels ascending and descending vpon it Christ teacheth this vsing not only his word and commaundemeÌ„t in raising the dead as God but also his flesh as a help and meane to the same In raysing the doughter of one of the chief of the synagoge he toke hir by the hand and raysed her When he cured one full of the leprosy he stretched out his hand and touched hym When he entred into the citie of Naim meetinge a dead man caried out the only sonne of a wydowe hauyng compassion on her he touched the bere and raised him from dead Ther be infinit places of scripture which teach vs that Christes flesh geueth lyfe deliuereth from death expelleth vice but this is notable forasmuch as this wydowe signifieth the church and her dead sonne representeth mankynd dead thorowe the sinne of Adam Christ is a vyne and we ar the brauÌ„ches as he witnesseth himselfe Ego sum vitis vera c. I am the true vyne and my father is a husbaÌ„d man vos estis palmites The brauÌ„ches cannot lyue onles they take norishment of the substaunce of the vyne and of his iuice Euen so the soul of a christen man must nedes be fed with the swete fleshe and comfortable bloud of Iesus Christe If we be braunches we be nouryshed of the vyne I wold learn whether he be the vyne after his humanitie or by his diuinitie He is not the vyne touching his diuine nature for the vyne is not equall with the husband man but at his commaundement Christ touchinge his diuinitie is the husbandman and equall with his father Marke he is the vyne therfore coÌ„cerning that nature in which he is inferior to his father which is his humanitie If then Christe be the vyne not by his diuinitie but by his humanitie and we the brauÌ„ches then we must be refreshed of the vyne that is of his humanitie This metaphore hath ben abused to many euill purposes as to proue Chryste not to be God because he is the vyne it hath ben racked also to proue that these words hoc est corpus meum This is my body is a lyke phrase a like speach as when Christ saith ego sum vitis I am the vyne They be no like phrases
it is 5 Left hand of God 9 Logyck necessary 17 Lying hated of God Folio 36 Loue suffereth al thinges 86 Lybertines errour 111 Lawe is an axe 126 M Mouth of God what Folio 9 Man made after the Image of God 13 Mans soul what ther is in 14 Malachie maketh nothinge for y e masse is plainly declared 32. Fol. 34 Man that was wounded 35 Ministers haue no sacrifice but common with the laitie 36 Marchaunt man 37 Mydwyues of Egipt Folio 37 Mans soule is bothe mortal and immortall 47 Man maketh himselfe euill 51 Mens knowledge vnperfect 73 Mary Magdalen 76 Ministers howe they do forgeue retaine synne 79 Manichies confuted Fol. 148 N Nose of God what it signifieth 8 No sacrament is a sacrifice 35 No perfect difinition can be made of God Folio 99 O Only God is to be sworne by 10 Our lyfe a shadow in this world 16 Obiections answered Folio 29.42.44 Origenistes belefe 42 Oppression what mischief cometh therof 55 Our life a warfar 134 One God who ruleth all 147 One name 156 〈◊〉 grace 159 Our thoughtes miserable 179 P Picture none can be made of God 1.2 Papistes will haue their gloses 4 Papistes seke al meanes possible to driue vs from scripture 4 Phylosophy the true vse therof 18 Papistes saye here is Christ and there is Christ. 22 Pyghius calleth gods word a nose of waâ— Picklock 23 Pyghius argument answered 32 Peters vision 33 Papistes haue made seuen orders 36 Perfit causes 67 Peters keye what it is Folio 81 Pope cannot shew Peters last will 87 Proceading of the holy ghost 104 Parsonally 108 Papistes stubburn in their doings 116 Prophetes neuer prayed to no creaturs 121 Pithagoras 150 Perminides idem PreachiÌ„g a work â–ª 173 Papistes would be called to geue an auns to their faith 174 Peter prayeth to the holy spirit 175 R Right had of god 9 Reasons to proue thre persons 102.103 Resurrection 115 RaueÌ„s and not doues who 131 Reasons against praiyng to saynctes 146 S Symonides aunswer what god is 2 Spirit of god teacheth what god is 2 Straunge doctrine what it is 3 Samaritanes 3.2 Scripture is the power of god 4 Scripture ought to be studied 4 Scripture is the immortal sede 5 Shoulders of God what is ment 9 Synne seperateth vs from god 20 Substaunce of bread remayneth 24 Substaunce or natural propertie 26 Substaunce of bread not chaunged 27 Sacramentes of the new testament beter then the olde 27 SacrameÌ„tal receiuing necessary 30 Sacrifice of thaÌ„kes offred in all places 33 Scripture vseth to cal al thinges new 34 Scriptur ful of tropes and figures 39 Synne the cause of barones 49 Serpentes flyes and wormes why they were made 51 Syt in the temple of god what is signifieth 90 Samosathan an arch-heretike 109 Spirit is euery wher Folio 112 T Touchstone 3 Tong of god 9 This is my body expounded 24 Thre similitudes in y e sacrament idem Thankes ought to be geuen for the death of Christ. 50 Theues that robbed y e wouÌ„ded man 35 Thorder of ministers â–ª only 36 To affirme y t is false is to lye 38 The mouth that lieth killeth the soule 40 Trouble maketh vs to leran to know god 43 The cause in vs of coÌ„dempnation 45 The holy spirit is the maker of y e world 48 To maiÌ„tein a king 55 Thre opinions 66 To wash Christ. 76 To be renewed 96 the word substaÌ„ce 108 Thre bodies 109 The holy spirit forgeueth sinne 113 Two sortes of resurrections 115 The Godhead is vndefileable 125 The doâ—e a scholemaster vnto vs. 132 The workes of the .iii persons be vnseperated 139 Thaâ—es Milesius 149 Temples are to be dedicate to God only Fol. 176 V Uoice of God must be harkened vnto 1.2 Unwritten verities Folio 104 W What God is 1 WeapoÌ„s of our warfare 3 Worldly wisdom folyshnes 5 What is ment by these wordes he y â— is 7 Wombe of God 9 What stained red clothes be 11 Winges of God what they signifie 12 We shall see God face to face 16 Wickednes coueteth y e darke 2â— We caÌ„not escape gods hand 21 We must receiue the sacrament why 31 Wounded man what is signified 35 Wicked shal haue endles paine 42 Why god doth punish the Godly aferd 43 World is the workemanship of the whole trinitie 47 Why Christ is named a worde 48 World the workmanship of y e trinitie 49 Workes of God in beastes be not vnprofitable 51 Worlde gouerned by Gods prouidence 54 Why good men are afflicted 58 Why starres appeared at the birth of Christ Folio 64 Who is forgeuen and when 80 Who is the rock 83 Why Peter was named Sephas 84 Why Christ byddeth Peter thrise fede my shepe 85 What is most necessary in a preacher 86 Whether God can sin or lye or not 92 Word person 108 Why christ was born of a woman 120 Who are the brethren of Christ. 124 Why christ was born of a virgin espoused and maried 125 Why all men ar borne babes not able men Folio 126 We are the sonnes of God by adoption Fol. 126 Why Christ came in thende of the world Fol. 125 Why Christ was baptised 127 Why Christ suffered death 128 Why he died on the Crosse. 128 Why Christ toke our nature 128 Why the holy ghoste apered 130 Why the spirit is named oyle 167 FINIS AN OTHER TABLE TO finde harde textes and suche as haue bene abused for euill purposes plainly and truly expounded GEne 1. In y e begynninge God created heauen and earth 48 Gene. 1. The spirit of the Lorde was borne vpon the waters 49 Gene. 1. God saide let ther be light God said let there be a firmameÌ„t Folio 49 Gene. 1. Let vs make man to our similitude and after our likenes fol. 13. cha 27. fol. 138 Gene. 1. God behelde all that he had made â—o they were exceading good 49.50 Gen. 2. God rested the seuenth daye from all his workes 71.72 Gene. 3. Adam where art thou 73 Gene. 3. Cursed be the earth in thy worke in sorowe shalt thou â—ate therof 50 Gen. 3. The sede of the woman shal grinde the serpentes head 123 Gene. 4. Where is Abel thy brother 73 Gene. 6. I repent me y t I made man 73 Gene. 12. AbrahaÌ„ said to Sara his wyfe say I pray thee that thou art my sister 38.39 Gene. 18. And the lord appeared vnto AbrahaÌ„ and he lift vp his eies and loked and lo three men stoode not far froÌ„ him 103.104 Gen. 18. And ther came two angels to Sodom at euen 104 Gene. 24. You shall bring my hoare heares w t sorow vnto hel 43 Gen. 26. Isaac dwelled in Gerat the men of the place asked him of his wife he said that she was his sister 38 Gene. 27. Isaac sayde vnto Iacob art thou my son Esau and he said I am Esau thy eldest son 38 Exod. 1. And the mydwyues answered Pharao y e Hebrues womeÌ„ are sturdy women deliuered before we come at them God therfore
spirituall creatures and whatsoeuer also is visible is also mutable God is said only to be inuisible bicause he is void of all mutabilitie He saieth vnâ—â— Moyses no man shall see me and lyue By Iohn Baptist no man hath sene God at any time If no man hath seen GOD howe did the faithfull of the olde Testament se him The scripture saith that the Lord spake vnto Moises face to face as a maÌ„ speaketh vnto his frend And Micheas affirmeth vnto king Achab the wicked I saw the Lord sit on his seat and all the company of heaueÌ„ standing about him Steauen also y e first martir that we read of in the new Testament loking vp stedfastly with his eies vnto heauen sawe y e glory of God Iesus standing on his right hand To these I answer Moises saw not God with his bodely eies who is a spirit nor thou cannot gather any such thing of the text which saieth that God spake vnto hym face to face as a man vnto his frend that is God talked familiarly with hym not that he sawe him in that place albeit we read oftentimes that God appeared vnto him and to all the Israelites but not in his owne nature and substaunce but in his creatures and visible formes For Moises desireth God afterward if I haue fouÌ„d fauour in thy â—ight shew me thy self manifestly wherfore he did not se him manifestly before but only talked with him And as for Micheas and Steauen they sawe God as Paul did when he was caried vp vnto the third heauen with the eies of their belefe of their minde not of their body As long as we continue in this life we shall neuer se the deuine and blessed nature because our hartes be vnclean Blessed be the pure in hart saieth Christ for they shal se God This lyfe is a warfare and a purifying of our hartes by faith from sinne As long as the warfare endureth there is no perfect victory of sinne for victory maketh an ende of warre the victory of sinne is the perfect vision of Gods glory whiche is gotten by faith as Iohn the beloued disciple testified This is the victory that ouercommeth the world euen our faith Who is he that ouercommeth the worlde but he that beleueth that Iesus is the sonne of God Of these it appereth that God is a pure nature vnchaungeable vnsearcheable inuisible The .vii. Chapter ¶ God is euery where and howe Christ is in the Sacrament HE is also euery where by nature not by grace according to which he saith by Ieremy heauen and earth do I fill For the heauens be hys seat and the earth is his fotestole Thys thing belongeth only vnto God and to no creature nether spirituall ne corporall A certain Christen man being demaunded of a Phllosopher where God was enquired of him wher he was not Wherfore the sonne and the holy ghost be no creatures for of the sonne it sayd wisdom reacheth from one end vnto an other mightely and ordereth al thinges louingly and of the holy comforter lykewyse The spirit of the Lord filleth the round compasse of the worlde and vpholdeth all thinges There is a great difference betwene mans soull and his body but exceading more difference betwene God his creatures who made both the soull and the body He is not sayde to fulfyll the world as the water the ayre the Sunne light which by deuisioÌ„ be in many places he is in al places without diuision wholy and conteined in no place But as a sound or noyse is hard more of some lesse of other some being of equal distaunce from it as they be of quick or dull hearyng so all be it God be present with all thinges yet he is in some more plentifully in some lesse not with parcialitie but according to the diuersities of their capacities If God be in all places how is it true that wysdom doth not enter into a frowarde soule ne dwell in a body subdued vnto synne Surely synne doeth seperate vs from God for what coÌ„pany hath lyght with darkenes What concord hath Christ with Beliall What felowship hath truth with falshod I answer God is said to dwel to enter where he fauoureth where he loueth after whiche sort he is not in the wicked but after another sort he is in them For where he is not by hys fauour and grace he is by his righteousnes where he is not a benefactour he is a punysher where he is not a dweller he is an auenger But Christ saieth if a man loue hym that his father and he wyll come to hym if they wyll come to hym they were not with hym before and so God is not in al places This text sheweth howe all suche thinges are to be vnderstanded in God The words expouÌ„d one another which be these If a man loue me he wyl kepe my word and my father also wyll loue him and we wil come vnto him dwell with him Where the comming of God the father and dwelling is the same that goeth immediatly before my father also wyl loue hym These wordes be a good comentary to the other wordes before we wyl come to hym we wil dwel with him Wherof it is manifest that all such phrases darke speaches and ridels make nothing against the presence of God in al places but rather fortifie and establish it we can go no whither from his spirit we can flie no where from his face if we climme vp vnto heaueÌ„ he is there if we go down vnto hell he is also there We must not imagin him to be coÌ„teined in place and yet he is al thing in al. He is to all men as he findeth them he is good in them that he findeth good yll to them that be yll he is a helper in them that be good and a punisher in theÌ„ that be euill If thou lokest for any succour help or ayd at Gods hand forsake that is euill aâ—d folowe that is good When thou stealest or goest about aduoutry thou tariest for the darke thou louest the night because thy workes be of darkenes lest thou shouldest be seen and shamed lest thou shouldest be taken and hanged Thou goest vnto the kings high way and takest a standing thou goest to thy neighbours house and robbest hym thou ridest vp to London to sue thy neighbour to robbe him of his right Cal to remembraunce that God is with thee euery where he is with thee goyng he is with thee by the way he is with thee when thou art doing thy deuelish purpose he staÌ„deth by and loketh on wryting thy fact as it were in a paire of tables and at the last day he wil make it knowen vnto al men to thy vtter confusion shame and condemnation If thou be afrayed of men that destroy the bodi fear him that hath power to throw both thy body and soull headlong into hell into the lake that
The scripture answereth these four questions We learne who forgiueth synne of it saiyng Who can forgiue synne but God only And for whom we are pardoned our misdedes S. Paul teacheth vs writing to his countreymen of Christ For this cause is he mediatour of the new Testament that through death which chaunsed for redempcion of those transgressions that were in the first Testament they which were called myght receaue the promise of eternall inheritaunce And to the Romains He which spared not his own sonne but gaue him for vs al how will he not w t him giue vs al things also If God giue vs al things for Christes sake we haue remission of our sinnes also by him By whoÌ„ god for geueth Christ telleth vs saying whose sinnes ye forgeue shalbe forgeuen and whose ye holde shalbe holden whiche words be spokeÌ„ to ministers Somtime he doth forgeue without the certificat of the minister for he is not bound to his sacramentes but worketh what he will how he will Paul after he had heard Christ speak was sent to a minister yet he was lightened froÌ„ aboue before Ananias who layd handes on hym knewe therof The thief which hung on y e right hand was straight caried into Paradise without any ceremony of ministration which God hath ordeined for our infirmities not that it is a necessary mean vnto him Now he promiseth forgeuenes to all those which repent and intend to lead a new conuersation and to make their bodies a liuely holy and acceptable sacrifice â—nto him as the coÌ„ming of Iohn the christener before our sauiour Christ teacheth vs who began his preaching at repentaunce saiyng repent for the kingdom of heauen is at hand He baptised many in Bethabara beyoÌ„d Iordan but they confessed their sinnes first He reuiled the Phariseis and Saduces and bad them do fruites worthy repentaunce Christ also wheÌ„ it was told hym that Herod had laid hands on Iohn coming to the coasts of Zabulon Nepthalem begaÌ„ne with thesame not only that but he commaundeth his Apostles to begin with it when he doth auctorise them to preach He sendeth by and by after them other seueÌ„ty to preach thesame I would our magistrates were as diligent in sending forth preachers but they haue no leasure to muse of the common wealth they ar so gredy of priuat welth In the acts many being pricked in their hearts through Peters preaching aske him and the other Apostles what they should do to achiue and get remission of their sinnes and Peter aunswereth theÌ„ saying RepeÌ„t and be baptised euery one of you in the name of Iesus Christ for remission of synnes Of whiche textes examples it is euident that God doeth not forgiue our synnes pardon our trespasses and wype out our misdedes and offences vnlesse we haue an earnest purpose feruent mynd to crucifie our old man and to become new dowe sweet bread albeit the minister lay handes on vs an C. times for he regardeth the hert not the ceremony of ministration searching the botome and ground of it and trying the reines rewarding euery man according to the fruit of his counsels The .xviij. Chapter ¶ God only is almighty whether he can syn die or lie with other mo properties THe next propertie belonging to the maiestie of the Godhead is that he is almighty and can do what him list in heauen earth as the booke of wisdome telleth vs Vnto thy almighty hand that made the world of nought or as other translate of a confused heape it was not vnpossible to send among them a heape of beares or wood lions or cruel beastes of a straunge kynd such as ar vnknowen spouting fire or casting out of a smoking breath and shoting horrible sparkes out of their eyes whiche might not only destroy them with hurting but all so kyl them with their horrible lokyng Lyke as the smal thing that the balauÌ„ce wayeth so is the world before him yeâ— as a drop of the morning dewe that falleth down vpon the earth for he hath power of al thinges The glorious and famous deliueraunce of Israel shewe hys hand to be almighty his arm to be stroÌ„g and infinite who raised vp Pharao for this only purpose to shew his might on him that his name which his power rightousnes might be declared through out al the world He punished the vngodly that woulde not knowe hym with strauÌ„ge waters hailes raines frogges lice flies moren sores grashoppers thik darkenes He drouned Pharao in the reed sea and led his people through the middel therof he fed them with aungels fode and sent them bread from heauen He toke away the heritage of kinges gaue it them We read that the aungell answered the holy virgin Mary asking how she could conceiue sithen she knew no maÌ„ that y e powre of the highest shuld ouershadowe her and that by the same power her cosin Elizabeth should haue a sonne in her age for with God can nothing be vnpossible Christ sayth it is easier for a great Cameâ— to go through the eie of a nedel â–ª then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heauen notwithstaÌ„ding many riche meÌ„ haue entred thither as Abraham Isaac and Iacob king Dauid the pacient man Iob in the old TestameÌ„t and Mathue Zacheus and Ioseph of Aramathie in the new We may gather them that God can easely cause a mighty camel to go thorow the eye of a fine nedle wherfore al thinges be possible to him as Iesus teacheth his disciples that with men to be impossible but not with God for with him all thinges are possible Some deny him to be almighty for he can not sinne he can not lie he can not be disceiued he can not die Ye rather he is almighty because these thinges haue no stroke in him which be infirmities not powers include a certain wekenes feblenes and no omnipotencie If he could ether sinne or die or be deluded and lie he wer not almighty for he that sinneth becommeth the seruaunt of sinne Remembre ye not sayth Paul that to whomsoeuer ye commit your selues as seruauntes to obey his seruauntes ye ar to whom ye obey whether it be of sinne vnto death or of obedience vnto rightuousnes Christ also answereth the Iewes denying that they were bond but Abrahams sede verely I say vnto you whosoeuer coÌ„mitteth syn is the seruaunt of sinne S. Augustin a noble member of the christian congregation saith Magna dei potentia est non posse meÌ„tiri It is a great power of God y t he can not lie The same may be sayd of deceauing of al sinne of dying the which can not be in God because he is almighty Other reply that we can doe many thinges whiche the deitie can not As walke speake eate and drinke to which I aunswer that albeit God by himself do not these thinges yet he worketh theÌ„ al in his creatures
wytnesse let vs aske the scripture what the deuill is let vs enquire of Peter Paul let the Prophets the Euangelists testifie S. Peter saith that our aduersari the deuil walketh about like a roaring lion seking whome he mak deuour He compareth him to a Lion he walketh he seeketh And the chosen vessell Paule warneth vs to put on y e armour of God that we may stand stedfast against the crafty assaults of y e deuil forasmuch as we wrestle noe against flesh bloud but against rule against power against worldly rulere of the darkenesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse for heauenlye things He maketh a difference betwene the deuill his assaults which be beastly affectioÌ„s saieng against y e crafty assalts of the deuill and he calleth them rulers powers wherfore thei be no fleshly motions But you will say he calleth them spirituall wickednesses a wickednesse is no substauÌ„ce So Terence calleth Dauus Scelus Tully calleth Cateline Pestis so the scripture caleth God loue truth and light il men darknes We read in y e story of Iob y t wheÌ„ y e seruauÌ„ts of god came stode before the Lord Satan came also among them God talketh w t him and he aunswereth that he had walked through the land and craueth of God to suffer him to scourge Iob without whose leaue he could do nothing After he rayseth the Sabees against Iob he kylleth his seruaunts he slayeth his childreÌ„ he smiteth him with marueilous sore byles froÌ„ the sole of his fote vnto his croune so y t he scraped away the filth of them with a potsherd Did an affection worck these things or a spiritual rule and substauÌ„ce To deceiue wycked king Achab he promiseth that he wil be a liyng spirit in the mouth of .iiii. C. prophets he vexeth kiÌ„g Saul Christ seeth him as lightning falling doun from heauen he blyndeth all those that beleue not the Gospel he worketh al iniquitie he seduced Adam and Eue he is y e enemy which soweth tares to destroy the sede of euerlasting life y t is of Gods worde he is the strong harnessed man and spirituall Pharao ouercomeÌ„ of our sauiour Christ he is the gouernour that ruleth in the aier and king of this world he setteth Christ on the pinacle of the temple and on a high mountain sheweth hym the glory of y e world he buffeteth S. Paul leâ—t he should be exalted out of measure through the abuÌ„daunce of reuelations he striueth w t Mighel the Archaungell disputeth about the body of Moises he shal cast the faithful congregation into pryson for .x. days he is the dragon cast out of heaueÌ„ by the bloud of the lambe and pursuing the woman Then he is no fleshly motioÌ„ vnles our sauiour Christ had such beastly motions vnlesse also heaueÌ„ were ful of such which was ful of traiterous angels In the countrey of the Gargasites two deuils seing christ cried out what haue we to do with thee O Iesu son of God art thou come hether to torment vs before y e time And they besech him of leue to go into the herd of swine Do affections cry talke kil smite fall from heauen tempt Christ pursue the church Christ telleth vs they shalbe punished in the fyre with the wicked saying depart from me ye cursed into euerlasting fyre which is prepared for the deuyll and hys aungels S. Peter sayeth that God spared not hys aungels that synned but cast them downe into hell and delyuered them in to chaynes of darkenes to be kept vnto dampnation Paull commaunded the Corinthians to deliuer him which helde his fathers wife to SataÌ„ for the destructioÌ„ of the flesh He meaneth not that thei should giue him ouer to the lustes of the flesh suffer him to abide in vaine pleasures Wherfore deuels ar no fleshly lustes carnal motions sensuall affections Deuels beleue tremble saith Iames. They confesse Christ to be the sonne of God as in the EuaÌ„gelists we may read more theÌ„ once or twise But I think our Saduces wilbe edified more by a coniurer theÌ„ by the words of godlines wherfore I send theÌ„ to coÌ„iurers sorcerers enchauÌ„ters charmers witches which wyl learn and perswade theÌ„ that there be deuils and that they be not lustes of the flesh but spirituall substaunces spirits created for vengeaunce which now in y e end of the world shall powre out theyr strength to plucke the Lambe of God out of the myndes of al men If therfore al angels both good and euil be substauÌ„ces and not Godly or beastly lustes much more God the holy ghost maker of al spirites knower of thoughtes gouernour of the church forgeuer of syns hatcher of y e creaturs filler of al places is a spiritual substaunce no inspiration The .xxv. Chapter ¶ Christ is vnconfounded why he became man why he was borne of a woman he toke both the soule and body of man why he chose a virgin to be borne of and why a virgin hand fasted and maried why he was a babe at his beginning not an able man as Adam was at his first creation why he came so long after Adams fal why he was baptised tempted crucified c. NOw albeit both Christ be a substaunce and the holy ghost also yet it doeth not folow that thei be two persons in the supergloriouse trinitie for they may be both one as the Sabellians do teache Wherfore now I wil proue that they be vnconfounded y t which being proued no man can doubâ—e hereafter but thei be two persones for a persone is an vnconfounded substaunce We may learne out of Gods boke that nether the father nor the holy comforter toke mans nature vpoÌ„ them but Christ only For as through a natural man we were banyshed out of paradise made the children of euerlasting damnation so it pleased the almightie trinitie nether by an aungel or Archaungel but by a natural man to restore vs againe make vs heires to saluation as Paul witnesseth by a man came death by a man commeth resurrection of the dead For as by Adam al die eueÌ„ so by Christ al be made aliue And the will of God was that he shuld be born of a woman God sent his son Factum ex muliere borne or made of a woman But why was Christ born of a woman Truly because syn death ouerflowed the world through y e first woman he worketh the misterie of life and rightuousnes by an other woman y t the blame of sinne should not be imputed to his creature which is good but to y e will by which Eue sinned For seing he is a sauiour both of men and women he becoÌ„meth man forsomuch as maÌ„ is the better kind yet he is borne of a womaÌ„ y t we shuld beleue him to be a sauiour of women also so that his birth of a woman his becomming maÌ„ declareth him
could not ouercome shalbe vanquished by hym y t fighteth not with swerd but w t wood word Christ gaue not the father by breathing he descended not in the likenes of a doue or fire he coÌ„mauÌ„deth not Peter to go with Cornelius seruauÌ„tes he was not born vpoÌ„ the waters he is not his own finger wherfore he is not the holy ghost But albeit nether Christ nor the almighty comforter be confouÌ„ded with y e father yet they ar of one the selfsame substaunce with him For the scriptures teach Christ to be the hand of God the holy ghost to be his finger The body y e hand finger ar one substauÌ„ce yet the finger is not the hand nor the hand the body nor the finger the body If therfor the scripture do graunt to Christ to y e holy ghost to the father y e meaning of the word person that is to say that y e father is a substaunce Christ is a substaunce y e holy ghost is a substaunce and that the father is vnconfouÌ„ded Christ vnconfouÌ„ded the holy ghost vnconfounded as I haue proued it must nedes folow y t they be thre persones for a person is an vncoÌ„founded substaunce This is the catholique faith the confession of martirs the doctrine of the Prophets Apostles Euangelists The .xxvii. Chap. ¶ Corporal similitudes of God made in the scriptures why he is named light fire the sun c. the image of God in mans soule NOw gentle reader seing I haue declared what a persone is out of the boke of holy scriptures and also proued with infinite authorities that there be three persons that is thre vncoÌ„founded distinct in propertie I wil disclose the diuine blessed nature of the almighty Trinitie by corporal earthly similitudes that y u mayst behold as it were in a glasse and with a paire of spectacles those thinges which exceade surmouÌ„t the capacities of all creatures The inuisible thinges of God saith Paul that is y e eternal power Godhead are vnderstand sene learned of his workes from the creation of the world As long as we coÌ„tinue in this tabernacle and mortalitie we shal neuer haue perfit vnderstanding of the eternal God forasmuch as the heartes of al meÌ„ and women be vncleane Blessed be the clean hearted sayth Christ for they shall se God Our life is a warfar a night a purifiyng of our hearts from synne and ignoraunce through charite and faith We walke in faith saith y e Apostle and se not with this only ladder we ascende to the intelligence of the secretes of God thinges supernatural can not be perceiued with natural light Cherubin Seraphin and al the blessed company of auÌ„gels are ignorauÌ„t of the maiestie of God for they knowe not the day of Christes glorious returne yet they haue more pleÌ„tiful knowledge then we forasmuch as they be pure mindes and were neuer nether blinded through sin ne hindred through any earthly mansion and corruptible body Scrutator maiestatis opprimetur a gloria Whosoeuer is an ensearcher of Gods maiestie is oppressed of y e glory No man is able fully and perfitly to know the nature of a gnat or a litle spider Be not displeased then if I shew the the Trinitie in his visible creatures as it were in a glasse but glorifie God and be not vnthankeful to him which hath opened him self in them to thy capacitie feding the with mylke because thou art not able to disgest stroÌ„g meates And because no man shal be offended with this maner of teaching I wyl make no similitudes of the Trinitie but out of the pleÌ„tiful storehowses of the scriptures The best and most liuely glasse that euer I beheld the Trinitie in is the vision whiche appeared to Abraham in the oke groue of Mamre For as there thre waifaring men shew them selues vnto Abraham so God is three persones and as these thre men are called one Lord not Lords so the thre persones are one God one Lord one substaunce And as Christ and the almightie comforter ar sent of the father So here one seÌ„deth twain vnto Sodom and Gomorre and as the father is vnsent so he is not sent but sendeth And as the twaine whiche are sent to destroy Sodom are called one Lord of Lot so the faithful congregation confesse beleue Christ the alknowing comforter to be one God I touched this similitude before because it is so notable I thought it not vnworthy to be rehearsed again Ther be many similitudes declaring certein properties of the trinitie and some agreable in one point and some in another but none doth so paint and portray it before our eies as this vision doeth We may find an image of the trinitie in the sun for God is called by the name of the sun in the boke of wisdom Sol iusticie intelligencie non est ortus nobis The sun of rightuousnes vnderstanding arose not vpon vs. There is but one sun only not many so there is but one God The sun shineth vpon both good euill men so the liberalitie of almighty God mainteineth both The mone al the sterres haue not their light of themselues but of the sun so the congregation godly meÌ„ which are called by the name of y e mone and starres in y e scripturs haue no light no crom of vertue no goodnes of them selues but by participatioÌ„ of the deuine nature They whiche gase vpon the sun ar blinded with his clear light so al searchers of Gods glory beyond the scriptures are ouerwhelmed with the maiestie therof The presence of the sun chereth al thinges when he is absent nyght cometh and darkenes nothing would growe if he did not ryse on theÌ„ So wheÌ„ God hydeth his face they are sorowfull and die when he loketh on them they wax yong and lusty like an Egle. And as Democritus and other Philosophers holde opinion that the sun is infinite so al things be infinite in God He is of an infinite arme of infinite maiestie of infinite wisdom As the sun is the fountain out of which cometh both the light and the heat so is the father the fountain out of which issueth the sonne holy ghost And as nether the lyght nor y e heat doth send the sun but the sun send them so y e father is sent nether of Christ nor of the holy ghost but he sendeth them And as of the sunne and of the beames both together cometh the heate or warmnes so from the father and the sunne both together procedeth the alâ—nowing comforter But as the sun light by diuision is in mani places so the blessed trinitie filleth places without diuision nether conteyned in place nether moued in tyme. Now if the sunne were without begynnyng and ending eternal beames wold come out of hym and euerlasting heat wold procede out of y e sun his beames Wherfore in asmuch as God the father
is immortal Christ his sonne also must nedes be immortall forasmuch as the father is lykened to the sunne and Christ to the clear and bright beames for he is the bryghtnes of the euerlasting light I would know of the Paulians Arrians whether the father in tyme begon to be a father or was a father euermore without tyme. If they graunt that he was a father euer the which thei can not denie then it must nedest folow that the sonne was euermore For he was not a father before he had a sonne but he was called a father of the sonne and he that is alwaies a father hath euermore alwaies a son If Christ was not euermore then time was before him the Apostle lieth calling him Primogenitum omnis creature first begotten of al creatures for time is a creatur was before him But time was made by Christ for all thinges wer made by him as y e beloued disciple witnesseth If he wer the maker of time thē he was before all time and that whiche was before al time is not moued in time but is without time without beginning immortal Wherfore Christ is immortal and then he is God for only God is immortal after this sort Likewise the alknowyng cōforter was euermore who is cōpared to the heat for an euerlasting heat must nedes procede out an euerlasting sunne and euerlasting beames He is digitus dei the finger of god If I cast out deuils in the fynger of God c. For where Luke sayth in the finger of God it is in Matthew I cast out deuils in the spirit of God Then ether we must confesse him to be without beginning and of the substaunce of God or els graunt that God once lacked a fynger and denie the same to be of the substaūce of the body Like reason may be made of christ who is the hand and the arme of God for God was neuer without his fynger hand ne arme and then al thre be of the same nature with the body And for so much as Gods finger is almyghty and his hand and arme likewise both Christ is almighty and the blessed cōforter also and Christ is God by nature and the holy comforter also For nothing is almighty and of the nature of God but God only But the Arians reply that y e father is elder thē the sonne and that he which begetteth is before him that is begotten Ego hodie genui te This day begat I thee This is true in fathers vpon earth but not in an euerlasting father who must nedes haue an euerlastynge sonne Nether doth this reason holde in al earthly thinges for fire gendreth light and heate procedeth from it and yet the fire gendring and light gendred heat proceding be Coena not one before the oother Therfor it is against reason that y e father begetting and Christ begotten the holy ghost proceding should be coeterne coimmortal not one before the other in time but eche one of them before al time And wel may the trinitie be likened to fyre and his heat light for God in the scripture is called fyre Dominus deus tuus ignis consumens est The Lorde thy God saith Moises is a consumyng fire And Ihon calleth him also light saiyng Deus lux est God is light in him is no darkenes at al. And Christ witnesseth of him self that he is light saying I am the light of the world who is Lumen de lumine light of light For as the fyre ministreth light to a multitude yet is not minished or cōsumed therbi so God bestoweth innumerable benefites vpon vs and yet his liberalitie is not hindred therw t. Likewise also in a cādel of which many other candels be light the light is not therby in any wise diminished or hurt at al. One supper doth not refreshe or suffise many as wel as few but y e voice of one preacher teacheth as wel a hūdred as one The sound of one bell is neuerthelesse when it is heard of many Euen so he who preserued the smal porcion of meal oyl for the wydowe and her son that was not diminished who with a very few loaues a certein fishes refresshed a great multitude so y t those things were not diminished but increased knoweth how to employ his benefites with out any losse or detriment to his liberalitie Moreouer as fire sēdeth forth both heat light but nether heat ne light sendeth fire so y e father sendeth both Christ and the alknowing comforter he is vnsent And as both the light the heat are of y e fire so Christ y e holy ghost both ar of the father the one begotten the other proceding and the father only is of him self of no other And as fire is not before heat light no more is the father before the sonne and the holy Ghost But in that place which I rehearsed out of Deuter. God is called fyre because he melteth the synnes of those that wyll amend as the fyre melteth war and punisheth the sinnes of disobediēt persones with vnquencheable fire and Iohn calleth him light for the same cause For light putteth away darknes and is contrary to it For these properties and diuers other the scriptures cal God the sun of rightousnes fier and light If we ponder thē diligently we shal fynde also the Image of the blessed Trinitie in our selues in our owne natures For it is written God made man after his Image after y e Image of god formed he him This Image is in our soules not in our bodies as I haue proued in my cōfutatiō of the Anthropomorphites or humaniformiās Mānes soul is a liuely Image of God The soul is a spirit almightie God is a spirite the soule quikneth ruleth the body the Trinitie gouerneth the maruelouse frame of this world Reason will and memory are thre but one and the same soule So y e father the son and y e holy ghost are thre distinct in propertie and one God Whatsoeuer thing the soule doth these thre be the workers therof Reason cannot discern good and euill truth falshed plainnes and craft profe sophisticatiō without either will or memory Neither will chuseth what him lyketh without the other nor memory remēbreth not things gone without reason and wil. These actions workes which are sayd properly to belonge only to memory and only to reason and will in very dede ar done by the workemanship of all thre So the father y e son and the holy ghost worke all things vnseparablie not that each of them is vnable to worke by him selfe but that they all thre are one God one spirite one nature as reason wil memory ar one soul. The sonne worketh alwayes wyth the father for whatsoeuer the father doth y ◠doth the sōne also and Christ recordeth that as his father worketh hytherto so he worketh ▪ The