ignoraunce doth not argue Gods worcks to be vnprofitable yea Gods glory and wonderful power is more maruelous in making the litle flie to hear to tast and to fele with a mouth with legges with wynges a body the stomaâ—k the otheâ— inward partes then in an Elephant and more maruelous in a frog then in a great Whale and in a mouse then in a mightie horse If thou come into a riche mans house and seest much stuffe thou thinkest al to be to some purpose and darest thou iudge y t God in his house hath made any thing to no purpose Al Gods creatures ether be profitable or hurtful or not necessary thanck him for the profitable take hede of the hurtful and question not reason not of thinges not necessary For although thy capacitie can not perceiue it yet God hath made all thinges in measure and number and weight he made not y e deuil for he made him an aungel and he made himself a deuil by sinning when he fell from heauen as lightening For the deuill is as much to say as an accuser and a seducer of the Greke word Diaballi whiche signifieth to accuse to infame to disceiue God made man but he made not man euil so he made him an angel but not a deuil he made many angels but they made them selues euill for no euil commeth of him as it is written he beheld many thinges yea al that he had made and â—o they wer exceading good But why did he make him an angel knowing he wold become a deuil why did he make other aungels innumerable why many thousands of men women and children which he forseeth shalbe dampned Verely that he might declare himself to be rightuous in punishing the vngodly as he is merciful in rewarding the godly no man can blame him therfore but rather magnifie his rightuousnes He compelleth them not to sinne for which thei ar dampned Should God because he forsawe they would be euill absteine from creatinge them which is good Is it not lauful for him to do what him listeth with his own are their eies euyll bycause he is good should he not do well in making them because they would doe ill in offendyng him Of this thing seke a further aunswer in the .xii. of the boke of wysdom but let vs returne from whence we are straied al beit these questions are annexed vnto our purpose The smyth is not able to make any thing without Iron nor the Carpenter without wood nor the Tayler without cloth nor the Shomaker without leather nor the Potter without clay but God who is almightie made al thyngs of nothyng Before any thyng was what could there be to make them of except he would haue made them of hymself Iesus the sonne of Sirach saith Qui viuit in eternum creauit omnia simul He that liueth for euer more made al thinges simul together that is God made first a confused heap called in Greke Chaos of nothing and of that heap he formed all thinges as it is written Qui fecisti mundum ex materia informi who hast formed the world of a confused heape He made this heap altogether where he saith in the beginning God treated all thynges heauen and earth for the heap is called there heaueÌ„ and earth as afterward also it is called the water the spirit of y e Lord was born vpon the waters So far no time no order of daies is mencioned afterward God of this heap in six daies shapeth al thinges so that both be true that God made the world in syx daies and that he made all thinges together This article of creation is necessary to be knowen for as muche as some deny God to be the maker of the world and geueth the glory therof to aungels as the Menandrians Saturnians Cerinthians al so the Nicolitanes it is y e first article of our Crede The .xv. Chapter ¶ God ruleth the world after his prouideÌ„ce and how he rested the .vii. day OTher graunt God to be maker of al thinges but they suppose that as the shypwright wheÌ„ he hath made the ship leaueth it to y e mariners medleth no more therwith as the carpenter leaueth the house that he hath made euen so God after he had formed all thinges left al his creatures to their own gouernauÌ„ce or to the gouernauÌ„ce of y e starres not ruling the world after his prouideÌ„ce but liuiÌ„g in ease quietnes as y e Stoiks Epicures diuers astrologers because it is writteÌ„ y t on the .vii. day God rested from al his workes To these I aunswer with the prophet Dauid God couereth the heauen with cloudes prepareth rain for the earth maketh the grasse to grow vpon the mouÌ„tains geueth foder vnto the cattel maketh fast y e bars of y e gates of Sion blesseth y e children within maketh peace in our borders filleth vs with the flour of wheat geueth vs snow lyke wol seatreth the hore frâ—â—t like ashes casteth forth his ise like morsels helpeth them to right that sustein wrong loseth men out of pryson geueth sight to the blind raiseth vp them that are fallen careth for straungers defendeth the fatherles socoureth the widowe wherfore he is not an idle God For as the body lyueth thorow the lyfe of the soul euen so the world continueth by Gods gouernaunce who ruleth it as y e maister doth his seruaunt without whom it perâ—sheth in the twinkling of an eie All thynges wayte vpon him to receiue fode in due season when he geueth it them they gather it when he openeth his hand they are filled with good things when he hideth his face thei are sorowful if he take away his breath they die and are turned again to dust The common wealth of y e Israelites teacheth vs how woÌ„derfully God prouideth for theÌ„ that he hath chosen He preserued Iacob froÌ„ his brother Esau he seÌ„t Ioseph into Egipt to make prouision against the .vii. dear yeares he sent darknes amongs the Egiptians he turned their waters into bloud and slue their fishe their landes brought forth frogges flies lyse grashoppers caterpillers yea euen in their kinges chambers he brought them forth of the house of bondage and slauery with siluer gold he rebuked the sea and dried ti vp he led them thorow the depe as in the wildernes he spred out a cloud to be a couering and fire to geue light in the nyght season at their desires came quailes and he filled them with the bread of heauen he opened the rock of stone and the waters flowed out so that riuers came into the wildernes he dried vp the waters of Iordan that y e people might passe ouer he ouerthrew the walles of Iericho and made the sunne to stand stil and the day was lengthened he sâ—ew mightie kings Sehon king of the Amorites and Og king of â—asan and gaue away their laÌ„d for an heritage
and vnbegot Who is called also for the same skil ametor and apator motherles and fatherles She witnesseth also that this god made heauen and garnished it with lightes made earth and the waters saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ther is alone one chief god which did make The heauen the sun the mone and eke the stares The steady earth and sea fluds that shake With all fruit bearing trees c. And that he is only to be honored and none other thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Him only worshyp ye That ruleth the world alone Which hath from the beginning be And euer shalbe one And she bringeth a reason why for as muche as he is gouernour of the world and only without beginning ending An other Sibille also crieth that this is the voice of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am one God my self alone And beside me God is there none Appollo also whom the folysh people for his wisdom supposed to be god worshipping him as God after his death when he was demaunded what God was made this aunswer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He that is of himself and of none other Whom naught can hurt who neuer had a mother Whose name can by no meanes be ful exprest Who in the syre doth lyue and take his reste Lo this is God as for thangels and we Of this great God a right smal porcion be Be not discontent genle reader that I myngle the sayinges of Philosophers and Poetes with the veritie of the scriptures For Paul citeth Poetes to fortify Gods prouideÌ„ce saying In him we liue moue and haue our beyng as certein of your owne Poetes saye for we are also his generatioÌ„ the Prophetes also make relation of Giantes and of the valley of Titans Esay telleth of the maremaides and of the doughters of sparowes and Ieremy saith of BabiloÌ„ that the doughters of Marmaydes shal dwel in it The wyseman also speaketh of theÌ„ Ezechiell mencioneth the destruction of Gog and Magod which all be spoken of much in Poetes The scriptures also vse to teach vs truth by fables as y e parable of trees in the boke of Iudges wytnesseth and many other But to turne to our matter there is but one God forasmuch as all men confesse hym to be a father both because he is the fountaine of all thinges and also geueth al necessaries to men as a father But it is against nature for any man to haue many fathers wherfore it is against natur to worship many gods He is a Lord also and a Maister for to hym belongeth to auenge and punyshe But no man can serue two Maisters Wherfor if God be to be honored he is one god not many If ther be many ther can be no God which only is to be honored But how can the father the son the holy ghost being thre be one God Truly because thei ar one mind one spirit one substance can not be seperate The father is as it were a pleÌ„tiful spring or fountain the sonne is a riuer gushing out of it The father is the sunne Christ is the beame issuing out of it The beam can not be seperat from the Sunne nor the Riuer from the spryng Christ also is the haÌ„d of God and the holy comforter is his finger the hand and finger are not seperat from the body I wil declare this with a familier example If a father haue a sonne whom he loueth so muche that he maketh him ruler of his house yet y e house is said to be gouerned by one maister and ruler not many So the worlde is the house of one God the father and the sonne because they disagre nether in nature ne in will are one God The kinges image is called the king Christes image Christ and yet they be not two kinges nor two Christes so the father Christ are one God for Christ is the fathers image no dead image for he is life and resurrection nor counterfait for he is truth nor dumme for he is the word But the Arrians reply that as I say Dauid and Salomon ar of one substaunce and yet they be thre men not one man y t so albeit the father the sonne and the holy ghost be one in substaunce yet they are not one God I aunswer that Isay Dauid and Salomon are called thre meÌ„ not one man because euery one of them although they be of one substaunce hath a diuersitie in time in knowledge in bignes in place For there can be no vnitie where there is diuersitie But the father the son and the holy ghost are one god forasmuch as ther is no diuersitie amoÌ„g them They are al thre immortal of like knowledge maiestie not conteined in place but fillers of al places Many also are called by the name of maÌ„ as the lord is my helper I care not what man may do vnto me it is better to trust in God then in man But in men there is vnitie of certein thinges only as of nature or loue or faith General vnitie belongeth only to the father the sonne the holy ghost wherfore they be one God Further that the father and Christ are one God the prophet Esay teacheth saying the lord hath said moreouer the occupiers of Egipt the marchauÌ„tes of the Morians Sabees shall come vnto thee w t tribute thei shalbe thine thei shal folow thee go with cheines vpon their fete They shal fal down before thee make supplicatioÌ„ vnto thee for god is in thee ther is no other God beside thee God the father speketh these words to Christ who is one God with the father for y e father is in him saith that ther is no god beside him If thou deny them to be one God thou deniest the diuinitie of the father who saith to Christ God is in thee ther is no God beside thee because he is in his son for it is written The father that dwelleth in me is he that doeth the workes I am in the father the father in me ther is no God beside him because thei both ar one God God is in god yet ther be not two Gods the Lord is in y e Lord yet thei be not two Lords for we are forbidden to serue two Lords Nemo potest duobus dominis seruire But both the father and Christ ar to be honored and serued For of Christ it is writteÌ„ that the thre wyse men kneled doun and worshipped hym and opened their treasures and offered vnto him giftes gold frankensence and myrre By gold confessing him to be a kyng by frankensence to be God and by myrre to be man nether ar they blamed therfore A womaÌ„ of Cane worshipped him and obteineth her reâ—uest And Paul in the beginning of al
who for his great learning was surnamed Magnus expouÌ„deth this text of y e holy ghost and saith that his predecessors toke it so and S. Austen is of thesame mind Philip Melancthon aloweth their interpretacion as I declared before For truly y e word spirit can not signifie wynd in that place the which when these woâ—ds were spoken was vncreat What is ment theÌ„ by these wordeâ— Borne vpon the waters Verely no blast of wynd but that he sate on the waters for as the hen sitting on her egs hatcheth her yoÌ„gones so the holy ghost hatcheth al creaturs which ther are called waters as it is written when thou lettest thy spirit go forth they are made so thou renuest y e face of thy earth He that made all things is God Heb. iij. The holy ghost made al thinges Ergo the holy ghost is god Iob also saith of him Spiritus diuinus qui fecit me the diuine spirit who made me confessing him both diuine and his maker And as when we read Opera manuuÌ„ tuarum sunt celi The heaueÌ„s are the workes of thi hand we acknowledge Christ the maker of the worlde who is Gods hand so when we read Videbo celos tuos opera digitorum tuorum â—unam stellas que tu fundasti That is I wil behold the heauens the workmaÌ„ship of thi fingers the mone the starres whiche thou hast made Let vs acknowledge also the holy ghost Gods finger to be our maker for as much as thesame works in other places are called the workes of God For as when the hand worketh the fingers worke also so the hole trinitie formed al thinges of a confused heap whose workes be vnseperable as I haue proued before Gouernour of al thinges The canticle of Moises recordeth that he gouerned the congregation of the Israelites For when they had passed ouer the sea they gaue herty thankes for their deliueraunce to al the thre persons to y e father and the sonne in these wordes Thi right hand O Lord is glorious in power thy right hand hath also dashed the enemies and to the holy ghost saiyng with y e spirit of thine anger the water gathered together as a rock For Christ is Gods right hand and by the word spirit the holy ghost is ment in that he saith Lord he signifieth the father Wherfore their deliueraunce is the workmanship of the whole trinitie which worketh al things in heauen and earth But the Prophet Esay protesteth the gouernaunce of the holy ghost more plainly saying Where is he who brought them from the water of the sea as a shepeheard doth his flok Where is he whiche led Moises by the right haÌ„d with his glorious arm Wher is he that led theÌ„ in the depe as an horse is led in the plain and he answereth The spirit of the Lord led theÌ„ as a tame beast goeth in the field The same spirit gouerneth the present congregation geuyng to one vtteraunce of wisdome to another fayth to another giftes of healyng to another power to do miracles to another prophecie to another iudgement of spirits to another diuerse tongues to an other interpretation as the Apostle witnesseth which be necessary offices in the church Who gaue Simeon an aunswer that he shuld not se death before he had sene our spokesman Iesus Christ The holy ghost Who leadeth the congregation in to al truth who teacheth vs al veritie y e holy ghost Who coÌ„maundeth to seperate Paul and Barnabas to the worke wherunto he had called them that is to preach the swete tidinges of the gospel to the gentyles The holy ghost Who forbyddeth them to preache in Asia who coÌ„maundeth Peter to aryse and get hym down and go with Cornelius seruauntes who sent those seruauntes vnto Simon the Tannars house for Peter The holy ghost Who monysheth Philp the Deacon to ioyne hym selfe to the chariot of the gelded man which was chamberlein to Candace Quene of the Ethiopians The holy ghost Do not these textes proue hym to gouerne the congregation to be myndfull of both good and euyl Do they not denie him to be a creature do they not fortify him to be y e third person in the gloriouse Trinitie and to be God Yes verelye All thynges are gouerned by God The Holy ghost gouerneth all thinges Ergo the Holy ghost is God Knowing al things foloweth the which belongeth to the alknowyng comforter for asmuch as he is the spirite of knowelege The Apostle witnesseth that man neither by the helpe of his outward senses nor through the gift of reason can atteine to the vnderstaÌ„ding of those things which are prepared for the chosen He denieth this knowdlege to the senses saying Oculus non videt neque auris audiuit the eye hath not seene and the eare hath not heard for these be the two principall powers and to all mannes reason and wisdom by these words folowing Neque in cor nethre hath entred into y e heart of man the thinges c. for the heart is the place of vnderstanding Angels also are ignoraunt of some thinges as of the last day and houre which the father knoweth only But of the holy comforter it is written the spirit searcheth al things yea the bottome of Gods secretes Paule is not content only to say this of the spirite but he addeth two argumentes prouing the same The one is a similitude that as the spirit of man knoweth the thinges of man so the spirite of God knoweth y e things of God al things be his Ergo he knoweth al things His other reasoÌ„ is that y e spiritual man through his inspiration discusseth all thinges He who knoweth all thinges is GOD The Holy ghost knoweth all thinges Ergo the Holy ghost is GOD. The next propertie in my definition beloÌ„ging to God only is to forgeue sin How proue you that the holy ghost can do this Harken what Chryste our mercy stocke saith Receyue the holy ghost whose sinnes ye remit thei are remitted vnto them Note that the holy ghost pardonth sinne No man can remit sin they do onli minister forgeuenes in the name of the father of the soÌ„ne and of the holy ghost they pray God pardoneth they employ their seruice remâ—ssion and mercy coÌ„meth from aboue as I haue declared and proued in my Chapt. that God onely forgeueth sinne Furthermore ye are washed saith S. Paule ye are sanctified ye are iustified by the name of the Lord Iesu and by the spirite of oure God Ergo the spirite forgeueth sinne The Prophet Esay telleth that one of the Seraphins with a hot coale taken from the aulter wyth tongues touched his mouth and his sin was molten away He meaneth neither charcole nor sea cole but the cole of the holy ghost who maye be well called a cole for he is fier wherfore the holy ghoste doth forgeue sinne No man can deny but that in baptisme sinnes be forgeuen The holy
this was no audible voyce no sounding or transitory noyse commyng from the lightes but God said be there light fyrmament c. that is to saye God made these thinges by his saying â–ª by his word by his voice which is christ as it is writteÌ„ In y e beginniÌ„g was y e word that is in y e father was christ al thiÌ„gs were made by it and nothing was made without iâ— as Moises teacheth very wel repeting these wordes Deus dixit God sayd in y e creatioÌ„ of euery thiÌ„g And why is Christ called his fathers word Truly bicause he is his image and no man cometh to the knowledge of the father but by the sonne And as we do open manifest and declare our mindes one to another by our words and communication so God is disclosed opened and discouered by Christ. No man hath sene God at any time thonly begotten sonne which is in the bosome of the father he hath declared him in his sermons he is sincerely published and plainly painted and portraied For this cause he is surnamed y e saying of God and an audible and a traÌ„sitory word not properly but by a metaphore and borowed spech And this traÌ„sitory word made al thinges vpholdeth al thinges gouerneth al things Nowe touching the holy spirit we read in the first Chapter of generation spiritus domini ferebatur the spirit of y e Lord was born vpoÌ„ the waters Many do expouÌ„d by the spirit in this text the wynd but it can not be taken so for many causes First the wynd is the exhalatioÌ„ or spirit of the waters this was y e spirit of God as the text doth say Moreouer y e wind then was vncreat vnmade For I think no man wil defend that the wind was made before the first day which is made after these wordes And others do read for ferebatur super aquas fouebat vel exclu debat aquas the spirit did bring forth or hatch the waters so in dede the word signifieth in the Sirian tonge wherfore was borne vpon the waters is no blast of wind but a metaphore of the hen and a borowed speach The hen is borne of her egs and sittteth vpon them and so hatcheth her yong and so the holy ghost was borne vpoÌ„ the waters sat vpon theÌ„ brought forth and hatched all creatures which there are called waters For as it is wrytten when thou lettest thy spirit go forth they are made Basil who for his great learning was surnamed magnus expoundeth this text thus sayth that his predecessors toke it so and S. Austen is of the same mind and Philip MelancthoÌ„ aloweth their interpretatioÌ„ Thus it is euident y t the vniuersal world is the workmaÌ„ship of the whole trinitie whose workes be inseperable as they be inseperable and one almighty euerlasting inuisible vnsercheable god of one substaunce and nature power and maiestie who gathered the waters together as it werin a bottel who maketh y e cloudes his chariot and goeth vpoÌ„ the winges of the wind and who spreadeth out heauen like vnto a curteyn After that he had finished al his workes he beheld theÌ„ and â—o they were exceading good Now there be many thinges not good vnprofitable vnfrutful perilouse for thornes and thistels prick vs the gout greueth vs the pocks the canker consumeth vs the sciatica payneth vs spasmes palsies feuers noy vs serpentes doe poysen vs flies do bite vs cats do scrat vs flees do eat vs mouÌ„taines weary vs snow doth let vs thonders do fear vs the cocodrils do kil our bodies the deuyl our souls God made not these thinges for al that he made was good and if he made not these he made not al thinges The earth bringeth forth thornes and thistels and other venemous herbes not by nature but thorow the synne of man vnto whoÌ„ God speaketh Because thou hast obeyed the voyce of thy wyfe and hast eaten of the tree of which I commaunded the not to eat Cursed be the earth in thy worke In sorow shalt thou eat therof al the daies of thy lyfe and it shall beare thornes and thistels vnto thee and thou shalt eat the herbes of the field in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread Before sinne we read not that the earth brought forth thistels bushes vnfruitful trees but grene gras fruitful trees herbes bearing holsome sedes The fal of Adam also caused al maner of griefs panges sicknes disease which then began to torment man when God had said In sorow shalt thou eat therof all the daies of thy life By this word sorow al such thinges be ment and signified If you aske me why God suffred the earth to bring forth thornes and vnfruitful trees my answer is not to pain the earth with theÌ„ which feleth no pain but to admonish vs of our synne to put vs in remeÌ„braunce of our fault to be a warning vnto vs as often as we se theÌ„ to take hede that we synne no more For if he punish the earth for our sinnes how much more will he punishe vs Wherfore this memory shall continue vntyll the sting of death which is sinne be taken away vntil that be brought to passe that is written death is consumed into victory death where is thy sting Hell where is thy victory by vnfruitful trees he warneth vs y t we be not vnfruitful For as husbandmen forsake their trees not doÌ„ging not watring theÌ„ when they be baren but to burn them euen so God ceaseth to poure his blessinges vpon the vnfruitfull for he is a husbandman herken what his only son saith whom we are coÌ„maunded to hear I am the true vine and my father is the husbandmaÌ„ He that abideth not in me is cast forth as a braunch and is widdered and men gather it and cast it into the fier and it burneth This fruit we may gather and learn of the vnfruitfull tree By siknes partly he scurgeth vs for our sinne partly he trieth vs and lerneth vs his will as it is wrytten the ouen proueth the potters vessell so doth temptation of trouble try rightuous meÌ„ Now we are come to those whiche demaund who made serpentes Cocodriles flies wormes c. Of which much harm and no profite coÌ„meth Verely he who made al thinges Although they be hurtful vnto vs for our disobedience yet be they exceading good in their own nature and profite vnto the furnishing of the whole world no lesse then the other which we recount more profitable and preciouse If an ignoraunt man chaunce to go into a conning mans shop and happen to see many â—oles there that he knoweth not he thinketh them either to be vnprofitable or not necessary Euen so we in almightie Gods shop which is the world do iudge many thinges to be naught because we are ignoraunt The Cocodrill the litle flie the small flee haue their coÌ„moditie albeit we know it not Our
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
that there be three seueral persons saying In the begynninge God created Heauen and earth Where euideÌ„tlye by y e name of God the father and by the beginning his sonne by whome he made all thinges are to be vnderstand For who is the beginning but Christ who answereth the Iewes asking what he was I am y e beginning which spake vnto you and in whose behalfe Dauid speaketh in y e beginning of y e boke it is writeÌ„ of me After these words of the father the sonne it foloweth immediatly The spirit of God was borne vpon the waters the which is the thirde persoÌ„ in y e gloriouse trinitie Some take the spirite here for the wynd blowing vpon the waters If they examine the text diligently they shall fynd y e wynd was yet vnmade and that y e waters there do not signifie that which we call water coÌ„monly but the confused heape of which God formed all thinges If God were not a trinitie he wold not haue saide let vs make man to our similitude after our likenes â–ª For these words let vs our similitude our likenes cannot be spoken of one person Neither they which are spoken after the miserable captiuitie and faule of Adam The Lord God saide lo Adam is become as one of vs in knowledge of good and euill But here thou wilt say these Phrases proue not many personnes for doth not the king say we wil that this or that be done and yet he is but one Kinges and Emperours vse to say so because they haue couÌ„selloures commonly whose prudent aduises they folowe but of God it is wrytten Quis cognouit mentem Domini aut quis illi fuit a consiliis Who hath knowen the mind of the Lord or who is his counselloure And therfore he doth not say so for lyke coÌ„sideratioÌ„ but because y t as Pithagoras saith He is Ternarius numerus The third numbre which coÌ„nteineth al other numbres both vnitie euens oddes Esayas teacheth vs the same where he saith that he saw the seraphins flacker from aboue and cry each one to other Holy Holy Holy is y e Lord of Hostes. By this word holy thrise repeted we are taught that there be thre persons and â—y the wordes folowing the Lord of hostes not iterate that there is but one Lord. I will proue the same by the propertyes of the thre personnes The Congregation confesseth the father to be vnbegotten and no heretyke can deny it and the scripture telleth vs that the son is begotten to whome y e father saith Thou art my son this day I begat the not that the father is elder then Christ for as he was alwayes a father so he was neuer without a son but begat him without time also of my wombe before the mornyng star begat I the. God y e father hath no wombe or corporal form but by his wombe we must vnderstand his substauÌ„ce as if he said of my substauÌ„ce of my owne nature I begat thee If God the father begat Christ of his owne substaunce which is immutable howe could of the same substauÌ„ce his mutable flesh be made as our late Anabapt defend God begat God and light begat light as a man getteth a man and a dog gettech a dog for a man cannot get a dog The holy ghost is neyther called vnbegotten nor gotten For if we cal him vnbegotten we bring in .ii. fathers If we name him begotten we make .ii. Christs He is said to prosede equally from the father from the son as he is equally God equally almightye to be honored equally and euery wheare equally PeradueÌ„ture some wil requyre profe out of the scripture of y e proseeding of the holy coÌ„forter because we say that nothing is to be beleued vpon payne of dampdatioÌ„ which is not in y e scriptures For many do allege this processioÌ„ of the holy spirite for vnwritten verities therfore I say I wil proue it by certaine testimonies albeit I will not deny but that many thinges be true verities which be not in the scriptures as it is true that I wrote this boke not written it is true that king Edw. the .vi. God saue his noble grace is King of EnglaÌ„d vnwritteÌ„ But marke good christen people when we disalow vnwritteÌ„ verities we except such and do speake only of such thinges as be nedefull necessary for the sauing of our soules All such things we say be written in Gods boke For Ihon sayth these are written y t ye myght beleue and haue eternal life if we obserue these thiÌ„gs we shal haue eternal life what caÌ„ we desire more Al such necessari points be writeÌ„ Away therfore w t vnwritteÌ„ verities But how proue ye y e processioÌ„ of y e holy spirite bi scripture That he procedeth froÌ„ y e father christ techeth his disciples saing wheÌ„ y e coÌ„forter is come whom I wil send vnto you from the father he shall beare witnes of me That he procedeth also of Christ these S. Paules wordes be a sufficient record If there be any man that hath not the spirite of Christ the same is none of his For he can not be Christes spirit not proceding of him He is y e vertue which went out of him and healed y e people of Ierusalem of Tyre and of Sidon Further our Sauiour Christ after his victorious and gloriouse resurrectioÌ„ to teach vs that the holy ghost proceadeth from him equally as he doth from the father breathed on his disciples and said receiue the holy ghost and lo I send the promis of my father vpon you If therfore the father be vnbegotten y e son begotten not made the holy comforter proceding there be thre personâ—s not coÌ„founded together The father is a spirit and the sonne likewyse and the father is holy and the sonne likewise but nother of both is the holy spirit the holy ghost He is an vnspeakeable communioÌ„ of the father and sonne also therfore these two wordes be truly verified seuerally of theÌ„ both but not together If the holy ghost be the father he sendeth him self that is he proceadeth from himself If he be the sonne he is the son of the father and of Christ also for euery son is the son of twaine of the father of the mother But God forbid that we shuld imagin any such kind of thing in the father and Christ. If he be nether of both he is a seueral person No earthly man is able to discusse this natiuitie of Christ and procession of the holy ghost after what maner both be done for both be vnspeakeable as it is writteÌ„ Who can declare his generatioÌ„ Of the holy coÌ„forter it may be said also who can declare his proceding wherfor we must eschue curious talking of these misteries stedfastly beleue because of y e scriptures Christ saith the father is greater then I. If he be greater ether they be
two seueral persons or els the father is greater thē himself Dauid witnesseth y t the father setteth Christ on his right hād The Lord sayd vnto my Lorde syt thou on my ryght hand vntyll I make thyne ennemies thy fotestole And that he sytteth there we learne of saint Paul who exhorteth vs to seeke those thynges whiche are aboue where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Then ether they be two persons or els the Father speaketh to hym selfe and sytteth on his owne ryght hand The father heareth and Christ prayeth he blesseth Christ geueth thankes he commaundeth and Christ obeyed he teacheth and Christ learneth For Christ recordeth thys of hymself as my father taught me so I speake These properties learne vs that they be two persones vnconfounded for so much as we can not apply or refer thē to one person The visiō which appered to Abraham in the oke groue of Mambre declareth vnto vs a manifest distintion of the godhead yet not a Trinitie of Gods For he sawe thre men and yet he called them Lord not Lordes If that vision be pondred depely it is a glasse wherin we may behold the face of the glorious trinitie The maiestie nature of God himselfe for as those thre men were thre seuerall persons and yet were named but one Lord so the father the son and the holy ghost be thre persons one God Som wil replie that Abraham spake to one of the thre when he sayd Lord whom he acknowledged to be the chief taking the other for his ministers and seruauntes This is proued to be false of that which foloweth and the Lord went his way as sone as he had left talkyng with Abraham and Abrahā returned to his place and there went two aungels to Sodom at euen and Lot sat at y e gate of the city Lot calleth these two men after they had brought him without the citie cōmaunding him not to loke backward Lorde not Lordes Wherfore he whiche departed was not chief their Lord. If he had bene chief the scripture wold not name the twain remaining Lord which in calling the twain Lord also signifieth vnto vs that there was no superiorite no preheminence no prerogatiue among thē but equalitie as in the trinitie whiche is figured by these thre men Some wyll say that Lot speaketh not to both but to one of them Why then doth the scripture say Loth sayde vnto them oh nay my Lord behold for as much as thy seruaunt hath found grace in thy syght c. These two men signifie Christ and the holy Ghost not the father for so much as they saye that the Lorde sent them to destroy that place For Christ and the holy comforter are sent but the father is neuer sent but sendeth Notwithstāding he whiche departed before they came to Sodome sending them twaine thyther representeth the father of heauē of whō Christ and the holy ghost both be sent Now let vs se good christen people how this vision doth portrey or paint the Trinitie As thre men appeared so there be three persones As these three persones are named one Lorde so the Trinitie is one Lorde one GOD As the Father is vnsent so one of these is not sent and as the father sēdeth Christ and the holy ghost into this world so here twayne be sent of one vnto Sodome and Gomor as the twain which were sent are called one Lorde so Christ and the holy ghost are but one god Protogenes neuer painted Ialisus at Rodes so excellently nor Appelles Venus nor Policletus y e image of Doriphorus as this vision doth liuely declare y e properties of the glorious Trinitie of which thorow whiche for which al thinges are But let vs serche how the scripture vseth to speake of the Trinitie Iohn saith Ther ar thre which beare recorde on earth the spirite water and bloud and these thre are one The trinitie is signified by these thre The spirit is y e father for Christ calleth him so speaking of the true worshipping God is a spirit And by y e name of bloud we may vnderstand Christ who for our sakes is become flesh and bloud By the name of water the holy ghost is ment whome our sauiour Christ calleth water saying If any man thirst let him come vnto me ◠drink He y t beleueth on me saith y e scripture out of his belly shal flow streames of water of life This spake he saith Ihō the Euāgelist of y e spirit which they that beleued on him should receiue Wherfore as a spirit is not bloud ne water no more is the father the sonne or the holy ghost but a distinct person Christ is named also a dore a rocke a vine bread a bridegrome a kyng a Phisicion and his father a husbandman If the father be Christ he is the dore the rock the vyne yea rather as a husbandman and a vine be diuerse thinges so Christ is not the father The holy comforter is called fyer which all be diuers thynges from those often times and the finger of God and the oyle of gladnes and anoynting that figuratly be spoken of the father But my thinke I hear some suttell searching and craftie witted man replie that as Christ and the vine the dore the rock be diuers names of one thynge and the holy ghost and oyl ▪ and fier and annointing that so y e father the son and the holy ghost be thre names and one thyng and that the father is called by these names as he is called afore by the name of a husbandman This were somwhat if we had euident Scripture◠that the Father is Christ or the holy Ghost as we haue that he is a husbandman And so we haue say they For Christ sayeth I and my father are one and whosoeuer seeth me seeth my father These textes plucke vp thys opinion by the rootes For in that he sayth we are he teacheth vs that he and his father be not one persone For as muche as are can not be spoken of one persone And in that he sayth one he declareth that he is of the selfsame substaūce O the depenesse and exceading power of Gods word which with two sillables are and one confoūdeth two heretikes the Arrian and Patripassion The other text declaring the father to be sene in Christ doth not proue theim one persone but rather twayn teaching vs that whiche S. Paul wryteth to his countreimen that he is the brightnesse of the fathers glory and expresse image of his substaunce When men loke in a glasse behold their own faces they vse to say that they see them selues and they and that which they see be not al one When they se the picture of Christ in a painted cloth they say thei se Christ. If we se Christ in his picture if we se our selues in a glasse much more the father is sene in Christ who is
displesur where he is not a bene factor he is a punisher wher he is not a dweller he is an auenger Who can deny him to be a substauÌ„ce who filleth y e world not y e world only but Christ also the only sauiour of y e world of whoÌ„ it was written Iesus full of the holy ghost returned from IordaÌ„ If he fil the world he is God for this belongeth only God as I haue proued before If he be God theÌ„ is he a substaunce not an inspiracioÌ„ coÌ„ming from God as our english Saduces outlandish Libertins do teach The Prophet Esay recordeth y t he gouerned the coÌ„gregatioÌ„ of the Israelits y t he was their deliuerer out of Egipt their guid in y e wildernes y e worker of wonders saying where is he who brought theÌ„ froÌ„ y e water of y e sea as a shepherd doth his flock where is he which â—ed Moises by the right hand w t his glorious arme Where is he that led them in the depe as an horse is led in the plain and he answereth The spirit of the Lord led theÌ„ as a tame beast goeth in the field He gouerneth also the present congregation for Christ promiseth that he would pray the father to send vs another comforter to abide w t vs for euer And Paul testifieth that the spirit geueth to one vtteraunce of wisdome to an other fayth to an other giftes of healyng to another power to doe miracles to another prophecy to another iudgement of spirites to another diuerse toÌ„gues to another interpretacion which be necessary offices in the congregation so that the holy spirit may say also The father worketh hytherto so do I for he workth inseperably with the father and the son Wherof it must neades folow that he is a substaunce and that he is God for the gouernaunce of the world belongeth to the maiestie of the Godhead as I haue proued before If he were nothing but a Godly motion a good affection and inspiration he would not ne coulde haue shewed himselfe in the likenes of a doue and in the similitude of fyrie tongues He is the fynger of God he is fyre oyle anoynting water an aduocate a cole for all these the scripture geueth hym Wherfore he is a substaunce forasmuch as al these be substaunces not inspirations For the scripture doth not lyken substaunces to thinges that be no substaunces He is also to be prayed vnto to be called vpon for what is baptisme but an inuocation of the father the sonne the holy spirit and therfore a substauÌ„ce No man prayeth vnto an inspiration no man crieth to an affection Our praying vnto hym proueth hym to heare vs to be almighty God to be euery where to know the thoughtes of all men but nothing heareth nothing searcheth thoughtes but a substaunce then he can not be a thought a motion comming from God yea rather these properties proue hym to be the third persone in the ouer gloriouse deite That comforter sayeth Christ the holy ghost whom my father wyl send in my name he shall teach you all If he be a teacher he must nedes be a substaunce If he be an inspiration he is the doctrine which is taught not the teacher therof He gaue Symon an aunswer that he shuld not se death before he had sene the lord Christ. He through the mouth of Dauid spake before of Iudas He at Antioche coÌ„maundeth to seperate Barnabas Paul to the worck wherunto he had called them He forbiddeth theÌ„ to preach Gods word in Asia S. Luke of the actes telleth that he monished Philip to ioyne himself to the chariot of the gelded man Do not these textes proue him to gouerne the congregation Doe they not witnes him to be mindfull of both good and euil Doe they not deny hym to be an inspiration coming from God Do they not fortifie him to be a substaÌ„ce to be y e third persone to be God S. Peter when he saith holy meÌ„ of God spake by the inspiration of the holy ghost putteth a plain difference betwene him an inspiration for he is not the inspiration but the worker therof the sender of it Wherfore as the worckman is not hys worck as Protogenes is not Ialysus Appelles is not Venus the carpenter is not the house no more is the holy spirite an inspiration He also forgeueth synne maketh vs the sonnes of God for we ar christened in his name that we should beleue that y e holy spirit worketh in baptisme it pleased the almighty Trinitie y t he shuld notably appere at Christes baptising For this coÌ„sideration the holy coÌ„forter at that time shewed himself in the likenes of a doue Doth any aungel forgeue sinne or Archaungel No truly this belongeth to the father only the sonne only the holy ghost only But me thinketh one replieth Seraphin speketh vnto the Prophet Esay Behold this hath touched thy mouth and thine vnrightuousnes is taken away thy sinne forgiuen He saith not I haue taken it away but this speaking of a hote cole taken from the alter with the toÌ„gues not châ—rcoale not seacoale but the cole of the holy ghost who may be wel called a coale for he is fire The pacient man Iob telleth vs that almighty God garnished y e heauens with his spirit with his hand wounded the rebellious serpent w t whoÌ„ Dauid agreeth saying By the word of the Lord were the heauens made and all the hostes of them by the spirite of his mouth Wherfore in y e worke of creatioÌ„ Moises maketh relation of him telling vs that the spirit of God was born vpoÌ„ the waters Basyl who for his great learning was surnamed Magnus expoundeth this place of the holy ghost saith that his predecessours toke it so for the word spirit can not signifie wynd there which was then not made Was borne vpon the waters is no blowyng but as much to say as he sat on the waters for as the Hen sytting on her egs hatcheth her yoÌ„g ones so the holy ghost hatched al creatures whiche there are called waters as it is wrytten when thou lettest thy spirit go fourth they are made so y u renuest the face of the earth Is the garnisher of the heauens maker of y e world forgeuer of synnes myndfull of the congregation no substaunce but a phantasie an imagination And here I suppose it be agreable vnto my matter to speake somwhat of al good aungels in general and euyl spirites for if I can proue them to be no motioÌ„s but substaunces much more the holy comforter is a substauÌ„ce But if it be beside our purpose yet it shal be a profitable necessary digression for there be many late Libertines and late English Saduces which wold teach out of scripture that there is nether place of rest ne paine after this life that hel is nothing els but a
teacheth vs this prouing that there is but vnum primum mobile one first mouer who moueth al the heauenly spheres The Manicheis make two Gods which thei cal Duo principia contraria two principles one contrary to another For they say y e one is an euill God maker of visible things the other a good God maker of inuisible thinges and they say also that both of them be vnbegotteÌ„ vncreat of them selues Then are they immortall But if they be immortal there is no god that only hath immortalitie Paul lieth who saith that God not Gods hath immortalitie And al the prophets euangelistes Apostles be liers teaching w t one assent y t God only forgeueth sin y t God only knoweth al thinges For if ther be two Gods both of theÌ„ must haue these properties If ether of theÌ„ know not all thinges then is he ignoraunt then no God If both knowe all thinges then is ther no God whiche only knoweth all thinges Both also must forgeue syn the good because he is merciful the euill because he is y e cause of al sin then is ther no God which only pardoneth synne Moreouer if both the Manicheis gods be immortal if both pardoÌ„ sinne if both know al science thei be not contrary for knowledge is not coÌ„trary to knowlege but ignorance vnmercifulnes is coÌ„trary to mercy forgeuing death to immortalitie Wherfore ther be not two coÌ„trary principles but one principle one God The christian coÌ„gregation confesseth that the father is PrincipiuÌ„ a principle or beginning for so the beloued disciple calleth him saing In principio erat verbum In the beginning was the word in the father was Christ. Thei acknoweledge Christ also to be Principium who answereth the cruel Iewes demauÌ„ding who he was saying y e beginning which spake vnto you But the father is pricipium non de principio Christ is principiuÌ„ de principio They confesse the almighty coÌ„forter also to be principium forasmuch as he with the father the sonne made all thinges and gouerneth them as I haue proued before Notwithstandinge there be noâ— thre beginnings but one beginning only as there be not thre gods but one God The papistes also bring in many gods but couertly priuely Thei teach the people to pray vnto saintes to Saint Luke for the oxe to Iob for the pox to Rocke for the pestilence to Sith for thinges lost to Christopher for coÌ„tinual health to the Quene of heauen for women with child to Clement for good beere yea they entise the people also to worship honor their images If thei be to be praied vnto for these thinges they be gods for in praying vnto theÌ„ we acknowlege them to hear vs to be almighty to be euery where to know y e thoughtes of al men to be a strong castel vnto such as slie vnto theÌ„ but these thinges belong only to God as I haue proued before Wherfore thei make them gods O crafty deuil O suttel papistes the Iewes are reproued by the voyce of the prophetes for making many gods in y t they praied vnto Baall Astaroth Moloch and the Quene of heauen for ayde soccour Why do we not aske al good thinges of him which is the author geuer of al good thinges both to his ennemies and frindes both to the heathen to the congregation Is his hand smitteÌ„ of that it can not healp Haue we perceyued at any tyme crudelitie or vnkindnes in hym Are hys eares stopped that he can not heare Or his eies so dimme that they cannot se He planted theare he made the 〈◊〉 wherfore he both heareth most easely and seeth most perfitely And because he is the â—ouÌ„taine of al mercy he grauÌ„teth our requestes most mercâ—fully He is not lyke an earthly kinge â–ª who setteth porters at his gates he is not hard to speak with for he is the gate himselfe as he telleth vs Ego sum via veritas vita I am the way the truth and life and Ego sum ostium I am the doore There is but one way onâ— doore and he that entreth in by the doore fyndeth pasture he that entreth in not by the dore he is a thiefe a robber And why For he robbeth God of the glory belonging only to him geuing it to his creatures They which sly vnto saints depart make many wayes many dores and many Gods If they are to be prayed vnto we must beleue on them For the Apostle saith Quomodo inuocabunt in queÌ„ non crediderunt How shal they cal on him pray to him on whom they beleue not If we must beleue on them then let vs be christened in their names But holy baptisme is coÌ„maunded not to be ministred in their names but In nomine in one name of the father the son â—nd the holy ghost Wherfore as they are not to be beleued vpon so are they not to be called vpon but God onli whose highnes disdeineth y e felowship of any creature Let vs therfore praye vnto him for he is the well of water of life let vs not dig vyle and broken pittes which hould no water let vs take hede of the stretes of Egipt and of the wayes of Assiria God is no wildernes to his people nor laÌ„d without light but a mercifull and a liberal God Such aâ— make flesh their arme are accursed Let vs make Christ our arme for he is the arme of God who in al things became lyke vnto his brethren that he might be a mercifull and a faithful bishoppe in thinges concerning God to pourge the peoples sinnes God only knoweth our nede scartheth aur thoughts and inteÌ„ts grauÌ„teth our desires blesseth and crowneth vs and ther be no more Gods no more hearers no more iudgers of thoughts beside him He saith by his Prophet I am the first and the last and beside me is ther no God Haue not I y e Lord done it withoute whome there is none other God the tru God and sauiour and ther is els none but I and therfore turne vnto me all ye endes of the earth so shal ye be saued For I am God and ther is els none If ther be many Gods the diuine power gouernauÌ„ce and rule is deuyded betwene them and then it is not an euerlasting power but mortall for whatsoeuer is deuyded is mortall But naturall reason denyeth God to be corruptible and his power to decaye Wherfore it protesteth y t there is but one God which ruleth all Moreouer the diuine power is a perfit power a general authoritie for God is almighty and general gouernor If ther be many Gods ech of them hath a certeine portion to rule But they which haue but portions are no Gods for the power of God is a perfit power a perfit power coÌ„preheÌ„deth all power If there be many Gods they haue seuerall dominions euery one of them lacketh so much
as the other Gods haue so the mo Gods they be in number the lesse is their power authoritie As for example y e king is most mighty who hath all the world vnder him for al things are his y e riches of al men belong vnto him If there be many kings they are of lesse power ther is no such authoritie among theÌ„ no such power for eueri one of them hath his dominion his portion to rule presumeth not beyond his owne bonds Euen so if ther be many Gods they are of lesse power but reason geueth God a perfit and an absolute power Wherfore ther is but one God only for asmuch as perfit power cannot be in many Also it ther be many howe do they knowe that they shal coÌ„tinue of one mynd and will If thei do not as it is like for it is a common saying Tot capita tot sensus as many myndes as heades then this diuersitie wil prouoke them to battail as we read in Homer who bryngeth in y e Gods fighting one with another some of theÌ„ takyng parte with the Troyanes some with y e Grekes for diuersitie in will causeth warre The heatheÌ„ grauÌ„t that God hath a generall aucthoritie and a perfite power but they saye that he hath many Gods of lesse power which ar called minores dij to gouern the world vnder him But thei lie for thei be no gods because thei be ministers vnder him nomore theÌ„ y e officers vnder the king as chauÌ„celers maires presideÌ„ts iudges shriues bailies and Constables are kinges God is not like a man he worketh all thynges without handes without any werinees or payne nether doth tyme measure his workes with whom it is Dixit facta sunt he spake the word and it was done WheÌ„fore he nether hath nede to rule vnder him nether can any such be Gods wherof it must nedes folow y t the world is gouerned by one God No citie is wel ordred but of one Mayre no host of meÌ„ but of one general captaine Wherfore the Grekes sayling vnto the famous citie of Troye chose Agamenon to be king of kinges and wylled all to be obedient vnto hym If in one host there be so many chief captains as there be thousands if euery haue his captain whom he must only obey no order no aray can be kept for euery captaine will be with his men where hym lysteth and euery one of theÌ„ wyl refuse to endaunger hymselfe and his men and wyl passe the ieopardie to hym that is next Euen so except by one God the whole worlde be gouerned all thynges wyl decay and peryshe If it be true which is comenly sayd among meÌ„ Omnis potestas impatiens est consortis that power receiueth no felowship howe much more is it true in that ineffable power which apperteineth to God whose highnes receiueth no felowship of any other What a king is to his realme that God is in y e world one realme hath but one so one world hath but on God For this cause and other the scriptures vse to call him a king No ship is well gouerned of many maisters no flock of mani shepeherdes no schole of many scholemaisters no citie of many Mayres no hoste of many captaines no kyngdome of many kinges all thinges stande and are preserued by an vnitie And Virgill recordeth this thing saying Principio celuÌ„ ac terras caÌ„posque liquentes Lucentemque globum lune titaniaque astra Spiritus intus alit totamque infusa per artus MeÌ„s agitat moleÌ„ et magno se corpore miscet First heaueÌ„ earth clay fields in dede with mone stars y e spirit w tin doth fede The mind spread through the vayns eke moues the mole Mixing it self vnto the body whole The Poet Virgil beareth record that there is but one God for one body hath but one mynd and God is the mynd of the world wherfore as there is but one world so there is but one God And that no man shoulde misâ—â—me this spirit and mynde of whiche he speakith not to be God he expoundeth these wordes in another place saiyng Deum namque ire per omnes Terrasque tractusque maris celumque profundum God goeth through al sene or vnsene with eye Through earth and sea through heauen depe an hie â—uide also in his boke called Metamorphosis witnesseth that one God formed al thinges of a confused heape I do not cal poetes to witnesse that I thinke any credite to be geuen to their wordes but to shewe that this thing is so manifest a truth that they which were blynd did se it But as I haue spoken of poets so wyl I speake of the Phylosophers Thales Milâ—sius one of y e seuen famous wise men held opinion that water is the stuffe matter of which al thinges were made and that God formed them therof grauÌ„ting both one God to be maker of al thinges also telling wherof For the scriptures call the confused heape of which al things were made bi the name of water as it is writteÌ„ The spirit of god was born vpon y e waters Pitagoras also defineth god to be a mynd filling ruling al the porcions of y e world And one body hath but one minde wherfore the world hath but one God For God is a mind the world is the body He also said that the nuÌ„ber of thre was the beginning of al things teaching the people of his time that god is a trinitie in a riddle obscure speach because it wold not be born openly If ther were many worlds as some thinke it wer some probabilitie to say ther were many gods Parmenides thinketh y t there is but vnuÌ„ ens The noble worthy philosopher Aristotle de partiÌ„g out of this life praied vnto y e same ens saiyng ens entium miserere mei And wel may god be called ens who only is of himself al things haue their being of him Plato also saith y t the â—ouernaÌ„ce of this world is a Monarchie that God only both made ruleth it Hermes trismagist teacheth thesame thing that he is vnsearchable Marcus Tullius the famouse orator agreeth with them who teacheth that God is Mens soluta quedâ— libera segregata ab omni concrecione mortali omnia sentiens omnia mouens that is to witte God is a simple mynde nether being made of matter form nether mingled with accideÌ„ts knowing all thinges and ordryng them The Sibilles also taught the same in old time which were womeÌ„ that did prophecie before the coÌ„ming of our sauiour Christ so called because they did disclose many of Gods secrets For the Aeolians cal the gods Sions â–ª not Theous counsel or secrets not Boulen but Bullen and there were ten of theÌ„ The most famous of them which was called Erithrea saith thus of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 One God alone thete is I wot Both infinite
frump them yea some noble and spiritual lords had rather receiue idle sodomites dum priests to their chapplains then maried preachers They thinke it vnmete y t such should be colligeners nay it is vnmete y t your chapplains should be prebendaries in cathedral colleges Deanes Archdeacons suffraganes and liue so idly as thei do and yoâ— which kepe them be gilty of their negligence do oppres and rob the people of the word of God find your seruauntes of their costes It is vnmete for the kinges chappleins and Amners to â—e absent from these colleges out of which they haue great liuinges to do no good in the countrey about It is not vnmete for maried priestes present in y e colleges and doing their duties to haue their liuings I wold the kâ—ngs maiestie wold geue his chapleine sufficieÌ„t wages and bind them to read 〈◊〉 of diuinitie euery day or thrise 〈◊〉 in his â—al it were a noble order for a kinges house to be a schole of diuinitie godly exaÌ„ple to al lordes spiritual and temporall then they should be as Esay calleth theÌ„ true nourses of religion If such as be maried were alowed their wages and comâ—s to their own houses bound by some statutes to preach on holy days in the countrey about it wer much better theÌ„ it hath ben or is yet neuerthelesse suche as be single might kepe a comeÌ„ table a comeÌ„ haull for al will not mary no more then thei do out of colleges They should not liue idly as they haue done and doâ— for Pauls rule is y t he which laboureth not ought not to eate saint Augustin in his boke entitled De opera monachoruÌ„ crieth out against idle coligeners Were not this a better reformatioÌ„ then to suppres and put down colleges O liuing God this is a strauÌ„g kind of surgery a strauÌ„g reformation to swepe thinges away to make that priuat which was commen Wel Dauid saith that God will make them like to Sisera and Iabin lyke vnto Ored Zeb whiche haue the houses of God in possessioÌ„ he wil rote out their generation euen to the pysser against y e wal I speake not this of y e vniuersities but of cathedrall colleges and other in which be sufficient liuings to mainteine maried men But to returne to our matter like silogismes mai be made of other matters as that God deliuered the childreÌ„ of Israell from the Egipticall bondage Deu. 5 The holy ghost was their deliuerer Esay 30. Ergo the holy ghost is God If we ponder the circumstance diligeÌ„tly we shal find that Peter praied vnto the holy ghost when he fell into a traunce sawe heauen open in SimoÌ„ the tanners house He praieth to him y t sayeth what God hath clensed make thou not comeÌ„ For it is written there came a voyce to Peter Arise kil eat he said God forbid Lord. But the holy ghost is he who clensed for he fel sodeinly vpon the gentils to clense them he is called water a â—loud for the same skil Ergo he prayd to the holy ghost It is to be supposed that Peter praid vnto him who answereth commauÌ„deth him in that traunce to go to Cornelius but it is written that y e spirit coÌ„maundeth him Ergo he praied to y e spirit Also the spirit sent Cornelius seruauÌ„ts vnto Peter for he saith vnto him go w t theÌ„ doubt not for I haue senâ— theÌ„ Wherfore it is probable y t Cor. also praied vnto y e spirit albeit he knew him not wel for his requestes were graunted of him Moreouer the holy comforter hath a temple not of stone ne of wood but far more honorable the bodies of the 〈◊〉 and chosen for whiche Christ died as it is wrytten your bodies are the temple of the holy ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God ye are not your oâ—ne for ye ar derely bought therfore glorify God in your bodies Lo he both geueth him a temple and calleth him God and is he not to be praied vnto and honorâ—â— â–ª That the holy gost is the true God vnto whom temples are erected and builded the Actes of the Apostles declare with plain wordes Ananias quod Peter how is it that Sathan hath filled thine hert to lie vnto the holy ghost and he addeth thâ—â— hast not lyed vnto men but vnto God â—o the holy ghost is God so Ihon calleth Christ the true God Hic est verus deus vita eterna He is very God and euerlasting life And seing there is but one God the thre persons are that one God which is only to be praied vnto to be worshipped to whoÌ„ we shuld dedicate both the temple of our bodies and al temples of wood stone or other stuf and to no saintes departed to no auÌ„gels or archaungels for then we honour them which is idolatry and robery God only hath a temple The holy ghost haâ—h a temple Ergo the holy ghost is God To be honored Nothing is to be honored but God only for it is writteÌ„ Seruie ruÌ„t crâ—aâ—ure potius quaÌ„ creatori qui est deus benedictuâ— in secula They worshipped serued the creature more theÌ„ the maker which is God blessed for euermore He boâ—h monysheth vs to serue God only and reproueth such as honour creaturs Now that the holy ghost is to be serued and honored y e same Apostle witnesseth saying beware of dogges beware of euil workers beware of dissencioÌ„ for we are circumciâ—ion seruing y e spirit which is God Lo Paul confesseth hym selfe to be the seruaunt of the spirite Some doe read here spiritu deum colentes seruyng God in spirit but y e greke text discusseth that interpretacion to be false whiche is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say worshipping y e spirit which spirit is god If Paul had ment Quod spiritu deum cole bant that they in spirit serued God he wold haue sayd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as he sayd in the same place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reioysing in Christ and not trusting in flesh For that the holy ghost is to be worshipped he declareth also saying if all do prophecie and there come in one that beleueth not or one vnlearned he is rebuked of all men and is iudged of euery man and the secretes of his heart are opened he falleth downe on his face worshippeth God saying that God is in you in dede But he who spake in theÌ„ was the holy ghost of whoÌ„ prophecie cometh of whom it is written Non estis vos qui loquimini sed spiritus patris qui loquitur in vobis It is not you which speake but the spirit of my father which speaketh in you Wherfore wheÌ„ thei fal down worship him which is in them they worship the holy ghost If the swete fleshe of our sauiour Christ be to be honored as we are coÌ„maunded adorate scabellum pedum