ALBEIT IN thys vehemente and vn­thought on perturba­cion of mynde (reue­rende father) all labor is odious, writyng dyffyculte and harde, cōmentacion vnplesaunt and gruous, vnto me: yet in the defence of my cause, beyng required to write, for the reuerence which I owe vnto your Lordship aboue other, I haue purposed briefly and compendiously to commit in writyng what I thinke touchyng tharticles.

THO I was resolued in my mynde that ye were well wor­thye emprisonment, fetter & chayne, that feared not to conceaue, mayn­teyne [Page]and teache suche blasphemye agaynst God the Father & his na­turall Sonne Iesus Christ, true God: Yet I doubted whether your bodye was after that sort or by any other meanes puny shed or not, wher of I coulde not by your owne rela­cion, neither by hearsay, learne one worde so muche: but rather that ye were takē vp emongst states, much made of, and frendlye enterteyned, (for ye wyll not lye I trowe.) Not­withstandyng, I beleued assuredly, and was cleane out of doubte, (al­thoughe ye had not mencioned of it at all,) that youre mynde was not free from perturbaciō and trouble, beyng so sore woūded and greuoslye infected with that stinkyng leprye, & foule skabbe of moste daungerous blasphemy. Therfore I canne not blame you good man, if all labour seeme odious, writyng difficult, com­mentacion [Page]vnplesaūt and greuous vnto you, your myne being in such pitious maiadie & carefull plyght. Yet neuerthelesse, suche was youre goodnesse and gentlenesse, that nei­ther the odiousnesse of laboure, the dificulife of writīg, nor the greuousnesse of commentyng coulde stay or let, but your hande must haste with all speedye diligence to delyuer and bringe forthe that plesaunt Babe which ye had conceaued, and went great with al so lōg tyme before. In the birth wherof, your ioye comfort, and pleasure wolde be so great, you knew, that the paynes and griefe of your trauell shuld be cleane forgot­ten within a lytle space.

WHICH myne opiniō by the cōmunicatiō tofore had with your Lordship, mighte haue ben eui­denty noughe & sufficiently knowen, [Page] without writyng. For first at the be­ginnyng when your lordship admit­ted me to disputacion before manye wytnesses, and then after to priuate and familier talke, I dyd plainly say all that then came into mynd: verely I haue not dissimbled my opynion, which I gotte not or borowed out of Sarcerius. Conradus Pellican, and suche garbages, or rather synkes or gutters: but out of the sacred foūteyn

IN somer seasn as oftē as it thū ­dreth more vehemētly then lygh­ten, then surely sayeth Plinie, it be­tokeneth wyndes. Euen so, when any man thundreth with tauntes & flaunderous nipps, at another, yet he him self no goodly man to speake of, nor in any good knowledge, nei­ther in anye other honeste qualitle lyghtnyng or shinynge before hym, with whom he fyndeth so much falt, [Page]as ye do now by Sarcerius, Cōradus Pelicanus with their lyke, is it not (trowe ye) a sure token, and vehe­ment presumption of a mynde ra­ther puffed vp with wynde and am­bicion then in very deede godly and charitable? How so euer it lyke you to pronounce of them, if iust triall and proufe be made, you come not nygh to any of them by much, in the knowledge both of the scriptures & other kynde of learnyng also: vnies ye haue better store yet left behynde in youre belye, then hytherunto ye haue vttered. For amongst maye good thingꝭ which ech of them haue left vnto vs in writyng, if they haue sayde in anye pointe a mysse, it is in such matters wherein a mā may err­without great daūger, as you seeme to graūt in your processe folowyng: but I am wel assured, none of them euer blasphemed Iesus Christ, as [Page]to auouche and teache that he was not God, that he had not deuine na­ture in him: and that he was onlye a creat man, as you be not ashamed to do. Which opinion of youres, I dare sai, stinketh a thousand partes worse before God and all godly mē, then the most filthy garbage, synke or gutter that is: therfor tho it please you to cōpare them to suche vnclene refuse or garbage, to fylthy gutters and synkes (whiche is no slaunder in your mouth,) yet be not you of mynde to beleue that youre selfe is sweete and sauery. For as ye haue not dissimbled your sentence and o­pinion ye saye, no more wyll Iois­simble or couler with you herein. I tell you therfore truth lyke a frend, that your breath is so abhominable stinkyng, by reason of that pestilent vapour fumyng vp from the synke of your blasphemous stomake, that [Page]no Christian canne abyde it. And where as ye thus depraue the wry­ters tofore remembred and theire lyke, the cause not alleaged, whiche moued you to reporte them so: it is cleare that it was, because hyther­vnto ye haue not learned to say wel of any body, & not for their desertes. Howbeit the circumstaunce of your wordes may let vs tundersand the cause: verly for that they teache, defend & iustifye Christ is deuinitie, and you wyll none of that.

It were much more cōmendable, with your penne to confute by good learnyng, if they be suche as ye ad­iudge them, rather then thus slaun­derously vpon no manifest occasion that ye alleage to diffame & bacbite them. But ye play as the beast cal­led Bonasus, whiche because he is not of power to resist with his hor­nes by reason they are so yll fauou­redly [Page]bowed & tourned inwarde, as he runneth awaye, letteth fall hys dounge, wherwith, as with fyre, he burneth suche as pursue after hym and happen to touche it. In lyke maner you syr, forasmuch ye know, ye ar to weke in any of their hādes, & to make youre partie good, if the matter shulde come to open triall by learnyng, it lyke you well at least to shyte in theire wayes, as the cōmen phrase is, & cowardly by hynde their backes in corners, with your repro­chefull & slaunderous reportes ex­tenuate their estimacion and name, in all that ye can. I can not tell what els I shuld thynke herein, but that, as a certen kynde of Mares, writeth Columell, beholdynge their owne forme and figure in the water anye tyme, runne afterwarde mad: Semblably you are so far in loue, and dotage with the Impe ye haue [Page]now delyuered Pe rinde ac si ex ouo prodiisset, y ^t ye ar nexte dore to mad­nesse, in which your rage, ye fauour nor frend ne foe: but barke & byte as venemously as ye cā, at al especially suche as fauour not the byrth of the same your fayre babe: As I am sure Sar. Cont. Pellic, with their lyke do not, but vtterly detest & abhorre, as al godly writers do that euer wrote. Therfore where as ye saye ye haue not Taken or borowed your opinion of them or their lyke, whiche ye e­steme no better then synkes and gut­ters. I do beleue it well: for none of them are Authours of fauorers of suche blasphemy, how so euer thei can clere them selfes in other poyn­tes. Wherhēce thē was it engēdred, saye on? Ex sacro fonte: Of the sa­cred fountayne ye saye: What? of Christes holy Testament, yea, so ye meane: but the deuil it was as sone: [Page]For none suche wycked generacion I know, can sprink forth frō thence, out of what sacred fountayne then a Gods name? Of the sacred foun­tayne Styx, that infernall lake I trowe, called Fons sacer, in the sense that Virgill the Poet sayeth: Auri sacra fames: .i. The sacred hunger of golde: that is to say, the cursed and damnable hunger or de­syre of Golde. So that of the sa­cred fountayne, which is to wyt, of the damnable and cursed fountayne called Styx, runnyng beneth in hell (as Poetes fayne,) I graunt you, fyrst engendred this your deuelyshe chett: wherof it was your chaunce to take a drafte that Belsebub or some other of the rable had brethed on before, and infected with theire poyson: which made your bellye to swell vp with this foule hel hounde: As it happened lykewyse to youre [Page]predecessoure Arrius, preest in the Churche of Alexandry, the yeare of our Lorde. CCC. and .xx. who was the fyrst Dadd and parent of this impe, now eftsones buddynge and springyng vp through your engen­dryng and trauell: and as he then, so you wolde gladlye nowe father it vpon the holy worde of God, to the ende it might prosper and come for­warde the better, and the people by suche pretence allured, shulde cull & coll, embrase, and make much of it: as thought it were the true fruite of that holye worde. But ye are foule deceaued, syr: your carde of .x. can not out [...]ace vs so: for we know what ye haue in youre hande as well as your selfe. Ye may not looke ther­fore to spede better then he that went before you, of whom I shall more largelye speake afterwarde. If he at that dayes was founde what he [Page]was, and by the whole Councell of Nicene (whervnto the Emperoure Constance the greate with. CCC. and .xviii. Bishops was assembled) condemned as an heretike, his opi­nion iudged to be of the deuyll and not of God: Looke not you harde­ly for any better successe or fortune, especially now in these dayes, vnder great EDWARD, whose yeares not so matjure as Cōstancynes: Yet in Grace & Vertue as great: in all iudgement as rype to descerne suche wycked & bastarde wares from the sincere and pure Merchaundes of Christ is holy testamēt: Who inces­stantly laboureth daily to wede out, banysh & extincte all suche wycked­nesse from his people, and the same to enstruct with the vnfallyble rule, how and by what marke and token they may certenly knowe, auoyde, & detest all suche as ye are with youre [Page]fruites of iniquitie, tho they be fa­ced and coloured with neuer so gret holynesse.

This Mayden Kynge, Noble EDWARD Securis rationum ve­strarum (as Demosthenes was wont to say of Phosion toward him selfe­ward) the ax of al your wycked pur­poses, cutteth downe faste by he roote, what so euer is not planted vnder the commission and warrant of Iesus Christ: but let vs see what foloweth of yours.

TO whiche sacred founten, iust and right faith ought to cleaue and leane, in all contrauersyes tou­chyng Religion, chiefly in this poynt whiche seemeth to be the pyller and stay of our religiō: where it is called into question concernyng the inuo­cation of sayntes, or expiacion of soules: A man may err without great [Page] daūger, in this point being the groūd and foundacion of our fayth, We may not err without damage to religion: I call that true religion whiche in­structeth mās mynd with right faith, and worthy opinion of God. And I call that right faith, which doth cre­dit & beleue that of God, which the scriptures do testify not in a few pla­ces, & the same depraued & detort in to wrongsense, but as ye wyll saye, throughlye, with one and the same perpetuall tenor and concent.

GREAT Alexandre, kynge of Macedonie, what tyme diuers persons had hyghly commended the frugalitie & spare maner of liuynge that Antipater vsed, who leade a life homely, voyde of delices: Yea (ꝙ Alexander.) Foris albo vtitur pallio Antipater, intus vero totus purpura­tus est. That is to saye: Antipater [Page]weareth a whyte robe outwardlye, but within he goeth in purple euery inche of him. Notyng the consera­ble sparyng of the sayde Antipater: where as in very deede he was, that notwitstandyng, as ambicious and stately as the best. The lyke hipo­crisy & coulerable handlyng (gentle reader,) but in a hygher matter, this felow presently vseth to deceue, seduce, and intrapp thy simplicitie. But feare not to say, or beleue it w ^t out saiyng, that he weareth a white robe, outwardly, but within, he is dashst vp in purple euerye ynche of him: that is, he beareth the in hand with hys outwarde wordes that he is an honest plaine man and a good Christian, and yet notwithstanding in veray deede he is a great hereti­call blasphemor agaynst Christ, e­uery ynche of him. If naked wor­des ought only to be weyed, and ex­pended [Page]as sufficient testimony and triall of a man, who better christian then this man, whose wordes in this place, sounde as godlye as any can be spoken: But good Christian re­der, I exhort & councell the agayne and agayne, for the loue of God take heede of suche false prophetes: Tho they speake and glose neuer so fayre, tho the scripture drop oute of their mouthes neuer so thycke, yet I crye, take heede: weygh and con­syder with thy selfe well, to what ende & purpose their plesaūt & faire talke, their mouthes full of scrip­ture do tende: and then, by grace ye maye anone fynde them: saye vnto your selfe as Phosion sayde vnto the people of Athens, beyng very brag vpon the heresay or brute of Alexan­der his death: If he be dead to day ꝙ Phosion, he wylbe dead to morow also, & so furth, &c. If it be true that [Page]they tell you, it wyll be styll true: folowe the prouerbe: Festina lente: This hast spedeth best whē al other hast maketh wast.

Beholde howe iolylye thys man preacheth to vs nowe in this place. Ryght fayth must leane (saythe he) & cleaue to the Worde of God: That is well. The scriptures must try and decide all contrauersyes touchynge true Religion: That is well. Trew Religion is that whiche instructeth with right fayth and worthy opiniō of God: And that is well. Ryghte fayth is that which doth beleue and credit that of God, which the scrip­tures with one concent throughout, do testify of him: Wonderous well. Finally, he improueth such as doo depraue, detort, and wrest the scrip­tures into wronge sense: all this is meruelously well spoken: yea, nor Paule neither Peter taughte better [Page]doctrine: Sed fugite hinc pueri, later anguis in herba.

Marke, gentle Reader, to what ende & purpose all this geare goeth, and then thou shalte well perceaue both, Actu. 8. ꝙ illi nō est sors i sermone isto, that he hath no parte in the tale told by him (as Paule sayde to Symon Magus) & how that all this whyle also, he laieth but whiles to deceaue the: he setteth thy teeth an edge with a pleasunt bayte, the rather to take thee with the hooke whiche yet thou seest not: For is it not his purpose & intent to perswade thee, that Christ was but a creature, a passible man, and not God, equall to his Father in his deuine nature? Yes for soth: and is not this cleane contrary to al scripture, true Religion, and ryght fayth? Nothyng more contrary, as it shal apeare afterwarde, Yet now he wolde make thee beleue that he [Page]wyll decide thys matter by the scip­tures, accordyng to right fayth and true religion. O plene omni dolo & omni falacia sili diaboli, & inimice omnis iusticiae non desinis vias domi­ni peruertere rectas? Acto. xiii. O full of all subteltie and al deceatful­nesse, Ictu. 13, the chylde of the deuyll, and ennemy of all righteousnesse, ceasest thou not to ꝑuert the streight waies of the Lord? Could Paule trow ye speke this sentēce then to Elimas y ^e sorcerer, so wel & truli, as I mai now sai it to you, which ꝓmised to folow the right menyng of y ^e scriptures [...]o cleue to ꝑfect faith, & true religion. And by & by contende & labour with all your might to depraue the scrip­tures, to ouerthrowe the Christian fayth, & suppresse religiō, with your most detestable and cursed blsasphe­mye agaynst thauctor of all three?

Suche is the trust and policie of [Page]heretikes: firste to premit a fayre paynted tale or thei approch to their wycked purpose, faced and set forth with all holynesse: therwith to tickle the eares of suche as heare them, to thende they shuld not mistrust their prosses ensuynge, whiche in the be­ginnynge premyse so godlye. But Christen Reader, thou hast learned by datlye experience, that all is not golde, which glystereth: And euery tree which doth floure and blossome fayre to the eye, yeldeth not the best fruyte in thende. Therefore be not deceaued with their false and coun­terfayte trash, tho it shyne and gly­ster neuer so bryght to your eye: Be not in loue with their fruit, tho they floure & blossome neuer so freshlye, They ar very liberal good felowes, they wyl not stycke to gyue you the byeng of thone, and a large taste of thother, if you graunt to be a chep­man [Page]of theirs: But good Christi­ans forsake all, and then ye shall be [...]ure to be the greatest gayners: re­fuse all, and then shall ye cary with you the best part, which these kynde of merchauntes wolde spoyle from you: the kyngedome of heauen I meane, whiche is yours by inheri­tage, through the precious purches [...]f Iesus Christ, and ye can not be [...]efeated therof, as long as you con­ [...]new constaunt in the fayth of him. Therefore folowe you the ploughe [...]arnestly, vppon which ye haue set [...]our handes: and looke not backe: [...]hat ye be not founde vnmeete for [...]hat kyngdome, Luke. i [...]. Nullus enim qui [...]anu superiniecta aratro retrorsum [...]ertit oculos, idoneus est ad regnum [...]ei. i. For none that putteth his hād [...]p the plow, & loketh backe, is fit for [...]e kyngdome of God, sayth Christ. [...]ut tell forthe your tale good syr.

WHAT the scriptures do wit­nes of God, it is cleere and manyfest ynoughe: for fyrst Paule to the Romās declareth that he is euer­lastynge, and to Tymothie inuisible and immortall, to the Thessaloniens lyuing and true. Iames also teacheth that he is incōmutable, whiche thin­ges in the olde lawe and Prophetes likewise are taught infixed, inculcate so often, that they can not escape the reader: And if we thinke these Epi­thetous not vaynelye put, but truely and profitably adiecte, and that they agree to god, And that we must not beleue him to be God, to whome the same agree not? We therefore cal God (whiche onelye is worthy this name and appellacion) euerlastynge, inui­sible, incommutable, incomprehensi­ble, immortall, &c.

HEtherunto ye haue talked at pleasure, and roued a brode at Randon as they say: Now at length ye approch to the matter, and pricke towarde the marke of your purpo­sed entent, but so nyghe that a man may syt at the white with Diogenes without daunger of hytting. Ther­fore I wyshe the, good Christian re­der or I go further to sit hard at the white of Christes deuinitie iwth me, whereat this felowe dothe nowe le­uell aswell as he canne, to perce the same through: And then I warrant the. But if thou mislyke this stan­dynge, and beynge in feare of hur­ting, shrynkest away, and so chaun­geste thy place, then thou runnest wylfully into thyne owne destructi­on: for suche is his cunnynge that tho he shutteth to hit the marke, yet he mysseth the wole but euery tyme: and his shafte lyghtethe emongest [Page]them that stande a loofe: Therefore I say stand euē as nyghe the marke ye can: and beleue assuredly that it standeth in suche place, as it is not for him or any other (though he had the cunnynge and strengthe of the whole world) to deface, perce, or dis­figure it by any maner of meanes. This if thou do, my lyfe for thyne: thou shalt be not onely in sauegard out of all daunger, but also merelye beholde, the farre wyde, to shorte, or ouer shotyng of him, and laughe at the same, to thy great comforte and solace, to his and others no smal re­buke, shame and confusyon, that feare not to attempt such hyghe en­terpryse, whiche to atchyeue, al wit lacke skyl, al strength want might. And muche les this yonge nouis is of force and power suffyciente and able ynough to the same: whose At­tyliery I assure the Chrystian Rea­der, [Page]to put the in more comforte, ex­cide not the nōber of .iii. or .iiii. cro­ked shaftes, and they so weke fethe­red, so blunte and dull headed, that they can nother flee any thing shifte, nor perce wheresoeuer they lyghten: besydes that his bowe is dull, his string woren, his arme to to weake, not able to drawe any length at all: Onely he hath a pretye cast to make his arrowe by rufflinge the fethers, to giue a yolye sound in the Ayer, to thende the simple and rude men that stande bye and heare it, may therby beliue him to be a cunning man and a great doer, and so to perswade thē to bette on his syde, and become his skolers: but out of dought his cun­ning is no greater, his stuffe no better then I haue tolde the. But now, to come out of this metaphor, and to leaue the gentle Reader a whyle with this watche worde, I wyl con­uerte [Page]my oracyon and talke o the master of the game, who of that ly­tle store, beginnethe nowe to loose forth one of his Arowes, against the whyte of Chrystes deuinitie, and thus he saithe.

WHAT the scriptures do wit­nes of God, it is cleere and manifest ynoughe and so forthe as is aboue rehersed.

WHat so euer the scriptures in any place do testifie of God, that same am I wyllyng with al my might euermore to defend and teach And what soeuer your selfe shal ga­ther, maynteine, and teache oute of the same holye scriptures ryghtlye vnderstanded, touching God, or any other Godlye matter I wyll neuer withstand or againe say you therin: I wyll not contend agaynst you for [Page]vpholdyng and iustifying the scrip­tures and such truthes as ar therein expressed: And therefor I do gladly and euery good Christian, doothe with me acknowledge and graunte no les then ye haue in youre former wordes brought in: for the scriptu­res beare wytnes that it is veraye true. Conserninge the Eternitye of God sondry places as wel in the old as in the new testamēt make p layne relacion. Deus eternus dominus qui creauit terminos terriae & non dificiet: God saith Esaye the Lorde euerla­stinge, Esaye. xi. whiche created the lymittes of the yerthe, and shall not decaye: Paul to the Romans. x. Chapiter. Rom. xvi Iuxta delegacionē eterni dei in obe­dientiam fidei. &c. At the commaun­dement of the eurelasting God, for setting vp the obedience of fayth. &c. with many other places. Sembla­bly dyuerse texes euery where in the [Page]Scriptures to be readen, shewynge and declaring his glory, power, and diuinitie to be euerlasting, do neces­sarylye inferre and proue God to be euerlastinge also. As in the fyrst of Peter and. v. Chapiter. Per. v. Qui vocauit nos in eternā gloriā suam. i. Which haue called vs in to his euerlasting glorye. Rom. i. And Paul in the first to the Romans (as ye touched the place to fore) syath, eterna eius potentia & di­uinitas: Euerlastynge is his power and dyuinitie.

God also is inuisible ye say, and I say the same with you, for as saith Iohn̄. iiii. Iho. iiii. Deus spiritus est: God is spirite: then no corporall thinge, no materyall substaunce is God. And hauing no body, he can not be seene, but is inuysyble to all bodelye eye. Where it is reade therefor that god spake to Moyses face to face. Exodus. xxxiii. And other the lyke sentences in the By­ble [Page]the absuroytie of the sence doth shewe, that we may not vnderstand it simplelye and as it lyeth, for God hath no face: But we muste take it by comparyson, as thereby tunder­stande and gather, that Moyses knewe God more euidentlye then o­ther. Lykewyse where Iohn̄ saythe Videbimus eum sicu [...]i est. We shall se him as he is, it is to be taken and vnderstanded thus, that we shall see and perceue him herafter more bet­ter and more lyuelye then we nowe do: that is to wit not by faythe, nor throughe the vele of obscure and darke similitudes: nether in y ^e glasse of thinges creat. But then we shall beholde and see the creatures rather in God him selfe, as the Angels do.

Againe God is lyuing and true: I confesse, he is lyuing and euer ly­uing by reason he is eterne & immor­tall, he is true and euer true, & truth [Page]it selfe, whose wyll is not chaungea­ble, nor mutable, Omnis homo men­dax: Man onely is vntrue: whose minde euery houre for the most part doth ebb and flowe: neuer constant.

Fynally God is incommutable, I do nat denye: For I haue sayde that God is no chaungelynge, he is euer as he is, as he was and as he wyll be: Tho some nowe a dayes gyue hym a newe dysgised lyuerye euery day, and frame his holy word and testamē as a shyp mans house to serue theyr wicked purposes, & to mayneteine their folye howe so euer they lyke or mislyke Yet God I say and his worde oth incommutable. Iat. 1. Apud quē non est transmutacio, nec vicisitudinis obūbratio: With whōe saith S. Iames is no variablenes nether is he changed vnto darknes. Saint Austen in his boke De crea­tura tern [...]eth him bonum incommu­tabili. [Page]And Dauid wytnesseth of him sayēg. Psa. ci. Mutabis ea & mutabūtur, tu autem idem ipse es. i. Thou shall change that thynges and they shal­be chaunged, but thou arte euer the selfe same.

And therfore S. Austen wryting vpon the Geneses, Aug. sup Genes. sayth thus: Deus nec per loca nec per tēpora mouetur creatuta vero per loca & tempora. That is: God, nor by places nor by tymes is moued, but the Creature both by places & tymes is moued. To be moued by tymes is meaned, to be altered and chaunged by affec­tion: but God, nor by place nor by tym canne be immuted, altered, or chaunged, Mala. 3. hym selfe saiynge by the Prophet: Ego DEVS & non mutor qui est incommutabilis solus.

of these properties agreable to the God head, S. Austen in manye places reuerently maketh mencion: [Page]but of many, one or .ii. places to re­herce shalbe ynoughe in this place. Deus solus inuisibilis, solus imensus, solus incircumscriptus, L [...] de es­sen [...]n di crin [...]acts solus immu­tabilis, solus incorporeus &c: God is (saythe he) alone inuisyble, alone vnmeasurably greate, alone incir­cumscript, alone immutable, alone bodyles, agayne.

Deus spiritus natura simplex, Quest. do ui et v [...] ­ter [...]e V [...] sta. [...] lux inaccescibilis, inuisibilis, infinitus, perfectus, millius egens, eternus, im­mortalis, &c: That is to saye, God as a spirite, of nature simple, a light ammarcessible, īuisible, infinite, per­fecte, wanting nothing, euerlasting, immortall. &c.

This far I haue labored to con­firme youre woordes and assertion towchynge the proprytes belongen to God: and haue not dysagreed from you herein gladly confessynge with you that god is inuisible, euer­lastinge, [Page]lastyng, liuyng and true, immortal, and incommutable. And all these epithe [...]ous, to agree as the deuine nature, & that none is true God, vn­lesse the same be īuisible, euerlasting &c. Now let vs see what ye inferre.

AND if Iesus Christ, euen he wbiche was borne of Marye, was God, so shall he be a visible God, comprehensible, and mortall, which is no counted God with me, ꝙ great Athanasius of Alexandrye. &c.

THE tree named Tilia writeth Plinie, hath a plesaunt ryne or barke, and a leafe, in tast delicate ynough: but his fruit is suche, that no beast vouchsafe ones to touch it, so vnplesaunt and noughte it is. I prophecyed, afore good soth, that af­ter so fayre floure & blossome (good syr) wherwith ye mustered so freshly [Page]and so tymely, ye wolde at lengthe yelde the lyke frute, as ye nowe per­forme, altogether vnplesaunte and nought, good for no ende, but to put vs out of dout, that the tree is wor­thie to be cutte doune, and to be cast into the fyre, as Christ byd. Is this the fruit of the right fayth, of true religiō, which ye promised to folow? Hath the holy scripturs taught you to conclude thus, to whiche ye pro­mised to leane and cleaue, withoute wrestyng and detortyng the same to wrong sense? Haue ye tryed oute of the sacred founten, the streme wher­of ye promysed so faythfully to en­sue, without troublyng and pudling the same, or that there wer more Ie­sus Christes then one, that ye come in with your: Euē he which was. &c. Or that Iesus Christ borne of Ma­ry, was not God? Ye haue doone your wyll, but ye haue not perfor­med [Page]your promyse.

To answere you shortly. I deny the argument: And say that Christ is God: notwithwandynge he was here amongest vs, visible, and mor­tall. &c. Yet is he no visible God. Neuerthelesse, true God is he, was, and shalbe euerlastingly, inuisible, incomprehensyble, and immortall. To him that is fleshly and carnal in his vnderstandyng, veray harde it is to conceaue how this may stand. Our senses can not comprehend the truthe in this matter. Wee muste therfore cleaue to fayth only for tri­all herein, which easely amounteth vs vp into this tower of vnderstan­dynge. We must suspende reason, for it worketh treason to all Godds Misteries: it reasoneth not worth a fygg in all such poyntes. We ought therfore I say, in fayth and spirite, to learne the knowledge of Iesus [Page]Christ, not by reason & wyt, Other­wyse we shall be deceaued, & proue our selfes at length to be very arch­doltes, whē we thinke vs to be most sure, and beleue vs to be most wyse. Wherfore natural iudgement & car­nall reason serte a parte: let vs be­come scolers to fayth, vntyl we haue well learned this lesson. And fayth wyll teache plainly what euery true Christian is bounde to thynke and beleue herein: She wyll teache vs to beleue stedfastly, that Iesus Christ is true God, not made, but whiche was from the begynnyng equall to God the Father: agayne, that Ie­sus Christ was true man, borne of Mary, styll Virgin: & that he dyed on the Crosse to redeme mankynde, beyng lost through the fal of Adam: and that he rysed a gayne the thyrde daye, accordynge to his promesse, Conqueror of death and synne: and [Page]that he now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, a continuall so­licitor for all that beleue in him.

Fayth wyl teache vs also that there be .iii. distincte and seueral persons: the Father, the Sonne, the Holye Ghost: yet no .iii. Godddes, but one God all .iii. and all .iii. one God, This is one parte of Faythes doe­trine, to hyge for our carnall senses to reach vnto. And the it soundeth muche agaynst our reason to thinke it true: yet it maketh all with oure saluation, to beleue it most true,

And albeit right nowe good syr, ye promysed to folow right fayth, and the true vnderstandyng of the scrip­tures: yet canne ye not brooke thys geare: but earnestlye contende that there is no suche thynge because your eye, and other your corrupte senses tell you that he was here in a visible forme, and that he dyed. &c. [Page]whiche is not to be founde in the de­uine nature ye say: and I graunte forsothe that God is inuisible, and immortall, and that in no wyse the Godhead canne be seene, or dye. I graunte lykewyse that Christe was here seene in the worlde, lyke a man, and that he dyed: yet fayth byddeth me to saye and a byde by, that Iesus Christ is God, notwithstandynge that visibilitie and that mortalitie. If ye aske me by what rule I proue this: very by the rule that neuer squareth, not of mans inuencions, but of the worde, wherof, the truthe it selfe is author Iesus Christe, the true naturall and only sonne of god the father, and in him self true God and man: he and his woorde be all one: he can not lye, and hys worde can not be false: his worde beareth wytnes that it is so: and fayth ther­fore requyreth me to beleue it with­out [Page]further question. Herken ther­fore and I shall tell, how the scrip­tures in many places doo testifye of this truthe: and to begynne at the old law, I rede in the .xxv. Psalme. Psa. xiv. Et concupiset Rex decorem suum, quoniam ipse est Deus tuus, & adora­bis eum: The Kynge shall requyre his beautye, for he is thy God: and thou shalt worship him.

And in the .ix. of Esaye. Esay. ix. Paruulus natus est nobis, & filius datus est uo­bis, & vocabitus nomen eius DEVS fortis, Pater, eternae vitae: A lytle one is borne to vs, and a sonne is gyuen to vs, and his name shall be called mightye God, father of euer­lastyng lyfe. In the fyrst of Iohn, Ioh. i. In principio erat verbum, & verbum erat apud deum: In the beginnyng was the worde, and God, Tues Christus filius dei viui. Mat. x. was the worde. In the .xx. of Iohn, Tho­mas sayeth: Dominus meus & Deus [Page]meus .i. My Lorde, my God [...] And S. Collo. ii. Paule in the seconde to the Col­losians writeth of him thus: I [...] quo hahitat omnis plenitudo deithtis corporalis: that is: In whom abydeth all fulnesse of the Godhead corpo­rally. The .ix. Rom. ix. to the Romaynes: Christus qui est Deus sup omnia, lau­danus in secula: Christ whiche is God ouer all thynges, blessed fore­uer. These places of the scripture do playniye declare and shewe that Christ is God. Agayne, who is e­uerlastyng but God: Christ is euerlastyng, & therfore true God. Ante luciferum genui [...] [...] That is: Psal. c.ix I saith God the Fathe [...] haue begotten thee before all begynny [...]g and withoute begīnyng. Saint Iohn recordeth the same: Iohn. i. In principio erat ver bum: In the beginnyng the worde was: It followeth to make the matter playne: Et ver bum erat apud Deum, [Page]et deus erat verbum omnia per ipsum facta sunt: .i. And the worde was with God, and God was the worde, and all thinges was made by hym. Yf al thing was made by hym then it foloweth, that he was not made: if he be not made, then accordyng to saynt Austen he is no creature: if he be no creature, he is of the same sub­staunce and essence with the father: if he be of the same essence with the father, thē is he God euen as the fa­ther is. What can be more playnely spoken? And as I haue recyted a fewe places for the profe hereof, so coulde I alleage a nomber mo ten­dynge to the same ende: But ynoughe they saye is as good as a feaste. One proufe more I wyll adde hereto touchyng Chryst deui­nitie. And then I shall come to the partes of your argumente. In all the Scriptures throughe out euery [Page] [...] [Page] [...] [Page]where, we be commaunded to adore and worship, to inuocate, to put our trust and confidence in Iesus Christ With the same facte the Scripture dothe artrybute vnto Christe power infinite, that he is euery where, that he searcheth the hertes, heareth in all places, at all tymes the supplycaci­ons and prayers of the people, and that he rewardeth iustyce and lyfe euerlastinge. If this be so as it is not to be doughted the Scriptures bearing witnes to the same, as after ye shall here: Then of force it folo­weth that Iesus Christ is true god: and hath in hym the deuine nature. For no creature ought to be iniuoca­ted but God alone, no creature is euery where, but God alone: in no creature we ought to put our truste and confyde [...]s but in God alone? No creature sercheth the hertes but God alone: no creature can rewarde [Page]life euerlasting but God alone. And that Iesus Chryst oughte to be in­uocated, as he that can doo al, this the scripture is cleere.

Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis & onorati estis, et ego reficiam vos. i. Mat. xi. Come ye to me all whiche do labor and are loden, and I wyll refresshe you: This one sentence wer ynough to perswade vs that Iesus Chryste ought to be called on and inuocated as he that doth here vs eueri where, ayde and socoure vs euerye where. Whiche is for God onely to do.

Concupiscet rex decorem tuū quo­niam ipse est de tuus & adorabis eum: Psa. xiv. The king shall require his beauty: for he is thy God and thou shall ho­nor hym, Psa. 72. Et timebunt eum do nec e­runt sol & luna. .i. And they shall feare hym as longe as Soone and Moone shalbe.

Qui non honorat filium, non ho­norat [Page]patrem: .i. Iohn. iii. He that honorethe not the Sonne honoreth not the fa­ther. None worthye to be honored but onyle God: Chryst therefore is true God, [...]s [...]p ii. because he is to be hono­red and worshipped. In nomine Ie­su flectatur omne genu.

Qui credit in filium habet vitam eternam: Act. vii. He that beleueth in the son hath lyfe euerlastinge. [...], thes. iii. Domine Iesu suscipe spiritum meum: Lorde Iesu receaue my spirite. Ipse deus & pa­ter noster & dn̄s noster Iesus Christus dirigat viā nostram ad vos: .i. God hym selfe our father and our Lorde Iesus Chryste directe our iourney vnto you. ii. thes. ii.

Ipse Dominus noster Iesus Chri­stus & deus pater noster qui dilexit nos et dedit consolacionem eternam etspem bonam in graciam confirmēt vos: .i. The lorde Iesus Chryst him selfe, and God our father which [Page]hath louyd vs and gyuen vs euer­lastynge consolacyon, and a good hope throughe grace, comforte your hertes and stablyshe you. &c.

And in these and the lyke Testa­monies of the scripture it is spoken of the perpetuall and euerlastynge inuocacion of Chryst, yea when he is not visiblelye present and conuer­sant emongest men: Wherfore this adoracyon and inuocacion dewe to Chryst may not be vnderstanded of an ex [...]erne significacion of honor as the Iues cauell, suche as is exhibe­ted to one present in our eye, as to a king holdinge the Cyuyll imperie: But these sayenges doo preache of Messyas perfectlye and louinglye heryng the supplicacion of his peo­ple, in euery place at all tymes and seasons defending and comeforting the faythfull. And these are the pro­prietes of the omnipotent nature. It [Page]is therfore good and profytable for vs diligently to weyghe and cōsider this doctryne concerninge the inuo­cacion and adoraciō of Messias Ie­sus Christ. Which doctrine not only instructeth vs of Christes deuinite, but doth also greatly coumfort and solace vs, and vehemētly exuscicate and stir vp our hertes, to cal vpō hī.

For as muche therfore we ar re­quired by the scriptures to inuocate and cal vnto Chryst: let this consy­deraciō be euer frāke in our mindes that we must graunte and acknow­ledge deuine Nature to be in hym: Because the inuocacion of him whi­che is absent, whiche is not bodelye present doth argue his omnipoten­sie. For it letteth vs tunderstande that he can and dothe see the secrete motions and cōceptes of the hertes of men in all places: Whiche is for God to doo alone. Remember we [Page]also the example of the Churche so often repeting this prayer. [...]. i. Chryste haue mercye vppon vs, Chryste haue mercy vpon vs. This prayer is a manyfest profession of Christes deuinitie. Againe volue we often in our myndes the fourme of our bap­tyme whiche is the sume of the hole Gospell. Mat. vi [...]. In the last of Mathewe it is wrytten. Baptisans illos in no­mine patris & filij & spiritus sancti: Baytysing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the ho­lye ghost. Here are thre persons na­med, and to all thre lyke power and honor ascribed. The sence and me­nynge of whiche wordes, I baptyse the in the name of the father, of the son, and of the holye ghost, is this. I wytnes and testyfye the to be ac­cepted of the euerlasting father, and of the son, and of the holye ghoste, [Page]and throughe the mercy and power of them, to be delyuered from synne and death euerlastyng, and to be re­warded with ryghtuesnes and lyfe euerlastyng. Examine we the wor­des well and they lette vs to vnder­stande, that god the father is omni­potente, is to be inuocated. And for as much they do so muche attribute to the father: And seing the son, and the holy ghost are matched and ioy­ned with him in that honor, as lyke doers, Necessitie inferreth theyr po­wer to be equall and lyke, And their power beynge equall and lyke, out of question they be [...] as the grecians terme them, that is to saye of one essence and nature. Of which wordes also of Baptisme Basil that graue and Auncyente wryter dothe myghtelye contende the father, the son, the holy ghost to be [...].

Hereunto accordeth all the olde [Page]and graue fathers, whose autorytes and censures I wyll not alleage, to auoide tediousnes. Onlye one or .ii. places of S. Austen it shall not be frome the purpose to recyte, nor vn­plesaunt to the godly reader: whose iudgement vppon the scryptures is to be regarded muche more then youres is, for sondrye causes. This holye S. Austen made whole bokes in confutacyon of Arrius and other good bloodes of the same heare be­ynge heuye masters to Chrystes de­uinitie. And in all other his workes al most he taketh occacion somwhat more or les to speake of this truthe he sayth. Lib. de he [...]esibus. Cap. c. Ambo scilicet pater et fili­us eterni nec caeperunt esse nec desi­erunt: That is, both, as well the fa­ther and the son be euerlastynge nor began they to be, neather ende they: Agayne. Proprium est filij quod a patre genitus est, solus a solo, coeter­tus, [Page]& consubstancialis patri: Lib de in quisicone [...]tiuitaus That is, it is onelye proper to the son, that he was begotten of the father, a lone of a lone, coeterne, and consubstaun­ciall to the father. Li [...]. de trinitate. Cap. xxi, Sed plane siden­ter dixerim vnius erusdom (que) substan­tie patrem silium & spiritum sanctum: But I dare boldely saye the father, the son and the holye ghost, to be of one and the same substaunce.

In these fewe places S. Austen vttereth his opinion playnelye. And declareth him self to be resolued and out of dought cōcernīg this verite. In comparison what he hath written touchinge this mater, that which I haue brought of his, is nothing: yet ynoughe for the purpose presentlye.

Thus haue I, perfourmed the fyrst parte of my promysse in decla­ring by the scriptures y ^t Iesus Christ is true God. It remianeth now y ^e I shewe howe it standeth that Iesus [Page]Chryste beynge veray God (whose nature is, not to be seene not to dye, nor to suffer any affecte or passyon, wherunto the nature of man is sub­iecte as ye haue taught) was heare seene, suffered the Calamities of mā and fynallye dyed. Whiche thinge donne I shall I hope confirme and stablishe thy consciens (gentle Rea­der) in this hyghe mysterye of oure fayth, wherof thou art all ready per­swaded: perswade other that hether­vnto doughted: sufficiently answere to youre obiection: and wholye ac­complyshe my promyse.

Ye shall vnderstande therefore that in Christ are .ii. natures, thone deuine, by whiche he is veray God: thother humaine by which he is true man. That, he receyued of God he father without mother. This, he re­ceaued of Marye his mother with­out father: What tyme he dyschar­ged [Page]the veale of the lawe, leaded vs from fleshelye matters to spirytuall thynges: And wroughte the hyghe misterye of our redemption. Saynt Iohn̄ wytnesseth of bothe natures when he saythe. Iohn. i. Deus erat verbum, et verbum caro factum est: That is, God was the worde. And the worde was made flesshe. By the flesshe is meaned man: He calleth hym God, because he was in the begynnynge coeterne and consubstancyall with his father, as he in his Gospel pro­ueth by many stronge reasons, as after I shall more largelye declare. He calleth hī flesshe for that he came downe frome his heauenlye throne, and toke the nature of man vppon him for the saluacion of mankynde, in the appeasing his fathers wrathe conceued throughe the fal of Adam, agaynste all his posterytye. Iesus Chryst therfore hath .ii. Natures in [Page]hym one of Godheade, an other of manhead: yet Chryst not .ii. but one. Libra de vera in­nocentia. Ca. 347. Christus verbum est, illud caro est, il­lud deus est, illud homo est, sed vnus est Christus deus et homo: Christe is the worde sayth saynt Austen: that, fleshe is, that, God is, that, man is: But one is Christe, God, and man. In a nother place wryting to Peter he saythe the lyke, as he is muche in this matter euery where. Lib. defi­de ad Petrum. Cap [...]. x. Firmissi­me tene et nullatenus dubites dei verbum quod caro factum est, duas natu­ras inconfusibiliter permanere, vnam vero diuinam, quam habet cum parre communem secundum quam dicit ego et pater vnum sumus, alteram vero humanam, secundum quam ipse Deus incarnatus dicit pater maior me est: As muche to saye. Beleue stedfast­ly and in no case doughte the worde of God whiche is made fleshe, to re­mayne and contynewe .ii. Natures [Page]inconfuselye: thone deuine which he hath with the father common, accor­ding to which deuine nature he saith I and my father be one: thother ve­relye humayne, inconsyderacyon whereof he God incarnate saythe. The father is greater then I. He­therunto Sa [...]nt Austen.

Suche was the loue, mercy and kyndenes of Iesus Chryste our sa­uyour towarde mankynde, tha the beyng very God omnipotent wolde be made man, that man might be reconsyled to God: he veraye God wolde descende frome heauen, that man to heauen myghte ascende: He veray God, wholde be made the son of man, than man myght be made the son of God: He veray God im­mortall wolde be made mortal, that man condemned to death, myght be made immortall to euerlasting lyfe: He veray God and ryche, wolde be [Page]made poore, that man myghte be made ryche. Accordynge to the say­enge of Paul. Cum esset diues fact­us est egenus vt illius inopia diuites essem [...]s: .i. Where he was ryche, he was made needye, that throughe his nedines we might be made rich.

Nowe to the purpose: as in Christ there was two natures, whereby he was God and he was man: Lyke­wyse he had in him the proprietes of i [...], natures. The propryetie of his deuyne nature was, not to be seene, not to suffer, not to dye. &c. For God is inuisible, impassible, immortal as we haue to fore graūted. But being man also and hauinge the nature of man in hym, he had in hym he qua­lyties and effectes proper and inci­dent to the same nature, w hiche are, to hunger, to thyrst, to be seene, his members to be re [...]te and torne, to suffer, to dye. &c. Where therefore [Page]you frame youre Argumente thus. God is inuisible, and immortall, Christ was here visible and mortal. Therefore Chryst is not God.

This argument is not good, the reason not true: notwithstandyng, the maior is vndoutely trew, and can not be false: For tho Christ was seene, & was crucified to death, yet it foloweth not therfore, that Christ was not God: for he was both God and man. To your minor therefore I answere thus: Iesus Christ was God, and man: and in consideraciō he was God, he coulde not be seene, he coulde not dye: In consideration he was man, he myght be seene, he myght be mortall, as he was. This answere is sufficient, true, & catho­lyke. S. Peter is playne ynough herein, which sayth that Christ suf­fered in the flesh: And Ireneus wri­teth that Christ was crucified & ded: [Page] Requiessente verbo vr crucifigi & mo ri posset. 1. The worde restynge, to thende he might be crucified & de [...]d: which is as muche to say, as the de­uine nature in Christ, was not c [...]t and torne, was not crucified & dead, but was obedient to the father, re­sted, gaue place to the wrathe of the eterne father, cōceaued against mā, and wolde not vse hys power and myght. And this agreeth with S. Phs [...]. [...]. Paul, saiyng: Qui cum esset in for­ma Dei, nō rapuir equalitatē Dei. &c. In our Englysh tonge it soundeth thus: Christ which was in the shape of God, and thought it no robery to be equall with God the father, Ne­uerthelesse, he made him selfe of no reputacion: And beyng sent to obey the father in his passion, he wolde not practyse his myght and power contrary to his sendyng: bu [...] tooke on him the shape of seruaunt, [...]cam [Page]lyke vnto man: and receauyng with the nature of mā, mortalitie: he humbled himselfe, and was obedient vn­to death. This haue I sufficiently, and for the good readers contenta­cion I hope, answere this your first reason or argument, how so euer it shall content and satisfy your mynd. And haue veraye plainlye set before your eye, that Christ was true God, & true man: hauyng in him the na­ture bothe of God, & man. And that as he was God, he was not visible, not mortall: As he was man, he was seene, suffered the passion & affectes incident to the nature of man, and finally dyed. This assertiō, great Athanasius of Alexandrye dyd ne­uer impugne, but all his lyfe tyme w ^t al his myght furthered the same, and to the last day of his lyfe suffe­red greuous and sharpe persecutiō, & often in daunger of murtherynge [Page]through the malicious and wycked suggestions and deuelysh pollycies of Arrius and his companions, for vpholdyng and mainteinynge this veritie touchyng Christis deuinitie. Therfore, in my iudgement ye are muche to be blamed to alleage hym as a fauourer of that detestable he­resye. And for as muche thoccasiō in thys place ministred by you ser­ueth so well, I wyl note out of Eu­sebius, one or two prety feates prac­tised by Arrius & your predecessors, surnamed Arrians of Arrius, who was, as I haue tofore sayd, the first author of this blasphemy, the yeare of our Lorde. ccc, xxx.

This Arrius therfore after the Councell of Nycene, Euseb. li. iii. triper. hist. ca. xi the Emperour Constantius cōmaunded to apeare before him at home in his pallace, & examined hym whether he yet bele­ued according as it was agreed vp­pon [Page]in the Coūcell, or no: who with out delay subscribed the Decrees of the Councell, as though he beleued on the same. The Emperour requi­red him to take an othe vpō a booke if he beleued the said articles or not, Arrius, a man of a good large con­science, stycked not at all therat, but boldlye tooke an othe in thys sorte that he beleued as he had writē: ha­uing vnderneth his harmpyt priue­lye a scroue of paper, wherein he had writen his peculier sect and opiniō: By this crafte deludyng the Empe­rour, bearyng him in hande that he meaned the Decrees of the Coūcell, wher he thought nothing les. This was a prety deuise: but Gods pu­nyshment immediatly folowed. Af­ter he departed from the Courte, as he was to the way goyng, Euseb. l [...]. iii. Trip. hist. cap. [...]ii. beyng prouoked to the stole, in exhonoratynge nature, he powred out all his bolw­els, [Page]and so dyed and horrible death.

Now touchyng Athanasius (whō you, our late Arrian bringeth in, as one that fauored your sect) your pre­decessors the Arrians, practysed all the vilany, craft, and subteltye they coulde deuise and ymagen, not only to put him to worldly shame, but al­so to bryng him to confusiō: Of ma­nye their deuelysh touches. I wyll reherse one only, by that one, y ^t wyse reader may cōiecture the rest. These stout clerkes and holy men therfor, perceauyng that they were not able to make theire par [...]ye good by the scripture, and probable argument, but were euer confounded by Atha­nasius, the inuinsible, and inexpu­gnable bulwarke of the Catholyke veritie, dyd so irritate and kyndle the Emperour Constantius Ceaser agaynste him, with their malicious & wrong suggestiōs, that he streigth [Page]awarded out his cōmissiō to certayn that wer at Tyre, requiring them to make diligent enquyri [...], and strayte examinaciō of the sayd Athanasius his maners, and behauyours. Two principall crimes were layde to hys charge by the Arrians: one was, that he had by force rauyshed a wo­man: thother, That he had kylled a man, whose arme he shulde cutte of to worke enchauntmentes with all. To make the first accusacion good, they had hyered a meete woman for their purpose, that should come in, to face out the same matter. To proue thother, they had callen vnto them one Arsenius whylom Athanasius lectour: who fearyng the correction of his Master whome at a tyme he had offended, ranne his waye from him. This Arsenius, the Arrians had shut vp close in a chaumbre, to thende they might with fayth belye [Page]him to be dead: Arsenius notwith­standynge as sone as he perceaued wherabout they went, what mischief they wrought towarde Athanasius, or for that he abborred the facte, or els supposing therby to come in fa­uour agayne with his master Atha­nasius, priuelye by nyght conueyed him selfe away out of the chaumbre where he was hydden, and came to Tyre by sea, where his master Athanasius was, to whom he opened all the mater. Then Athanasius re­quireth Arsenius to hyde him self in some priuey place, vntyll he shulde be called forthe for the triall of the matter. The tyme is present, the company assembled, the iudges are sette, the Commission read, the wo­man apeareth, the beare of a deadde corse is brought in before y ^e iudges, the arme cut of from a deade man, beynge leide vpon the biere is vnco­uered. [Page]All do se and beholde it: and al at the fearefull sight therof, do de­test and condemne the crueltie of the deede. The woman nowe saithe her lesson without boke, whiche she had lerned before, of the Arrians: that she on a tyme receyued Athanasius in gestwise, and that in the night she was oppressed by him, and rauished againste her wyll. Athanasius is brought forthe to his answere, who as he was very holy, so was he a ve­ry wyity man also, as he whiche had accordinge to the lordes precept, conioyned admatched together the sim­plicite of the doue, with the prudence of the serpente: warned secretly Ti­mothie his prieste whiche was with him present, that he shuld aunswere the woman, as though he were Athanasius: for he knewe perfeictly that nor he had seene the woman, neither the woman him at any tyme before, [Page]When she had ended her tale, sayth Tymothe vnto her: Sayest thou woman, thou were rauyshed of me agaynste thy wyll perforce? Yea, ꝙ she agayne by & by with stomake y­nough lyke a woman: Thou, euen thou I say, in suche a place, at such tyme dydest contaminate my womā head and myne honestye by forcible meanes. Thus was her false accu­sacion pretely disclosed, thauctours therof shamfully disgraced, & dash­ed out of countinance. Yet was not good Athanasius acquyted, nor the woman punyshed for the slaunder, because the same were Iudges whiche were his accusers. They proceede to the seconde crime: Be­holde, saye they, the thynge it selfe speakethe, this is the arme of Arse­nius, to what purpose and ende thou hast cutte of the same, declare thou vnto vs. Then Athanasius asketh [Page]them wittely, if they knewe well Arsenius, whose arme this was. Dyuers of them answered that thei knew him by syght very well. Then Athanasius requyred, that it myght be lawfull for him to sende for a cer­tayne man, whom he needed to haue present at the matter: it was graū ­ted him. For brieffe, Arsenius is brought before them: whose face vn­couered, beholde sayth Athanasius, Arsenius is a lyue, beholde, here is his right arme, & here his left arme: Now whose arme this is, & to what ende it is cut of, declare ye: for you knowe, and so doo not I.

What here dooest thou looke for gētle reader that Athanasius shuld be discharged? Yea, he had ben rent and torne in peces by hys aduersa­ryes, had not Archelaus, one of thē which wer chiefly appointed to here this examinacion, plucked him out [Page]of their handes, and conueyed hym away priuely from them, More of thys Historye ye may reade in Eu­sebius: as there remayneth behynde muche more, worthye the readynge: this is ynough for my purpose, as therby to let the vnderstande, gentle reader, both what Athanasius was, & also what well disposed men Ar­rius and his companions were: such ar the tabernacles of heretikes. We haue none such now a daies I hope. No, in this tyme present, there are none that persecute Athanasius & his lyke: All is well now: the godly men are quiet: Christ and his are in safegarde: no body dothe persecute them now, no body dare openly, and maliciously slaunder, backbyte, dis­quiet and oppresse them now: euery great man now is become Archela­us, readye and willynge to defende the godlye and innocent men: to de­liuer [Page]them from the wicked assautes of their aduersaryes? But for the more playne and manifest declara­cion of Athanasius opinion herein. I shall adiect to the ende of this bo­ke the notable psalme that he made, called, Quicum (que) vult.

FOr if we be not able to cōprehend nor the āgels, nor our own soules which are thynges creat, to wrong­fully then and absurdly we make the Creatour of them comprehensible, e­specially contrary to so manifeste te­stimonyes of the scriptures. &c.

SAYNT Ciprian recordeth no lesse then ye haue sayd touching Gods incomprehensibilitie: And I subscribe to both your saiynges, be­cause ye say the truthe therein: HIs wordes be these: Quod si animae meae quae corporis mei obtinet pricipatū [Page] nec originem scio, Cipriani ad Corne lium de carnali­bus opec [...] b [...] christi in ꝑlogo. nec metior quanti­ratē nec qualis sit intueri sufficio. &c. Patienter me ferre oportet, si opera­torem vniuersitatis non intelligo, qui in minimis operationum suorum par­ticulis meam profiteor caecitatem: That is: If, syath S. Ciprian, I do neither know the beginnyng, nor measure the quantitie of my soule, which obteineth the souereigntie of my body, nor am able to vnderstand what thing it is. &c. I must pacient­ly suffre and holde me content, if I comprehende not, ne vnderstand the worker and onlye doer of all thyng, that is: which do gladlye professe & acknowledge my blyndnesse in the least particle of his workes. This is a playne truthe and confyrmed by dyuers manifest testimonies of the Sriptures. And I suppose the whole world thynketh no otherwyse of God, especially amongest Chri­stians [Page]I dare sai there are none that affirme the contrary. I meruel ther­fore what moueth you to pronounce of vs so, as tho we that beleue Christ to be veray God and man, shulde by the same meanes make God com­prehensible. If ye can make this to be a good argument: I beleue that Iesus Christ is both God and mā: Ergo, I make God cōprehensible. Ye see further in a milstone then I can or any man els I beleue: Yf I hadde bynne with you what tyme ye wrote that, I wolde haue knockt at youre elbowe to haue knowen that knacke for my lerynge. For it is incomprehensible to my reason, how your wytte can iustlye comprehende God therefore to be made compre­hensible, by cause Christ is god and man. This soundeth I dare avouch to euery Christian eare veray folysh and absurde. And as these reasons [Page]whiche hetherunto ye vse to ouer­throwe Christes deuini [...]ie be merue­louslye weake and slender, of no im­portaunce at all, euen so are all that afterwarde folowe, barran without substaunce, pythe or any good mat­ter: so that I may well saye of you, as a certayn Lacon said of a Nigh­tingall beinge carren leane without fleshe. Vo [...] tu es praeterea nihil: A voyce (ꝙ he) thou art, beside nothing Yet verelye I canne a lowe the pre­tye conueyaunce, bragge, and arte in whiche ye vse to make that youre nothynge seeme some thinge: euen as we delite in the dieserdes gesture and settynge oute his parte, yet his mater all together vnpleasaunte to eche honest and vertues man: Howbeit that wyl not helpe, for your no­thynge wyll come to naught, tho ye strayne your wyttes neuer so muche to make it some what. The Lorde [Page]was not retayned of your councell ini plantynge it: Therfore ye knowe what must folowe. But to the pur­pose. We that be true Christians do not make God comprehensyble: Yet by the Scriptures we compre­hende that Chryst hath in hym two natures one of Godhead thother of manhead. Wherby we comprehend in faythe that he is bothe true God, and true man: And being both God and man, that he comprehended in him the propryetes of both natures. By the qualites proper to thone our sences myght comprehende that he was man visible, and mortall: By the proprietes of thother our faythe appprehendethe that he was God, Creator of all thinges, essence inui­sible of any creature incomprehensi­ble, possessinge together with his fa­ther essencially al lyfe, al sapience al eternite, hym selfe beynge also lyfe it [Page]selfe, sapience it selfe, eternite it selfe, comprehending in him selfe al crea­tures in the worlde: And he com­prehended of none. For he is saythe Saynt Austen. Liber. iii. Cap. i. de trinitate. Sine qualitate bo­nus, sine quātitate magnus: .i. With­out qualytie good, without quan­tytie great. This is the faythe and assertion of the whole Christianitie. Howe commeth it to passe then, that ye shulde fasten this error vpon vs, as to make God a comprehensible thyng, seinge we affirme playnelye in manyfest wordes the contrarye. But thus goeth youre argumente, Chryst was here emongst men com­prehensible, Chryst was God, ergo God was comprehesible. And here­vnto ye add to vndo Christes God­head, and to saue hole Godes incō ­prehēsibilitie, that God by the scrip­tures is incōprehensible, therfore ye wolde conclude that Christ was not [Page]God, because he was comprehēsible.

To answer you briefelye, I say, Christ both god and man, in his hu­manitie was comprehensible, in his deuinitie incomprehensible. Againe by reasō of that vnion of ii. natures knit and ioyned together in the per­son of his godhead, as we may say, God dyed for vs, so may we truelye saye also, God is comprehensyble, both true touching the fleshe whiche he true God, receiued: his deuinitie remayninge styll, immortall and in­comprehensyble. And that Chryst had in hym .ii. natures whereby he was God and man: I haue al redy declared, but not so fuselye or as the mater permitted: or as I myght. In thone I shuld haue founde no ende, in thother I shulde haue byn to te­dyous. Yet I doughte not but I haue sayde sufficient therein for the Chrystyan Readers contentacyon. [Page]And as occacion shalbe mynistred, so wyll I more largely treate of the same in the processe ensuing. Nowe syr where ye contende that Iesus Chryst was a creature comprehen­sible, and therfore not the incompre­hensible creator, your reason is false bycause he was both, hauing in him ii. natures, one creat wherby he was man and a peered a comprehensible creature, the other increat, throughe which he was God, of all creatures creator incomprehensible, inuisible and immortall.

FOR howe may it be thought true religion whiche vnitethe in one subiecte contraryes, as visibilitie, and inuisibilitie, mortalitie and immorta­litie. &c.

THe rūnyng streame saith Plu­tarke, hath not any serten cou­lour [Page]but is euermore of that colour whereof the grounde is, whiche is subiecte vnto it. All heretykes most commonly are at the same pointe, e­uermore vnlyke them selues, at all tymes redye to chaunge theyr hewe and coloure, to saye and vnsaye as present occacion dothe serue. Or ye haue forgoten that whiche ye sayde in the beginninge of this your laste sentēce, or els ye vse to say one thing & thinke an other, other els because ye wyll not be condem [...]ned in any thynge, ye wyll abyde by nothynge that ye say: and this is a wyse touch ꝙ Wyll Somer. Dyd ye not ryght nowe affirme that god was incom­prehensible, that his workes, coun­celles, and wyll coulde not by any reason of creature, be comprehended searched, and knowen: dyd ye not in effect graunt al this euen in the line goynge before? And in your proces [Page]ensuing, are not these your wordes? (God is not comprehensyble of any create vnderstandynge, explycable with no speche)? And nowe that ye come in with youre howe may it be thought a true religion whiche vni­teth in one subiecte contraryes. &c. Is it not a playne declaracion that ye haue or forgotē that your former assertion, or that ye speke otherwyse then ye thought, or els that ye wyll abyde by nothinge no lenger then it may serue for your purpose? For by this your how. &c. do ye not graunt that God and his councell, is com­prehensible and subiect to oure vn­derstandinge, and therefore ye aske howe may it be true religion. &c. To thende ye wolde lerne howe and by what meanes Chryst coulde be both god and man, visible and inuisible, mortall and immortall. Trulye he that were perswaded that gods coū ­cell, [Page]workynge, and wyll are incom­prehensible in explycable, wolde ne­uer aske howe this or that myght stande with true religion, touching Gods misteris. For as muche ther­fore ye nowe aske howe, (and beinge in dought of the matter in deede, o­therwyse your howe myght be allo­wed) and tofore by grauntinge hym to be incomprehensible in all his do­ynges, dyd condemne such dought­full and curyous questyons, howe may it be thought the contrary, but your tonge can and wyl sound mere contrarieties touching one matter? But concernynge this questyon of youres: because ye be in doughte thereof in deede, you haue not wytte ynoughe to lerne the truthe thereof, and I lacke cunning to teach it you vnles ye firste beleued, and then ye wolde aske how, For I tell you, such howes touchynge gods instrutable [Page]mysteries, are nether laudable nor profitable, vnles it be in faythe. If ye be not in faythe, yf ye stedfastlye beleue not before ye aske how, your howe can not be resolued. Aske not howe with Sacarye lest ye receaue punyshement for your incredulytie. Aske howe with Marye the moste blessed virgin, and mother of Iesus Chryste: then ye shall receaue fruite of your question. She asked howe, but beleued firste, and therfore she receaued an Aunswere that conten­ted her. He also required howe, but beleued not, seekynge rather to vn­derstande, then to beleue, rather by argument to learne, then by faythe. And therfore in stede of an aunswere he receauid condingne punyshemēt for his vnbeleefe. Therfore my ad­uise and coūcel to you is, that ye ley a syde suche curyous and vayne in­quisicions concernynge Gods dys­pensacion, [Page]suspect your reason, for it wanteth right iudgement: mistruste your wyt, for it lackethe wysedome; condemne your sences, for they haue not experyence, to decide, iudge, and determine any one iote of gods mis­teries. Cuius sapiēcie non est inuesti­gacio: Esay. 40 .i. whose wisedome is in­uestigable sayth Esay. And as Hie­remy dothe wryte. Hier. 32. Magnus est con­cilio et incōprehensibilis cogitatu: .i. God is greate in councell, and in­comprehensible, in thoughte. And measure God and Godes councell accordynge to the rule prescribed in the holy scriptures: searche after the vnderstandinge of his wyll and do­ynges by such meanes, as he wolde be searched for: then shal ye attaine such knowledge of his Godhead, y ^t vnderstandyng of his wyl and cou­celles, as shalbe suffycient for your saluacion euerlastinge. In the olde [Page]lawe God dyd open and reuele him selfe vnto his people by worde and syngne, that is to wyt, by the voyce of the lawe and promyce of reconci­liacion gyuen vnto them: And also by wonderfull miracles amongest them at that tyme wrought, to thend they shuld not toose and tugge their braynes in vayne cogitacions and endlesse inquisicions what he was, howe and by what meanes he dothe this & that: but referre their myn­des wholly to this woorde and testi­monye. And by this woorde and te­stimony, tunderstāde how thei shuld acknowledge, honor, and inuocate that God, which opened him selfe to them by that worde and testimony. As in the fyrste precepte he byndeth them to the worde, which sounded to their eares in the mount Sina: and to the testimony exhibited in cōduc­tyng & leadyng them out of Egipt: [Page] Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus qui e­duxi te de terra Egipti: That is: I am thy lord thy god which brought the furthe of the lande of Egypte. He made with them also a promyse of a medyatoure that shulde come, throughe whome the worlde shulde be saued: Byndyng them to cal vp­pon that God which dyd leade them out of Egipt, and couenaūted with them of a medyatour. Nowe that mediatour beynge come, crucyfyed, and resurged, the lyght of the Gos­pell knowen, he wylleth vs to fyre our eyes, and set our myndes wholy vpon him: that by hym as most su­rest testymony we may knowe what God is, and his wyll. He leadeth vs directlye into the knowledge of the father: yf he leade vs not, we can not but straye al together out of the ryght path, we cannot avoide dark­nes, but wander therein to our vtter [Page]confufyon. Nether haue we nowe receaued a prerogatyue by Chryst, to be inquisitiue in Godes matters: to be curyous in searchynge out the causes of Gods operacions, & coun­celles as to try out what the deuyne nature is in it selfe, how God the fa­ther begatte the son Iesus Chryst, howe the holye ghost proceded from them both: Howe one Chryst could be bothe God and man: and howe this and that commeth to passe. Yea he condemneth suche speculacion in man vehemently, alloweth no que­styon to be moued in his hye myste­ries, especiallye out of fayth, that is to saye vnlesse we beleue assuredlye first the wordes of hym: as Marye dyd, for when Gabryell saluted her she replied, with these wordes. Quo­ [...]odo fiet esse istud: Luc .i. howe maye this be? Yet dyd she not mystruste or dought, whether it coulde come to [Page]passe or not: but beleued sertenlye, that it bothe myght and wolde be: consyderynge and faythfully crede­tynge all impossybilities to be most possible and veraye easye to hym; whose wordes sounded to her eares, contrarye to Zacharye, Nicodeme, and the Capharnites: Luc .i. Iob iii. Ioh .vi. Who in their incredulitie serched after Gods my­steries and thereby procured Gods displeasure vnto them, Philip was veray besy with Chryst, and requi­red hym to shewe his father: But Christ was with hym quickely, re­buked him, disalowed his question and reuocated his mynde from such inquisicion, saienge. Qui vide [...] [...] videt patrem meum: Ioh. xiii. .i. He that feeth me seeth my father: He wylleth vs not to comber our braines with such fon and vncerten speculacions. But earnestlye to leye hande on hym the true and naturall sonne of God the [Page]father: Before promised, and nowe exhybited vnto vs to our inestima­ble comforte, ioye, and solas, And by hym to knowe God, and the way to come vnto hym: for none knoweth God the father but by hym: none commeth to the father but by hym. Who so euer is a searcher of Gods misteries, with other instrument thē fayth and loue, by other meane then the son Iesus Christ he is opprest of his glory and (no otherwise, the if he had directely and intentiuely some­whyle looked in the son,) departeth as blynde as a haddorke: for as the scripture saythe. Tenebre eum non apprehendunt. Ioh .i. Nowe syr yf ye be at this poynte, yf ye wyll thus cap­tyue youre senses, and submytte your selfe to faythes doctryne: then aske of me howe .&c. And I dare teach you this lesson with many m [...] so perfectlye that ye shall not neede [Page]to dought agayne thereof. But yf ye wyll not leane hereunto, but wyl­fully and stouburnly persist in your folye, trustynge to your vnreasona­ble iudgemente, indescreete reason, and blinde senses for the determina­cion of such supernaturall matiers. I can no more preuayle in teaching you, then dothe the corke in vphol­dig the net that it may swyme aboue water, when so much led is annexed that it vyolently pull the same to the bottom: Where ye saye therefore, Howe may it be thought true religiō that vniteth in one subiecte contra­ries. &c. To make you an aunswere that ye may vnderstande. I replye vnto you with the lyke phrase, How may it be thought a true relygyon which techeth that a virgin brought forthe a chylde without the seede of man: If ye can make good this; ye canne not but admytte thother also [...] [Page]both beynge true for one consydera­cion. The worde of God telleth you that Marye conceaued and delyue­red a chylde withoute the carnall knowleage of man: and ye do be­lyue it: why? Because your reason can comprehende howe it may come to passe? No: why then? bycause the worde, ye wyll say, doth wytnes that it was so: lykewyse the same worde is a playne testymonye that in Ie­sus Christ were vnited .ii. contrarye natures thone inuisible and immor­tall, thother visible and mortal, why do ye not beleue it? Why dought ye more of the religion that teacheth vs the vnion of suche contraries in Chryst, then of that relygion which reacheth vs that a virgin brought forth a chylde: seyng both haue one and the selfe same grounde. Here your (howe) gyueth me occasyon to speake of the wonderfull myracles [Page]which Chryst wrought emongest vs. aboue al humayne reason, to thende this myght not seeme vnpossyble to your fayth, tho your wytte can not compasse it, that Iesus Chryst was bothe God and man: To whom be­inge omnipotent all thinge is easye and possible, be it neuer so difficult and impossible to mans vnderstan­ding and iudgement. But to avoide tediousnes I wyll not vse the occa­sion. As it is true and Godlye rely­gion which teacheth vs that Chryst did such miracles, so is it a true and Godly religyō to beleue that Christ is true God and perfecte man: for both were lyke possible to him. And of both we haue lyke proufe. By his worde we are assured, he dyd them: and by his word also we are put out of dought he dyd this. Thus haue I taughte you, howe it maye be thought true relygion whiche vni­teth [Page]contraries in one subiecte. And touchinge your principle of natural Philosophie, cōtraries can not con­curre in one subiect, I meruel much that ye wold vse it to try and decide the hie misteries of god therwith al. Howe be it I shulde not much mer­uell therat. For as the serpent called Amphisbena hath a head at both en­des, and vseth bothe partes in stea­de of a tayle, as it ly kethe him. In like maner such inconstant and wa­uerynge persons as ye are, nowe by this nowe that wayes doo defende your selues, applying euery thinge to your in tent: framyng the same to proue & improue as your fansy like. And as Hyena is sometyme a male somtyme a female: so ye one whyle ye be deuynes, an otherwyle Natu­ral phylosophers as ye perceue how your purpose may best succeade and go forwarde. But truly, as the peo­ple [Page]in Asya named Androgini do so, imitate bothe kyndes, that they be nor men nor women: euen so ye coun­terfeicte to pley bothe deuynes and Natural Phylosophers after suche sorte, that ye proue your selfes to be none of both. Where ye talke of re­lygiō of fayth, & gods misteries ye counterfect a deuyne. But where ye cum in with your contraryes in one subiect, ye speake foly shely, Phylo­sophycally I wolde haue sayde. A­gayne in that ye councell Natural Phylosophie for the declaracyon of deuinitie, ye bewraye your selfe, to be no deuine: And in that ye include the hygh & suꝑnaturall misteries of God within the circuite & compasse of Naturall Philosophie, ye declare your selfe to be no Philosopher, not knowynge that the dicyon and Li­mities therof extend no further then naturall matters. Thus whyles ye [Page]wolde be seene bothe a deuyne and a Phylosopher, ye shewe your selfe to be none of bothe. And as ye are neyther good deuyne nor cunnynge Phylosopher, accordynge to youre skyll in the one and cunnynge in the other, ye haue so vndescreately cou­pled deuinitie and Philosophie to­gether in this your sentence, that the fruite spronge of that compulacion is nor deuinitie ne Philosophie: but as the Mule engendred betwyx an Asse and a mare is nether Asse nor mare, so by this youre vnnaturall coniunction of supernaturality and Naturallytye togyther, yee haue brought forthe (but to youre selfe a­lone I hope) a fowle & prodigious monster, all vnlike to deuynytye, all vnknowe to Philosophy. As, That Christ is not GOD and man, accor­dynge to true Religion, because na­turall Philosophyes Rule is, that [Page]Contraryes can not be in one subiect. Perchaūce ye are mery of this talke well I wyll make an ende strayght waye. As ye can not reason Natu­ral Philosophie, by deuinitie so can ye not teache diuinitie, by Naturall Philosophy. In thone, faith admit­teth no impossibilitie to be: In the other, reason contendeth nothynge possible to bee, if by reason it be not comprehensible. In thone, faythe maketh all thing reasonable that is aboue reason. In thother, reason maketh all thyng incredible, which is not within reason. Therfore as in can not stande by naturall Philo­sophy, one thyng to be both visible & inuisible, mortall and immortall in one respecte, because contraryes can not be founde at once in one subiects by reason: So is it perfecte & true Religion by deuinitie to beleue that one thyng is visible, and inuisible, [Page]mortall & immortall, bycause con­traryes are vnited in one subiecte, contrary to reason.

IT IS laufull by many wayes to see the infirmitie of Iesus Christ whome Paule in the last Chapiter to the Corinthians, of the seconde epist. denyeth not to be crucifyed through infirmitie. And the whole course and consent of the euangelicall historye, doth make him subiecte to the passiōs of man: as hungre, thyrst, werynesse, and feare: to the same end lykewise, at swere anxietie, continuall prayer, the consolacion of the angell: agayn, spittyng, whypping, rebukes or chec­kes, his corpes wrapte in the lynnen clothe, vnburyed. And to beleue for sothe that this nature subiect to these infirmities and passiōs is God or any parte of the deuine essens: What is it wother but to make God mighty and [Page]of power of thone parte, weake and impotent of thother parte, whiche thynge to thynke, it were madnesse; & folly, to perswade other impieties.

ANACHARSIS saiyng was that the Athenians occu­pyed their money to no other ende; but to number: by the numbrynge vp & gatheryng togither these pla­ces of the scripture so nycely against Christꝭ deuinitie, may we not iustly thynke, good syr, that ye haue reade the holy scriptures to pyke out mat­ter & stuffe therhence, rather to mainteyne disputacion & talke, then for any other godly ende and purpose. If ye can denye this, how happened then, that ye haue heaped these sen­tences to gither, only declaryng the manhed of Christ, & haue not aswell alleaged one of so many, & manifest places euery where in the scripture [Page]to be seene, that necessarilye proue Christis deuinitie. It appeareth y ^t ye haue ouerseene the whole body of the new Testament: therfore ye can not pretende for your excuse that ye reade them not. But ye prefixed before hande with youre selfe what ye wolde do. And so ye reade the scrip­tures notte thereby to instructe you what ye shulde do: but therthence to embesell matter by violent wresting to supporte and vpholde you in that which ye wolde do: And after a pre­posterous ordre, forcyng the rule of Gods worde to agree to your folish fansyes & wicked purposes: And not framing & conforming your selfe to it. Ye haue mo felowes I graunt in this behalfe: yea so many, that if ye wer blyndfold, ye might easely fynd out as good as your selfe thereat e­uery where almost: yet your falt is not the lesse for that the feloship is [Page]so great. Your wyse reason that ye make nowe is thus:

That nature whiche is subiect to hu­mane passiōs & infirmities, is neither god, ne any part of the deuine essēce. But, by the Scriptures it is manifest that Christ was subiect to suche infir­mities: as hungre, thyrst, feare, & ce. Ergo, Chtist was not GOD: Well concluded and clearkely.

In deede that the nature subiecte to any infirmities and passions, is or God or any parte of God it were ex­treme folye to thynke, mere impietie to perswade other. But to beleue & perswade other that Iesus Christ is not therfore true God, because he suffered suche affectes and passions euen the same whiche ye haue indu­cretely rifeled togyther on a heape [...] it were intollerable folyshnesse, and more thā Iudaical impietie. I haue sayde, and now I say agayne, that [Page]by the Scriptures Christ was true God and man: hauyng in him both natures, as well the deuine as the humane nature, vnited & knytte to­gyther to the persone of his godhed miraculouslye. I haue also tofore said, that as he tooke on him the na­ture of man, so dyd he receaue the affectes & infirmities incident and naturall to the same: As with the fleshe (thone parte of his humanitie) hungry, thyrst, werynesse, morta­litie. &c. with the soule (thother part of his humanitie) anxietie, trouble, and feare with other the lyke. I de­uye not therfore that Christ suffered suche passions as ye tomble togy­ther: but in consideracion onlye of the humane nature which he recea­ued, and as man: beynge notwith­standyng true God, and hauyng in him the true Godhead: whiche was not at any tyme passible, was nether [Page]rent ne torue, was not subiect to hungre, thirst, colde, heate, myrth or sad­nes. &c. And altho he was omnipo­tent, equall to God the father in all power by his deuinitie, yet he wold vse such obediēce toward his father, suche mercy toward vs, that beynge very god, he refused not, for conten­taciō of thone, & reconsiliactō of the other, to put on our vile nature, and in the same to suffre all persecution, troble, & affliction, and finally most cruell death. For it was decent and meete, saith. [...]. Austen, That a medi­ator betwene god & man, shuld haue in him somthyng lyke vnto God, & somthyng lyke vnto man, ne in v­tro (que) hominibus similis longe esset a Deo, aut in vtro (que) Deo similis longe esset ab hominibus: ita mediator non esset: Lest, saith he, being like in both to men, he shuld be farre from God: or in both like vnto god, he shuld be farre from men, & so he coulde be no [Page]mediator. And therfore beynge true God with God, he wolde be made mā emongest men, Ad pasc [...] tium epi­stola. 174 Nō mutādo quod etat, sed assumēdo quod nō erat, sayth S. Austen: Not by dischargyng or chaūgyng that which he had, but by takyng vnto him that which he had not: And so became a mercifull me­diator berwyxte his Father and vs.

Therfore, as where we reade in the scriptures that Christ dyd anye thyng that was for God to do only, it foloweth not that he was not man therfore: So agayn, wher we fynde that he dyd hungre, & thirst, labour, praye, wepte, and slepte. &c, we may neyther conclude that he was not God by that: for he was God and man both: yet was he not .ii. but, i. And he, one, was perfect God, and perfect man: perfectly & absolutely, hauyng in him selfe bothe Natures with their propertyes, vnited to the [Page]person of his godhead, by reason of which personal vniō, many thinges confusely and without respecte had to the proprieties of the natures are spoken in the Scriptures of hym: whiche can not agree vnto hym but in consideracion of his Godheade: L [...]kewyse many thynges in many places are spoken of him which can not be applyed vnto him, but in cō ­sideracion of his manhed only: Ex­aumple of the firste wee haue euery where at hande, as that in Iohan, where he sayth: No man ascendeth iinto heauen but the Sonne of man which is in heauen. Christ was not in heauen at that tyme accordyng to his humanitie: it is therefore to be vnderstanded that he was in heuen then accordyng to his deuinitie: by which he is euery where, And of the other parte is that whiche s. Paule writeth: So God loued the worlde [Page]y ^• he deliuered his only begotten sun to deth, but accordīg to y ^• flesh which he had receaued: neither is he called the only begotten sun of God, but in cōsideraciō of y ^• deuine nature which was in hī: yea, this name Christ is a terme of humane nature: for he was not anointed with grace touchīg his deuinitie, no, nor touchyng the flesh whiche he dyd beare, but only accor­ding to the soule the one & the better parte of his humanitie.

Where as ye say therfore that we make God of one parte myghty and omnipotēt, of thother part weake & impotent: yea truly, in dyuers con­sideracions & respectes: if ye meane of God the second persone: the scriptures teching vs so to do, as ye haue harde: therfore it is neither madnes to thynke it, nor impietie to teache in other, as you affirme that it is: but muche is your madnesse, and great [Page]is your impietie, if ye do not thynke & beleue the same with vs. By rea­son of that personal vnion of the .ii. natures in hym, these proposicions be true in fundrye respectes: God is euery where: God dyed: God descē ­ded into hell. All three true if thei be ment by God the second person of y ^• deitie Iesus Christ, who very god & man is euery where accordīg to his godhead: who very God & mā dyed in consieraciō of his flesh: who ve­ry God and man descended into hell but accordyng to the soule: only the bodye lyenge dead in the sepulchre, Thus in diuers and sundry conside­racions ye see, we may truly and ca­tholikely say: that God dyed, with other the lyke phrases: As God is impotent and weak was ye bring it. Thynke and beleue therefore, and teache not the contrary: Otherwyse your impietie is muche, and great [Page]is your follye.

That the Christen Reader maye see euen as it were in a bright glasse your crafty and wycked iuggelyng in pickīg togither so curiously these places to improue Christ deuinitie, & not one of the great heape of most comfortable sentences, whiche are plenty & frequent in the scriptures, necessarily prouyng his Godheade: spoken of. To thende I say, the gra­cious Reader may well vnderstand your iniquitie, in this behalf it shal not be muche frome oure purpose to declare and open, howe that Christ as he was in the same persone god & man, so in all the dispensacion wher­in he trauelled the tyme of his con­uersacion here, we maye deprehende certen and manifest tokens, bothe of his deuine nature, and also of oure frayle nature whiche he receaued. And to begynne at his Conception.

He was conceaued in a womās wombe: Mat. 1. But by the holy ghost, an Angell beyng paranimphe, Luc. 1. & medi­ator betwene god & her: that was for mā: this was for god & y ^e son of god

He was borne certen monethes, he waxed within the priuy places of humane body: Mar. 1. But Not yet borne he is acknowledged Lord of Eliza­beth: aganised of Iohn, Luc. iii. preached of Zachary to be the Redeamer of the worlde, Mat. iii. spronge from aboue.

He is broughte forthe after the maner as man is into the worlde: But before all worldes, the same was begottē of god the father god.

He is borne of a womā: Heb. i. Mat. i. But Of a virgin without y ^e cōmixtiō of mā.

He is layd homly in a stal or ship cot: Luc. 1. But to him the Angell from heauen came singing melody meete for a god: Luc. 1. Mat. ii, him the bright shynynge sterre doth signifye: the wise men do [Page]adhore, Luc. ii. & with their Misticall pre­sentes, honor, in contempt of Herode

He is circumcised in his infansy: But of An and Simeon he is ac­knowledged euen then the lyghte of all nacyons, Luc. ii. the glorye of the peo­ple of Israell.

He fleeth into Egipt: Mat. ii. But the same dothe put to flyghte the Idoles and false Godes of the Egiptians.

He dysputeth with the lawers in the temple beynge xii. yeres olde: Luc. ii. But in that yonge boy the elders do wonder at thinges aboue man.

He required water beinge werye of iorneing: Iohn. iiii. Iohn. [...]. But at the mariage feast the same coulde tourne vnsauerye water into wyne of the best: the same as a God cryeth, Mat. xi. all ye that labour and are laden: come ye to me and I wyll refreshe you: the same promy­seth to all that beleue hym, Iohn, 4. the lyue­lye water leapinge or sprynkynge in [Page]to euerlastinge lyfe.

He is deept in water as a man: Mat. iii. But the same as God dothe sanctyfie the waters, [...]e [...]. 1.3 and maketh them effectuall to washe away al synnes of al men. He resortethe with synners to bap­tyme: Mat. iii But the same is hououred with the testymonie of Iohn̄, Iohn̄. i. behold the Lame of God whiche taketh a­waye the synnes of the worlde.

He was tempted: Mat. 4. But wyllynglye, but he ouercame it, & for our sakes, He was hungry: Mat. 4. But after fortye dayes, and the same dyd feede to the full many thousande of people with a fewe small lofes. Iohn 6.

He is caried in a bote: Mat. 8.9 But the same doth walke vppon the waters when he lyste.

He is heauye a slepe: Mar. vi. Iohn 6. Mat. 8. Mat. 8. But the same awaked mastereth the wyndes and sea: with the tourne of an hand, fo cruell tempest causeth greate tran­quilitie [Page]and calmes.

He payeth .ii. coynes of money: Mat. 17. But the same he toke oute of the fysshe whiche was shewed vnto him.

He is reported to be of y ^e deuil: Iohn. x. [...] Mat. xii. 8.9. But the same dothe expulse and propell all kynde of deuylles.

He enquireth what the inscription of the coine is, Mat. 17. as ignoraūt man: But the same as God that knoweth all thinges dyuers tymes answereth to the styll and preuey cogytacions of the Phariseis. Mat. ix. Io, 7.2.

He asketh where Lazar is leyde, Iohn. xi. as thoughe he knew not: But the same with his onelye vyce doth auocate Lazar out of his graue. Iohn. xi.

He is inuaded and hurled at with stones: But neuer touched. Io. 8.11.

He feleth the incōmodities of mans nature: But the same dothe cure and dyscharge all infyrmytyes and deseases raynynge in mans bodye. [Page]He is all be spytted, Mat. 27. Iohn. 19 and scourged: he hath no forme ne beautye in the eyes of men: Esa, 5 3. Eruct [...]. But the same appe­reth to Dauid beautyful aboue the sonnes of men: the same is transsy­gurate in the mounten: Mat. ix. Luc ix. Mat. 17. his face shy­neth aboue the brightnes of the sōne his garmentes passeth the whytnes of the snowe.

He appereth as man in the forme of a seruaunt: Phi ii. Mat. xx. But the same as God brandeshith in miracles. Mat. 26. Io. xviii. He is iud­ged of Cayphas, he is accused, he is styll as a Lamme: But the same beinge adiured by the lyuinge God, sayte, Mat. 26. hereafter ye shall see me syt­tinge at the ryght hande of the ver­tue of God. Beholde a manyfest voyce of deuinitie to syt at the right hande of God▪ is to be equall with God, none equal with god but God. He is lyfte vp vpon the Crosse: But the same there vanquished Satan: [Page]and ouer came synne.

He hangeth betwyx .ii. theues: Luc. xxiii. But the same to thone saith with a king­lye voyce: this daye thou shalte be with me in Paradyse.

He a bydeth much crueltye and ven­geaunce as man: But the same the da [...]knes miraculously spronge vp­pon the yerth do declare God.

He putteth awaye his soule: Iohn. x. But wyllynglye and the same had power to resume it agayne: The veale of the temple is broken, Mat. 27. the stones are clefte a sonder, the deade be relyued, all betokenynge God.

He dyed: But with the same death he restored lyfe to the worlde.

He is buryed in a close sepulchre: But the same resurgeth the thyrde daye immortall, the sepulchre not opened.

He descended into hel: But the same retourned tryumphantly bringinge [Page]with him a praye of muche pryce.

He is conueyed vp to heuen in a vi­sible bodye: And the same sendethe downe a Comforter by whome he dispenseth heuenly gyftes emongest men.

Thus in al the lyfe of Iesus Christ if any lyst to do as in his person wer dyuers natures, so shall he fynde e­uery where dyuers inuinsible argu­mētes expressed by Chryst him selfe, declarynge and prouynge both na­tures to be in hym. You then that coulde and wolde not note bothe as­well as the one sorte onely, is it not trowe ye more then a presumption, that tho ye coulde yet ye wolde not haue Chryst God? is in not a great lykelyhode that ye purposed rather to persecute Chryst, then to prose­cute the truth? As they do myghte­lye proue his humanitie: so do these necessaryly and strongly declare his [Page]deuinitie. And wyll ye be perswaded in thone and not in the thother? If one force, efficacye, and vertue be of bothe, why wyll ye not admyt both: If one Scrypture beare wytnes of both why wyl ye not teache both: If one Christ be authour of both, why wyll ye not beleue bothe: Admytte, teache, & beleue both: or one Chryst wyll condemne you in both: for be­leuinge thone in not beleuing: and for not beleuing thother, in beleuīg.

THE nature deuine is single, comunicable to no creature: cō ­prehensible of no creat vnderstāding: explicable with no speche. But as Paul saith in the fyrst to the Romans, by the visible structure of the worlde we deprehende the invisible power, sapience and goodnes of God. &c.

ALl this is true and Godlye: but applyed to an vntrue and [Page]vngodly ende. Therefore I canne finde nothynge amysse here in, but youre intent whiche is wycked. Ye wold hereby emproue Chryst his deuinitye but it wyll not frame with you. To contende that Chryst hath not the deuine nature in hī: because the same nature is single, communi­cable to no creature and so forthe. Non sani esse hominis non sanus iuret orestes: .i. A mad man might swere that it were no wise mans part. The reason is bycause he was God and mā: and had in hym both that single nature which is cōmunycable to no creature, which is incomprehensible explycable with no speche. &c. And also the nature of man vnlike to the other in all the propryeties ye haue rehersed: hauing therfore both natu­res in him, yf by the one your senses might comprehende hym to be a cō ­prehensible creature, as man, it foloweth [Page]not by that, that he had not the other in him by which he is God in­comprehensible: for the scriptures ar manifest that he had both in him. As we haue tofore sufficiently declared. And where you saye that the deuine nature is communicable to no crea­ture, it can not be denyed. Neither can ye fasten the contrary vpon vs, because we beleue Christ to be bothe God & man: and to haue in him the natures of both. For albeit he true God toke on him true mā, to thend he one myght be both. And beynge bothe is but one person, and in the same but one Christ: yet are not the two natures made one, or in anye poynt confoūded or mixt, altered or chan̄ged from thier first condicion & state: them not cōmunicatynge or participatynge with thother in anye consideraciō. The word was made flesh, sayth s. Ihon: He meaned not [Page]that the word was turned into flesh, or that the worde and the flesh were made one in substance: but that the word was made flesh, that is to say, the worde tooke vnto it the very na­ture of man, wholly & perfectly: that where before he was but the worde, and the sonne of God only, nowe he myght be man and the sonne of man also. That phrase of S. Iohn may be vnderstanded y the lyke vsed of S. Paule, where he sayth: Christus pro nobis factꝰ est maledictus: Christ was notte in deede the same thynge Miledictum: but because he tooke vpon him Maledictū for our sakes, therfore it is sayde: Factus est male­dictum: Euen so & in the lyke forme it is saide in Iohn: Verbum caro fa­ctum est, because Christ beyng that worde, vouchsafed for our sakes to put on him our nature, & so became man: he receaued the shape of ser­uaunt [Page]vpon him which he had not, but he left not y ^e shape of God ther­fore which he had: he was the word, & the worde was made man. Thus the worde and man concurryng and meetyng togither, one ꝑson is made, and in the same, one Christ, hauyng in him .ii. distinct & dyuers natures, yet but one person: whiche natures tho they be vnited togyther in him and meete in person of his Godhed, yet are they not so vnited, thei do not so meete that they be mingled & con­founded togyther, as water & wyne, leuen & dough, thone beyng altered and confoūded into & with thothers substaunce, But these Natures in Christe remayne togyther inconfu­sibiliter, sayth S. Austen: That is inconfusely and vnmixt, nor altered, chaunged, or immuted in anye one iote of their first & proper state, force or vertue. How may this be ye wyll [Page]say that the deuine nature & the na­ture of man coulde be vnited togy­ther in one Christ & to one person, & thone not cōmunicate or perticipate with thothers substance. I can not teache you tunderstande howe: but ye may learne by your selfe howe to beleue it. And therfore S. AusTen byddeth you to aske your selfe, how your selfe but one man can haue in your selfe .ii. dyuers and sundry na­tures inconfusely existynge: as the soule & the bodye. Therfore the na­ture of God, & the nature of man at vnited & conglutinate, togyther in one Christ and to one persone of the same Christꝭ Godhead, after a mi­stical, ineffable, & inexplicable wise, eche nature notwithstandynge that vnion that conglutinaciō, stil remainyng in the integritie and perfectiō as before that vnion or conglutina­cion it was. Of which vnion altho [Page]Origen cōfesseth that no similitude proper & fear inough cā be brought, yet he compareth the same too yron which is fyred and inflamed, saieng: As the fyre doth penetrate the yron, and of euery syde is mixed vnto it, so the worde sayth, he receauynge hu­mane nature, shyneth in the same throughout and in euery parte: And the humane nature enkendled as ye may say, with the lyght of the same, is vnited vnto the word: And as the yron is not altered into the nature of the fyre, or the fyre into the nature of yron: so neither is the deuine nature turned into the humane nature, nor the humane nature conuerted into the deuine nature.

Thus the deuine nature, notwithstandyng this personall vnion, re­maineth styl incōmunicable, single, incomprehensible, and inexplicable: touchynge the incomprehensibilitie [Page]wherof and inexplicabilitie, I haue sayde ynough to fore. The same de­uine nature is called simplex, in our tonge, single, because in it, is no di­uersite, variaciō, or multitude either of partes or Accidentes, or of anye kynde of formes or fascions: but the same is pure, sincere, vniforme, euer lyke & the same, of one sort, vnmixt, not diuers, not mutable in any con­dicion. This is the vnderstanding of the worde simplex, which ye vse.

Now after ye come in with a new fyue egges to aggruate the mater how that it followeth not, that he is God, because he is called by y ^e name of God, somtyme in the scripture: but neither barell better hrryng.

WHERE IT IS BY the scriptures euident that there is one god, as in the .vi. of Deut. Your God is one God: yet the vocable is [Page]transferred to other, and therfore it is written in the .lxxxi. Psalme: God stode in the sinagoge of gods: which place, Christ in the .x. of Iohn, decla­reth to agree to the Prophetes, Why­les he studieth to auoide the crime of blasphemye, for that he callyng God father, had signified hī selfe to be the sonne of God. And Paule in .i. to the Corī. viii. And though ther be which are called goddes, Whether in heauē other in erth (as there be gods many, and lords many) yet vnto me is there but one God, whiche is the father, of whom ar all thynges, and we in him. And sayth Paule: There be to whom their bely is god: but to many, Idols: according to that sayeng: al the gods of Gentyles, Idols. And Paule in the ii. to the Corin. iiii. dothe call Satan, the god of this Worlde. To men it is applyed but syldome: yet somtyme it is, and then wee vnderstande it as a [Page]name of a meane power, & not of the euerlastyng power: Exod. xxii. Thou shalt not detract the gods: & Moyses be he a god to Pharao. Agayn, Paule to the Rom. ix. calleth Christ, God, blessed for euer. and in the Gospel of Iohn. Ca. xx. Thomas Didimus doth acknowledge him God throughe the feelyng of the wounde: Many tymes that I remember, I do not fynde that he is called by this name.

NOW the mater, thynke ye, is without ꝑaduenture: for what warantise haue we so good & strong for the proufe of Christ Godhead, ye thynke, as that he now and then is called in the scriptures by the name of God, which confuted as a weake reason to no effecte and purpose, as therby to auouche him God, equall to the Father, what haue they then to say but Conuictus. a. um. Well [Page]bragged spr for sooth: Yet haue ye mist the cushyn for all your hast: as ye shal haue therof by and by profe to your reproufe. In deed if one and the same fyne or ende were bothe of runnynge and of dysputacyon ye myghte well clappe handes for the game were yours, by reason ye haue preuēted me ī telling your tale fyrst: But Sophocles putteth me out of dought that it is not so: for best said, best haue, sayth he, be it fyrst or last. Therefore tho ye haue ended youre tale, and myne not yet begonne, yet stakes maye be so parted hereafter that ye may leese the whole.

I saye as ye saye that there is one true God and one alone. And I say as ye say not, that this one and true god is .iii. in person, and one in sub­staunce: the first parte ye graunte & the place recited oute of the Deut, by you, prouethe the same: But the [Page]laste parte ye laboure to improue with all the wit ye haue. God is one I say, and so is he .iii. too, one in na­ture .iii. in person: The scriptures teachethe vs the same. As in Ma­thewe Christ him selfe sayeth to his disciples, Mat. 28. god and teach all nations baptisinge them in the name of the father the sonne, and the holye gost here .iii. are named, and lyke powre and honoure attrybute to all .iii. Agayne in Iohn, Iohn. 1. Cap. v. there be. iii. which gyue testimonie in heuen, the father the son, and the holy ghost: here .iii. are named, and lyke power and ho­nour attribute to all .iii. Agayne in Iohn̄, there be, iii. whiche giue testi­mony in heauen: The father, the son the holye ghost: here are thre dy­stincte persons expressed also, and that these .iii. are but one nature or essens, S. Iohn̄ is playne, sayeng: Hij tres vnum sunt: That is, these [Page]thre are but one essence or nature. He sayth vnū: not vnus. Wherfore the father, the son Chryst, and the holye Ghost, thre distincte, and not the same in person: but one and the same in nature. One nature or substaunce of all .iii. and all .iii. of one nature or substaunce: The father God: the son God: the holye ghost God: Yet one onely God: and not. iii. Gods: but .iii. persons of one Godheade. The father not one part, but one person: the son not one part, but one person, the holye gost not one parte, but one person of de­uine nature. One only godheade is the same the father hathe holye and presentlye: the same the sonne hath holye and presentlye: the same the holye ghost hath holy and presently, So thre be god: yet one and the selfe same godhead: thre are omnipotent, yet one and the selfe same omnipo­tensye: thre are wyse, yet one and the [Page]selfe same sapyence. Thre are mer­cyful, yet one and the selfe same mer­cye. &c. This is the catholyke fayth tho it be not youres.

Nowe spr, this God beynge one in nature, and thre in person, is the true God. And accordynge to his omnipotensye, he is God of all, be they good or badde: but accordinge to the proprieties of the scriptures, he is called God onlye of suche as worshippe him, loue and drede hym, preferre him before al other thinges In whiche sence he is called God of Abraham, God of Isaac: God of Iacob: and so Dauid cryeth, Deus meus, my God.

Shamfullye do they crye Deus meus, whose God is theyr bellye, whose God is mammon, whose god is sensualytie, or riotousnes, shame­fully do they call hym father, which are of the father the deuyll, who fa­thereth [Page]thereth all such as despyse theyr [...] nei­boure: shamefully do they call hym lorde, which obey not his preceptes: But most shamfullye dare they call him theyr God which do sequestrate them selues from Chryst, his natu­rall son, his equall in all omnypo­tensye, all eternitie, all myght, all vertue: For he is not the God of he­retykes. And who more heretykes then you, whiche affyrme such blas­phemy agaynst Iesus Chryst. This is a serteine rule, in Iohn̄. Iohn̄. v. Qui non honorat filiū, non honorat patrē: .i. He whiche honoreth not the son, ho­noreth not the father: But rather fleeth from God the father, runneth headling into al contempt and blas­phemye: Ye must therefore seeke an other God, for this is none of yours ne wyll be as longe as ye continews in this foule heresye. Howe be it he can not be Godles, that hath so ma­ny [Page]Gods in store: Ye may haue your choyse of a fayre company, which ye haue repeted by name: As the bely, ydolles, spreetes, Satan, proper gods all: as ye haue clerkely decla­red? Ye may appoynte vnto youre selfe one of them seuerall whiche ye list: if ye be not alredy receiued w ^tal.

This hyeghe and most excelente nature of God, tho it be not agre­able or communicable to any thyng without this holy Triade: yet is the terme or name God often tymes ap­plyed and trasferred to other: As ye haue inferred: and I denye it not. But what? other aswell men, as domme and dead materse are called vnder metaphor or tralacion gods, therfore is not Iesus Chryst God, but after the lyke maner as they are Gods? yea syr to this end you haue taken paynes to gather these places togoether. To aunswere you and [Page]your argument, I say with the Prophete Dauid. Non est similis tui do­mine. &c. That is: none lyke to the Lorde emongest them al. And ther­fore the scryptures as often they ap­plye the vocable God to any other, do euermore adde some manifest to­ken whereby we may dyscerne and perceaue the dyfference: betwyx the true God, and them to whome the name attrybute fyguratiuelye. As in the place by you alleaged where it is sayde, Stetit deus in singagoga deorum: .i. Ps. lxxxi. God stode in the syna­goge of gods: here the name is ap­plyed to other: But it folowethe in the texte, tho it do not in your alle­gacion. Et in medio eorum deos di­uidicat: That is, and in the middes of thē he iudgeth the gods, a playne reasō that they were not true gods: but gods onely in name, and not in power and vertue, because they are [Page]iudged: for none can iudge the true God. Euen so Idolles are called gods in Paul. But it foloweth gen­tium: of gentyles: Lykewyse Sa­tan is termed god: But it foloweth huius seculi. Agayne it is sayde to Moyses Ecce feci te deum pharani: beholde I haue made the a god to Pharao: by whome, Gods purpose was to declare and open his deuine power, and therefore the wyse men called magi confessed that the finger of Godde was in the myracles of Moyses. But the one worde made, maketh playne declaracyon that he was not a true God, for it agreeth not to God to saye that he is made: Neither doth the scripture say abso­lutelye I haue made the a God: but it foloweth, to Pharao. Further to thende we myght easely vnderstand the difference betwene the true God and other counterfeyte Gods, the [Page]scriptures call hym God of vertues the Lorde of hostes, Lorde omnipo­tent, maker of heauen and yerthe, God of Hebrues, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob: the God of our fore fathers: againe God of peace, God of comforte, God of reuenge.

Nowe good syr, vewe and exa­mine with your selfe wel this that I haue sayde touching the discrepaūce betwyxte the true God and youre o­ther foren and straunge gods: and then tel me who is a foole. Then tel me whether ye canne yet dygest it in your stomacke that Iesus Chryst is true God or no: which is so ofte cal­led in the Scriptures euerlastynge, omnipotent, creatour of al thinges. founten of all goodnes, authour of peace, Lorde of euerlasting lyfe. &c. Whiche are the propryetyes of the deuine nature onelye: What and yf he were not named by this terme, [Page]God, at all throughe out the seryn­tures, shulde we therfore dought of hi [...] Godhead, of whome the seryn­ture doth so absolutelye pronounce, that he was in the begynnyng euer­lastyng with the father, that al thinges was made by him: that he rest [...] ­red the deade to lyfe, he sanctifyeth, he searcheth the thoughtes of mans herte, he gyue the lyfe euerlastyng and so forth which are onely fyt and proper for that God whiche is the true God and Lorde of all? Dothe not he hym selfe say. Pater meus v [...] que modo oratur, & ego operor, que ille facit, et filius similiter facit: that is to wit, my father worketh hether­to, and I worke: whatsouer he doth that doth the son also: Againe, Iohn̄. v. Sicut pater exuscitat mortuos et vnieat, sic et filius quos vult vnicat: that is. As the father doth rayse vp the dead and quickeneth them: euen so the [Page]quickeneth and relyueth whome he lyste. What startinge hole haue ye in so manyfest sentences, wherein it is so playnly declared that Chryst together with his father doth creat, doth susteyne the creatures: defende and saue the churche: restore lyfe to the dead. Whiche out of all dought are onely fytte, proper, and conueni­ent for the deuine and omnypotente nature.

Adde hereunto: Iohn. i. Ego vitam eter­nam do eis. &c. I gyue lyfe euerla­stynge to them. Ioh. xiiii. Quicquid petieritis in nomine meo hoc faciam: What so euer ye shall require in my name, that same wyll I do. Iohn. xv. Sine me nihil potestis facere: Without me ye can do nothynge. Mat. 18. Vbicun (que) sunt duo aut tres cōgregati in nomine meo ibi sum in medio eorum: Where so euer two or iii. are gathered together in my name, there am I in the myddes of [Page]them. Iohn. xx. Dat spiritum sanctum: He gi [...] ­ueth the holye GhosTe: Iohn̄. xx. Priusquam Abraham natus est, Ioh. viii. ego sum: Before Abraham was borne, I am. To gyue lyfe euerlastynge [...] to do what so euer we require in his name: to be euery where. To gyue the holy ghost: to be euerlastynge is it not for God alone impossible, and beyonde the power of all creatures. Were it not to cleere, ye wolde pet­chaunce deny it. For asmuche ther­fore the scryptures euery where do this witnes of Chryst, ascribinge [...] hym suche doynges as are not for any creature to do, but only for God thonlye creatoure and ruler of [...] thinges: were it not proufe suffyci­ent that he is true God, al if he were not termed by this name God at al [...] Yes doughtles for the name is to no purpose, the deuyne power and vertue shining and appering in his [Page]doinges, declare him God: and not the name. Your argument therfore ye syr, is to yonge, and a great dele to weake as therwith to proue that Chryst is not a true God, because the Prophetes and other more vyle creatures are called goddes, in the scriptures: the name is to no effecte where the power is not: thei I graūt were in name gods, but not in po­wer, Iesus Chryst, was not onely in name, but in all power true God, e­quall to his father: as is declared. And as the name makethe not that God whereunto it is applyed. So is it veray madnes to contende and affyrme, therefore Iesus Chryst not to be God, bycause the Prophetes with other creatures be termed god in the scriptures, and yet not gods therby: As ye seeme to do. Ye shuld haue compared their doynges and qualities together with Chrystes, [Page]and so declare youre rable of gods to be as muche gods, as Chryst is, aswell in power as in name. But ye were well assured that in so doynge ye shulde haue marde all the mater you go about: and therfore ye pleied a wise pagent, not one word so much to speak therof to dye for. The pro­phetes I graunt were termed gods and they dyd many myracles: But none so manye, none with the lyke vertue, none with the like authorite, as Chryst dyd. For Chryst neuer prayed, neuer called vpon the helpe of the father, at any tyme when he wolde do any myracles. Who had so al his power of his father, that he had the same equal with the father. Demona dii gentium: sayth Saynt Paul. But marke what oddes is be twyxte them and Chryst: Chryst be­ray God, became man, dyed for man with his deathe reconsyled man to [Page]God his father. What haue your gods done syr, or what do they that you make your comparison betwene them and Christ, for soth thei delude the sely pore soules: that they myght be companyons of darkenes with them. But Chryst brought lyghte into the worlde, made open the veri­tie whereby he healed all. They en­tysed and allured them to all abho­minaciō and wickednes: But Christ toke away the synnes of the worlde. They tumble downe into the pyt of hell theyr worshyppers: But Chryst auaunceth his into heauen. Satan also is called god: but Chryste and he, gods far vnlyke. Thone author of all goodnes, thother author of al wyckednesse: thone peace maker, thother soweth dyssension and stryfe, wheresoeuer he is receyued. Thone treated al thinges good, in the right vse: thother laboureth to make all [Page]thinges yll by abuse. Thone sau [...]th thother leeseth. Thone calleth to e­uerlastynge lyfe, thother to euerla­stynge fyre.

The bely is called God likewise, yea, & so is Couetousnes or auacies a great god now a dayes, to whome much blasphemy & idolatry is com­mitted euerywhere. If Paule dou­ted not to call auarice idolatrye: If Christ in the Gospell doth set mani­mon agaynst God as an other god, I maye boldlye auouche them to be blasphemers and idolaters whiche serue the same, which do more est [...]me their money, then the true God. As this auarice of money is the cause of muche mischief, so it engendreth one wonderful yl thyng betwent the Princes of therth and their people, I meane flatery & adulacion, whe [...] by the subiect perswadeth the [...] oftenymes that he is Gods felow, [Page]attributeth deuine honor vnto him: driueth in to his head that all thyng is well & godly what so euer he shall attempte, all if it be directly against God, and all to creepe in to fauour, to aspiere to promocion and wealth. And the Kyng or Prince of thother parte is not offended therwithall: but taketh vppon hym what suche kynde of men ascribe vnto him. So that it chaunceth somtymes that the people in stede of a good Christian Kyng, haue a very tyraunt, a spoy­ler & oppressor of the Comen weale, mainteyners of all iniquitie & vyce, reynyng ouer them. And the Kyng agayne, in stede of honest subiectes, and graue councelours hath flatte­rers, pyckthankes, and holders vp yea and nay. Finally what so euer ye preferre before God and his holy preceptes, that same ye make a god. But if it had lyked you to haue compared [Page]theire deedes as well as the name, and the cause whoe they are called gods, with Christis doingꝭ & the cause why he is god: ye mought haue benne soner a shamed of your leude comparison: And sayde with Dauid: Non est similis tui Domine, & non est secundum opera tua: That is: None lyke vnto the O Lorde: and none accordyng to thy workes. Seekest thou honor and renoume, he giueth the euerlasting glory. De­syrest thou souereigntie, he admit­teth the into his kyngdome, wherof shall be no ende. Requirest thou ri­chesse, in him thou maist possesse all thynges, who only is Lorde of all. Seekest thou oracles or the certein­tie of thynges: Thou hast the scrip­ture of most certen truthe, in which he true God speaketh vnto the oute of his priuie closet as ofte as thou lyst. Wylt thou haue pleasure, he [Page]only gyueth perfect ioye whiche no man can take away. Delyrest thou ease, he cryeth mercifully: Omnes qui laborati & onorati estis, venite ad me, & ego reficiam vos: That is to say: All ye that laboure and are la­den, come ye to me, & I wyl refresh you. If to your gods, this may be worthely applyed then, out of doute your comparison was right: and ye may iustly affirme them true gods: as Iesus Christe is, to whome the Scripture dothe ascribe this, with much more, mightely prouyng him to be God, not in name only, but in power, and vertue deuine, To con­clude, I say therfore with s. Paule, that though there be whiche are cal­led goddes, whether in heauen or in erthe (as there be many goddes, and lordes many) yet vnto me there is but one God which is the Father, of whom ar all thyngꝭ, & we in him, & [Page]one Lorde Iesus Christ, by whome are all thynges, and we by hym.

This sentence of s. Paule, your selfe brought in, but curtailed, as ye vse all the rest: for ye lefte oute the laste parte therof: and good cause why, for it made all agaynst your wicked purpose: Therfore in any case see ye alleage not one worde as nyghe as ye can, that may make agaynst your but wring and wrest, tosse & tugge, mangle and heaw euery part therof vntyll ye frame it to your mynde: if ye cā not, leaue it cleane out a gods name, & take that which wyl serue. And to theude the Christian Reader may vnderstande that ye are youre craftꝭ maister in this point: ye haue craftely practysed the same in all the places almost, which ye haue hither vnto, & hereafter wyl alleage for the maintenaūce of your blasphemous error. And where as the former [Page]sentence out of Paule, ye curtayled: now ye alleage another place of S. Paule, but the myddes & the bodye of the same cleane left out, onlye ye bryng in the head and the tayle, the rest discharged whiche is the effecte and chiefest parte of all: it is out, the .ix. to the Rom.: and this is your alligacion: S. Paule calleth Christ God blessed for euer. But betwene God, and blessed for euer, S. Paul hath these wordes: ouer al thinges: and this is his saiyng: Christ which is God ouer all thynges, blessed for euer Amen. Blessed s. Paule wolde putte vs out of doubte, that Iesus Christ was God, not in name only, as other are, but in deede: not in o­pinion, but in nature, & power true God: and therefore he added: ouer all thynges: for to be God ouer all thynges, is only agreable to the omnipotent nature. But S. Paule [Page]his mynde & yours is not lyke: And therfore no meruell if ye agree not in woordes. He mynded to declare him to be true God: and therfore he sayeth: Christ God ouer al things: but you wolde perswade that he is God, only in name, as other manye are: and therfore ye say: Christ, god blessed for euer: leauyng out: ouer all thinges: which wordes strongly & only proue in that place, the true Godhead in Christ: For to be called God: or to be blessed for euer, is no proufe that he is true GOD: The Prophetes, with other, were called goddes: Dyuers were blessed fore­uer: yet none of bothe true goddes therby. But to be called God, and God ouer all thynges, yea, by the mouth of S. Paule, what double can there remayne in any Christian mans herat, but that Iesus Christ is true God.

And the place of S. Iohn, Iohn xx. which ye also reci [...]e, doth confirme Pauls menayng, and confounde your wic­ked opinion, very plainly: Yet can ye, lyke pourselfe, bryng it in craf­tely for contirmaciō and probacion of your iniquitie: it is not to be de­nyed that Christ studyed to auoyde the crime of blasphemy: But what. dyd he therfore graunte that he had committed blasphemye, in callynge God: Fathe? Or dyd he deny that he was the naturall Sonne of God the father? No forsothe, all if you wolde with your blynde and deceat­full allegacion of the place, make the simple to beleue it. The Iues abiected blasphemye vnto him, be­cause he beyng a mere man to their sight made him selfe God, namynge God father so often: and were redye to inuade him with stones as a blasphemour. He auoyded the blasphe­mye, [Page]not in denyenge that whiche he to fore had affyrmed. But for tha [...] ­pesinge and taminge the Iues rage and fury, in giuing them a softe and gentle answere. And in the same his aunswere more myghtely declaring his Godhead natwithstādinge, then he dyd in the wordes before. There­fore when they leyde blasphemye to his ch [...]rge, for callynge God father, he aunswered vnto them that it was no blasphemy: for if (sayde Chryst) in the olde lawe such were called gods with out blasphemye, to whome the worde of God was spoken. Howe iustlye then maye I call my selfe [...] Sonne of God, which am the wo [...] itselfe, which am sanctrfied of God the father, and am sente from God the father inito the worlde. But [...] ­tent your selfe, weyghe and con [...] with your selfe well, my workes and doinges, that and if ye percaue [...] [Page]that I do thynges aboue the myght of man, and which are only for god to do, then beleue not that I am the Sonne of God: but it I doo, then at leastwise credit my workes, if ye wyll not credit me, and beleue assu­redly that the father is in me, and I in him. Thus Christ tempered his answere, auoidyng the blasphemye, and appeasyng his aduersaryes fu­rious madnesse, and yet not denieng that he was the true Sonne of god, and true god: but rather with much modesty, vindicatyng and challen­gyng the same vnto him, whiche to dissemble he thought not cōuenient, because in deede he wolde not be vn­knowen vnto vs, what he was.

Nowe if ye aske me wherfore he answered not simplely and directly without all other circūstaunce, that he was god in deede: it was because the Iues were in great fury & rage, [Page]and sought occasiō to sley him: And the tyme not yet come, when he pur­posed to suffer the extremitie, for the safegarde of mankynde. Therfore he dyd not only stay and let them, by his deuine power, from hurlyng a­ny one stone at him (although they had taken vp some in their handes for the same purpose) but also to the ende, their hoat fearsenesse and cru­eltie aswaged and mittigated, they shuld in their quietnesse vnderstand that which they coulde not abyde in their rage: it seemed best to his high prudence rather by suche gentle and moderate drift of wordes to insynu­ate the same vnto them, then shortly to answere them: yea, it is true, I am God: Whiche shulde haue en­creased their furye, and lesse persw [...] ­ded them.

Nowe, good syr, forasmuche it is thus manifest & playne in that place [Page]of. S. Iohn, necessarelye prouynge Christ deuinitie: and in the selfe same Chapt. also dyuers other sentences inuincible, and ineuitable tendynge to the same effect, are to be seene and reade: as that, Iohn. x. Sicut nouit me pater, ita ego noui patrem: As the Father knoweth me, euen so knowe I the Father. Potestatem habeo pouendi animam. &c. I haue power to putte my soule from me: & I haue power to take it agayne. Vitam aeternam do eis: I gyue lyfe euerlastynge to them. Pater & ego vnū sumus: The father and I be one. Which places can not be auoyded, forasmuche I say, aswell that selfe place whiche ye inferre for your purpose is so vehe­ment agaynst you: and so many o­ther of the like importaunce, within the same Chapter so nyghe couched togyther, and so plainly set forth in your waye, that ye coulde not, but [Page]stomble on some of them, or ye came to your standyng where ye wrought your pleasure: Mercyfull Lorde, howe great and odious is your ini­quitie, that haue not chosen to cleue and leane to so maifest a truthe, in so many places expressed, rather thā thus blasphemously and wylfullye not only refuse and sporne agaynste it, but also wretchedly & most sham­fully wrest and wryng the pure scrip­tures for maynteynyng and vphol­ding your lewde and abhomynable heresye. But ye wyl say perchaunce ye sawe them not, and I beleue it: For (as the Prophet sayeth,) many haue eyes and see not: many haue eares and heare not. Sapi. ii. &c. Excaecauit enim maliclaeos: For iniquitie hath blynded them, vt non videat oculis, nec corde intelligant: That they see not with eyes (sayeth Esay), nor vn­derstande with hearte.

I haue readen of Polemon the Sophist: that what tyme his fyn­gers and toes waxt corny or harde, he warned the Phisicions to digge, incide or cutte Polemons quaryes of stones, saying: Commedendum est, manus non habeo: ambulandum est pedes non habeo: dolendum est, ma­nus habeo & pedes: That is to wyt: I neede to eat, & I haue no handes: I neede to walke, & I haue no feete: I must suffre ache and payne, and I haue bothe handes and feete therto. Wherin are ye like to this Polemō? Verely in that, that ye haue nor hād nor foote in some kynde of busynes: and in some thyng agayne, ye haue bothe hande and foote, with al other your ioyntꝭ nimble & redy ynough: but the condicion farre vnlyke be­twene you: because he fayne wolde and coulde not, and you well canne, but wyll not. It was all agaynste [Page]his wyll, & to his great griefe that he had not his handes and feete, as well to feede and walke withall, as he had them readye to hys restlesse payne. But contrary wyse it stan­deth all with your wyll, and it is to your full contentacion and pleasure that when you shulde see the truthe, youre eyes be blemysshed: when ye shulde heare the truthe, your eares be stopte: when ye shulde speake the truthe, your toungue be blystered: when ye shuld write the truthe, eche of your fingers against other iustle, as hansomly as a bere picketh mus­cles: and when ye shulde walke in the truthe, your feete be then quarry & stonye, that ye can not: But con­trary, to blemysh the truthe, ye haue youre eares open to heare: to blas­pheme the truthe ye haue your tong soūde, & quicke to speake: to contend agaynste the truthe, ye haue youre [Page]fingers nimble, speedy letter, & shyft penne to write, To walke in wicked­nesse in spite of the truthe, ye haue youre feete swyfte to trudge a pace, whyther the pathe of iniquitie can leade you: it foloweth in your epist.

WHERE as he is notable by other dyuers names, Whiche for the most part al if they haue great cōmendaciō in mā: they ar not admit­ted to the deuine nature: as humilitie, obedience, gentlenes, paciency, muche lesse these: Sheepe, Lyon, Worme, Hoste. Synne, cursyng, and other lyke,

ARISTOTILES Stagerites oftentymes vpbrayded the A­thenians for because, whereas they had inuented Corne, and Lawes as it. thinges veray necessary to be had in a Comen weale, they onlye dyd vse thone and not thother: dyd enioy [Page]the corne, and reiected the lawes.

How muche more iustlye maye I accuse you, good syr, which promy­sed so largelye in the firste entrie of your matter, that you wolde folow, in decidynge and determinynge the same, not the wordꝭ of the scriptures only but the right vnderstanding of the same also: And yet hytherunto haue vsed thone & not thother: haue recited the wordes, and lefte the syn­cere and true meanyng of the same. The Athenyens deuysed not corne alone, but also lawes as bothe fytte for them: but of bothe thone they reteyned in vre onely, as thereby to feede and pamper vp their carcases Thother whereby they knewe theyr dyssolute lyfe, and beastely maners shulde be noted and corrected, they let slipe and wolde not exercise. You lykewyse all yf ye were appoynted vpon both and promysed to vse not [Page]the wordes of the scripture only, but also the catholyke sence of the same: Yet styll contrary to your fyrste ap­poyntment and promyse, ye only vse thone, yea & forcyng the same to put on more straunge formes & fygures then euer Proteous hadde, and al to maynteine and defende youre follye so dyuers and varyable. But the syncere meanynge of the wordes in scripture ye haue not hetherunto v­sed but obstynatlye refused. In this pointe I can not alowe you: and A­ristoteles doth condemne you. If it be incident vnto youre nature that when your promyse consisteth of .ii. partes, thone shuld be false, thother true, then belike it is naturall vnto you. And forasmuche that whiche is naturall, can not easely be routed out of man: it is to be feared leaste ye wyll dye an heretycke. Ye haue brought ī scryptures and euer more [Page]doo brynge by clusters and heapes to make good your concept: but the true vnderstandynge of the scriptu­res ye seldome mell with al. Thone ye lyke well: and therfore ye tye it at your gyrdel before you, to thende ye wyll alway folowe it: but thother ye haue thruste in the wallette with your owne deedes, hanging behind at your back to thend you wold not be cōbred w ^t the sight of any of both: at any tyme. God wolde haue bothe cōioyned together: but ye & your fe­lowes haue made a playne deuorse: to thend ye might without checke of thone, committe aduoutery with the other. And as I do nowe tell you of it, so haue I done afore: and after wyll, as ofte as I perceyue you so to abuse the scriptures. And if ye be ashamed to here of it after this sort, be also ashamed hereafter eftsones to do it. And for my parte when ye [Page]shalbe a fearde to mynister the occa­sion, then shall I feare to leye it to your charge. To approche to our purpose. Ye saye that in the Scrip­tures Chryst is termed by these na­mes, as humble, meeke, obedient. &c And agayne, worme, lyon, syn with other the lyke. Whiche names ye saye, may not be admytted to the de­uyne nature: therfore ye conclude that Chryste beyng called by these names can not haue in him the de­uyne nature, And how well it folo­weth, who so blynde that seethe not I haue by the scriptures declared at large, y ^e Chryst was not God alone nor man alone: but bothe, God and man. And had in him self not onelye the nature of man as ye wolde haue it, but the veray nature of god also as ye wolde not he hadde with your good wyl, And as he was true man so was he humble, obedyent, meeke, [Page]& pacient: Which names haue great commendacion in man ye saye, and so let them haue in hym. To the de­uyne nature ye wyll not haue them applied, well, I wyll not much con­tende against you therin. I graunte againe that he is called by these na­mes in the scripture as sheepe, ly on synne: &c. But to affirme that he is not true god therfore, because he is termyd by suche names, it were to groselye and more then folye. As well ye may conclude, that he was not man. For a sheepe, is not man: nor the lyon, man: nor the worme, man: But Chryst in called sheepe, lyon, and worme: ergo he is not mā: As iuste as germans lyps. By the same reason I mought proue that the father is not God: because in Deute. iiii. he is called ignis: and Eccle. xxxix. Fluuius: and Hiere. ii. Fons with dyuerse other names ap­plyed [Page]vnto hym in the Scritpures. The application of whiche names, aswell prouethe the father not to be God, as the son. So by your alle­gacion, we shal haue no God anone But acknowledge rather bothe the father and the sonne to be God, and vnderstād with me that such names are attrybuted to Chryste, to do vs knowledge, howe that Chryst, all yf he was true God, and thoughte it no roberye to be equall with God the father in all omnipotensye: (As Paul wytnesethe of hym) Yet for our sakes becam eman: and in his humanitie, dyd humble him selfe as man in this worlde, was obedient to his sendynge, gentlely and pacyent­lye suffered thextreme crueltye, and outragious vilany of the Iues ex­cerctsed vppon him. And for this in­nocensie in him and pacience, he is called ouis and agnus in the Scryp­tures. [Page]And to saye some thynge the rest: He is called Lyon in consyde­racion of his fortytude and power: Whereby he vanquysshed the ro­rynge Lyon our aduersarye the de­uyll. Accordynge to that in the Ap­pocalyppes. Vicit leo de tribu Iuda: Apoca. v. That is, the lyon from the trybe of Iuda, hath ouercome: Whiche is spokē of Chryst, who suffered, meeke as a lamme, conquered stronge as a Lyon, the rorynge Lyon (I saye) whiche as the scrypture sayth, roo­meth about, sekynge whom he may deuoure. Bothe are called Lyons, thone Lyon in power, thother Lion in cruelty: thone myghty to defend, thother stronge to destroye.

He is called Vermis a worme, in consideracion of the humilitie which was in hym aboue other: who dyd humble hym selfe to all thynges for oure sakes. Pouertye is an heuye [Page]burdē: and he wolde be most poorest for oure sakes. Peyne is an harde thinge: and he wolde suffer most bit­ter paynes for our sakes. Death of all thingse most bytter: And he sub­mytted hym selfe vnto the same for oure sakes. More spytefull then death is ignomy: And he refused not to be spytted at, to be checked, slaun­dered, dysdayned, and blasphemed for our sakes. Yea in that he recey­ued our common nature, he was e­qual with other men. But in that he was so pore, and lyued in such peine and dysdayne, he was inferioure to many. Agayne in that he was mor­tal and died: he was as al other are. But in that he suffered wyllynglye suche kyne of death, and for oure desertes, he was vnder the condyci­on of many men. In consyderacyon wherof he sayth by the mouth of the Prophete. Ego vermis & non homo: [Page]That is, I a worme and not man. Howbeit besydes this saynt Austen supposeth hym to be called Vermis for an hyegher consideracion. Why is Chryst called worme sayeth he. Because, (he aunswereth) he was mortall, he was borne of the fleshe: and begoten withoute the compa­nynge together of manne and wo­manne in the Acte of generacyon. And therefore he saythe thus. Si­cut vermis calefaciente sole de puro limo formatur, Aug de erpos [...]ci­ove sim­boli. ser. i. sic spiritu sancto il­lustrante et sanctificante cor virginis nulla sementiua carnis origine ope­rante concepta est: vnde se vtrini Christus comparans, per psalmistam ait, ego s [...]m vermis & non homo. i. Non cōceptus more humano. Which is as muche to saye. As the worme is engendred of the pure and onely slyme or mudde, beynge made hote with the warmesume: euen so the [Page]holye ghost illustratynge and halo­wynge the herte of the vyrgyn: she was conceyued with chylde, without any humane acte of engendrynge wrought therein: In conlideration whereof Chryste comparynge hym selfe to a worme, sayth by Dauid, I am a worme, and not man, that is, I am not conceaned after the maner and fashyon of man. Thus farre Saynt Austen.

Further he is called I graunte peccatum .i. synne, but accordynge to his humanite in which he became the sacryfyce for synne to our inesti­mable comforte. He was not in deed synne, as the letter soundeth, neither had he any syn in hym at any tyme. The peyne for synne onelye was in him: which he admitted to him selfe, to thende he wolde put awaye and dyscharge from vs his people both, as well the synne, as the peyne dewe [Page]for the same. In the lawe, sayth S. Austen synne is taken for the sacry­fyce for syn, suche a syn was Chryst, and none other. In which sence S. Paul sayth. 2. Cor. v. Eum qui non nouit pec­catum, pro nobis peccatū secit: That is, he hath made him to be synne for vs, which knewe no syn: And there­fore in the eyght to the Romans it is sayde of him. Roma. 8. Misit Deus filium su­um in similitudinem car nis paccati: That is, God sent his son in the sy­mylitude of synfull flesshe, and not in fynfull fleshe. Where as ye saye therfore that Chryst is called synne, ye must vnderstand that worde syn, to sygnyfye the sacrifyce for synne, which he being veray true God and man vouchesaued to be, to thende he that was our creatour in his God­head myght be also oure redemer in his manhead. And we therby shulde be made that ryghtwysnes, whiche [Page]before the father is allowed. And this was nothynge preiudycyall to his deuinitie.

Fynallye of these names and the lyke aswell whiche ye haue pycked together, as all the rest applyed to Iesus Chryst in the Scrypture: ye ought reuerentelye to thynke, that they are attributed vnto hī, in some consideracion touchinge his huma­nitie: or els (as Dionise Areopagita doth councel) accordyng to some de­uine anagoge: that is an hyghe, and subtyl vnderstandyng. Nowe forth.

HE is called nowe and then the Image of God: for that I sup­pose, his lyfe is as ye wolde saye, the glasse of the deuyne wyl to warde vs.

YEA, and for that he is of the same essence, and substaunce that the father is of. And therfore he [Page]is also called splendor gloriae: And Character substancie patris. And in thapostolyke Crede. Lumen de lu­mine. Deum, de deo. That is, light of lyght, God of God. And Chryst on­lye is the ymage of God, Other are secundum imaginem dei: That is ac­cordyng to the Image of God, The father saythe vnto the son, make we man, and addeth, secudnnm imaginē nostram. That is accordynm to our Image: By which wordes it is eui­dent sayth saynt Austen that the fa­ther and the son, are but one Image

HE is called the worde also: ve­relye because he was nerest vn­to the father. And as ye wolde saye the orgen or instrument of the deuine voyce: For the worde is made fleshe. what els dothe it signifye, then that the felshe receyued the worde. And that God the father dyd greeffe into [Page]Chryst as ye wolde saye by inplanta­ciō that heuēly doctrine which shuld concile vs vnto him: and in maner cō ­uerted the same into his nature. That he shuld not say ne thinke any thyng but the worde of the Lorde: not that the fleshe was conuerted into the deuine nature: or admitted into societie and feloship with the same. As it seemeth veray absurde at the fyrst blushe. And that it is not true, the style folowynge declareth plainely. And he dwelleth emongest vs. &c, ful of grace: Grace, power, is of God: The fulnesse whereof doth make men desposed to the loue of God, and the obseruacion of the lawe not Gods.

SYnguler as ye are, so is youre iudgement vpon the scryptures singuler: But I appeale to the wyse reader whether such singularity proceede not of a single wyt and thyne [Page]brayne. As many as euer wrote vp­pon Iohn (as dyuers holy and well lerned fathers haue donne) Do ex­pounde that plae of him (the worde is made fleshe) after this sorte: That the worde the seconde person of the Godhead Iesus Christ came downe and was made fleshe: that is to wit, receaued the nature of man wholye and perfectly, both body and soule, vnitynge the same to the person of his Godhead. And nowe syr contra­rye to all theyr iudgementes and most of all contrary to saynte Iohn his minde (who of purpose wrote his Gospell only to dysclose and declare Chryst his deut [...]itie) ye haue sha­ped a straunge exposicion vpon that texte. Bul howe fyt and meete what d [...]e perceaueth not? The worde is made [...]she, that is to weete ye saye: the fles [...]h [...]e receyued the worde, and not, the worde receyued fleshe: which [Page]any reasonable man wolde certenly gather of that place: And not that the fleshe receyued the worde. For S. Iohn saythe not. Caro verbum facta est: The flesshe is made the worde. But his phrase is. Verbum caro factum est: The worde is made flesshe: whereof no man can iustlye gather that the flesshe receyued the worde, but rather and as the truthe is the worde receyued fleshe, for the worde was made fleshe sayth saynte Iohn: meanyng by the worde (made) that the worde Iesus Chryst recey­ued and tooke vnto hym flesshe. and by the worde (fleshe) he vnder­standeth, the hole and perfecte na­ture of man bothe bodye and soule: to thende as I haue saide often, that where as he was but the son of god, and true God: Nowe by the recepte of this nature, he myght be knowen vnto vs the sonne of man, and true [Page]man also. He is therefore called the word, not for that he was the origen or instrumente onelye of the deuyne voyce as ye saye he was: But for thta he was in verytye the deuyne voyce it selfe, and the true worde it self. And this deuine voyce and true worde Chryst, was made verelye fleshe, That is to saye: receaued of Marye the veray fleshe of man: and became true mā as before true God So that nowe in one person he was perfecte God, and perfecte man. Yet his deuine nature not cōuerted into the nature of mā, or in any cōsidera­cion admytted into the societie or fe­loweshyppe with the same: onely the two natures in hī are vnited to the person of his Godhead inconfusely by a miraculous vnion, as at large I haue tofore declared, And the text folowynge, tho ye force and drawe it neuer so muche: Yet wyll it not fo­lowe [Page]that waye, as ye wolde haue it.

He dwelt amongst vs, as man: Igraunt he was full of grace and truthe I denye notte. The style in deede folowynge in Iohn declareth no lesse: but what foloweth of yours therupon? verely that ye wold haue him not God, but man only, wel dis­posed to the loue of God, and the obseruacion of the lawe: But the style folowing taught ye not to con­clude so, which if ye wold frame your blynde fansye to folowe, & nor force the same to folow your mad brayne: ye shulde then folowe the better and sure guyde, and in the righte waye: For many styles folowynge in saynt Iohn, wyl leade you into the perfect vnderstandyng of Christ deuinitie, if it wold please you ordinatly to fo­low after them, & marke thē with an indifferēt eye. And in the same place where ye were last, you fynde, that [Page]Christ is the true lyght, Iohn. i. which dothe illuminate euery man comynge into this worlde.

Ye fynde also that grace & truthe came by Iesus Christ. Iohn i.

Ye fynde agayne: Iohn. i. Rabby, thou art euen the very sonne of God: thou art the kyng of Israell.

Euen there also, behold the lābe of God which taketh away the syn­nes of the worlde.

Now syr to be the true lyght: Iohn. i, To illuminate all that come in to the worlde: To be grace and truthe it selfe, as in another place he dooeth wytnesse the same of him selfe, say­eng: I am the way, Ioh. iiii. the veritie, and lyfe: To take awaye the synnes of the worldle: To be euen the veray sonne of God: Is it for man, or for God, say ye? For God onlye, ye can not denye. And the styles fo­lowyng euen in the same chapter do [Page]ascribe all this to him, wherefore he is true God. Thus your style eue­ry wher lacketh edge to cut the but­ter that may stycke to your breade.

AND IF oportunitie serued to searche the Scriptures accor­dingly, it shulde easely appeare that Christ is not of the same substaunce or nature, neither equall with God the father. And suche places and te­stimonyes as now come ot my remembraunce, I wyll hereunto add. &c.

BVT before ye adde any more, let me adde my subtraction to youre firste addicion, and then adde and multiply what you lyst.

Ye say, it may easely appeare by the scriptures Christ nto to be equal w ^t God the Father, neither to be of y ^• same substāce or nature with him. And I saye, it were veray harde for [Page]you to make that easelye appeare to any, all if ye had neuer so muche o­portunitie to searche the scriptures. The best ye can do, ye haue already done therin: But it easely appereth (I dout not) to euery right Christiā by that your best doyng, that ye can do least with the worst, to bring that your purpose aboute.

I haue sufficientlye before decla­red, by the sincere and vncorrupte scriptures, to the full contentacyon of any Christian mynde (I hope) the equalitie of the sonne Iesus Christ, bothe in power, & also nature with God the father. Notwithstandyng sythen now eftsones in this place ye denye the same, I shall not let pre­sently also to sai somthing that may make with Christ, and agaynst you.

I wold were therfore of you, what in all the scriptures is attributed to God the Father, that is not also at­tributed [Page]& ascribed vnto the sōn Ie­sus Christ? If in the scriptures no­thīg is referred to God y ^e father, but that whiche is lykewyse applyed to the sonne Iesus Christ: thā of force it foloweth, that by the scriptures, the Father and the Sonne ar of one and the same substaunce or nature, and equall in all poyntes touchyng Deninitie. And that the scriptures do matche hym with the Father, in all poyntes of the Godhead, be ii proued by the scriptures in this dis­course: The Father is called God in the scriptures, so is the Sonne: of whome it is sayde: i. Ioh. v. This same sonne Iesus Christ is veray God, and eternall lyfe.

The Father is called Lorde: so is the Sonne: of whom it is sayde: And one Lorde Iesus Christ which is God aboue all thyng, Mat. xxii Psa. c. ix. blessed for euer. And agayne: The Lord sayd vnto my Lorde. &c.

The Father is called holy: so is the Sonne, of whom it is written: I know the what thou art, Mark. i. euen the holy one of god. &c.

The Father is called Iudge: so is the Sonne: of whow it is sayde: There is one lawmaker & Iudge, Iam. iiii which is able to saue and distroye,

The Father is called iust: so is the Sonne: of whom it is sayd: The iust & righteous iudgement of God shalbe opened, which wyll rewarde euery man accordyng to his dedes.

Here ye see, that hys iudgement is called iust, and the iudgement of God: wherfore he is iust, and God.

The father is called true: So is the Sonne, and truth it selfe, him selfe sayiyng: I am the way, veritie and lyfe. Ioh. xiiii

The father is called hyghe: so is the Sonne: of whom it is written [...] Hygh aboue all nacions the Lorde, Psa. cxii [Page]aboue the heauens his glorye. Psa, c, ii.

The Father is called the lyght: so is the Sonne, himselfe saiyng: I am the lyght of the worlde: Ioh. viii. he that foloweth me, doth not walke in d [...]r­kenesse, but shall haue the lyght of lyfe. The Father gyueth lyfe euerlastyng: so doothe the Sonne, himself, saiyng: Iohn. x. My sheepe do here my voyce, and they folow me, and I do giue lyfe euerlastyng vnto them.

The Father doth saue: so dothe the Sonne: of whom it is sayde: Mat. i. he shall make hys people safe frome their synnes.

The Father doothe rayse & quic­ken: so dothe the Sonne, of whom it is written: Iohn. v. As the Father doothe rayse vp the dead and quicken, euen so the sonne dothe quycken, whome he wyll. The Father is called e­uerlastyng: so is the sonne, Iohn. i. Ioh. viii. of whom it is sayde: In the beginnyng was [Page]the worde. Ioh. viii. &c. himselfe saiynge: Be­fore Abraham was, I am.

The Father made all thyngꝭ: so dyd the sonne: of whom it is sayde. All thyng was made by him, Iohn. i. & with out him, nothyng is made.

The Father doth know the secret thoughtes and cogitacions of the mynde: so dothe the Sonne, of whō it is said: But he knew their though tes, Cor. xi. Apo, x. & sayd vnto them. &c. Agayn: al Congregacions shall knowe that I am the sercher of the hertꝭ & myndꝭ.

The Father is euery where: so is he Sonne: of whom it is sayde: In omni loco dominaciones eius. Psal. c ii. And he him selfe sayeth: Where soeuer .ii. or .iii. are gathered togyther in my name, there am I in the myds of thē

The Father gyueth vnderstan­dyng: so dothe the Sonne: of whom it is sayd: ii. Tim. ii Vnderstand what I say [...] for y ^e lord wil geue the vnderstādīg.

Thus muche haue I done vpon the oportunitie receaued at your hā ­des, that ye may bothe vnderstande the equalytie of the Father and the Sonne, and also hereby to occasion you, to seke oportunitie for serchyng the scriptures, aswell that ye maye perfectly knowe that which I haue nowe sayde, as lykewyse to see the much more lefte vnspoken, that may be sayde for the proufe of the same, whiche you denye. Nowe wyl I re­herse your places, one after another: and answerethe same.

TO syt on my right hande, and on my lyst hande is not in me to gyue. Mat. xxii.

ONE named Chius, a vintner, (as Plutarche writeth if I re­membre wel) vsed to bye the best wy­nes for other to drinke: and he him [Page]selfe wolde drynke none other but suche as were mustye and had loste their verdure: whose seruaunt on a tyme beynge demaunded what hys Maister dyd at home: mary ꝙ he: Cum adfint bona, querit mala: That is to say: Where muche good is at hande, he seeketh for that whiche is naught. Let this Chius (good syr) be as it were a Christall for you to see your owne condicion and disease in: that beynge in the vyneyarde on euerye syde beset in cluster with the grape of that heuenly nectar, beyng in the treasury replenyshed with so many incomparable good thynges passyng golde, pearle, or precious stone, yet leauinge so pleasaunt and good iuce. Vappa sitis vappam: neclectyng so dyuers and incompa­rable good thyngs: Malus queris mala: Ye hunt after that whiche is euyll. And forasmuche in the Te­stament [Page]of Iesus Chryst, whiche is that heuenlye vyneyarde and ryche treasury I speake of, nothing can be founde but right good: Ye practise to corrupte the good, that it maye serue your naughty appetite wher­with it can not agre y ^t Iesus Christ shuld be God: but only a pure man as ye are. And therfore ye haue ga­thered certayne places whereby ye wolde diswade Christ deuinitie, and perswade him to be a Creature and man onlye: And the fyrste place ye haue taken out of saynt Mathewe: Mat. xx. where it is sayde: to syt on my right hande, and on my lefte hande is not mine to giue. Which wordꝭ in deede were spoken by Christ to the mother of Zebedees children, what tyme she fell doune before him, and desyred that her two sonnes might syt in his kyngdome, the one vpon his ryght hande, the other vpon his left hand, [Page]to whom Iesus finall answere was: to syt vpon my right hande, and on my left is not myne to gyue, but vn­to them for whome it is prepared of my father: which is as much to say, that accordyng to this present state, wherin ye see me, I am not come to dystribute the places & seates of my kyngdome: for know ye, that frome the beginnyng, my father & I haue distributed and appoynted theym: Therefore be not you carefull, as thoughe they were voyde. This is the right and true vnderstandynge of that place. Now let vs see what woulde you conclude hereof, that Christ is not God? and howe so? Perdye thus: God is of power to gyue the seate on the right hande, & on the lefte hande in the kyngdome of heauen.

But to syt on the right hand, and on the left hand is not myne to glue [Page]sayeth Christ,

Wherfore Christe is not God. This argument is starke naughte, and not worthe a rush: For Christ beynge bothe perfect God & perfect mā somtymes (as I haue oftē times sayde) speaketh as God, somtymes as man: as here in this place in cō ­sideracion of his manhead, and ac­cordyng to the present dispensacion of the flesshe whiche he receaued, he sayth to the mother of Zebedees children, that it is not in him to giue for any to sit on his right hand, & on his left hand. Wherfore it foloweth not hereby that he is not God, no more then it foloweth that he is not man, when he speaketh as God. And as in this place, in consideraciō (I say) of his presente state then, and hys humanitie, he sayde that it was not in his power to dispose the seates of his kyngdome: so mought you haue [Page]easely found without great seekyng in other places, howe that he dothe chalenge vnto him the same thynge, whiche here he seemeth to refuse: as where he sayth: App. iii. Qui vicerit, dabo illi sedere. &c. To him that shall ouer­come, I shall graunt to syt with me in my seat. &c. And in another place: Verely Verely I say vnto you, Luc. xxii. that ye whiche haue folowed me in rege­neracion, what tyme the Sonne of man shall syt in the seate of his ma­gestie, ye shall also syt with him. &c. In whiche place, Christ manifestly declareth that he hath power & auc­thoritie in him selfe, to appoynt and dispose the places of the heuēly king dome: therfore if by your owne reasō Christ is not God, because he saith, to syt on his ryght hande and on his lefte hande it is not his to gyue, why wyl not your reason serue you to be­leue him to be very God, which now [Page]sayeth: I wyll graunte him to sytte with me: and ye shall sytte with me in the seate of my magestie. If ye deny him to be god, because he hath not the power to distribute & graunt the seatꝭ of the heauenly kyngdōe: wyll ye not confesse and beleue hym to be God, if he hathe that power in him? I can not thynke how ye can auoyde it. And do not these places proue certenlye, that he hathe that power in hym? If not, then what saye ye to that in Math, Mat. 28. Omnis po­iestas concessa est mihi in coelo & in terra: Vnto me is geuen all power in heauen and in earth, sayth Christ. If all power in heauen and earth be gyuen to him, then is it in his po­wer to dispose the seatꝭ of his king­dome in heauen: if not, then is he a lyer that sayeth all power in heauen and in earthe is gyuen to me. But Christ is true, and truth it selfe, and [Page]his worde can not be false, Now sy [...] I make this reason.

It is for God and not man to a­poynte the places of the heuenlye kyngdome: but Chryst hath power to appoynt the places of the heuen­lye kyngdome, wherefore Chryst is veray God.

Answere hereunto at your leysure, yf ye can. And this aunswere is suf­fycyente to your nexte texte, whiche is thus.

OF THAT day or houre no mā knoweth, neyther the aungels whiche are in heauen, nor the sonne, but the father onely, &c.

THE son knoweth not of that daye and houre accordynge to his humanitie, by any naturall rea­son: but yet the son knoweth perfect­lye dothe the daye and houre, other­wise [Page]wise howe may it be said of him, Iohn. x. Ego et Pater vnum sumus: I and the fa­ther be al one, Mat. 28. if in this point they be diuers? how can it stande that al po­wer both in heauen and yerth is gy­uen vnto hym, Iohn. iii, yf this be not in his power and knoweledge? howe is it that the father hath gyuen hym all thynges into his handes, yf this be out of his handes and power to tel? Shall he be the hyghe iudge when that daye and houre commeth, Iohn. v. and yet knoweth not whē it shalbe? Iohn. i. Dyd he make all thynges and nothynge was made withoute hym, and yet knoweth not of that day and houre? Abydeth in hym all plenytude and fulnes of the deite, Collo. ii. corporallye, that is substanciallye, naturallye, from the begynnynge with the father, not spiritually and through fayth only, as in sonnes by adopcyon: and yet laboureth he with this defecte and [Page]wante? Dothe he knowe the father euen as perfectlye and as deep­lye as the father knoweth hym, Iohn. v. and yet knoweth he not this point of his councell? Dothe he gyue lyfe euer­lastynge, Iohn. v. and yet knoweth not the daye and houre when he shall per­fourme it? Yes no dought as per­fectlye and assuredlye as the father doth: All if in this place in consyde­racyon of his humanytie: and to de­clare that the secretes and councels of God are beyonde mans vnder­standynge and knowledge, he sayth of that day and houre no man kno­weth, neyther the Aungels which at in heauen, ne the son, but the father onely. For he one beynge both God and mā, knoweth and knoweth not: knoweth as God, knoweth not as man. Both partes are apparaunit by the scriptures that are alleaged: in so apparāt mater therfore dought [Page]not any lenger: throughe ignorance to be deceaued, it is excusable: but vppon knowledge to be obstynate what shall excuse you? Your thyrde texte is this.

WHY callest thou me good? noone good but God.

MAgister bone good master sayde the yonge man what shal I do to optayne lyfe euerlasting? whiche questian proceded from hym whiche stoode some what in his owne con­ceyte, and moued this questyan to thende he wolde rather be commen­ded in that whiche he had donne, thē in deede to lerne what he shulde do. Mar. x. And therefore Chryst beynge as it were offended with that Arrogaunt name, layde vnto hym, what callest thou me good, none good but God? As yf he sayde, why call ye me good [Page]whiche surname is aboue the digni­tye of man, and yet ye beleue not that I am veray God, and the na­turall sonne of God the father sente emongest you in the shape of a ser­uaunt for the redempcyon of man­kynde. He wold be called Good, and acknowledged God, or els he wolde none of bothe. And all thoughe in this place for causes rehersed, he semeth to rebuke the yonge man for callynge him good master, yet shall ye fynde that in an nother place he vouchesauethe that name, yea and calleth hym selfe good shepeherde: Iohn. x. Admytte the one and refuse not the other. But and if ye thynke it pro­per for God to be called good, lette hym be man in that he refused to be called good master in thone: let him be God which calleth him selfe good shepeherde in thother. And beleue assuredlye that it is not vnsyttynge [Page]for hym to be called good with the father, whiche truely sayth. Ego & pater vnum sumus: I and the father be all one: yf bothe, but one: Why bothe not good aswell as one?

Gloryfye thy son. &c. Ioh. xvii.

IF this dothe proue that Chryst is not God, then by the same it folo­weth that the father is not god also, for the sentens wholy recited (which you seldome do) importethe no les. Clarifica filium vt et filius clarificet te. Ioh. xvii Father (sayth Christ) gloryfie thy sonne, that thy sonne also may glo­ryfye the. And in another place he saythe. Ioh. xix. Ego te clarificaui super ter­ram. I haue gloryfied the vpon the earth, ye see then that this is but bo­rowed ware, it cummeth and goeth betwixt the father and the son with iust retorne: if therfore Christ maye [Page]not be god, because he is gloryfyed of the father: neither the father must be god because he is gloryfied of the sonne, for eche of them gloryfieth an other as ye haue herde. Howe be it if a man wolde axe ye, what is mea­ned by these wordes (gloryfye thy son) and what gloryficacion Chryst spake of, I dought not but y ^t your answere shuld vtter your folly, and confirme my saieng: vnles ye wolde euer of purpose and malycyouslye aunswere contrarye to your knowe­ledge and cōscience. For in the same Cha. wherhens ye had this, ye reade playnely these wordes. Ioh. xvii. Clarifica me pater apud temetipsum claritate quā habui priusquam mundus fieret apud te: That is, glorifie me thou father with thine owne selfe, with the glory which I had or euer the worlde was made. If Chryst hadde glorye with the father or euer the worlde was, the [Page]was Chryst with the father, ab eter­no eternallye from the begynnynge (as Iohn dothe wytnes also in the begynnynge of his Gospell that he was) yf Chryst was eternally from the beginninge with the father, then was not Chryst any creature: yf he was no creature, then was he God. Thus is Chryst true god euermore gloryous and the Lorde of glore. Pauls wordes prouinge. 1. Cor. 1. Si cogno­uissent nnncquam dominnm gloriae crucifixissent: .i. If they had knowē, they had neuer crucified the lorde of glory. Notwithstanding being also mā, in his manhead as he could be crucisied, so mought he be gloryfied likewise. Acknowledge at lēgth that, in whom one & semblable claryfica­cyon is, in them is no dyfference of power.

ALL are yours, you ar Christes, and Chryst is Gods. Cor. iii.

This place of saint Paul Atha­nasyus that auncyent wryter dothe expounde in this wyse. All thynges are yours, onelye for that God hath subierte all thynges vnto you, and haue ordeyned all thinges to serue your commoditie and plea­sure. You are Chrystes throughe your creacion & seruitude. Christes is Gods because he was before the wordle with the father, and was of the same essence and substance that God the father is of. And hereunto all the olde fathers agre: and of our late doctors I knowe none that dis­sent in this poynt: so that it is euy­dente that ye haue soked this out of your owne brain only, as to contend that Christ is not god, or of the saine nature w ^t the father, because Paule sayeth Christe is Gods, or of God [...] Vpon which wordes Bullinger wri­teth thus: Christ is gods, that is to [Page]saye (sayeth he) Christ is coequall with the Father, and vnto him, the Churche is subiect, not as to man, but as to the lyuynge God. If ye marke well S. Paules wordes, or rather the right meanyng of them, ye shall not fynde Christꝭ deuinitie denyed, but rather manifestlye a­uouched: as who in the same place, and by the same wordes which ye a­leage, instructeth the Corinthians, that albeit al thynges (whether it be Paule, either Appollo, or Cephas, whether it be life or death. &c.) ar or­deyned to their weale and comforte: yet ought they not to glory in them, but in Christ only, throughe whome they haue atchyued all: and who is their head & their god, and therfore not to glory in man only, but in him whiche is bothe God and man, euen as he himselfe dothe glorye in God his Father.

YEA more aptly is this declared of Paule, whyles he explaneth that of Dauid: he hathe subiecte all thynges vnder his feete. &c. Cor. xv.

THE whole and perfect sentens of Paule is thus: Then co­meth the ende, when he hath delyue­red vp the kyngdome to God the Father, when he hathe putte doune all rule, aucthoritie and power: for he must reigne tyll he hath put all hys enemyes vnder his feete: but where he sayth all thing is put vnder him, it is manifest that he is excepted, whiche dyd putte all thynges vnder him: when all thynges are subdued vnto him, then shall the Sonne also him selfe be subiecte vnto him, that put all thynges vnder him, that god may be all in al. These are s. Paules wordes. Nowe syr, what fynde ye herin, that improueth Christis deui­nitie? [Page]Assuredly nothyng, all if ye fynde in this sentence of S. Paule, that the Sonne shalbe subiected vn to the Father: for her vpon pyrcheth your hope to compas your purpose, which wyl neuer turne to good hap. And if ye please to comefurth of this wylfull ignoraunce and conforme you to ensue & trace the knowledge of Gods worde, accordynge to the Catholyke and Christian faith, then shall ye vnderstande, that in thys place s. Paule dothe the Corinthiās to wyt, that then shall thende come, when all thynges shall be subdued vnto Iesus Christ: and Christ the sonne shall delyuer vnto his father his kyngdome, that is the Church, the whole nōber of the Elect, which he hathe by his death redemed: then also Christ the Sonne him selfe shal be subiect vnto the father, touchyng the dispensacion of the flesh, and in [Page]his membres the sayntes, by whiche it is meaned, that then the misterye of Christ shall ceasse, the preachyng of the Gospell shalbe leaft: and no longer any suche in the euerlastyng kyngdome of God, and the sayntes shall be as was in the Militaunte Churche when the worlde was sub­iect vnto the preachyng of the Gos­pell: For where no synne and disease is, there needeth no remission, or me­decyne. And thys subiection of the sayntes shall be the most free kyng­dome vnto theym: For then Iesus Christ veray God and man shall be all in all: God in God, & reignynge ouer all thynges: creature in crea­tures, and to God subiect as a crea­ture. And howe shal he not be all in all which is thonly goodnesse of al, the righteousnesse of all, i, Ioh. ii. Ioh. xiiii Psa. xrvi Ephes. ii. the lyfe of all comfort of all, health of all, the felicitie of all, the peace of all, and [Page]glory of al: in whō al haue life euer­lastīg aboūding in all good thyngꝭ? And how shall he be subiected vnto the father, whose magestie honōr & glory is the same with the fathers: & who sayeth: Ego & Pater vnū sumus: i. I and the Father be all one. Iohn. x. And howe shall he notte reigne euerlal­stingly with God the father as god, Iud. viii. whiche proceded frome the Father before all begynnynges, whyche vnmade and vncreate, Iohn. i. made and created all thynges with his father: and of whom it is writen: Mich. iiii Et regna­bit Dominus super eos in monte Syon ex hoc nūc, & vs (que) in seculum: .i. And the Lorde shall reigne ouer them in the mounte of Syon for nowe and euer more, Agayn: Iohn. xii. Nos audiuimus ex lege ꝙ Christus manet inaeternum: i. We haue hearde out of the lawe that Christ cōtinuth for euer. And of whom it is writen by Luke: Luke. i. Re­gnabit [Page]in domo Iacob inaeternum: .i. He shall reygne in the house of Ia­cob for euer. Verely touchynge the dispensaciō of the flesh, and the mi­sterye nowe in force and vre, Christ shalbe subiected vnto the father: but beynge true God & consubstanciall sonne of God the father, hath & shal euerlastīgly haue, one & indiuisible reigne & kyngdome with the father, Thus are ye answered & taught, as the pure & chatholyke faith teacheth in Iesus Christ: who graunte that ye may lykewyse beleue.

CHRIST lyueth through the vnitue of God: and there is one only Lorde. &c. what more manifest then this?

VERELY nothīg more mani­fest against you, nothing more playne to confounde your folye. 1. Cor. 13.

Christ lyueth through the vertue [Page]of God: that is true: and thereby s. Paule meaneth, that altho Christ was crucified through infirmitie of the flesshe whiche he caryed about, yet relyued he againe by the deuine power & vertue of god, whiche was in him selfe beyng veray God: and in whom, sayth saint Paule, all ful­nes of the deitie dwelled corporally & naturally. Colos. ii. What dothe this make agaynst Christꝭ deuinitie: yea, doth it not mightelye make with it? And the place that foloweth doth so plainly confirme the same, that ye may be ashamed to recite it to the contrary. There is but one Lorde whiche is Iesus Christ. &c. sayeth S. Paule.

What of this? is not Christ ther­fore God, because he is thonly lord? Oh what blyndenes is this? Quis vos facinauit? Galla. 3. Who hath bewitched you? no dought the blynde may see, that wyll see herein, whtche you vp­pon [Page]wilfulnes wil not se, doth Paul saye ye, teache that there is but one onelye Lorde Iesus Chryst, and do not you see that by the same Saynt Paul byndethe you to beleue that Iesus Chryst is god & the self same thyng, & essens that God the father is? For yf no other Lorde is but Chryst, how shall the father be lorde then, if he be not the same thyng & essence that the sonne is, and if they bothe be not one in Godhead? The father is called Lorde, for it is writ­ten, the Lorde sayde vnto my Lorde here the father is called Lorde, and the sonalso Lorde. Yet Paul sayth that there is but one Lorde the son Iesus Chryst throughe whome all thingse, and we by hym. how ma [...] this stande yf we make the father and the sonne dyuers in nature and not on? No doute the father and the son al one: the father God and lorde [Page]the sonne God and lorde: bothe one God, both one lorde: and one, both. And this appellacion lorde, when it is applyed to Chryst, is of the same force & importaūce in the scriptures, that God is of. He is called Lorde more often then God, aswell for that the Prophetes most commonly cal­led him Lord, and also because, that name dothe more allude to the my­sterie of his incarnacion: Throughe which he delyuered vs from the ser­uitude of Satan: dyslorded him of vs: and tooke the lordshyp and do­mynion ouer vs vppon him selfe.

BVT not to trouble your lordship any lenger with my rude & bar­berous talke, shortly thus I thinke of Iesus Chryst. Verely that he was the most electe vessel, the orgen or instru­ment of the deuine mercy, a Prophet and more then a Prophete, the son of [Page]God, but according to the spreete of Sanctificacion, the syrst begotten but emongest many brothers. &c.

HEre is Christe defined as vn­christeanly as euer I herd, and who so is werye of the christianitie, let hym beleeue as ye teache: for in dede it is contrary to Christe and al Christianitie: but who soeuer [...]eio [...] seth in the name Iesus Christe, and looketh to enioye lyfe euerlastynge through him, he must nedes confesse and beleue Christe to be otherwyse then ye do presently acknowledge.

Fayne wold you that Christ shuld not be god, but your faint profe ther of declareth what spirite ye ar of . [...]. Notwithstādyng ye do what ye ca [...] which is nothyng in effect: & wh [...] can any doo more against so heyg [...] and manifest truthe? Ye leaue [...] one stone vnmoued to further y [...] [Page]purpose, saue only the chiefest stone which wyll not rolle that, waye with all that you canne: And ye are well content to let it alone, & proue ma\steries with the rest. Much lyke ye are vnto Patroclus, who when he went into the warres, toke with him all the armour and weapons of A­chilles, hys speare only excepted, which he thought to be to weghty & great for hys arme: No otherwyse you descendynge into the fielde a­gaynst Christ is deuienitie, brought with you to ouerthrowe the same, all kynde of armour and weapon saue only the veritie and truthe (whiche was not for your wearīg) the speare and shyelde of all Catholyke and Christian men, of force in all suche causes, to vpholde and support the [...]ght, in spyght of all myght. And [...]ith this weapon, as I haue hither vnto made you to stoupe: so a none [Page]I dought not I shall geue you the doune fall. And here ioyne wee in this quarell. In this your discrip­cion of Christ, I fynde, that all y [...] your intētis altogither wycked, ye [...] some parte of your woordes in the same sounde well, and maye be well taken: as where ye saye that Christ was the moste elect vessell, was the orgeyn or instrument of the deuine mercye, was a Prophet & more then a Prophet. These phrases are good & Catholyke in a good & Catholike mans mouthe, where the intent is pure & godly. Therfore your wor­des that sounde Iesus Christ to be a moste electe vessell, be they good; but your intent that wold haue him an elect vessell only, must needes [...] wycked. Your wordes that sou [...] Iesus, to be the orgen of the deu [...] mercy, he they good: but your in [...] whiche wolde haue him an orge [...] [Page]instrumēt only of the deuine mercy, and not the author of mercy, & mercy it self, must needes be wycked. Your wordes that sounde Iesus Christ to be a Prophet and more then a Pro­phet, be they good: but your intent which wole not haue him the giuer of all prophercye as God almighty, must nedes be wicked because it concordeth not with the veritie of Chri­stis condicion, and consent of all the Catholyke Church: which beleueth stefastly bothe, aswell that whiche your wordes affirme, and that also which your intent denyeth, It folo­weth in our descripcion: He is the sonne of God, but accordynge to the spirite of sanctif [...]yng: Your But ma­ [...]festly discloseth where at ye shute. Which terme is yours, the rest is in S. Paule to the Romains, but not [...]nakedly, as ye haue alleaged it: as here afterwarde it shall appeare. [Page]First let vs examine what ye meane when ye say, that Christ is the sonne of God? but accordyng to the spirit of sanctuiyng. If ye meane as S. Paule meaneth, then your meaning is good: if not, then is your mea­nyng deuelysh & wycked. But your But, I say, vttereth your intent, ve­rely that Christ is the sonne of God onlye, as other good men are, whose heartes the holy ghost hathe ancti­fied, ye meane the sonne of God by adopcion: and therfore ye knyt vp your definicion with First gotten but amongst many brothers.

S. Paules wordes wholye and sin­cerely without wrestyng & māgling of them are these: Rom. 1. of his sonne which is made of the seede of Dauid, to [...] chyng the flesh, & declared the so [...] of God in power, accordyng to [...] holye spirite and by his resurrec [...] from the dead: This is S. Paule [Page]sentence, conteinynge muche more then ye brought in, & eke somewhat lesse by your But, whiche if it were in Paul as it is in yours, then your next But myght folowe the better. In these wordes S. Paul teacheth, Christ to be, not only the Sonne of man touching the flesh, but also the Sonne of God, and true God, by three wayes: that is to saye: By power, by the spirite, and by resur­rection. By power, as by miracles and workes, whiche were aboue the condiciō of man: of which he spake in Iohn: Ioh. v. x. Si ve [...] bis meis non creditis, operibus saltem credite: .i, If ye beleue not my wordes, yet haue cre­dit to my workes: By the holy gost, as in sundrye places, so in that, that the holy ghost came doune in visible forme vppon hym, what tyme the [...]oyce of the father sounded: Mat. iii. xvii. Hic est silius meꝰ in quo mihi bene cūplacui: [Page].i. This is my sonne in whom I am well pleased.

And hether unto appertayneth that of Ioh. in his caconicall epysiel, Et spiritus est qui testificatur. He pro­mised also to sende, and accordynge to his promyse dyd sene the holye ghost to be a comforter and gyde in his bodely absence, vnto all such, as faythfully trace his wayes: Which was for god to do, and not mā. The thyrde argument whice S. Paul vseth in that place to proue Christes deuinitie, is his resurrection. For who could rayse hym selfe frō death by his owne power and vertue, but the naturall son of God, which said Tollite templum hoc, et in triduc excitabo illud: .i. Destroye ye this tēple, and in thre dayes I wyl builde it vy agayne. Iohn. x. ego ponam animam meā & iterum sumam eam, nemo tolle [...] eam a me sed ego ponam eam ameips [...] [Page]potestatē habeo ponendi eam, & iterū potestatem h abeo sumēdi cam: That is to saye: I wyl put my soule from me, and I wyll take the same again vnto me; None shall take it frome me. but I wyl put in from meselfe: I haue power in my selfe to putte it a­waye, and I haue power in me to take it agayne. Ye see then what s. Paule meaned in that place, and ye heare howe that other partes of the scriptures do confirme also his me­nyng & intent in that behalf. Wher­for your meanyng and intent which is repugnaunte hereto, must needes be wycked and naught. And some­thyng to say of your next But which is: Christ is the first begytten sonne of God, but a mongest many broo­thers. I pray you which of all his brothers can saye: Ego ex Deo pro­cessi & veni: .i. Ioh. viii I proceeded further and came from God: Whiche of so [Page]many can saye: Ioh. xiiii Creditis in Deum, & in me crdite: .i. Beleue ye in God and beleue in me? Which of so ma­ny brothers can sya: Iohn. x. Ego & pater v­num sumus: .i. I and my Father be one? which of them all can say as he sayde to Philip: Qui videt me, videt patrem: He that seeth me, seeth the Father? which of so many can saye & performe: Qui credit in me, habet vitam aeternam: He that beleueth in me hath lyfe euerlastyng? Which of you then can saye: Mat. xvi Qui non honorat filium, non honorat patrem: He that honoureth not the sonne, honoureth not the father? Agayne, to whom of so many brothers was it euer sayde: Thou art Christ the sonne of the ly­uyng God? To which of so manye brothers may it be sayde: Iohn. iii. Qui non credit, iam iudicatus est: quia non credit in nomine vnigeniti filii Dei: That is: He that beleueth not, is al­redye [Page]condemned: because he bele­ueth not in the name of the onlye be­gotten sonne of God? If ye can de­clare any to be equall with hym in these poyntes, then wyll I graunte with you that he hath mo brothers: & euery of them true God. For none but God can saye as he hath sayde: & to none but to God can it be sayde whiche ye haue hearde. In meane tyme I beleue him to be brotherles, and confesse him to be thonly begot­ten sonne of God, consubstanciall & coequall to y ^e father in al power, ho­nor, and glorye. And for your fur­ther instructiō reade at your leisure, s. Paule in the first to the Hebrues, where ye shall fynde that S. Paule proueth hym to be brotherles, & the naturall sonne of God, & true god. for .iii, causes chiefly: thone is, be­cause he is the creator and maker of Aungels (as there he proueth): the [Page]other, for y ^t he is honored of angels: y ^t third, because he hath his seat for euer & euer. Now sit, all if euery iust mā is the sonne of God by adopciō, who so iuste that made the Angels, that is honored of Angels, that syt­teth at the right hand of God the fa­thers magesiie ī seat for euer & euer, But Iesus Christ alone, whom S. Peter calleth Verū filium. ii. Pet. i. The true sonne of God, & not the sonne by ad­opciō? And of whom s. Iohn sayeth: Hic est verus Deus & vita aeterna: This is true God, & lyfe euerlastīg. And if none made āgels, none to be honored of angels, none hathe seate euerlastīgly, but Iesus Christ: then of likelihod he is brotherles. Agayn to creat Aungels, to be honored of Angels, to haue seate for euer & euer if it be for God only, then is Christ God: and I beleue that he is.

FVRTHER he was notable by miracles, but which god wroght [Page]by hī, as also the Prophets of the old lawe, dyd many wonderful miracles: yet may we not cal thē gods therfore.

FOrsothe I graunte, that bothe Christ, and the Prophets of the olde lawe, did veray great miracles: yet their miracles not lyke great, ne­ther the maner of doynge one, as a­none ye shall heare. And where ye say that God dyd suche miracles by him: I graunt that he dyd: So did he make and create all thyngꝭ by him also: What? Had he not in himselfe therfore y ^• power to make & create all thinges? Yes no doute: as who is the same selfe thing, essens & nature, that the father is: so that, to say that the father made all thynges by the sonne, is as much to say, that the fa­ther & the sonne one god, one power made al thyngꝭ, not one doing more then thother: for ther is not betwene thē one, & then another, but both one [Page]touchyng the deitie, and .ii. persons of the same. Therfore to graunt vn to you, that God wrought miracles by Christ, yet doothe it not folowe that, Christ had not in himselfe po­wer to doo miracles: for he had po­wer in him to do all thyng as abso­lutely as the father had: who sayth: I and the father be one. Iohn. x. Agayn: The father is in me, and I in him: Iohn. iii. And All power is gyuen me in heauen and in earthe. What greater miracle can there be, then to put away the soule, and take it agayne? And Christ did so, & sayde that he had power in him selfe so to do: Iohn. x. and dyd so in deede. Now (syr) although the Prophetes & other dyd veraye great miracles, yet the maner of doynge so dyuerse betwene Christ and them, well pro­ueth him to be God, and these not to be goddes. For as thei dyd nothing of themselfe, so dyd Christ absolutly [Page]all of himselfe. They euer vsed in­uocations and prayer er they were able to do any miraculous matter. But Iesus Christe dyd all of hym selfe, neuer prayed, neuer inuocated the father what tyme he wolde shew any miracle, but of his owne deuine power, and with his onlye worde he wrought miraculons wōders: what sayde he too Lazarus, Iohn. xi. Lazare veni foras? What dyd or sayde he to the wydow her sonne, Lukc. vii. but Adoles­sens tibi dico surge: .i. Yonge man, I saye vnto the, ryse. What dyd or said he to the doughter of the ruler, but Puella surge: .i. Damesell arise. Math. ix Helyas I graunt dyd rere vppe the dead, but first prayed. 4, Re. 4, Helyzeus whē he relyued the sonne of Sunamite, prayed a lone in a chaūbre, the dore cloose shutte vnto him. Peter also re­lyued Tabita, but first prayed ear­nestly on his knees and then sayde: [Page]Tabita aryse. Act. ix. Lykewise to Eneas, which kept his bed .viii. yeares, he sayd: Eneas, the lord Iesus Christ make the whole, aryse and make thy bead. If S. Peter coulde worke so hygh miracles in Christes name, was not Christ hīselfe able to do the lyke, and more greater in hys owne name? Wherfore loke howe muche difference is betwene cōmaundyng, and desyring: geuyng & deseruyng: of him selfe, & by anothers power: so much discrepaūce is betwene Christ & other in workyng miracles. And forasmuche to cōmaunde, to giue of himselfe, and by no other power, life to the dead, health to the sycke. &c. is for god only to do: Beleue Christ to be god, that hath and can do y ^t same. And the other that dyd nothing but vpon desyre, & desert through fayth and prayer, and by an other power, call them not godds, neither cōpare them with Iesus Christ for shame.

THIS haue I vttered my opiniō in Writyng, accordynge to your good Lordships cōmaundment, bese­chyng your lordship to take the same in good part, as the thyng done by hī which is prest and readye to do your lordships Wyll & cōmaundment in all poyntes that maye be perfourmed by this weake vayne of wytte in me.

ANd thus haue I confuted the same your opinion by writyng accordynge to the truth of the pure scriptures of God, affirmyng (con­trary to your asserciō) Iesus Christ to be the naturall sonne of God the Father, and true God in all poyntes equall & consubstanciall to his fa­ther: and this doctrine to mainteyn and defende I am prest and ready a gaynst you & al other that wyl deny it, to thuttermost of all my power.

And forasmuche the vayne of your [Page]wytte be but weake (as ye saye), I wolde wysh that ye shulde not ouer­charge it so much, neither strayne it so farr as to compasse such matters whiche the strongest wyt can neuer bring to passe. If therfore your wit be but lytle, spende it all well, & all lytle inough. And so doyng, ye shal not neede to beseche or requyre anye man to take in good parte your do­ynges, they themselves cōmendynge themselfe, & deseruyng fauour at e­uery honest mans hande. But if ye perseuer in this wycked fasciō, as to perswade blacke to be whyte, chalke chese: then eche wyse man may well thīke, wyll & wyt to haue wrestled in you so long, that wyll hathe driuen wyt out of possession, & wholly op­tayneth the souereigntie in you, & so you to do all thyng vpon wyll with­out wyt. Of all men I am lothest to see it in you, for I protest before [Page]god, that I beare as good hert, and wysh as much good vnto you as I do to my self. The contrary I wold not haue you thīke in me, although I haue taken vpon me to condemne your opinion: and whyles I do the same shall seeme sumwhat rough­ly to talke vnto you perchaūce: but rather that I greatly detest & abhor the opinion and sect, whiche can not to sharply be touched: for to youre ꝑson I owe no displeasure or malice at al. And thou christiā reder in stede of long conclusiō in the matter that I treate of, reade the Psalme of A­thanasius which herafter foloweth: Besechyng the to take in good part these my doynges, wherin good wyl hath wrought all that it coulde, how soeuer power & facultie haue ben answerable therto.

Mutuo oremus vt saluemur.

WHosoeuer wyll be saued: before all thyngꝭ it is ne­cessarye that he holde the Catholike fayth.

Which fayth except euery one do kepe holy & vndefiled: without dout he shall perysh euerlastingly.

And the Catholyke fayth is this: that we worshyp one God in Trini­tie, and Trinitie in vnitie.

Neither confoundyng the persons: nor deuydynge the substaunce.

For there is one person of the father another of the sonne: and an other of the holy ghost.

But the godheade of the father, of the sonne, and of the holy goost, is al one: the glorye equall, the maiestye coeternall,

Such as the father is, such is the sonne: and such is the holy ghost.

The father vncreate, the sonne vn­create: and the holy ghost vncreate.

The father incomprehensyble, the sonne incomprehēsyble: and the holy ghost incomprehensyble.

The father eternal, the sonne eter­nall: and the holy ghost eternal.

And yet they are not thre eternales but one eternall.

As also there be not thre incom­prehensybes, nor thre vncreated: but one vncreated, one incomprehēsible.

So lykewyse, the father is almightye the sonne almighty, and the holy ghost almyghtye.

And yet they are not thre almigh­tyes, but one almyghtie.

So the father is god, the sonne is god, and the holy ghost is god.

So lykewyse the father is Lorde, the sōne Lord, & the holy gost Lord. And yet not thre lordes but one lord [Page]For lyke as we be cōpelled by y ^• christiā veritie: to acknoweledge euery person by hīself to be god and lorde.

So are we forbydden by the Ca­tholyke religion: to say there be thre goddes, or thre lordes.

The father is made of none: neither created nor begotten.

The sonne is of the father alone: not made nor created, but begotten

The holy gost is of the father and of the sōne: neither made nor created nor begotten but procedyng.

So there is one father, not thre fathers, one sonne not thre sonnes: one holy goost, not thre holy goostes.

And in this trynytie none is afore nor after other: none is greater nor lesse then other.

But the whole thre personnes be coeternall together and coequall.

So that in al thīges, as it is afore sayde: the vnitie in trinitie, & the tri­nitie in vnitie, is to be worshippyd.

He therfore that wyl be saued: must thus thinke of the trinitie.

Furthermore, it is necessary to euer lassing saluacion: that he also be­leue ryghtlye in the incarnacion of our lorde Iesus Christe.

For the right faith is that we beleue & confes: that our lord Iesus Christ the sonne of God, is god and man.

God of the substance of the father, begotten before the worldes: and man of the substaūce of his mother, borne in the worlde.

Perfecte god and perfecte man: of a reasonable soule, and humayne fleshe subsystynge.

Equall to the father as touching his Godheade: & inferyor to the fa­ther touchynge his manhoode.

Who although he be god and mā yet he is not two, but one Chryst.

One, not by conuersyon of the god heade into fleshe: but by takynge of the manhood into God.

One altogether, not by confusi [...] of substance: but by vnitie of per [...].

For as the resonable soul & flesh [...] one man: so god & mā is one Christ.

Who suffereth for oure saluacyo [...] descended into hell, rose agayne the thirde day from the deade.

He assēded into heauen, he sitteth on the ryght hand of the father, god almyghty: from whēce he shal come to iudge the quicke and the dead.

At whose cūmyng al men shal ryse agayne with theyr bodyes, & shall gyue accomte of theyr own workes. And thei that haue done good, shal go into lyfe euerlasting: & they tha [...] haue done euyl, into euerlastīg fyet.

This is the Catholike faith which excepte a man beleue faythfully he can not be saued.