¶ Two homilies upon the first, second, and third articles of the Crede, made by master john Feknam Deane of Paul's.  

The first article.  I Believe in God the father almighty maker of heaven and earth.  
dearly beloved and servants of our lord God, I have here in hand this day to read and set forth unto you the right and perfect know ledge of God, to be learned and gathered out of our common Crede, the same being unto us (as it were) an abridgement, or a brief collection of all things necessary to be believed or known of God. life up your hearts therefore and prepare yourselves, like benevolent and attentive hearers, to receive the same: Considering wish yourselves, that the time of your parts spent in ●ernyng thereof, shallbe but short: the labour therm taken, can not be great: the fruit and profit of knowing God, is life everlasting. Our saviour Christ witnessing the same, saith: 
John, x●ii.  This is everlasting life, to know thee to be the only true God, and thy son whom thou hast sent jesus Christ.  
And to the obtaining of this sure knowledge of God, first give ear to learn the first article of your Crede, which beginneth on this wise. I believe in God the father almighty creator of heaven and earth. By the which article we are taught the right and perfit knowledge of God, by the catholic faith of Christ's church, and every man in following the doctrine of the same to say. I believe in God. And albeit there is a knowledge here to be gathered & learned of God, partly by natural reason, partly by the testimony & record of ancient writers and holy fathers, partly by the creatures, and by conference made of them unto God: yet the most certain & surest knowledge here to be had of God, is by the catholic faith of Christ's church, and by the doctrine of the same church to say: I believe in God. first by natural reason, there is a knowledge to be had of God, when natural reason saith. Omne causatum indiget alio ut sit. Every thing that is made must needs have another thing as his causer or maker: And that causer or maker, being in like manner made, must have of necessity another, which was his causer or maker: and so forth generally to speak of all things made, until we must by natural reason come, & find out one chief causer, creator and maker of all things, being itself not caused or made of any other, which is only God, and none other. And as touching the creatures of God, in what knowledge they bring us to of God, it is easily to be gathered: when the ample greatness, the profound deepness, the largeness, the strongnes, the beautifulness, the pureness, and the sweetness of the creatures, do instruct and teach us, how ample and great, how profound and deep, how large, how strong, how beautiful, how pure, & how sweet is God the creator & maker of them all: all creatures acknowledging, and confessing the magnificence of God their creator, every one of them saying after their manner of speech. Quoniam ipse est, qui fecit nos, et non ipsi nos. It is he that hath made us. It is ipse deus, that God. Et non ipsi nos: And not we, that did or could make ourselves. The creatures of God are here in this world, as it were, a mirror or glass, wherein we may behold, and see the wonderful might, power, and goodness of God. The Apostle Paul in witnessing of the same, saith. 
Roma. ●.  The invisible things of god (as his eternal power & godhead) are perceived and understand by his creatures, which he hath made. But of all the most certain and surest knowledge of God, is that which is here taught us in the first article of our Crede by the catholic faith, and with the same to say. I believe in god. And this my belief doth engraff in me a reason, an understanding, and a sure knowledge of God: So that the most assured, and most certain knowledge that a Christian man can have here of God, is assuredly and certainly to say. I believe in God. And to believe in God, is not only to believe that God is, or that there is a God of such invisible and spiritual substance, that he can not be seen with eye, nor yet by wit understanded, or yet to believe that God is of power infinite, of nature eternal, without beginning or ending, of knowledge incomprehensible, of wisdom not to be apprehended, of goodness, justice, and mercy always forth infinite, and like unto himself, or to believe that God in all his sayings and doings is just and true: But to believe in God, is in believing, to put our whole trust and affiance in God, and in believing and trusting in God, to love God, and so to love, trust and believe in God, that our lives and conversations be clean turned and wholly bend to please and serve him: So that to believe in God (as this first article teacheth us) is in believing to renounce the devil, the world, and the flesh, with all their pomps and works, and to dedicate ourselves wholly to the service of God. And therefore in this first article we say: Credo in deam. I believe in God, speaking but of one God in the singular numbered: thereby to seclude the service or belief of many gods, as of the devil, the world, the flesh, or other like: when it is written. Deut. vi. give ear Israel for the Lord thy God, is but one. And therefore thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. By this first article of our Crede, is subverted all Idolatry, 
Psal. xcvi.  false adoration and worshipping of many gods, when the Prophet David putteth us out of all doubts, quod omnes dij gentium daemonia, that all the gods of the ethnics, not believing in this one God, be devils, and not gods. By this first article, is abolished all forcery, witchcraft, and necromancy most, vainly abusing the creatures of God, against their creator almighty God. By this article, are condemned all gluttons and carnal livers: whose belly, is their God, 
Philip. two.  saith saint Paul, and all covetous persons and inordinate lovers of the world: when covetousness (as saith saint Paul) est idolorum servitus, 
Aephes. v.  is a service of idols. And more generally to speak, by this first article of our Crede, are condemned all kind of sinners, when sin doth cause them to prefer, and more set by the creatures, than their creator almighty God: so that this article to believe in God, shall make our life here sweet and pleasant, and deliver the same from all terror, dread and fear of Satan, sin, death, hellfire, and all their army: when this firm faith and belief in God, shall cause and encourage every one of us boldly to say with the prophet David. Et stambulavero in medio umbrae mortis, non timebo mala, quoniam tu mecum es. 
Psal. xxii.  And if I should walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear none evil, because thou art with me. Virga tuaet baculus tuus ipsa me consolata sunt. Thy rod and thy staff do comfort me. For as th'apostle Paul saith. 
Roma. viii.  Sideus pro nobis, quis nos? If God be with us, who can stand against us? gods providence and care being such over us, quod oens capilli capitis nostri numerati sunt. That all the hears of our heads be numbered, 
Math. x.  and that not one of them shall perish, without his will and pleasure.  
Seeing therefore (dearly beloved in our Lord God) so many and great evils, as all kind of Idolatry, sin, and detestable living, are avoided, by this first article of our Crede. Seeing that so many profits, commodities, and pleasures are gotten and procured by the same: Let us therefore here first begin to pitch and stay ourselves, & with a firm persuasion of heart to believe, and with no less truth of mouth to confess and say: Credo in deum patrem. I believe in God the father. In that this first article of our Crede teacheth us to believe in God the father, it doth express unto us two notable points of faith. The first is, the unity of the Godhead & of the divine substance and essence of God. The second, is the plurality of persons: when this word, father, can not be verified of God the first person, but in relation of God the son the second person: when with out a son God can not be a father. Therefore in that this first article of our Crede teacheth us to believe in God the father, it teacheth us, that jesus Christ our Lord, the second person in trinity, is God the son, being the very image of God the father, and of one substance with the father, coeternal, and in deity coequal with God the father, being one God with God the father, one nature, one essence, & being with him, both of them being of like might, like power, like wisdom, like knowledge, like righteousness, & in all other things like, appertaining unto the deity. The assured knowledge & understanding thereof can not be attained, but only by faith taught us in this first article of our Crede, & every one of us to say: I believe in God the father omnipotent. And therefore worthy to be believed, and worthy to be beloved. To be believed, because he is omnipotent, and able to do all things that he will, both in heaven and in earth, and that nothing is unto him impossible, and things being subject unto his power. And to be beloved, because he is a father, and stretcheth out his great might and power unto us, not as a rigorous lord, but as a merciful father: here in defending us from the injury of all oppressors, as a father, in conserving and governing of us, as a father. in feeding and clothing of us, as a father: making and causing all his other creatures to obey and serve us as a most benign & loving father. And in sure proof and declaration of this our father's love, great might, power, and omnipotency, this first article of our creed teacheth us to believe in god the father Omnipotent, maker and creator of heaven and earth. And in that, that he did create and make of nothing both heaven and earth: it is probation sufficient of his omnipotency. And here is to be observed, how by the creation of heaven which is the throne or seat of God, 
Mat. v.  and the highest creature of God) and by the creation of the earth (which is the footstool of God, and the lowest creature) is meant and understanded the creation of all creatures mean and between both heaven and earth, and all creatures therein contained, whether they be heavenly creatures above, or earthly beneath, spiritual or corporal, material or immaterial, visible creatures or invisible. God the father is the creator of them all, and did give unto them all their force, might, and power, and doth from time to time continually preserve, govern, sustain and maintain the whole world, and all the creatures thereof, by his only goodness and high providence: In somuch that without the continuance of his mighty working, nothing in heaven or in earth, visible, or invisible should be able any while to continue. And here to conclude in this first part or article of our Crede. I believe in God, the father almighty maker of heaven and earth. We be taught to believe in one God, and to abolish all other feigned and false gods, and this faith so steadfastly to retain, and embrace in our hearts, as never to serve or decline from the same for any argument, persuasion, or authority that may be objected, or for any worldly affection, or respect of pleasure, pain, persecution or torment what soever shall happen unto us. And beside this constant faith and belief, we are taught by this first article, most firmly to betake and commit ourselves, and all that we have, wholly to God, and to fix all our whole hope, trust, and confidence in him, and to quiet ourselves, and all our thoughts, words and works in him: believing most assuredly, that he will in very deed, show no less goodness, love, grace, mercy and favour unto us, than a very dear and tender father unto his own children, being omnipotent and of all might, force and power to perform the same: and to defend, help and save us his poor creatures, not only from all afflictions, maladies and miseries of this present life, but also at the term and end thereof, to reward us with life everlasting, and to crown us with the eternal crown of glory, which he grant us all, that hath so lovingly, and most like a tender father, prepared it for us. To whom with God the Son, and God the holy ghost be praise, honour and glory both here and ever.  
Amen.   

The second Homily upon the second and third article of the Crede.  
I Believe in jesus Christ his only son our Lord which was conceived by the holy ghost, borne of the virgin mary. These two articles of our creed entreated upon in your lesson and homily of this day, do appertain to jesus Christ, the very son of God, 
john. xvij.  and second person in Trinity: when, by the testimony before recited in the first article, of the Evangelist S. john: Everlasting life doth not only depend and consist in the knowledge of God the father, to be the only and true God: but it doth consist also in the perfect knowledge of his son jesus Christ, whom he did send unto us. Of whom, to have a right and perfect knowledge, to the winning of this everlasting life, you shall have here this day, the right sense and interpretation of these two articles, appertaining unto him, set forth and declared unto you. Whereof the first. (I believe in jesus Christ his only son our Lord) doth bring us in perfect knowledge of his divine nature, and deity. The second article (which was conceived by the holy ghost, borne of the virgin mary) doth put us to knowledge of his humanity. In the understanding of both the which natures, doth consist the whole & perfect knowledge of Christ. And touching the first, it is with much diligence of our parts to be observed, that where as our Crede teacheth us to believe in jesus Christ his only son, meaning that jesus Christ is the only son of God the father: That we do not forth withal, like carnal men, fantasey with ourselves any kind of carnal propagation to be between God the Son and God the father: But the manner of generation betwixt them to be such that it is not to be mused upon, far exceeding all wit & imagination of man: When God the first person in Trinity, is a very father to God the son the second person, not by carnal generation, nor yet by predestination. Of the which Paul to the Ephesians: 
Ephes. i.  Grace & peace unto you from God the father, which hath predestinate you in adoption of the sons of God: nor by creation. Of the which Deu. xxxij. 
Deut. xxxij.  Is not he thy father, which made the & created thee? nor by redemption: of the which the prophet Isaiah saith: 
Esay. lxiii.  Tu dne pater noster, & redemptor noster. Thou o lord art our father & our redeemer: nor yet by any sacramental regeneration, of the which S. Peter speaketh. 
i Pet. i  Blessed be god and father of our Lord jesus Christ, which hath regenerate us: (And to be short) nor yet father by adoption of grace, or conference of glory: But God the first person is father to God the son, by an eternal generation: of the which the prophet Esay speaking saith: 
Esay. iij.  Generationem eius quis enarrabit? who is able (saith the prophet) to express or to show this his eternal generation? When in this generation God the son is begot of the nature and substance of God the father, being the very same substance with God the father, coequal & eternal with God the father. The mystery thereof is so wonderful that Esay the prophet sayeth: It can not be expressed: and therefore not to be reasoned upon, but to be believed of all men, and every man to say: I believe in jesus Christ his only son (by eternal generation) our Lord. In the which article of our Crede (beside that we are taught to believe this eternal generation of Christ, & thereby his deity and divine nature) we are by the same article taught also, to believe that he is our jesus and saviour, our Christ, priest, and prophet: our lord, protector and defend or: when to believe in jesus Christ his only son our lord, is to believe, that jesus Christ was eternally preordained and appointed by the decree of the whole Trinity, to be our lord & redeemer, and to pacify the wrath and indignation of god the father towards us, and to reconcile us into his favour, and to lose & deliver us from the yoke & tyranny of Satan, sin, death, helfyre, & all their army, that they shall no longer against us prevail, but hath made us free from them, and taken us into his own protection, and made us partakers of his justice, his power, his life, his felicity, and of all other his goodness, and hath in such plentiful and abundant ways powered upon us his holy spirit and graces: as his faith to illumine and direct our weak reason and judgements: his charity to rule our wills and affections: his wisdom to govern our feeble weakness: his clear brightness to put away our darkness, that we may be bold to say and believe, that neither sin, nor death, nor hell shall have any longer power or prevail against us: but after this transitory life, we shall perpetually reign with him in glory, joy and felicity, And therefore of our parts worthily to be believed and called jesus, that is to say, our saviour: to be called Christ, that is to say, our anointed king and priest: And to be called Lord, that is to say, our redeemer and governor: when for our sakes he hath done & fulfilled the very office of a saviour, of a priest, and of a lord and king. Of a Saviour, in that he hath (according as the angel said) saved his people from their sins. Of a priest, 
Math. i.  in that he hath offered up his own body in sacrifice upon the altar of the Cross for us. In the which oblation he was both the priest, and the sacrifice itself. And of a king and Lord, in that he hath like a most mighty conqueror overcome and utterly oppressed his enemies, and hath now spoiled them of the possession of mankind, which they wan before by fraud and deceit, by dying and blaspheming, and hath brought us now into his possession, & dominion, to reign over us in grace and mercy like a most loving Lord and governor. And therefore sithen he is our jesus and saviour, our Christ, priest, and sacrifice, our Lord, king and governor, let us put our whole trust and confidence in him. For he is the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world. 
john. i. xi. Ibidem. john. x.  He is our resurrection, health, life, and salvation. He is the way, truth, and life: no man cometh to the father, but by him. He is the good shepherd, by whom we be saved from the wolf: & the door, by whom we must enter into by grace: He is the vine, 
Ibidem. xu.i. Cor. x.  in whom we being engraffed, must needs bring forth much fruit. He is our wisdom, righteousness, justification and redemption. He is our peace, 
Ephes. ij. i. Timo. two. Apocs'. i. xxi.  our mediator and advocate, and finally he is alpha and omega, that is, the beginning and ending of our salvation. Let us therefore have the self same faith and affiance in him in all points, which we have in God the father, acknowledging him to be our lord, our Christ, & our saviour, like as we are taught in this second article of our creed, most firmly to believe in jesus Christ his only son our Lord.  
The second article apperteigning to the second person in Trinity, touched in the homily of this day, doth teach us to believe his humanity and human nature, saying: which was conceived by the holy ghost, borne of the virgin Mary. For declaration of the which article, ye shall understand, that when the time was come, in the which it was before ordained and appointed, by the decree of the whose Trinity, that mankind should be ransomed and redeemed: then the son of God jesus Christ the second person in Trinity, and very God, descended from heaven into this world, and took upon him the very habit, form, and nature of man, in the same to work, suffer, and fulfil all those things, which were necessary for the redemption and salvation of man: unto whom God the father commanded the world to give full credit, saying to all men. Ipsum audite. Hear him: Who descending from heaven did light down into the womb of the blessed virgin Mary, 
Mat. xvij.  and did take upon him of her flesh, our very flesh, very nature & substance, & so did in her unite & conjoin together the same nature of man, with his godhead in one person, with such an indissoluble and inseparable knot and bond: that he being one person jesus Christ was then and ever shallbe in the same person very perfect God, and very perfect man. Which holy work of Christ's incarnation was brought to pass, not by the seed of man, but by the holy ghost, descending into the womb of the blessed virgin, and there of her flesh and substance working this ineffable & incomprehensible mystery of the incarnation of jesus Christ, and that without any motion of concupiscence, or spot of sin: So that she both in the conception & also in the birth and nativity of our saviour Christ, and ever after, retained still her virginity pure and immaculate (his conception & birth being, by the only workmanship of the holy ghost, accompleshed in her without any violation or detriment of her virginity: Christ's birth being altogether thus pure, holy, and undefiled, that he might be impollutus pontifex, an undefiled priest and bishop, to make sacrifice and oblation to God the father for our sins, and that he might by his immaculate pureness, purge the filthiness of our sins, and that he being the lamb sent of God to take away the sins of the world, might (being without all spot & wemme) purge and make clean the great malice of our sins, and the filthy wickedness of the same: that our filthiness being in this wise (by his pureness) cleansed and put away, we might with him finally enjoy the benefit and profit of his most holy conception, and blessed incarnation, of his joyful birth and nativity, of his baptism, fasting and temptation, of his great pains, travails, and labours, by preaching teaching, and miracles doing, of his many wrongful reproofs, rebukes and infamies by the jews, of his most tedious agony, when he sweat both water and blood, of his fatigation and fainting underneath the cross, of his crucifixion and nailing, & most pitiful hanging upon the same, of his death, passion, and yielding up of his spirit into the hands of God the father, and finally of his honourable burial, his glorious resurrection, & marvelous ascension into the joys of heaven and of eternal glory. Unto the which he bring us all, that by so many pains & travels hath so dearly bought it for us: not by corruptible gold or silver, but by the effusion of his most precious blood. To whom with God the father, and God the holy ghost be all praise, honour, and glory for ever and ever.  
Amen.   

Excusum Londini in aedibus Roberti Caly.   

Cum privilegio.