❧ THE fall OF THE LATE ARRIAN.  
❧ He that believeth in the son of god hath everlasting life. But he that beveth not is condemned already: because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten son of God. john. ill.   

 angel and a woman   

❧ TO THE MOST VIRTUOUS LADY THE Lady Mary's grace, daughter to the right puissant king Henry the viii and sister to our most redoubted king Edward the vi john Proctor, her most humble orator wisheth from God, grace, peace, and healthful felicity.  
AFTER that I had given our late Arrian the fall (most Gracious mary) I bethought me, under whose shield I might haply calenge the game. And diligently considering with myself, how that all my labours, and the fall which I have given, tend only to the mayntinaunce of the honour and glory of the Glorious Virgin mary, in defending and upholding the sweet fruit of her blessed womb jesus Christ in his true divinity and perfect equality with God the father (which my adversary would have gladly laid on the ground): under whose banner thought I with better luck mought I enter the triumph, and sing the victory, than our Noble Ave-maries. whose native gentleness is such, that as her grace can not but vouchsafe her good will in all honest quarrels: so in this especially she will not, but will and do th'uttermost: moved as well for the name sake, as also through the heavenly conformity of most godly qualities in her, to the high resemblance & perfect imitation of the other.  
As who that dwelleth evermore in Galilee, 
Mary dwelleth in Galilee, inhabiteth Nazareth, espoused to joseph visited by Gabriel, Mat. i.  the most glorius transmigration from the inordinate love of the creatures into the Creator of all  
Inhabiteth most willingly Nazareth, the sloure of virginity, the branch of divine influence.  
Accompanieth continualye with joseph, the increase and augmentation of faith and love.  
Admitteth daily into the privy closet of her heart Gabriel, the fortitude and might of God. Through whose joyful Annunciation, her soul springeth up with hope. Affecteth the fullness of Grace, the presence of the Lord: And obtaineth a certain singularity of blessedness, amongst all Ladies. 
Mary riseth and goeth into the Mountain, cometh into the City of, Jude, entereth the house of zacharye, & salutith Elyzabeth. Lu. i   
As who again daily riseth, from sin, from worldly vanities and delyces.  
Goeth, into the mountains, toward the heavenly jerusalem.  
Cometh, into the City of Jude, the City of worthy praise, and divine honour: into the house of God, to confess her unto his holy name.  
Entereth, the house of Zacharye, the faithful & worthy remembrance of the Lord his preseptes.  
sweetly saluteth Elizabeth, the saturity and fullness of her God: Only satisfying her greedy desire in him, Qui solus replet in bonis desiderium nostrum.  
And as the true handmaid of the Lord, 
Merry conceiveth, beareth & bringeth forth jesus Christ. Math. i.  conceiveth most worthily in her heart.  
Bears in perpetual memory.  
And bringeth forth jesus Christ, true God and man, in most goodly practise of godly life.  
Thus, most Gracious mary, & blessed handmaiden of the Lord, debating with myself your Noble nature and heavenly dispositions: wherein, your Grace so nigh approacheth to the perfection of that your Graces celestial pattern, the holy Virgin mary: that in some man's head, wit might well gather, and reason conclude not a miss, one, & the same soul to be of both, the bodies only changed, according to Pythagoras' law. I say, occupying my imagination after this sort, within the circuit of your Grace's excellency, I find matter enough, encouraging me, to will that I would, to like as I listed: to do in deed no less then in mind, me thought I was ever a doing.  
Wherefore, as well for contentation of mine own private affection, as that also I suppose it most meet and congruent: I have not letted to commit these my labours, into the hands of the people, under the support and recognisance of your Grace's title and name. Whereby, I doubt not, but the honest & godly sort will like it the better: the cankered and envious shall have less force to endamage or hinder. Although I know their biting & carping sting will not a little be sharpened thereby, against the same my doings: which I gladly do acknowledge, shall achieve no small ornament and grace, through these four letters MARY: Thus in every thing Envy doth comitat virtue, no otherwise then shadow the body.  
Howbeit, for my part, I do neither covet the praise of th'one, ne regard the dispraise of tother. Only my desire is, to exhibet a labour in thons eye commendable, without respect of their commendation: And in the others fancy vituperable, without care or regard of their nip and check. The fruit, no doubt of both, th'only flower of your Grace's name shining in their eye at the first entrance, shall bring forth and yield unto me, in such plenty, that it shall greatly incense and provoke me hereafter in the like opportunity to will most with the best, all if my power can do least with the worst. In mean time, I most heartily desire your grace, to aspire & favour that, that present is: the matter for the worthiness, the Author, for his forward good will. Both of the matter, & the author his intent, your highness shall have further instruction, if the same vouchsafe to read my preface to my Countrymen of England: wherein, I do both touch & teach, according to my skill & cunning: and toward th'end thereof, do disclose a word or two, concerning the late Arrian, and his fall. Thus the Lord of Lords, & King of Kings, jesus Christ preserve and continue your Grace in all honour, glory, & wealth, now and ever. Amen.   

❧ THE PREFACE unto my country men of England.  
IT IS not unknown to the christian reader that the devil, as he is the continual adversary of mankind, so continually at all times and seasons, he laboureth by wonder full & sundry crafts, to overthrow & extinct the evangelical doctrine, the only comfort and stay of man: and to weary the faithful followers of the same.  
¶ In the first budding time of Christ his church, lord, with how many afflictions was the same invaded: with how many waves of sundry persecutions, knocte and bet at? with how many torments & deaths tried? Against which, the cruelty of Princes: The perverse maliciousness of the jews: The impious rage of heretics, and finally the whole world with all kind of devilish engines and malicious policies, had as ye would say, made insurrection. And although Annas and Cayphas reign not still, Nero and Diacletian are not ever, yet ever shall jesus Christ, and such as faithfully believe in him, suffer persecution to th'end of the world: as Paul doth witness. And in this present time, what dangerous tragedies hath Satan stirred up: what strange & perilous heresies hath he raised among the people of God? Who seeing the great folly, the abundance of iniquity in these days among the people, doth not, or laugh heartily with Democritus, or bitterly lament with Heraclitus, of which men I have read in Ancient writers, that thones fashion & custom was, evermore to laugh: thothers to lament and weep at all things commonly practised amongst the people of their tyme. If they both were now living, they would, I suppose, even die, the one with laughing at the folly, the other lamenting the great iniquity of the people: of both there was, never more plenty, as is in our tyme. For my part, I can rather lament and sorrow with Heraclitus, the present state of this world, than otherwise laugh with Democritus, For what heart in which remaineth any sperkle of honesty and godliness, would not rue the great impiety of these days, would not bewail the wickedness of this time: Wherein it is to be seen (to speak nothing of anabaptists, Libertines, Marcyonistes with other a number, which are presently riefe amongst the people) that call into doubt and question, whether Christ be comen or not: Yea, & some without doubt, question, or controversy moved at all, fear not impiously to avouch, teach and affirm, that our only justice & peace, our only pathway to everlasting life, our only Mediator and saviour, our only propitiation for sins, jesus Christ, is not true god, but a mere creature, a passable man only.  
What more worthy Democrites laughters, or Heraclites tears, than such outrageous folly, such unbridled iniquity? And is this an easy persecution, a small grief trow ye, to the faithful Congregation, to the right believers of jesus Christ, and favourers of his holy word, that contrary to so many and mighty testimonies of the scriptures, after the most glorious bloodshed. & slaughter of so many godly Martyrs, for corroboration of the same: After so great unity universally received in Christ his Church, touching this high truth of his divinity, it should be now denied, that he is true GOD, equal in his divinity to the father: Howbeit there was no other likelihood, but that such monstrous metamorphosye should happen. I remember the Cineke Diogenes, who passing by the house of a certain lavysh and riotous person, where upon the door it was written: This house is to be sold. Yea of my faith ꝙ Dyogenes. I espied very well and prophecyde in my mind, that by reason of thine unmeasurable surfeiting, thou would at last, spew up some whole house. Even so, of such dissolute rioting, such unmeasurable gourmaunding and dangerous surfeiting of the people, in all abomination, vice, and uncleanness, as have been in these later times practised amongst them: to the miserable devastation of Christ his vineyard, profanation of the pure & unspotted religion, antiquation of all honest, godly and decent Ordres: what else was there to be looked for, but that some of them would at last vomit and spew forth some such monstrous portent, & prodigious matter, of long time not heard of before: so abominable, filthy, and stinking, that no true Christian might abide the hearing, savour, or sight thereof. Were we not suffictently instructed by the scriptures, that towards th'end of the world, heresies should opteyn a great stroke amongst the people: We might justly wondre to see so many strange scismiks and opinions in these our days sprung up, and so many infected with the same. But being resolved by God's word, that they shallbe, let us not wondre either that they are, or for that so many be infected with them: Which are therefore sent & permitted, that the faith of man in having temptation, should have also probation.  
The greatest wondre is, to see such number of heresies so nigh home, so many infected with them within this isle of England: Within England I say, where every man, every woman pretendeth to be a gospeler, every boy, each girl trained & exercised in reading the holy Scripture of jesus Christ.  
A high name, a noble train, and most godly exercise, If we matched them (gentle friends and Countrymen) with godly mind & good affection to practise and follow that which we read and hear of God's true word, in our life & behaviour. But our tongue soundeth much in tune: our phrase is Lord Lord, & the lord knoweth, our manners gear all together out of tune, our life nought nought: We bear it in our hands, we see it with our eye, we here it with our ears, we roll it up with our tongue: but our conversation & living savour nothing thereof at all, but daily worse, & worse experience proveth. If it be no matter of wonder, that we thus wander yet in such darkness, which have the light amongst us: that we be thus spotted, and defiled with so many sores of perilous heresies, which carry about with us the glass of knowledge: that we be thus far out of square, which have the straight rule, and right square at hand: What wonder is it, if other talk: or that the wholesome word of god, which is so frank in your mouths, never came so far as your hearts. 
Galls. iii.  Quis vos fascinavit non obedire veritati? Who hath bewitched you (gentle friends & Countrymen) what aileth you that you will not obey to the truth, but thus headlong run into all untruths, thus irreverentlye wander in to all ungodliness, and pitifully stray in to all unrighteousness.  
Ones marvelously ye were bewitched, by that Romish man, the peevish Pope: what time he held your heads under his girdle of iniquity. Then as the Poet Diphilus, in a tragedy which he played at Rome in the Theatre, said of great Pompey: 
Valetius Mar. ● i, vi. cap, two.  Miseria nostra magnus est. Our misery is the great: meaning it by Pompey, who was called great Pompey: So than ye mought have said? Miseria nostra Papa est: Our misery is the Pope, the great pomp of the world. Now he being disclosed what he is with all his tricks: his false forged power abrogated and discharged: who hath now bewitched you, who now, Miseria nostra (gentle brethren) that in the bright day ye can not see. In the plain path ye can not walk without falling, that having the true square and straight rule, your lives square not, your works all crooked out of frame and rule.  
That Noble henry, King of Kings, now dissolved & dwelling with Christ: That heavenly josias I say, did much for you, what time not without great travail & study, not without tyrannical hatred of foreign powers thereby procured unto him, he brought home that comfortable light, that pleasant food of souls, and gave it each of you in your hands. What time ye were yoked to the Pope's bulls, he unyoked you, and pulled your necks out of that miserable bondage. Where you were linked to his proling pardons, he purchased a free pardon unto you of them all: Further, where ye were nuzzled in idolatry, and trained in worshipping stocks and stones, he cared to discharge such blocks out of your way: where you were grossly fed upon the marry she of man's traditions: he studied to acquaint you with the fine diet of Christ's true word etc. Thus good & gracious Lord was he unto you in procuring and granting: How faithful and honest subjects prove ye in receiving and exercising so precious and rich treasures: What perfection have they wrought in you. I can not say the truth without your great shame: But seeing ye be not ashamed of shameful doing, blame me not, if I be not a shamed to do you to wit thereof.  
Then ye were half blind, and now ye see nothing.  
Then stocks and stones were in your eye, and now God is out of your hearts.  
Then ye sought pardons in paper for your sins, and now ye sin without repentance in your hearts.  
Then ye kept a gross diet, and now you surfeit inordinately in all abomination and iniquity.  
Then ye were not in the right way, and now ye are to to far of.  
Then did ye stumble among clods and brakes, and now ye fall down right even in the plain path.  
Finally then ye had much zeal without all knowledge: and now ye have much knowledge without all zeal. Then knew ye least, and followed most: and now ye know most, and follow least.  
What a monstrous metamorphosy: what a strange alteration of manners is this? Who hath bewitched you now my friends? what evil ghost: What wicked spirit hath benumbed you of your wits now. Nemo leditur nisi a serpso: No man is hurt but through himself: it was a wise and true sentence of tully. The evil ghost of your own self, love, pride & ambition: The wicked spirit of temerity, contempt, and rashness, all together possessing your hearts, hath thus bewitched you, not to obey & follow the truth: whereby in stead of christians, ye are become Antichristinas': for true Gospelers, ye prove Anababtistes, Libertines, Ebbionitts, Arrians, Seleutians, Saducees, Pellagians, foul and blasphemous Heretics. This is true that I say, and I am loath to say it, would God it were false, & I proved a liar: but report of some is certain, proof by experience can not lie? I see it daily more & more true, and I am sorry for it in my heart, because I love you. Other hear it and laugh at the same in their minds, because they hate you. It is a good matter for your enemies to rejoice, & for your friends to weep at: It is glad tidings to the one, and heavy news to tother.  
And as we exceed in all heretical and blasphemous opinions: so retain we also all uncleanness, all filthiness of life emongste us.  
Righteousness is fled: Virtue is banished the country: they can have no dwelling place here to abide: The fines and incomes so great, the rents so high at the lords hand. The entreteinment of other so churlish: The neyghboured each where so unplesawt.  
When hath there been heard of such intolerable pride, 
The ear which w●● heart his own life rebuked shall dwell in the middle of them that he wise. Salomen,  of such unsasiable greediness for the grummel seed, & dirty muck of this vain world, then have lately reigned amongst them which were in authority, our rulers, and in godly conversation of life, should have been heads and Captains also.  
When hath there been heard of the like headynesse, 
Letter of over much licence cometh great pestilence. ● There.  flattery, ambition, and rashness as now a days is yet practised even in the pulpits, where hence, the sincere and pure word of God should be taught and preached with all meekness, with all humbleness, with all simplicity. When hath there been hard of the like dissoluteness, disorder, disobedience, and dangerous liberty, as is presently in ure amongst the Commons.  
But th'one sort is well purged: whereof certain have reaped as they have sown: Whose false government is to manifest, how so ever certain busy persons have lately talken in defending their salt, most worthy condemnation: and condemning the doings of the kings most prudent councelours therein, best worthy commendation. But the lord grant them his grace that they may acknowledge their transgression, and earnestly repent them for the same: and that, where they have lived a life worthy death everlasting, yet through hearty repentance, they may die the death in jesus christ, that may turn them to life everlasting, and that this their fall may be to all other that are, or hereafter shall be appointed rulers over the people, sufficient example and feyre warning, how they should behave themself in that vocation: To whom, for further instruction be this said: Intelligite & erudimini qui iudicatis terram, seruite Dominio in timore, & exultate ei cum tremore. Ye that are called to be Rulers over the people, as well Kings, as other Civil heads and magistrates, understand, saith the Prophet, and be instructed which do judge the earth, serve ye the lord in fear, and rejoice unto him with dread. This aught to be your study and travail: to search after the knowledge and understanding of God his laws, that such matters as shall come in contraversy before you? ye may decide and determine according to equity and justice.  
And to th'end ye may lead your people in the right path of the lord, 
The root of wisdom is, to fere god, and the branch thereof shall long time endure. Solomon  and provoke them by your example to live in righteousness: serve ye the Lord in fear, without which nothing but sin: for look what example of living: what precedents of doings: what pattern of manners, what lessons of honesty and godliness, what discipline of mercy & gentleness they receive at your hands, such will your people follow. Therefore, if your living be not godly & pure, ye stand in danger, not only of your own parts, but of your peoples also. For as the crazed ship by leking in water into it, doth not only drown herself, but as many as be in her: Even so, if you that be heads and Rulers live in wickedness: If the ship of your own soul be over whelmed with the wave of iniquity: what marvel is it if the people that stand a board with you, be drowned in the same shipwreck with you also. If ye lead your lives out of all honest & godly order, what marvel is it if they live inordinately. If ye live as lawless persons, what marvel if they stray out of all laws. If ye be so proud that ye have forgotten, your birth was but sin, your lifetyme but as the bubble in that water, in death, yeshal be but worms meat, what marvel if there remember it not. If ye be so blinded in vain glory, that ye can not discern the true goods from the false: the right treasures form the counterfeiet: 
To use the Public weal for a particular gain or advantage, is not onnly a thing toll & dishonest but also mischievous and very adhominable. Seneca.  If your hearts be so rapt to cumulate & heap together the commodities of this corrupt world, with the incummoditie of, ye care not whom, making that your Lady & Sovereign, which ought to be your servant & drudge, that ye have forgotten the terrible, Who, so often threatened over you: that ye have forgotten the evangelical fool, to whom it is said: This night they reqire thy soul from thee, and those goods which thou hast gathered together, whose shall they be? If ye have forgotten this, I say, what marvel is it if your people remebre it not. If these you to walk before them in the path of iniquity, what marvel is it if they follow the same way after you. Out of doubt, 
Whosoever liveth ill in the sight of them whom he hath in rule, as much as in him be slayeth the beholders ꝙ Augustine.  as Helitr●pium the flower doth ever open at the son rising: and at the son set, closeth: so if the Rulers rise from sin and wickedness, the people will rise also: If they be set in the chair of pestilence, the people will not sit far of, whose nature is to ensue & follow that chief, whereunto they perceive their heads and Rulers inclined and prone.  
And ye that are preachers & teachers over the people, consider your charge and office, it is h●gh time ye do so. Many of you have done your parts well: but many again of you have, and do very lewdly behave yourselves, rather like to ravening wolves, then faithful pastors: Rather like to sow sedition, to make uproars amongst God's people, then sincerely to show forth the true word of God, not regarding, as it appeareth by your doings, whether the souls committed unto your charge, sink or swim, go with you to the devil, or without you to GGD. I have heard often your vain and undiscrete talk, with mine ear. I see daily your corrupt conversation of life, with mine eye, my tongue can not dissemble it. But better to late, my friends, than never. Turn your books a new: learn your office in them more earnestly: and express the same to us in your living more effectually. Remember that if ye be called spiritual for nought, yet were you made Pastors and Ministers for somewhat. Ye have a charge committed unto you from God, by the mouth of Paul: Learn, mark, & bear it well away. If ye faithfully do it, your reward is, Immarcescibilis gloriae corona. But if ye be found negligent and slothful labourers, that through your necligencye and deceitfulness, Goddis Agricolation go not forward: his building rise not: his sheep stray into perdition, death shallbe your salary, damnation your reward, and their blood shall be required at your hands. The reward is great, let it provoke you: the pain is horrible, let it fear you: do, & have th'one assuredly: do not, and miss not tother undoubtedly.  
As Psylly therefore be not only hurt of venomous serpetes themselves, but also do suck out the poison from other that at stinged with them: so your part & office is, not only to regard that yourselves be not hurt and poisoned with the venomous sting of Satan: but also to cure and heal other that are under your charge, with wholesome instruction, godly example of life, continually practised amongst them: and to kill the sting of Satan in them: to suck out his poison from their souls, with the mighty word of God, by daily and sincere preaching, & inculcating it into them. And do it I say sincerely, soberly, discreetly without all counterfeiting, all dissimulation: for cloaking will not help, dissimulation can not serve: The high judge seeth clearly, even the secrets of your hearts, though ye colour & juggle never so craftily. The fish called Mugyll, hideth his head, weening that then all his body is also well hidden. The Woodcock likewise clappeth his bill to the ground, thinking that then he is safe enough & not seen. But I would none of you to prove so foolish as the fish Mugill, so wise as the Woodcock, as to believe, that by hiding your head oy bill, by dissembling and colourable practises ye can not be seen, and discerned who ye are. Though the world be sometime deceived by such policies: yet the eyes I say of God, be ever clear. Ye may avoid a tyrant, by changing the place or country, but him ye can not avoid; which is every where, & seeth every both thought & dead.  
ANd ye that are by Goddis appointment hearers, be not slack of your part in your vocation & duty: be obedient unto your heads & teachers, & that for conscience sake. pay to every of them their dew with good will, be it tribute, honour, fear, love or reverence: S. Paul requireth no les at your hands: and his warrant to Tymothe, touching your duty, containeth no contrary lesson. Ye have the holy and comfortable Testament of jesus Christ in your hands: If you be ignorant in your duty, the greater is your fault: if ye know it and follow it not, who shall excuse you.  
It grieveth me to see such dangerous division, so great disobedience as is presently in force amongst you: it is a vehement presumption, & sure token, that ye have wondrously abused that comfortable treasure of God's sweet word. The nature whereof is, to make such as do acquaint them worthily with it, les proud, less vicious, less dishobedient, less contentious, less malicious, less covetous. But in that ye are more in all, and less in none: it appeareth, ye did more profit therein, when ye had less knowledge thereof. Ye have heard, read, and searched it, I deny not: but your life proveth that he have read it as if ye read it not, your eye not single: Ye hear it, as if ye heard it not, your intent not pure: Ye search it as though ye searched it not, your mind ungodly. And this is the occasion that ye receive so small profit & fruit thereof: for he that seeth your conversation, heareth of your behavors, searcheth your doings, shall find you in all, far wide from your profession. And no marvel, ye sought not for it. Many of you are mighty talkers: jolly bragger's, great questmongers, all that ye sought for. For as in one and the same field the Bee doth ensue the flower: the goat, the esteem or stalk: the swine, the root: the four feeted beasts, the fruit: Even so in the scriptures divers is your intent: some of you seek matter of talk: some, strange opinions: and some proofs and arguments to maintain your conceptes & mad imaginations be they good or bad: some, the knowledge only: some, the way to live well: and few seek after that way. It is the best part, and the least part of you have ensued it. And after this sort, reading and searching the scriptures, what marvel is it if ye he given into wrong and corrupt sense: which sought not after the pure & right undecitanding thereof: If so many scismyckes and heresies be sprung among you, which so irreverently, so unworthily presume to abuse the reverent & worthy word of God. For as to them that are over charged with wine, their eyes often times dazzle when they persuade themselves to see many things, where in deed they see but one.  
Likewise such as do so rashly & unadvisedly with unpure mind & ungodly intent read and search the scriptures of God, do forge & imagen many strange sentences there upon, persuading themselves to see many things therein, where in deed they see not one thereof: so heavy headed be they with pride, ambition, covetousness: so dazzling are their eyes with self love, pertinacy & disdainfulness. But good countrymen remember the great care and travel of the most redoured prince, or he could: the love that he would bring it unto your hands: forget not that it is a higher matter than the book of Rodynhoode: Consider what commodity ensueth by the right use thereof. Deceive not the loving exdecration of so high and fatherly a Prince conceived of you, do not frustrate his travail and labours? Provoke not Goddis vengeance upon you, do not abuse his holy word: Spoil not your lovies from such heavenly and inestimable treasures and comfort, do not turn it into our own confusion. And frame yourselves yet at length worthily to use this incomparable Margatete: put on a single and a doves eye, which seeth only heavenly things. Let your hearts be inflamed with hot desire toward it. It doth not vouchsafe vulgarelye to be loved, after a comen sort to be affected: it requireth a thirsty mind, a hungry and greedy stomach, but after it, alone: And at the first entrance in to it, ye must lay a part all pride, vainglory, and disdainfulness out of your hearts. For although the Court of Goddis word be very large and ample, lofty and high: yet the door wherein ye must enter, is very low: and none can enter into it, but such as are low, humble and meek of spirit. And it is a certain token that ye have good success in that Court: and that ye are well in favour with the high Lord thereof, if you daily prove more & more mild, meek, sober, humble, and lowly of heart.  
Such only doth he reteygne in favour: to such only he vouchsafe to talk in that his holy word, and disclose his high & secret mysteries: which are shut up unto the arrogant & proud. It rejoiceth the ploughman's heart to behold the ears of his grain or corn rather to hang downward then to stand bolt up right: because he knoweth perfectly them to be laden, these void of good fruit  
The high plowghman Christ, coveteth to see the same in you: to whom ye shall be an acceptable and fruitful harvest, if your heads be not cocked up with vain glory, self-love, and pride, but bowed down with all humility and meekness.  
If it prove not so with you, think not that ye have any whit proffeted in his word. For as Menedemus was accustomed to say that many sailed to the school of Athens, which at beginning seemed to themselves sapient: soon after became Philosophers, that is, studious of sapience: Anon Rethoricioners: And finally Idyotes and unlearned: Even so, if ye worthily entre the school of this Heavenly philosophy, and accordingly profit therein: where before ye seemed in your own conceit to yourselves jolly men, gay fellows, and as well seen as the best doctor of them all: ye shall quickly be out of this conceit with yourselves: Every day ye shallbe less arrogaunt, less proud: every hour challenge less knowledge unto you: and say with Socrates finally: Hoc scio quod nihil scio: This know I, that I know nothing: and this is to know all. Read it therefore with all humbleness, which i'th' all meekness of heart, with pure intent, and godly purpose, to th'end ye may profit therein: profit therein, that ye may know your duty dew to God & the world: And knowing it, have ye prompt will, ready hand, sweet foot, to mind, practise, and follow the same to th'uttermost.  
FINALLY if any remain amongst us quick as yet & lively members of jesus Christ, so remain we still: Be we not discomforted for any thing we see. There are many heresies, no wondre: there have been more. Many are infected with them, why not: therefore they are permitted, to tempt & prove the wit of man. Let not all this remove us from our standing: but for asmuch the weakness of man giveth might to heresies (they of themselves being of no force and might) and the devil there cometh only & preveyleth, where faith is feeble to withstand and resist: see we stand sure: see our house be evermore well warded with the strong and impenetrable bolt of faith. It is no wondre (as I have said) that heresies are: it is a greater occasion of wonder if we be found so slenderly provided and so ill appointed, as not to be able to repel and keep of so weak an enemy. For if we arm ourselves with unwavering faith in jesus Christ, no doubt we shall be strong & of power sufficient to frustrate our adversary the devil his intent: who daily laboureth by sundry policies to discharge that comfortable weapon from us, to th'end he mought enter our holds. He is very crafty & politycke, and therefore tempteth us with many fair & flattering means, & all to deceive and entrap our simplicity, that we would forsake the wholesome grain of the high Lord, and lay hand upon his damnable Zizan. And as Hyena the beast doth imitate the voice of man, Yea, and learneth to call some one by name, to the end that the same called forth, he may devour: The like policy Satan useth to ketche us in his snare: He inviteth us unto him by many fair names, and entieth our hearts with many goodly promises, & to none other end, but to devour us, both body and soul.  
But we are well warned of this crafty tyrant: it were much shame to be unarmed at any time against him. He hath sent amongst us many a stout and crafty whelp now a days, to make away for him, that he may enter into our holds I say: some of them appearing unto us like themselves, that is devilish, without cloak or semblance of godliness, and these can not beguile us. But some again transfigurate, and fashioned into Angels of light, & such may much prevail in their masters quarrel, with such as are wavering, doubtful, and weak in the faith of jesus Christ, our high captain. But resist we them manfully: fear we not to answer unto them, as the people Cinniensis answered unto the Embassetours of Brute: which treated with them to yield up their City in to the hands of their captain Brute: 
Valeria, Mar. two. 6. La. 4.  to whom their answer was in this wile: Ferrum sibi a maioribus quo urbem tuerentur, non aurum, quo libertatem ab imperatore avaro emerent relictum: Our ancestors said they left unto us weapon to defend the City, not gold, to redeem it of a covetous Emperor.  
The devil by his faithful Embassetours & ministers, persuadeth with us daily to give over our interest of the spiritual jerusalem: But we have weapon from the begenning prescribed, appointed and let unto us from the Lord of holies, wherewith we ought courageously with stand all such assaults & crafty persuasions, and not cowardly give over unto our adversary, and stand to his courchy and reward, which is no better then miserable servitude for the time present: and finally everlasting death. He is a covetous Lord, yield we as much as we will: be we as obedient unto him as we can: that is our reward, and no better. Who so mad as to buy repentance so dear. Lysymacus, by reason of a vehement dryth & thristynesse, was compelled to yield himself unto the Scythes: And after that he had drunken the cold water: Good God, say't he: Quem brevis voluptatis causa quantam deposui felicitatem: That is to say: For how short pleasure, how great felicity have I foregone. But think and debate we with ourselves well, how great felicity we lose, when for a little vain glory of this foolish world, for contenting our own self love, for the cold water of this mortal life, we for go the Crown of glory that never decayeth: we lose the love of God: we give over the fountain of life, the lively water springing into everlasting joy and felicity. Therefore I say, have we ever the people Cynnyensis answer frank in our memory: let Lysymacus example be always obuersaunte before our eyes: and buy we not repentance so dear. Rather let us fight it out hardly: use we our weapon of constant faith: let us not shrink from our captain, and hell gates shall not prevail against us, It is a weapon strong and sure: 
two. Cor. ●.  and of force Ad destructionem munitionum, concilia destruentia, & omnem altitudinem extollentemse adversus scientiam Dei. etc. That is, to cast down strong holds, to over throw Councils, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. etc. It is therefore a strong and sure weapon: and reason it be so: the hold is dear and precious to be defended therewithal: our souls I mean: which the devil with so many policies & crafty sleights by his faithful ministers doth daily assault: but in vain if we leave not of, this sure weapon of unwavering faith: if we shrink not from our captain. For know we to our further comfort e, that no equality is between our captains The devil I say of their side: and God of ours: he is of no power, but where no power is: Never overcometh, but through our own prodition: Our weakhertinesse, cowardness, and impotensye, is his only might, courage, & force. A weak captain is he, if we remain strong: strong, if we beg●nne to be weakherted, or negligent, to resist: where we resist not, there prevaileth he: where we withstand not, there can he captive: 
sabel. ●● two. Ennead. v.  Vincerescis, victoria vt●●escis, said Bercha Pennus to Hannibal.  
But the devil, contrary, Victoria scit uti, vincere nescit. He knoweth triumphantly to use the victory: but he hath no skill to win the same, unless we cowardly yield unto him: and shrink I say from our captain, who is the Lord of hosts, the Lord of powers. Dominus fortis & potens prelio. And who being with us and on our sides: who against us that can prevail?  
To be short, at the beginning men thought it enough if they were not invaded and hurt of wild beasts, and sought no other benefit by them: But afterward they began a little and a little to convert them into their further commodity and pleasure, as to be clothed with their skins, to feed on their flesh, and with divers of their parts to recure & heal such maladies and diseases as grew in their bodies.  
Even so must we use our adversaries, the devil and the wild beasts his ministers, not only that we be not hurt of them: but also that we be advaunteged by them: as the more vehemently to be stirred up to the study of God's comfortable word, the more strongly to be confirm med in the faith of jesus Christ: the more earnestly to walk in his way: the more faithfully to proceed & go forward in the veretie of him with joyful fear, and trembling joy, with all alacrity and cheerfulness: with careful respect, & wary cautelnesse, lest we slip into the love of that, which we now detest, & hate. For as the enemies which lie scout watching on the walls of the cities do compel and enforce the citizens, then chief to watch, and keep best order and rule: Semblably in this hurly burly of Christis religion: the walls of his chosen temple our souls, laid at on every side with all kind of ordinance, that the devil can imagine, it behoveth us now especially to play the men, to go strongly armed.  
God no doubt permitteth us to be thus persecuted with such sismicks and blasphemous opinions, partly for our wickedness and dissolute living past, for our necligency in what ching our walls afore time: And chief to try and prove or faith and constancy to ward him by the same: no otherwise then we try our pot or vessel by putting liquor in to it, whether it be sound, or not: According to Paul his saying: Opottet heres esse, ut probati quique manifesti fiant inter vos.  
For as much therefore it pleaseth God to use this trial of us: it standeth us upon principally to utter what we are: to declare ourselves sound of faith, and in deed, not only in name true Christians: as well for declaration of true and perfect repentance in our hearts for our folly past: as also in this trial of God, to show us stout and constant in the faith of him, whom we profess in name: And nothing to shrink, but with cheerful courage & bold stomach (what so ever hap) to run that race: to join that battle: to fight that field: that shallbe for contentation of his high pleasure: utterdefaming his and our adversaries.  
If in this state so busy we shall seem to be dismayed and as it were weary of our parts, what else may we appear to do, then to forsake the honey, because the bee hath a little stonge us.  
say we as M. Brute said to certain diswading him from the battle: 
Valer. Mar. li. v●. ca v.  Fidendenter in aciem descendo, hody enim aut recte erit, aut nihil curabo: That is to wit, With good confidence (said Brute) I go in to the battle, for this day all shallbe well, or my care shall have an end. Brute thought it neither meet for him to live without the victory and overhand of our enemies: or at the least be out of cark and care. Life is sweet: but without this victory, more bitter than gall. Death is sour, but in this quarrel most delectable & precious. Die we the death in the Lordis Camp: and we shall live the life everlasting in heaven with eterne felicity and pleasure. Live we the life in Satan his tabernacle, & we shall die the death everlasting in hell with most terrible torments, & unspeakable pains. Choose the best whiles choice lieth in lot.  
HERE to break up this matter gentle Reader, and at length to come to the declaration and disclosing of my purpose and intent in this my little book, which I have entitled: THE FALL OF THE LATE ARRIAN: Thou shall understand that I have in the same confuted the opinion of a certain man who lately denied Christ divinity and equality, with God the father, affirming that he was but a mere Creature, and a passable man only, not God. And this was Arrius opinion: of whom in my book I do treat more at large: and as many as do hold that opinion, are called of Ancient writers, Arrians: and therefore I entitle my treatise: The fall of the late Arrian: not disclosing his name through out my work, but under the name of Arrian: whom I would be loche to displease, if he hath Recanted that blasphemous opinion, as some say that he hath. This our late Arrian therefore not long since was before certain of the Counsel & divers other Learned men, for his opinion, by whose procurement I know not. And delivered the same his opinion with his proofs in writing to the lord Archbishop of Caunterbury being thereunto at length required, as in the beginning of his writing he confesseth. Whereof divers copies came into divers men's hands: And one was sent to me, from a friend of mine: who required me to peruse the same, and to let him dnderstand what I thought of it. To whom I did eftsoons restore it incontinent, writing underneath the same for my answer to my friends demand, nothing else but Vae hoi per quem venit scandalum tantum. Then being of mind never to have said one word more unto it, Yet I thought it very necessary and expedient, that so blasphemous & perilous opinion should be confuted by some man, and that with speedy expedition: In consideration the people now a days for the most part, be so good of taking, that nothing is to hard for them to learn: especially if they hear of any new lesson not taught, or herd of a long time before: Then nothing cometh a miss unto them, nothing to hard for them to learn and bear away, although, it be in dead never so much against God the Father, and his natural Son jesus Christ. But in this behalf I was in manner careless: for remembering what a ioylye multitude of fresh writers there are in these days, I thought this gear could not escape unlooked on, But, seeing in other trifling matters of no effect & importawnce to speak of in comparison of this: they are so ready with their confuting, books, ballets, and pleyes. In so weighty a cause as this is, I reckoned they would not be seen slack or negligent, but out of hand, with all celerity and speed withstand it. How be it reckeners without their host must reckon twice, I have heard say. hitherunto, not one of them have said one word unto it, or by mirth, play or earnest game, that I can hear of: what they will, I know not.  
For my part at beginning I thought nothing less than to attempt any such enterprise, as I have now taken in hand: partly because I have not exercised me self in the like before time, and chiefly for that I suspected much my wit and cunning: therefore I supposed best for me, having neither exercise ne cunning to dwell in mine old silence and not to mell especially in this matter, being of such importance and high difficulty, far above my compass and reach.  
Beside this, I pondered the present sent condition of this world with myself, I thought in such hurly burly, in so great tumults, the voice of such one should not be herd: For if the words of Ecclesiasticus are true, that the voice of the wise is heard in quietness, it booted not to speak in so unquiet a time as this is, (I thought) and of such matter. And to help forward, the saying of the Prophet came even in the nick to my remembrance: Intelligens, in tempore illo tacebit: i The wise will keep silene in that tyme.  
All this notwithstanding, when I could not perceive or here tell, that any had taken in hand to improve and confute this most dangerous & blasphemous opinion: Charity which seeketh not any private contentation or pleasure at any time, but evermore coveting to vanquish the difficulty of all times & seasons vehemently provoked me to utter some part of my mind in this behalf: Whereunto the children eke which were in Babylon, did not a little (as me thought) encourage & hexten me forward, whose example instructeth us, that we ought with free courage and good heart, cheerfully to witness the truth, although the whole world were against it: which even out of the myo burning fire sang merely Psalm to God: not regardig the multitude of them which despised the truth: but satisfied themselves being. iii. in number.  
Wherefore neither my small exercise, nor my slender knowledge, ne yet the abundance of iniquity (which keepeth revel now a days) have defaced me: But my hope fixed in the help of the Holy Spirit, I have not kycked against the spur of Charity, nor have spurned against the zeal and ove which I bear toward my Country, both a like together pricking me forward hereto: But have most willingly, I wot not how happily, showed forth the truth touching this matter of Christis divinity.  
Beseeching the Christian Reader, if I have not satisfied thy expectation in all points, yet will good to my good will, and bear with my weakness: sufficient it is and enough to will well in high matters, writers say: the matter is high, my will is good, accept th'one for the others sake, valet.   



Reason both wonder, how saith tell can  
That a maid is a mother, & god a man:  
Let reason go, and believe the wonder:  
Faith is above, and reason is under.   ꝙ. Antiquitte.   

THE FALL OF THE LATE ARRIAN,  Arrian 
ALBEIT IN this vehement and unthought on perturbation of mind (reverend father) all labour is odious, writing difficulty and hard, commentation unrepentant and gruous, unto me: yet in the defence of my cause, being required to write, for the reverence which I own unto your Lordship above other, I have purposed briefly and compendiously to commit in writing what I think touching th'articles.  Proctor. 
THOUGH I was resolved in my mind that ye were well worthy imprisonment, fetter & chain, that feared not to conceive, maintain and teach such blasphemy against God the Father & his natural Son jesus Christ, true God: Yet I doubted whether your body was after that sort or by any other means puny shed or not, where of I could not by your own relation, neither by hearsay, learn one word so much: but rather that ye were taken up amongst states, much made of, and friendly entertained, (for ye will not lie I trow.) notwithstanding, I believed assuredly, and was clean out of doubt, (although ye had not mentioned of it at all,) that your mind was not free from perturbation and trouble, being so sore wounded and grevoslye infected with that stinking leprye, & foul scab of most dangerous blasphemy. Therefore I can not blame you good man, if all labour seem odious, writing difficult, commentation unpleasant and grievous unto you, your mine being in such piteous maiadie & careful plight. Yet nevertheless, such was your goodness and gentleness, that neither the odiousness of labour, the dificulife of writing, nor the grievousness of commenting could stay or let, but your hand must haste with all speedy diligence to deliver and bring forth that pleasant Babe which ye had conceived, and went great with all so long time before. In the birth whereof, your joy comfort, and pleasure would be so great, you knew, that the pains and grief of your travel should be clean forgotten within a little space.  Arrian 
WHICH mine opinion by the communication tofore had with your Lordship, might have been evidenty 'nough & sufficiently known, without writing. For first at the beginning when your lordship admitted me to disputation before many witnesses, and then after to private and familiar talk, I did plainly say all that then came into mind: verily I have not dissimbled my opinion, which I got not or borrowed out of Sarcerius. Conradus Pelican, and such garbages, or rather sinks or gutters: but out of the sacred founteyn  Proct. 
IN summer seasn as often as it thundereth more vehemently then lighten, then surely sayeth Pliny, it betokeneth winds. Even so, when any man thundereth with taunts & slanderous nips, at another, yet he himself no goodly man to speak of, nor in any good knowledge, neither in any other honest qualitle lightning or shining before him, with whom he findeth so much fault, as ye do now by Sarcerius, Conradus Pelicanus with their like, is it not (trow ye) a sure token, and vehement presumption of a mind rather puffed up with wind and ambition then in very deed godly and charitable? How so ever it like you to pronounce of them, if just trial and proof be made, you come not nigh to any of them by much, in the knowledge both of the scriptures & other kind of learning also: unies ye have better store yet left behind in your belie, than hitherunto ye have uttered. For amongst may good things which each of them have left unto us in writing, if they have said in any point a miss, it is in such matters wherein a man may errwithout great danger, as you seem to grant in your process following: but I am well assured, none of them ever blasphemed jesus Christ, as to avouch and teach that he was not God, that he had not divine nature in him: and that he was only a create man, as you be not ashamed to do. Which opinion of yours, I dare sai, stinketh a thousand parts worse before God and all godly men, than the most filthy garbage, sink or gutter that is: therefore though it please you to compare them to such unclean refuse or garbage, to filthy gutters and sinks (which is no slander in your mouth,) yet be not you of mind to believe that yourself is sweet and savoury. For as ye have not dissimbled your sentence and opinion ye say, no more will joissimble or colour with you herein. I tell you therefore truth like a friend, that your breath is so abominable stinking, by reason of that pestilent vapour fuming up from the sink of your blasphemous stomach, that no Christian can abide it. And where as ye thus deprave the writers tofore remembered and their like, the cause not alleged, which moved you to report them so: it is clear that it was, because hitherunto ye have not learned to say well of any body, & not for their deserts. Howbeit the circumstance of your words may let us tundersand the cause: verly for that they teach, defend & justify Christ is divinity, and you will none of that.  
It were much more commendable, with your pen to confute by good learning, if they be such as ye adjudge them, rather than thus slanderously upon no manifest occasion that ye allege to diffame & bacbite them. But ye play as the beast called Bonasus, which because he is not of power to resist with his horns by reason they are so ill favouredly bowed & turned inward, as he runneth away, letteth fall his dung, wherewith, as with fire, he burneth such as pursue after him and happen to touch it. In like manner you sir, forasmuch ye know, ye are to week in any of their hands, & to make your party good, if the matter should come to open trial by learning, it like you well at least to shit in their ways, as the comen phrase is, & cowardly by hind their backs in corners, with your reproachful & slanderous reports extenuate their estimation and name, in all that ye can. I can not tell what else I should think herein, but that, as a certain kind of Mares, writeth columel, beholding their own form and figure in the water any time, run afterward mad: Semblably you are so far in love, and dotage with the Imp ye have now delivered Pe rind ac si ex ovo prodiisset, that ye are next door to madness, in which your rage, ye favour nor friend ne foe: but bark & bite as venomously as ye can, at all especially such as favour not the birth of the same your fair babe: As I am sure Sar. Cont. Pellic, with their like do not, but utterly detest & abhor, as all godly writers do that ever wrote. Therefore where as ye say ye have not Taken or borrowed your opinion of them or their like, which ye esteem no better than sinks and gutters. I do believe it well: for none of them are Authors of favourers of such blasphemy, how so ever they can clear themselves in other points. Wherhence than was it engendered, say on? Ex sacro font: Of the sacred fountain ye say: What? of Christ's holy Testament, yea, so ye mean: but the devil it was as soon: For none such wicked generation I know, can sprink forth from thence, out of what sacred fountain than a God's name? Of the sacred fountain Styx, that infernal lake I trow, called Fons sacer, in the sense that Virgil the Poet sayeth: Auri sacra fames: i The sacred hunger of gold: that is to say, the cursed and damnable hunger or desire of Gold. So that of the sacred fountain, which is to wit, of the damnable and cursed fountain called Styx, running beneath in hell (as poets feign,) I grant you, first engendered this your devilish chett: whereof it was your chance to take a draft that Belsebub or some other of the rabble had breathed on before, and infected with their poison: which made your belly to swell up with this foul hell hound: As it happened likewise to your predecessor Arrius, priest in the Church of Alexandry, the year of our Lord. CCC. and twenty who was the first Dadd and parent of this imp, now eftsoons budding and springing up through your engendering and travel: and as he then, so you would gladly now father it upon the holy word of God, to the end it might prosper and come forward the better, and the people by such pretence alured, should cull & coll, embrace, and make much of it: as thought it were the true fruit of that holy word. But ye are foul deceived, syr: your card of ten can not out ●ace us so: for we know what ye have in your hand as well as yourself. Ye may not look therefore to speed better than he that went before you, of whom I shall more largely speak afterward. If he at that days was found what he was, and by the whole Council of Nicene (whereunto the Emperor Constance the great with. CCC. and xviii Bishops was assembled) condemned as an heretic, his opinion judged to be of the devil and not of God: Look not you hardly for any better success or fortune, especially now in these days, under great EDWARD, whose years not so matjure as Constancynes: Yet in Grace & Virtue as great: in all judgement as ripe to discern such wicked & bastard wares from the sincere and pure Merchaundes of Christ is holy testament: Who incesstantly laboureth daily to weed out, banish & extinct all such wickedness from his people, and the same to instruct with the unfallible rule, how and by what mark and token they may certainly know, avoid, & detest all such as ye are with your fruits of iniquity, though they be faced and coloured with never so great holiness.  
This Maiden King, Noble EDWARD Securis rationum vestrarum (as Demosthenes was wont to say of Phosion toward himself) the axe of all your wicked purposes, cutteth down fast by he root, what so ever is not planted under the commission and warrant of jesus Christ: but let us see what followeth of yours.  Arri. 
TO which sacred fountain, just and right faith ought to cleave and lean, in all controversies touching Religion, chief in this point which seemeth to be the pillar and stay of our religion: where it is called into question concerning the invocation of saints, or expiation of souls: A man may ere without great danger, in this point being the ground and foundation of our faith, We may not ere without damage to religion: I call that true religion which instructeth man's mind with right faith, and worthy opinion of God. And I call that right faith, which doth credit & believe that of God, which the scriptures do testify not in a few places, & the same depraved & detort in to wrongsense, but as ye will say, throughly, with one and the same perpetual tenor and consent.  Proct. 
GREAT Alexandre, king of Macedon, what time divers persons had highly commended the frugality & spare manner of living that Antipater used, who lead a life homely, void of delices: Yea (ꝙ Alexander.) Foris albo utitur pallio Antipater, intus vero totus purpuratus est. That is to say: Antipater weareth a white rob outwardly, but within he goeth in purple every inch of him. Noting the conserable sparing of the said Antipater: where as in very deed he was, that notwithstanding, as ambitious and stately as the best. The like hypocrisy & coulerable handling (gentle reader,) but in a higher matter, this fellow presently useth to deceive, seduce, and intrapp thy simplicity. But fear not to say, or believe it with out saying, that he weareth a white rob, outwardly, but within, he is dashst up in purple every inch of him: that is, he beareth the in hand with his outward words that he is an honest plain man and a good Christian, and yet notwithstanding in very deed he is a great heretical blasphemor against Christ, every inch of him. If naked words ought only to be weighed, and expended as sufficient testimony and trial of a man, who better christian than this man, whose words in this place, sound as godly as any can be spoken: But good Christian reder, I exhort & council the again and again, for the love of God take heed of such false prophets: though they speak and gloze never so fair, though the scripture drop out of their mouths never so thick, yet I cry, take heed: weigh and consider with thyself well, to what end & purpose their pleasant & fair talk, their mouths full of scripture do tend: and then, by grace ye may anon find them: say unto yourself as Phosion said unto the people of Athens, being very brag upon the hearsay or brute of Alexander his death: If he be dead to day ꝙ Phosion, he willbe dead to morrow also, & so forth, etc. If it be true that they tell you, it will be still true: follow the proverb: Festina lente: This haste speedeth best when all other haste maketh waste.  
Behold how iolylye this man preacheth to us now in this place. Right faith must lean (saith he) & cleave to the word of God: That is well. The scriptures must try and decide all controversies touching true Religion: That is well. True Religion is that which instructeth with right faith and worthy opinion of God: And that is well. Right faith is that which doth believe and credit that of God, which the scriptures with one consent throughout, do testify of him: Wondrous well. Finally, he improveth such as do deprave, detort, and wrest the scriptures into wrong sense: all this is marvelously well spoken: yea, nor Paul neither Peter taught better doctrine: Sed fugite hinc pueri, later anguis in herba.  
Mark, gentle Reader, to what end & purpose all this gear goeth, and then thou shalt well perceive both, 
Actu. 8.  ꝙ illi non est sors i sermone isto, that he hath no part in the tale told by him (as Paul said to Simon Magus) & how that all this while also, he layeth but while to deceive thee: he setteth thy teeth an edge with a pleasunt bait, the rather to take thee with the hook which yet thou seest not: For is it not his purpose & intent to persuade thee, that Christ was but a creature, a passable man, and not God, equal to his Father in his divine nature? Yes for sooth: and is not this clean contrary to all scripture, true Religion, and right faith? Nothing more contrary, as it shall appear afterward, Yet now he would make thee believe that he will decide this matter by the scriptures, according to right faith and true religion. O plene omni dolo & omni falacia sili diaboli, & inimice omnis justiciae non desinis vias domini pervertere rectas? Acto. xiii. O full of all subtlety and all deceatfulnesse, 
Ictu. 13,  the child of the devil, and enemy of all righteousness, ceasest thou not to ꝑuert the straight ways of the Lord? Can Paul trow ye speak this sentence then to Elimas' the sorcerer, so well & truli, as I mai now sai it to you, which promised to follow the right meaning of the scriptures ●o cleave to perfect faith, & true religion. And by & by contend & labour with all your might to deprave the scriptures, to overthrow the Christian faith, & suppress religion, with your most detestable and cursed blsasphemye against th'author of all three?  
Such is the trust and policy of heretics: first to premit a fair painted tale or they approach to their wicked purpose, faced and set forth with all holiness: therewith to tickle the ears of such as hear them, to th'end they should not mistrust their prosses ensuing, which in the beginning premyse so godly. But Christian Reader, thou hast learned by datlye experience, that all is not gold, which glistereth: And every tree which doth flower and blossom fair to the eye, yieldeth not the best fruit in th'end. Therefore be not deceived with their false and counterfeitly trash, though it shine and glister never so bright to your eye: Be not in love with their fruit, though they flower & blossom never so freshly, They are very liberal good fellows, they will not stick to give you the buying of th'one, and a large taste of tother, if you grant to be a chepman of theirs: But good Christians forsake all, and then ye shall be ●ure to be the greatest gainers: refuse all, and then shall ye carry with you the best part, which these kind of merchants would spoil from you: the kingdom of heaven I mean, which is yours by inheritage, through the precious purches ●f jesus Christ, and ye can not be defeated thereof, as long as you continue constant in the faith of him. Therefore follow you the plough earnestly, upon which ye have set ●our hands: and look not back: ●hat ye be not found unmeet for ●hat kingdom, 
Luke. i●.  Nullus enim qui ●anu superiniecta aratro retrorsum ●ertit oculos, idoneus est ad regnum ●ei. i. For none that putteth his hand ●p the plough, & looketh back, is fit for ●●e kingdom of God, saith Christ. ●ut tell forth your tale good sir.  Arri. 
WHAT the scriptures do witness of God, it is clear and manifest enough: for first Paul to the Romans declareth that he is everlasting, and to Tymothie invisible and immortal, to the thessalonians living and true. james also teacheth that he is incommutable, which things in the old law and Prophets likewise are taught infixed, inculcate so often, that they can not escape the reader: And if we think these Epithetous not vainly put, but truly and profitably adiecte, and that they agree to god, And that we must not believe him to be God, to whom the same agree not? We therefore call God (which only is worthy this name and appellation) everlasting, invisible, incommutable, incomprehensible, immortal, etc.  Proct. 
HEtherunto ye have talked at pleasure, and roved a broad at Random as they say: Now at length ye approach to the matter, and prick toward the mark of your purposed intent, but so nigh that a man may sit at the white with Diogenes without danger of hytting. Therefore I wish thee, good Christian reder or I go further to sit hard at the white of Christ's divinity iwth me, whereat this fellow doth now level aswell as he can, to pierce the same through: And then I warrant the. But if thou mislike this standing, and being in fear of hurting, shrynkest away, and so chaungeste thy place, than thou runnest wilfully into thine own destruction: for such is his cunning that though he shutteth to hit the mark, yet he misseth the will but every time: and his shaft lyghtethe amongst them that stand a loof: Therefore I say stand even as nigh the mark ye can: and believe assuredly that it standeth in such place, as it is not for him or any other (though he had the cunning and strength of the whole world) to deface, pierce, or disfigure it by any manner of means. This if thou do, my life for thine: thou shalt be not only in safeguard out of all danger, but also merely behold, the far wide, to short, or over shooting of him, and laugh at the same, to thy great comfort and solace, to his and others no small rebuke, shame and confusion, that fear not to attempt such high enterprise, which to atchyeve, all wit lack skill, all strength want might. And much les this young novis is of force and power sufficient and able enough to the same: whose Attyliery I assure the Christian Reader, to put the in more comfort, excide not the number of iii or four crooked shafts, and they so week feathered, so blunt and dull headed, that they can neither flee any thing shift, nor pierce wheresoever they lighten: besides that his bow is dull, his string worn, his arm to to weak, not able to draw any length at all: Only he hath a pretty cast to make his arrow by ruffling the feathers, to give a yolye sound in the Air, to th'end the simple and rude men that stand buy and hear it, may thereby believe him to be a cunning man and a great doer, and so to persuade them to bet on his side, and become his skolers: but out of dow his cunning is no greater, his stuff no better than I have told the. But now, to come out of this metaphor, and to leave the gentle Reader a while with this watch word, I will convert my oration and talk o the master of the game, who of that little store, beginneth now to lose forth one of his Arrows, against the white of Christ's divinity, and thus he saith.  Arri. 
WHAT the scriptures do witness of God, it is clear and manifest enough and so forth as is above rehearsed.  Proct. 
WHat so ever the scriptures in any place do testify of God, that same am I willing with all my might evermore to defend and teach And what soever yourself shall gather, maintain, and teach out of the same holy scriptures rightly understanded, touching God, or any other Godly matter I will never withstand or again say you therein: I will not contend against you for upholding and justifying the scriptures and such truths as are therein expressed: And therefore I do gladly and every good Christian, doth with me acknowledge and grant no less than ye have in your former words brought in: for the scriptures bear witness that it is very true. Conserninge the Eternity of God sundry places as well in the old as in the new testament make p lain relation. Deus eternus dominus qui creavit terminos terriae & non dificiet: God saith Isaiah the Lord everlasting, 
Isaiah. xi.  which created the limits of the earth, and shall not decay: Paul to the Romans. x. Chapter. 
Rom. xvi  juxta delegacionem eterni dei in obedientiam fidei. etc. At the commandment of the eurelasting God, for setting up the obedience of faith. etc. with many other places. Semblably diverse texes every where in the Scriptures to be readen, showing and declaring his glory, power, and divinity to be everlasting, do necessarily infer and prove God to be everlasting also. As in the first of Peter and. v. Chapter. 
Per. v.  Qui vocavit nos in eternam gloriam suam. i. Which have called us in to his everlasting glory. 
Rom. i.  And Paul in the first to the Romans (as ye touched the place tofore) syath, eterna eius potentia & divinitas: everlasting is his power and divinity.  
God also is invisible ye say, and I say the same with you, for as saith Iohn. iiii. 
Iho. iiii.  Deus spiritus est: God is spirit: then no corporal thing, no material substance is God. And having no body, he can not be seen, but is invisible to all bodily eye. Where it is read therefore that god spoke to Moses' face to face. 
Exodus. xxxiii.  And other the like sentences in the Bible the absuroytie of the sense doth show, that we may not understand it simplelye and as it lieth, for God hath no face: But we must take it by comparison, as thereby tunderstand and gather, that Moses knew God more evidently than other. Likewise where Iohn saith Videbimus eum sicu●i est. We shall see him as he is, it is to be taken and understanded thus, that we shall see and perceive him hereafter more better and more lively than we now do: that is to wit not by faith, nor through the vele of obscure and dark similitudes: nether in the glass of things create. But then we shall behold and see the creatures rather in God himself, as the Angels do.  
Again God is living and true: I confess, he is living and ever living by reason he is eterne & immortal, he is true and ever true, & truth itself, whose will is not changeable, nor mutable, Omnis homo mendax: Man only is untrue: whose mind every hour for the most part doth ebb and flow: never constant.  
Finally God is incommutable, I do nat deny: For I have said that God is no changeling, he is ever as he is, as he was and as he will be: though some now a days give him a new dysgised livery every day, and frame his holy word and testamen as a ship man's house to serve their wicked purposes, & to mayneteine their folly how so ever they like or mislike Yet God I say and his word o'th' incommutable. 
jat. 1.  Apud quem non est transmutacio, nec vicisitudinis obumbratio: With whom saith S. james is no variableness nether is he changed unto darkness. Saint Austen in his book De creatura tern●eth him bonum incommutabili. And David witnesseth of him saying. 
Psa. ci.  Mutabis ea & mutabuntur, tu autem idem ipse es. i. Thou shall change that things and they shallbe changed, but thou art ever the self same.  
And therefore S. Austen writing upon the Geneses, 
Aug. sup Genes.  saith thus: Deus nec per loca nec per tempora movetur creatuta vero per loca & tempora. That is: God, nor by places nor by times is moved, but the Creature both by places & times is moved. To be moved by times is meaned, to be altered and changed by affection: but God, nor by place nor by time can be immuted, altered, or changed, 
Mala. 3.  himself saying by the Prophet: Ego DEUS & non mutor qui est incommutabilis solus.  
of these properties agreeable to the God head, S. Austen in many places reverently maketh mention: but of many, one or ii places to rehearse shallbe enough in this place. Deus solus invisibilis, solus imensus, solus incircumscriptus, 
L● de essen●●n di crin●●acts  solus immutabilis, solus incorporeus etc.: God is (saith he) alone invisible, alone unmeasurably great, alone incircumscript, alone immutable, alone bodyles, again.  
Deus spiritus natura simplex, 
Quest. do ui et v ●ter●e V●sta. 〈…〉  lux inaccescibilis, invisibilis, infinitus, perfectus, millius egens, eternus, immortalis, etc.: That is to say, God as a spirit, of nature simple, a light ammarcessible, invisible, infinite, perfect, wanting nothing, everlasting, immortal. etc.  
This far I have laboured to confirm your words and assertion touching the properties belongen to God: and have not dysagreed from you herein gladly confessing with you that god is invisible, everlasting, lasting, living and true, immortal, and incommutable. And all these epithe●ous, to agree as the divine nature, & that none is true God, unless the same be invisible, everlasting etc. Now let us see what ye infer.  Arri. 
AND if jesus Christ, even he wbiche was borne of mary, was God, so shall he be a visible God, comprehensible, and mortal, which is no counted God with me, ꝙ great Athanasius of alexandria. etc.  Proct. 
THE tree named Tilia writeth Pliny, hath a pleasant ryne or bark, and a leaf, in taste delicate enough: but his fruit is such, that no beast vouchsafe ones to touch it, so unrepentant and nought it is. I prophesied, afore good sooth, that after so fair flower & blossom (good sir) wherewith ye mustered so freshly and so timely, ye would at length yield the like fruit, as ye now perform, altogether unplesaunte and nought, good for no end, but to put us out of doubt, that the tree is worthy to be cut down, and to be cast into the fire, as Christ bid. Is this the fruit of the right faith, of true religion, which ye promised to follow? Hath the holy scriptures taught you to conclude thus, to which ye promised to lean and cleave, without wresting and detorting the same to wrong sense? Have ye tried out of the sacred fountain, the stream whereof ye promised so faithfully to ensue, without troubling and pudling the same, or that there were more jesus Christ's then one, that ye come in with your: Even he which was. etc. Or that jesus Christ borne of Mary, was not God? Ye have done your will, but ye have not performed your promise.  
To answer you shortly. I deny the argument: And say that Christ is God: notwithwanding he was here amongst us, visible, and mortal. etc. Yet is he no visible God. Nevertheless, true God is he, was, and shallbe everlastingly, invisible, incomprehensible, and immortal. To him that is fleshly and carnal in his understanding, very hard it is to conceive how this may stand. Our senses can not comprehend the truth in this matter. We must therefore cleave to faith only for trial herein, which easily amounteth us up into this tower of understanding. We must suspend reason, for it worketh treason to all Gods Mysteries: it reasoneth not worth a fygg in all such points. We ought therefore I say, in faith and spirit, to learn the knowledge of jesus Christ, not by reason & wit, Otherwise we shall be deceived, & prove ourselves at length to be very archdoltes, when we think us to be most sure, and believe us to be most wise. Wherefore natural judgement & carnal reason serte a part: let us become scholars to faith, until we have well learned this lesson. And faith will teach plainly what every true Christian is bound to think and believe herein: She will teach us to believe steadfastly, that jesus Christ is true God, not made, but which was from the beginning equal to God the Father: again, that jesus Christ was true man, borne of Mary, still Virgin: & that he died on the Cross to redeem mankind, being lost through the fall of Adam: and that he rysed a gain the third day, according to his promise, Conqueror of death and sin: and that he now sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, a continual solicitor for all that believe in him.  
Faith will teach us also that there be iii distinct and several persons: the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost: yet no iii Godddes, but one God all iii and all iii one God, This is one part of faiths doetrine, to hyge for our carnal senses to reach unto. And the it soundeth much against our reason to think it true: yet it maketh all with our salvation, to believe it most true,  
And albeit right now good sir, ye promised to follow right faith, and the true understanding of the scriptures: yet can ye not brook this gear: but earnestly contend that there is no such thing because your eye, and other your corrupt senses tell you that he was here in a visible form, and that he died. etc. which is not to be found in the divine nature ye say: and I grant forsooth that God is invisible, and immortal, and that in no wise the Godhead can be seen, or die. I grant likewise that Christ was here seen in the world, like a man, and that he died: yet faith biddeth me to say and a bide by, that jesus Christ is God, notwithstanding that visibility and that mortality. If ye ask me by what rule I prove this: very by the rule that never squareth, not of man's inventions, but of the word, whereof, the truth itself is author jesus Christ, the true natural and only son of god the father, and in himself true God and man: he and his word be all one: he can not lie, and his word can not be false: his word beareth witness that it is so: and faith therefore requireth me to believe it without further question. hearken therefore and I shall tell, how the scriptures in many places do testify of this truth: and to begin at the old law, I read in the xxv Psalm. 
Psa. xiv.  Et concupiset Rex decorem suum, quoniam ipse est Deus tuus, & adorabis eum: The King shall require his beauty, for he is thy God: and thou shalt worship him.  
And in the ix of Isaiah. 
Esay. ix.  Paruulus natus est nobis, & filius datus est vobis, & vocabitus nomen eius DEUS fortis, Pater, eternae vitae: A little one is borne to us, and a son is given to us, and his name shall be called mighty God, father of everlasting life. In the first of john, 
joh. i.  In principio erat verbum, & verbum erat apud deum: In the beginning was the word, and God, 
Tues Christus filius dei vivi. Mat. x.  was the word. In the twenty of john, Thomas sayeth: Dominus meus & Deus meus i My Lord, my God● And S. 
Collo. two.  Paul in the second to the Collosians writeth of him thus: I● quo hahitat omnis plenitudo deithtis corporalis: that is: In whom abideth all fullness of the Godhead corporally. The ix 
Rom. ix.  to the Romans: Christus qui est Deus sup omnia, laudanus in secula: Christ which is God over all things, blessed forever. These places of the scripture do playniye declare and show that Christ is God. Again, who is everlasting but God: Christ is everlasting, & therefore true God. Ante luciferum genui ●●● That is: 
Psal. c.ix  I saith God the Father have begotten thee before all begynny●g and without beginning. Saint john recordeth the same: 
john. i.  In principio erat ver bum: In the beginning the word was: It followeth to make the matter plain: Et ver bum erat apud Deum, et deus erat verbum omnia per ipsum facta sunt: i And the word was with God, and God was the word, and all things was made by him. If all thing was made by him than it followeth, that he was not made: if he be not made, then according to saint Austen he is no creature: if he be no creature, he is of the same substance and essence with the father: if he be of the same essence with the father, then is he God even as the father is. What can be more plainly spoken? And as I have recited a few places for the proof hereof, so could I allege a number more tending to the same end: But enough they say is as good as a feast. One proof more I will add hereto touching Chryst divinity. And then I shall come to the parts of your argument. In all the Scriptures through out every where, we be commanded to adore and worship, to invocate, to put our trust and confidence in jesus Christ With the same fact the Scripture doth artrybute unto Christ power infinite, that he is every where, that he searcheth the hearts, heareth in all places, at all times the supplications and prayers of the people, and that he rewardeth justice and life everlasting. If this be so as it is not to be doughted the Scriptures bearing witness to the same, as after ye shall here: Then of force it followeth that jesus Christ is true god: and hath in him the divine nature. For no creature ought to be inivocated but God alone, no creature is every where, but God alone: in no creature we ought to put our trust and confyde●s but in God alone? No creature searcheth the hearts but God alone: no creature can reward life everlasting but God alone. And that jesus Chryst ought to be invocated, as he that can do all, this the scripture is clear.  
Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis & onorati estis, et ego reficiam vos. i. 
Mat. xi.  Come ye to me all which do labour and are laden, and I will refresh you: This one sentence were enough to persuade us that jesus christ ought to be called on and invocated as he that doth here us every where, aid and succour us every where. Which is for God only to do.  
Concupiscet rex decorem tuum quoniam ipse est de tuus & adorabis eum: 
Psa. xiv.  The king shall require his beauty: for he is thy God and thou shall honour him, 
Psa. 72.  Et timebunt eum do nec erunt sol & luna. i And they shall fear him as long as Soon and Moon shallbe.  
Qui non honorat filium, non honorat patrem: i 
john. iii.  He that honorethe not the Son honoureth not the father. None worthy to be honoured but onyle God: Chryst therefore is true God, 
●●●s●p two.  because he is to be honoured and worshipped. In nomine jesu flectatur omne genu.  
Qui credit in filium habet vitam eternam: 
Act. seven.  He that believeth in the son hath life everlasting. 
●, thes. iii.  Domine jesu suscipe spiritum meum: Lord jesus receive my spirit. Ipse deus & pater noster & dns noster jesus Christus dirigat viam nostram ad vos: i God himself our father and our Lord jesus christ direct our journey unto you. 
two. thes. two.   
Ipse Dominus noster jesus Christus & deus pater noster qui dilexit nos et dedit consolacionem eternam etspem bonam in graciam confirment vos: i The lord jesus Chryst himself, and God our father which hath loved us and given us everlasting consolation, and a good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and stablish you. etc.  
And in these and the like Testamonies of the scripture it is spoken of the perpetual and everlasting invocation of Chryst, yea when he is not visiblelye present and conversant amongst men: Wherefore this adoration and invocation dew to Chryst may not be understanded of an extern signification of honour as the Jews cavil, such as is exhibeted to one present in our eye, as to a king holding the civil empery: But these sayings do preach of messias perfectly and lovingly hearing the supplication of his people, in every place at all times and seasons defending and comeforting the faithful. And these are the proprietes of the omnipotent nature. It is therefore good and profitable for us diligently to weigh and consider this doctrine concerning the invocation and adoration of Messiah jesus Christ. Which doctrine not only instructeth us of Christ's divinity, but doth also greatly comfort and solace us, and vehemently exuscicate and stir up our hearts, to call upon him.  
For as much therefore we are required by the scriptures to invocate and call unto Chryst: let this consideration be ever frank in our minds that we must grant and acknowledge divine Nature to be in him: Because the invocation of him which is absent, which is not bodily present doth argue his omnipotensie. For it letteth us tunderstand that he can and doth see the secret motions and conceptes of the hearts of men in all places: Which is for God to do alone. Remember we also the example of the Church so often repeating this prayer. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. i. christ have mercy upon us, christ have mercy upon us. This prayer is a manifest profession of Christ's divinity. Again volue we often in our minds the form of our baptism which is the sum of the hole Gospel. 
Mat. vi●.  In the last of Mathewe it is written. Baptisans illos in nomine patris & filii & spiritus sancti: Baytysing them in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost. Here are three persons named, and to all three like power and honour ascribed. The sense and meaning of which words, I baptize the in the name of the father, of the son, and of the holy ghost, is this. I witness and testify the to be accepted of the everlasting father, and of the son, and of the holy ghost, and through the mercy and power of them, to be delivered from sin and death everlasting, and to be rewarded with ryghtuesnes and life everlasting. Examine we the words well and they let us to understand, that god the father is omnipotent, is to be invocated. And for as much they do so much attribute to the father: And seeing the son, and the holy ghost are matched and joined with him in that honour, as like doers, Necessity inferreth their power to be equal and like, And their power being equal and like, out of question they be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the grecians term them, that is to say of one essence and nature. Of which words also of Baptism Basil that grave and ancient writer doth mightily contend the father, the son, the holy ghost to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉.  
Hereunto accordeth all the old and grave fathers, whose autorytes and censures I will not allege, to avoid tediousness. Only one or ii places of S. Austen it shall not be from the purpose to recite, nor unrepentant to the godly reader: whose judgement upon the scriptures is to be regarded much more than yours is, for sundry causes. This holy S. Austen made whole books in confutation of Arrius and other good bloods of the same hear being heavy masters to Christ's divinity. And in all other his works all most he taketh occasion somewhat more or les to speak of this truth he saith. 
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 everlasting nor began they to be, neither end they: Again. Proprium est filii quod a patre genitus est, solus a solo, coetertus, & consubstancialis patri: 
Lib de in quisicone ●tiuitaus  That is, it is only proper to the son, that he was begotten of the father, a lone of alone, coeterne, and consubstaunciall to the father. 
Li ●●. de trinitate. Cap. xxi,  Sed plane sidenter dixerim unius erusdomque substantie patrem silium & spiritum sanctum: But I dare boldly say the father, the son and the holy ghost, to be of one and the same substance.  
In these few places S. Austen uttereth his opinion plainly. And declareth himself to be resolved and out of dought concerning this verity. In comparison what he hath written touching this matter, that which I have brought of his, is nothing: yet enough for the purpose presently.  
Thus have I, performed the first part of my promise in declaring by the scriptures that jesus Christ is true God. It remianeth now the I show how it standeth that jesus christ being very God (whose nature is, not to be seen not to die, nor to suffer any affect or passion, whereunto the nature of man is subject as ye have taught) was hear seen, suffered the Calamities of man and finally died. Which thing done I shall I hope confirm and stablish thy consciens (gentle Reader) in this high mystery of our faith, whereof thou art all ready persuaded: persuade other that hitherunto doughted: sufficiently answer to your objection: and wholly accomplish my promise.  
Ye shall understand therefore that in Christ are ii natures, th'one divine, by which he is very God: tother humane by which he is true man. That, he received of God he father without mother. This, he received of mary his mother without father: What time he discharged the veal of the law, leaded us from fleshly matters to spiritual things: And wrought the high mystery of our redemption. Saint Iohn witnesseth of both natures when he saith. 
john. i.  Deus erat verbum, et verbum caro factum est: That is, God was the word. And the word was made flesh. By the flesh is meaned man: He calleth him God, because he was in the beginning coeterne and consubstancyall with his father, as he in his Gospel proveth by many strong reasons, as after I shall more largely declare. He calleth him flesh for that he came down from his heavenly throne, and took the nature of man upon him for the salvation of mankind, in the appeasing his father's wrath conceived through the fall of Adam, against all his posterity. jesus Chryst therefore hath ii Natures in him one of godhead, an other of manhood: 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 unus est Christus deus et homo: Christ is the word saith saint Austen: that, flesh is, that, God is, that, man is: But one is Christ, God, and man. In another place writing to Peter he saith the like, as he is much in this matter every where. 
Lib. defied ad Petrum. Cap●. x.  Firmissime tene et nullatenus dubites dei verbum quod caro factum est, duas naturas inconfusibiliter permanere, unam vero divinam, quam habet cum parre communem secundum quam dicit ego et pater unum sumus, alteram vero humanam, secundum quam ipse Deus incarnatus dicit pater maior me est: As much to say. Believe steadfastly and in no case doughte the word of God which is made flesh, to remain and continue ii Natures inconfuselye: th'one divine which he hath with the father common, according to which divine nature he saith I and my father be one: tother verily human, in consideration whereof he God incarnate saith. The father is greater than I Hetherunto Sa●nt Austen.  
Such was the love, mercy and kindness of jesus christ our saviour toward mankind, that the being very God omnipotent would be made man, that man might be reconciled to God: he very God would descend from heaven, that man to heaven might ascend: He very God, wholde be made the son of man, than man might be made the son of God: He very God immortal would be made mortal, that man condemned to death, might be made immortal to everlasting life: He very God and rich, would be made poor, that man might be made rich. According to the saying of Paul. Cum esset dives factus est egenus ut illius inopia divites essem●s: i Where he was rich, he was made needy, that through his neediness we might be made rich.  
Now to the purpose: as in Christ there was two natures, whereby he was God and he was man: Likewise he had in him the proprietes of i●, natures. The propriety of his divine nature was, not to be seen, not to suffer, not to die. etc. For God is invisible, impassable, immortal as we have tofore granted. But being man also and having the nature of man in him, he had in him he qualities and effects proper and incident to the same nature, which hiche are, to hunger, to thirst, to be seen, his members to be re●te and torn, to suffer, to die. etc. Where therefore you frame your Argument thus. God is invisible, and immortal, Christ was here visible and mortal. Therefore Chryst is not God.  
This argument is not good, the reason not true: notwithstanding, the mayor is undoubtedly true, and can not be false: For though Christ was seen, & was crucified to death, yet it followeth not therefore, that Christ was not God: for he was both God and man. To your minor therefore I answer thus: jesus Christ was God, and man: and in consideration he was God, he could not be seen, he could not die: In consideration he was man, he might be seen, he might be mortal, as he was. This answer is sufficient, true, & catholic. S. Peter is plain enough herein, which saith that Christ suffered in the flesh: And Ireneus writeth that Christ was crucified & ded: Requiessente verbo ur crucifigi & more ri posset. 1. The word resting, to th'end he might be crucified & de●d: which is as much to say, as the divine nature in Christ, was not c●●t and torn, was not crucified & dead, but was obedient to the father, rested, gave place to the wrath of the eterne father, conceived against man, and would not use his power and might. And this agreeth with S. 
Phs●. 〈◊〉.  Paul, saying: Qui cum esset in forma Dei, non rapuir equalitatem Dei. etc. In our English tongue it soundeth thus: Christ which was in the shape of God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God the father, Nevertheless, he made himself of no reputation: And being sent to obey the father in his passion, he would not practise his might and power contrary to his sending: bu● took on him the shape of servant, occam like unto man: and receiving with the nature of man, mortality: he humbled himself, and was obedient unto death. This have I sufficiently, and for the good reader's contentation I hope, answer this your first reason or argument, how so ever it shall content and satisfy your mind. And have very plainly set before your eye, that Christ was true God, & true man: having in him the nature both of God, & man. And that as he was God, he was not visible, not mortal: As he was man, he was seen, suffered the passion & affects incident to the nature of man, and finally died. This assertion, great Athanasius of alexandria did never impugn, but all his life time with all his might furthered the same, and to the last day of his life suffered grievous and sharp persecution, & often in danger of murdering through the malicious and wicked suggestions and devilish policies of Arrius and his companions, for upholding and maintaining this verity touching Christis divinity. Therefore, in my judgement ye are much to be blamed to allege him as a favourer of that detestable heresy. And for as much th'occasion in this place ministered by you serveth so well, I will note out of Eusebius, one or two pretty feats practised by Arrius & your predecessors, surnamed Arrians of Arrius, who was, as I have tofore said, the first author of this blasphemy, the year of our Lord. ccc, thirty.  
This Arrius therefore after the Council of Nycene, 
Euseb. li. iii. triper. hist. ca xi  the Emperor Constantius commanded to appear before him at home in his palace, & examined him whether he yet believed according as it was agreed upon in the Council, or no: who with out delay subscribed the Decrees of the Council, as though he believed on the same. The Emperor required him to take an oath upon a book if he believed the said articles or not, Arrius, a man of a good large conscience, sticked not at all thereat, but boldly took an oath in this sort that he believed as he had written: having underneath his harmpyt privily a scrove of paper, wherein he had written his peculiar sect and opinion: By this craft deluding the Emperor, bearing him in hand that he meaned the Decrees of the Council, where he thought nothing les. This was a pretty devise: but God's punishment immediately followed. After he departed from the Court, as he was to the way going, 
Euseb. l●. three Trip. hist. cap. ●ii.  being provoked to the stole, in exhonorating nature, he powered out all his bolwels, and so died and horrible death.  
Now touching Athanasius (whom you, our late Arrian bringeth in, as one that favoured your sect) your predecessors the Arrians, practised all the villainy, craft, and subtlety they could devise and imagine, not only to put him to worldly shame, but also to bring him to confusion: Of many their devilish touches. I will rehearse one only, by that one, that wise reader may conjecture the rest. These stout clerks and holy men therefore, perceiving that they were not able to make their party good by the scripture, and probable argument, but were ever confounded by Athanasius, the invincible, and inexpugnable bulwark of the catholic verity, did so irritate and kindle the Emperor Constantius Caesar against him, with their malicious & wrong suggestions, that he streigth awarded out his commission to certain that were at tire, requiring them to make diligent enquyri●, and straight examination of the said Athanasius his manners, and behaviours. Two principal crimes were laid to his charge by the Arrians: one was, that he had by force ravished a woman: tother, That he had killed a man, whose arm he should cut of to work enchantments with all. To make the first accusation good, they had hired a meet woman for their purpose, that should come in, to face out the same matter. To prove tother, they had callen unto them one Arsenius whilom Athanasius lectour: who fearing the correction of his Master whom at a time he had offended, ran his way from him. This Arsenius, the Arrians had shut up close in a chaumbre, to th'end they might with faith belie him to be dead: Arsenius notwithstanding as soon as he perceived whereabout they went, what mischief they wrought toward Athanasius, or for that he abborred the fact, or else supposing thereby to come in favour again with his master Athanasius, privily by night conveyed himself away out of the chambered where he was hidden, and came to tire by sea, where his master Athanasius was, to whom he opened all the matter. Then Athanasius requireth Arsenius to hide himself in some privy place, until he should be called forth for the trial of the matter. The time is present, the company assembled, the judges are set, the Commission read, the woman appeareth, the bear of a dead corpse is brought in before the judges, the arm cut of from a dead man, being laid upon the bier is uncovered. All do see and behold it: and all at the fearful sight thereof, do detest and condemn the cruelty of the deed. The woman now saith her lesson without book, which she had learned before, of the Arrians: that she on a time received Athanasius in gestwise, and that in the night she was oppressed by him, and ravished against her will. Athanasius is brought forth to his answer, who as he was very holy, so was he a very wyity man also, as he which had according to the lords precept, conjoined admatched together the simplicity of the dove, with the prudence of the serpent: warned secretly Timothy his priest which was with him present, that he should answer the woman, as though he were Athanasius: for he knew perfeictly that nor he had seen the woman, neither the woman him at any time before, When she had ended her tale, saith Tymothe unto her: Sayest thou woman, thou were ravished of me against thy will perforce? Yea, ꝙ she again by & by with stomach enough like a woman: Thou, even thou I say, in such a place, at such time didst contaminate my woman head and mine honesty by forcible means. Thus was her false accusation prettily disclosed, thauctors thereof shamefully disgraced, & dashed out of countenance. Yet was not good Athanasius acquitted, nor the woman punished for the slander, because the same were judges which were his accusers. They proceed to the second crime: Behold, say they, the thing itself speaketh, this is the arm of Arsenius, to what purpose and end thou hast cut of the same, declare thou unto us. Then Athanasius asketh them wittily, if they knew well Arsenius, whose arm this was. divers of them answered that they knew him by sight very well. Then Athanasius required, that it might be lawful for him to send for a certain man, whom he needed to have present at the matter: it was granted him. For brief, Arsenius is brought before them: whose face uncovered, behold saith Athanasius, Arsenius is a live, behold, here is his right arm, & here his left arm: Now whose arm this is, & to what end it is cut of, declare ye: for you know, and so do not I.  
What here doest thou look for gentle reader that Athanasius should be discharged? Yea, he had been rend and torn in pieces by his adversaries, had not Archelaus, one of them which were chief appointed to here this examination, plucked him out of their hands, and conveyed him away privily from them, More of this History ye may read in Eusebius: as there remaineth behind much more, worthy the reading: this is enough for my purpose, as thereby to let the understand, gentle reader, both what Athanasius was, & also what well disposed men Arrius and his companions were: such are the tabernacles of heretics. We have none such now a days I hope. No, in this time present, there are none that persecute Athanasius & his like: All is well now: the godly men are quiet: Christ and his are in safeguard: no body doth persecute them now, no body dare openly, and maliciously slander, backbite, disquiet and oppress them now: every great man now is become Archelaus, ready and willing to defend the godly and innocent men: to deliver them from the wicked assaults of their adversaries? But for the more plain and manifest declaration of Athanasius opinion herein. I shall adiect to the end of this book the notable psalm that he made, called, Quicumque vult.  Arri. 
FOr if we be not able to comprehend nor the angels, nor our own souls which are things create, to wrongfully then and absurdly we make the Creator of them comprehensible, especially contrary to so manifest testimonies of the scriptures. etc.  Proct. 
SAINT Cyprian recordeth no less than ye have said touching God's incomprehensibility: And I subscribe to both your sayings, because ye say the truth therein: HIs words be these: Quod si animae meae quae corporis mei obtinet pricipatum nec originem scio, 
Cipriani ad Corn lium de carnalibus opec● b● christi in ꝑlogo.  nec metior quantiratē nec qualis sit intueri sufficio. etc. Patienter me far oportet, si operatorem universitatis non intelligo, qui in minimis operationum suorum particulis meam profiteor caecitatem: That is: If, syath S. Cyprian, I do neither know the beginning, nor measure the quantity of my soul, which obtaineth the sovereignty of my body, nor am able to understand what thing it is. etc. I must patiently suffer and hold me content, if I comprehend not, ne understand the worker and only doer of all thing, that is: which do gladly profess & acknowledge my blindness in the least particle of his works. This is a plain truth and confirmed by divers manifest testimonies of the scriptures. And I suppose the whole world thinketh no otherwise of God, especially amongst Christians I dare sai there are none that affirm the contrary. I marvel therefore what moveth you to pronounce of us so, as though we that believe Christ to be very God and man, should by the same means make God comprehensible. If ye can make this to be a good argument: I believe that jesus Christ is both God and man: Ergo, I make God comprehensible. Ye see further in a millstone than I can or any man else I believe: If I had bin with you what time ye wrote that, I would have knocked at your elbow to have known that knack for my lering. For it is incomprehensible to my reason, how your wit can justly comprehend God therefore to be made comprehensible, by cause Christ is god and man. This soundeth I dare avouch to every Christian ear very foolish and absurd. And as these reasons which hetherunto ye use to overthrow Christ's deuini●ie be marvelously weak and slender, of no importance at all, even so are all that afterward follow, barran without substance, pith or any good matter: so that I may well say of you, as a certain Lacon said of a Nightingale being carrion lean without flesh. Vo● tu es praeterea nihil: A voice (ꝙ he) thou art, beside nothing Yet verily I can a low the pretty conveyance, brag, and art in which ye use to make that your nothing seem some thing: even as we delight in the dieserdes' gesture and setting out his part, yet his matter all together unpleasant to each honest and virtues man: Howbeit that will not help, for your nothing will come to nought, though ye strain your wits never so much to make it some what. The Lord was not retained of your council ini planting it: Therefore ye know what must follow. But to the purpose. We that be true Christians do not make God comprehensyble: Yet by the Scriptures we comprehend that Chryst hath in him two natures one of Godhead tother of manhood. Whereby we comprehend in faith that he is both true God, and true man: And being both God and man, that he comprehended in him the propryetes of both natures. By the qualities proper to th'one our senses might comprehend that he was man visible, and mortal: By the proprietes of tother our faith appprehendethe that he was God, Creator of all things, essence invisible of any creature incomprehensible, possessing together with his father essentially all life, all sapience all eternity, himself being also life it self, sapience itself, eternite itself, comprehending in himself all creatures in the world: And he comprehended of none. For he is saith Saint Austen. 
Liber. three Cap. i de trinitate.  Sine qualitate bonus, sine quantitate magnus: i Without quality good, without quantity great. This is the faith and assertion of the whole Christianity. How cometh it to pass then, that ye should fasten this error upon us, as to make God a comprehensible thing, seeing we affirm plainly in manifest words the contrary. But thus goeth your argument, Chryst was here amongst men comprehensible, Chryst was God, ergo God was comprehesible. And hereunto ye add to undo Christ's Godhead, and to save hole Gods incomprehensibilitie, that God by the scriptures is incomprehensible, therefore ye would conclude that Christ was not God, because he was comprehensible.  
To answer you briefly, I say, Christ both god and man, in his humanity was comprehensible, in his divinity incomprehensible. Again by reason of that union of two. natures knit and joined together in the person of his godhead, as we may say, God died for us, so may we truly say also, God is comprehensyble, both true touching the flesh which he true God, received: his divinity remaining still, immortal and incomprehensible. And that Chryst had in him ii natures whereby he was God and man: I have all ready declared, but not so fuselye or as the matter permitted: or as I might. In th'one I should have found no end, in tother I should have been to tedious. Yet I doughte not but I have said sufficient therein for the christian Readers contentation. And as occasion shallbe ministered, so will I more largely treat of the same in the process ensuing. Now sir where ye contend that jesus Chryst was a creature comprehensible, and therefore not the incomprehensible creator, your reason is false because he was both, having in him two. natures, one create whereby he was man and a peered a comprehensible creature, the other increat, through which he was God, of all creatures creator incomprehensible, invisible and immortal.  Arri. 
FOR how may it be thought true religion which unitethe in one subject contraries, as visibility, and invisibility, mortality and immortality. etc.  Proct 
THe running stream saith Plutarch, hath not any certain colour but is evermore of that colour whereof the ground is, which is subject unto it. All heretics most commonly are at the same point, evermore unlike themselves, at all times ready to change their hew and colour, to say and unsay as present occasion doth serve. Or ye have forgotten that which ye said in the beginning of this your last sentence, or else ye use to say one thing & think an other, other else because ye will not be condemned in any thing, ye will abide by nothing that ye say: and this is a wise touch ꝙ Will Summer. Did ye not right now affirm that god was incomprehensible, that his works, councils, and will could not by any reason of creature, be comprehended searched, and known: did ye not in effect grant all this even in the line going before? And in your process ensuing, are not these your words? (God is not comprehensyble of any create understanding, explycable with no speech)? And now that ye come in with your how may it be thought a true religion which uniteth in one subject contraries. etc. Is it not a plain declaration that ye have or forgotten that your former assertion, or that ye speak otherwise then ye thought, or else that ye will abide by nothing no longer than it may serve for your purpose? For by this your how. etc. do ye not grant that God and his council, is comprehensible and subject to our understanding, and therefore ye ask how may it be true religion. etc. To th'end ye would learn how and by what means Chryst could be both god and man, visible and invisible, mortal and immortal. truly he that were persuaded that god's council, working, and will are incomprehensible in explycable, would never ask how this or that might stand with true religion, touching Gods mistresses. For as much therefore ye now ask how, (and being in dought of the matter in deed, otherwise your how might be allowed) and tofore by granting him to be incomprehensible in all his doings, did condemn such doubtful and curious questions, how may it be thought the contrary, but your tongue can and will sound mere contrarieties touching one matter? But concerning this question of yours: because ye be in doughte thereof in deed, you have not wit enough to learn the truth thereof, and I lack cunning to teach it you unless ye first believed, and then ye would ask how, For I tell you, such howtouching gods instrutable mysteries, are nether laudable nor profitable, unless it be in faith. If ye be not in faith, if ye steadfastly believe not before ye ask how, your how can not be resolved. Ask not how with Sacarye lest ye receive punishment for your incredulity. Ask how with mary the most blessed virgin, and mother of jesus christ: than ye shall receive fruit of your question. She asked how, but believed first, and therefore she received an Answer that contented her. He also required how, but believed not, seeking rather to understand, then to believe, rather by argument to learn, then by faith. And therefore in stead of an answer he received condingne punishment for his unbelief. Therefore my advise and council to you is, that ye lay a side such curious and vain inquisitions concerning God's dispensation, suspect your reason, for it wanteth right judgement: mistrust your wit, for it lacketh wisdom; condemn your senses, for they have not experience, to decide, judge, and determine any one jot of gods mysteries. Cuius sapiencie non est investigacio: 
Esay. 40  i whose wisdom is investigable saith Esay. And as Hieremy doth write. 
Hier. 32.  Magnus est concilio et incomprehensibilis cogitatu: i God is great in council, and incomprehensible, in thought. And measure God and Gods council according to the rule prescribed in the holy scriptures: search after the understanding of his will and doings by such means, as he would be searched for: then shall ye attain such knowledge of his Godhead, that understanding of his will and coucelles, as shallbe sufficient for your salvation everlasting. In the old law God did open and reveal himself unto his people by word and syngne, that is to wit, by the voice of the law and promyce of reconciliation given unto them: And also by wonderful miracles amongst them at that time wrought, to th'end they should not toose and tug their brains in vain cogitations and endless inquisitions what he was, how and by what means he doth this & that: but refer their minds wholly to this word and testimony. And by this word and testimony, tunderstande how they should acknowledge, honour, and invocate that God, which opened himself to them by that word and testimony. As in the first precept he bindeth them to the word, which sounded to their ears in the mount Sina: and to the testimony exhibited in conducting & leading them out of Egypt: Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus qui eduxi te de terra Egipti: That is: I am thy lord thy god which brought the forth of the land of Egypte. He made with them also a promise of a mediator that should come, through whom the world should be saved: Binding them to call upon that God which did lead them out of Egypt, and covenanted with them of a mediator. Now that mediator being come, crucified, and resurged, the light of the Gospel known, he willeth us to fire our eyes, and set our minds wholly upon him: that by him as most surest testimony we may know what God is, and his will. He leadeth us directly into the knowledge of the father: if he lead us not, we can not but stray all together out of the right path, we cannot avoid darkness, but wander therein to our utter confufyon. Nether have we now received a prerogative by Chryst, to be inquisitive in Gods matters: to be curious in searching out the causes of God's operations, & councils as to try out what the divine nature is in itself, how God the father begat the son jesus Chryst, how the holy ghost proceeded from them both: How one Chryst could be both God and man: and how this and that cometh to pass. Yea he condemneth such speculation in man vehemently, alloweth no question to be moved in his high mysteries, especially out of faith, that is to say unless we believe assuredly first the words of him: as mary did, for when Gabryell saluted her she replied, with these words. Quo●odo fiet esse istud: 
Luc i  how may this be? Yet did she not mistrust or dought, whether it could come to pass or not: but believed sertenlye, that it both might and would be: considering and faithfully credeting all impossybilities to be most possible and very easy to him; whose words sounded to her ears, contrary to Zacharye, Nicodeme, and the Capharnites: 
Luc i job iii. Ioh. vi  Who in their incredulity searched after God's mysteries and thereby procured God's displeasure unto them, Philip was very busy with Chryst, and required him to show his father: But Christ was with him quickly, rebuked him, disallowed his question and revocated his mind from such inquisition, saying. Qui vide● 〈◊〉 videt patrem meum: 
joh. xiii.  i He that seeth me seeth my father: He willeth us not to cumber our brains with such fon and uncertain speculations. But earnestly to lay hand on him the true and natural son of God the father: Before promised, and now exhybited unto us to our inestimable comfort, joy, and solas, And by him to know God, and the way to come unto him: for none knoweth God the father but by him: none cometh to the father but by him. Who so ever is a searcher of God's mysteries, with other instrument than faith and love, by other mean then the son jesus Christ he is oppressed of his glory and (no otherwise, the if he had directly and intentively somewhile looked in the son,) departeth as blind as a haddorke: for as the scripture saith. Tenebre eum non apprehendunt. 
Ioh. i  Now sir if ye be at this point, if ye will thus captive your senses, and submit yourself to faiths doctrine: then ask of me how. etc. And I dare teach you this lesson with many m● so perfectly that ye shall not need to dow again thereof. But if ye will not lean hereunto, but wilfully and stouburnly persist in your folly, trusting to your unreasonable judgement, indescreete reason, and blind senses for the determination of such supernatural matters. I can no more prevail in teaching you, than doth the cork in upholdig the net that it may swim above water, when so much led is annexed that it violently pull the same to the bottom: Where ye say therefore, How may it be thought true religion that uniteth in one subject contraries. etc. To make you an answer that ye may understand. I reply unto you with the like phrase, How may it be thought a true religion which teacheth that a virgin brought forth a child without the seed of man: If ye can make good this; ye can not but admit tother also● both being true for one consideration. The word of God telleth you that mary conceived and delivered a child without the carnal knowledge of man: and ye do believe it: why? Because your reason can comprehend how it may come to pass? No: why then? because the word, ye will say, doth witness that it was so: likewise the same word is a plain testimony that in jesus Christ were united ii contrary natures th'one invisible and immortal, tother visible and mortal, why do ye not believe it? Why dow ye more of the religion that teacheth us the union of such contraries in Chryst, then of that religion which reacheth us that a virgin brought forth a child: seeing both have one and the self same ground. Here your (how) giveth me occasion to speak of the wonderful miracles which Chryst wrought amongst us. above all human reason, to th'end this might not seem unpossible to your faith, though your wit can not compass it, that jesus Chryst was both God and man: To whom being omnipotent all thing is easy and possible, be it never so difficult and impossible to man's understanding and judgement. But to avoid tediousness I will not use the occasion. As it is true and Godly religion which teacheth us that Chryst did such miracles, so is it a true and Godly religion to believe that Christ is true God and perfect man: for both were like possible to him. And of both we have like proof. By his word we are assured, he did them: and by his word also we are put out of dought he did this. Thus have I taught you, how it may be thought true religion which uniteth contraries in one subject. And touching your principle of natural Philosophy, contraries can not concur in one subject, I marvel much that ye would use it to try and decide the high mysteries of god therewith al. How be it I should not much marvel thereat. For as the serpent called Amphisbena hath a head at both ends, and useth both parts in stead of a tail, as it lie kethe him. In like manner such inconstant and wavering persons as ye are, now by this now that ways do defend yourselves, applying every thing to your in tent: framing the same to prove & improve as your fancy like. And as Hyena is sometime a male sometime a female: so ye one while ye be divines, an otherwyle Natural philosophers as ye perceive how your purpose may best succeed and go forward. But truly, as the people in Asya named Androgini do so, imitate both kinds, that they be nor men nor women: even so ye counterfeicte to play both divines and Natural Philosophers after such sort, that ye prove yourselves to be none of both. Where ye talk of religion of faith, & gods mysteries ye counterfect a divine. But where ye come in with your contraries in one subject, ye speak folly shely, Philosophically I would have said. Again in that ye council Natural Philosophy for the declaration of divinity, ye bewray yourself, to be no divine: And in that ye include the high & supernatural mysteries of God within the circuit & compass of Natural Philosophy, ye declare yourself to be no Philosopher, not knowing that the dition and Limities thereof extend no further then natural matters. Thus whiles ye would be seen both a divine and a Philosopher, ye show yourself to be none of both. And as ye are neither good divine nor cunning Philosopher, according to your skill in the one and cunning in the other, ye have so undescreately coupled divinity and Philosophy together in this your sentence, that the fruit sprung of that compulation is nor divinity ne Philosophy: but as the Mule engendered betwixt an Ass and a mare is nether Ass nor mare, so by this your unnatural conjunction of supernaturality and Naturallytye together, ye have brought forth (but to yourself alone I hope) a fowl & prodigious monster, all unlike to devynytye, all unknown to Philosophy. As, That Christ is not GOD and man, according to true Religion, because natural Philosophyes' Rule is, that contraries can not be in one subject. Perchance ye are merry of this talk well I will make an end straight way. As ye can not reason Natural Philosophy, by divinity so can ye not teach divinity, by Natural Philosophy. In th'one, faith admitteth no impossibility to be: In the other, reason contendeth nothing possible to be, if by reason it be not comprehensible. In th'one, faith maketh all thing reasonable that is above reason. In tother, reason maketh all thing incredible, which is not within reason. Therefore as in can not stand by natural Philosophy, one thing to be both visible & invisible, mortal and immortal in one respect, because contraries can not be found at once in one subjects by reason: So is it perfect & true Religion by divinity to believe that one thing is visible, and invisible, mortal & immortal, because contraries are united in one subject, contrary to reason.  Arri. 
IT IS lawful by many ways to see the infirmity of jesus Christ whom Paul in the last Chapter to the Corinthians, of the second epist. denieth not to be crucified through infirmity. And the whole course and consent of the evangelical history, doth make him subject to the passions of man: as hungres, thirst, weariness, and fear: to the same end likewise, at swear anxiety, continual prayer, the consolation of the angel: again, spitting, whipping, rebukes or checks, his corpses wrappeth in the linen cloth, unburied. And to believe for sooth that this nature subject to these infirmities and passions is God or any part of the divine essence: What is it wother but to make God mighty and of power of th'one part, weak and impotent of tother part, which thing to think, it were madness; & folly, to persuade other impieties.  Proct 
ANACHARSIS saying was that the Athenians occupied their money to no other end; but to number: by the numbering up & gathering together these places of the scripture so nicely against Christis divinity, may we not justly think, good sir, that ye have read the holy scriptures to pike out matter & stuff therhence, rather to maintain disputation & talk, then for any other godly end and purpose. If ye can deny this, how happened then, that ye have heaped these sentences together, only declaring the manhood of Christ, & have not aswell alleged one of so many, & manifest places every where in the scripture to be seen, that necessarily prove Christis divinity. It appeareth that ye have overseen the whole body of the new Testament: therefore ye can not pretend for your excuse that ye read them not. But ye prefixed before hand with yourself what ye would do. And so ye read the scriptures not thereby to instruct you what ye should do: but therthence to embesell matter by violent wresting to support and uphold you in that which ye would do: And after a preposterous ordre, forcing the rule of God's word to agree to your foolish fancies & wicked purposes: And not framing & conforming yourself to it. Ye have more fellows I grant in this behalf: yea so many, that if ye were blyndfold, ye might easily find out as good as yourself thereat every where almost: yet your fault is not the less for that the fellowship is so great. Your wise reason that ye make now is thus:  
That nature which is subject to human passions & infirmities, is neither god, ne any part of the divine essence. But, by the Scriptures it is manifest that Christ was subject to such infirmities: as hungres, thirst, fear, &ce. Ergo, Chtist was not GOD: Well concluded and clearkely.  
In deed that the nature subject to any infirmities and passions, is or God or any part of God it were extreme folly to think, mere impiety to persuade other. But to believe & persuade other that jesus Christ is not therefore true God, because he suffered such affects and passions even the same which ye have inducretely rifled together on a heape● it were intolerable foolishness, and more than judaical impiety. I have said, and now I say again, that by the Scriptures Christ was true God and man: having in him both natures, as well the divine as the human nature, united & knit together to the person of his godhead miraculously. I have also tofore said, that as he took on him the nature of man, so did he receive the affects & infirmities incident and natural to the same: As with the flesh (th'one part of his humanity) hungry, thirst, weariness, mortality. etc. with the soul (tother part of his humanity) anxiety, trouble, and fear with other the like. I deny not therefore that Christ suffered such passions as ye tumble together: but in consideration only of the human nature which he received, and as man: being notwithstanding true God, and having in him the true Godhead: which was not at any time passable, was nether rent ne torue, was not subject to hunger, thirst, cold, heat, mirth or sadness. etc. And although he was omnipotent, equal to God the father in all power by his divinity, yet he would use such obedience toward his father, such mercy toward us, that being very god, he refused not, for contentation of th'one, & reconsiliacton of the other, to put on our vile nature, and in the same to suffer all persecution, trouble, & affliction, and finally most cruel death. For it was decent and meet, saith. ●. Austen, That a mediator between god & man, should have in him something like unto God, & something like unto man, ne in utroque hominibus similis long esset a Deo, aut in utroque Deo similis long esset ab hominibus: ita mediator non esset: Lest, saith he, being like in both to men, he should be far from God: or in both like unto god, he should be far from men, & so he could be no mediator. And therefore being true God with God, he would be made man amongst men, 
Ad pasc● tium epistola. 174  Non mutando quod etat, sed assumendo quod non erat, saith S. Austen: Not by discharging or changing that which he had, but by taking unto him that which he had not: And so became a merciful mediator berwyxte his Father and us.  
Therefore, as where we read in the scriptures that Christ did any thing that was for God to do only, it followeth not that he was not man therefore: So again, where we find that he did hungres, & thirst, labour, pray, wept, and slept. etc., we may neither 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, having in himself both Natures with their properties, united to the person of his godhead, by reason of which personal union, many things confusely and without respect had to the proprieties of the natures are spoken in the Scriptures of him: which can not agree unto him but in consideration of his godhead: L●kewyse many things in many places are spoken of him which can not be applied unto him, but in consideration of his manhood only: example of the first we have every where at hand, as that in johan, where he saith: No man ascendeth iinto heaven but the Son of man which is in heaven. Christ was not in heaven at that time according to his humanity: it is therefore to be understanded that he was in heaven then according to his divinity: by which he is every where, And of the other part is that which s. Paul writeth: So God loved the world that he delivered his only begotten sun to death, but according to the flesh which he had received: neither is he called the only begotten sun of God, but in consideration of y● divine nature which was in him: yea, this name Christ is a term of human nature: for he was not anointed with grace touching his divinity, no, nor touching the flesh which he did bear, but only according to the soul the one & the better part of his humanity.  
Where as ye say therefore that we make God of one part mighty and omnipotent, of tother part weak & impotent: yea truly, in divers considerations & respects: if ye mean of God the second person: the scriptures teaching us so to do, as ye have hard: therefore it is neither madness to think it, nor impiety to teach in other, as you affirm that it is: but much is your madness, and great is your impiety, if ye do not think & believe the same with us. By reason of that personal union of the ii natures in him, these propositions be true in fundrye respects: God is every where: God died: God descended into hell. All three true if they be meant by God the second person of the deity jesus Christ, who very god & man is every where according to his godhead: who very God & man died in consieration of his flesh: who very God and man descended into hell but according to the soul: only the body dying dead in the sepulchre, Thus in divers and sundry considerations ye see, we may truly and catholicly say: that God died, with other the like phrases: As God is impotent and weak was ye bring it. Think and believe therefore, and teach not the contrary: Otherwise your impiety is much, and great is your folly.  
That the Christian Reader may see even as it were in a bright glass your crafty and wicked iuggeling in picking together so curiously these places to improve Christ divinity, & not one of the great heap of most comfortable sentences, which are plenty & frequent in the scriptures, necessarily proving his godhead: spoken of. To th'end I say, the gracious Reader may well understand your iniquity, in this behalf it shall not be much from our purpose to declare and open, how that Christ as he was in the same person god & man, so in all the dispensation wherein he traveled the time of his conversation here, we may deprehend certain and manifest tokens, both of his divine nature, and also of our frail nature which he received. And to begin at his Conception.  
He was conceived in a woman's womb: 
Mat. 1.  But by the holy ghost, an Angel being paranimphe, 
Luc. 1.  & mediator between god & her: that was for man: this was for god & the son of god  
He was borne certain months, he waxed within the privy places of human body: 
Mar. 1.  But Not yet borne he is acknowledged Lord of Elizabeth: aganised of john, 
Luc. iii.  preached of Zachary to be the redeemer of the world, 
Mat. iii.  sprung from above.  
He is brought forth after the manner as man is into the world: But before all worlds, the same was begotten of god the father god.  
He is borne of a woman: 
Heb. i. Mat. i.  But Of a virgin without the commixtion of man.  
He is laid homely in a stall or ship cot: 
Luc. 1.  But to him the Angel from heaven came singing melody meet for a god: 
Luc. 1. Mat. two,  him the bright shining star doth signify: the wise men do adhore, 
Luc. two.  & with their Mystical presents, honour, in contempt of Herode  
He is circumcised in his infansy: But of An and Simeon he is acknowledged even then the light of all nations, 
Luc. two.  the glory of the people of Israel.  
He fleeth into Egypt: 
Mat. two.  But the same doth put to flight the Idols and false Gods of the Egyptians.  
He disputeth with the layers in the temple being xii. years old: 
Luc. two.  But in that young boy the elders do wonder at things above man.  
He required water being weary of iorneing: 
john. iiii. john. ●.  But at the marriage feast the same could turn unsavoury water into wine of the best: the same as a God crieth, 
Mat. xi.  all ye that labour and are laden: come ye to me and I will refresh you: the same promiseth to all that believe him, 
john, 4.  the lively water leaping or sprynking in to everlasting life.  
He is dipped in water as a man: 
Mat. iii.  But the same as God doth sanctyfie the waters, 
●e●●. 1.3  and maketh them effectual to wash away all sins of all men. He resortethe with sinners to baptism: 
Mat. iii  But the same is hovoured with the testimony of Iohn, 
Iohn. i.  behold the Lame of God which taketh away the sins of the world.  
He was tempted: 
Mat. 4.  But willingly, but he overcame it, & for our sakes, He was hungry: 
Mat. 4.  But after forty days, and the same did feed to the full many thousand of people with a few small lofes. 
john 6.   
He is carried in a boat: 
Mat. 8.9  But the same doth walk upon the waters when he list.  
He is heavy a sleep: 
Mar. vi. john 6. Mat. 8. Mat. 8.  But the same awaked mastereth the winds and sea: with the turn of an hand, fo cruel tempest causeth great tranquillity and calms.  
He payeth ii coins of money: 
Mat. 17.  But the same he took out of the fish which was showed unto him.  
He is reported to be of the devil: 
john. x. ● Mat. xii. 8.9.  But the same doth expulse and propel all kind of devils.  
He inquireth what the inscription of the coin is, 
Mat. 17.  as ignorant man: But the same as God that knoweth all things divers times answereth to the still and privy cogitations of the Phariseis. 
Mat. ix. Io, 7.2.   
He asketh where Lazar is laid, 
john. xi.  as though he knew not: But the same with his only vice doth avocate Lazar out of his grave. 
john. xi.   
He is invaded and hurled at with stones: But never touched. 
Io. 8.11.   
He feeleth the incommodities of man's nature: But the same doth cure and discharge all infirmities and diseases raining in man's body. He is all be spitted, 
Mat. 27. john. 19  and scourged: he hath no form ne beauty in the eyes of men: 
Esa, 5 3. Eruct ●.  But the same appeareth to David beautiful above the sons of men: the same is transsygurate in the mounten: 
Mat. ix. Luc ix. Mat. 17.  his face shineth above the brightness of the son his garments passeth the whiteness of the snow.  
He appeareth as man in the form of a servant: 
Phi two. Mat. xx.  But the same as God brandeshith in miracles. 
Mat. 26. Io. xviii.  He is judged of Cayphas, he is accused, he is still as a Lamme: But the same being adjured by the living God, sayte, 
Mat. 26.  hereafter ye shall see me sitting at the right hand of the virtue of God. Behold a manifest voice of divinity to sit at the right hand of God▪ is to be equal with God, none equal with god but God. He is lift up upon the Cross: But the same there vanquished Satan: and over came sin.  
He hangeth betwixt ii thieves: 
Luc. xxiii.  But the same to th'one saith with a kingly voice: this day thou shalt be with me in Paradyse.  
He a bideth much cruelty and vengeance as man: But the same the darkness miraculously sprung upon the earth do declare God.  
He putteth away his soul: 
john. x.  But willingly and the same had power to resume it again: The veal of the temple is broken, 
Mat. 27.  the stones are cleft asunder, the dead be relieved, all betokening God.  
He died: But with the same death he restored life to the world.  
He is buried in a close sepulchre: But the same resurgeth the third day immortal, the sepulchre not opened.  
He descended into hell: But the same returned triumphantly bringing with him a pray of much price.  
He is conveyed up to heaven in a visible body: And the same sendeth down a Comforter by whom he dispenseth heavenly gifts amongst men.  
Thus in all the life of jesus Christ if any list to do as in his person were divers natures, so shall he find every where divers invincible arguments expressed by Chryst himself, declaring and proving both natures to be in him. You then that could and would not note both aswell as the one sort only, is it not trow ye more than a presumption, that though ye could yet ye would not have Chryst God? is in not a great likelihood that ye purposed rather to persecute Chryst, then to prosecute the truth? As they do mightily prove his humanity: so do these necessarily and strongly declare his divinity. And will ye be persuaded in th'one and not in the tother? If one force, efficacy, and virtue be of both, why will ye not admit both: If one scripture bear witness of both why will ye not teach both: If one Christ be author of both, why will ye not believe both: admit, teach, & believe both: or one Chryst will condemn you in both: for believing th'one in not believing: and for not believing tother, in believing.  Arri. 
THE nature divine is single, comunicable to no creature: comprehensible of no create understanding: explicable with no speech. But as Paul saith in the first to the Romans, by the visible structure of the world we deprehend the invisible power, sapience and goodness of God. etc.  Proct 
ALl this is true and Godly: but applied to an untrue and ungodly end. Therefore I can find nothing amiss here in, but your intent which is wicked. Ye would hereby emprove Chryst his divinity but it will not frame with you. To contend that Chryst hath not the divine nature in him: because the same nature is single, communicable to no creature and so forth. Non sani esse hominis non sanus iuret orestes: i A mad man might swear that it were no wise man's part. The reason is because he was God and man: and had in him both that single nature which is communycable to no creature, which is incomprehensible explycable with no speech. etc. And also the nature of man unlike to the other in all the propryeties ye have rehearsed: having therefore both natures in him, if by the one your senses might comprehend him to be a comprehensible creature, as man, it followeth not by that, that he had not the other in him by which he is God incomprehensible: for the scriptures are manifest that he had both in him. As we have tofore sufficiently declared. And where you say that the divine nature is communicable to no creature, it can not be denied. Neither can ye fasten the contrary upon us, because we believe Christ to be both God & man: and to have in him the natures of both. For albeit he true God took on him true man, to th'end he one might be both. And being both is but one person, and in the same but one Christ: yet are not the two natures made one, or in any point confounded or mixed, altered or changed from their first condition & state: them not communicating or participating with tother in any consideration. The word was made flesh, saith s. John: He meaned not that the word was turned into flesh, or that the word and the flesh were made one in substance: but that the word was made flesh, that is to say, the word took unto it the very nature of man, wholly & perfectly: that where before he was but the word, and the son of God only, now he might be man and the son of man also. That phrase of S. john may be understanded y the like used of S. Paul, where he saith: Christus pro nobis factus est maledictus: Christ was not in deed the same thing Miledictum: but because he took upon him Maledictum for our sakes, therefore it is said: Factus est maledictum: Even so & in the like form it is said in john: Verbum caro factum est, because Christ being that word, vouchsafed for our sakes to put on him our nature, & so became man: he received the shape of servant upon him which he had not, but he left not the shape of God therefore which he had: he was the word, & the word was made man. Thus the word and man concurring and meeting together, one person is made, and in the same, one Christ, having in him ii distinct & divers natures, yet but one person: which natures though they be united together in him and meet in person of his Godhead, yet are they not so united, they do not so meet that they be mingled & confounded together, as water & wine, leaven & dough, th'one being altered and confounded into & with thothers substance, But these Natures in Christ remain together inconfusibiliter, saith S. Austen: That is inconfusely and unmixed, nor altered, changed, or immuted in any one jot of their first & proper state, force or virtue. How may this be ye will say that the divine nature & the nature of man could be united together in one Christ & to one person, & th'one not communicate or perticipate with thothers substance. I can not teach you tunderstand how: but ye may learn by yourself how to believe it. And therefore S. AusTen biddeth you to ask yourself, how yourself but one man can have in yourself ii divers and sundry natures inconfusely existing: as the soul & the body. Therefore the nature of God, & the nature of man at united & conglutinate, together in one Christ and to one person of the same Christis Godhead, after a mystical, ineffable, & inexplicable wise, each nature notwithstanding that union that conglutination, still remaining in the integrity and perfection as before that union or conglutination it was. Of which union although Origen confesseth that no similitude proper & fear enough can be brought, yet he compareth the same too iron which is fired and inflamed, saying: As the fire doth penetrate the iron, and of every side is mixed unto it, so the word saith, he receiving human nature, shineth in the same throughout and in every part: And the human nature enkindled as ye may say, with the light of the same, is united unto the word: And as the iron is not altered into the nature of the fire, or the fire into the nature of iron: so neither is the divine nature turned into the human nature, nor the human nature converted into the divine nature.  
Thus the divine nature, notwithstanding this personal union, remaineth still incommunicable, single, incomprehensible, and inexplicable: touching the incomprehensibility whereof and inexplicabilitie, I have said enough to fore. The same divine nature is called simplex, in our tongue, single, because in it, is no diversity, variation, or multitude either of parts or Accidents, or of any kind of forms or fastions: but the same is pure, sincere, uniform, ever like & the same, of one sort, unmixed, not divers, not mutable in any condition. This is the understanding of the word simplex, which ye use.  
Now after ye come in with a new five eggs to aggruate the matter how that it followeth not, that he is God, because he is called by the name of God, sometime in the scripture: but neither barrel better hrring.  Arri. 
WHERE IT IS BY the scriptures evident that there is one god, as in the vi of Deut. Your God is one God: yet the vocable is transferred to other, and therefore it is written in the lxxxi Psalm: God stood in the synagogue of gods: which place, Christ in the ten of john, declareth to agree to the Prophets, Whiles he studieth to avoid the crime of blasphemy, for that he calling God father, had signified him self to be the son of God. And Paul in i to the Corin. viii. And though there be which are called gods, Whether in heaven other in earth (as there be gods many, and lords many) yet unto me is there but one God, which is the father, of whom are all things, and we in him. And saith Paul: There be to whom their belly is god: but to many, Idols: according to that saying: all the gods of gentiles, Idols. And Paul in the two. to the Corin. iiii. doth call Satan, the god of this World. To men it is applied but seldom: yet sometime it is, and then we understand it as a name of a mean power, & not of the everlasting power: Exod. xxii. Thou shalt not detract the gods: & Moses be he a god to Pharaoh. Again, Paul to the Rom. ix. calleth Christ, God, blessed for ever. and in the Gospel of john. Ca xx. Thomas Didimus doth acknowledge him God through the feeling of the wound: Many times that I remember, I do not find that he is called by this name.  Proct 
NOW the matter, think ye, is without peradventure: for what warantise have we so good & strong for the proof of Christ Godhead, ye think, as that he now and then is called in the scriptures by the name of God, which confuted as a weak reason to no effect and purpose, as thereby to avouch him God, equal to the Father, what have they then to say but Conuictus. a. um. Well bragged spr for sooth: Yet have ye missed the cushyn for all your haste: as ye shall have thereof by and by proof to your reproof. In deed if one and the same fine or end were both of running and of disputation ye might well clap hands for the game were yours, by reason ye have prevented me in telling your tale first: But Sophocles putteth me out of dought that it is not so: for best said, best have, saith he, be it first or last. Therefore though ye have ended your tale, and mine not yet begun, yet stakes may be so parted hereafter that ye may lose the whole.  
I say as ye say 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 substance: the first part ye grant & the place recited out of the Deut, by you, proveth the same: But the last part ye labour to improve with all the wit ye have. God is one I say, and so is he iii too, one in nature iii in person: The scriptures teacheth us the same. As in Mathewe Christ himself sayeth to his disciples, 
Mat. 28.  god and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the father the son, and the holy ghost here iii are named, and like power and honour attribute to all iii Again in john, 
john. 1. Cap. v.  there be. iii. which give testimony in heaven, the father the son, and the holy ghost: here iii are named, and like power and honour attribute to all iii Again in Iohn, there be, iii. which give testimony in heaven: The father, the son the holy ghost: here are three dystincte persons expressed also, and that these iii are but one nature or essence, S. Iohn is plain, saying: Hij tres unum sunt: That is, these three are but one essence or nature. 
He saith unum: not unus.  Wherefore the father, the son Chryst, and the holy Ghost, three distinct, and not the same in person: but one and the same in nature. One nature or substance of all iii and all iii of one nature or substance: The father God: the son God: the holy ghost God: Yet one only God: and not. three Gods: but iii persons of one godhead. The father not one part, but one person: the son not one part, but one person, the holy ghost not one part, but one person of divine nature. One only godhead is the same the father hath holy and presently: the same the son hath holy and presently: the same the holy ghost hath holy and presently, So three be god: yet one and the self same godhead: three are omnipotent, yet one and the self same omnipotensye: three are wise, yet one and the self same sapience. Three are merciful, yet one and the self same mercy. etc. This is the catholic faith though it be not yours.  
Now spr, this God being one in nature, and three in person, is the true God. And according to his omnipotensye, he is God of all, be they good or bad: but according to the proprieties of the scriptures, he is called God only of such as worship him, love and dread him, prefer him before all other things In which sense he is called God of Abraham, God of Isaac: God of jacob: and so David crieth, Deus meus, my God.  
Shamfullye do they cry Deus meus, whose God is their belly, whose God is mammon, whose god is sensuality, or riotousness, shamefully do they call him father, which are of the father the devil, who fathereth thereth all such as despise theyr● neiboure: shamefully do they call him lord, which obey not his precepts: But most shamfullye dare they call him their God which do sequestrate themselves from Chryst, his natural son, his equal in all omnypotensye, all eternity, all might, all virtue: For he is not the God of heretics. And who more heretics than you, which affirm such blasphemy against jesus Chryst. This is a serteine rule, in Iohn. 
Iohn. v.  Qui non honorat filium, non honorat patrem: i He which honoureth not the son, honoureth not the father: But rather fleeth from God the father, runneth headling into all contempt and blasphemy: Ye must therefore seek an other God, for this is none of yours ne will be as long as ye continews in this foul heresy. How be it he can not be Godless, that hath so many Gods in store: Ye may have your choice of a fair company, which ye have repeated by name: As the belly, idols, spriteses, Satan, proper gods all: as ye have clerkly declared? Ye may appoint unto yourself one of them several which ye list: if ye be not already received withal.  
This hyeghe and most excellent nature of God, though it be not agreeable or communicable to any thing without this holy Triade: yet is the term or name God often times applied and trasferred to other: As ye have inferred: and I deny it not. But what? other aswell men, as dumb and dead materse are called under metaphor or tralation gods, therefore is not jesus Chryst God, but after the like manner as they are Gods? yea sir to this end you have taken pains to gather these places togoether. To answer you and your argument, I say with the Prophet David. Non est similis tui domine. etc. That is: none like to the Lord amongst them al. And therefore the scriptures as often they apply the vocable God to any other, do evermore add some manifest token whereby we may discern and perceive the difference: betwixt the true God, and them to whom the name attribute fygurativelye. As in the place by you alleged where it is said, Stetit deus in singagoga deorum: i 
Ps. lxxxi.  God stood in the synagogue of gods: here the name is applied to other: But it followeth in the text, though it do not in your allegation. Et in medio eorum deos dividicat: That is, and in the mids of them he judgeth the gods, a plain reason that they were not true gods: but gods only in name, and not in power and virtue, because they are judged: for none can judge the true God. Even so Idols are called gods in Paul. But it followeth gentium: of gentiles: Likewise Satan is termed god: But it followeth huius seculi. Again it is said to Moses Ecce feci te deum pharani: behold I have made the a god to Pharaoh: by whom, God's purpose was to declare and open his divine power, and therefore the wise men called magi confessed that the finger of god was in the miracles of Moses. But the one word made, maketh plain declaration that he was not a true God, for it agreeth not to God to say that he is made: Neither doth the scripture say absolutely I have made the a God: but it followeth, to Pharaoh. Further to th'end we might easily understand the difference between the true God and other counterfeit Gods, the scriptures call him God of virtues the Lord of hosts, Lord omnipotent, maker of heaven and earth, God of hebrews, God of Abraham, Isaac, and jacob: the God of our fore fathers: again God of peace, God of comfort, God of revenge.  
Now good sir, view and examine with yourself well this that I have said touching the discrepaunce betwixt the true God and your other foreign and strange gods: and then tell me who is a fool. Then tell me whether ye can yet digest it in your stomach that jesus Chryst is true God or no: which is so oft called in the Scriptures everlasting, omnipotent, creator of all things. fountain of all goodness, author of peace, Lord of everlasting life. etc. Which are the propryetyes of the divine nature only: What and if he were not named by this term, God, at all through out the seryntures, should we therefore dow of hi● Godhead, of whom the serynture doth so absolutely pronounce, that he was in the beginning everlasting with the father, that all things was made by him: that he restored the dead to life, he sanctifieth, he searcheth the thoughts of man's heart, he give the life everlasting and so forth which are only fit and proper for that God which is the true God and Lord of all? Doth not he himself say. Pater meus v● que modo oratur, & ego operor, que ille facit, et filius similiter facit: that is to wit, my father worketh hitherto, and I work: whatsoever he doth that doth the son also: Again, 
Iohn. v.  Sicut pater exuscitat mortuos et unieat, sic et filius quos vult unicat: that is. As the father doth raise up the dead and quickeneth them: even so the quickeneth and relyveth whom he list. What starting hole have ye in so manifest sentences, wherein it is so plainly declared that Chryst together with his father doth create, doth sustain the creatures: defend and save the church: restore life to the dead. Which out of all dought are only fit, proper, and convenient for the divine and omnypotente nature.  
Add hereunto: 
john. i.  Ego vitam eternam do eyes. etc. I give life everlasting to them. 
joh. xiiii.  Quicquid petieritis in nomine meo hoc faciam: What so ever ye shall require in my name, that same will I do. 
john. xv.  Sine me nihil potestis facere: Without me ye can do nothing. 
Mat. 18.  Vbicunque sunt duo aut tres congregati in nomine meo ibi sum in medio eorum: Where so ever two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the mids of them. 
john. xx.  Dat spiritum sanctum: He gieveth the holy Ghost: Iohn. xx. Priusquam Abraham natus est, 
joh. viii.  ego sum: Before Abraham was borne, I am. To give life euerlastynge● to do what so ever we require in his name: to be every where. To give the holy ghost: to be everlasting is it not for God alone impossible, and beyond the power of all creatures. Were it not to clear, ye would petchaunce deny it. For asmuch therefore the scriptures every where do this witness of Chryst, ascribinge●● him such doings as are not for any creature to do, but only for God th'only creature and ruler of ●● things: were it not proof sufficient that he is true God, all if he were not termed by this name God at al● Yes doughtles for the name is to no purpose, the divine power and virtue shining and appearing in his doings, declare him God: and not the name. Your argument therefore ye sir, is to young, and a great deal to weak as therewith to prove that Chryst is not a true God, because the Prophets and other more vile creatures are called gods, in the scriptures: the name is to no effect where the power is not: they I grant were in name gods, but not in power, jesus Chryst, was not only in name, but in all power true God, equal to his father: as is declared. And as the name maketh not that God whereunto it is applied. So is it very madness to contend and affirm, therefore jesus Chryst not to be God, because the Prophets with other creatures be termed god in the scriptures, and yet not gods thereby: As ye seem to do. Ye should have compared their doings and qualities together with Christ's, and so declare your rabble of gods to be as much gods, as Chryst is, aswell in power as in name. But ye were well assured that in so doing ye should have marred all the matter you go about: and therefore ye pleied a wise pageant, not one word so much to speak thereof to die for. The prophets I grant were termed gods and they did many miracles: But none so many, none with the like virtue, none with the like authority, as Chryst did. For Chryst never prayed, never called upon the help of the father, at any time when he would do any miracles. Who had so all his power of his father, that he had the same equal with the father. Demona dii gentium: saith Saint Paul. But mark what odds is be twyxte them and Chryst: Chryst bewray God, became man, died for man with his death reconciled man to God his father. What have your gods done sir, or what do they that you make your comparison between them and Christ, for sooth they delude the silly poor souls: that they might be companions of darkness with them. But Chryst brought light into the world, made open the verity whereby he healed all. They enticed and alured them to all abomination and wickedness: But Christ took away the sins of the world. They tumble down into the pit of hell their worshippers: But Chryst advanceth his into heaven. Satan also is called god: but christ and he, gods far unlike. Thone author of all goodness, tother author of all wickedness: th'one peace maker, tother soweth dyssension and strife, wheresoever he is received. Thone treated all things good, in the right use: tother laboureth to make all things ill by abuse. th'one saveth tother loseth. th'one calleth to everlasting life, tother to everlasting fire.  
The belly is called God likewise, yea, & so is Covetousness or avacies a great god now a days, to whom much blasphemy & idolatry is committed everywhere. If Paul doubted not to call avarice idolatry: If Christ in the Gospel doth set manimon against God as an other god, I may boldly avouch them to be blasphemers and idolaters which serve the same, which do more est●me their money, than the true God. As this avarice of money is the cause of much mischief, so it engendereth one wonderful ill thing betwent the Princes of th'earth and their people, I mean flattery & adulation, whe● by the subject persuadeth the 〈◊〉 oftenymes that he is God's fellow, attributeth divine honour unto him: driveth in to his head that all thing is well & godly what so ever he shall attempt, all if it be directly against God, and all to creep in to favour, to aspiere to promotion and wealth. And the King or Prince of tother part is not offended therewithal: but taketh upon him what such kind of men ascribe unto him. So that it chanceth sometimes that the people in stead of a good Christian King, have a very tyrant, a spoiler & oppressor of the Comen weal, maintainers of all iniquity & vice, reigning over them. And the King again, in stead of honest subjects, and grave councelours hath flatterers, pyckthankes, and holder's up yea and nay. Finally what so ever ye prefer before God and his holy precepts, that same ye make a god. But if it had liked you to have compared their deeds as well as the name, and the cause who they are called gods, with Christis doingis & the cause why he is god: ye mought have been sooner a shamed of your lewd comparison: And said with David: Non est similis tui Domine, & non est secundum opera tua: That is: None like unto the O Lord: and none according to thy works. Seekest thou honour and renown, he giveth the everlasting glory. desirest thou sovereignty, he admitteth the into his kingdom, whereof shall be no end. Requirest thou richesse, in him thou mayst possess all things, who only is Lord of all. Seekest thou oracles or the certainty of things: Thou hast the scripture of most certain truth, in which he true God speaketh unto the out of his privy closet as oft as thou list. Wilt thou have pleasure, he only giveth perfect joy which no man can take away. Delyrest thou ease, he crieth mercifully: Omnes qui laborati & onorati estis, venite ad me, & ego reficiam vos: That is to say: All ye that labour and are laden, come ye to me, & I will refresh you. If to your gods, this may be worthily applied then, out of doubt your comparison was right: and ye may justly affirm them true gods: as jesus Christ is, to whom the Scripture doth ascribe this, with much more, mightily proving him to be God, not in name only, but in power, and virtue divine, To conclude, I say therefore with s. Paul, that though there be which are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be many gods, and lords many) yet unto me there is but one God which is the Father, of whom are all things, & we in him, & one Lord jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.  
This sentence of s. Paul, yourself brought in, but curtailed, as ye use all the rest: for ye left out the last part thereof: and good cause why, for it made all against your wicked purpose: Therefore in any case see ye allege not one word as nigh as ye can, that may make against your but wring and wrest, toss & tug, mangle and hew every part thereof until ye frame it to your mind: if ye can not, leave it clean out a gods name, & take that which will serve. And to theude the Christian Reader may understand that ye are your craftis master in this point: ye have craftily practised the same in all the places almost, which ye have hither unto, & hereafter will allege for the maintenance of your blasphemous error. And where as the former sentence out of Paul, ye curtailed: now ye allege another place of S. Paul, but the mids & the body of the same clean left out, only ye bring in the head and the tail, the rest discharged which is the effect and chiefest part of all: it is out, the ix to the Rom.: and this is your alligation: S. Paul calleth Christ God blessed for ever. But between God, and blessed for ever, S. Paul hath these words: over all things: and this is his saying: Christ which is God over all things, blessed for ever Amen. Blessed s. Paul would put us out of doubt, that jesus Christ was God, not in name only, as other are, but in deed: not in opinion, but in nature, & power true God: and therefore he added: over all things: for to be God over all things, is only agreeable to the omnipotent nature. But S. Paul his mind & yours is not like: And therefore no marvel if ye agree not in words. He minded to declare him to be true God: and therefore he sayeth: Christ God over all things: but you would persuade that he is God, only in name, as other many are: and therefore ye say: Christ, god blessed for ever: leaving out: over all things: which words strongly & only prove in that place, the true Godhead in Christ: For to be called God: or to be blessed for ever, is no proof that he is true GOD: The Prophets, with other, were called gods: divers were blessed forever: yet none of both true gods thereby. But to be called God, and God over all things, yea, by the mouth of S. Paul, what double can there remain in any Christian man's herat, but that jesus Christ is true God.  
And the place of S. john, 
john xx.  which ye also reci●e, doth confirm Paul's menaing, and confound your wicked opinion, very plainly: Yet can ye, like pourselfe, bring it in craftily for contirmation and probation of your iniquity: it is not to be denied that Christ studied to avoid the crime of blasphemy: But what. did he therefore grant that he had committed blasphemy, in calling God: Father? Or did he deny that he was the natural Son of God the father? No forsooth, all if you would with your blind and deceitful allegation of the place, make the simple to believe it. The jews abjected blasphemy unto him, because he being a mere man to their sight made himself God, naming God father so often: and were ready to invade him with stones as a blasphemer. He avoided the blasphemy, not in denying that which he to fore had affirmed. But for tha●pesinge and taming the Jews rage and fury, in giving them a soft and gentle answer. And in the same his answer more mightily declaring his Godhead natwithstandinge, than he did in the words before. Therefore when they laid blasphemy to his charge, for calling God father, he answered unto them that it was no blasphemy: for if (said Chryst) in the old law such were called gods with out blasphemy, to whom the word of God was spoken. How justly then may I call myself ●● Son of God, which am the wo● itself, which am sanctrfied of God the father, and am sent from God the father inito the world. But ●●●tent yourself, weigh and con●●● with yourself well, my works and doings, that and if ye percave ●●● that I do things above the might of man, and which are only for god to do, then believe not that I am the Son of God: but it I do, then at leastwise credit my works, if ye will not credit me, and believe assuredly that the father is in me, and I in him. Thus Christ tempered his answer, avoiding the blasphemy, and appeasing his adversaries furious madness, and yet not denying that he was the true Son of god, and true god: but rather with much modesty, vindicating and challenging the same unto him, which to dissemble he thought not convenient, because in deed he would not be unknown unto us, what he was.  
Now if ye ask me wherefore he answered not simplely and directly without all other circumstance, that he was god in deed: it was because the jews were in great fury & rage, and sought occasion to slay him: And the time not yet come, when he purposed to suffer the extremity, for the safeguard of mankind. Therefore he did not only stay and let them, by his divine power, from hurling any one stone at him (although they had taken up some in their hands for the same purpose) but also to the end, their hot fearsenesse and cruelty assuaged and mitigated, they should in their quietness understand that which they could not abide in their rage: it seemed best to his high prudence rather by such gentle and moderate drift of words to insynuate the same unto them, then shortly to answer them: yea, it is true, I am God: Which should have increased their fury, and less persuaded them.  
Now, good sir, forasmuch it is thus manifest & plain in that place of. S. john, necessarily proving Christ divinity: and in the self same Chapt. also divers other sentences invincible, and inevitable tending to the same effect, are to be seen and read: as that, 
john. x.  Sicut novit me pater, ita ego novi patrem: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father. Potestatem habeo povendi animam. etc. I have power to put my soul from me: & I have power to take it again. Vitam aeternam do eyes: I give life everlasting to them. Pater & ego unum sumus: The father and I be one. Which places can not be avoided, forasmuch I say, aswell that self place which ye infer for your purpose is so vehement against you: and so many other of the like importance, within the same Chapter so nigh couched together, and so plainly set forth in your way, that ye could not, but stumble on some of them, or ye came to your standing where ye wrought your pleasure: Merciful Lord, how great and odious is your iniquity, that have not chosen to cleave and lean to so maifest a truth, in so many places expressed, rather than thus blasphemously and wilfully not only refuse and sporne against it, but also wretchedly & most shamefully wrest and wring the pure scriptures for maintaining and upholding your lewd and abominable heresy. But ye will say perchance ye saw them not, and I believe it: For (as the Prophet sayeth,) many have eyes and see not: many have ears and hear not. 
Sapi. two.  etc. Excaecavit enim maliclaeos: For iniquity hath blinded them, ut non videat oculis, nec cord intelligant: That they see not with eyes (sayeth Esay), nor understand with heart.  
I have readen of Polemon the Sophist: that what time his fingers and toes waxed corny or hard, he warned the Physicians to dig, incide or cut Polemons quaryes of stones, saying: Commedendum est, manus non habeo: ambulandum est pedes non habeo: dolendum est, manus habeo & pedes: That is to wit: I need to eat, & I have no hands: I need to walk, & I have no feet: I must suffer ache and pain, and I have both hands and feet thereto. Wherein are ye like to this Polemon? Verily in that, that ye have nor hand nor foot in some kind of business: and in some thing again, ye have both hand and foot, with all other your jointꝭ nimble & ready enough: but the condition far unlike between you: because he fain would and could not, and you well can, but will not. It was all against his will, & to his great grief that he had not his hands and feet, as well to feed and walk withal, as he had them ready to his restless pain. But contrary wise it standeth all with your will, and it is to your full contentation and pleasure that when you should see the truth, your eyes be blemished: when ye should hear the truth, your ears be stopped: when ye should speak the truth, your tongue be blystered: when ye should write the truth, each of your fingers against other justle, as handsomely as a bear picketh muscles: and when ye should walk in the truth, your feet be then quarry & stony, that ye can not: But contrary, to blemish the truth, ye have your ears open to hear: to blaspheme the truth ye have your tongue sound, & quick to speak: to contend against the truth, ye have your fingers nimble, speedy letter, & shift pen to write, To walk in wickedness in spite of the truth, ye have your feet swift to trudge a pace, whither the path of iniquity can lead you: it followeth in your epist.  Arri. 
WHERE as he is notable by other divers names, Which for the most part all if they have great commendation in man: they are not admitted to the divine nature: as humility, obedience, gentleness, paciency, much less these: Sheep, Lion, Worm, Host. Sin, cursing, and other like,  Proct 
ARISTOTILES Stagyrite's oftentimes upbraided the Athenians for because, whereas they had invented Corn, and Laws as it. things very necessary to be had in a Comen weal, they only did use th'one and not tother: did enjoy the corn, and rejected the laws.  
How much more justly may I accuse you, good sir, which promised so largely in the first entry of your matter, that you would follow, in deciding and determining the same, not the wordis of the scriptures only but the right understanding of the same also: And yet hitherunto have used th'one & not tother: have recited the words, and left the sincere and true meaning of the same. The athenians devised not corn alone, but also laws as both fit for them: but of both th'one they retained in ure only, as thereby to feed and pamper up their carcases Thother whereby they knew their dissolute life, and beastly manners should be noted and corrected, they let slip and would not exercise. You likewise all if ye were appointed upon both and promised to use not the words of the scripture only, but also the catholic sense of the same: Yet still contrary to your first appointment and promise, ye only use th'one, yea & forcing the same to put on more strange forms & figures then ever Proteous had, and all to maintain and defend your folly so divers and variable. But the sincere meaning of the words in scripture ye have not hetherunto used but obstynatlye refused. In this point I can not allow you: and Aristoteles doth condemn you. If it be incident unto your nature that when your promise consisteth of ii parts, th'one should be false, tother true, then belike it is natural unto you. And forasmuch that which is natural, can not easily be routed out of man: it is to be feared least ye will die an heretics. Ye have brought in scriptures and ever more do bring by clusters and heaps to make good your concept: but the true understanding of the scriptures ye seldom mell with al. Thone ye like well: and therefore ye tie it at your girdle before you, to th'end ye will always follow it: but tother ye have thrust in the wallette with your own deeds, hanging behind at your back to th'end you would not be cumbered with the sight of any of both: at any tyme. God would have both conjoined together: but ye & your fellows have made a plain divorce: to th'end ye might without check of th'one, commit adultery with the other. And as I do now tell you of it, so have I done afore: and after will, as oft as I perceive you so to abuse the scriptures. And if ye be ashamed to here of it after this sort, be also ashamed hereafter eftsoons to do it. And for my part when ye shallbe a feared to minister the occasion, then shall I fear to leye it to your charge. To approach to our purpose. Ye say that in the Scriptures Chryst is termed by these names, as humble, meek, obedient. etc. And again, worm, lion, sin with other the like. Which names ye say, may not be admitted to the divine nature: therefore ye conclude that christ being called by these names can not have in him the divine nature, And how well it followeth, who so blind that seeth not I have by the scriptures declared at large, the Chryst was not God alone nor man alone: but both, God and man. And had in himself not only the nature of man as ye would have it, but the very nature of god also as ye would not he had with your good will, And as he was true man so was he humble, obedient, meek, & patient: Which names have great commendation in man ye say, and so let them have in him. To the divine nature ye will not have them applied, well, I will not much contend against you therein. I grant again that he is called by these names in the scripture as sheep, lie on sin: etc. But to affirm that he is not true god therefore, because he is termed by such names, it were to groselye and more than folly. As well ye may conclude, that he was not man. For a sheep, is not man: nor the lion, man: nor the worm, man: But Chryst in called sheep, lion, and worm: ergo he is not man: As just as germans lips. By the same reason I mought prove that the father is not God: because in duty. iiii. he is called ignis: and Eccle. xxxix. Fluuius: and Heir. two. Fons with diverse other names applied unto him in the Scritpures. The application of which names, aswell proveth the father not to be God, as the son. So by your allegation, we shall have no God anon But acknowledge rather both the father and the son to be God, and understand with me that such names are attributed to christ, to do us knowledge, how that Chryst, all if he was true God, and thought it no robbery to be equal with God the father in all omnipotensye: (As Paul wytnesethe of him) Yet for our sakes became eman: and in his humanity, did humble himself as man in this world, was obedient to his sending, gently and patiently suffered th'extreme cruelty, and outrageous villainy of the jews excerctsed upon him. And for this innocency in him and patience, he is called ovis and agnus in the Scriptures. And to say some thing the rest: He is called Lion in consideration of his fortitude and power: Whereby he vanquished the roaring Lion our adversary the devil. According to that in the Appocalyppes. Vicit leo de tribu juda: 
Apoca. v.  That is, the lion from the tribe of juda, hath overcome: Which is spoken of Chryst, who suffered, meek as a lamb, conquered strong as a Lion, the roaring Lion (I say) which as the scripture saith, roometh about, seeking whom he may devour. Both are called Lions, th'one Lion in power, tother Lion in cruelty: th'one mighty to defend, tother strong to destroy.  
He is called Vermis a worm, in consideration of the humility which was in him above other: who did humble himself to all things for our sakes. poverty is an heavy burden: and he would be most poorest for our sakes. pain is an hard thing: and he would suffer most bitter pains for our sakes. Death of all things most bitter: And he submitted himself unto the same for our sakes. More spiteful than death is ignomy: And he refused not to be spitted at, to be checked, slandered, disdained, and blasphemed for our sakes. Yea in that he received our common nature, he was equal with other men. But in that he was so poor, and lived in such pain and disdain, he was inferior to many. Again in that he was mortal and died: he was as all other are. But in that he suffered willingly such kine of death, and for our deserts, he was under the condition of many men. In consideration whereof he saith by the mouth of the Prophet. Ego vermis & non homo: That is, I a worm and not man. Howbeit besides this saint Austen supposeth him to be called Vermis for an hyegher consideration. Why is Chryst called worm sayeth he. Because, (he answereth) he was mortal, he was borne of the flesh: and begotten without the companing together of man and woman in the Act of generation. And therefore he saith 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 sementiva carnis origine operant concepta est: unde se utrini Christus comparans, per psalmistam ait, ego s●m vermis & non homo. i. Non conceptus more humano. Which is as much to say. As the worm is engendered of the pure and only slime or mud, being made hot with the warmesume: even so the holy ghost illustrating and hallowing the heart of the virgin: she was conceived with child, without any human act of engendering wrought therein: In conlideration whereof christ comparing himself to a worm, saith by David, I am a worm, and not man, that is, I am not conceaned after the manner and fashion of man. Thus far Saint Austen.  
Further he is called I grant peccatum i sin, but according to his humanity in which he became the sacrifice for sin to our inestimable comfort. He was not in deed sin, as the letter soundeth, neither had he any sin in him at any tyme. The pain for sin only was in him: which he admitted to himself, to th'end he would put away and discharge from us his people both, as well the sin, as the pain dew for the same. In the law, saith S. Austen sin is taken for the sacrifice for sin, such a sin was Chryst, and none other. In which sense S. Paul saith. 
2. Cor. v.  Eum qui non novit peccatum, pro nobis peccatum secit: That is, he hath made him to be sin for us, which knew no sin: And therefore in the eight to the Romans it is said of him. 
Roma. 8.  Misit Deus filium suum in similitudinem car nis paccati: That is, God sent his son in the similitude of sinful flesh, and not in fynfull flesh. Where as ye say therefore that Chryst is called sin, ye must understand that word sin, to signify the sacrifice for sin, which he being very true God and man vouchsafed to be, to th'end he that was our creator in his Godhead might be also our redeemer in his manhood. And we thereby should be made that rightwiseness, which before the father is allowed. And this was nothing prejudicial to his divinity.  
finally of these names and the like aswell which ye have picked together, as all the rest applied to jesus Chryst in the scripture: ye ought reverently to think, that they are attributed unto him, in some consideration touching his humanity: or else (as Dionise Areopagita doth council) according to some divine anagoge: that is an high, and subtle understanding. Now forth.  Arri. 
HE is called now and then the Image of God: for that I suppose, his life is as ye would say, the glass of the divine will to ward us.  Proct, 
YEA, and for that he is of the same essence, and substance that the father is of. And therefore he is also called splendour gloriae: And Character substancie patris. And in thapostolic Crede. Lumen de lumine. Deum, de deo. That is, light of light, God of God. And Chryst only is the image of God, Other are secundum imaginem dei: That is according to the Image of God, The father saith unto the son, make we man, and addeth, secudnnm imaginem nostram. That is accordynm to our Image: By which words it is evident saith saint Austen that the father and the son, are but one Image  Arri. 
HE is called the word also: verily because he was nearest unto the father. And as ye would say the orgen or instrument of the divine voice: For the word is made flesh. what else doth it signify, then that the felshe received the word. And that God the father did greeffe into Chryst as ye would say by inplantation that heavenly doctrine which should concile us unto him: and in manner converted the same into his nature. That he should not say ne think any thing but the word of the Lord: not that the flesh was converted into the divine nature: or admitted into society and fellowship with the same. As it seemeth very absurd at the first blush. And that it is not true, the style following declareth plainly. And he dwelleth amongst us. etc., full of grace: Grace, power, is of God: The fullness whereof doth make men disposed to the love of God, and the observation of the law not Gods.  Proct. 
singular as ye are, so is your judgement upon the scriptures singular: But I appeal to the wise reader whether such singularity proceed not of a single wit and thine brain. As many as ever wrote upon john (as divers holy and well learned fathers have done) Do expound that plae of him (the word is made flesh) after this sort: That the word the second person of the Godhead jesus Christ came down and was made flesh: that is to wit, received the nature of man wholly and perfectly, both body and soul, uniting the same to the person of his Godhead. And now sir contrary to all their judgements and most of all contrary to saint john his mind (who of purpose wrote his Gospel only to disclose and declare Chryst his deut●itie) ye have shaped a strange exposition upon that text. Bul how fit and meet what d●●●e perceiveth not? The word is made ●●she, that is to weet ye say: the fles●h●e received the word, and not, the word received flesh: which any reasonable man would certainly gather of that place: And not that the flesh received the word. For S. john saith not. Caro verbum facta est: The flesh is made the word. But his phrase is. Verbum caro factum est: The word is made flesh: whereof no man can justly gather that the flesh received the word, but rather and as the truth is the word received flesh, for the word was made flesh saith saint john: meaning by the word (made) that the word jesus Chryst received and took unto him flesh. and by the word (flesh) he understandeth, the hole and perfect nature of man both body and soul: to th'end as I have said often, that where as he was but the son of god, and true God: Now by the receipt of this nature, he might be known unto us the son of man, and true man also. He is therefore called the word, not for that he was the origen or instrument only of the divine voice as ye say he was: But for thta he was in verity the divine voice itself, and the true word itself. And this divine voice and true word Chryst, was made verily flesh, That is to say: received of mary the very flesh of man: and became true man as before true God So that now in one person he was perfect God, and perfect man. Yet his divine nature not converted into the nature of man, or in any consideration admitted into the society or fellowship with the same: only the two natures in him are united to the person of his Godhead inconfusely by a miraculous union, as at large I have tofore declared, And the text following, though ye force and draw it never so much: Yet will it not follow that way, as ye would have it.  
He dwelled amongst us, as man: Igraunt he was full of grace and truth I deny not. The style in deed following in john declareth no less: but what followeth of yours thereupon? verily that ye would have him not God, but man only, well disposed to the love of God, and the observation of the law: But the style following taught ye not to conclude so, which if ye would frame your blind fancy to follow, & nor force the same to follow your mad brain: ye should then follow the better and sure guide, and in the right way: For many styles following in saint john, will lead you into the perfect understanding of Christ divinity, if it would please you ordinately to follow after them, & mark them with an indifferent eye. And in the same place where ye were last, you find, that Christ is the true light, 
john. i.  which doth illuminate every man coming into this world.  
Ye find also that grace & truth came by jesus Christ. 
john i.   
Ye find again: 
john. i.  Rabbi, thou art even the very son of God: thou art the king of Israel.  
Even there also, behold the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world.  
Now sir to be the true light: 
john. i,  To illuminate all that come in to the world: To be grace and truth itself, as in another place he doth witness the same of himself, saying: I am the way, 
joh. iiii.  the verity, and life: To take away the sins of the worldle: To be even the very son of God: Is it for man, or for God, say ye? For God only, ye can not deny. And the styles following even in the same chapter do ascribe all this to him, wherefore he is true God. Thus your style every where lacketh edge to cut the butter that may stick to your bread.  Arri. 
AND IF opportunity served to search the Scriptures accordingly, it should easily appear that Christ is not of the same substance or nature, neither equal with God the father. And such places and testimonies as now come ot my remembrance, I will hereunto add. etc.  Proct 
BUT before ye add any more, let me add my subtraction to your first addition, and then add and multiply what you list.  
Ye say, it may easily appear by the scriptures Christ unto to be equal with God the Father, neither to be of the same substance or nature with him. And I say, it were very hard for you to make that easily appear to any, all if ye had never so much opportunity to search the scriptures. The best ye can do, ye have already done therein: But it easily appeareth (I doubt not) to every right Christian by that your best doing, that ye can do least with the worst, to bring that your purpose about.  
I have sufficiently before declared, by the sincere and uncorrupt scriptures, to the full contentation of any Christian mind (I hope) the equality of the son jesus Christ, both in power, & also nature with God the father. notwithstanding sithen now eftsoons in this place ye deny the same, I shall not let presently also to say something that may make with Christ, and against you.  
I would were therefore of you, what in all the scriptures is attributed to God the Father, that is not also attributed & ascribed unto the son jesus Christ? If in the scriptures nothing is referred to God the father, but that which is likewise applied to the son jesus Christ: than of force it followeth, that by the scriptures, the Father and the Son are of one and the same substance or nature, and equal in all points touching Deninitie. And that the scriptures do match him with the Father, in all points of the Godhead, be two proved by the scriptures in this discourse: The Father is called God in the scriptures, so is the Son: of whom it is said: 
i joh. v.  This same son jesus Christ is very God, and eternal life.  
The Father is called Lord: so is the Son: of whom it is said: And one Lord jesus Christ which is God above all thing, 
Mat. xxii Psa. c. ix.  blessed for ever. And again: The Lord said unto my Lord. etc.  
The Father is called holy: so is the Son, of whom it is written: I know the what thou art, 
Mark. i.  even the holy one of god. etc.  
The Father is called judge: so is the Son: of who it is said: There is one lawmaker & judge, 
jam. iiii  which is able to save and destroy,  
The Father is called just: so is the Son: of whom it is said: The just & righteous judgement of God shallbe opened, which will reward every man according to his deeds.  
Here ye see, that his judgement is called just, and the judgement of God: wherefore he is just, and God.  
The father is called true: So is the Son, and truth itself, himself sayiing: I am the way, verity and life. 
joh. xiiii   
The father is called high: so is the Son: of whom it is written● High above all nations the Lord, 
Psa. cxii  above the heavens his glory. 
Psa, c, two.   
The Father is called the light: so is the Son, himself saying: I am the light of the world: 
joh. viii.  he that followeth me, doth not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Father giveth life everlasting: so doth the Son, himself, saying: 
john. x.  My sheep do here my voice, and they follow me, and I do give life everlasting unto them.  
The Father doth save: so doth the Son: of whom it is said: 
Mat. i.  he shall make his people safe from their sins.  
The Father doth raise & quicken: so doth the Son, of whom it is written: 
john. v.  As the Father doth raise up the dead and quicken, even so the son doth quicken, whom he will. The Father is called everlasting: so is the son, 
john. i joh. viii.  of whom it is said: In the beginning was the word. 
joh. viii.  etc. himself saying: Before Abraham was, I am.  
The Father made all things: so did the son: of whom it is said. All thing was made by him, 
john. i.  & with out him, nothing is made.  
The Father doth know the secret thoughts and cogitations of the mind: so doth the Son, of whom it is said: But he knew their thoughts, 
Cor. xi. Apo, x.  & said unto them. etc. Again: all Congregations shall know that I am the searcher of the hertis & myndis.  
The Father is every where: so is he Son: of whom it is said: In omni loco dominaciones eius. 
Psal. c two.  And he himself sayeth: Where soever ii or iii are gathered together in my name, there am I in the mids of them  
The Father giveth understanding: so doth the Son: of whom it is said: 
two. Tim. two  Understand what I say● for the lord will give the understanding.  
Thus much have I done upon the opportunity received at your hands, that ye may both understand the equality of the Father and the Son, and also hereby to occasion you, to seek opportunity for searching the scriptures, aswell that ye may perfectly know that which I have now said, as likewise to see the much more left unspoken, that may be said for the proof of the same, which you deny. Now will I rehearse your places, one after another: and answereth same.  Arri. 
TO sit on my right hand, and on my list hand is not in me to give. Mat. xxii.  Proct, 
ONE named Chius, a vintner, (as plutarch writeth if I remember well) used to buy the best wines for other to drink: and he him self would drink none other but such as were musty and had lost their verdure: whose servant on a time being demanded what his Master did at home: marry ꝙ he: Cum adfint bona, querit mala: That is to say: Where much good is at hand, he seeketh for that which is nought. Let this Chius (good sir) be as it were a Crystal for you to see your own condition and disease in: that being in the vineyard on every side beset in cluster with the grape of that heavenly nectar, being in the treasury replenished with so many incomparable good things passing gold, pearl, or precious stone, yet leaving so pleasant and good juice. Vappa sitis vappam: neglecting so divers and incomparable good things: Malus queris mala: Ye hunt after that which is evil. And forasmuch in the Testament of jesus Chryst, which is that heavenly vineyard and rich treasury I speak of, nothing can be found but right good: Ye practise to corrupt the good, that it may serve your naughty appetite wherewith it can not agree that jesus Christ should be God: but only a pure man as ye are. And therefore ye have gathered certain places whereby ye would dissuade Christ divinity, and persuade him to be a Creature and man only: And the first place ye have taken out of saint Mathewe: 
Mat. xx.  where it is said: to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand is not mine to give. Which wordis in deed were spoken by Christ to the mother of Zebedees' children, what time she fell down before him, and desired that her two sons might sit in his kingdom, the one upon his right hand, the other upon his left hand, to whom jesus final answer was: to sit upon my right hand, and on my left is not mine to give, but unto them for whom it is prepared of my father: which is as much to say, that according to this present state, wherein ye see me, I am not come to distribute the places & seats of my kingdom: for know ye, that from the beginning, my father & I have distributed and appointed them: Therefore be not you careful, as though they were void. This is the right and true understanding of that place. Now let us see what would you conclude hereof, that Christ is not God? and how so? pardie thus: God is of power to give the seat on the right hand, & on the left hand in the kingdom of heaven.  
But to sit on the right hand, and on the left hand is not mine to glue sayeth Christ,  
Wherefore Christ is not God. This argument is stark naught, and not worth a rush: For Christ being both perfect God & perfect man sometimes (as I have often times said) speaketh as God, sometimes as man: as here in this place in consideration of his manhood, and according to the present dispensation of the flesh which he received, he saith to the mother of Zebedees' children, that it is not in him to give for any to sit on his right hand, & on his left hand. Wherefore it followeth not hereby that he is not God, no more than it followeth that he is not man, when he speaketh as God. And as in this place, in consideration (I say) of his present state then, and his humanity, he said that it was not in his power to dispose the seats of his kingdom: so mought you have easily found without great seeking in other places, how that he doth challenge unto him the same thing, which here he seemeth to refuse: as where he saith: 
App. iii.  Qui vicerit, dabo illi sedere. etc. To him that shall overcome, I shall grant to sit with me in my seat. etc. And in another place: Verily Verily I say unto you, 
Luc. xxii.  that ye which have followed me in regeneration, what time the Son of man shall sit in the seat of his majesty, ye shall also sit with him. etc. In which place, Christ manifestly declareth that he hath power & authority in himself, to appoint and dispose the places of the heavenly king doom: therefore if by your own reason Christ is not God, because he saith, to sit on his right hand and on his left hand it is not his to give, why will not your reason serve you to believe him to be very God, which now sayeth: I will grant him to sit with me: and ye shall sit with me in the seat of my majesty. If ye deny him to be god, because he hath not the power to distribute & grant the seatꝭ of the heavenly kingdom: will ye not confess and believe him to be God, if he hath that power in him? I can not think how ye can avoid it. And do not these places prove certainly, that he hath that power in him? If not, then what say ye to that in Math, 
Mat. 28.  Omnis poiestas concessa est mihi in coelo & in terra: Unto me is given all power in heaven and in earth, saith Christ. If all power in heaven and earth be given to him, then is it in his power to dispose the seatꝭ of his kingdom in heaven: if not, then is he a liar that sayeth all power in heaven and in earth is given to me. But Christ is true, and truth itself, and his word can not be false, Now sy● I make this reason.  
It is for God and not man to appoint the places of the heavenly kingdom: but Chryst hath power to appoint the places of the heavenly kingdom, wherefore Chryst is very God.  
Answer hereunto at your leisure, if ye can. And this answer is sufficient to your next text, which is thus.  Arri. 
OF THAT day or hour no man knoweth, neither the angels which are in heaven, nor the son, but the father only, etc.  Proct 
THE son knoweth not of that day and hour according to his humanity, by any natural reason: but yet the son knoweth perfectly doth the day and hour, otherwise wise how may it be said of him, 
john. x.  Ego et Pater unum sumus: I and the father be all one, 
Mat. 28.  if in this point they be divers? how can it stand that all power both in heaven and earth is given unto him, 
john. iii,  if this be not in his power and knowledge? how is it that the father hath given him all things into his hands, if this be out of his hands and power to tell? Shall he be the high judge when that day and hour cometh, 
john. v.  and yet knoweth not when it shallbe? 
john. i.  Did he make all things and nothing was made without him, and yet knoweth not of that day and hour? Abideth in him all plenitude and fullness of the deite, 
Collo. two.  corporally, that is substantially, naturally, from the beginning with the father, not spiritually and through faith only, as in sons by adoption: and yet laboureth he with this defect and want? Doth he know the father even as perfectly and as deeplye as the father knoweth him, 
john. v.  and yet knoweth he not this point of his council? Doth he give life everlasting, 
john. v.  and yet knoweth not the day and hour when he shall perform it? Yes no dought as perfectly and assuredly as the father doth: All if in this place in consideration of his humanity: and to declare that the secrets and counsels of God are beyond man's understanding and knowledge, he saith of that day and hour no man knoweth, neither the Angels which at in heaven, ne the son, but the father only. For he one being both God and man, knoweth and knoweth not: knoweth as God, knoweth not as man. Both parts are apparaunit by the scriptures that are alleged: in so apparent matter therefore dow not any longer: through ignorance to be deceived, it is excusable: but upon knowledge to be obstinate what shall excuse you? Your third text is this.  Arri. 
WHY callest thou me good? noon good but God.  Proct. 
MAgister bone good master said the young man what shall I do to obtain life everlasting? which question proceeded from him which stood some what in his own conceit, and moved this questyan to th'end he would rather be commended in that which he had done, them in deed to learn what he should do. 
Mar. x.  And therefore Chryst being as it were offended with that arrogant name, laid unto him, what callest thou me good, none good but God? As if he said, why call ye me good which surname is above the dignity of man, and yet ye believe not that I am very God, and the natural son of God the father sent amongst you in the shape of a servant for the redemption of mankind. He would be called Good, and acknowledged God, or else he would none of both. And all though in this place for causes rehearsed, he seemeth to rebuke the young man for calling him good master, yet shall ye find that in another place he vouchesavethe that name, yea and calleth himself good shepherd: 
john. x.  admit the one and refuse not the other. But and if ye think it proper for God to be called good, let him be man in that he refused to be called good master in th'one: let him be God which calleth himself good shepherd in tother. And believe assuredly that it is not unfitting for him to be called good with the father, which truly saith. Ego & pater unum sumus: I and the father be all one: if both, but one: Why both not good aswell as one?  Arri. 
glorify thy son. etc. joh. xvii.  Proct. 
IF this doth prove that Chryst is not God, then by the same it followeth that the father is not god also, for the sentens wholly recited (which you seldom do) importethe no les. Clarifica filium ut et filius clarificet te. 
joh. xvii  Father (saith Christ) glorify thy son, that thy son also may glorify the. And in another place he saith. 
joh. nineteen.  Ego te clarificavi super terram. I have glorified the upon the earth, ye see then that this is but borrowed ware, it cometh and goeth betwixt the father and the son with just return: if therefore Christ may not be god, because he is glorified of the father: neither the father must be god because he is glorified of the son, for each of them gloryfieth an other as ye have herd. How be it if a man would axe ye, what is meaned by these words (glorify thy son) and what glorification Chryst spoke of, I dow not but that your answer should utter your folly, and confirm my saying: unless ye would ever of purpose and maliciously answer contrary to your knowledge and conscience. For in the same Cham wherhens ye had this, ye read plainly these words. 
joh. xvii.  Clarifica me pater apud temetipsum claritate quam habui priusquam mundus fieret apud te: That is, glorify me thou father with thine own self, with the glory which I had or ever the world was made. If Chryst had glory with the father or ever the world was, the was Chryst with the father, ab eterno eternally from the beginning (as john doth witness also in the beginning of his Gospel that he was) if Chryst was eternally from the beginning with the father, than was not Chryst any creature: if he was no creature, than was he God. Thus is Chryst true god evermore glorious and the Lord of glore. Paul's words proving. 
1. Cor. 1.  Si cognovissent nnncquam dominnm gloriae crucifixissent: i If they had known, they had never crucified the lord of glory. Notwithstanding being also man, in his manhood as he could be crucified, so mought he be glorified likewise. Acknowledge at length that, in whom one & semblable clarification is, in them is no difference of power.  Arri. 
ALL are yours, you are Christ's, and Chryst is Gods. Cor. iii.  
This place of saint Paul Athanasyus that ancient writer doth expound in this wise. All things are yours, only for that God hath subierte all things unto you, and have ordained all things to serve your commodity and pleasure. You are Christ's through your creation & servitude. Christ's is Gods because he was before the world with the father, and was of the same essence and substance that God the father is of. And hereunto all the old fathers agree: and of our late doctors I know none that dissent in this point: so that it is evident that ye have soaked this out of your own brain only, as to contend that Christ is not god, or of the sane nature with the father, because Paul sayeth Christ is Gods, or of God● Upon which words Bullinger writeth thus: Christ is gods, that is to say (sayeth he) Christ is coequal with the Father, and unto him, the Church is subject, not as to man, but as to the living God. If ye mark well S. Paul's words, or rather the right meaning of them, ye shall not find Christis divinity denied, but rather manifestly avouched: as who in the same place, and by the same words which ye aleage, instructeth the Corinthians, that albeit all things (whether it be Paul, either Apollo, or Cephas, whether it be life or death. etc.) are ordained to their weal and comfort: yet ought they not to glory in them, but in Christ only, through whom they have achieved all: and who is their head & their god, and therefore not to glory in man only, but in him which is both God and man, even as he himself doth glory in God his Father.  Arri. 
YEA more aptly is this declared of Paul, whiles he explaineth that of David: he hath subject all things under his feet. etc. Cor. xv.  Proct. 
THE whole and perfect sentens of Paul is thus: Then cometh the end, when he hath delivered up the kingdom to God the Father, when he hath put down all rule, authority and power: for he must reign till he hath put all his enemies under his feet: but where he saith all thing is put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him: when all things are subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him, that put all things under him, that god may be all in al. These are s. Paul's words. Now sir, what find ye herein, that improveth Christis divinity? Assuredly nothing, all if ye find in this sentence of S. Paul, that the Son shallbe subjecteth unto the Father: for her upon pyrcheth your hope to compass your purpose, which will never turn to good hap. And if ye please to comefurth of this wilful ignorance and conform you to ensue & trace the knowledge of God's word, according to the catholic and Christian faith, then shall ye understand, that in this place s. Paul doth the Corinthians to wit, that then shall th'end come, when all things shall be subdued unto jesus Christ: and Christ the son shall deliver unto his father his kingdom, that is the Church, the whole number of the Elect, which he hath by his death redeemed: then also Christ the Son himself shall be subject unto the father, touching the dispensation of the flesh, and in his membres the saints, by which it is meaned, that then the mystery of Christ shall cease, the preaching of the Gospel shallbe left: and no longer any such in the everlasting kingdom of God, and the saints shall be as was in the Militaunte Church when the world was subject unto the preaching of the Gospel: For where no sin and disease is, there needeth no remission, or medicine. And this subjection of the saints shall be the most free kingdom unto them: For then jesus Christ very God and man shall be all in all: God in God, & reigning over all things: creature in creatures, and to God subject as a creature. And how shall he not be all in all which is th'only goodness of all, the righteousness of all, 
i, joh. two. joh. xiiii Psa. xrvi Ephes. two.  the life of all comfort of all, health of all, the felicity of all, the peace of all, and glory of all: in whom all have life everlasting abounding in all good things? And how shall he be subjecteth unto the father, whose majesty hononr & glory is the same with the fathers: & who sayeth: Ego & Pater unum sumus: i. I and the Father be all one. 
john. x.  And how shall he not reign everlalstingly with God the father as god, 
jud. viii.  which proceeded from the Father before all beginnings, which unmade and uncreate, 
john. i.  made and created all things with his father: and of whom it is written: 
Mich. iiii  Et regnabit Dominus super eos in monte Zion ex hoc nunc, & usque in seculum: i And the Lord shall reign over them in the mount of Zion for now and ever more, Again: 
john. xii.  Nos audivimus ex lege ꝙ Christus manet inaeternum: i. We have heard out of the law that Christ continuth for ever. And of whom it is written by Luke: 
Luke. i.  Regnabit in domo jacob inaeternum: i He shall reign in the house of jacob for ever. Verily touching the dispensation of the flesh, and the mystery now in force and ure, Christ shallbe subjecteth unto the father: but being true God & consubstantial son of God the father, hath & shall everlastingly have, one & indivisible reign & kingdom with the father, Thus are ye answered & taught, as the pure & chatholyke faith teacheth in jesus Christ: who grant that ye may likewise believe.  Arri. 
CHRIST liveth through the unitue of God: and there is one only Lord. etc. what more manifest than this?  Proct. 
VERILY nothing more manifest against you, nothing more plain to confound your folly. 
1. Cor. 13.   
Christ liveth through the virtue of God: that is true: and thereby s. Paul meaneth, that although Christ was crucified through infirmity of the flesh which he carried about, yet relieved he again by the divine power & virtue of god, which was in himself being very God: and in whom, saith saint Paul, all fullness of the deity dwelled corporally & naturally. 
Colos. two.  What doth this make against Christis divinity: yea, doth it not mightily make with it? And the place that followeth doth so plainly confirm the same, that ye may be ashamed to recite it to the contrary. There is but one Lord which is jesus Christ. etc. sayeth S. Paul.  
What of this? is not Christ therefore God, because he is th'only lord? Oh what blindness is this? Quis vos facinavit? 
Galla. 3.  Who hath bewitched you? no dow the blind may see, that will see herein, whtche you upon wilfulness will not see, doth Paul say ye, teach that there is but one only Lord jesus Chryst, and do not you see that by the same Saint Paul bindeth you to believe that jesus Chryst is god & the self same thing, & essence that God the father is? For if no other Lord is but Chryst, how shall the father be lord then, if he be not the same thing & essence that the son is, and if they both be not one in Godhead? The father is called Lord, for it is written, the Lord said unto my Lord here the father is called Lord, and the sonalso Lord. Yet Paul saith that there is but one Lord the son jesus Chryst through whom all things, and we by him. how ma● this stand if we make the father and the son divers in nature and not on? No doubt the father and the son all one: the father God and lord the son God and lord: both one God, both one lord: and one, both. And this appellation lord, when it is applied to Chryst, is of the same force & importance in the scriptures, that God is of. He is called Lord more often than God, aswell for that the Prophets most commonly called him Lord, and also because, that name doth more allude to the mystery of his incarnation: Through which he delivered us from the servitude of Satan: dyslorded him of us: and took the lordship and dominion over us upon himself.  Arri. 
BUT not to trouble your lordship any longer with my rude & barbarous talk, shortly thus I think of jesus Chryst. Verily that he was the most elect vessel, the orgen or instrument of the divine mercy, a Prophet and more than a Prophet, the son of God, but according to the spirit of Sanctification, the syrst begotten but amongst many brothers. etc.  Proct. 
HEre is Christ defined as unchristeanly as ever I herd, and who so is weary of the christianity, let him believe as ye teach: for in deed it is contrary to Christ and all Christianity: but who soever reioiseth in the name jesus Christ, and looketh to enjoy life everlasting through him, he must needs confess and believe Christ to be otherwise then ye do presently acknowledge.  
Fain would you that Christ should not be god, but your faint proof there of declareth what spirit ye are of. ●. notwithstanding ye do what ye ca● which is nothing in effect: & wh● can any do more against so heygth and manifest truth? Ye leave ●● one stone unmoved to further y●● purpose, save only the chiefest stone which will not roll that, way with all that you can: And ye are well content to let it alone, & prove ma\sterieses with the rest. Much like ye are unto Patroclus, who when he went into the wars, took with him all the armour and weapons of Achilles, his spear only excepted, which he thought to be to weighty & great for his arm: No otherwise you descending into the field against Christ is devienitie, brought with you to overthrow the same, all kind of armour and weapon save only the verity and truth (which was not for your wearing) the spear and shield of all catholic and Christian men, of force in all such causes, to uphold and support the ●●ght, in spite of all might. And ●●ith this weapon, as I have hither unto made you to stoop: so a none I dow not I shall give you the down fall. And here join we in this quarrel. In this your description of Christ, I find, that all y● your intents altogether wicked, ye● some part of your words in the same sound well, and may be well taken: as where ye say that Christ was the most elect vessel, was the orgeyn or instrument of the divine mercy, was a Prophet & more than a Prophet. These phrases are good & catholic in a good & Catholic man's mouth, where the intent is pure & godly. Therefore your words that sound jesus Christ to be a most elect vessel, be they good; but your intent that would have him an elect vessel only, must needs ●● wicked. Your words that sou●●● jesus, to be the orgen of the deu●● mercy, he they good: but your in●● which would have him an orgeron instrument only of the divine mercy, and not the author of mercy, & mercy itself, must needs be wicked. Your words that sound jesus Christ to be a Prophet and more than a Prophet, be they good: but your intent which will not have him the giver of all prophercye as God almighty, must needs be wicked because it concordeth not with the verity of Christis condition, and consent of all the catholic Church: which believeth stefastly both, aswell that which your words affirm, and that also which your intent denieth, It followeth in our description: He is the son of God, but according to the spirit of sanctifying: Your But manifestly discloseth where at ye shoot. Which term is yours, the rest is in S. Paul to the Romans, but not ●●nakedly, as ye have alleged it: as here afterward it shall appear. First let us examine what ye mean when ye say, that Christ is the son of God? but according to the spirit of sanctuiing. If ye mean as S. Paul meaneth, than your meaning is good: if not, then is your meaning devilish & wicked. But your But, I say, uttereth your intent, verily that Christ is the son of God only, as other good men are, whose hearts the holy ghost hath anctified, ye mean the son of God by adoption: and therefore ye knit up your definition with First gotten but amongst many brothers.  
S. Paul's words wholly and sincerely without wresting & mangling of them are these: 
Rom. 1.  of his son which is made of the seed of David, to ●● ching the flesh, & declared the so●●● of God in power, according to 〈◊〉 holy spirit and by his resurrec●●● from the dead: This is S. Paul sentence, containing much more than ye brought in, & eke somewhat less by your But, which if it were in Paul as it is in yours, than your next But might follow the better. In these words S. Paul teacheth, Christ to be, not only the Son of man touching the flesh, but also the Son of God, and true God, by three ways: that is to say: By power, by the spirit, and by resurrection. By power, as by miracles and works, which were above the condition of man: of which he spoke in john: 
joh. v. x.  Si ve● bis meis non creditis, operibus saltem credit: i, If ye believe not my words, yet have credit to my works: By the holy ghost, as in sundry places, so in that, that the holy ghost came down in visible form upon him, what time the ●oyce of the father sounded: 
Mat. iii. xvii.  Hic est silius meus in quo mihi bene cumplacui: i This is my son in whom I am well pleased.  
And hither unto appertaineth that of joh. in his caconical epysiel, Et spiritus est qui testificatur. He promised also to send, and according to his promise did seen the holy ghost to be a comforter and guide in his bodily absence, unto all such, as faithfully trace his ways: Which was for god to do, and not man. The third argument whice S. Paul useth in that place to prove Christ's divinity, is his resurrection. For who could raise himself from death by his own power and virtue, but the natural son of God, which said Tollite templum hoc, et in triduc excitabo illud: i Destroy ye this temple, and in three days I will build it vy again. 
john. x.  ego ponam animam meam & iterum sumam eam, nemo tolle● eam a me sed ego ponam eam ameips● potestatem habeo ponendi eam, & iterum potestatem h abeo sumendi came: That is to say: I will put my soul from me, and I will take the same again unto me; None shall take it from me. but I will put in from myself: I have power in myself to put it away, and I have power in me to take it again. Ye see then what s. Paul meaned in that place, and ye hear how that other parts of the scriptures do confirm also his meaning & intent in that behalf. Wherefore your meaning and intent which is repugnant hereto, must needs be wicked and nought. And something to say of your next But which is: Christ is the first begytten son of God, but a 'mongst many brothers. I pray you which of all his brothers can say: Ego ex Deo processi & veni: i 
joh. viii  I proceeded further and came from God: Which of so many can say: 
joh. xiiii  Creditis in Deum, & in me crdite: i Believe ye in God and believe in me? Which of so many brothers can sya: 
john. x.  Ego & pater unum sumus: i I and my Father be one? which of them all can say as he said to Philip: Qui videt me, videt patrem: He that seeth me, seeth the Father? which of so many can say & perform: Qui credit in me, habet vitam aeternam: He that believeth in me hath life everlasting? Which of you then can say: 
Mat. xvi  Qui non honorat filium, non honorat patrem: He that honoureth not the son, honoureth not the father? Again, to whom of so many brothers was it ever said: Thou art Christ the son of the living God? To which of so many brothers may it be said: 
john. iii.  Qui non credit, iam iudicatus est: quia non credit in nomine unigeniti filii Dei: That is: He that believeth not, is already condemned: because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten son of God? If ye can declare any to be equal with him in these points, then will I grant with you that he hath more brothers: & every of them true God. For none but God can say as he hath said: & to none but to God can it be said which ye have heard. In mean time I believe him to be brotherles, and confess him to be th'only begotten son of God, consubstantial & coequal to the father in all power, honour, and glory. And for your further instruction read at your leisure, s. Paul in the first to the hebrews, where ye shall find that S. Paul proveth him to be brotherles, & the natural son of God, & true god. for iii, causes chief: th'one is, because he is the creator and maker of Angels (as there he proveth): the other, for that he is honoured of angels: that third, because he hath his seat for ever & ever. Now sit, all if every just man is the son of God by adoption, who so just that made the Angels, that is honoured of Angels, that sitteth at the right hand of God the father's magesiie in seat for ever & ever, But jesus Christ alone, whom S. Peter calleth Verun filium. 
two. Pet. i.  The true son of God, & not the son by adoption? And of whom s. john sayeth: Hic est verus Deus & vita aeterna: This is true God, & life everlasting. And if none made angels, none to be honoured of angels, none hath seat everlastingly, but jesus Christ: then of likelihod he is brotherles. Again to create Angels, to be honoured of Angels, to have seat for ever & ever if it be for God only, then is Christ God: and I believe that he is.  Arri. 
FURTHER he was notable by miracles, but which god wrought by him, as also the Prophets of the old law, did many wonderful miracles: yet may we not call them gods therefore.  Proct. 
Forsooth I grant, that both Christ, and the Prophets of the old law, did very great miracles: yet their miracles not like great, nether the manner of doing one, as anon ye shall hear. And where ye say that God did such miracles by him: I grant that he did: So did he make and create all things by him also: What? Had he not in himself therefore the power to make & create all things? Yes no doubt: as who is the same self thing, essence & nature, that the father is: so that, to say that the father made all things by the son, is as much to say, that the father & the son one god, one power made all things, not one doing more than tother: for there is not between than one, & then another, but both one touching the deity, and ii persons of the same. Therefore to grant unto you, that God wrought miracles by Christ, yet doth it not follow that, Christ had not in himself power to do miracles: for he had power in him to do all thing as absolutely as the father had: who saith: I and the father be one. 
john. x.  Again: The father is in me, and I in him: 
john. iii.  And All power is given me in heaven and in earth. What greater miracle can there be, then to put away the soul, and take it again? And Christ did so, & said that he had power in himself so to do: 
john. x.  and did so in deed. Now (sir) although the Prophets & other did very great miracles, yet the manner of doing so diverse between Christ and them, well proveth him to be God, and these not to be gods. For as they did nothing of themself, so did Christ absolutely all of himself. They ever used invocations and prayer ere they were able to do any miraculous matter. But jesus Christ did all of himself, never prayed, never invocated the father what time he would show any miracle, but of his own divine power, and with his only word he wrought miraculons wonders: what said he too Lazarus, 
john. xi.  Lazare veni foras? What did or said he to the widow her son, 
Lukc. seven.  but Adolessens tibi dico surge: i Young man, I say unto thee, rise. What did or said he to the daughter of the ruler, but Puella surge: i Damesell arise. 
Math. ix  Helyas I grant did rear up the dead, but first prayed. 
4, Re. 4,  Helyzeus when he relieved the son of Sunamite, prayed alone in a chamber, the door close shut unto him. Peter also relieved Tabita, but first prayed earnestly on his knees and then said: Tabita arise. 
Act. ix.  Likewise to Aeneas, which kept his bed viii years, he said: Aeneas, the lord jesus Christ make the whole, arise and make thy bead. If S. Peter could work so high miracles in Christ's name, was not Christ himself able to do the like, and more greater in his own name? Wherefore look how much difference is between commanding, and desiring: giving & deserving: of himself, & by another's power: so much discrepaunce is between Christ & other in working miracles. And forasmuch to command, to give of himself, and by no other power, life to the dead, health to the sick. etc. is for god only to do: Believe Christ to be god, that hath and can do that same. And the other that did nothing but upon desire, & desert through faith and prayer, and by an other power, call them not gods, neither compare them with jesus Christ for shame.  Arri. 
THIS have I uttered my opinion in Writing, according to your good Lordship's commandment, beseeching your lordship to take the same in good part, as the thing done by him which is priest and ready to do your lordship's Will & commandment in all points that may be performed by this weak vain of wit in me.  Proct, 
ANd thus have I confuted the same your opinion by writing according to the truth of the pure scriptures of God, affirming (contrary to your assercion) jesus Christ to be the natural son of God the Father, and true God in all points equal & consubstantial to his father: and this doctrine to maintain and defend I am priest and ready a 'gainst you & all other that will deny it, to th'uttermost of all my power.  
And forasmuch the vain of your wit be but weak (as ye say), I would wish that ye should not overcharge it so much, neither strain it so far as to compass such matters which the strongest wit can never bring to pass. If therefore your wit be but little, spend it all well, & all little enough. And so doing, ye shall not need to beseech or require any man to take in good part your doings, they themselves commending themself, & deserving favour at every honest man's hand. But if ye persever in this wicked fastion, as to persuade black to be white, chalk cheese: then each wise man may well think, will & wit to have wrestled in you so long, that will hath driven wit out of possession, & wholly obtaineth the sovereignty in you, & so you to do all thing upon will without wit. Of all men I am loathest to see it in you, for I protest before god, that I bear as good heart, and wish as much good unto you as I do to myself. The contrary I would not have you think in me, although I have taken upon me to condemn your opinion: and whiles I do the same shall seem somewhat roughly to talk unto you perchance: but rather that I greatly detest & abhor the opinion and sect, which can not to sharply be touched: for to your person I own no displeasure or malice at al. And thou christian reder in stead of long conclusion in the matter that I treat of, read the Psalm of Athanasius which hereafter followeth: Beseeching the to take in good part these my doings, wherein good will hath wrought all that it could, how soever power & faculty have been answerable thereto.  
Mutuo oremus ut saluemur.   

❧ THE SENTENCE AND belief OF Athanasius, touchig the divinity of jesus Christ.  
Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith.  
Which faith except every one do keep holy & undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.  
And the catholic faith is this: that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity.  
Neither confounding the persons: nor dividing the substance.  
For there is one person of the father another of the son: and an other of the holy ghost.  
But the godhead of the father, of the son, and of the holy ghost, is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal,  
Such as the father is, such is the son: and such is the holy ghost.  
The father uncreate, the son uncreate: and the holy ghost uncreate.  
The father incomprehensible, the son incomprehensible: and the holy ghost incomprehensible.  
The father eternal, the son eternal: and the holy ghost eternal.  
And yet they are not three eternales but one eternal.  
As also there be not three incomprehensybes, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, one incomprehensible.  
So likewise, the father is almighty the son almighty, and the holy ghost almighty.  
And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.  
So the father is god, the son is god, and the holy ghost is god.  
So likewise the father is Lord, the son Lord, & the holy ghost Lord. And yet not three lords but one lord For like as we be compelled by the christian verity: to acknowledge every person by himself to be god and lord.  
So are we forbidden by the catholic religion: to say there be three gods, or three lords.  
The father is made of none: neither created nor begotten.  
The son is of the father alone: not made nor created, but begotten  
The holy ghost is of the father and of the son: neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding.  
So there is one father, not three fathers, one son not three sons: one holy ghost, not three holy ghosts.  
And in this trinity none is afore nor after other: none is greater nor less than other.  
But the whole three persons be coeternal together and coequal.  
So that in all things, as it is afore said: the unity in trinity, & the trinity in unity, is to be worshipped.  
He therefore that will be saved: must thus think of the trinity.  
Furthermore, it is necessary to ever lassing salvation: that he also believe rightly in the incarnation of our lord jesus Christ.  
For the right faith is that we believe & confess: that our lord jesus Christ the son of God, is god and man.  
God of the substance of the father, begotten before the worlds: and man of the substance of his mother, borne in the world.  
Perfect god and perfect man: of a reasonable soul, and human flesh subsysting.  
Equal to the father as touching his godhead: & inferior to the father touching his manhood.  
Who although he be god and man yet he is not two, but one Chryst.  
One, not by conversion of the god head into flesh: but by taking of the manhood into God.  
One altogether, not by confusi●● of substance: but by unity of per●●.  
For as the reasonable soul & flesh 〈◊〉 one man: so god & man is one Christ.  
Who suffereth for our saluacyo●● descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.  
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the father, god almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.  
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, & shall give accomte of their own works. And they that have done good, shall go into life everlasting: & they tha● have done evil, into everlasting fyet.  
This is the Catholic faith which except a man believe faithfully he can not be saved.   

¶ Imprinted at London in Fleetstreet at the sign of the George, by William powel. An. Dni. D. CCCCC. XLIX. Mens. Decemb. ix, Cum privilegio ad imprimendum solom.