COLLECTIONS OUT OF S. Augustine, AND SOME FEW OTHER Latin Writers upon the first part of the Apostles Creed.  
By John Crompe, Master of Arts of C. C. C. in Cambridge, and Vicar of Thornham in Kent.  
First preached in his Parish Church; and now enlarged (as here follows) for more public use.  1 Joh. 5.4. This is the victory that overcommeth the world, even our Faith. August. Serm. 38. De Tempore. Omnis rationalis Anima, aetate congrua, discat Fidem Catholicam; maximè populi Praedicatores Christiani, & Ecclesiarum Dei Doctores; ut possint veritati contradicentibus resistere; & Catholicam amantibus pacem prodesse. 
LONDON, Printed by John Haviland for William Lee, and are to be sold at his shop, near the Mitre Tavern in Fleetstreet. 1638.   

PErlegi has Collectiones in Symbolum Apostolicum, in quibus nihil reperio sanae Doctrinae contrarium, quominùs cum utilitate publicâ imprimantur.  
Rmo. in Christo Patri, ac Domino D. Arch. Cant. Sacellanus Domesticus GUIL. BRAY. Dat. Lambethae Maii ult. 1638.   

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE KATHERINE, Lady STANHOPE Dowager. The Author wisheth, as well the Grace's spiritual, as the Blessings temporal of this life, and the Glories eternal of the life to come.  
GOod Madam; I should be very ingrateful, if I should not dedicate the first fruits of any public labour of mine, how great or small soever, unto some of your Noble Family: from whence I have received, not only the first, but all the fruits of my present maintenance in the world. And amongst these that do now survive, there is none can challenge so great an interest as your Honour: not only, as you are the present Patroness of my Living; but in many other personal and particular respects; by which I, and mine, stand more obliged to your Ladyship, than to any others. May you therefore please to accept of this poor paper present: not as a satisfaction, but an acknowledgement only, of my so many great engagements: And withal to let it pass under your Honourable Name and countenance unto the world: it shall much more increase my debt unto you: which seeing I shall have no better means and opportunities to pay, I do hereby promise that the failings and deficiencies thereof, shall be supplied with prayers, for the health and happiness, not of yourself alone, but of all your noble issue also; together with the rest of your Family, by him that truly honoureth, and faithfully serveth your Ladyship in the Lord:  
JOHN CROMPE.   

THE APOSTLES CREED.  I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, etc. 
THis Creed, or Sum of Christian Belief, is commonly called and known by the name of the Apostles Creed; because indeed, as Antiquity affirmeth, it was made and agreed upon by the twelve Apostles themselves, to continue and abide as a sure rule of faith, to be derived and conveyed to all posterity throughout the Christian world, in after ages, comprehended according to their Apostolical number in twelve articles, and called the Creed, or Belief, because thereby all true Believers should be guided and directed, how to continue and remain in the Catholic Unity and Verity: And withal, enabled to convince and reprove all heretical pravity and falsehood, that should afterward spring up and arise in the Church of God; either by the subtlety and malice of the Devil, or the weakness and wickedness of man.  
It is derived and delivered unto us by our Ancestors and Forefathers of the Church (saith S. Augustine) 
Ser. 181. De temp. Praefat.  that after the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ unto his Father in Heaven: when as by the coming of the Holy Ghost, his Disciples were so inspired and inflamed, as that they spoke to all nations in their own proper and peculiar tongues and languages: and so fitted and prepared, were shortly to departed one from another, to preach the Gospel and Word of God in all coasts and countries of the world: Normam prius sibi futurae praedicationis in common statuerunt, etc. They concluded first between themselves, to set down such an order and rule of their after-preaching, that when they were locally separated and divided one from the other, they might not preach a diverse and different doctrine one to another, to those that they should invite and call to the faith of Christ. All therefore being met & placed together, and filled with the Holy Ghost, after conference had, every one delivered his opinion of what he thought fitting, as necessary to be the subject of their preaching to the Church and people of God. And having concluded upon it, this they appoint to remain, as a rule of faith and belief, and even Summa credendorum; as the sum and substance of Christian Doctrine to all Believers for ever after: So far S. Augustine.  
For as they were all of one heart and of one soul, Acts 4.32. so they would manifest unto the universal world, that they were of one faith and belief too. Not like the Stellae erraticae, the wand'ring Stars, instable Humorists, and giddy headed novelists of our times, that having one Catholic and Orthodoxal Religion established in our old England (for which we are ever bound to bless and praise the holy name of God) yet must run into a New England, to erect and set up another; nay twenty other: For, Quot homines, tot sententiae; Look how many men there are (especially that take themselves to be Leaders and Masters among them) so many minds they are of, as one a Brownist, another a Familist, a third an Anabaptist, and all Separatists from the true Church of God. But the holy Apostles, though (according to their charge given them by their Master, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Matth. 28.9.) they went to all nations, preaching and teaching the word of God: 
●uffinus.  as S. Matthew to Aethiopia; S. Mark the Evangelist to Egypt, Lybia, and the Africans thereabouts; S. james to Spain; S. Andrew to Thracia, and Scythia Europaea; Philip to Scythia Asiatica; Bartholomew to Armenia, and the hither parts of India; Thomas to Media, Parthia, Persia, and (as some say) to the Brackmannes and the Bactrians, 
Eusebius.  and the farthest parts of India; john the Evangelist to Asia; S. Peter to Pontus, Galatia, Bythinia, Cappadocia; S. Paul to all the country's interjacent and lying between Jerusalem and Illyricum; and lastly, joseph of Arimathea (as some) but as Nicephorus, Simon Zelotes, to our British Isle: yet they spoke and preached still, but unum & idem, one and the same verity in unity, in how many different, and how fare distant regions soever they became. Thereby giving the world to understand, that there is, or at least ought to be, but one faith, but one religion, not only throughout all the countries; but also throughout all the ages of the world, which is therefore called Fides Catholica, the Catholic Faith and Religion, because of the universality of it in all places and at all times. For, Id vere Catholicum, quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est: saith Vincentius Lirinensis: That only is truly Catholic, 
Cap. 3. count. haereses.  which all places and all persons have received and believed with full and unanimous consent in all times. And therefore the Apostle saith; There is but one faith, Ephes. 4.5. and that one faith is the ground and foundation but of one religion. For true religion was never but one, Semper eadem, always the same from the beginning of the world till our days: and so must and shall continue from henceforth till the end of the world again. In so much as all our forefathers, Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, jacob: or in more general terms, all the Patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors, Professors and Believers, as well under the Law as Gospel; as well in former as in our times, have and must all be saved by one and the self same faith; yea, in one and the self same religion; howsoever in form and manner some ways and at some times in show different: yet in substance still one and the same.  
As for example: There is only this difference betwixt the true Believers before Christ his coming and since: Quod illi crediderunt in Christum promissum; nos in Christum exhibitum: They believed in Christ promised, and as yet to come; we in Christ exhibited and come. And I believe it will be no hard matter to prove out of the Books of the Old Testament, that God's children in the time of the Law, did believe all the Articles of this our Apostles Creed as well as we, with this distinction of present and to come; though darkly and obscurely: because, Vmbram tantum futurorum habebat Lex: The Law had only the shadow of things to come; saith the Apostle, Heb. 10.1. The proofs which I shall fetch from the Old Testament, in the prosecution of this subject, for the confirmation of each several article, will manifest and declare as much. In the mean time take notice first of the unity and accord of the holy Apostles, in framing this Sum and Symbol of their Christian Faith and Belief. And let all true Christians, but especially their successors, in any the least Ministerial Function, learn by their example, to leave all civil, uncivil jars and contentions in matters of Doctrine, that so we may be all of one mind in one house, I mean the Church and house of God; and to speak and preach but one thing, as S. Paul exhorteth his Corinthians; that so there may be no divisions amongst us; but that we may be all knit together in one mind, and be of one judgement, 1 Cor. 1.10. which counsel, whosoever do not readily and willingly put in practice and submit themselves unto; but delight in renting and tearing asunder the seamlesse coat of Christ, (Quam scindere non fuit carnificibus consilium; saith Alexander Bishop in Theodoret. Hist. lib. 1. cap. 4. which the very Executioners of Christ were so fare from doing, that on the contrary, 
Joh. 19.24.  they consulted how to keep it whole and entire) through their distractions and divisions in matters and points of Doctrine, from their Orthodoxal brethren, and Catholic Church in which they live; whatsoever they think to the contrary of themselves: yet indeed and truth, they are rather Apostatical, than Apostolical men.  
For in the Apostles time, the multitude of Believers were all of one heart and of one soul; as before, out of Acts 4.32. And therefore the same S. Paul to the Romans, bids the Church mark them diligently, which cause division and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them: for they that are such, serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies: and with fair speech and flattering deceive the hearts of the simple, Rom. 16.17, 18. In which words I should desire and advise the refractory and contentious spirits of our times, that are never satisfied and contented, either with the doctrine or discipline of our Church (if they were but capable of advice, which it is to be feared most of them are not) to consider and observe what esteem and opinion the Apostle Paul had of such in his time. First, in that he would have them to be diligently marked; that so secondly they may be avoided; his reason thirdly, because they serve not the Lord Jesus Christ, but their own bellies; and lastly, that how fair and smooth soever their voice and outside be, yet within they are no better than hypocrites; their speech being only flattering to deceive the hearts of the simple. As also I could wish, that their followers, that is, such as are led and seduced by them, would but mark what opinion the same Apostle had likewise of them, when he styles and calls them simple. And yet these think themselves the wisest people in the world. But the Spirit of God knows you better than yourselves. And therefore be not too highly conceited of your own wisdom, seeing God himself doth call you fools and simple. Et utinam rudiores essent quam qui poterant decipi; It were well for you if you were so simple, that you could not be deceived by the subtle and sly insinuations of those that creep into your houses, and lead captive simple women laden with sins, and led with diverse lusts, which are ever learning, and yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, as the same Apostle still speaks of them, 2 Tim. 3.6.  
For (that I may crave leave for this only digression) let them tell me; are they not women, and simple ones too, that they most prevail withal in these their madnesses & follies? I mean, simple in respect of divine knowledge & spiritual understanding; but not in respect of condition and quality in the world. For, according to the subtlety of the Serpent, as well themselves, as all their brood and brotherhood, I mean all Heretics and Schismatics whatsoever, have ever been so wise in their generations, as not much to mind or regard the meaner sort, whether they sided with them or not, but for women of wealth and some fashion in the world, by whom not only credit and countenance to their cause, but maintenance also to their persons (though many times to the great loss and detriment, if not the undoing of their husbands) might be procured and obtained. For these I say especially, have their hooks and baits been ever laid, their plots and projects still guided and directed above all others. And they have in all ages prevailed so fare with this wea●●r sex, that some of all sorts and ranks in the world, have always been ready to take their parts against the truth: as Townes-women and Merchants wives of the City, gentlemen's wives, nay Ladies of the Court, and Noble-women, have been caught and entangled in their snares, being seduced and drawn away by them. To instance in one for all the rest.  
Constantia, the widow of Licinius, and sister to Constantine the Emperor, to whom (as Ruffinus speaks) it happened to grow acquainted with a certain Priest, latenter partibus Arrii favente, closely and underhand favouring the Arrian faction, who notwithstanding out of cunning, at the first would bewray nothing of his mind unto her; ubi vero multa familiaritas copiam tribuit, paulatim sermonem caepit asporgere: but when much familiarity afforded him licence and opportunity to speak; by little and little he began to sprinkle as it were, and cast some speeches abroad, tending to his purpose: as that it was for the envy only, and some private quarrels of the Bishop, that Arrius was cast out of the Church, and banished his Country; and not for any just desert of his own: the people thinking little or never the worse of him, but that he was dear unto them still, & in their good esteem, notwithstanding such injury offered unto him. With which and the like speeches often suggested and whispered into the ears of the said Constantia, he made her so fast and firmly his own, that she, with a great deal of earnestness and zeal more than discretion, made it her last suit unto her brother the Emperor, lying upon her deathbed, ut Presbiterum in familiaritatem reciperet, that he would receive this Priest unto his favour, and not only so, but that he would hear him also in those things which he should suggest and deliver unto him, tending to his good and welfare: which he accordingly did: and upon the said Priests instigation and persuasion, calls home Arrius from banishment, and puts such further trust and confidence in him, that when he draws near his end also himself, he made choice of him above all others, to commit the custody of his last will and testament unto; with special charge to deliver it to none but Constantius himself, which was to succeed him. By the performance whereof, the said Priest gained him, the said Constantius also to the Arrian faction, which bred much unrest and unquietness to the Orthodoxal servants of God for a long time after, as the Ecclesiastical histories do report at large.  
And therefore considering the danger that hath, doth, and may come to the Church of God, through their weakness and wilfulness; let all women, of what rank and condition soever they be, in the name and fear of God, keep silence: not only in the Church, as S. Paul commandeth, 1 Cor. 14.34. but also in all Church causes; it being a shame for them to be meddlers and sticklers in businesses of that nature, as there follows. And therefore I permit not a woman to teach, saith he elsewhere, viz. 1 Tim. 2.12. But if they will learn any thing as before, 1 Cor. 14.35. whereby the Apostle (me thinks) seems not to require or expect such sufficiency and fullness of science in women as in men: as fearing more danger belike to God's Church, than good, by their much knowledge. Yet if they will needs do it; why then, let them ask their husbands at home, and learn in silence with all subjection, 1 Tim. 2.11. and he gives his reason too: because Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, vers. 14. And indeed, it hath so come to pass ever since, that in all such deceptions, plures inventae sunt foeminae quam viri, more women are found than men, as Alphonsus à castro speaks. For that malignant enemy of ours the Devil, knew from our very first cteation, that the woman was more easy to be seduced than the man; Tenacius amplectique malum cui semel adhaeserit; and that she would the more firmly and stiffly embrace that evil unto which she did once adhere. And yet farther: It must needs be a means to breed errors and heresies in the Church of God (saith he) cum vulgus, etc. when the common people will not be contented only with the reading of the Scriptures: but will undertake also to discuss and dispute of the sense and meaning thereof: and that with such confidence and boldness many times, that very lewd fellows will not be ashamed to provoke the learned, and contest with them about the understanding of God's sacred Word. And that which is worst of all (as he goes on) Non solum haec à viris fiunt, sed etiam à foeminis; These things are done not only by men, but by women also. S. Paul verily (saith he) doth not permit a woman to teach, and yet in these times women are not afraid, nor ashamed neither to teach and dispute too, even in matters of faith; Atque adeo prot●rve, ut facilius centum viros ab errore revoces, quam mulierem unam: And that with such obstinacy and perverseness, that ye may more easily reclaim an hundred men from their errors than one woman. Thus far Alfonsus.  
Now whether this were just matter of complaint in his days or no, God knows. But that it is so in our days, not only God, but also our Church knows: in which a great part of the distractions and divisions, under which she at this time groans, proceed only from hence; that all Recusant Priests, whether Popish or other Sectaries, find so great a shelter under this sex: and that their venomous doctrines and pestiferous positions, which with sly insinuations, they broach and preach unto them, are so easily admitted, and so eagerly defended by them.  
For diverse of the men, I doubt not, of both sorts, I mean as well of Papists as Sectaries, would return again under the roof of our Church, if it were not for the stiffness and wilfulness of their wives. But this is not the way, by which they of that sex must save their souls, viz. first by yielding prompt and ready ears and assent unto, and then wilful and obstinate defence and supportation of, those erroneous doctrines, which by subtle insinuations, they have received and sucked in from a sly seducer in either of these kinds; Qui Doctoris nomen ambiens, maluit magister fieri erroris, quam discipulus veritatis; as it was said of Tatianus the Heretic: who ambitiously aspiring to be accounted a great Doctor and a learned Rabbi, chooseth rather to become a master of error, than a Disciple of truth. But their souls shall be saved (saith the Apostle) through bearing of children, if they continue in these ensuing virtues (which are far more befitting their sex, than disobedience to their mother the Church) viz. Faith, and love, and holiness with modesty, 1 Tim. 2.15. either of which I am bold to say, they cannot truly have, so long as they continue refractory and rebellious backsliders from the received doctrines and discipline of our Church, in which they have been educated and instructed: and from which in their baptism they received and sucked in the first life and breath of Christianity and Religion. And therefore for conclusion of this point, let me entreat all men (especially of reason and religion) to show themselves to be men, and to take the staff again into their own hands: considering that the husband is the wife's head, unto whom she ought to be in subjection in all things, as the Apostle speaketh, Ephes. 5.23, 24. and if in all things, then much more in the service and worship of God. For if it be (as S. Augustine saith) but, Perversa domus, ubi foemina habet imperium super virum: A disorderly and ill-governed family, where the wife will take upon her to rule all, though in household affairs, then much more when it is so in Church affairs. And those men that suffer it in their houses to the breach of the unity of the Church of God (as it is to be feared many do) shall be sure to answer for it, it being a powerful and unresistable reason, urged by the Apostle, why inferiors should obey them that have the oversight of them, and submit themselves unto them; because they watch for their souls, as they that must give an account, Heb. 13.17. And therefore in the name and fear of God, let me persuade all masters of families, that they permit neither themselves, nor any others of their household, to be carried about with diverse and strange doctrines, because it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace: as the same Apostle in the same chapter exhorteth, vers. 9 But let every one say with joshua, I and my house will serve the Lord, Iosh. 24.15. and that in the unity of the Church of God, in which we have been nourished up in the faith of God, and particularly of the Apostles Creed, the subject of our discourse at this time. And this sufficeth for the first circumstance; the unity of the holy Apostles, in composing and compiling of this Sum of Christian Belief.  
In the second place, in this title, The Apostles Creed; we may take notice also of the antiquity and universal consent, which hath been given to the doctrine in the same contained in all ages. So that as a Council saith, 
Conc. Fer. Sess. 10.  Patet neutiquam licuisse ab Apostolorum Symbolo quicquam dimovere: It is evident, that it is not lawful by any means to departed a jot from the Symbol or Belief of the Apostles. Which may teach us to grow suspicious of all novelties in matters of faith; and to keep ourselves close, only to this needful and ancient truth, according to Gods own direction by his Prophet. Stand in the ways and behold, and ask for the old way, which is the good way, and walk therein; and ye shall find rest unto your souls, jerem. 6.16. For if our souls cannot find rest in this ancient and so long received truth; they will never be able to find it, I am confident, in the new created Creeds of these latter times: I mean that of the Trent Council, and the like; of which Sir Humphrey Lyne hath given a true verdict, saying; 
Epist. Dedic. before The Safe way.  I am sure that those twelve new coined articles, declared by their grand Council of Trent, and published by Pope Pius the fourth, with strait charge to be received of all men, are so fare from the knowledge of Antiquity, that as yet they are scarce understood amongst their own Disciples for articles of faith: and their best learned Romanists profess openly, that most of them were unknown to former ages. So fare he. Which as he hath truly averred, so as learnedly and fully proved in his Treatise called The safe way: whither I refer you, To which purpose also of discovering the novelty of Popish Tenets; you may s●e a Treatise called, The Old Religion, written by that reverend and learned Prelate, Dr. joseph Hall, now Lord Bishop of Exon; as likewise another Treatise called, Credo Sanctam Catholicam Ecclesiam, written by Dr. Chaloner.  
Now if the faith of the Papists he so new, it cannot be true, for Primum verum, as Tertullian hath well observed: In divinity and matters of religion, the first must needs be truest, as being nearest to the fountain of all truth, which is God himself; and his son Christ, the stream issuing from the said fountain, even truth itself, as joh. 14.6. It being a rule and received maxim in nature; that, Quo res magis appropinquat fonti & caussae alicujus perfectionis, eo plus recipit: The nierer any thing approaches to the fountain or original of any perfection, so much the more it doth participate thereof. As the nearer any thing comes to the fire, it is the hotter; to the Sun, the brighter; to the water, the colder; to the truth, the truer. And therefore our Apostles Creed flowing so immediately from the fountaine-head of truth, Christ Jesus the righteous; must needs be fare more worthy of all men to be received (as the Apostle speaks, 1 Tim. 1.15.) than that which is of a fare later Edition. For whatsoever comes at the second hand, as being brought in by man's invention, must needs savour of man's corruption. And therefore, I say, 
Serm. 181. de temp. Praefat.  let us keep ourselves fast and close to this: which howsoever (as S. Augustine speaks) Breve sit verbis, magnum tamen est Sacramentis: It be brief and short in words, yet it is very large and long in sense: containing whatsoever is requisite and necessary to be believed toward salvation. Yea, let every one, as well old as young, as well men and women, as children, be diligent and careful to learn, and hold, and understand; and when time is, to make confession too of this, which contains the sum and substance of the Catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved; but without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. As Athanasius in his Creed.  
And therefore it stands every man upon, as much as the saving of his soul comes to, to believe, and know, and understand this, which every ordinary person can hardly do without a guide, as the Eunuch told Philip, 
Hieron. ad Paulin.  Acts 8.31. because, Singula in eo verba, plena sunt sensibus: There is not a word in it, but hath its weight.  
Wherefore I shall endeavour for your farther benefit and instruction herein, after a short, plain, and familiar manner, to make interpretation thereof unto you, out of the holy Scriptures and Word of God. For it is not fitting (as Cyrill saith) either for me to deliver, 
Catech.  or for you to hear and believe any thing, concerning the divine and holy mysteries of faith, without demonstrations and proofs thereof, out of the same the holy Writ. For the very safety of our faith doth not depend upon a subtle and devised disputation; but upon plain and evident probation out of the Word of God. And therefore that I may show myself,  opinion, sic & dictione Christianum, that is, As in believing, so in speaking and writing a right Christian; you must not expect: 
Pet. Nannius de Athanasio.  Me, mysteria regni coelorum, aut furtis Aegyptiis, aut Gentilibus fucis, aut comptelis exoticis ornare: That I should strive to set forth these deep mysteries of our Christian faith and Kingdom of Heaven, with any jewels stolen from the Egyptians, or fabulous fictions of the Gentiles, or sorraine and far-fetched dresses of humane Arts and Sciences: neither with any other strong and strained lines, and the like: Sed tantummodo Evangelicis verbis enunciare: But fairly & smoothly to derive my proofs and interpretation thereof only from the sacred fountains, as I said before. For as S. Jerome saith, Fides pura & aperta confessio non quaerit strophas & argumenta verborum: that is, Subtle and Scholastical disputes, or other verbal arguments, are no whit requisite in the pure and public profession and confession of our Christian faith. And this sufficeth for the title.  
Now to the words themselves.   

AN EXPOSITION UPON THE Apostles Creed. Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, Factorem Coeli & Terrae, etc. That is, I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, etc.  
WHere first we are to take notice of the first word, Credo, I believe; which shows (as S. Augustine saith) Quod non debemus discutere divina judicia, sed credere; 
In locum, Serm. 181.  nec rationem requirere; sed fidem simpliciter & immobiliter exhibere: That we ought not to question or dispute of divine mysteries, but to believe them: nor so much to require a reason of them, as simply and undoubtedly, yea, immovably and without staggering, to submit our faith and credence unto them. For there are many things belonging to the salvation of God's children, which if every plain and simple man were driven to find out a reason for, upon the pain of his damnation, he were never able to do it, and so consequently could never be saved. Nay, the most learned, and chief pillars of the Church of God themselves, have been at a stand in some of them; which made S. Paul to cry out; Oh the deepness of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God; how unsearchable are his judgements, and his ways past finding out? Rom. 11.33. And therefore, Succumbat ratio fidei & captiva quiescat: Humane sense and natural reason must yield and submit themselves when faith comes in place. For faith is the evidence of things not seen; saith the Author to the Hebrews, Chap. 11.1. that is, not perceived or understood by the eyes of the body; no, nor of the mind neither, but only believed to be so; because God, which cannot lie, hath said it is so. So that, Fides incipit ubi ratio desinit: There is no place, no room for faith, till reason can go no farther. For if we could comprehend the deep mysteries of God by reason, than it were knowledge, and not faith, that should apprehend and lay hold upon them.  
Now our knowledge in this life is imperfect (saith S. Paul) but in the next life, we shall know even as we are known, and see face to face as we are seen: For then that which is perfect being come, that which is imperfect shall be done away, 1 Cor. 13.9, 10. But now in this life abideth faith and hope, as there follows, vers. 13. which gave occasion to S. Augustine, so often in his works, to call this life, Tempus fidei; The time of faith and believing: answerable to that of S. Paul elsewhere, Nunc per fidem ambulamus, etc. Now we walk by faith, and not by sight, 2 Cor. 5.7.  
Again, if by knowledge only men might attain unto salvation, than none but the great Clerks and learned Rabbis of the world should be capable thereof: and the illiterate and ignorant poor man, such as S. Peter and S. john were before their calling, Acts 4.13. should be quite excluded from all hope of grace and mercy. But God, whose mercies are above all other his works, hath otherwise provided; that now by the means of faith and belief, the mean as well as the mighty, and the poor as well as the rich, may be made partakers of salvation. And therefore for use and conclusion of this point, let us not strive so much in this life to know, as to be strong in faith, and firmly to believe: for if we believe now, we shall know hereafter. For too great a desire to know hath wrought our woe: it being the only occasion, first of our sin, and secondly of our misery: Quod homo voluit scire antequam crederet, saith Cusanus, That man would know before he did believe. For by this means, Arbour scientiae complures privavit arbore vitae: The tree of knowledge hath deprived many of the tree of life. And never any but heretics did, Concludere fidem intra limites humani intellectus; as Alfonsus à Castro speaks: that is, Shut up their faith within the narrow lists and limits of man's shallow and simple understanding: but it is the part and property of a true Christian, Captivare intellectum in obsequium Christi: To captivate and subdue his understanding unto the doctrine of Christ.  
Secondly, this word, Credo, I believe, tells us, that we must not only not dispute in matters of faith; but so far subject our reason unto faith, that we do it also without doubting, without staggering. For, Dubius in fide infidelis est: It is scarce faith at all, if there be any doubting in it: as appears by that speech of our Saviour unto his doubting Apostle Thomas: Put thy finger here, and put it into my side; and be not faithless, but believe, joh. 20.27. And,  aliquid fides vere appelletur, certitudinem exigit, & firmitatem in eo qui eam tenet; saith the former Alfonsus; that is, Whatsoever is properly and truly called faith, hath certainty in it, and steadfastness of belief in him that holds it. Otherwise (saith he) if assurance and stability be wanting, and any the least scruple arising; it is not to be accounted faith, but doubting only or opinion. This being the difference between faith and opinion: Quod qui credit tenaciter adhaeret: That he which believes sticks so close unto his Tenet; that no man, or means shall be able to withdraw him from it, or to wry him another way: whereas he that doth but hold opinion only: Sic accedit suae sententiae, ut aliquantulum haesitet & mobili intellectu assentiat: He comes but doubtingly, and with an uncertain assent unto it: As to the opinions of the Philosophers, which were truths only of consequence, upon supposed grounds still disputable, and therefore still uncertain. Whereas our doctrine, the doctrine of Christians, is a truth of foundation, without question, and therefore not disputed, but believed, and thoroughly settled in our hearts, by the operation and power of him, who is both the Author and the Finisher of it, as the Scripture speaketh. And therefore in these fundamental grounds of our Christian faith, away with doubting and hesitation. For he that doubteth and wavereth in these, is like a wave of the sea, tossed of the wind, and carried away, as S. james saith, jam. 1.6. But let every one amongst us, not only men, but women also, yea and children too, according to their capacity, say with firmness and fastness of faith, as the holy Apostles here, every one for himself: Credo, I believe. A word or two of the person, Ego, I believe: and so I will end this point.  
When we pray we are directed to say, Our Father, not my Father alone; because every one ought to be so charitable, as to pray for others, as well as themselves: wi●h a desire likewise that they should do the like for him; and with a confidence and assurance that he shall far and speed the better for such the prayers of his neighbours and Christian brethren. As Saint James saith, Confess your faults one unto another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed: For the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much, James 5.16. But when we come to make profession and confession of our faith: than it must be I; not We believe, because we cannot believe one for another; but every one (when he is come once to years of discretion, and capacity to understand) must believe for himself, and be saved by his own, not another's faith; according to that of the Prophet; The just shall live by his faith, Habacuck 2.4. that is, his own faith; not another man's. I say, when he comes to years: For the Church of God is so charitable towards infant's, which having no sins of their own committing to answer for, but only that original guilt, which is by natural propagation derived throughout all Adam's posterity from one generation to another: that as they have sinned only in another, 
 qui peccavit in altero, credat in altero, Aug.  so they should believe also by another: that so they might be made capable of the Sacrament of Baptism (which is the first step to salvation) by the faith and belief of those that bring them thereunto, that is, their Godfathers and Godmothers, that make profession of faith at the Font for them, which they as yet are not able to do for themselves. But yet the benefit and use of this, shall endure no longer for their avail and profit, than while they are young and uncapable of doing it themselves: but if when they come to age, they do not in their own persons make good and perform those promises of faith and repentance, which they have made for them: but run wicked, faithless, and desperate courses of life, contrary to the said promises made in their behalf; why then they lose and deprive themselves of the benefit and comfort of that holy Sacrament and Covenant, and become in as bad, if not a worse case, than if they had never been partakers thereof at all. And therefore let every one look to his own faith in particular, and so furnish and strengthen himself with the grounds and principles of faith out of the Word of God; that he may be able upon all occasions to apply God unto himself by his own personal faith: and to say with the holy Apostles here, Credo, I believe. For otherwise he must never look to save his soul; but, Tolle meum, tolle Deum. Take away the particular application of each man's right and interest in God and his Son Christ Jesus, and you were as good take away themselves to. For what comfort can I find in a Saviour, except I may be assured that he is mine own?  Credo in Deum: I believe in God. 
This teaches us first to believe that there is a God; for he that cometh to God, must believe that God is, saith the Apostle, Hebr. 11.6. There being none, but the fool, that ever said, either with his heart, or with his mouth, There is no God, Psal. 14.1. Secondly, this teaches us also to believe, that this God is one; because it is said, God, in the singular number; not gods in the plural: For howsoever the foolish Heathen out of their ignorance and simplicity, imagined and devised to themselves many gods; even so many, as they saw there were kinds of things natural in the world (calling him that they supposed to be the god of the Sky, Jupiter; of the Air, Juno; of the Water, Neptune; of the Earth, Vesta; and sometimes Ceres: of the Sun, Apollo; of the Moon, Diana; and such like) yet we, to whom the Lord hath revealed himself more particularly by his holy and heavenly Word, do acknowledge and confess but one only God and guide of all agents natural, alone to be blessed, adored, and honoured by all for ever. For behold (saith God himself) I, even I am he; and there is no gods with me, or besides me, Deut. 32.39. neither is there any that can deliver out of my hands; as there follows. Therefore the Nicene Creed expresseth this unity in these words, saying, I believe in one God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, etc. Raymundus de Sabunde, 
Lib. Create. Tit. 4.  proves the unity of the Godhead four ways; or by four reasons, viz. 1. Vnitate ordinis creaturarum: 2. Per contrarietates in uno subjecto: 3. Quod omne inferius tendit ad usum superioris: 4 Quo propius ad Deum, eo fortior & magis est unitas: i. e. First, by the unity of the order of the creatures: Secondly, by the contrarieties in one and the same subject: Thirdly, because every inferior thing bends and tends to the use of the superior: And lastly, because the nearer any thing approaches unto God, the stronger and greater is the unity of it. And from hence he further infers, that the unity in God is fare greater than that in man: Quod homo unus est in specie tantum: sed Deus & in specie, 
Tit. 5.  & in numero: Because man's unity consists only in his species or kind: but God is one, not only in species, but in number too. And in the end concludes; Quod unus sufficit Deus, plures non sunt necessarii: That one God is sufficient for the guiding and governing of one world; so that there is no need of more. But the best proofs of divine verities, are taken from divine authorities: and therefore let us see some few Texts of Scripture to confirm this the unity of the Godhead; and so conclude this point. And we will begin with that in Deuteronomy; Audi Israel, Dominus Deus tuus unus est: Harken O Israel, the Lord thy God is one, Deut. 6.4. To which purpose see also Deut. 32.39. cited before. Next, let us hear Naaman the Syrian, healed as well of the leprosy of his soul as body, confessing and magnifying this one God, saying: Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the world, but in Israel, 2 Reg. 5.15. Thirdly, David, who saith; Quis Deus praeter Dominum, etc. Who is God besides the Lord; and who is mighty save our God, Psal. 18.31. And again, Thou art great, and dost wondrous things; Thou art God alone, Psal. 86.10. To which purpose, see also Esay 45.5, 6, 14, 18, 21, 22, verses. And likewise Sap. 12.13. And because some heretics, as Cerdon, Manichaeus, and the like, have rejected the testimony of the old Testament; therefore a place or two in the new Testament will not do amiss. To which purpose then, hear Saint Paul in his first Epistle to the Corinthians, saying, We know that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth (as there be many gods, and many lords) yet unto us there is but one God, which is the Father; of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him, 1 Cor. 8.4, 5, 6, verses. And in another place; A mediator is not of one, but God is one, Gal. 3.20. And yet farther, There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, which is above all, and through all, and in you all, Ephes. 4.5, 6. verses. And so much for the unity of God. I believe in God, etc.  
Now if any be over inquisitive to know what, or who this one God is; I answer with Saint Augustine, That the supereminency of this Deity passeth man's utterance; so that melius cogitatur quam dicitur; we can better think than speak of God. And yet our deepest thoughts also, come fare short of apprehending that incomprehensible Majesty, because, Secretissima res est Deus (as Alphonsus speaks) & quae omnium intellectus maxime fugiat: God is so secret a thing, that all man's understanding cannot pierce nor pry into him; which constrained a great Prophet to cry out and say, Vere tu es Deus absconditus: Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, or an hidden God, Esay 45.15. And no marvel, seeing, (as Saint Paul says) Habitat lucem inaccessibilem; He dwelleth in the light that none can attain unto; whom never eye saw, neither can see, 1 Tim. 6.16. which made the Prophet Eliah, when the Lord went by him (and a mighty strong wind, renting the mountains, and breaking the rocks before him) to cover his face with his mantle, 1 Reg. 19.13. as knowing that his humane sight could not endure the great lustre and brightness of the divine Majesty. For if the children of Israel could not endure the splendour and brightness of Moses face, after God had talked with him in the mountain; as Exod. 34.30. How much less shall humane understanding be able to endure the Majesty of God himself; when it shall seek to penetrate and pierce into the deep mysteries and secrets thereof; proprii ingenii acumine; only by the strength and perspicacity of their own wit and reason. And therefore there is nothing wherein we aught more to captivate and subdue our understanding; in obsequium Dei, in obedience unto God, than in the knowledge of God himself, Quoniam ad investigandum supremum illud unitatis & Trinitatis mysterium, nullus intellectus, fide destitutus sufficit; as Alphonsus goes on, because for the finding out of that high and hidden mystery of the Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity, there is no understanding destitute of faith, that is sufficient. For indeed, the knowledge of God, is profundum sine fundo (as one saith) it is a depth without a bottom. So that if any ask (saith another) quid sit Deus; what God is: I must answer him; Si seirem, Deus essem: I should be a god myself, if I knew, or were able to tell him. Nam Deum nemo novit; nec quid sit, quisquam scit, nisi solus Deus, saith Cardan. For none knoweth what God is, but God alone. And S. Austen saith, De Deo loquimur: quid mirum si non comprehendis? 
Ser. 33. de verbis Dom. ●.  si enim comprehendis, non est Deus: When we speak of God, it is no marvel if we do not understand; for if the best of humane capacity and properties, whether of body, or mind, or both, were able to comprehend him, he were no God. And therefore as the holy Father goes on: Sit pia confessio ignorantiae, magis quam temeraria professio scientiae: Let us rather make an humble confession of our ignorance, than a proud and rash profession of our science in this point. Nam attingere aliquantum te ment Deum, magna beatitudo est; comprehendere autem omnino impossibile: It is a great happiness for sinful and mortal man, to be able to attain to some small glimpse and smackering of knowledge concerning the immortal God; but to comprehend him throughly, it is altogether impossible. And therefore it is dangerous for the feeble brain of man to wade fare into the secret depths of the Majesty of the most high God; whom although to know be life; and joy to make mention of his Name: yet our soundest knowledge is to know, that we know him not as indeed he is, neither can know him; our safest eloquence concerning him, is our silence; when we confess with one confession, that his glory is inexplicable, his greatness above our capacity and reach. He is above, and we upon earth: therefore it behooveth our words concerning him to be wary and few. For whosoever shall go about to search into the secrets and essence of God; opprimetur à gloria; shall be confounded by the glory of it, as the vulgar Latin reads it, Prov. 25.27. so that fear and shame shall be his covering, as elsewhere. And therefore to such curious searchers, who to get themselves a name above other men, will seem to be wise as God, nay, beyond God, and become his counsellors, I commend the sage advice of Jesus the son of Syracke, Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee; neither search the things that are above thy strength; but what is commanded thee, think thereupon with reverence, etc. Ecclus. 3. about the 21 and 22 verses; see that which follows, the place is excellent to this purpose. For behold, God is great and excellent, and we know him not, saith Elihu, Job 36.26. Incomprehensibilis cogitatu; our very thoughts cannot comprehend him, as the vulgar Latin makes jeremy to speak, jer. 32.19. No but his very ways are past finding out; as S. Paul saith, Rom. 11.33. And therefore that we be not, illicite curiosi, unlawfully curious, let us abstain from searching into such depths and secrets concerning God, as he hath reserved unto himself.  
But yet that we be not, damnabiliter ingrati, as S. Ambrose speaks, condemned for ingratitude; let us use our best diligence to understand what God hath revealed of himself. For howsoever the secret things belong unto the Lord; yet things revealed belong unto us and our children for ever, saith the Scripture, Deut. 29.29. And therefore such things we are bound to know, as well as believe; neither can we be ignorant of them without sin: there being as well sins of ignorance, as of error and infidelity: which made the kingly Prophet to pray, Delicta juventutis meae & ignorantias meas ne me mineris; as the Latins read it: in our 25. Psal. about the 7. verse, i. e. Remember not, O Lord, the sins of my youth, nor yet my ignorances. And our Church prayeth in the Litany, that it would please God to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; which should never be done, if ignorance were not reputed and accounted sin. And if ignorance in general be to be so esteemed; then ignorance of God much more: which appears plainly by that fearful judgement, which S. Paul threatens, saying, When the Lord Jesus shall show himself from heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, rendering vengeance unto them that do not know God, 2 Thess. 1.8. And David to the same purpose; Pour out thy wrath upon the heathen, that have not known thee, Psal. 79.6. And therefore howsoever we may not inquire, neither can know, quid sit Deus: the quiddity, as I may so speak, i. e. the nature and essence of God: (of which only the former speeches and passages are to be understood:) yet quis sit Deus, & qualis, & quae ejus voluntas, as Zanchy speaks: i. e. who God is, and what manner of God he is, and what the will of God is: All these we must and are bound to know; neither can we be ignorant of them without great and fearful sin: (as I said before.)  
First, quis; who he is, that thereby we may be enabled to distinguish and discern between the true God and false gods; and so keep ourselves within the compass of right religion, by serving & worshipping only the true God; and not fall into the dangerous downfals either of superstition o●●dolatry, by worshipping and serving those as gods, that are no gods, contrary to the first Command: Thou shalt have none other gods but me: as S. Paul manifestly proves, the Gentiles in the time of their ignorance to have done, saying, That even then, when they knew not God, they did service unto them, which by nature are no gods, Gal. 4.8. No gods indeed. Nay, some of them have been so fare from gods, as that they were scarce good men, but such as were defiled, stupris, libidinibus, adulteriis, aliisque enormibus sceleribus: With rapes, incests, adulteries, unnatural lusts, and diverse other enormous wickednesses: as Tertullian and Lactantius have observed; non ex poetarum solum, verum etiam philosophorum scriptis; not out of the writings of fabulous Poets only, but also of grave and learned Philosophers. Nay, some of them have grown to such an height of madness in this kind, as to give divine honour, not only to dead men, but even to inferior creatures also; vilissimis quidem & abjectissimis; even the most vile and contemptible; as to oxen, dogs, cats, crocodiles; yea, and very mice and rats too; and that with such violence and earnestness, as that a multitude of Egyptians could hardly upon a time be restrained, neither by the command of their own Governor, nor the fear of the Roman power, from rushing into the house, and laying violent hands upon a certain citizen, qui Felem imprudenter occiderat, 
Epistola ante And. Hiperii methodum Theolog.  which by misadventure only and unawares, had killed a cat, one of their supposed deities: as Cicero is reported by mine Author, some where to have related. Others have adored the Sun, Moon, and Stars, together with the whole host of heaven; yea, and the very elements also: quae & facta sunt, & sensu carent; which are not only creatures themselves; but which is more, insensible. Nay, some stooping yet lower, have taken the very garden-herbs; as the Garlic, the Onion, and the Leek, into the number of their gods: which gave juvenal occasion to give them this jerk in his Satyrs; saying, O sanctas gentes, quibus haec nascuntur in hortis Numina: O holy nations, that have such deities growing in their gardens. But what need we go so fare from our own profession: when as the divine oracles of truth yield us such plentiful proofs of men's madness in this kind: as of Gods own people Israel offering up sons and daughters unto Idols, devils; and worshipping gods made with hands, as of gold and silver, wood and stone, and the like; melted, graven, and carved images. For the Smith (saith the Prophet Esay) taketh an instrument and worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers; and worketh it with the strength of his arms, etc. and the Carpenter stretcheth out a line, he fashioneth it with a red thread; he planeth it; and he pourtrayeth it with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man; and according to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house, etc. And all this of a piece of wood; whereof he burneth part in the fire; and upon another part thereof he eateth flesh, he roasteth the roast and is satisfied; also he warmeth himself, and saith, Aha, I am warm, I have been at the fire. And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his idol; he boweth unto it, and worshippeth: and prayeth unto it; and saith, deliver me; For thou art my god, Esay 44.11, 12, 16, 17, verses: 
But oh, what gods are these? gods void of being;  
(Save by their hands that serve them) gods unseeing.  
New upstart gods, of yesterday devise,  
To men indebted for their deities.  
God's made with hands; gods without life or breath.  
Gods which the rust, fire, hammer conquereth.  
But our God's the Lord; th'invincible alone:  
The Allseeing God; the everlasting one.  
As Du Bartas divinely.   
And thus you see, what fearful and horrible effects have proceeded from the want of the knowledge of the true God. To prevent which amongst ourselves, our first and chief care ought to be, especially since we profess to believe in God, to join to our faith, knowledge, and learn, quis sit Deus, who this true God is.  
Secondly, Qualis; it is necessary also for us to know, not only who he is, but what manner of God he is, of what qualities, of what conditions; which is to be done by his attributes, which are so termed, because they are terms or titles truly attributed and given unto him; Ad ipsum magis hominibus declarandum: that thereby men may the better and the more easily (according to their capacities) conceive and understand something of him. And they are of two sorts; either within him, or without him. Without him, is his name only, so often spoken of, and so much magnified in many places of the Scripture: as Exod. 9.16. where it is said of Pharaoh: I have appointed thee to show my power in thee, and to declare my name throughout all the world. And again: The Lord is a man of war, his name is Jehovah, Exod. 15.3. When they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy mighty hand, and stretched out arm, etc. 1 Reg. 8.42. And of the house that I have built for thy name: saith Solomon, vers. 48. of the same chapter. Yea, the Lord of Hosts is his name; saith the Prophet Esay 51.15. I am a great King (saith the same Lord of Hosts) & my name is terrible among the Heathen, Mal. 1.14. To which purpose our Saviour Christ himself hath taught us to pray unto God, saying; Hallowed be thy name, Matth. 6.9. Secondly, within him: in which sense, an attribute of God, Est divinae & simplicissimae essentiae, 
Dudley Fenner, Theolog.  pro diversa agendi ratione, diversa & vera nobis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, & conceptio expressa: as mine Author speaks: that is, It is a true, but diverse form or manner of expression or appearing of the divine, and most simple essence of God unto us, and our conceit, in regard of its diverse manner of working and operation: as that he is true, just, merciful, long-suffering: yea, full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great kindness: as David expresses him, Psal. 103.8. That he is powerful, patiented, pitiful, loving, liberal, and a rewarder of them that seek him: as the Apostle, Heb. 11.6. That he is wise, strong, all-sufficient, righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works: as the Psalmist, Psal. 145.17. That he is invisible, immortal, immutable: Immo immensus Deus, intra omnia sed non inclusus; & extra omnia sed non exclusus: as an ancient Father: that is, A God so great and immense, as being within all things, yet he is not included or enclosed; and without all things, yet not excluded or shut out. And that which is yet more, that he is not all these things in the concrete or adjective only; but in the abstract also and the substantive, as Truth itself, Justice itself, Goodness itself, Love, Kindness, Mercy, and the like. As if you would abstract all, or any of these from all other things, and consider it in itself alone: as a man may say; Bonum bonum, or a good goodness; why this is God, and so in all the rest. All these qualities being indeed so essentially, and in their perfection in him; as that they must not, no not in the very lest of our imaginations, and most retired thoughts, be separated or divided from him. As for instance, Bonitas est essentia Dei erga omnes creaturas benefica: Gods goodness is that essential quality in him, whereby he doth manifest his bounty and beneficence towards all his creatures, making his Sun to arise on the evil and the good, and sending rain on the just and unjust: as our Saviour himself declares him, Mat●h. 5.45. which is an effect only of his goodness. To which purpose, you may see also if you please, 1 Tim. 4.10. and Psal. 34.90. and diverse other passages and places in holy Writ; expressing the same in this large patent. And to this quality of goodness in God, appertain also other qualities respecting his creatures, either simply as creatures, as his Love and Grace: or as wretched creatures and in misery, as doth his Mercy. The love of God first, being, Essentia Dei omnes creaturas immerito diligens: Such an essential quality in him, as whereby he shows and expresses sundry effects of his said love to all his creatures, even without their desert: according to that of the Apostle: When the bountifulness and love of God appeared toward man, not by the works of righteousness which we had done, etc. Tit. 3.4. And the grace of God next, such another essential quality in him, Qua omnes creaturas immerito favet: Whereby he is favourable and indulgent towards them also, though they be never so rebellious towards him. Which quality of his, David expresses, when he saith: The eyes of all wait upon thee, and thou givest them meat in due season: thou openest thy hand, and fillest all things living of thy good pleasure: Psal. 145.15, 16. Now this good pleasure is nothing else, but his graciousness toward them. And what is of grace is not of works, saith Saint Paul, Rom. 11.6. And lastly, God's mercy is likewise an essential quality in him; Qua omnium creaturarum miseriis aliquo modo succurrit: Whereby in one kind or other he succours and relieves all his creatures, that are in misery and distress, according to that in Exodus; The Lord strong, merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness and in truth; reserving mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin, etc. Exod. 34.6.  
And what hath been thus said and showed of these few, of the attributes of God, may be likewise proved and affirmed of all other his qualities and divine properties whatsoever. Which are things very necessary to be well known and understood by all true Christians, and such as profess to believe in God. For without this knowledge they must needs fail, and come short of many Christian virtues necessarily required to their soul's health. As for example: The knowledge of his justice serves to beget in us a fearfulness to offend him, and an awfulness and dread of his most holy name: as also to strengthen the faith and confidence of the poor afflicted, and such as suffer wrong: in that they know, that in good time the Lord will revenge their injuries for them, punish their oppressors, and cause them to see their desire upon their enemies, because he is just. The knowledge of his mercy serves to raise us up in hope; that though we have committed sins, and remain still full of weaknesses and infirmities: yet that in time upon our repentance and amendment, they shall be forgiven us. The knowledge of his truth serves to beget in us a lively and steadfast faith in his promises: and the knowledge of his love, to inflame and stir up our love towards him again. And lastly, the knowledge of his goodness, kindness, bountifulness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance of us, and the like, serves to renew many other virtues in us, answerable to each of these qualities in him, which otherwise would be ready to languish and dye: but especially to procure our gratitude and thankfulness towards him, for all such favours, as from time to time he hath in these several kinds conferred and bestowed upon us: who indeed desires rather that we should thankfully remember what he hath been unto us, than curiously to affect what he is in himself. So that in these respects and sundry others, which might be spoken of, you cannot choose but see and perceive, how necessary a thing it is for all true Believers to know, Qualis sit Deus, What manner of God the true God is, which is the second circumstance.  
The third and last follows: Quae fit ejus voluntas: What the will of God is. Now concerning this, you must know, that in God there is said to be a twofold will: Voluntas beneplaciti, and Voluntas signi; as the Schoolmen distinguish it: that is, the will of God's good pleasure, and the will of the sign of it; or an antecedent and a consequent will; as some of the Fathers: or an omnipotent and powerful will, and a will less powerful; as S. Augustine: or an absolute will, and a will conditional; as others. All which divisions teach us (as a learned Doctor of our own Church hath in former times well observed) that there be parts, some revealed, some secret, 
Dr. Covell.  of that; which yet is no more diverse or many, than it is possible for the essence of the Godhead to be more than one: not that he is contrary in his will, but that his will as yet is not wholly revealed. So fare he. 
1 Sam. 6.19. Numb. 4.20. Exod. 19.13.   
Now the first part of this will, that is, the secret and reserved part, is shut up within the closet of Gods own sacred bosom: as the Ark that must not be pried into: the mountain, that neither man nor beast may prefume to touch: the brightsome Sun, that with the rays of his glorious lustre, dazzles the eyes of curious beholders: the way of an Eagle in the air, 
Prov. 30.19.  and the path of a ship in the waters, whose tract may not be espied, nor enquired after; but only admired and adored afar off. For of this, hath God pronounced, O homo, in quis es? Rom. 9.20. O man, who art thou that dost, that darest ransack the bowels of my privy Counsels? seeing my judgements are like a great deep: as Psal. 36.6. that is, so deep, so bottomless, as that they are not to be sounded or fathomed by thy shallowness. The other part of God's will is open and revealed, divulged and proclaimed in a full Court and assembly of men and Angels to all the world: and that is his will revealed in his Word. And this challenges and exacts, both a distinct knowledge, and an entire obedience; yea therefore our knowledge, that it may be obeyed: for as affected knowledge in the former is dangerous; so affected ignorance in this latter is damnable.  
Now then, if we must do this revealed will of God, then likewise know it, yea and know God too, in and by it, as well as by his attributes, or any other his works whatsoever: otherwise without this latter, 
Epist. 4.  it is impossible to attain unto the former. For, Qui Deum nescitis, vias ejus quomodo novistis? saith S. Ambrose: If you do not know God, how can you either know the will, or walk in the ways of God? And therefore God himself, upon his reconciliation, and promise of a new covenant with his people Israel, tells them, first that he will put his Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts: and then as a confirmation of the said covenant, he adds: That they should not need to bid one another to know the Lord: For they shall all know me (saith he) from the least of them to the greatest of them, jerem. 31.33, 34. which is as much as if he should have said; That until men know God, they cannot have his Law written in their hearts: and so neither submit their understanding to the belief and knowledge of it, for matter of doctrine; nor subject their wills and affections to the obedience and practice of it in their lives & conversations. And therefore for these reasons before expressed, let us be persuaded to use our best diligence and endeavour to attain unto the knowledge of the three former circumstances concerning God. For this is life eternal, that men know thee, the only true God, and whom thou hast sent Jesus Christ, saith our Saviour himself, joh. 17.3. From whence learned Zanchy our Protestant Schooleman infers, that if it be life to know God, it must needs be no less than death, not to know him, or to be ignorant of him.  
To conclude then: as a curious searching into those secrets of God, which are not revealed, serveth but to breed a contempt of those things which are revealed unto us; in regard whereof, it is greater piety to believe them, than to strive to know them: so on the other side, to be absolutely either ignorant or careless of those things that concern us, and which God hath revealed unto us, is a plain evidence of our sloth, and negligence of our own salvation. In the former whereof, it is not so much to be lamented, that we search and cannot comprehend; as that in the latter, we might comprehend, if we would but take the pains to search. For, Qui quaerunt invenient: They that seek shall find, Matth. 7.7. even the knowledge of the true God and of his ways.  
Now than God hath revealed and made himself known to his Church and children after a threefold manner, viz. Operando, Loquendo, Spirando, that is, by his works, words, and Spirit; by his works in the creation, and conservation of the world: by his Word in his holy Scriptures; by his holy Spirit, in testifying to our spirit, by his secret working and inspiration in our hearts and souls, not only that he is God, but that he is our God also in particular, so that we may and must rely and depend upon him, and none but him, upon all occasions whatsoever.  
Now these heads are too large and long to be handled to the full, by way of Catechism: and therefore for this time, you must be satisfied with that, which the words of our Creed testify, and declare concerning him; that is, That he is the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven & Earth. Vide Act. 17.24. And here you see, that the first attribute or title, that is given unto God, is, that he is called Father. I believe in God the Father, etc. And that may be in this place, in a twofold respect. First, in respect of creation; and so he is the Father of the world, and all that is therein, and therefore here is subjoined, Maker of Heaven and Earth: Secondly, in respect of natural generation; and so he is the father of Jesus Christ alone. And therefore follows that, And in jesus Christ his only Son. Concerning the first, it is said by the Prophet, Have we not all one Father? hath not one God created u●? Mal. 2.10. And again, Is not he thy Father that hath made thee? Deut. 32.6. And not only of man, but of all other things he is said to be the Father by creation, as in the book of job: Who is the father of the rain, or who hath begotten the drops of dew? out of whose womb came the ice, or who hath ingrendred the fr●st of Heaven? Ilb 38.28, 29. thereby insinuating that God only is the father of these things: and therefore well may we say, I believe in God the Father. But most especially in regard of his natural fatherhood to his Son, and our Saviour Jesus Christ, whom he did beget in the womb of eternity, before all worlds, according to that of the Psalmist; Ex utero ante luciferum genui te; as the Vulgar Latin reads it, Psal. 110.3. that is, I have begotten thee in my womb before the morning light: or in the words of Esay, Before the day was, I am. To which purpose S. Augustine doth here take occasion wittily to observe against the Arrians: Quod cum Dei Patris, nomen in confession conjungitur: That when the name of Father, is in this Creed and Confession of faith, joined unto the name of God: Ostendit, quod non antea Deus esse coepit & postea Pater: sed sine ullo initio, & Deus semper est, & Pater est: It shows (saith he) that God was not first and Father after, but that without any beginning, even from all eternity, he was both God and Father: and therefore it is said: I believe in God the Father: so that when thou hearest God styled Father, acknowledge, confess, and believe, that he hath a Son truly begotten; in regard of whom he is as truly and justly called Father, as he that possesseth any thing is called an Owner, or he that rules over any thing is called a Lord. So that the word Father in this place, is a word of a deep and secret mystery. The word only and truly being the Son, where God in this sense is the Father. And therefore saith S. John; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, joh. 1.1. God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten of his Father before all worlds: as the Nicene Creed professeth.  
Neither let any be so saucy, as to inquire how this Father could, or did beget this Son (as Saint Augustine goes on) seeing the very Angels thereof are ignorant: and it is a secret not revealed to the Prophets. Whence Esay cries out, Generationem ●jus quis enarrabit? Who shall declare his generation? Esay 53.8. And therefore let it not enter into our cogitations, how this or that can be effected, or come to pass, but only believe; seeing the next word tells us, that God is Almighty: and therefore if he be Almighty, nothing can be impossible unto him. I believe in God the Father Almighty. And that he is Almighty, that is, able to do whatsoever he will, yea and more than he will too, it is manifest as well by his words as by his works. By his word first; as where he declares as much of himself by his faithful servant Abraham, saying; I am God all-sufficient, or Almighty, Genes. 17.1. And again, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, even the Almighty, Revel. 1.8. And as his Word thus declares him, in the first and the last books of the same, and indeed all over it; if proof were wanting; so his works speak the like of him, even from the very beginning to the ending of the same book. And in particular, where they express him to be the Maker of Heaven and Earth: that is, of all things the universal world doth contain, as well above as below; as well heavenly as earthly; as well spiritual as corporal. Which is especially in the first of Genesis, but seconded and confirmed in many passages and places of Scripture beside: as in the Psalms: When I behold (saith David) thine heavens, even the works of thy fingers, the Moon & the Stars which thou hast ordained: and how thou hast made man little lower than thyself, and crowned him with glory and honour: Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of thy hands, etc. Psal. 8. all over the Psalm. To which purpose see also Acts 17. about vers. 24. and so forward: which made Saint Augustine to cry out unto him; Omnipotens manus tua semper una & eadem, creavit in coelo Angelos, in terra vermiculos, non superior in illis, non inferior in istis: that is, The strength or power of thy hands is omnipotent, yea, and always one and the same; which as it created the glorious Angels in heaven, so likewise the little worms in the earth: neither is it any whit greater in those, or lesser in these: but, Deus ita artifex magnus in magnis, ut non sit minor in minimis: But his power and might appears as much in the least, as in the greatest of his creatures.  
And this may serve first to strengthen us in our faith, and trust to God, and to make us with the more confidence to have recourse unto him, by prayer and supplication, because we know and believe that he is Almighty: and therefore as the Leper said; Master, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, Matth. 8.2. So we may be sure, that what promises of mercy or goodness soever the Lord hath made unto us in his word, he will make good in his due time: because we believe, he which hath promised is able to do it; as S. Paul speaks, Rom. 4.21.  
Secondly, this teaches us also, that as God is able to secure us, and provide for us, because Almighty: so likewise to defend us, that no enemy, ghostly or bodily, is able to prevail against us to our destruction or confusion. And therefore that in all our troubles we put our whole trust and confidence in him and his mercy, as well for the salvation of our souls, as the preservation of our bodies: this being the victory that overcommeth the world, even our faith, saith S. john, 1 joh. 5.4. And indeed, this is the true and proper sense of this Article: I believe in God the Father Almighty, that is, I do depend and put my trust in him: for as S. Augustine (whom I undertook at the first to follow, especially in this discourse) hath rightly observed, the article doth not say, Credo Deo, or Credo Deum, but only Credo in Deum, that is, it doth not say, I believe God, or I believe that there is a God: but only, I believe in God. For to believe God, is to believe that what God says is true, which many wicked men and very reprobates may do: again, to believe that there is a God, and that he that made heaven and earth, is that God: Hoc & daemons possunt: why even the very Devils do the same: Credere vero in D●um, soli noverunt qui dilligunt illum: but to believe in God, they only know how that love him, and are become the children of God, by the grace of adoption, and by their faith and belief in God: and therefore because they do truly and sincerely love God, they are emboldened to say, I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, etc.  
And here I might take occasion to show you, how that in this little Preposition, In, this small word consisting of two of the smallest letter, i, n, doth consist the whole sum and substance of our Christian Religion. 
Lib. 1. de Relig. cap. 13. pag. 256.  Tota pietas totusque Dei cultus atque religio: as Zanchius speaketh. For who ever did truly and uprightly worship and serve God, but out of trust in God? who ever did awfully and filially fear God, but because he did trust in God? who ever did unfeignedly and sincerely love God, but it proceeded from his trust in God? who ever did make conscience of his ways, by avoiding and declining evil, but through hope and trust in God? who ever was careful to obey God, and walk in the ways of God, by a Christian conversation, but that he did believe & trust in God? what makes the difference between Saints and sinners, between the reprobate and the righteous, between judas & Peter, but only trust & want of trust in God? wherefore was the world, & all that therein is, at the the first created, but only to make men trust in God? How came it by the fall of men and Angels to be corrupted, but only because they forsook their trust in God? and wherefore was it again redeemed at the last, but only to renew men's trust in God? wherefore are all those many and manifold blessings, soli & poli, as well of earth as heaven, conferred and bestowed upon the children of God, but only because they trust in God? and wherefore are all God's curses and heavy judgements, both of this world and that which is to come, inflicted upon the wicked and enemies of God, but only because they have refused to trust in God? would we then avoid and decline the heavy wrath and vengeance of God, prepared for the Devil and his angels, let us trust in God; or would we be invested with the glorious liberty of the sons of God, and made partakers of the plenteous redemption that is in Christ Jesus: why then let us trust in God. Credere Deum, to believe that there is a God, cannot do it; for this the devils do believe, and yet they tremble. Credere Deo, to believe that God is just and true, comes likewise short of it, for this the wicked may do, nay, they shall do, not only believe, but find and feel too, the tru●h of God's judgements and threatenings against them for their sins, to their greater terror and confusion. But Credere in Deum: This little Monosyllable, In, added to it, only shall and can effect it.  
Lo, here then is the little cloud that arose out of the sea, no bigger than a man's hand; out of which, notwithstanding, did fall a great rain, 1 Reg. 18.44, 45 verses. Lo here is the little well, that grew into a great river, and flowed over with great waters, Esther 10.6. in the Apocryphas. Lo here not only the Iliads, but the Odisses too of Homer; nay, the works and writings of the whole world, as well sacred as profane, within the shell of a nut: For what good use is to be made of them all, but only to cause men to trust in God? which service, if they do not in some sort or other promote and advance forward. They shall burn in the end like stubble, and vanish like chaff before the face of the wind, as being lighter than smoke or vanity itself. If then the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, may fitly be counted and called the Compendium of the whole Bible, and this the Apostles Creed, the abridgement of the Gospel: then likewise our little, In, here; may not unfitly be styled the epitome of the Creed. For whereas there may be said to be two parts of the Creed, viz. A duty required, and rewards proposed for the faithful dispatch and performance of the said duty: This, In, doth fully perform the duty, in believing in the Father, in the Son, and in the Holy Ghost; and so consequently, not only entitle us to, but invest us with the rewards, (and they are rich rewards too) by making us members of the holy Catholic Church, and partakers of the Communion of Saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. And therefore if we were wont to wonder, when we were children and schoolboys, at the dexterity of him, that could write the Pater noster within the compass of a penny (pardon the lowness of the comparison) then much more may we now admire the infinite wisdom of God, that could contrive the whole substance of his own will, & our worship, into so small a volume as two small letters; and yet this, as you have seen, is fully and at large performed. And this may serve to check and condemn our dulness, and backwardness in God's service; that having so small a lesson to learn, and to take forth, we are so long in learning it, and so hardly brought to put it in practice and execution. For who it there that truly believeth and putteth his trust in God, as it behoveth a Christian man to do? But some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses, as the Scripture speaketh: Some in the strength of their own arms, and others in the invention of their own brains; some in the fatness of their own fields, and fertility of their own soils; and others in their own policies, in their own pains, in so much as they offer sacrifice to their nets, and burn incense to their yarn; as the Prophet complaineth of them, Habacuk 1.16. So that we may justly take up David's complaint, and say: Lo these are the men that take not God for their strength, but trust to the multitude of their riches, etc. Psal. 52. But these are but vain things for vain men to put their trust in: which made Job to protest against such vain confidence, saying, If I have made gold my hope, or said to the wedge of gold, Thou art my confidence, Job 31.24. As knowing that, Sperando pereunt, qui sic sperant: such hypocrites hope shall perish: as himself may be said to translate it, job 8.13. Yea their confidence shall be cut off, and their trust shall be but as the house of a Spider: They may well lean upon their house, but it shall not stand: yea, though they hold fast by it, yet shall it not endure, as there follows, verses 14, 15. For cursed is that man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and withdraweth his heart from the Lord, jerem. 17.5. And therefore Solomon adviseth us to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and not lean so much as to our own wisdom, Prov. 3.5. For blessed are all they, said David, that trust in him, Psal. 2.12. Which if it be so (saith S. Austen) that they are blessed that trust in the Lord: Tunc miseri sunt qui confidunt in se: They must needs be wretched and miserable that trust only to themselves; as the justiciaries, and all that boast of their own righteousness do. But S. Paul saith, Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur: He that boasteth, let him boast in the Lord, 1 Cor. 1. ultimò. For as S. Augustine goes on: Nihil in te placet Deo, nisi quod habes ex Deo, etc. There is nothing in man that can be or is acceptable unto God; but that which he hath received from God: and therefore seeing there is no good thing in man, but what he hath received from God: Why doth he glory, as though he had not received it, 1 Cor. 4.7. Seeing then there is nothing in man, whether ourselves or others, worthy of our trust or dependence on him; let us be persuaded, as well for the salvation of our souls, as the preservation of our bodies, to take fast hold of our former preposition, In, and to say with the holy Apostles in this place, Credo in Deum etc.  
I might be much more plentiful in uses on this subject; but that I promised and intended brevity: and therefore this shall suffice.  
Luther said well, that there was much Divinity in Pronouns. And here you see, that there is some also, and that not a little, even in prepositions.  
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, etc. 
WHere we may first observe, as S. Augustine speaketh, Quomodo in Patrem, sic & in Filium credendum est: That as we are to believe and put our trust in God the Father: as I shown unto you the last day: so likewise are we to do the like in the Son too. And in jesus Christ his only Son etc. which shows him to be God as well as man, because we are to put our trust and belief in none but only God. And therefore, Si Deus non sit Filius, sed creatura; non ergo colendus, nec adorandus; as the Father goes on. If the Son were only man, and not God, he were not to be worshipped and adored; neither were we to invocate and call upon his Name, no nor yet to believe and put our trust in him; but being God of the substance of his Father, as the Nicene Creed professeth: The Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, being all one, the glory equal, the Majesty coeternal, as Athanasius Creed hath it: therefore we must worship this one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance; and as we said, I believe in God the Father, so likewise must we say, I believe in God the Son; yea, and in God the Holy Ghost too: as I may have occasion to show more at large, if I ever come to the handling of that Article, I believe in the Holy Ghost.  
Now this doctrine of believing in the Son, and of his Godhead, and the like, teaches us with the more confidence and boldness to rely and depend upon him in the matter of our redemption, and to have recourse unto him in any our necessities and troubles, whether of body or soul; because he is God, and therefore able to accomplish and bring to pass whatsoever he hath undertaken, and finds to be necessary and needful for us. And indeed to whom else should we go, as Saint Peter saith; seeing he only hath the words of eternal life, joh. 6.68. And therefore, Come unto me, saith he himself, all ye that are heavy laden, and I will refresh you and ease you, Matth. 11.28. But this doctrine and use comes to be handled almost in every Sermon, and therefore I proceed. And in jesus Christ his only Son our Lord. Where you see the next circumstance is the two names of this sacred Person, that we profess to put our trust and belief in; first Jesus, than Christ. And in jesus Christ.  
His first Name Jesus, was the name appointed him by the Angel Gabriel, which was God's messenger sent unto his Mother, the Virgin Mary, before he was conceived in her womb, Luke 1.31, 32. where it is said by him unto her, Fear not Mary, for thou hast found favour with God: and behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus: The reason also of the Name being set down in Saint Matthewes Gospel, viz. because he shall save his people from their sins, Matth. 1.21. For the word indeed signifieth a Saviour and Deliverer; and therefore is a name fitly given to our Lord Christ; because the work of our salvation both from sin and punishment, is wholly and only wrought by him. Wholly, because, as the Apostle saith, He is made unto us of God, Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, yea, and Redemption too, 1 Cor. 1.30. And therefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him; seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them, Hebr. 7.25. Yea, and only too: For there is no salvation in any other, neither any other name under heaven whereby men can be saved, Acts 4.12. And therefore he saith of himself, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no man cometh to the Father but by me, joh. 14.6. So that he that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him, joh. 3.36. Because as there is but one God, so but one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 1 Tim. 2.5. So that he may justly say, as in the Prophet, Torcular calcavi solus, I have trodden the winepress alone, and of all the people there was none with me, Esay 63.3. For howsoever there have been many jesusses in ancient times, as jesus or joshua the son of Nun, Moses successor, Acts 7.45. jesus the son of josedecke, Ecclus. 49.12. jesus the son of Syrach, Ecclus. 50.27. also jesus, one of Saint Paul's workfellows, called justus, Coloss. 4.11. And these, or some of these, have had their names also given them by reason of saving and delivering: yet their deliverances have not been like this; from which, this JESUS, the Son of God, which we profess here to believe in, doth deliver those that put their trust in him: But their deliverance have been only corporal, this spiritual, theirs temporal; this eternal, theirs from bondage, slavery, or some pressures of the body; this from the most dangerous and fearful sin and sickness of the soul. He shall deliver his people from their sins; ut supra. And therefore as I can never be weary of writing or speaking of this saving Name Jesus; but when I think I have written and spoken enough, could enter into a new discourse of it, and begin again: so be you never weary of hearing, reading, and believing in it: seeing that through this Name, all that believe in him shall receive remission of their sins, as all the Prophet's witness; as it is said, Acts 10.43. yea, and rejoice in it too; saying with Saint Augustine, O Jesus nomen dulce, nomen delectabile, nomen comfortans: O how sweet, how delightful, how comfortable is thy saving name Jesus unto me. For here is fuel indeed to kindle the fire and feed the flame of joy to keep it ever burning on the altar of our hearts, that we can say, I believe in Jesus, i. e. the only Son of God, and Saviour of the world. This is that joy, which when we have once truly entertained, no man can take from us, as our Saviour himself saith, joh. 16.22. wherewith compare what pleasure soever, and it is but grief; all sweet is sour unto this, and there is nothing that may delight, but it seems troublesome and offensive in respect of this, as devout S. Bernard hath well observed. But this is odor sanitatis, saith the Apostle, a sweet smelling savour unto God, Ephes. 5.2. Dulcedo animae & sanitas ossium, saith Solomon, Sweetness to the soul, and health to the bones; as Prov. 16.24. which makes the very lips gracious, and the feet precious of those that bring but the tidings of it, saith the Prophet, Mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilum in cord; As honey sweet unto the mouth, as melody pleasant to the ear, and a jubilee triumph to the heart; so that, nil canitur suavius, nil auditur jucundius, nil cogitatur dulcius quàm Iesus Dei Filius, saith an ancient Hymn of the Church; there is nothing sun●●hat is so sweet, nothing heard that so much delighteth, nothing ●●●●ght on that is so pleasant as is this the name of Jesus, the Son of the most high God. And here I might take occasion to speak of the public rejoicing of this time, for the birth of this our Saviour Jesus, and show you, as Leo saith, how that non fas est locum esse tristitiae ubi natalis est vitae; at the coming and birth of life, there ought to be no mourning, as in the days of death no man being secluded, excluded from the partaking of the public joy of this time: but that the righteous aught to rejoice, quia appropinquat ad palmam; because he draws near to the reward of his well doing, and the sinner may rejoice, quia invitatur ad veniam; because he is offered a pardon for his ill doing: but I forbear to proceed any farther in this way, because it belongs rather to the Preacher than the Catechist thus to handle it; only before I end this point, I am bold to invocate this our sweet Saviour, that propter semetipsum erit nobis Jesus, even for his own names sake he will be pleased to save us from our sins, by granting us so much faith and trust in him, that we may rely wholly upon him, and none but him, for the salvation of our poor and sinful souls; for if we should miss of him, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer, it were better for us a thousand ways that we were dogs or toads, than men, for death to them is the end of all their woe, but the death of a man without a Saviour, is but the beginning of all his misery and unhappiness, to endure for ever and ever; and therefore let us still be sure to believe in Jesus.  
And in jesus Christ: Where ye see that our Saviour, our Deliverer, our Mediator and Messiah, is not known altogether by the name of Jesus, but sometimes also by the name of Christ: and therefore Saint Matthew styles his Book, The Book of the Generation of JESUS CHRIST, Matth. 1.1. And S. Paul saith, that Jesus Christ is come into the world to save sinners, 1 Tim. 1.15. And the Apostles here teach us to say, I believe in jesus Christ: So that Jesus may be said to be his proper name, and Christ his Nomen appellativum, or Surname, as Tertullian speaks; or Jesus his name of Nature, and Christ of person, place or dignity, as other Divines: for as I have shown before, as his name Jesus signifies to save and deliver, intimating his nature; so his name Christ, signifies Messiah, or Anointed, intimating his Office, which is to be anointed with the oil of gladness above his Fellows, as the Psalmist speaketh. And therefore Andrew said unto his brother Simon concerning him; we have found the Messiah, which is by interpretation the Christ, that is, the Anointed one, joh. 1.41. And the woman of Samaria said, I know well that Messiah shall come, which is called Christ, joh. 4.25. Now the reason of this name is, because as the three great Officers of the world in former times, viz. King, Priest, and Prophet, were wont to be made by anointing; so he being to bear these three parts in his own person, for the benefit of his Church and chosen, was likewise to be anointed by the Holy Ghost, and indeed to be called, o Christos, the anointed, as by way of excellency above all that were anointed before him, or should be ever after him.  
Now if you desire proofs that these three Officers were consecrated and m●de by anointing, attend to that which follows: First, Kings were s● m●de, for so said God to Samuel, when he had chosen David to be King, Ari●e, anoint him, for this is he, 1 Sam. 16.12. And so Solomon, concerning whom, his Father David said, Let Zadock the Priest, and Nathan the Prophet, anoint him their King over Israel, and blow ye the trumpet, and say, God save King Solomon, 1 King. 1.34. And indeed the first King of all that Nation Saul himself was so ordained, as it is said, That Samuel took a viol of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him and said, is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance? 1 Sam. 10.1. Thus much for Kings.  
Secondly, Priests were also so made, for God commanded Moses to consecrate Aaron to that Office, saying, Thou shalt take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him, Exod. 29.7. And in the third Chapter about the 23. verse, it is showed how that anointing oil should be made too, even of principal and costly spices, as is there to be scene: And therefore David calls it the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing, Psal. 133.2.  
Thirdly, Prophets likewise, and Elisha the son of Shaphat shalt thou anoint to be a Prophet in thy room, 1 Reg. 19.16. And therefore saith David, Touch not mine anointed, and do my Prophets no harm, Psal. 105.15. So that our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ being to become all these unto us, and that after a more excellent manner he is called the Christ, or anointed, as I said before; For God, even his own God hath anointed him with the oil of gladness above his fellows, saith David, Psal. 45.7. yea, even above them, for their offices lasted only during the time of this life, and in some of them not so long, but Christ is anointed to be an everlasting King, Priest and Prophet over his Church, even for ever and ever. A King first to protect us, so saith David, I have set my King upon my holy hill of Zion, Psal. 2.6. for the Lord shall give him the Throne of his Father David, and he shall reign over the house of jacob for ever, and of his Kingdom there shall be no end, Luke 1.32, 33. For all power is given unto me both in heaven and in earth, saith he himself, Mat. 28.18. Secondly, a Priest, to offer up even himself a sacrifice upon the Cross for our sins; as in the Psalm, The Lord hath sworn and will not repent, Thou art a Priest for ever after the order of Melchisedecke, Psal. 110.4. yea, because he continueth for ever, he hath an unchangeable Priesthood, Heb. 7.24. who needeth not daily, as those high Priests, to offer up sacrifice for his own sins first, and then for the people, for this he did once when he offered up himself, as there follows verse 27. see also the ninth Chapter of the same Book, to the same purpose, vers. 24, 25. etc. And thirdly, a Prophet, to teach and instruct us in the way of godliness and salvation, for of him was it said, I will raise them up a Prophet among their brethren like unto thee, and I will put my words into his mouth, and unto him shall they hearken, Deut. 18.15, 18. Yea, the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, saith the Prophet Esay of him, because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek, to bind up the broken hearted, Esay 61.1. And therefore it is likewise said of him, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him, Matth. 17.5. And therefore seeing he is thus anointed to become all these things unto us, let us faithfully believe and put our trust in him, in this anointed one, and we also in an enlarged sense shall be made with him, and by him, spiritual Kings, Priests and Prophets ourselves, for he being Prince of the Kings of the earth, and loving us, and washing us from our sins in his blood, hath made us also Kings and Priests unto God his Father, Revel. 1.5, 6, verses. First, Kings to bear rule over our own hearts, and to master our own rebellious thoughts, wills, and affections, that so sin may not reign in our mortal bodies, nor we obey it in the lusts thereof, as Saint Paul speaketh, Rom. 6.12. but as kings and conquerors may fight a good fight, and overcome the corruptions of our own hearts, that without resistance will in the end destroy our souls. Secondly, Priests to offer up to God many spiritual sacrifices: As first of Prayer, for so saith David, Let my prayer be directed in thy sight as incense, and the lifting up of mine hands as an evening sacrifice, Psal. 141.2. Secondly, of thanksgiving, as the Apostle, Let us therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise always to God, that is, the fruit of the lips, Hebr. 13.15. Thirdly, of Alms, which is an acceptable sacrifice, and pleasing unto God; as the same Apostle affirmeth in the very next verse, viz. 16. And therefore S. Paul elsewhere calleth an offering and contribution of the Saints, an odour that smelleth sweet, and a pleasant and acceptable sacrifice unto God also, Phil. 4.18. Fourthly, of broken and contrite hearts and souls unto the Lord, which, as David saith, are sacrifices unto God, such as he will not despise, Psal. 51.17. And lastly, to offer up our whole souls and bodies to the service of God, as S. Paul exhorteth, saying, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you give up your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable serving of God, Rom. 12.1. And after we have thus been Priests in offering up all these pleasing and acceptable sacrifices unto God; we shall in the last place become Prophets also in applying that knowledge we have to the benefit and good of others, as S. Peter was commanded, when he was converted himself to strengthen his brethren, Luk. 22.32.  
And therefore seeing we have all these great and special benefits and blessings by this anointed one Christ Jesus, let us comfort ourselves, and rejoice in this name too; accounting it the greatest honour unto us, that could befall us, to be called and styled Christians according to it, for what is that else but anointed ones, that is, men set apart and consecrated to these high and honourable offices in the Church of God before expressed. And therefore let us be sure to carry ourselves in our lives and conversations answerable to this name by our careful performance of the former duties, lest otherwise it be said of us as of the Church of Sardis; Thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead, Revel. 3.1. But if we walk worthy of this name, which we have taken upon us, why then we have great cause to comfort ourselves and rejoice in it, as Theodosius the Emperor did, who thanked God more for that he was a Christian, than f●r that he was an Emperor; because (as he said) the glory which he had by the one would vanish, but the benefits he enjoyed by the other, he knew would continue for ever: and this sufficeth for the two names, as they are distinguished, first Jesus, than Christ.  
One observation more from them, as they are conjoined, and then I have done, and that shall be this, that Jesus is an Hebrew, and Christ a Greek name, which may intimate unto us, that he came into the world, as well to be a light unto the Gentiles, as to be the glory of his people Israel, as old Simeon prophesied of him in his Nunc dimittis, Luk. 2.32. The Greek name Christ belonging to the Gentiles, and the Hebrew name Jesus to the Jews: so that now all nations may challenge an interest in the world's Messiah, none excluded, none exempted: for the whole world of people were anciently divided, but into these two names and nations, of Jews and Gentiles. They only being termed Jews, which were of the seed of Abraham; and all nations else, that derived not their pedigree from this line, were called and accounted by a more general name, Gentiles; as might be plentifully proved out of many passages of the holy Scriptures, if it were a thing to be doubted or questioned. Now then (I say) in that the Messiah being borne of Jewish parents and kindred, according to the flesh, had yet a Gentile name conferred and bestowed upon him, it shows plainly (his very names significantly speaking so much) that he is come to be a Saviour and Redeemer unto all nations, even to the one as well as to the other, to the Gentile as well as to the Jew, bringing salvation with him unto all men, as S. Paul speaketh, Tit. 2.11. which was very happy and welcome news brought into the world at the incarnation and birth of Christ: for before this time, the golden sceptre of grace was not stretched forth to all nations, nor to all countries, nor the Chancery Court of mercy holden generally in all the world, but in a corner as it were, and in one family or kindred of the Jews alone, till the fullness of time came, in which this Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie: for from the calling of Abraham out of Urre of the Caldees, it was only in that one family, increasing sometimes in Canaan, sometimes in Egypt, sometimes in the wilderness travelling; and last of all, in Canaan again settled, where it grew till it had filled indeed that whole land: but yet still it was confined within that nation and people of the Jews, and within that little Kingdom of Canaan (which was scarce an handful in respect of the whole world) whose Metropolitan City was Jerusalem, the glory and joy for the time of the whole earth; for there it pleased the great King of heaven and earth to reside only, and to keep his Court: therefore is Jerusalem called the City of the great King, so that in Jewrie only is God truly known and worshipped; at Salem was his Tabernacle, and his dwelling at Zion, the place which he had chosen to put his name there; during all which time the Gentiles, that is, all nations, except the foresaid Jews or Israelites, were not in any general account the people of God, but were parted from them with a wall of separation, strangers & aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel, and Covenants of Grace made with Abraham only and his seed, suffered to live in the sinful state of their inbred corruptions, to walk in the blindness of their darkened understandings, without the knowledge of his Law, without all saving knowledge of himself, without Christ the ground of hope, out of the Church the place of hope, without the Covenant the reason also of all our hope and believing. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in hoc mundo, without God in this present world, barbarous and brutish, both in their minds and manners, as the Apostle draws their character, Ephes. 2.12.  
But Beloved, there was a fullness of time set in the determined counsel of God, when this partition-wall should be broken down, and they should again become utraque unum, both Nations should be made one, and the despised Gentiles, as well as the Jews, be received into grace and mercy by a new Covenant: For I will call them my people which were not my people, and her beloved which was not beloved, saith God by his Prophet, Hos. 2.23. Yea, the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined, saith another Prophet, viz. Esay 9.2. and to show what light he means, he subjoins within a few verses after, To us a child is borne, to us a Son is given, etc. vers. 6. So that this was from everlasting decreed, that as God divided all Nations out of one root, the first Adam, so to gather them again under one head, Christ the second Adam: that as by that one man came death over all, by a natural propagation; so by this one, life and righteousness might abound to all by a spiritual regeneration.  
And the accomplishment of this decree is now in these days and times of the Gospel, wherein our Jesus Christ hath been conceived of the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie: for now (as the former Prophet Esay foretold) may the Gentiles flock and gather unto God from all Coasts and Nations be they never so barbarous, never so savage, the flocks of Kedar, the Rams of Nebayoth, the Isles and ships of the Ocean, shall bring their sons and daughters from fare, and they shall come night and day, thick as a cloud, and as Pigeons about their windows, Esay 60. For behold now the holy City, new Jerusalem is come down out of Heaven, and the Tabernacle of God is with men (men in general) and he will dwell with them, Revel. 21.2, 3. and heaven is after a sort on earth, by the presence of God in his Church in the ministry of the Gospel. And this City of God is built foursquare, where the great King keepeth his Court of grace with open gates night and day, towards the four coasts & corners of the world, holding forth the golden sceptre daily, to invite all that will come, & welcome all that do come, of all kindreds, of all nations whatsoever: Which latitude and extent of Christ's saving grace, as it was well and wittily observed by S. Cyprian, to be employed in his name of the second Adam; the Greek letters whereof do severally signify all the quarters of the earth, as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the East; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the West; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the North; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, the South: so likewise may it be raised, and that not unfittingly, neither from his two usual and ordinary names here spoken of in the Creed, jesus Christ: jesus speaking him a Saviour to the Jews, and Christ Anointed also for the Gentiles.  
Well then, to draw towards an end of this point, let us now behold how true it is (yea and ever was, but yet now it appeareth more than ever) that there is no respect of persons with God, but in every nation they that fear him, and work righteousness, are accepted with him, as S. Peter said, Acts 10.34, 35. for in Jesus Christ, neither circumcision, nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but a new creature: Tros Ticiusque mihi nullo discrimine agetur: saith the Poet. Neither Jew nor Grecian, bond nor free, male nor female, Barbarian nor Scythian, but they are all one in Christ Jesus, as S. Paul saith, Gal. 3.28. As the river Nilus, running but within his own seven channels, moistens but his own banks, and the things that grow thereon; but overflowing the country at certain seasons, makes the whole land of Egypt fruitful as the garden of God: so the floods of grace once flowing, especially within the land of Canaan, made that only the fruitful land flowing with milk and honey, as the Scripture speaketh of it. But as God once in severe judgement and truth, opened the windows of Heaven, and reigned down a flood, that drowned and destroyed the whole world, except eight persons, Noah and his family: so in this last age, wherein the everlasting Gospel is sent to all nations, God hath in mercy and truth opened the windows of Heaven, once more to rain down that shower of grace, that shall save all the world, except such as have built themselves a Babel, and enclosed themselves wilfully within the walls of their own works, that these waters of grace may not come at them; for surely there is salvation near all them that fear him (saith the Scripture) that salvation may dwell in our land, yea, in all lands that this wide world contains. Was there ever then such a golden age and world, as the Poets conceited and described; 
Flumina jam lactis, jam flumina Nectaris ibant,  
Flavaque de viridi stillabant ilice mella.  When as floods of milk and Nectar flowed in every street, in every channel. Why surely such have been the poetical fictions and conceits, whereas we have Prophetical truths, fore-speaking far greater happiness under the Gospel of God, and the Kingdom of Christ, when Christ himself shall be the Shepherd of his people, to lead them in the paths of righteousness, that he may make them rest in the fresh pastures by the still waters, Psal. 23.1, 2. Yea, when with joy all nations shall draw water out of the wells of salvation, as Esay 12.3. And therefore for use and conclusion, Be joyful in the Lord all ye lands, serve him with gladness, and come before his presence with a song, Psal. 100.1. For now we that were no better than dogs before, may at the last feed on the crumbs that fall from our Master's table, and we that have been ruled but with an iron rod in the time of the Law, able to break all the kingdoms of the earth to powder, have now the golden sceptre of grace stretched out over us, to guide us thorough the paths of righteousness in this world, unto the land of everlasting happiness in the world to come. And therefore let us praise the Lord all we Heathens, and sing unto him all we nations, because Jesus Christ, that is, the Anointed Saviour as well to us Gentiles, as to the Jews, is conceived by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie: and this sufficeth for his two names jesus Christ.  
It followeth: His only Son our Lord. Where you see, that every good Christian professes to believe, how that Jesus Christ is first the Son of God: secondly, his only Son: and thirdly, our Lord: of these in order. And first of the first, his Son. First, he is the Son of God, which when you hear, Beloved, you must take heed that you do not understand it only as he was man, conceived by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie; as follows afterward to be handled in the description of his manhood, when we shall come to those articles; for so he is usually styled the Son of man, as well as of God, but here he is to be believed the Son of God from the beginning, before ever he became man, or ever man was, or indeed before the world was. A Son, Qui non in temporibus esse coepit, sed ante saecula sempiternus, incomprehensibiliter à patre genitus: as Cyril speaks: Which had not his beginning in transitory and fleeting time, but was begotten by his Father before all worlds, as it is in the Nicene Creed; God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made, as there follows: so that as the Father is eternal, so is the Son eternal too, as saith Athanasius in his Creed.  
Now if any should be inquisitive to know, Quomodo aeternus aeternum, as S. Augustine speaks, how one eternal should beget another, seeing according to our natural reason, that which begets is before that which is begotten; I might answer, as in my former Catechism about the name of Father, Generationem ejus quis enarrabit? Who shall declare his generation? Esay 53.8. seeing the Angels thereof are ignorant, and it is unknown to the Prophets, and therefore, Non à nobis discutiendum, sed credendum, as S. Augustine: It is rather to be believed, than disputed or inquired into too fare: but yet because the Lord hath given us many earthly comparisons, both in his word and works, by which we may make some resemblances, and attain unto some glimpse of knowledge in those things that are heavenly: therefore with the same Father we will express it, as plainly as we can to your apprehension and conceit, entreating you with him, that if there be any thing that you cannot thoroughly and plainly understand, that yet you would believe, considering, as the Prophet saith, That until you believe you cannot understand, as S. Augustine reads it, Esay 7.9. Intellectus enim est merces fidei, as he further saith, Understanding is the reward of faith: and therefore seek not to understand, that thou mayest believe; but believe first, that thou mayest understand afterward. Nay, thou shalt understand, if thou firmly believest, if not in this life, yet in that which is to come, when thou shalt see face to face, and know as thou art known.  
Well then, Quomodo aeternus aeternum? sayest thou, How doth one eternal beget another? S. Augustine shall answer for me, Quomodo flamma temporalis generat lucem temporalem: Even as a temporal flame or fire doth beget a temporal light, where the begotten light is coequal in time to the begetting flame, neither being before nor after other: so that where there is a flame, you may be bold to say there is light, and where you see such a light, there you may be sure is also a flame or fire: so that, Ex quó incipit flamma, ex illo incipit lux: Look where the flame gins, than also the light even at that very instant of time. And therefore as S. Augustine goes on, Da mihi flammam sine luce, & do tibi Deum Patrem sine Filio: Show me a flame without light, and I will believe that God the Father may have a time to be without a Son, but not else; but as the light from its very first beginning begets shining, so God the Father from all eternity hath begot this Son, which in some places of the holy Scripture is called the Word of God: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, etc. Joh. 1.1. In other places, Sapientia Patris, The wisdom of the Father, as Luk. 11.49. Sometimes Virtus & potentia Dei, The virtue and power of the Lord: other times, Brachium & fortitudo Domini, The arm and strength of the Lord: and the like. All which show him to have his very essence and being with and from God, from the very beginning of eternity, even before all times, in this only to be distinguished from the Father, that the Father is of none, whereas the Son is of the Father, and the Holy Ghost is from them both, being but one God, howsoever three persons: so that as learned Mr. Hooker saith; The substance of God, with this property to be of none, doth make the person of the Father, the very selfsame substance in number, with this property to be of the Father, maketh the person of the Son; the same substance having added unto it the property of proceeding from the other two, maketh the person of the Holy Ghost: so that howsoever in the Godhead there be three persons, yet we acknowledge but one God; for the Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Ghost God, and yet not three Gods but one God, as Athanasius in his Creed: and therefore this one God, howsoever but one in substance and essence, when he was to make man, seems to distinguish himself into persons, by saying within himself, Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness, Gen. 1.26. in which words, and those immediately going before, Et divinitatis unitas & personarum pluralitas aperte ostenditur: The unity of the Godhead and plurality of persons is plainly and evidently shown: For whereas the next words before are, And God saw that it was good; he presently added, saying, Let us make man, etc. which adding of a verb of the plural number to a noun of the singular number, shows plainly as well a plurality of persons, as singularity of essence in the Godhead. And so likewise do the two nouns of the singular number, Image, and Similitude, show evidently, Non in Deo esse plura exemplaria, That there are not in God more patterns and samples to be resembled than one, according to the image and similitude whereof man was made; but adding a pronoun of the plural number to these nouns of the singular, as our image, and our similitude, it clearly demonstrates a plurality of persons, as well as the other did but one God; for if there were but one person, as the heretic Sabellius would infer, he had not said our image, but mine; nor our likeness, but only my likeness.  
The same likewise, viz. the plurality of persons in the Godhead, is further proved in another place of the same book of Genesis, and that is chap. 19 vers. 24. where it is said, Then the Lord reigned upon Sodom and Gomorrha brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven: now if there were but one person in the Godhead, what Lord should this be that should thus rain fire and brimstone from the Lord; but Lord being twice named, it doth plainly show the Son to be he that reigned; Quoniam à Patre genitus, Because he is begotten of his Father. And the Father to be him from whom he reigned, because he is not à Domino sed ingenitus, not from the Lord being unbegotten; but the Lord raining from the Lord, must needs be the Son from the Father, who à quo habet esse ab illo habet & operari; look from whom he hath his essence, from him also he hath his operation; and therefore it is said, that by him were all things made, joh. 1.3. And yet further, Ego & Paterunum sumus, I and my Father are one, saith Christ himself, joh. 10.30. And again, this is life eternal, to know thee to be the only true God, and whom thou hast sent, Jesus Christ, joh. 17.3. both which places show plainly a plurality of persons, though but one God. But you will say, that howsoever these places and the like may be sufficient to prove a duality, or that there are two persons in the Godhead, as Father and Son, yet they do not prove a Trinity, or that there are three persons in the same, as we are farther taught to believe; and therefore you desire proof of this also, for the better strengthening of your faith in that point, which I am content to yield unto, though it were more proper when we shall come to that article, of believing in the third person of this blessed Trinity, that is, the Holy Ghost.  
But if this be sufficiently proved, now that labour may be spared, then harken therefore for you farther satisfaction in this point, to that which follows: when Abraham sat in his tent door in the plain of Mamre, in the heat of the day, it is said, that the Lord appeared unto him, and he lift up his eyes and looked, and lo three men stood by him, and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the rend door, and bowed himself to the ground, and he said; Lord, if I have now found favour in thy sight, go not I pray thee from thy servant, Gen. 18.1, 2, 3. Here you see three appeared, yet Abraham speaks but as to one, saying, Lord, and thy, and thee, all in the singular number. Yea, the Text itself expresseth these three to be but one Lord, saying, That the Lord appeared, vers. 1. and yet three appeared, vers. 2.  
Secondly, the Prophet David saith, God even our own God shall bless us, God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear him, Psal. 67. ult. where he names God thrice, to show a Trinity of persons, and then concludeth with, All shall fear him, expressing these three persons to be notwithstanding but one God.  
Thirdly, the Prophet Esay, speaking of the Seraphims, praising the Lord says, they did it after this manner, saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts, the whole world is full of his glory, Esa. 6.3. where by crying thrice holy, they demonstrate a Trinity of persons, and by saying Lord God, and his glory, in the singular number, they declare also the Unity of the same. And these proofs shall serve out of the Old Testament: in the new likewise we find sundry to the same purpose, and we will begin with S. Paul first, who saith, That of him, and through him, and for him, are all things: to him therefore be glory for ever, Amen, Rom. 11. ult. where having named him thrice, he shows the three persons; and adding to him, and not to them, be glory, he likewise manifestly teaches but one God. And again, he shows the Trinity in another place very plainly, though not the Unity, viz. when he says, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all, 2 Cor. 13. ult. where the three persons are expressly named, which is as much as we look for at this time, having plentifully proved the Unity before. S. john likewise saith, There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one, 1 joh. 5 7. where both Trinity and Unity are apparently expressed: as also in the Revelation, Holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and which is, and which is to come, Revel. 4.8.  
And lastly, our Saviour himself likewise to manifest the same unto his Church in after ages, commands his Apostles, at his last farewell from them on earth, to go unto all Nations, and to baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Matth. 28.19. which should never have been done, if these three Persons had not been one and the same God. Now then to finish this point, if you understand these things, give praise and thankes unto God that hath made you capable of such high and hidden mysteries, by enabling you so to do, if you do not understand, yet faithfully believe, and it may be a means to save your souls: And in particular for the present Article in hand, believe the confession of Saint Peter which he made unto Christ himself, demanding of his Disciples who he was, Simon Peter answered for all the rest; Thou art Christ the Son of the living God, Matth. 16.16. So say you every one for himself, I believe in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  
The next circumstance is, that he is unicus, his only Son; And in Jesus Christ his only Son: So that he is to be believed not only to be his Son, but his only Son too, for thus the holy Scriptures declare him, and therefore it is our parts so to believe him. As first, where it is said, The Word was made flesh, and dwelled amongst us, and we saw the glory thereof, as the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father, full of grace and truth, joh. 1.14. And again, No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him, verse the tenth of the same Chapter. But if Christ be God's only Son, how then are we also called his sons? will you say unto me, yea, and the Angels likewise are termed his children, job 1.6. To which I answer, that Christ is called Gods only Son, because he alone is his Son by nature and eternal generation, and none but he; whereas the Angels are his sons but by creation, as indeed are all the creatures of the world beside, and his elect and chosen children by a more special grace of redemption and adoption, as it is said; As many as received him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God, even to them that believe in his Name, joh. 1.12. And again, When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the Law, that he might redeem them which are under the Law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, Gal. 4.4, 5 verses. And therefore, as S. john saith, Behold, what love the Father hath showed on us, that we should be called the sons of God, 1 joh. 3.1. So that, as I say, we are sons indeed by grace and adoption, but Christ is his only Son by nature and eternal generation, as I said before, and none but he. And therefore unicus dicitur, quia nec comparationem recipit cum creaturis, nec similitudinem: as S. Augustine speaketh; He is called Gods only Son, because there is neither comparison nor resemblance betwixt his Sonship, and that of the creatures: He being a Son of Gods own substance; for ex ore altissimi prodi●i, I came out of the mouth of the most high, primogenitus, being the first borne of all creatures, as Ecclus. 24.5. and unigenitus, the only begotten Son of God, as before out of joh. 1.18. A Son then begotten, not created, not of grace, but nature; before, not in time, as all the creatures are, and therefore an only Son. Hereupon, himself taking his farewell of his Disciples, joh. 20. (as Mr. Hum. Sidenham hath well observed) he shows them this intervallum and distance between his generation and their adoption, in saying, I go to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God; not to our Father, but to mine and yours. This separation implies a diversity, and shows that God is his Father indeed, but our Creator; and therefore he adds, my God and your God; mine, by a privilege of nature; yours, of grace; mine out of the womb (as it were) of everlastingness, yours out of the jaws of time. And therefore seeing Christ only is properly and truly God's Son, and none but he, it may serve thus fare to be a comfort and consolation unto us, yea, and to strengthen our trust in God, in that the love of God hath been so wonderful, and his mercy so unspeakable towards us, as that he hath not spared his own and his only Son for us, as it is said, God so loved the world, that he hath given his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life, joh. 3.16. sufficit pro unico.  
The third and last circumstance is, that he is called our Lord, And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: So saith S. Paul to us, There is but one God which is the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him, and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him, 1 Cor. 8.6. And therefore he saith of himself to his Disciples, Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well, for so I am, joh. 13.13. For God hath made him both Lord and Christ: this Jesus whom ye have crucified, saith S. Peter, Act. 2.36. Now this is as S. Augustine saith, because Spoliavit antiquo hostem, singulari dominio suo asciscit nos; He having vanquished and overcome our old enemy the Devil, and spoiled him of all principality and power, he now rules and reigns over us himself, by the power of his Word and holy Spirit, guiding and directing us in all our ways, and protecting and defending us in all our dangers, so that our spiritual enemies shall no more be able to prevail against us. As also in regard of our redemption, because he hath purchased us to himself, being before captives and slaves of the Devil, and therefore may justly challenge a lordship and dominion over us. And this may serve first to comfort us, That he being our Lord, and we abiding under his protection, we need not fear what any enemy, whether spiritual or temporal, whether Devil or wicked men can do unto us: For if God be on our side, who can be against us, saith Saint Paul, Rom. 8.31. And therefore let us not fear them which can kill only the body, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both body and soul in hell; as it is said, Matth. 10.28. And indeed in the second place, his Lordship over us aught to beget a fear in us towards his holy name, according to that of the Prophet, If I be a Lord, where is my fear, Malac. 1.6. For howsoever, as he is a Saviour, he most truly deserves our love, yet as he is Lord both of heaven and earth, and Judge both of quick and dead, he as justly requires our fear. Now both these titles, as ye see, are here ascribed unto him, and given him even in this one Article of our Creed; for as he is in this last clause of it styled and called our Lord, so before he was called Jesus a Saviour: here Dominus, which is nomen Majestatis, a name of fear and Majesty, there Jesus which is nomen benignitatis & amoris, a name of benignity and love. This shows him to be an eternal being, and a giver of being to all his creatures: That that he is the Author of our well being, that had made ourselves in a miserable being; so that it had been better for us never to be, than to be in such a miserable estate as either we were all by nature, or they all shall be, that are and shall be without this Jesus, this Saviour: uterque hic profitetur & Dominus & Salvator; he is here professed to be both, both Lord and Saviour; ut pro potestate qua omni suae creaturae dominatur, jure metuendum ostenderetur, pro bonitate vero qua misericorditèr quosdam salvat, dignum dilectione demonstraretur; as S. Augustine speaks, i. e. that in regard of his power, whereby he rules over all his creatures, it might be shown that he ought worthily to be feared; and in regard of his goodness, whereby he saves some, he might be demonstrated to be worthy likewise of all love; but as one saith, Many are willing and ready to embrace Christ as Jesus, to save them, who yet like not to have him urged upon them as their Lord to govern and command them; sufficit pro hoc atrticulo.   
Which was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Mary. 
THese two circumstances of the conception and birth of Christ, express to the full the manner how he took our humane nature upon him, and became man, for as all mankind is so generated and brought forth into the world, first by conception in the womb of a Mother, and then by production and bringing forth from thence, according to the time of life, which the Lord hath appointed by his wise and all-guiding and governing providence and decree; so he being to take our true and perfect humane nature and shape upon him, that therein he might perform all that righteousness which the Law of God doth require at the hands of mankind, and so satisfy the rigour of the Law, and the wrath of God in man's person, for man's sins, according to that first promise and prophesy of him: The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpent's head, Gen. 3.15. Therefore it was requisite, that after the manner of all other persons and people whatsoever, he should be propagated and produced into the world, as well by conception as by birth, that so the Enemy of mankind might have nothing to object against the justice of God, as if true and perfect man had not truly and perfectly fulfilled the whole Law, and so quit himself from the danger of the breach of that first Command, of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat, for in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die the death, or surely die, Gen. 2.17. Therefore, I say, our Saviour Christ being to become a perfect man, it behoved him in all things (sin only excepted) to be made like man, as well by conception, as by birth from a carnal and natural Mother, in regard whereof it is here said, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Mary.  
First, of his conception, He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, for so the Angel Gabriel told Mary his Mother, when she doubted and demanded, saying, How shall this thing be, seeing I know not a man? Luke 1.34. And the Angel answered in the next verse, saying, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be borne of thee, shall be called the Son of God, vers. 35. And in S. Matthewes Gospel it is said, She was found to be with Child of the Holy Ghost, and that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost, Matth. 1.18.20. That is, saith S. Augustine, Cujus conceptionis solus author fuit Spiritus Sanctus; of whose conception the Holy Ghost only was the Author: and yet not so the Author neither,  caro ista formata sit citra interventum propriae essentiae Filii Dei, as Athanasius speaks; as if the flesh were form without the intervention of the proper essence of the Son of God. Absit, ea enim est mens Pauli Samosatensis et reliquorum haereticorum; as he goes on: Fare be it from us so to imagine, this being the mind and conceit of Paulus Samosatensis, and other Heretics: but we believe and speak, secundum orthodoxorum dogmatum rectitudinem, according to the rectitude and straightness of the Catholic Tenets, that the blessed Virgin was filled indeed with the power and virtue of the Holy Ghost, Tum ut corpus ejus sanctificaretur, tum ut salutarem illum foetum concipere possit; as well for the sanctification of her body, as the enabling of her to conceive that saving and life-bringing fruit in her womb, and so at the last after these fitting preparations the divine nature of the Word itself, that is, the second person in the sacred Trinity descended; Et ibi suum tabernaculum eligens in ea incarnationem assumpsit & homo factus est; as Athanasius still: and choosing there the place of his residence for a time, assumed his incarnation and manhood in her; so that for us men and for our salvation himself came down from heaven, was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, as the Nicene Creed teacheth; for by the salutation of an Angel, saith S. Gregory, the Word entered the womb, and straight the Word in the womb by the working of the Holy Ghost became flesh; for if she had conceived by the ordinary way of propagating mankind, i. e. by the carnal knowledge of man, whether Joseph her husband, or any other, why then that which should have been borne of her, could not have been without sin, and so not capable of the Mediatorship betwixt God and man, nor of satisfying the Law and wrath of God for man; but now being made man, not after the ordinary course of nature, but of the sanctified flesh and blood of his Mother, through the miraculous working of the Holy Ghost in her womb, he is capable of doing all that belongs unto our redemption, for by his most holy conception, our sinful birth and conception is sanctified, and his holiness of life serves as a cover to hide our manifold actual corruptions from the eyes of God: For, for their sakes (saith Christ) do I sanctify myself, that they also may be sanctified through the truth, joh. 17.19. which shows that Christ's holiness is ours; so that this is the name whereby we may call him, The Lord our righteousness, saith Jeremy, Chap. 23.6. Neither let it be incredible to any (as S. Augustine speaks) that he should take the whole and perfect nature of man only from his Mother the Virgin; Nulla sementina carnis origine operante; Without any operation or assistance of carnal seed, seeing that the hand and power of God wrought and effected it; quae primam mulierem potuit de costa formare; which was able, and did make the first woman that ever was, only of a rib of the first man her husband: And therefore he that was thus able to make a perfect and entire woman only out of the flesh of man, without any other help or assistance, let us not doubt, but steadfastly believe that he is as able to make a perfect and entire man only out of the flesh of woman, so that he shall become as perfect God, so likewise perfect man, of a reasonable soul, and humane flesh subsisting, as Athanasius: for if it be possible (as S. Augustine saith) for a worm to be engendered and framed a living creature out of the mud, or clay, or dirt, or dung, and the like, only by the Sun's working, heating and reflecting upon it; then much more for the flesh of Christ to be conceived of the Virgin Mary, by the only overshadowing, illustrating, and sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost.  He was conceived of the Holy Ghost. 
And here we may take notice of four manner of births, i. e. ways or kinds of producing or bringing mankind into the world. The first, Nec de viro, nec de femina; neither of man nor woman, which was Adam made only by the Almighty hand and power of God, out of the dust and clay of the earth, Gen. 2.7. The second, De viro sine muliere: Of the man without the help of woman, and this was Eve, who was made only of the rib of man, Gen. 2.22. The third, De viro & muliere; Both of man and woman, as we are all ordinarily propagated by carnal generation. The fourth and last, De muliere sine viro; Of the woman without the help of man, and this was Christ conceived only by the Holy Ghost.  
Born of the Virgin Mary, is the second circumstance of his humanity: First borne, secondly, of a Virgin; of the first, the meaning is no more but this, That in the ordinary time of travel, according to the course of nature, he was brought forth into the world by a woman called Mary, whom the Lord had selected for that purpose, that his only begotten Son, the second Person in the sacred Trinity, might take his humane flesh and nature of her, and so become that promised seed of the woman which should break the Serpent's head, spoken of before out of Gen. 3.15. according to that also of the Apostle; For as much as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part with them, that he might destroy through death, him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil, Hebr. 2.14. For he in no sort took the Angel's nature, but he took the seed of Abraham, as there follows, verse 16. Now then, if we do once truly and firmly believe his conception, there is no great doubt or difficulty to be made concerning his birth, because all mankind, after they are conceived in the womb, do by the ordinary course of nature in due time of procreation, i. e. after nine months' space proceed to a birth into the world, and so likewise our Saviour Christ: only hence ariseth a difference, and the difficulty, that whereas all other mothers, after they have once conceived with child, cease to be, and to be accounted Virgins; the Mother of Christ continued what she was before, a Virgin still, yea, and so remained unto her lives end: And therefore is said, Borne of the Virgin Mary. Whereupon S. Augustine saith, He that came to renew the corrupted and depraved nature of sinful mankind, novam legem voluit habere nascendi, would be borne after a new and unusual manner: Ius enim non erat ut virginis violaretur integritas per Christi adventum qui venerat sanare corrupta; It being not meet that he which came to heal that which was corrupted and broken, should by his said coming violate and break that which was whole, i. e. the virginity and integrity of his Mother: and therefore all antiquity have concluded and determined of her that she was a Virgin, ante partum, in partu, post partum, before her travel, in her travel, and after her travel, so remaining even to her dying day, as I said before.  
First, before her travel, to fulfil that prophecy which had foretold that a Virgin should conceive and bear a Son, and that his name should be called Emanuel, which is, God with us, Esay 7.15. which name agrees with none but our Saviour Christ, which was both God and man; and therefore the said prophecy is said to be fulfilled in him, Matth. 1.23.  
Secondly, in her travel, that he which was borne of her might be without sin, for all others must say as David; Behold, I was borne in sin, and in iniquity hath my mother conceived me, Psal. 51.5. Only the Mother of Christ, because she had conceived without the carnal knowledge of man, might say, as S. Augustine makes her to speak, Quinatus de ventre meo me mat●em dimisit intactam; He that is borne of me, hath indeed made me a Mother, but yet he hath left me without any unclean touch of carnal contagion or contamination: At implevit ventrem meum divinitate, & uterum meum non evacuavit castitate: So that howsoever he have filled me with his Divinity, yet he hath not rob or spoiled me of my chastity; Sola impregnata, nec vitiata, exonerata, nec vacuata; but I, I only, of all the women in the world, have been found with child, without deflowering, and delivered of a child, without defiling, because as the Angel Gabriel, Paranimphus Christi, the Paranimph of Christ, as Saint Augustine styles him, saluted me: I have been freely beloved, and the Lord hath been with me, so that I am bless d amongst women, Luke 1.28. Now then, as the same holy Father still speaks, Considero conceptum tuum, beata virgo, & expavesco: intucor partum, & contremisco: adoro filium tuum, & revivisco; When I consider thy conception, O blessed Virgin, I am astonished: when I behold thy delivery, I stand amazed; but when I come to adore thy Son, I am revived, seeing he that at the first created thee, hath honoured thee so fare as to be borne of thee; Borne of the Virgin Mary: And as she was a Virgin before, and in her travel, so likewise after, even to her lives end; Posterior enim concupiscentia minuisset fidem prioris virginitatis: For her after concupiscence and carnal long, if she had any, would have diminished the credit and belief of her former virginity; and indeed it was not meet that the only Son of God, that was borne of a Virgin and without sin, should come afterward to have had a carnal brotherhood, which must needs have been conceived in sin, which might have fallen out, if she had had carnal knowledge afterwards of her husband Joseph. And therefore Jovinianus, Helvidius, and all Heretics of that strain, which have so affirmed, are to be detested and avoided for many reasons. First, because it would have derogated from the perfection of Christ to have had such brethren, who as he was the only begotten Son of his Father in heaven; so was it meet that he should be the only S●n of his Mother here on earth. Secondly, because Mary in the after carnal knowledge of her husband joseph should have done wrong and injury to the Holy Ghost; Cujus sacrarium fuit uterum virgins; Whose virgin womb had been sanctified and consecrated by him, as it were, unto the Lord, and therefore ought not to be defiled, Per virilem commixtionem, by any unclean touch and commixture of man. Thirdly, because she would have been thought very unthankful and ungrateful unto God, if she had not been contented with such a Son. Fourthly, and lastly, because it would have been too great a presumption in joseph, Si polluere attentaret virginem; If he should have offered once to violate the virginity of her, of whom the Lord was borne: and therefore there is no doubt but we may safely hold and believe her a Virgin as well after, as in and before her travel, and say, I believe in jesus Christ conceived by the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Mary: for as a Star sends forth its beam without any detriment, or corruption to itself; Sic virgo Filium Christum; as Bernard speaks: So might the Virgin Mary her Son Christ without any wrong to her virginity: which the Fathers also prove by many allusions from the sacred Scriptures and Word of God, applying some mystical passages of the same to the conception and birth of Christ: of this blessed Virgin, Rubus Mosaicus, virga Aaronica, vellus Gedeonis, clausa Ezechielis porta, Virginem parituram sine detrimento virginitati suae designant; saith one: Moses bush that burned and was not consumed, Exod. 3.2. Aaron's rod that budded and blossomed, and bare ripe Almonds, when it was withered and dry, Numb. 17.8. gedeon's fleece that was full of dew, that one might wring it when all the earth was dry beside, judg. 6.38. And ezekiel's gate which was shut, so that none should enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel had entered by it, Ezech. 44.2. do all in some sort or other express the conception and birth of the Son of God, without any detriment to the virginity of his Mother: and indeed the last of these Ezekiels shut gate, is nearly applied by S. Augustine himself in his eighteenth Sermon De tempore, to this purpose, where he saith, Quid est porta in domo Domini clausa nisi quod Maria semper erit intacta, etc. What is meant by the gate in the house of the Lord, which is always shut, but only this that the Virgin Mary shall ever remain untouched and undefiled: Et quid est quod homo non transit per eam nisi quia Ioseph non cognovit eam: And what is meant by that, that no man shall enter by it, but this, that her husband joseph shall not carnally know her: Et quid est quod Dominus solus intrat & egredietur per eam nisi quia Spiritus Sanctus impregnavit eam; And what by that, that the Lord God of Israel only shall go in and out thereat, but this, that she hath conceived by the Holy Ghost: Et quid est clausa erit in aeternum, nisi quia erit Maria virgo, ante partum, in partu, post partum: And what by this, that it shall be shut for ever; but this, that Mary shall be a Virgin before, in, and after her delivery of her said Son Christ Jesus, as I said before▪ in so much as she may say of herself, as he goes on, Porta facta sum coeli, janua facta sum filio Dei: I am made the gate of heaven, and am become a door to the Son of God, because he vouchsafes to go in and out by me, and that without either opening or shutting of my sanctified womb, whereby my virginity should be impaired in the least degree, as after his resurrection he entered in among the midst of his Disciples, when the doors were fast shut, Joh. 20.19. And therefore we need not fear to believe him borne of the Virgin Marie.  
And thus you see, Beloved, how Christ the Son of God took our humane nature and shape perfectly, and entirely upon him, and so became also the Son of man; first, by being conceived, and then borne of the Virgin Marie; which howsoever it may seem strange and almost miraculous unto us, yet to God that did work it, it was both facile and easy; for that God that hath written wondrous things in his Law, is able also to work wondrous things for us in his Gospel; Quid autem sunt mirabilia nisi quae hominibus sunt impossibilia: Augustine. And what, I pray you, is wonderful, but that which seems to us impossible. As for example, the very writing of the Law in Tables of stone, without fitting instruments, is itself a very wonder of the Law. Again, the earth's yielding bread in the wilderness, without either ploughing or sowing, as Exod. 16.15. is another wonder of the same. And thirdly, Aaron's rod spoken of before, which having been withered many years, as S. Augustine says, beginning to revive without water, to flourish in the Tabernacle, and to bring forth nuts or almonds, when it was enclosed under the dry roof of an house, is a third wonder also of the Law of God. Now then (as S. Augustine applies it) if we have read these things in God's Law, why do we not understand them and believe them, when we see them, or the very like to them acted and performed, even to our comfort and consolation in these days and times of the Gospel: for he that writ the stony Tables without an iron pen, by the same power and skill could cause the Virgin Marie to conceive with child by the Holy Ghost, without the help of man. And he that brought forth bread in the wilderness, without breaking and ploughing up the earth, was able also to bring a Son from the womb of the Virgin, without violating or wronging her virginity. And he that caused the dry rod to bud and blossom, and the like, without moisture; Ipse fecit filiam David sine semine generare: He made this daughter of the house of David to bring forth this blessed fruit of her womb, even without seed.  
And therefore doubt not, but steadfastly believe that Christ was an entire and perfect man, howsoever he was not conceived, nor borne after the usual and ordinary manner of bringing mankind into the world; but conceived of the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie: for this birth of his, after this manner, shows him to be what indeed he was, and what he ought to be, seeing he came to be a Mediator betwixt God and us, viz. it shows him to be both God and man: for in that he was borne and took flesh of a woman, it shows him to be true man: but in that he was borne of a Virgin, Se Deum docet, qui partus Deum decet; as S. Ambrose speaks; It shows him to be likewise God, for such a birth becomes none but the Son of God. And indeed there are many reasons, why Christ should be borne of a pure Virgin; as first, for the greater honour and dignity of God the Father that sent him, that so he only might be his Father on earth, that was his Father in heaven: and therefore saith S. Augustine, Non quaesivit quidem nisi matrem in terra, quod jam patrem habebat in coelo: He sought but only for a mother on earth, because he had a Father before in heaven. Secondly, for the honour also of the Son himself that was sent, who as he was the Word of God from the beginning, so he might be the Son of God to the end. Now as the Word is conceived without any corruption of the heart from whence it doth proceed, so ought he to be without any corruption of his mother. Thirdly, for the greater credit of his humane nature, in which there ought not to be the least stain of sin, seeing he came to satisfy God's wrath for man's sin, which could not have been effected by any other birth than only of a pure Virgin. Fourthly and lastly, for the end of his incarnation, which was to regenerate and beget men anew unto the Lord, that so as many as would receive him, might have power given them to become also the sons of God: but how, not by being borne of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, joh. 1.12, 13.  
And therefore much more he, to the intent he might beget virgin members to be of the same body whereof he was the head, that is, a pure and glorious Church or Congregation, not having spot or wrinkle, was himself to be borne of a Virgin-mother; and therefore we may safely say and believe, that Christ howsoever he were the only Son of God, begotten before all time, yet that also in time he was borne man of the Virgin Marie: in so much as S. Augustine speaks, De creatura sua Creator omnium procreatur, de rivulo suo ●●ns magnus exoritur, radix omnium de virgulto suo nascitur, & vitis vera palmitis sui fructus efficitur: that is, The true Vine is become the fruit of its own branch, and the root of all things is sprung from its own sprig or sien, the great fountain is risen from its own rivulet, and the Creator of all things is borne of his own creature: and Maria is become Theotocos Deipara, or Dei genetrix, that is, the Mother of God, as Vincentius Lirinensis styles her, according also to certain old English verses, which I have read to that purpose: 
A virgin and a mother bears a Son,  
The creature her Creator on her knee;  
From all beginnings, yet but now begun,  
Servant to time, Lord of eternity:  
Earth's weakness, and heaven's power in him do dwell,  
Which is both God and man, Emanuel.  And again: Qui regit sydera, sugit ubera.  
Who sits in heaven upon his Throne of State,  
Sucks here on earth the milk of infancy:  
Who rules the stars, and guides the stern of fate,  
Sustains the yoke of humane misery,  
Eats, drinks, wakes, sleeps, and weeps as mortal man,  
In whom immortal happiness began.  
For as in the first creation of mankind, man was created after the image and similitude of God: so in the restitution and repairing of the same mankind again after his fall, it was requisite that God should be made after the image and similitude of man, that so he might be a fit Mediator unto God for man, not as God: for so he is able by his own authority, to take away and forgive sins, according to that, Who can forgive sins but God only? but as man, that so he might satisfy for man's offences, in the same nature in which the breach and offence began, as the Apostle speaketh; God sent forth his Son made of a woman, and made under the Law, that so he might redeem those that were under the Law, Gal. 4.4, 5. which he could not have done, if he had not taken the very nature of man upon him; and therefore was he in no wise to take the Angel's nature upon him, but only the seed of Abraham, as I told you before, out of Heb. 2.16. Quia Angelus nullum habuit consortium cum homine qui peccaverat: Because the Angels had no society or fellowship with that nature of man which had transgressed; neither was the whole Angelical nature lapsed and fallen as man's was, but only in part: for though some fell, yet others abode steadfast, and are so established for ever. Thirdly, because the Angels fell of themselves, by their own proper pride and malice, without any enticement, or external provocation of another; but man fell through infirmity, and by the subtle suggestion and allurement of the serpent, the instrument of Satan; therefore was it meet that the Son of God should be made the Son of man, that so he might be a perfect Mediarour betwixt God and man; God that he might satisfy, & man that he might suffer: Nam si bomo non vicisset inimicum hominis, non juste victus esset inimicus: saith Irenaeus: For unless man had overcome the enemy of man, he had not been justly vanquished. Nam posterius debet reduci ad perfectionem, per id quod prius est in eodem genere: as say the Logicians: That which is latter cannot be reduced to perfection, but only by that which was before in the same kind. And therefore, that God may redeem man, God must become man, that so we may be made the adopted sons of God; Per eum qui naturalis est, by him that is his son by nature: and as by a man came our death, so by a man also might come our resurrection from the dead, as S. Paul saith, 1 Cor. 15.  
And thus have you at large heard related and dilated unto you, how in the incarnation and birth of Christ, God is become man, by being conceived of the Holy Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Marie, who although he be God and man, yet he is not two but one Christ, one not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God; one altogether not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person: as Athanasius. Which is likewise well expressed by Vincentius Lirinensis when he says that in Trinitate there is alius atque alius, non aliud atque aliud; but in Christ there is aliud & aliud, non alius & alius: that is, as there is in the blessed Trinity a diversity of persons, as God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost; but not a diversity of things, natures, substances, because they are all but one God: so in Christ on the other side there is a diversity of things, natures, substances, as Deity and humanity; but not of persons, because these two natures are become but one person in him, Sicut in homine aliud caro, & aliud anima, sed unus idemque homo anima & caro: as he goes on. Which our Liturgy shall translate; As the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; which example of two distinct natures substances spiritual and corporeal, soul and body concurring, to the composition of one whole and entire person, Man doth so fully express to my understanding the manner of the union of the two natures, Godhead and manhood in one Christ, that the weakest and shallowest capacity being able to consider of the one, may conceive the other. And therefore I will proceed no further in proof and declaration of it; but only desire God (for conclusion of this Article) that we may so firmly and steadfastly believe in this blessed seed, and Son of the blessed Virgin, that as he of her hath taken our nature upon him, and is become the son of man; so we by him may be so renewed in soul and spirit, as that we may become the sons of God, and as members of that body, whereof he is the head, may ascend with him our elder brother into the land of the living, whither he is ascended with our flesh and humane nature before us, to provide places and eternal mansions for us. Which the Lord of his infinite goodness vouchsafe to grant us, even for the same Jesus his sake, Amen.   
FINIS.