Sermons Upon all the Sunday Gospels, Sermon 41
The first Sermon on Trinitie Sonday. Of the feaste.
MAny thinges shold be spoken as touching this feast. For first of all ye Gospel is very fruitfull, and preacheth of great matters. And it is necessary also to speake of the cheife article of our religion for as muche as we Christian men onlye, and none beside vsus do beleue in god the father, and in god the sonne, and in god the holy ghost. This is the principall article in our congregation, which was not inuented by man, neither came euer to mans mynde:The article of the Trinitie. But is only opened vntounto vsus of god by the worde. Wherfore euen as God by other feastes thorough ye eare, is gloriously set forth by his workes which he hath don: that by thē his good will and pleasure toward vsus might be knowen. (as the feast of the Natiuitie of Christ is celebrate & kept holy at that time whan Christ became man, and the resurrection of Christ,Why the feast of the trinitie was ordayned. whan this man that was god, raysed himself from the dead: and Whitsontyde when the holy ghost came downe in a visible forme, & began his operation: and so forth: so that all feastes do declare with what god is (as a man woulde say) appareled) So this present feaste was therfore ordained, that it might be knowen as nigh as it is possible out of gods worde, what God is in his nature and substance of hymselfe, without any maner of visers or shewes. And here are all creatures, Angels, and heauens to be ouerpassed with a highe contemplation, and all inferiour thinges, (to the whiche we are commonly accustomed) are also to be set asyde. And these thinges only are to be heard, whiche God pronounceth of hymself and his proper substance and nature. And here doth appeare what is the wisedom of the worlde and the folyshnes of God. For whan the worlde heareth, that one eternall God is three distincte persons: this it can in no case alowe, but iudgeth all mad, that either teache those thinges or beleue so, as they teache.
The article of the trinitie is muche withstanded.Wherefore this article in the new testament in the whiche it is very euidently set forth, hath ben sharplye withstanded & resisted. So that this was the occasiō, as witnesseth the histories, that Iohn the Euangelist wrot his gospell.Why Io… wrote hys go…pell. For by & by there sprong vp the hereticke Cherinthus, which had learned of Moyses that ther was but one God. Whereby he gathered, that Christ could be no God,Cherinthus. as God himselfe could not be man. Wherfore he did vse this sylogisme and sophisme of reason, and thought, that euen as he hymselfe could vnderstande, and gather by reason the thynge, that it was so in dede in heauē, and could none otherwise be.Reason deceauethe in matters of god. But away with this iudge & false estemer of things, I meane reason. Blind reason, where as it is not sufficiētly able to knowe it selfe, yet wil it not stycke to be so bold as to iudge of god. For yet is there none foūde yt can know for a suretie, what this is, that men see wt eyes, & speake & laughe with mouth. And yet we stāde so highe in our owne conceite, that we will speake & dispute of God and of his substance, yea and that of our owne proper reason without helpe. This is a great folishenes. I can not parfectly determine what is seing or laughyng, and yet I will take vponupon me to knowe and geue sentence of that, wherof I knowe nothing at al, & wherof god only ought to pronounce. Yet the worlde setteth muche by this folishnes, & the Turkes & the Iewes mocke vsus christiās as half mad, because we beleue that Christ is god. But if this were wisdō,Turckes and Iewes denye christe to be God. who might not pronounce & thinke with the Turkes: Ther is but one god, Christ is not god? But when scripture and the word of god is put forth, this thinking and pronouncing is nothing worth. But we muste speake or at least wise stammer of those things, as the scripture doth point vsus, yt is, that Christ is very god, yt the holy ghost is very god, & yet yt ther are not three gods, neither three natures or substāces as we nūber three sons, three men, three angels or three windowes. For so is not god distinct in his substance, but there is one only substance of god. Wherfore although there be three persons, god the father & god the sonne, and god the holy Ghost: yet in substance they can not be deuided or discerned. For ther is only one god consistyng of one indiuisible substance.
Colos. 1.For so sayth Paule of Christ: whiche is the Image of the vnuisible god, the first begotten of al creatures, for by hym were all thynges made, that are in heauen or in earth, visible and inuisible, whether they be thrones, or dominations, or principats, or potestats. All thynges were made by hym and in him, & he is before all things, & al things do consist in him. Thou hearest yt Paule doth place al creatures beneth or vnderunder Christ If therfore he is aboue all creatures, it foloweth, that only god is ther.Christ proued god. For exempt out of ye nūber of al creatures is nothing but onelyonly God. Wherfore he calleth him the image of the inuisible god. For he can not be ye image of god, except he be likewise almighty, likewise eternal, likewise, wise, iust, good, &c. for otherwise, christ could be no such image, yt shold be like his father, if he were but lacking one of these things. Wherfore both doth cōsequently folow: first if the sonne of god be the image of the father, than must he nedes be in al points in the same diuine substance with the father. Furthermore ther must nedes be a difference of persons, for as much as ye sonne is not the father, neither the father is the sonne. For that that begetteth can not be yt, that is begotten, & yet ther is one diuine essence, or els ye sonne could not be the image of ye father. And here now must we r…ast. For we can speake no plainlier, we do only stut and stammer at it. The matter is to highe for our capacitie, and can not be pronounced of in this lyfe.
Yf the Iewes and Turkes mocke vsus, as thoughe we diuided heauen betwene three brethren, whiche rule altogether: so myght we also do, if we woulde lay asyde the scripture. But they do vsus wronge to say so by vsus. We make not three men, or three Angels, but one diuine substance, and plaine vnitie, in respect of all thinges, whiche are in earth. For the bodye and soule are not so lyke, as God is like hym selfe:One deuine substance and thre persons. But if any man enquire further and aske vsus, howe he is called on God? Here we answere after scripture and say: He is named god the father, God the sonne, and god the holy Ghost. For so scripture teacheth, that GOD eternally without beginning begote the sonne. Before all Creatures, before the constitution of the worlde,Colos. …. Heb. 1. & before the foundations of the earth, which is also himselfe lykewise eternall, almightie, and iuste, &c. Wherefore Paule also calleth hym the image of the father.
Therfore Paule sayth: Let vsus not tempte Christe,1. Cor. 10. Numer. 4. as some hauehave tempted hym, and perished by serpents. And we may see in this place, how Paule and Moses do agree, as though they spake with one mouth. Moses sayth that the Lorde saide: this people hath tempted me ten times. And in this place onelyonly is the name …e…ragrammaton, whiche is only attribute and geuen to God, because the only true God hath so said. But Paule pronounceth precisely, who was this god: euen Christ. Hym, saith he, do we tempte euen as certaine of them tempted him. Let him scof out this matter that will: surely I can not. For Paule saith, that it was Christ, whom they tempted. But Moses saith, that it was the onelyonly true God. But at that tyme was not Christe borne, nor Marie his mother, no not so muche as Dauid was borne. And yet notwithstanding this Paule saieth, yt the Iewes, which were than in the desert and not yet come into the lande of Canaan: tempted Christe, and admonished vsus to beware that we should not do likewise, least we fall into lyke punishement. These wordes do proue certainlye,Moses and paule confese christe to be god. that Christ is that man of whome Moyses wrote, that he is the onelyonly, eternall, almighty God. Therfore Moyses and Paule doth confesse with one mouth, although the wordes be diuers, that Christ is true and eternall God.
Lyke testimonies are in the new testament & that very man, whiche can not be denied, but that a man may firmelie proue by them, that Christ is God, and therfore that he is begotten of the father, and hath a certaine difference from the father, thou mayst call it with what name thou wilte, we call it a person, although this name is not sufficient. But otherwise we can not name him. For we hauehave no proper vocable, so that the father and the sonne are not one person, and yet are they one vnseparable and indiuisible substance and nature, that whatsoeuer is spoken of the father, maye also be spoken of the sonne, excepte this that the father doth begett the sonne eternallie, and not the sonne the father.
So Paule also sayth to the Ephesians at Miletum wher he byddeth,Act. 20. farewell: Take hede to you and to the flocke, in the which the holy Ghost hath put you, that ye fede the congregation of god, whiche he hath purchased by his bloud. This is also a plaine sentence, that CHRIST whiche by his bloud purchased the congregation, is GOD. For this is of a certaynetie, that the church belongeth to none but to God. For she acknowledgeth no man for hyr God. Wherefore if Christ hath purchased it, and it be his, it must nedes be, that he is God. But truly it is certayne that he hath purchased it by his bloud, wherfore it must nedes folow, that Christ is true God, & eternally begotten of god the father, & borne into the world of the virgin Mary temporallye and corporallie. For so saith Paule here, vntounto the pastours: Take hede to your selues, it is no small charge that ye hauehave, to fede the congregation of god, that is to saye a multitude, whome god hath purchased by his bloud. And this it is to put teachers in remembrance of their hard function & dutie.He speaketh of the popyshe Byshoppes. For although we hauehave not the ornamēts and apparell of bishoppes, yet is our ministration better and more certain, than theirs. God graunt that we may execute it better, then many of them do. There be many moe lyke sentences in the Gospel of Iohn, as touchyng the godhed of Christe, and yet that the father & the sonne are distincte persons. Which cā not be ouercome by ye iesting of the Iewes & Turkes. Ther is in the new testament great store of such testimonis, wheras ye matter is plaine & very certain. Ther be many also in the olde, but more darke then these of the new. As Iohn in his gospel alludeth very properly to Moyses,Iohn. 1. where as he calleth Christ for his eternall natiuitie, the worde. For so doth Moyses entreate the matter, that god before the makyng of all thinges, had ye word with him, & that it was almightie, as he is, & that god by this word made all things. Here must it nedes be yt there is a diuine substance, betwene god and the word. For both be coeternal, and yet for all that, he that speake the word, and the word it selfe that is spoken, be two distinct persons. So doth the Patriarke Iacob put difference betwene persons. God saith he, that fedeth me from my youth vntounto this present daye:Gen. …8. the Angell that deliuered me out of all euil, blesse these children, and make them multiplie vponupon the earth. Here he nameth Christ an Angell, not because he is an Angell by his nature and substance. For this were manifest Idolatrie, if he made inuocation to an Angel, and asked blessynge of hym. And by inuocation, he sheweth that this Angell is true God, and yet that his maner is not alwayes as it is of the inuisible God, but that he shall come into the earth, and take our fleshe on him, and be offred for oure sins. Wherof Christ in the newe Testament vseth a certain and sure kynd of speche: the father that sent me. And again, as the father hath sent me. In the Prophetes & in Esaie he saith:Esa. …3. Christe called an Angell. the Lord hath sent me, that I might heale the contrite in hearte. again, The angel of his face hath saued them. So Malachias calleth Christe the angell of the Testament.Malach. 3. So that by these two names God and an Angell two personnes are represented,Why christ is called an Angell. yet the substance is one, and without differēce. For he may be an Angell also and an eternal and true god. He is called an Angell for his office and administration, which he as the sonne, hath of the father.
To the profe wherof do belong all the sentences, in the whiche the Prophetes do make mention of the promised seede of the woman, that he shall bryng blessyng vntounto vsus, and that he shal begyn to set vp the eternall kyngdome,Gen. 3.15.22.2….28. Deut. 18. 2. Reg. 7. Esa. 7.9.11. Iere. 30.31. and make satisfaction for our sinnes, and geue vsus euerlasting life. For all these workes are suche as are agreable to no creature. But only it is God, that can do suche thynges. And wheras suche workes be attribute to Christ as to a man in the prophetes: it folowith therof, that Christ is eternall and almighty god, as Christ saith vntounto Philippe: Ioan. 14. If ye will not beleue, that I am in the father, and the father in me, beleue it for the workes sake whiche I do. So saith Esaias. A childe is borne to vsus, and a Sonne is geuen to vsus▪ All men perceaue this plaine, what it is that a childe is borne, and a sonne geuen, that that must nedes be spoken of a man,Dan. 9. Esa. 9. which hath both a natural lyfe and bodie. What doth the Prophete speake furthermore of suche a man? And there shalbe saith he no ende, of the peace which he shal geue: vponupon the throne of Dauid and his kyngdome shall he syt from this time for euer. And he doth expounde this peace, that it shalbe with iudgement and iustice, this man shall forgeue synne, and shall defend his people in all miseries, & succoure them against all ill. And as the thinges before spoken doth declare that he is a true & naturall man, where he is called a sonne and borne a child: So do these thinges proue his eternall kyngdome, his iustice, and his eternall defence of his, & that this man is also almightie and eternall God. For how els could he hauehave eternal kyngdome and iustice?
And to this do belonge notable sentences,Christ is called Iehoua. Psal. 6…. Ie…e. 23. Osee. 3. that be eueryevery where in the Prophetes, wheras they geue euidentlye this name Iehoua to Christ, Osee saith. And after this shal the children of Israell returne, and seke after the lord their god, and Dauid their kynge, & shal tremble at the Lord and at his goodnes. He hath by name made two distinct persons, god and the kynge Dauid, that is, Christe, whiche was promised to Dauid, to syt on his seat for euer,Christe verye god from euerlastynge. and yet he ioyneth after that Dauid and God together in one, wheras he saith that the children of Israel shall seke God and Dauid. For seing that Dauid is to be sought as god is, that is, seing he is to be honored with like trust, with lyke glorie; with like seruice & worship, either must this be manifest Idolatrie, or els God and Dauid that is to say Christe the sonne of Dauid after the fleshe is one god, as ye Prophete a litle after do properly ioyne them in one,Psal. 110. Math. 22. when he saith: they shal tremble at the Lord and at his goodnes. So Christ him selfe applieth the 110. Psalme, in the 22. of Mathew wheras he affirmeth this against the Phariseies, that it is proued by this psalme, that Christe is not only the sonne of Dauid, but also the sonne of God, that is, god eternal. These testimonies and suche other are diligently to be considered and marked, that we may withstande the deuil and all heresies. And as we hauehave heard hitherto the testimonials of ye sonne of god our sauiour Christ: So wyl we consider & see the testimonies of the holy ghost, both that he is very God, & also a distincte person:Three persons and one god. that is, he is neither the father, neither the sonne, although he is in al pointes like the father & the sonne, so that our religion is plaine and certaine, for as much as we worship but one God almightie, and not three gods, as the Iewes and Turkes do slander vsus. And yet because we wil not despise the difference of persōs, we holde that god the father, god the son, and god the holy ghost, is but one God.
And here again shold we acknoledge our felicitie before god & that with thankes geuing, yt in such hard articles, we hauehave suche notable, plaine & excellent testimonies in ye holye scriptures,The holye ghost is eternall and almyghtye god. wherby we may stablishe our heartes, & leane therto strongly against the deuill & all the worlde. We hauehave no nede of mās record. But Christ himselfe doth testifie, and teache very plainely, that ye holy spirit is eternal & almightie god. Or els he wold not hauehave put forth his commādemēt as concerning baptisme on such wise,Math. 28. ye baptisme shold be done in ye name of the father, of ye sonne & of the holy ghost. But for as much as ye cōmandement is such in expresse wordes, it must nedes folow, yt the holy ghost is ye true & eternal god, of lyke power & might with the father & the son eternally without beginning. Or els Christ in this worke, wherin cōsisteth remissiō of sin, & life euerlasting, wold not hauehave set him equal with himselfe & ye father. So Christ also saith:…ohn. 14. And I wil pray my father, & he shal send another cōforter vntounto you, to bide with you for euer, euen ye spirit of trueth, whō ye world cā not receaue, because he seeth him not neither knoweth him. Marke diligētly this sentēce. For here shalte thou se a very good & plaine differēce of ye thre persōs: I saith he, wil aske my father,An euident… probacion of the trinitie. here hast thou two persons, Christ ye son which asketh, & the father which is asked to send an other cōforter. If this cōforter be to be sent frō ye father, it cā not be yt the father is ye cōforter And christ which asketh ye father for this cōforter, can not be ye cōforter himselfe. So yt this is a proper distinctiō of the three persons, which can be scoffed out by no meanes, as the father & the son are two distinct persons so the holy ghost the third person is an other person by himselfe, then is the person of the father or of the sonne, & yet is there but one eternall god.
But what is this third person, Christ doth declare. Weras he saith: whē ye conforter cōmeth whō I will send, the spirit of truth, y• which procedeth frō ye father,Iohn 15. he shall testifie of me. And Christ here doth not onelyonly speake of ye office of ye holy ghost, but also of ye substāce of ye holy ghost, wheras he saith, yt he procedeth, which is as much to say as his proceding is eternal wtout beginnīg. For ye father frō whō, ye holy ghost procedeth, is without beginning, wherfore the Prophet cal hym by a proper name, the spirit of the Lorde, as ye heard on whitsonday, wheras Peter allegeth the saying of Iohel, which sayth thus: And it shal come to passe in the latter dayes, saith the Lord, I will shed out of my spirit vponupon all fleshe, and your sonnes and daughters shal prophecie.Ioel 2. Act. 2. Marke this worde attentiuely, wher God saith: I will shed out of my spirit. For ther can be els nothing in god, that is not eternal, almighty, holy, wife good, and perpetuall, as he is hymselfe.
This sentence and many suche other as concerning the holy ghost, were the very same wherwith, the holy fathers dyd defend this article against the deuil and the worlde, and hath maintained it vntounto our time, that we beleue onelyonly in one god, and do confesse furthermore, that this one god is god the father, god the sōne and god the holy ghost eternally. It is not, as the heretikes saye and triflingly imagin, that these three names do signifie but one person, whiche hath diuerslye shewed forth their selues at diuers times. If they are troubled with this article because it seme absurde, to reason what is that to me? For if a man myght reason in this matrer, surely I coulde do that and not all of the worste, ye and perchaunce better then any Iewe or Turke can. But I count this thinge as the greate benefite of god, that I do not dispute of this article, whether it be true and agreable to reason, but wheras I see that it is so plainly set forth in scripture and hath suche a sure fundation, I beleue god more, than my owne reason, neither do I any thinge care, howe this shoulde be true, that ther is but one substance & three persons in one substance.
For we go not about here to shewe whether the trueth may be cōcluded by a forme of reason, but whether this be certayne by the worde of god. If ye word of god holdeth with thee, care for no more. It wil not deceaue thee. Wher as the word then is certaine and euident, as it is proued, and this article is maintained of the holy fathers with suche constancie and power, stycke thou also surelye therto, and dispute not muche, how the father, the sonne and the holy ghost maye be one god. Thou canst not know precisely, what is the cause of laughing in the face, neither what is the cause of the sight of the eyes, that they see a thing so farre of. And also when thou slepest, wherof it commeth, that as muche as belongeth to the bodie, thou art deade, & yet a lyue? We can not know a very litle thing of our owne reason, & yet we presume to go vp into heauē, & to searche & comprehend god in his maiestie with our reason. Why do we not first begin to serche our selues after that sorte, & first learne to know wher lyeth the operation of our senses, when we slepe? Ther might we dispute without perill. But in this article there is great peril. And here we must stycke surely & simplely to the worde, which sayth of Christ,Colos. 1. Heb. 1. that he is ye image of the father, and his first begotten before al creatures, that is, he is no creature, but eternall god, as there are many testimonies in Iohn.Iohn. 4. All thinges are geuen to me from my father, he that seeth me, seeth my father. Doste thou not beleue that I am in the father, and the father is in me? There is no place for cauillations in this thyng. God hath spoken and sayd, that ther is no difference betwene the father and the sonne, then in yt ye sonne is begotten of the father. But how this sholde be done, how this eternall generation shold be, we can not know, only know we this, that (as the scripture sayth,) he is the first begotten before all creatures, and the image of the inuisible god in nature. So doth scripture also teache of the third person, euen of the holye Ghost, which is called the spirit of God.
And as it is taught before, he procedeth from the father that is,Note well. he hath his substance of the father, so that ther is no part of godhed wisdom, veritie, power in the father: whiche is not also in the holy Ghoste. But how this cōmeth to passe, I can not expresse: for it can not be by reason comprehended and it is aboue all angels and creatures. Wherfore we must thynke and beleue no further of this, than is declared in scripture, but to the wordes therof we may surely sticke. But to know that perfectly is a thynge not belōging to this lyfe, but vntounto the lyfe to come. Wherfore we must differre the vnderstandyng of these, and not dispute theron, but beleue plainelye and simplye, whatsoeuer the scripture affirmeth of this matter. This article is very well set forth in the articles of faith. And firste of all this is euident and agreed vponupon amongest all men, that we are not the first inuenters of this article. Neither are the holy fathers the authors therof. But they collected it out of the writynges of the Apostles and Prophetes very shortly and compendiouslye, euen as bees of many floures gather honye. Here first we saye: I beleue in God the father. This is the first person in the godhed.God the father. And these are his proper workes, in that he his omnipotent, and the creatour, which made all thinges & preserueth all thinges vntounto this time: In this worke is the father described. After that we say: And I beleue furthermore in one person, which is also god.God the sonne For we must beleue in none els but in only god. What is the name of this person? His only begotten son Iesus Christ. So hath al christiā men prayed & beleued, now more thā a thousand & v. hundred yeres. Yea rather frō the first beginning of the worlde. Although this article hath not at al times so plainlye ben forth, but hath ben taught at diuers times after diuers sortes. For frō the time of Adā vntounto Abrahā, the son of god was called the sede of the woman. After yt was it named the sede of Abrahā, of Iacob of Dauid, & so forth. And al this is but that onelyonly man Iesus Christ: Yea the angels also are called the sonnes of god, & so are al godli mē, & are so in dede, but neither is there Angell nor any other godly man whiche may be called the only begotten. Wherfore only this Christ is so begotten of the father, as the sonne, to whome he hath none like nother in the angel nother in creatures Wherefore it is euident therby, that he is also God. This do we beleue and confesse, and our children also with all Christian men and women.
After this confession foloweth there a rehersall of his workes and office,The workes and office of christe. what the sonne of God hath especiallye done: That he was conceaued by the holy Ghoste, borne of the virgin Marie, suffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose from the dead, and ascended into heauen, and sytteth at the ryght hande of god the father almightie, And here doth he retourne again to his godhed, that he may be knowen and beleued of all men, that he is the Image of the father and lyke vntounto God. And this I say againe that we inuented not these wordes, but receaued them of the congregation as a man woulde by hand to hand.
Thirdly we saye: I beleue in the holy ghost. Here we geue lyke glorie to ye holy ghost,God the holye ghoste. as we geue to the father and to the sonne wheras we beleue in him. So that this article is plainlie comprehended in the comō crede,The crede of the holy ghost and that so wel, that it can not be better, so that it may wel be called the crede of the Apostles. For it was scarsely a thyng possible for any other beside the Apostles, to comprise it so simplely and certainly. Nowe what be the workes of the holy Ghoste,The workes and office of the holy ghost it is plainely also described, that is, that he gathereth together the churche out of all languages, and ioyneth thē together in the vnitie of fayth, & doth sanctifie them, by the remission of synnes, and doth enkendle in them the hope of remission of sinnes, as we saye: I beleue the remission of synnes,The workes of the Trinitie. the resurrection of the fleshe, & lyfe euerlastyng.
So here be comprised verie properly in the crede the three persons in one diuine substance, and yet neuerthelesse eueryevery person is set forth with the ornamēt of his owne office and propertie. To the father is attribute and geuen the creation, To the sonne, redemption, to the holy ghost, the power of sanctification, and makyng holy. That is, that he doth distribute pacifie and confirme, the remission of synnes, and transpose vsus from death vntounto euerlastyng lyfe. These are as a man wolde say certaine markes and differences, that the persons may not be confusely put together, but distinctly discerned,Act. 2. that the father is the creatour, & Christe becometh man, & the holy ghost cometh wyth tounges like fire, and pacifieth mens heartes. All these are the workes of the only god. But accordyng to the distinction of the offices and properties, we must make a distinction also of persons. For god the father was not made man, and the sonne dyd not shew forth himselfe in fyerie tounges. These are ye proper workes of the sonne and of the holy ghoste.
Wherfore this article was deliuered vntounto vsus: we made it not. And this we know also by histories, that GOD hath defended this article with great plagues, and hath punished the heretikes, that went about to ouerthrow it, with great punishement. Wherefore we must nedes sticke constantly vntounto it, and not forsake the word, neither must we reason or dispute any thing in this matter. For thus saieth the hystorie,Cherinthus the heryetike denied the godhead of christ. that Iohn was constreigned to write his Gospell, especially for the heretike Cherinthus sake, whiche dyd denie Christ his godhead, and blasphemed hym.
It chanced that Iohn, and they that wer with him entred into a bathing house, in the which when he saw Cherinthus a washyng,Ecclesi. hist. lib. 4. cap. 14. by and by he and his disciples went out with hast, saying this withall: let vsus flee wt all hast possible frō this blasphemer. And they say, that not long after, the bathe fell on hym,Examples of gods anger against such as denied the godhead of christ. and slew Cherinthus the enemie of truthe. And the end of Arrius the heretike was not muche better. He was the head and author of great disturbance and tumult in the church, which endured in the church more then foure hundred yeres. In so much that not euen now can the sparkles of this vngodlynes be quēched and extinct out of the myndes of the common sorte. He dydde graunt, that Christ was borne of God before all creatures, but yet that he was a creature, and neuerthelesse farre better and worthier then all other be. And wher as all faithfull byshoppes in eueryevery place, dyd (as it was meete) resyste thys blasphemie, and many variances and discentions dydde ryse thereof: it pleased Constantinus the Emperour to quenche this flame, whiche at Nicea gathered together a councell of many learned men and godly byshops, which condemned the error of Arrius. And when yt not long after Constantinus was dead, and his sonne Constantine, whiche was fauourable to Arrius, was made Emperor, they that were Arrians laboured with all their power to restore Arrius agayne from the excommunication: And when that Arrius on a certayne day, was commyng to the churche to be receaued agayne into the congregation, in the waye he was taken with a great griping in the bealye, And thereby was fayne to go out of the way to a cōmon place of easement,An …nde worthy such an heritike. where as when he was set downe, his bowells and guts gushed out into the draught, and so he gaue vp the goste. Let all blasphemers therfore beware.
This is the article of the Trinitie, which is fyrst approued by scripture,The article of the Trinitie proued manye wayes. then by the disputations of the apostles and holy fathers, and at the laste also by miracles defended against the diuell and the world, & shall yet be defended and mainteined by Gods grace: That is, that we beleue in one God, whiche is called the Father, the sonne, & the holy ghost. But that there might not be a certayn confused thing, as cōcernyng the thre persons, or one person: Therfore their operations and propreties are distincted, so that the Father is the maker, the Sonne the Redemer, the holy Ghost, the sanctifier: so that the common sort of the christians maye know a difference betwene the persones, and yet not distincte or diuide the substance of the godhed.
This thyng is wont to be taught on this day, and the christen men are onelyonly they, that beleue these thinges, which seme contrary to reason, as Paule saieth: that it hath pleased God,1. Cor. …. to make safe, by the foolyshnes of preachyng, them that beleue. For reason can neuer make any forme of argument, to proue that three are one, and one thre, that God is man,The blindnes of reason. that we when we are baptised, are by the blood of Christ washed frō our syns, and that in ye sacramental bread we eate the body of the Lorde, and in the mysticall wyne, drinke his blood spiritually, and so obteyne Remission of oure synnes.1. Cor. …. All these articles are counted for fables and folye amongest the wyse of this world. And therfore doothe Paule name it the foolyshenesse of preachyng. But yet he that can beleue it, shall get euerlastyng saluation. The whiche thyng God the father graunt vsus by the holy ghoste, for his sonnes sake Iesus Christe, our Lorde and alone Sauiour, to whome be honor and glorie, worldes without ende. Amen.