Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 18 · Section 1
THe articles of our faith, ſet foorth nothing vntounto vsus but the knowledge of God. And as we be not able throughlie to comprehend him, he being perfect and vncorrupt in nature: ſo is there particularlie giuen vsus, ſometime ſome one ſmall taſte and féeling of him, and ſometime another. And ſéeing in the diuine nature, there be thrée perſons (as we beléeue) of one eſſence; namelie, the Father, the Sonne, and the holie Ghoſt, the whole eſſence perteineth to ech one of them. The whole eſſence belongeth to ech one of the perſons.But now this firſt article, which properlie concerneth the Father, propoundeth foure things to be obſerued; firſt, that he, in whom we beléeue, is the true God; ſecondlie, that the ſame is the Father; thirdlie, that he is omnipotent; and laſtlie, that he is the author and firſt originall of all things created. Now go to: let vsus ſée particularlie, To beleeue in God expounded.what the proper meaning is of theſe words; I beleeue in God. Aſſuredlie, we cannot otherwiſe explaine this ſentence, than to ſaie, that he is to be acknowledged as God.
So as, if a man demand of thée; What is God? (refuſing all humane ſubtiltie, Looke in 1. Cor. 10.and laieng aſide the difficulties that be vnſearchable) thou muſt boldlie & abſolutelie anſwer without ſticking, that God is the eternall good, of whom euerie other good dooth come. Wherevpon it appeareth, that he, which eſtéemeth anie thing as much, or more than God, cannot trulie ſaie; I beleeue in God. For if ſo be thou acknowledge him to be the chéefe good, thou wilt neuer preferre anie thing before him. Neither yet can he rightlie beléeue this, that at anie time ſetteth his hope anie other waie; ſéeing hope is not but of ſome good thing. If then, God (as I hauehave ſaid) be the good, from whence euerie good thing dooth flowe; whoſoeuer expecteth anie good elſe-where, beléeueth not trulie in him. Furthermore, they which attribute the good things, which they poſſeſſe, vntounto their owne righteouſneſſe, indeuour, dooings, and finallie to themſelues, hauehave not the ſenſe and (as I may ſaie) the true taſte of this firſt article of our faith. What then wilt thou ſaie of them, which hauehave appointed to themſelues certeine ends of good things, out of the vanitie of their owne deuiſe, and out of the decrées of Philoſophers and politike men; yea, and out of the ſenſe of brute beaſts, in the which they in verie déed repoſe themſelues, whatſoeuer euill they bring? Such kind of men doubtleſſe properlie worſhip not God, but in the place of God, doo worſhip the phanſies & inuentions of their owne braine. The thing (beléeue me) is of greateſt importance, for a man to hauehave the true God to be his GOD. Pſa. 144, 15.The prophet Dauid pronounced that people bleſſed, whoſe God is the true God.
2 But now it dooth appeare what it is to beléeue in God: howbeit, Whie he is called father.we hauehave not yet declared, whie the father is called by the name of father. That name is attributed vntounto him for two cauſes chéefelie. The one is, for that he is the father of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt, which is the ſecond perſon in diuine nature. The other, bicauſe it pleaſed him to be our father. And he is therefore called father, bicauſe he diſtributeth his inheritance to vsus; and ſo communicateth his nature with vsus, Rom. 8, 17.as Paule to the Romans calleth vsus The heires of God: and Peter ſaith, that we participate of the diuine nature. 2. Pet. 1, 4.For theſe two things ſpeciallie, the parents are woont to giuegive vntounto their children. For firſt, they indeuour (as much as they can) to make them like vntounto themſelues, as concerning nature and ſtate of liuing. Then, when they hauehave made them their heires, Wherin out ſimilitude with God ſtandeth.they deſire to inrich them with all their ſubſtance. The ſimilitude vndoubtedlie, which the regenerate hauehave with God their father, conſiſteth in wiſedome, iuſtice, ſimplicitie of mind, magnanimitie, charitie, and in other like heauenlie and diuine affections of the mind: whereby they iudge themſelues to be made according to the image of GOD, as they were created at the beginning. And the inheritance, which they expect of ſo excellent a father, is eternall and moſt bleſſed life.
And (I praie you) how much dooth this generation differ from that, The heritage of the godlie.wherein we are begotten according to fleſh and bones? And how great a diuerſitie is there betwéene the ſame inheritance of eternall life, and the frée gifts among them that be aliue, or that are woont to be doone by teſtaments, concerning fields, vineyards, houſes, cattell, monie, or anie other thing? For albeit we hauehave not ſo much as theſe things anie other way than of him, and by him now preſentlie; yet we ſpeake onelie of that, by reaſon wherof, God is properlie called The father of them that be regenerate in Chriſt. If ſo be that men would imbrace this thing (as méet it were) with faith and readineſſe of mind, they ſhould not ſo erre from the properties and ſimilitude of God our father; neither yet could they ſhew the diſpoſition of falſe begotten children, by their ſhamefull actions and wicked déeds; as at this daie manie are accuſtomed to doo.
This is that fatherlie image and ſhape, whervnto Chriſt inuited vsus in theſe words; Be ye perfect, Matth. 5, 48as your heauenlie father is perfect. Yet did he neuertheles not kéepe in ſilence that goodlie and rich inheritance, when he ſaid vntounto Peter; Matt. 19, 29.Who ſoeuer ſhall leaue that that is his, for my names ſake; he ſhall not onelie receiue an hundreth fold for me, but beſides this, ſhall hauehave euen eternall life alſo. Whoſoeuer therefore expecteth ſo great an inheritance by faith, euen as he is not puffed vp by proſperitie, ſo neither is he ſorrowfull aboue meaſure in aduerſitie, but he hath alwaies his mind bent vntounto greater matters: neither will he euer perſuade himſelfe, that the labours and vexations, which he is ſubiect vntounto in this life, are not equiualent to the reward which he looketh for.
Of the omnipotencie of God.3 But now let vsus come to the third point, wherein we beléeue him to be omnipotent. And this dooth firſt ſignifie, that he, of his owne onelie power, was able to bring foorth (as afterward ſhall be ſaid) whatſoeuer is conteined both in heauen and earth. Further, when he will protect me from all euilles, and heape euerie good thing vponupon me, (I being his owne workemanſhip) he can ſhew the ſame by manie meanes; and he being omnipotent (as we beléeue him to be) can eaſilie remooue all lets and impediments. Herof dependeth, as of a moſt ſure foundation, all the honour and woorthineſſe of our faith. For how much ſoeuer the wiſedome of man, the world, the fleſh, our owne verie ſenſe, or temptation of the diuell, is able to withſtand the promiſes conteined in the holie ſcriptures, by this article is beaten downe. Hereof it commeth, Rom. 4, 20.that Paule ſaith vntounto the Romans; that Abraham gaue the glorie vntounto God, when he beléeued perfectlie, that he was able to performe that, which he promiſed, although the ſame might not be granted by humane reaſon and power. Wherefore, thou muſt not make anie account of that, which importunate men ſhall obiect: neither yet of that, which troubleſome cogitations entring into thy mind, and withſtanding thoſe things which be conteined in the holie ſcriptures & diuine promiſes, ſhall moue; ſith to thée is manifeſt both the infinite power of God, and alſo his fatherlie will, in whom thou profeſſeſt thy ſelfe to beléeue. Thou muſt alſo remember, that neither miracles are wrought, nor praiers are heard; vnleſſe that faith be fullie giuen vntounto this omnipotencie of God, and vntounto the louelove, wherewith he loueth vsus. For this cauſe Chriſt ſaid; Mark. 9, 22.that All things are poſſible vntounto him that beleeueth.
4 Now remaineth to expound the laſt part of this article; namelie, God the creatour of heauen and earth.The maker of heauen and earth. By which ſaieng is refelled the error, which the ſchooles of philoſophers indeuor to perſuade, that the world in verie déed was without beginning; and that it cannot by anie poſſible meanes be, that the ſame ſhould be made of nothing: ſéeing here all we, that be indued with faith, doo ſée much more perfectlie than they hauehave ſéene. For it ſhall be an abſurd thing, to meaſure the works of God omnipotent, with a certeine meaſure of naturall works. Further, we alſo beléeue hereby, that God is the perpetuall preſeruer of the things which he hath made. For vnleſſe he ſhould gouerne all things by the ſelfe-ſame vertue, wherewith he made them; without doubt, all things would be reduced to naught: which, to hauehave their being, were at the firſt brought foorth by him of nothing. Wherevpon alſo it is lawfull to conclude another thing; namelie, that if all things be created by God (as we hauehave before declared) and that he is verelie a father vntounto thée, and ſo mercifull a father; whatſoeuer is made by him, commeth to thy vſe.
VntoUnto Adam, the parent of all mankind, all things in a maner became ſubiect: but ſeeing he was vngratefull of mind, he (by his gréeuous offenſe) ſpoiled both himſelfe, and all vsus of ſo pretious and ample inheritance; the which inheritance Paule doth manifeſtlie ſhew, Roma. 5, 17.and that with verie great & moſt forceable arguments, to be reſtored to vsus againe by Chriſt; teaching, that the benefit of Chriſt is mightier, and of more efficacie, than the malice and wickedneſſe of Adam. Therefore he alſo writeth vntounto them, that All things happen well vntounto them which trulie louelove God. It is therefore our part, Rom. 8, 27.rightlie and iuſtlie to applie vntounto our vſe and commoditie, thoſe things that be created; that for the vſe of them, and for the delectable fruit, which we receiue by them, the goodneſſe of GOD may be praiſed, and thanks giuen vntounto him. For (as the ſame apoſtle, writing vntounto Timothie ſaith;) Things created by God are good, that the faithfull may vſe them, and giuegive due thanks to God, 1. Tim. 4, 4ſo as none of them be receiued as euill. Yea, and although the ſame hauehave drawne anie euill vntounto it; yet, by the word and by praier it is made holie. Yea, and things created doo no leſſe ſerue for the ſuſtentation of mans life, than doo giuegive vsus an apt teſtimonie of the perfect and ſingular goodneſſe of our moſt mercifull father: which thing as it is moſt true, ſo it ought not to be contemned.