{"number":106,"title":"OF GOD","part":"THE SECOND PART, OF MANS DELIVERIE","questions":[25],"paragraphs":[],"clauses":[],"items":[],"text":"*The principall questions are, 1* Whether there be a God. *2* What hee is, or what manner of God hee is whom wee woorship, and in what hee differeth from Idols. *3* Whence it may appeare that there is but one God. *4* What the names of Essence, Person, and Trinitie, signifie. *5* In what the Essence differeth from the person. *6* Whether these names are to bee vsed in the Church, and whether they are had in the Scripture. *7* Howe manie persons there bee of the godheade. *8* Howe these differ one from another. *9* For what cause this doctrine is to bee helde in the Church.\n\n## 1 WHETHER THERE BE A GOD\n\nThe great miserie of mans nature cannot bee sufficientlie thought vpon, that, whereas it was created to the bright knowledge and euen the verie image of god, it is fallen so farre, as not onely it is ignorant who, and what God is, but also maketh dispute, whether there bee any GOD in heauen or no. The causes of this euill,[^1] the Church alone doth vnderstand: the first whereof is the blindnesse and corruption of mans nature after his fall: the next the instigation of the Diuel, who would haue the whole opinion of God rased out of the minds of men: vnto which commeth the horrible confusion of mans life and humane affaires, in that often-times the wicked florish, & the godly either are oppressed by them, or while they perceiue not the causes of these euils, and the secret gouernment of God, they fall to doubting whether there bee any God, who hath care ouer the world and humane affaires.\n\n*But that there is a God,* is proued by diuerse reasons.\n\n1 *From the beutifull & goodly order of nature,*[^2] *beheld in the world.* Now order is instituted, but of a wise and vnderstanding nature. In nature there is order. Therefore there is a superiour mind or intelligent power which instituteth and maintaineth the same.\n\n2 *From the nature and excellencie of mans minde.* For it cānot possibly be, that he should bestow any thing vpon an other, which himselfe hath not, who should giue it: & that our reasonable nature must needes haue his original from an intelligent & vnderstanding nature, is manifest inough, for that the cause is not woorser or baser than the effect it bringeth. But the mind of mā is reasonable or indued with reason, & hath some cause. Therfore it hath an vnderstanding cause, which is God. The Minor is proued *Whatsoeuer hath a beginning is from another: because it must needes be from some thing. And of it selfe it cannot haue being or beginning, because nothing is cause of it selfe. But mans mind hath a beginning. Therefore from another; which other must needes be God.*\n\n3 *From the notions of general rules or principles in the mind;*[^3] *as are the difference betweene honest things & dishonest, numbering, vnderstanding of consequences in discourse & reasoning, & other notions borne together with vs.* For these notions of principles beeing borne in vs, and with vs, could not come by chance or from a sensible nature common to vs with brute beasts. Whereupon we frame this Syllogisme: *Notions are not engendred nor haue their being, but from a cause intelligent (for no man maketh another wise, who himselfe is not wise) but in men there are notions, not comming by vse, nor receiued frō men: Therefore they are from God.* Rom. 1. *God is said to haue manifested his righteousnesse to men.* Likewise, *Man is the image of god.* Seeing then these effects are attributed vnto God as proper: there must needs be a God.\n\n[^4]4 *From the naturall notion of this principle, whereby wee affirme, that god is.* Principles are true: Because they are diuine wisedome; and because, the contrary or opposite thereto beeing granted, nature is thereby destroied. But, That God is, is a principle. 1. *Because euery one hath experience hereof in himselfe.* 2. *All wise men confesse it.* 3. *All nations consent in it:* because they haue some religion, and about that they contend and striue. 4. *Rom.* 1.19. *That which may be known of god is manifest in them,* that is, in the minds of men, *for god hath shewed it vnto them.* Therefore god is.\n\n[^5]5 *The terrors of conscience which are stroken into the mindes of the wicked after they haue sinned.* The torment of minde, which ensueth vpon sinnes committed, is inflicted of a iudge which knoweth both honest and dishonest thinges, detesteth those things which are dishonest, beholdeth the mindes and harts, exerciseth iudgement vpon the minds: But in al the wicked is this torment. *Rom.* 2.15. *They shew the effect of the law writtē in their harts, their conscience also bearing witnes. Isa.* 57.20.21. *The wicked are like the raging sea, that cannot rest. There is no peace, saith my god, to the wicked.* Isa. 66.24. *Their worme shall not dy, neither shall their fire bee quenched,* Therefore there is some such iudge. But he cannot be, except he be God: because this punishment cannot come but from God. *Deutr.* 4. *God is a consuming fire.*\n\n[^6]And hence is apparant the impudencie of Epicures and Academicks, who *deeme al religion to be deuises of subtill men, coined to this end and purpose, that the rest of the common people might, through fear of a superiour power, be kept in good order.* For first, if through deceiueablenes other men beleeue that God is, and dread him; why then are these men themselues, who wil seem by their sharp insight to espy the guile most of al tormēted with the conscience & priuy acknowledgement both of this their blasphemy, as also of other their misdeeds? Moreouer the sole and bare asseueration & word of a few could not haue bin sufficient neither to persuade al mankind, nether to maintain the persuasion, once brought in, to al succeeding ages. Neither doth that lightē the force of those argumēts, which are deducted from this notion, that there is a God; & from the conscience, in that they say, *there are many found, who neither beleue there is a god, nether are moued with the conscience of their sins.* For although they couet neuer so much to persuade themselues, that there is no God, yet is their conscience alwaies against them. And therefore it is most false that these men imagine that any one of the wicked is free from the gnawing of his conscience. For how much the more euery one despiseth God and al religion, and endeuoreth to represse the prickes of conscience: so much the more is he tormented, and at euery mentioning and signifieng of God hee trembleth and shaketh with horror; and how much the slowlier, with so much the more seuere dolor & paine is his security shaken from him. Whereupon wee see, those, whose whole life was profane and secure, for the most part, when they are oppressed with the terror of gods iudgement, to perish in despair. Now that which is said *Psa.* 10. *The vngodly is so proud, that hee careth not for god: neither is god in all his thoughts:* & Ps. 14. & 53. *The fool hath said in his hart, there is no god:* that this hath not this meaning, as if the wicked were void of al knowedge and fear of god, or do not confes that there is a god: but that framing vnto themselues another, than he indeed is who hath manifested himself, to wit, one that careth not for mens affairs, defēdeth not, nor deliuereth the good, and punisheth the wicked; they place an idol in the roum of the tru God: Dauid himself doth sufficiciently declare, when as he describeth the same prophanenesse of the wicked, *Ps.* 10. in these words: *For he hath said in his hart, tush, god hath forgotten, he hideth away his face, and he wil neuer see it.*\n\n6 *From the punishmēts of the wicked,*[^7] *which they suffer besides the torments of conscience.* For the euents of al times cōstrain men to confesse that their sins are punished with grieuous punishments in this life; & cōtrariwise the lot & end of the good to be more pleasant. Wherefore there is a minde or vnderstanding power, which discerneth honest things frō dishonest, iudge of mankind, punishing the wicked, & defēding the good. And that this may not be ascribed to the wisedome or seuerity of magistrats or other men, this first withstādeth & hindereth, *for that it must needs be that this natural instinct, whereby men iudge that offender▪ are iustlie punished, must proceed from some mind which is enimy to wickednes.* Again, *for that oftentimes by marueilous & inexpected and vnlooked for meanes they are drawen to the iustice and punishment of the Magistrates, whose sinnes before had beene priuy,* or who seemed to haue bin able by their owne power or subtilty easily to escape their handes; and that especially, for that many, who through either the negligence or whiteliuerdnes of Magistrats are not punished by them, yet run into calamities and haue allotted vnto them ruthful ends. And whē transgressions & sins encrease too much, & their impunity, *whole nations and common-wealthes with horrible and manifest examples of gods wrath perish:* as the world in the deluge: Sodom by fier cast from heauē: Pharao in the red sea: the Iewes, & many florishing kingdomes by most lamentable ouerthrowes. That these things cānot come to passe by chaunce, neither any other way than by the iudgement and power of him who is Lord of mankind & nature, both Gods comminations and threatnings, and the conscience of euery one, and the order of iustice, whereby these folow and ensue vpon impiety, and the very hugenes, waight and greatnes of things doth conuince. Wherefore it is said, *Ps.* 58. *The righteous shal reioice when he seeth the vengeāce: he shal wash his footsteps in the blood of the vngodly. So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: doubtles there is a god that iudgeth the earth.* And Psa. 9.16. *The Lord is knowen to execute iudgemēt:* now albeit *the wicked florish often for a while, & the godly are oppressed,* yet neuertheles exāples which are fewer in nūber, do not weaken the general rule, vnto which most euēts agree. But if it were so that fewer of the wicked did suffer punishment, yet those selfsame examples, though but a fewe, would testify that god is, & that he is displeased with the offences of others also, who seem to be lesse punished. But this is not true, no not of any of them, that they are not punished in this life. For al those who are not before the end of this life conuerted to god, if punishment do not sooner ouertake them, yet at length they die in dispaire, which punishment is more grieuous than all the euils eyther corporall or externall, and is the beginning & testimonie of euerlasting punishment. Now in that this punishment is not sufficient, it doth therein agree with all euen the most tragicall cases of the wicked: and therefore wee are taught by the doctrine of the Church, that Gods lenitie, which he doth not seldome vse in this life towards the wicked: and his seueritie, which hee seemeth to shew towardes the godly, doth not at all weaken his diuine prouidence and iustice, but rather declareth his goodnes, whiles by differring of punishment he inuiteth the wicked to repentaunce, and by exercising the godly with chastisementes and crosses, hee perfecteth their saluation; and also it confirmeth the certaintie of iudgement after this life, wherein perfect satisfaction shall be made by the wicked to Gods iustice.\n\n7 *From a bodie politique, which is wiselie ordered by lawes.*[^8] This coulde not haue beene shewed vnto men, but from a minde, vnderstanding and approouing this order, which minde is God himselfe. Moreouer, *that which is not preserued by humane wisedome, or by force, or naturall causes, neither yet can be ouerthrown by Diuels & the multitude of wickedmen, hath a defender more potent & mightie than these. Common-weales are not preserued by humane strength or wisedome, & are oppugned by the wicked and Diuels. Therefore they haue a superior and mightier defender than all these.* And this defender is God alone.\n\n8 *From the order and nature of efficient causes.*[^9] For it can not bee, that the processe and race of efficient causes shoulde bee of an endlesse and infinite extent: wherefore there must bee some first and principall cause, which may either mediately or immediately produce and mooue the rest, on which also all other causes may depende. Nowe that the progresse of causes, which haue their moouing and beeing eache of other, is not infinite, they shewe by this reason. *If the causes of anie effect were infinite, whereof some should mooue or produce other some, one of these absurdities should follow; that either within the compasse of a finite time should bee effected infinite motions and mutations, or else at no time those infinite causes euer to attaine vnto their end, that is, vnto their purposed effect. Both which beeing manifestly false, and impossible, it must needes be that the original of mutations dependeth of some cause immutable, eternal and omnipotent.*\n\n[^10]9 *From the final causes of al things.* To appoint the endes of all thinges belongeth to a nature which is wise, and administreth al things. Now al thinges are ordeined to their ends, and those also certaine. (But these endes and vses of thinges haue not their beeing by chaunce, or from a nature onely endewed with sense) Therefore from some nature which is wise and omnipotent, which is God alone.\n\nFor, *that nature worketh for some end,* this is so farre from remoouing the framer and artificer from it, as rather it most of all confirmeth, that there is a minde maker and framer of the woorlde, which appointed the actions of nature to these ends, and nature deede intendeth to an end thtough the ordination and appointment of another, but neither vnderstandeth it, nor is moued thereby to work.\n\nAnd further, *that there are manie things in the world which not onlie seeme vnprofitable to all, but are also troublesome and pernicious:* this also doth not infringe the generall rule, That all thinges were made to a good vse. For by reason of sinne those things nowe hurt, which would haue profited men if they had not sinned. And therefore to the godly al thinges turne to their safetie, yea that punishment it selfe, which God inflicteth by other creatures vpon mē, serueth for an vse agreeable to the wisedome and iustice of God. Many thinges also, whereby men feele discommodities, haue withal some vses acceptable, & preseruatiue to mans life. And farther there is no one thing among all things which yeeldeth not matter of agnizing and celebrating the wisedome, bounty, power, and iustice of the author.\n\n[^11]10 *From certaine and cleare significations of future euentes,* which neither by humane sight or perceiueablenes, neither by naturall causes or signes coulde haue beene foreknowen: but only beeing reuealed by him, who hath both mankinde and the nature of all thinges so in his owne power, that nothing can bee doone but through his motion. Such are the prophecies of the deluge, of the posterity of Abraham, of the comming of the Messias. Which first is thereby manifest, for that the decrees and counsailes of that minde, which is the first cause of his owne workes, no man can knowe before himselfe: and therefore they cannot bee foreknowen of others, but beeing disclosed by him. Furthermore, many Prophecies haue beene vttered in such sort, that God hath not onely foretolde things should so come to passe, but also that those thinges shoulde bee doone and brought so to passe by him, *Ezech.* 12. Of all thinges foretolde by him hee saith, *I will speake the woorde, and I will doe it.* Lasty, it must needes bee that he knoweth all things who promiseth that hee will giue aunswere concerning all purposes and euentes necessary to bee knowen, which shall bee demaunded of him, and dooth indeede perfourme this; euen as God did among the people of Israel. And therefore God himselfe alleageth this as his worke alone, for proofe of his diuinity against all forged & fained Gods. *Isa.* 41.23. *Shew the things that are to come heereafter, that wee may knowe that you are Gods.*\n\n11 *From heroicall instinctes,* that is, wisedome,[^12] and excellent vertue, in vndertaking and atchiuing those woorkes, which surpasse the common capacity of mans nature. Such is the felicity and happinesse of noble artificers or gouernours, in searching or polishing artes, and in finding out deuises and counsailes: Likewise the couragiousnesse of mind in performing the actions of vertue, and in menaging matters: such as was in Achilles, Alexander, Archimedes, Plato, and others.\n\n## 2 Who and what God is\n\nWhen it is demanded, *who is the tru god,*[^13] we are to hold most firmly and surely, that he alone is the tru god, who euen from the beginning of mankinde did not onely manifest himselfe in the nature of thinges by the steppes and prints of his diuinity shining therein, but especially in the Church, by his woord deliuered, and other famous testimonies of miracles, deliueries, and consolations, wherby he plainly teacheth whom & what he will be acknowleged and published by vs to be, and that he is not acknowleged or woorshiped of any, but of them, who thinke according to this word both of him and his will, neither is the true knowledge of him founde else-where than in this worde. The certaintie of this position, is hereof most manifest, for that all those who imagine GOD to bee other in essence, or nature, or will, than hee hath testified himselfe to bee in his owne manifestations and reueilings, doe not embrace and woorship at all the true GOD, but an other thing of their owne framing, in steede of the true GOD, according to these sayings, *John.* 4.22. *Ye woorship that which ye knowe not: we woorship that which wee knowe: for saluation is of the Jewes.* And *cap.* 5. *vers.* 23. *He that honoreth not the sonne, the same honoreth not the father which hath sent him.* Gal. 4.8. *But then when ye knewe not GOD, yee did seruice vnto them which by nature are not Gods.* Eph. 2.12. *Ye were at that time without Christ, & were aliants from the common-wealth of Israell, and were straungers from the Couenaunt of promise, and had no hope, and were without GOD in the world.* Act. 17.23. *Whom yee then ignorantly worship, him shew I vnto you.* 1. Iohn. 2.23. *Whosoeuer denieth the sonne, the same hath not the father.*\n\nBut against these thinges seemeth that to bee, which Paul saith to the *Rom.* 1.19. *That that which may bee knowen of GOD is manifest also in men estranged from christian Religion: for that GOD hath shewed it vnto them. For the inuisible thinges of him,*[^14] *that is, his eternall power and Godhead, are seene by the creation of the world beeing considered in his woorkes; to the intent that they shoulde be without excuse.* And Act. 17. *That GOD in former ages did not leaue himselfe without witnesse: and that out of the whole nature of thinges, but chieflie by the minde of man, and the difference of thinges honest and dishonest, and by the punishments the of wicked, it may in some measure bee gathered, not onely that there is a GOD, but also what hee is: and therefore manie thinges are found to haue beene spoken truely by the heathen and others concerning the vnitie and nature of GOD.* But to these obiections wee aunswere: that there are indeede some true thinges, concerning GOD manifested otherwise also than by the worde deliuered to the Church: but by them notwithstanding, who is the true GOD, cannot bee shewed; and that for two causes. For first, *those thinges by themselues are not sufficient:* For, to the knowing of the true God, it is requisite that wee knowe and professe, not some thinges onely, but all thinges which hee openeth of himselfe, and woulde haue knowen. Moreouer, *these selfe same true testimonies of God also, which remaine in mens minds and in nature, all they by reason of a naturall blindnesse in them and prauitie doe manie waies corrupt, who in weighing of them followe not the light and interpretation thereof drawen from the worde of God deliuered to the Church,* when as euen of these thinges which might bee knowen by the helpe of nature, manie thinges they doe not knowe, manie they faine of their owne, which haue nothing agreeing with the nature and wil of God: and those thinges which they do retaine, & in shewe of wordes professe, they farre otherwise vnderstand than they are proposed of God, and declared in his word, and in the Church vnderstoode: and so beholding and sounding in their mouth true sentences and sayinges concerning God, conceiue neuerthelesse and foster false opinions of him in their mind. This answere S. Paul himselfe expresseth *Rom.* 1. when he addeth; *That they are inexcusable; because that when they knewe god, they glorified him not as god.*\n\nNow albeit Philosophicall wisedome cannot therefore shew, *who is the true god,* for that concerning the essence, nature, wil, and workes of god,[^15] so much as is necessary to bee knowen it doth not teach, & is diuersly depraued by men, so that out of the Church remaineth no true knowledge of god, yet neuertheles that voice of the nature of things concerning god ought not for these causes to bee reiected as false, or contemned as fruitles. *For neither is that straight waies false in it selfe, which is peruerslie constred of men; neither fruitles for al things, nor to al men, which auaileth the reprobate nothing at all to euerlasting saluation.* For god will also out of the Church bridle the lewd & dissolute, by the testimonies which their conscience & punishments giue of his will, anger, and iudgement, and according to them will hee haue the life and manners of men ruled. Hee will haue mans corruption and his iustice made more conspicuous and cleare in punishing them, who stubburnely withstand the knowen truth. He wil by natural testimonies, mens conscience shewing the imperfection thereof, haue men stirred vp to seeke the true God in the Church, as it is said, *Act.* 17. *That men were therefore placed in the theater of the worlde, that they should seeke the Lord, if so be they might haue groaped after him, and found him.* Hee will also haue them, who are conuerted to him, to be more confirmed by the consent of nature and the worde, as the often alleadging of naturall testimonies in the Scriptures declareth. Lastly he will, the imperfection of naturall knowledge being considered, haue mens ignorance concerning God acknowledged, & his mercy magnified, who discouereth and openeth himselfe in his woorde.\n\nGod cannot bee defined, 1. *Because he is immense.* 2. *Because his essence is vnknown vnto vs:* Yet some way hee may be described: which description comprehendeth his attributes or properties, the persons & principal woorks and by these three is the true God discerned from all false Gods.\n\n[^16]After this sort then is God Theologically described, *God is a spiritual essence, intelligent, eternall, infinite, other from all the creatures, incomprehensible, most perfect in it selfe, vnmutable, and of an immense power, wisedome & goodnesse, true, iust, chast, mercifull, bountifull, most free, angry and wrath with sinne: which essence is the eternal father who frō euerlasting begot the Sonne according to his Image, and the Sonne, who is the coeternall Image of the father: & the holie ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Sonne: Euen as it hath bin manifested from aboue, certain worde thereof beeing deliuered by the Prophets, Christ and the Apostles, and by diuine testimonies, that the eternall Father together with the Sonne, and the holy ghost, hath created heauen and earth, and all creatures, and worketh all good things in all: & that in mankind he hath chosen vnto himselfe and gathered a Church, by, and for the Sonne, that by his Church this one and true Deitie may be according to the word deliuered from aboue, acknowledged, celebrated, and adored in this life, and in the life to come: & lastly that he is the iudge of the iust and vniust.*\n\n[^17]Philosophically he is described on this wise: *God is an eternall minde or intelligence sufficient in himselfe to all felicitie, most good, and the cause of good in nature.* So is hee defined by Plato in his book of *Definitions;* likewise in his *Timaeus.* And by Aristotle *Lib.* 12. *Metaph. Cap.* 7. and *Lib. de Mundo, &c.*\n\nThe Theological description of god,[^18] which the church deliuereth, differeth from this Philosophical description, because *that is pefecter than this.* 1 *In the number of parts, whereof it addeth manie by nature vnknown vnto men;* as of the Trinity, of the Redēption of man, &c. 2. *In the vnderstanding & declaration of those parts, which are common to both▪* for the Theological description declareth them more certainlie and fullie. 3. *In the effect or fruite.* By Philosophie or the light of nature men are not able to bee brought to the true knowledge of God, both *because it is maimed, and false by mens corruption:* as also *because it doth not stirre vp in vs Godlines,* that is, the loue and feare of God: seeing it teacheth not those things, whereby this is effectuated and brought to passe.\n\n## An explication of the description of God deliuered by the Church\n\n*GOD is an essence*] That is, a thing, which 1. *hath his being from none, but from himselfe.* 2. *is preserued or sustained of none but subsisteth by himselfe.* 3. *is necessarilie.* 4. *is the only cause vnto all other things of their being.* Wherfore he is called *Jehoua,* as if you would saie, *beeing by himselfe and causing other things to be,* to wit, according to his nature and promises.\n\n*Spirituall*] 1. *Because hee is incorporeal:* as being infinite, and indiuisible, & most excellent. 2. *Insensible.* For first, *experience teacheth this.* Secondly, *God is without sensible qualities,* which are the obiects of the senses: and Thirdly, *hee is immense.* The eies perceiue onely thinges finite, and which are within a certain compasse. 3. *He is spirituall, because both himselfe liueth, and is the author of all life both corporall and spirituall.*\n\nObiection. Against this opinion manie places of scripture haue beene heretofore by some alleadged,[^19] in which *it is written, that God and Angels did appeare and were seen, thereby to proue, that their nature is corporeal and visible.* But we are to know, that not the very substances of God and Angels, but created shapes and bodies were beheld of men, made, carried, and moued, by the will and vertue of God or Angels, that by them they might make knowen their presence, and vse their ministerie and seruice in instructing men of those thinges which seemed good vnto them. And these were sometimes by imagination represented to the interiour senses of men: which also somewhere may, & somewhere cannot be gathered out of the circumstances of the histories: As the Angels appearing to Abraham & Lot, were inuested with true bodies, as which might bee toucht and handled. Whether Micha before Achab saw with the eies of his bodie, or of his mind, the Lord and his Angels, is a matter of doubt. But that those visible shapes were not the very substaunce of God, is hereby manifest, for that the scripture with great consent teacheth, that *God is seene of no man, neither can be seene, and incomprehensible, and vnchangeable. But those visible shapes were not alwaies the same.*\n\n[^20]2 Obiection. To these they adde that which is saide, that *God was seene of Jacob face to face.* Gen. 32. *And of Moses.* Exod. 33. and Deut 34. *And of all the people,* Deut. 5. *And that all of vs shall see God face to face, in the life to come.* 1. Cor. 13. By which metaphor or borrowed speeche, is signified a cleare and conspicuous manifestation and knowledge of God, which is perceiued, not with the eies of the bodie, but of the minde, *either by meanes,* as by the word, by his woorkes and outwarde tokens, and such as runne into the the senses, whence the minde may gather somewhat of God: *Or without meanes,* by inwarde reuelation. And albeit in the life to come shall bee a farre more bright knowledge of god than nowe: yet to knowe god most perfectly is proper to god onely, as it is saide, *John.* 6.46. *Not that any man hath seene the father, saue hee which is of God, hee hath seene the father:* So farre is it, that the inuisible, infinite and euerlasting Deitie may euer be conceaued by bodilie eies, whose nature is not to perceiue any obiectes, but such as are finite and limited.\n\n[^21]3 Obiection. They haue alleaged also those sayinges, *wherein the parts of mans bodie are attributed to God.* But these also are not properly, but by a Metaphor, spoken of god, whereby is signified to vs a power in god working after an incomprehensible manner his workes, a certaine shadowe whereof are those actions, which men doe by the ministerie and helpe of their bodily partes: as *the eies, and eares* signifie the wisedome of god, whereby hee vnderstandeth all thinges: *the mouth,* the publishing of his worde: *the face,* the declaration, tokens, and feeling of his diuine goodnesse & grace, or seueritie & anger: *The hart,* his loue: *the hands and armes,* his power: *the feete,* his presence.\n\n4 Obiection. They haue affirmed also,[^22] *because man was made according to the image of god, that therefore god hath a humane shape;* not marking, that the image of god consisteth not in the shape and figure of the bodie, but in the mind, & integritie of nature, *in wisedome, righteousnes, and true holines.* Eph. 4. As for Tertullian, whereas he reasoneth, that *god is a bodie;* that he speaketh vnproperly therein, and abuseth the word bodie, in steed of substance, not only Austine witnesseth in his Epistle to Quoduultdeus: but this is also an argumēt, & proofe thereof, because he termeth also the soules and Angels oftentimes bodies.\n\nWherefore let vs know that therefore wee are taught the nature of god to bee spirituall,[^23] *that wee may not conceiue of god anie thing which is grosse, terrene, carnall, and vnworthie his diuine Maiestie: neither shoulde deeme that hee can bee perceiued by our bodilie senses or in thought imagined, but shoulde consider his nature by his worde and woorkes: that wee shoulde not dare to represent him by any bodilie shape: and in a worde, that wee shoulde remember that hee is to bee worshipped, not with the gestures or other thinges of the bodie, but with the minde and spirituall motion of the heart.* Lastly, *Seeing hee alone inspireth into vs temporall and euerlasting life, wee shoulde acknowledge the gift of both to come from him:* Out of this fountaine onely wee should seeke it, and indeuour to referre it wholy to his glorie.\n\n*Intelligent*] 1.[^24] *Because hee is the cause both of the minde of man, and of the notions shining in it, and also of that order which it in the nature of thinges and common weales.* 2. *Because all intelligence or vnderstanding of the creature commeth from him, both in respect of the facultie, as also in respect of the operation.* For neither can the efficient and preseruing cause of intelligent natures, and of the vnderstanding it selfe and order in nature, bee but intelligent and vnderstanding. And therefore the holy Scripture also reasoneth on this wise, *Psalme.* 94.9. *He that planted the eare, shall hee not heare: or hee that made the eie, shall he not see?* Nowe this wee are to holde, first, against those, *who setting nature in the place of God, imagine the world and the varietie and order of thinges in it, to arise from the matter and the inclination thereof to this forme:* when as notwithstanding these thinges coulde not haue their beeing from a cause not intelligent. Wee are to holde it also, *thereby to acknowledge not onely true knowledge it selfe, but also all abilitie of vnderstanding, and the sagacitie and perceueraunce of the senses and minde to be the gift of God.*\n\n*Eternall] That such an eternitie,* which can haue neither beginning nor any end of beeing, *agreeth to God alone, both nature sheweth,*[^25] for so much as hee is the first cause of all things, and of infinite perfection & power; *and the scripture also recounteth,* as Psal. 90.2. *Before the mountains were brought forth, or euer the earth and world were made; thou art God from euerlasting, and world without end.* But we are to obserue, that not therefore onely the eternitie of God is so often inculcated in the scriptures, that in regard hereof hee may bee discerned from thinges created: but also *because hee will impart eternitie vnto vs,* that is, hee hath purposed and promised that he will giue vs of his eternall goodnes, and prouidence, eternal blessings, and will haue continuall care of vs through al eternitie, and wil haue a kingdome in Angels & men, whereof shalbe no end.\n\nTherefore are wee giuen to vnderstand that God is eternal to vs,[^26] *that we may oppose the certain hope of eternall blessednes grounded vpon his eternitie against the shortnes of mortall life, and against the frailtie of mans condition.* For seeing hee is eternal, he can, and seeing hee promiseth, he will for euer preserue vs with his protection. *Psal.* 48.13. *For this God is our GOD for euer and euer.* And *Psalm.* 111.9. *Hee hath commaunded his Couenant for euer.* Wherefore being vphelde by this consolation, *let vs neither refuse to suffer the short miserie of this life, neither preferre the short felicitie thereof before eternal blessings: and seeing God wil be not only bountifull towards the godly, but iudge also of the vngodlie eternally, let the cogitation of the eternal wrath of god keep and hold vs in the feare of god, that we may not desire to buie the fading shewe of whatsoeuer good with eternal miserie.*\n\n*That god is other from all his creatures,* we must hold: first, against Philosophers,[^27] *who wil haue the world or nature it selfe to bee god,* that is either a generall matter, or a power, or a minde and intelligence, or some forme to be infused, mingled, & tied to the bodies of the world, & them to informe, quicken, sustein, and moue, as the soule susteineth and moueth mans bodie. Which Virgil calleth, *the spirit of the world:* others *the soule of the world.* Secondly, against those *who imagine the creatures, either all, as Seruetus; or some, according to the doctrine of the Manichees, to spring from the verie essēce or nature of god, deriuing it selfe, as they speake, into others by propagation.* Thirdly, *that al prophane, vnworthie, & idolatrous cogitation of god, whereby god may be made like to anie creature, may be excluded.* For, that the essence of god is far other than the essēce of al the creatures, both nature & the word of god sheweth, *whē as it teacheth that god is wise & Creator of the world: now the world hath manie parts vnreasonable; and it self cannot be Creator to it selfe,* it sheweth also that things are not deriued out of the substance of god, *that beeing vnchangeable and indiuisible.* And lastly, that the Deitie is most vnlike & different from all things created, *because there can neither be, nor be imagined anie similitude of a finite nature and an infinite.*\n\nFirst therefore, whereas the scripture saith,[^28] *that al things are of god:* Rom. 11.1. Cor. 8. it doth not mean that al things are god, or the essence of god, or propagated from it. For al other things are of god, not as begotten of him or proceeding from him, *as the word, and eternal spirite of god,* but as created, that is, made of nothing. *Rom.* 4.17. *Who calleth those things that are not, as if they were.* Secondly, *when as the soule of man is called celestiall and diuine.* Likewise, *when it is said, we are the generation of god.* Act. 17.29. This is not meant of the cōmunicating of the diuine substance, as if the soul were deriued from the essence of god, but of the similitude of properties, & of the creation. The soule therefore is said to bee *celestiall and diuine,* that is, adorned with celestiall & diuine powers & gifts, which although they be a certain shadowe of the diuine nature, yet are they created qualities. Thirdly whereas *the elect and saints are said to bee of god, to bee borne of god and his spirite, and the sonnes of god, and spirituall;* Iohn. 1.13. & 8.47. & 3.6. Neither is this vnderstood of the propagation of the essence, but of the similitude of the properties, or of the image of God, to the which they are refashioned by Gods spirite. And fourthly when Paul also saith, 1. Cor. 6.17. *That he which is ioined vnto the Lord, is one spirit;* and Peter. 2. Pet. 1.4. *That we are made partakers of the diuine nature:* we are taught, both that the spirite of God dwelleth in vs by grace, and is ioined vnto vs, as also that there is begun in vs euen nowe *a conformitie with God,* which shall bee perfected in the life to come. And lastly, *when Christ himselfe is said to be God, and to haue a diuine bodie:* There is not thereby signified a mutation of the diuine nature into the humane, or of the humane into the diuine: but an vnseparable conioyning of two natures, reteining their properties distinct, into one person, and a glorifiyng of the humane nature which indeede agreeth to a nature ruler and gouernes of all things, but yet notwithstanding made & created.\n\n[^29] *Incōprehensible, or immense*] 1. He wil haue vs to know, *that he cannot be cōprehended in the cogitation of any creature,* so that what things he ascribeth to himself in his word, how great soeuer they be thought of vs, yet are they alwaies far greater. For the power of vnderstanding which reacheth but to finite things, cannot cōceiue the forme or perfect patterne of an infinit nature. 2. *The Deitie cannot be cōprehended or circumscribed in place or space, or any limits;* that is, the essence of God, is immense or vnmeasurable, neither to be extended, nor diuided, nor multiplied. Therefore it is al euery where, one & the same. The 1. reasō hereof is: *Because an infinit power cannot be cōtained in an essence or nature which is finit & limited.*[^30] 2. *Because the power of god is alwaies euery where; & therefore his substance also.* For that cānot be without this; yea it is the diuine essence it selfe. And that the power or vertue of the diuinity which hath been spread perpetually in infinit maner both before & after the creation of the world, cannot be any where, either in no substāce at al, or in any substāce, but only in the very substāce it self of god, the Philosophers also, who cōceiued god to be infinit, haue cōfessed. Neither yet is it to be thought, *that the substance of the diuinity is so extended, that one part thereof is one where, or so multiplied, that an other part is another where; but that it being infinit is euery where: and seeing it cannot bee diuided into partes, as beeing immense and most perfect, to bee all euerie where: and seeing it is but one, that it is euerie where the same, so that none can pierce into or cōprehend it, but it pierceth into & cōprehendeth all things.* Iere. 23. *Doe not I fill the heauen & the earth, saith the Lord?* 3 *Not onely the power, but the essence also of the Diuinitie to be infinite,* doth euen hereby most certainlie appeare, *Because there is one, the same, and whole substance of the three persons.* For *the eternall father,* as he is alwaies, so at that time, when Christ liued on earth, was hee in heauen. *And the woorde or coeternall Son of the Father* was in his bodie on earth: & yet because there is but one & the same essence of the father & the sonne, both the father was with the Son on earth, and the son with the father in heauen; as himselfe saith, *Joh.* 16. *The father is with me:* & Ioh. 3. *The sonne of man which is in heauen:* and Iohn. 14. *I am in the father, and the father is in me.* So *the holy ghost* was truely present in the likenesse of a Doue and a flame, at the Baptism of Christ, & at Pentecost, & now dwelleth in vs as in his Temple: And yet is alwaies with the father and the Sonne in heauen, as the father and the Sonne are with him in all the Saintes, which are dispersed through out heauen and earth: And hence *appeareth the third difference betweene an infinite nature, and a finit nature,* or the third reason, which is onely opened in the worde of God, whereby *the diuine essence is incomprehensible,* to witte, *by communication,* whereas the whole is in such sort common to the three persons of the Diuinity, as not only it is in them as in the creatures, but also is their very substance, & yet neuerthelesse remaineth in number one and the same.\n\nNowe, that *it is proper to the Deity alone,*[^31] *nor imparted or communicated to any creature to bee infinite or immense, or to bee euerie where at the same time, or to be the same in diuerse places,* is apparant by these reasons. First, *Because it is impossible that any creature should be, or be made equal to the creator,* as it hath beene often said: *Lord, who is like vnto thee?* 2. *Because god himselfe by this mark distinguisheth and discerneth himselfe from the creatures:* for in saieng, *that he is, he, who filleth heauen & earth,* he signifieth that there is no other such besides him. 3. *Because christ sheweth his diuinity by this argument, in that whē he was in body on earth, yet hee affirmeth himselfe to bee in heauen,* Iohn 3.13. *The fourth reason is, that the godly Doctors of the auncient Church defended the Diuinitie of the holy Ghost by this selfesame argument:* as Dydimus in his Treatise of the holy Ghost lib. 1. cap. 1. *The holy Ghost himselfe, if he were one of the creatures, shoulde haue at leastwise a substaunce limited, as all thinges which were made. For although inuisible creatures are not limited and circumscribed by place; yet are they limited by the propertie of their substaunce. But the Holie GHOST beeing in manie, hath not a limited and finite substance.*\n\n[^32] *God is moreouer most perfect in himselfe.* 1. *Because hee onely hath al things which maie be desired vnto perfect felicity and glory:* so that no way any thing may bee added vnto him to make him more glorious or happy: And all the creatures haue but only some parts and degrees of blessinges distributed vnto them, conuenient for their nature and place, which the Creator assigneth and giueth to euery one. 2. *Because hee receiueth no part of this most absolute felicitie from anie other, but hath al thinges in himselfe, and of himselfe, and is alone sufficient to himselfe for all thinges:* and therefore needeth no mans labour, or aide, or presence, but was alike blessed from euerlasting, before any creature was, as hee is now, after the creation of the woorlde. But contrariwise al the creatures stand so in neede of the goodnesse and presence of God, that without it they cannot onely not any way bee well and in good state, but not so much as bee at al the space of one moment. 3. *Because hee is not for himselfe onely, but for the creating also, preseruing, guiding, and furnishing of all and euerie creature so sufficient, that he alone doth giue to al of them all good thinges necessarie and meete for them, aswell eternall and heauenly, as terrene and temporall, neither yet for all that dooth the least iot depart either from his power, or from his happinesse.* Now all the creatures not onely cannot at all profite one another, more than God woorketh by them as the instrumentes of his goodnesse, but neither they themselues, which are as it were cundites, can haue the least good in themselues, but what they haue drawen from God alone, as the onely fountaine and well-spring of goodnesse and felicity. *Now he alone is sufficient for al, and bestoweth al thinges,* because there must needes bee some one first cause in nature of all good thinges: *and hee hath all thinges in his power,* because, except he hadde them, hee could not giue them others. *And except hee had them of himselfe,* he could not be the first head and fountain of al good things.\n\n1 Obiection. *Prouerb.* 16.[^33] *He is said to haue made al things for himselfe.* Aunswere. Not for the aiding or encreasing of himselfe, as if hee needed any thing, but rather for to communicate and shewe himselfe vnto his creatures hee made thē; because this is the nature of that which is good, not onely to preserue it selfe, but also to communicate it selfe to others. 2. *It is obiected that hee vseth the creatures in accomplishing his workes.* But this hee dooth not as constrained thereto by any necessity or impotency, but of his most free will and goodnesse, to shew that he is able both waies, both without them, & with them, to do whatsoeuer he wil: that he is Lord of all thinges, both by right, and by his power, and can vse al thinges at his pleasure: and that he also dooth worthy his creatures this great and free honour, as to make them the instrumentes of his bountifulnesse, & fellowes and disposers (as Saint Paul speaketh 1. *Cor.* 4.) of his diuine works. 3. Furdermore, *that we are willed to performe, exhibit, and offer, obedience, worship, honour, sacrifices, to God, and to giue him that which is his:* therby is taught, not what good commeth more to god, but what good ought to be in vs. For as disobedience and despite against god maketh not God but the creature more miserable, so obedience towardes God, which is a conformity and agreement with Gods Law and minde, is the good and blessednesse, not of God, but of the reasonable creature. And this is saide to bee giuen or taken from God, not that God needeth it, or is profited thereby, but because men ought, by order of iustice, to perfourme and yeeld it vnto God. As Psalm. 50.9. *I will take no bullocke out of thy house: nor he-goates out of thy foldes.* And Luke 17.10. *When yee haue doone all those thinges which are commaunded you, saie, wee are vnprofitable seruantes.*[^34] And if any man reply, *That glorie neuerthelesse tendeth to his happinesse and perfection, vnto whom it is giuen:* we must know, *that the glory of god signifieth sometimes the foundation of glory, to wit, the attributes or virtues which are in god himselfe, and his diuine worke, and the beholding and approbation of them in god.* And in this sense can no man giue him glory, nether can it bee diminished or augmented, but it was and remayneth the same in him for euer: according as it is saide, *John.* 17.5. *Glorifie mee O Father, with the glorie which I hadde with thee, before the woorlde was.* Sometimes it signifieth *the agnizing and magnifieng of the goodnesse and woorckes of God,* which is not in GOD, but in creatures endewed with reason: and therefore may be made lesser or greater; and beeing amplified or diminished, it encreaseth or diminisheth the goodnesse, happinesse, and perfection, not of GOD, but of the creature. But if anie man will further reply, *that this verie worshippe and obedience profiteth him vnto whome it is doone:* to graunt this concerning the Creatures, as who may bee furthered and enriched by the mutuall dueties of each other; yet will it by no meanes agree to GOD, seeing no man can help or harme him, and the true agnising and magnifyeng of GOD, as also the whole conformity and agreement with him, is not his happines and perfection, but the creatures.\n\n[^35]4 Obiection. *To whome is giuen that which is due vnto him, to him something commeth thereby more than hee hadde before. Vnto GOD is yeelded our obedience and woorshippe, which is due vnto him. Therefore somewhat commeth to him from vs.* Aunswere. The Maior is true of that which is due of need or want, or which hee needeth, and is furthered thereby, to whom it is giuen. But our obedience is no such due, but that which GOD, by order of his iustice, requireth of vs: and that not for his, but our perfection and felicity.\n\n[^36]Lastly, if anie man vrge, *that he who reioiceth doth receiue some good of those thinges, wherein hee reioiceth: and therefore some fruite certainly to redound vnto God out of our obedience and saluation, seeing hee pronounceth that hee roioiceth therein,* wee graunt verily that in men, reioicing and the like affections are stirred vp by outwarde obiectes: But wee must not deeme that our vertues are the cause of that reioicing which is in God. For therefore is a thing thought right and honest, because it is agreeing to the wil and nature of God: and because God from euerlasting is delighted with his owne goodnesse and vprightnesse, and with thinges agreeing therewith: therefore dooth hee create and woorcke such in men: and that euerlasting approbation or liking, which was the cause why GOD created good things, is the cause also why hee now cherisheth and preserueth them being created. Wherefore the euerlasting reioicing in God for our obedience and saluation, is the efficient cause of our obedience and saluation: but not contrariwise, our obedience the efficient cause of that reioicing in God: as it commeth to passe in men, who are affected by outwarde obiectes. *Or thus:* God reioiceth at our good, as beeing an obiect, but not a cause: because obiects are not the cause, but effects of gods approbation and reioicing.\n\nMoreouer when GOD pronounceth himselfe to be *vnchaungeable,* hee sheweth that hee will bee alwaies such,[^37] as hee hath beene from all eternity: so that first, *neither his essence, and whatsoeuer is proper thereto, can bee augmented or diminished: neither* secondly, *his nature and will bee chaunged: neither* lastly, *himselfe hath neede to transport himselfe from place to place.* This doe Philosophers, induced thereto by reasons, confesse. For first, *whatsoeuer is chaunged, that must needes haue, either some outwarde cause, or some originall or beginning in it selfe of moouing and chaunging, or both. But GOD cannot bee mooued or chaunged by anie thing which is without him:* for so himselfe should not be the first moouer and maker of all that is good in nature. *Neither can he suffer chaunge from anie inwarde originall or beginning of chaunge.* For whatsoeuer is so moued or changed, that must needs haue partes, whereof some must mooue & some be moued. Now that god should be diuided into parts, neither doth his immensity suffer, nor his great perfectiō. For seing euery part is imperfecter thā the whol, & in god is nothing which is not most perfect: it is impious to imagin any parts in him. *Wherefore neither by any outwarde, nor inward cause is he moued or changed.* Secōdly, *whatsoeuer is changed, that must needs be changed either to the worse, or to the better, or into a state equal to the former. It is impossible that God should bee made worser:* for he should so become of perfect vnperfect. *And to be made better is also vnpossible.* For so he should haue bin before more vnperfect. *But neither can he be trāslated into an equall condition and state,* as thereby to leaue some good which before he had, and to receiue some good which before hee had not: for thus should he be neither before nor after his change most perfect, as wanting some part of those good thinges which belonged vnto him. Thirdly, *That which is infinite, neither can be made greater;* for so it shoulde not haue beene infinite before; *nor lesser,* for so it shoulde bee made finite. Seeing then both the essence, and power, and wisedome, and all the vertues of God are incomprehensible, & all things in God immense; therefore cannot any of them be either diminished or increased. Fourthly. For the same cause, *God doth not transport and remooue himselfe from place to place as creatures,* seeing by reason of his immensitie, whereby he filleth heauen and earth, he can neither depart nor be absent from any place. Fiftly, *Seeing he is most wise, and therefore from euerlasting hath most well purposed, decreed, and foreseene all things; change of purpose & will cannot fal into him.* And therefore God would haue this in many places of holy scripture inculcated vnto vs, that his nature & wil is subiect to no mutations, as beeing a thing most respecting his glory. As *Num.* 23.19. *God is not as mā, that he should lie; nor as the Son of man, that he should repent. Hath he said it then, & shall he not doe it? Hath he spoken, & shall he not accomplish it?* Psal. 33.11. *The counsell of the Lorde shall endure for euer. And the thoughts of his hart from generation to generation.* Iam. 1.17. *With whome is no variablenesse, neither shadowe of change.*\n\n[^38]1 Obiection. *But God is said to repent.* Answere. He is said to repent, not that he changeth his will: but, 1 *because he earnestly detesteth sinnes, and is not delighted with the destruction of men.* 2 *Because by reason of this hatred against sinne, & this mercie towards repentant sinners, he maketh change of things and euents, which from euerlasting he decreed,* as men are wont to doe, who repent them of their purpose. For among men euery change is an amending of that, which disliketh thē. Amending riseth vpon repentance. Wherfore the name of repētance, as also the names of other human affectiōs are said to be attributed to god by an anthropopathie. Because the Scripture speaketh of God after the manner of men, for our infirmitie, that wee vnderstanding those thinges, which are in vs, to be shadowes of those which are in god, may in some sort conceiue something of the nature of god and his wil towardes mankinde. Wherefore these formes of speaking doe not signifie any perturbation in God, or change, or passion like vnto our affections, but are vsed to signifie these two things of God. First, *that that is not a fained or dissembled, but an earnest, eternall, vnchangeable nature & will in god,* a shadow and image whereof he would haue the affections and motions created in men to be: yet is it without al trouble, or hinderance, or diminishing of his blessednesse and ioy. Secondly, *that he doth those things which mē are wont to do,* being stirred vp by those affections, which are attributed to God, not that he, as men being mooued by a present or sodaine affection of the minde, doth nowe first take counsel, but doth now at the length execute and do those things, which he decreed and appointed from all eternity.\n\n2 Obiection.[^39] *The promises and threatnings of God oftentimes are not fulfilled.* Aunswere. The promises of God are alwaies to be vnderstood with an exception of the crosse of the Godly, and of the punishments, and chastisments of such as depart from God and sinne, or with a condition of perseuerance in faith and Godlines: and also contrarilie his threatninges, with an exception of conuersion and praier, or with a condition of perseuerance in sinne. And these conditions are sometimes expressed, as *Jer.* 18. and 28. where plainly is set downe this rule of vnderstanding Gods promises and threatninges: as that God will punish them who depart from him, vnto whom he had promised blessinges: and will spare those who repent, to whom hee had threatned punishment. And sometimes they are closely vnderstoode, especially in the threatninges and comminations, thereby euen to wrest repentaunce and more timely and earnest praiers from vs, by which as meanes interposed and comming betweene, he hath decreed to saue and deliuer vs. Reply. *But these conditions are vncertain & chaungeable. Therefore the wil of god is also changeable.* Aunswere. In respect of the nature, will, and iudgement of man, they are chaungeable: but in respect of the counsell and prouidence of God, vnchaungeable and most certaine. For God hath decreed from euerlasting the means and ends of things: as also he hath decreed in whome hee will, and in whome hee will not woorke conuersion.\n\n3 Obiection. *He changeth manie his precepts, obseruances and woorks, as the Mosaicall Lawes and gouernement.* Answere. He changeth them indeede; but so as he woulde also from euerlasting that change: neither are al thinges appointed of God for perpetuity. But he decreed, from euerlasting, some things to last only for a time.\n\n[^40]Wherefore bee it to vs out of all controuersie, that God is vnchangeable. For first, *this is amongest those especial differences, whereby the Creatour will be discerned from all creatures, that hee onelie can by no meanes bee changed, whereas all other things both are diuerslie changed, & may at the onlie pleasure of God be changed infinitelie,* howsoeuer for a while, so long as it is his pleasure, they are and seeme firme and immutable; according as it is said, *Mat.* 24. *Heauen and earth shall passe, but my word shall not passe.* Secondly, *Hence we vnderstand and are assured, that al things in the worlde are gouerned by the euerlasting prouidence of god.* For seeing *no mutation happeneth to god,* it must needes be that all his counsailes were purposed from euerlasting. *And seeing god both foreseeth all things vnchangeable, and his counsailes concerning the euent and end of thinges are certaine and vnchangeable:* it must needes be also that the second causes and meanes or Antecedents, without which those euents were not to followe, must bee certaine and vnchangeable. *And because in things created, especially in humane affaires, there is great vncertaintie and mutabilitie, neither is there any cause of vnchangeablenesse but the will of god;* God could not haue appointed any thing certaine or vnchangeable concerning the euent and end, except hee had also made all the meanes, (by which the end is attained vnto, and which as concerning their owne nature are most vncertaine and chaungeable) by his euerlasting counsaile and decree certaine and vnchangeable.\n\nWherefore it is saide, *Isay* 14.27. *The Lord of hostes hath determined it, and who shall disanull it?* Thirdly, *the whole vse and force, and declaration of the promises, threatnings, and examples of Gods goodnesse, power, iustice, mercie, and wrath, both olde and newe, to teach vs, and to erect vs with comfort, or by feare to holde and keepe vs in our duetie and the feare of God: dependeth of Gods vnchaungeable nature.* For all those do then affect vs, when wee thinke that the same nature and will of God, which was in times past, is nowe also, and is and will bee such to vs repenting, or persisting in our sinnes, as wee see it was in times past, and nowe is towardes others. And then doe wee truelie relie vpon the promises of God, when wee knowe, that his counsell shall neuer bee chaunged. Fourthlie, *This doctrine inclineth mens mindes to obedience and subiection, which is necessarie in asking thinges at Gods handes:* that wee desire not GOD to doe those thinges for vs, or others, which hee hath before time assuredlie toulde vs, that hee will not doe: and further that wee submit and leaue with reuerence those thinges to his pleasure, whereof hee would not as yet haue knowen vnto vs, what hee hath decreede. Fiftlie, *The vnchaungeablenesse of Gods will is the grounde and foundation of the hope and comfort of the godlie in this life.* For it is most absurd to conceiue of GOD, that nowe hee loueth, and nowe hee hateth vs, nowe hee will assuredlie giue vnto vs euerlasting life, and a little after againe hee will not: And therefore when once true faith and conuersion vnto GOD is begunne in our heartes, and the spirite of God hath begunne to witnesse to our spirite, that wee are the sonnes of GOD, and heires of euerlasting life; God will haue vs certainlie to resolue, that as hee had this his will towardes vs from euerlasting, so to euerlasting hee will not change it, but will assuredlie bring vs, at his pleasure, out of this wicked and miserable life through al tentations and daungers what-soeuer, to eternall and euerlasting life, according to that article of our Faith, *I beleeue life euerlasting.*\n\nWhen as *Omnipotencie* is attributed to GOD,[^41] thereby is first vnderstoode, *That whatsoeuer hee will, or whatsoeuer, not impairing his nature and maiestie, hee is able to will, he is also able to perfourme.* Secondie, *That he is able to performe all those thinges without anie difficulty & labour, euen with his only beck & will.* Thirdly, *That all the force & power of working and effecting anie thing, is so in god only, that there is not the least abilitie or efficacie of anie creature, but what he continuallie imparteth, & preserueth at his pleasure.* And therefore the power of God is to bee considered of vs, not as beeing idle, but as creating, sustaining, mouing, and ruling al thinges. The reasons are, 1 *God is the first cause of all thinges:* Therefore he hath all thinges in his power, and their abilitie is so much, as he giueth vnto them. 2 *Hee dooth such thinges as can bee done by no created & finit power:* as are the creation & gouerning of all thinges, the preseruation of common weales, the deluge, the deliuerie out of Aegypt, & all his miracles. 3 *He is vnchangeable.* Therefore in him to be able to do, and to doe, is the same which to will, and so of the contrary.\n\nBut although al men affirme God to be omnipotent, *yet there is a double difference betweene the sacred Doctrine of the Church,*[^42] *and Philosophie, concerning gods omnipotency.* For first, *without the doctrine of the Church, men only know the vniuersall and generall power of god, whereby hee createth, preserueth, and gouerneth the whole world: but they know not that power, whereby he saueth men, and restoreth the world by his sonne, gathering and preseruing an euerlasting Church, and deliuering it from sin and death, and endowing it with life and glory euerlasting:* by which works God especially sheweth forth his power, as it is said, *Hag.* 2.7. *Yet a litle while, & I wil shake the heauens & the earth, and the sea, and the drie land.* Secondly, *neither doe they professe of the generall power of god so much as is sufficient.* For albeit they are enforced to confesse that God is the author and preseruer of the woorld: yet are they not able to saie that al things were created of nothing by the woorde of God alone: & for as much as they are ignorant fo the cause of sin & confusion, they cannot affirme al things so to be administred and gouerned by gods omnipotency, as that al which is good is done by the powerful working of Gods will: but they attribute many things to chance, fortune, & humane wisdome, or vertue, and so imagine the power of god to be idle in these and doing nothing.\n\nFurthermore, *that god cannot either sinne, or wil, and allowe of sinne, or be changed, or diminished, or suffer any thing, or make things doone vndoone, or wil thinges flat repugnant and contradictorie, or create another god or some nature equal to himselfe, or bee perceiued by bodilie senses, or doe other thinges proper to a create or finite nature, or admit the same into himselfe* this doth not diminish or weaken, but rather augment & strengthen his power. For that is the greatest and most perfect power, which can neither be destroied, nor weakned, nor diminished: and that, none susteining it, but only by it selfe. But contrariwise, to be able to be corrupted & impaired, is a token of imbecillity and imperfection *of exceeding & immense wisedome.*[^43] That we may rightly and with profit and commoditie know the power of God, it is necessarie not to consider it, but as it is ioyned with his immense wisedome and goodnesse, which moderateth it. Further, of his diuine wisedome first we learne, *That God doth of himselfe in one act or view vnderstand and behold perpetually and most perfectlie, in maruellous manner, and that vnknowen to vs, himselfe and the whole order of his minde declared in the nature of thinges and in his woorde, and what agreeth therewith and disagreeth, and all his woorkes, and the works of all creatures, past, present, and to come, & all the causes and circumstances of all things.* And moreouer, *That al Angels and men haue no more knowlege of diuine and humane matters; than God doth woork & maintaine in their minds.* For among other thinges, the most beutiful and sightlie order which is in the nature of thinges, the endes and vses of all things, the signification of future euents, arts and sciences, the euerting and ouerturning of those deuises, which the Diuell and wicked men haue most craftily contriued against God and all the godly, doe enforce all men to confesse, that these things could not proceed but from a most wise artificer and author. Wherefore also the scripture it selfe willeth vs to consider the wisedome of God, shining in these his woorks. *Eccle.* 3.11. *God hath made euerie thing beutiful in his time.* Isai. 44.7. *Who is like me that shal cal, & shal declare it, & set it in order before me, since I appointed the ancient people?* Ioh. 5.13. *He taketh the wise in their craftinesse.* And of these hee concludeth, that the wisedome of God is immense & vnconceiueable. As, *Ps.* 145 7. *His wisdom is infinit.* Rom. 11.32. *O the deepenesse of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God!* But here again is to be obserued a difference betweene Philosophie and the word of God. First, *that euen in the creation, the knowen or legall wisedome was darkned and maimed in men through sinne,* and therefore needeth a renewing by the woorde deliuered to the Church. And then, *that men without this heauenlie doctrine are altogether ignorant of that especial wisedome of God reuealed in the gospell, whereby he saueth the Church gathered from amongst mankind by the son. As it is said,* Mat. 11. *I giue thee thanks, O father, bicause thou hast hid these things from the wise & men of vnderstanding, and hast opened them vnto babes.*\n\n[^44] *The goodnesse of God signifieth* sometimes *his bountifulnes,* as Psa. 106.1. *Praise the Lord because he is good:* sometimes *all the vertues, and whatsoeuer is spoken of the nature of God.* As Psalm. 14. *Let thy spirite leade mee thorough the right waie.* That which also is meant by the name *of holines or sanctity and light.* 1. Iohn 1. So in this place, first *by the name of goodnesse are vnderstoode al those thinges which are attributed to god in his woorde, and are represented and resembled in his image, as those thinges which are termed good in Angels and men,* as life, power, wisedome, ioy, righteousnesse &c. For such is the nature of God, as it hath manifested it selfe in the Lawe and Gospel, and the goodnesse of the reasonable creature, is an image of the diuine goodnesse. And therefore here also differ philosophy and the Scripture; in that Philosophy attributeth onely to God that his goodnesse which was opened in the Lawe, and yet neither that wholie: but of his goodnesse reuealed in the Gospell it is altogether ignoraunt. Secondly, *by reason of the great and huge difference betweene the creatour, and the creature, we vnderstand those good thinges to bee in GOD, which are agreeing to his diuine nature and maiestie.* For those which are proper vnto created natures, woulde not bee good in GOD, but rather a diminishing of his goodnesse. Thirdly, *By reason of the immensitie of his diuine nature, those things which are finite in creatures are in GOD infinite.* And therefore against sundry and diuerse disputes of Philosophers concerning the chiefest good, we learne in the Church, *that GOD is the chiefest good.* Fourthly, *because nothing is vnperfect or not subsisting by it selfe in GOD: whatsoeuer is attributed vnto him, is not in him, as formes or accidentes in creatures: but such is his essence and nature, in a manner not able to bee comprehended by our knoweledge and vnderstanding.* Fiftly, *His nature and will is a rule of that goodnesse and vprightnesse which is in creatures.* For so farre foorth thinges are, and are called good, as they agree with the wil of God. Sixtly, *GOD is the onelie fountaine of goodnesse, and the first cause of all good thinges:* So that all thinges haue so much goodnesse, as God dooth create and maintaine in them. And in this sense is it said, *Luke* 18. *There is none good but God onelie,* euen so, as hee is most perfectly good, and the fountaine of goodnesse.\n\n*The righteousnesse of God* sometimes in Scripture signifieth *that which is accounted righteousnesse before him,*[^45] *and whereby he maketh vs righteous: & that elsewhere legall:* which is holines of life, or conformity with the law of God, which God worketh in vs by his spirit, begun in this life, & to be perfected in the life to come; as *Jam.* 1.20. *The wrath of man dooth not accomplish the righteousnesse of God.* Or sometimes *Euangelicall,* which is the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to beleeuers of the free mercy of God. As *Roman.* 3.21. *But now is the righteousnes of God made manifest without the Law, hauing witnesse of the Lawe and of the Prophetes, to witte, the righteousnesse of God by the faith of Jesus Christ vnto all, and vppon all that beleeue.* Sometimes *is meant that righteousnesse, whereby himselfe is righteous:* and then also in many places *it signifieth the faithfulnesse or mercie and benignitie of GOD,* who according to his promises preserueth, defendeth, and deliuereth the faithfull, as *Psalm* 31.1. *Deliuer mee in thy righteousnesse.* But when it is properly spoken *of the righteousnesse of GOD, whereby himselfe is righteous,* as in this place: First, *hee is called iust, in respect of his generall iustice and righteousnesse,* which is the order or nature of this diuine vnderstanding and will, whereby GOD will, and approoueth, doth himselfe, and woorketh in others vnchaungeablie and vnspeakeablie such thinges, as hee hath commaunded in his Lawe: and neither will, nor approoueth, nor woorketh, nor causeth, nor furdereth any thing whatsoeuer disagreeth from this order, but horribly hateth and detesteth them, as it is said *Psalm.* 11.17. *The righteous Lord loueth righteousnesse.* Secondly, *In respect of his particular iustice and rightiousnesse, which is the vnchaungeable will of God,* whereby God giueth to himselfe, and will haue giuen him by others that glory, which is due vnto the chiefe good: as he saith: *I wil not giue my glory to another:* & punisheth al sin with such punishment as is equall to the offence, that is, with eternal, as in them who perish; or with equiualent, as in his Sonne Christ, susteining the punishment for al those who are saued by him, according as it is saide, *Thou shalt not depart thence, vntill thou host paied the vtmost farding:* and cannot iniury anie creature, whatsoeuer he determineth of him, or doth vnto him, because he oweth no man any thing; as it is said, *Psa.* 45. *God is iust in al his waies.* And Act. 10. *God is no accepter of persons.* Thirdly, *Gods diuine wil is the chiefe and perfectest rule, and onely squire of vprightnesse:* And therefore God alone, because he is exceeding good, cannot of his owne nature wil or work anie vniust thing, but the wils and actions of all creatures, are so far iust, as they are made by god conformable to his diuine wil.\n\n[^46]Now although al confesse *god to be righteous and iust,* because *God hath imprinted this notion and knowledge of himselfe among other in the reasonable nature:* because *hee is perfectly good, and therefore is the rule of perfect righteousnesse:* because *hee witnesseth by examples of punishmentes and rewardes that he hateth and punisheth vniust thinges, and liketh the iust:* because *hee is the iudge of the woorlde, to whome it belongeth to compose or set and administer all thinges in a iust order:* because lastly *hee oweth not any thing to any nature, but by the right of a creatour, it is laweful for him to dispose of all thinges at his will, and therefore cannot be to any iniurious,* as it is saide *Luc.* 17. *When ye haue done all, saie, we are vnprofitable seruants.* Rom. 11.35. *Who hath giuen vnto him first, and hee shall be recompenced?* Matth. 20.15. *Is it not lawfull for mee to doe as I wil with mine owne?* Yet notwithstanding it is farre off, that men shoulde iudge aright of the righteousnesse and iustice of God, without the doctrine of the Church, because they haue not the whole knowledge, not so much as of the Lawe, wherein God made knowen his iustice, and can affirme nothing certaine concerning the euerlasting punishmentes of sinnes; and are altogether ignoraunt of the punishment which the Sonne of God susteined for sinnes.\n\nMoreouer mens mindes are troubled,[^47] so that they doubt, *whether all thinges be gouerned of God in a iust and vpright order.* First, *when they see it goe well with the bad, and ill with the good.* And to this obiection the doctrine of the Church onely is able to make aunswere, which sheweth that God differreth the punishmentes of the wicked, and the rewardes of the good to another life: inuiteth the vn-Godly by his mildnesse & lenity to repentance: proueth & confirmeth the Godly by exercises and calamities: punisheth and chastiseth many for their sins, who seem in mens iudgements to be giltles. *It goeth therefore euil with the good,* but not finally. *Now as hee differeth the punishment of the wicked,* thereby to inuite them to repentance: *so he afflicteth the Godlie,* First, *Because they yet retain manie sinnes,* Secondlie, *To proue and trie them,* Thirdly, *To confirme their saith in them*\n\nObiection. *But iustice requireth, that neuer any good should be done to the wicked; they were presently to bee punished.* Aunswere. Except there be a reasonable and iust cause why to differre their punishment. Reply. *But yet no harme shoulde euer be doone to the good.* Aunswere. Not to those which are perfectlie good. But we in this life are not perfectlie good. Reply. *Wee are perfect in Christ.* Aunswere. And therefore we are not punished of God, but onelie chastised, proued, and exercised, that so at length we may be also perfect in our selues.\n\nSecondly when men consider, *that God dooth not cause and bring to passe that no sinne be committed, when yet he might most easily doe it: but farther that he punisheth sinnes which went before, with after-sinnes; and passeth at his pleasure thinges from one to another, as the Aegyptians goods to the Israelites,* Exod. 12. *And yet these thinges to be forbidden vs by his Lawe: it seemeth vnto them, that God will, & dooth some things contrarie to his Lawe.* But these thinges are contrarie to his Lawe and iustice, if they be done by men: but if God doe them, they are most iust, and are most agreeable to his Lawe. For creatures are bound one to another, one to prouide for anothers safety whensoeuer hee can: But God is bound to none. Thirdly, some, *when they heare that god dooth not giue alike and equallie to men, who all are by nature equal, that is, the Sonnes of wrath, when as he conuerteth and saueth some, hardeneth and condemneth others, they deeme that by this reason accepting of persons is laide vpon God.* But these men mark not, that then it is vniust to giue vnequallie to those who are equall, when a due and deserued rewarde is paide, and that GOD doth giue his blessings vnto men not of due, but of his free bountifulnesse.\n\nReply. *Those thinges which are doone according to iustice, are doone as due. But that good should be doone to those who are good, the order of iustice requireth: Therefore good is doone vnto the good as due.* Aunswere. Al this is true, if wee talke of creatures. But if of God, not so: because the creatour is bound to none, as the creatures are: neither can the creatures deserue any thing of God, as they may one of another. Wherefore God punisheth of iustice; but dooth good of grace and mercie; according as it is saide, *When yee haue doone all, say, we are vnprofitable seruants, wee haue doone that which was our dutie to doe.* And if any man reply, *that not men onelie, but God also is bound by order of iustice, to spare, and doe well to the good, out of those wordes of Abraham.* Gen. 8.23. *Wilt thou also destroie the righteous with the wicked?* It is to bee obserued, that this bond is not of any desert or right, that may make the Creatour to stand answerable to the Creature, but of gods promise and truth. For God did most freely and of his exceeding goodnesse, when hee ought nothing to any, bind himselfe by promises endented, to doe good vnto the godlie. And this goodnesse of God and faithfulnesse in keeping his promises, is often called iustice. And therefore it is well saide, that it agreeth not with God, to afflict anie vndeseruedly, not because hee should iniurie any, though he destroied him not offending, but because his mercie, and bountifulnesse and trueth doe not admit this.\n\nThese thinges are necessarily to be ascribed of vs vnto the iustice of God, that the cogitation thereof may ascertaine vs of the punishment of the wicked, & of the deliueraunce of the Godly from their iniuries after this life: that so we may patiently beare, whatsoeuer he will lay vpon vs, as *Dan.* 9. it is said, *O Lord, righteousnes belongeth vnto thee, but vnto vs open shame.*\n\nGOD teacheth vs in the Scripture to knowe *his trueth* after this manner: First,[^48] *that his infinite Wisedome suffereth none but most true and certaine knoweledge of all thinges to bee in him.* Hebrues 4.13. *There is no creature which is not manifest in his sight: but all thinges are naked vnto his eies, with whom wee haue to doe.* Secondly, *that hee neither appointeth, nor will, nor speaketh, thinges repugnaunt and contradictorie,* 2. Corinth. 1.19. *The Sonne of GOD Jesus CHRIST, who was preached among you by vs, was not Yea, and Naie, but in him it was Yea.* Thirdly, *that hee faineth nothing, nor deceiueth anie man, but this is in trueth and indeede his will, which hee openeth vnto vs.* Roman. 3.4. *Let GOD be true, and euerie man a liar.* Fourthly, *that hee neuer changeth his minde.* Psalm. 89.34. *My couenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.* Fiftly *that it certainly commeth to passe, whatsoeuer god auoucheth shal come to passe:* which experience also witnesseth, & many sayings of holy Scripture, as *Matth.* 24. *Heauen and earth shall passe, but my word shall not passe.* Sixtly, *that he is the louer, autor, and preseruer of the truth in the reasonable creatures, and an enimie to all lies, dissembling, and hypocrisie.* Therefore Iohn 14.15. and 16. The holy Ghost is called *the spirite of trueth, who shoulde teach vs all trueth.* Prouerb. 12.12.\n\n*The lying lippes are an abomination vnto the Lord: but they that deale truelie are his delight.* Mat. 24.51. *He wil giue him his portion with hypocrits.*\n\nSeeing then the trueth of God is to bee considered out of his woorde and woorkes, albeit men by nature confesse that GOD is true: yet are they ignoraunt wherein his trueth consisteth. For it is saide, *John.* 17. *Thy woorde is trueth.* and *Psalm.* 89.5. *Thy trueth in the congregation of the SAINTES.* Neither doth the conscience or the priuie knowledge of anie mans sinnes suffer him who knoweth not CHRIST the Mediatour, to put any confidence in Gods promises. For as 2. *Corinth.* 1. it is said, *Al the promises of God in him are Yea, and in him Amen vnto the glorie of God.*[^49]\n\nBut *if sometimes god foretold that hee would doe those things, which he neuer decreed to doe, he did not therein dissemble.* For what hee threatned, that hee meant with this condition should so come to passe, except the conuersion of men and praiers came betweene: and what he promised hee meant with this condition, if they repented, & either persisted in godlinesse, or needed not affliction and chastisement. Wherefore he would indeede haue punished the Niniuits if they had persisted in their sinnes. And Christ, *Luke.* 24. was indeed departing, except his disciples had desired him to stay in the Inne at Emaus.\n\n[^50]As for that which God saith, *Ezech* 14 9. *And if a Prophet be deceiued, and hath spoken a thing, that he hath deceiued him:* he signifieth not thereby that hee deceiueth by instilling lies into false Prophets, but that they are by him in iust iudgement deliuered and giuen to bee seduced by the Diuell, as 1. *Kings.* 22. GOD is saide *to haue giuen a lieng spirite in the mouthes of all the prophetes of Achab.* Replie. *But yet GOD would that the false Prophetes should tel a false tale.* Aunswere. Hee would; but in diuerse respects, and to a diuerse end. God foretolde victorie to Achab by an ironie, and that a sharpe and bitter one, thereby to recall him from making his expedition to warre, and to punishe him for not obeying, by deliuering him to bee seduced by the Diuell. The false Prophets foretolde victorie to flatter him, the Diuel to destroy him and to die.\n\n[^51] *There is made also mention of Chastitie in the former description of God, because amongst his especiall and most notable differences, whereby he may be discerned from Diuels, he wil haue truth to be and chastitie.* For as God will bee acknowledged to bee true, and will haue trueth loued of vs, that it maie certainelie appeare, that he is, and what hee is, & that men may think and speake the truth of him, and through his knowledge be partakers of euerlasting life; so the Diuell attēpteth to fil the worlde with lies; that he may both darken the glorie of God, and by forging lies of God, destroy mankinde. Whereupon the holy Ghost is called *the spirite of trueth;* But the Diuell *a liar and murtherer from the beginning, & the father of lies.* Ioh. 8. *And as God both by reason of the exceeding puritie of his nature, as also because hee will haue the spousal loue and coniunction of mariage to be the image of the vnspeakeable loue and spirituall coniunction betweene him and the Church,* as wee may see *Ephes.* 5. *Ezech.* 16. *Osee* 2. and therefore will haue it accounted sacred and holy amongest men; As God then in these respectes is the louer and author of chastity, *and dooth most seuerely detest and punish al vncleannes, both internal & externall, which is repugnaunt to this order,* as the examples of the Sodomites, of the tribe of Beniamin, and others of all other ages and nations testifie: So the Diuell, both for his impurity, as also because whatsoeuer God woulde haue helde most holie and venerable that for the hatred hee beareth to God hee studieth most to depraue and most foulie to defourme; endeuoureth with obscenitie and filthinesse horriblie to pollute al mankinde, and to withdrawe them from GOD. Therefore it is said, 1. *Thess.* 4.3. *This is the wil of god, euen your sanctification, and that yee should abstein from fornication, that euery one of you should know how to possesse his vessell in holinesse and honour.*\n\n*The mercie* or fauourable and inclinable will of GOD to preserue his creatures and especiallie mankinde,[^52] the Scripture proposeth vnto vs opened by these degrees. First, *that hee taketh delight in the saluation of all, but in the destruction of none.* Ezech. 33.11. *As I liue, saith the Lord god, I desire not the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turne from his way, and liue.* Secondlie, *that he differreth, mitigateth, and taketh away punishmentes, inuiting all men by his long suffering to repentaunce, if not one waie, yet by the testimonie of their conscience.* Heereof *Exod.* 34. and often elsewhere *hee is saide to bee slowe to anger.* Thirdly, *that hee debaseth himselfe to relieue our infirmitie both by inwarde and outwarde supplies, as by his spirit, worde, oathes, Sacramentes, and miracles.* Fourthly, *that he embraceth with singular loue his chosen, so that he saueth, and deliuereth them for euer from sinne and all euils, and comforteth them also in afflictions,* Reuelat. 7. and 21. *God shall wipe awaie all teares from their eies.* Isaie 49.15. *Though a woman shoulde forgette her Childe, yet will I not forgette thee.* Fiftlie, *that hee chose rather to bring to passe this our deliuery euen by the incarnation and death of his onelie begotten Sonne, than that all mankinde shoulde perish.* Iohn 3. *So god loued the woorlde, that he gaue his onelie begotten Sonne.* Sixtlie, *that hee promiseth and perfourmeth all these thinges of his owne free goodnesse.* Exod. 34.19. *I will shewe mercie, to whome I will shewe mercie: and will haue compassion on whome I will haue compassion.* Isay, 43.25. *I, euen I, am hee that putteth awaie thine iniquities for mine owne sake, and will not remember thy sinnes.*\n\nSeuenthly, *That hee dooth these thinges towardes sinners, who not onelie were vnwoorthie of them, but also who were his deadlie enimies.* Romanes 5.10. *When wee were enimies, wee were reconciled to GOD by the death of his sonne.* They also of the wiser sort, which are out of the Church, are all compelled to attribute mercie vnto God, beecause they see him so mercifullie to spare sinners: whereupon Ieremie, Lamentations chap. 3.22. saith, *It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.* But beecause the perfectnesse of Gods iustice, and the priuitie of their owne sinnes doth not permit them to conceiue any firme persuasion of Gods mercie towardes them, neither knowe they ought concerning the saluation of men by the death of his sonne: therefore are they not able either constantly or wholy to agnise Gods mercie.\n\n1 Obiection. *Mercie is a kinde of griefe or sorrow: therefore there is sorrow and griefe in God.* Aunswere. The names of affections, when they are attributed vnto God by an Anthropopathie, they doe not signifie anie passion or change in God, but an inspeakeable either dislike, or liking of the obiects. God therefore is said to be mercifull. 1. *Because he is against the destruction of his creature.* 2. *Because hee doth those thinges, which mercifull men are wont to doe.* 2 Obiection. *God seemeth sometimes to reioice in reuengement.* Isai. 1. Prouerb. 1. Aunswere. He reioiceth not in reuengement or punishment, but in the executing of his owne iustice. 3 Obiection. *It seemeth in some places of scripture, that Gods mercie doth not extend it selfe vnto the wicked;* Isai. 27. Aunswere. This is to be vnderstood of that degree of mercie, wherewith he imbraceth his chosen. And yet hee spareth also the wicked, neither reioiceth at their destruction. 4 Obiection. *But yet he saueth not all, whereas he is able to do it. Therefore hee is not exceeding mercifull, neither mercifull towardes all.* Aunswere. He doth not saue all, for most iust cause. For his mercie is so to bee exercised that it hinder not the execution of his iustice.\n\n5 Obiection. *He doth not take mercie on anie, or receiue anie into fauour without the satisfaction of his sonne. Therefore he doth it not freelie.* Aunswere. That which is concluded doth not followe; because God of his free grace giueth this satisfaction it selfe, and applieth it vnto vs. Nowe hee giueth a thing freely, who giueth the price of a thing, for which the thing it selfe is giuen.\n\nGod is also called *Bountifull,* 1.[^53] *Because hee createth and gouerneth all things.* 2. *He is the onely fountain of al good things.* 3. *Which befall to all creatures.* 4. *Yea to the wicked.* 5. *Of his goodnes, loue, and free mercie towardes all creatures.* 6. *But especiallie towardes mankinde,* which he hath made according to his image, and for whose sake hee hath created all other things. 7. *But in them also chieflie toward his Church,* to whom hee hath opened himselfe and his will. 8. *And in this his Church, toward his chosen Angels and men, to whom by his sonne he giueth life and glorie euerlasting.* And further, whom he is angry with, and on whom he inflicteth punishment, hee is not angrie with their substaunce or nature which himselfe created, but with that corruption, which came by other meanes to his diuine worke. *Rom.* 1.18. *The wrath of god is reueiled from heauen against all vngodlines.* Obiection. *No creature visible is subiect to so manie euils, as man. Therefore he is not bountifull towards men.* Aunswere. Hee is subiect to these euils by an accident, that is, because of sinne: but withall he is enriced abooue other creatures, with great blessings euen when hee is out of the Church; but is most happie and blessed, if he repent.\n\nGod also alone is *most free,*[^54] because hee alone by nature is such, *that no fault or miserie can fall vpon him.* 2. *Neither can hee bee constrained of anie.* 3. *Neither is hee bounde to anie.* 4. *Neither is hee subiect or tied to the rule or lore of an other.* Wherefore whatsoeuer he will and doth, that hee will and doth of himselfe most freely, when, as much, and in what maner he wil; & what he will, that is most good & iust. But here chieflie is considered the freedome of will, or libertie frō constraint, which is the power & abilitie, whereby god without any necessitie hath from euerlasting decreed, the whole order of the creatiō, preseruatiō, & rule of al things, and doth accomplish the same, not beeing constrained or tied to other causes; yet so, that hee neuer swarueth from his rightnes. To this beare witnes his miracles, and many examples of deliueries and punishments, and many places of scripture, as *Psalm.* 135.6. *Whatsoeuer pleased the Lord, that did hee in heauen and in earth, in the sea, and in all the depths.* 1. Sam. 14.6. *It is not hard to the Lord to saue with manie or with fewe.*\n\n1 Obiection. *That, without which second causes, which worke necessarilie, can not worke; doth it selfe also worke necessarilie. Without the first cause, which is God, Second causes, which necessarilie worke, cannot worke: therefore the first cause also, which is God, worketh together with them necessarilie.* Aunswere. The Maior is true of such causes as woorke with absolute necessitie: but it is false of such as worke onely of a conditionall necessitie, that is because it so pleaseth God (who notwithstanding could moue them otherwise, or else at all not moue them, or not so much as make them) that they should worke, and shoulde worke after that maner, which they doe woorke. Therefore all second causes depend on the first, but not the first any way on the second.\n\n2 Obiection. *God is vnchangeablie good; therefore not freelie good.* Aunswere. This vnchangeablenes, dooth not diminish, but establish the libertie of Gods will. For it is not the vnchangeablenes of a nature, but constraint and coaction, which is contrarie to libertie: and so much the more freely the will chooseth, with howe much the greater and surer force and motion it is carried vnto her obiect.\n\n3 Obiection It is said also *of particular euents, that God can onelie wil those thinges which are best: but onelie those things which hee hath decreed are best; therefore hee cannot will other things.* But aunswere is made to the Minor: What things God hath decreed, those are best, not before, but after his decree. For Gods will being the rule and squire of rightnes, therefore are thinges good, because hee will them: wherefore if hee woulde haue from euerlasting had anie other thing: that then shoulde haue beene best. As that Ioseph should be solde, and made Lord of Aegypt, and giue sustenance to his fathers familie, was best, because God would so Now if God would haue any other way exercised Ioseph and taken vengeaunce on his brethren, that shoulde then haue beene the best. It foloweth therefore, that God will no other thing, after hee hath once decreed, what hee will haue done; but that he was able from euerlasting to haue decreed some other thing: For whatsoeuer he would, that from euerlasting hee woulde most freely. 4 Obiection. Moreouer, *some places of scripture seeme to intimate that the will of God may bee sometimes hindered by his creatures.* As Ezech. 33.11. *I desire not the death of the wicked.* Math. 23. *How often would I haue gathered thee, and thou wouldst not?* Ans. These and the like places onely shew, with what God is delighted, & to what he inuiteth & calleth al: but not what by his mercie & spirit he hath purposed to work in euery one.\n\nWherefore this doctrine of the libertie and free will of God let vs diligently maintaine, that both the glorie of god may bee vindicated from stoicall blasphemies: and in vs faith, hope, inuocating on god, and sedulitie and earnestnes in performing our duety, may be established, if acknowledging god most freely to gouerne all hir creatures, we be neither secure in prosperitie, nor in aduersitie doe cast away hope and good indeuours.\n\nLastly in the description of gods nature is put,[^55] *that he is angrie and wrath with offences and sinnes. Which horrible anger and wrath of god, whereby hee detesteth and punisheth all sinnes,* although al the wicked at length too late perceiue & haue experience of, when they rush into eternall dispaire; yet such his displeasure and indignation as god will haue to be knowen, they cannot so much as conceiue, who are without the Church, seeing they neither iudge all those euils to be sinnes, which god in his lawe threatneth hee will punish with euerlasting tormentes; neither knowe the death and punishment of the sonne of god, than which god could not shewe a greater token and Argument of his anger against sin. The elect and chosen alone, are throughly moued by a right and sauing knowledge thereof gathered out of gods punishments and threatninges to conuersion, and the feare of god. But the greatnes of it no man can fully conceiue, according as it is saide *Psal.* 90. *Who knoweth the power of thy wrath?*\n\n[^56]Out of the description therefore of God before deliuered, wee may vnderstand, *how the true God is discerned from false Gods.* Likewise, *what the knowledge of God reueiled in his word differeth from that, which the heathen haue beeing deriued from the light of nature.* The difference consisteth, first *In the attributes or properties of God, now expounded.* Secondly, *In the persons.* Thirdly, *In the workes: of these two is to be spoken afterwardes. These thinges are fullie and rightly vnderstood in the Church onely:* Because they are made knowen by reuelation from GOD onely, wherefore they who are not of the Church, doe not knowe and worship of the true GOD, but an idole in steede of the true GOD. For *they erre,* First, *in the attributes or properties of GOD,* who *either knowe not and professe all, or doe not rightly and fully expounde them;* as they are declared in the worde; *or else corrupt them.* The Heathen therefore know not the omnipotencie, wisedome, goodnes, iustice, truth, mercie, bountifulnesse of GOD shewed in the sauing and restoring of men, by the sending of the Sonne, and the holie Ghost: They knowe not the death and punishment of the Sonne of GOD; therefore they knowe not the grieuousnesse of GODS anger against sinne, euen that hee will punish all sinne, yea the least, with eternall punishment. Wherefore also they know not the iustice of GOD punishing all sinne with eternal pains in the wicked, or with that which is equiualent to eternall in his Sonne. They knowe not the Wisedome, Mercie, Truth of god, freeing vs sinners from death, and receiuing vs, without breach of his iustice, into fauour; Iustifiyng vs, sanctifiyng, and glorifiyng vs in his Sonne by the holie ghost, according to his promises. Neither further doe they ascribe vnto god fullie and wholy his Omnipotencie, Wisedome, goodnesse, which shineth in the creation of thinges, and in the continuall preseruing of the same. For of manie things they haue either none, or but a darke knowledge: many things they subtract, and withdrawe from the prouidence and gouernement of god, and attribute it to their owne wisedome, industrie, vertue, and strengh, or ascribe it to fortune, and chaunce. The like we are to conceiue of other attributes of god, in which they are alike blinde.\n\nSecondly, *The Church acknowledgeth three persons of one and the same Diuine Essence,* that is, that the true god is an Essence, so in number one eternall and infinite, that notwithstanding it is the same and whole substaunce of the three persons: to wit, the eternall Father, and his Coëternall Sonne, and the Coëternall holy ghost: But the Heathen, and Pagans, and other sectes doe not acknowledge three persons, but as the Essence, so also the person of the Godhead they professe to bee onely one.\n\nThirdly, *They which are not of the Church, are altogether ignorant of the works of the Churches saluation,* namely, the reconciliation of men with god, iustification, sanctification, and full deliuerie from all sinne and miserie by the Sonne and the holie ghost. *Neither doe they wholy acknowlege or professe the woorkes of Creation.* For they doe not thinke all thinges to haue beene created of nothing, by the woorde of god onely: they denie all generally and each in particular, euen the least, to bee administred power-fullie by the Omnipotencie of God: but ascribe very manie to Chaunce, Fortune, and humane Wisedome.\n\nWherefore, seeing out of the woorkes of god, as his proper affectes, are made knowen both the properties or nature of the true god, as also the Trinitie of persons in one godhead, and therefore god and eache of the persons take their names from them; and seeing those woorkes are both all and chieflie extant in the Church, and are by the Church rightly, and sufficiently vnderstoode: hereof is necessarily concluded, that hee alone who is made knowen in the woorde, and the Church, is the true and naturall god, and that hee is to bee knowen and discerned from Idols by the woorde onely, and by his benefites and reuelations exhibited to the Church; as the sending of the holy ghost, the redemption of mankinde, regeneration, sanctification and glorification; concerning the which Pagans and many other sects know nothing at all.\n\n## 3 Whence it may appeare, that there is but one god\n\n[^57]ALbeit god in the beginning did as certainely declare vnto mankinde that he is but one onely, as what he is: yet the world by the guile and deceit of the Diuel (going about to spoile god of his honour, and to beare and vaunt himselfe for god, and to destroy mankinde for the hatred hee beareth vnto god) and through their owne blindnes & malice reuolting frō gods diuine manifestations, & frō the doctrine of our first fathers, hath in horrible madnesse forged a multitude of gods, yeelding diuine honours partly to creatures, partly to imaginarie gods, and forgetting the true god, or desiring to ioine and couple other gods with him. And whereas there is no greater bond, than whereby the creature is bound to honour his Creator, and therefore no more griuous sinne, than to obscure the glorie due vnto god, or to conuey it ouer to any other: god, that he might meete with this sacrilege, hath often testified and witnessed in his word, *that there is but one god, not manie,* That is, that there is but one diuine essence eternal, of infinite power, wisedome, and goodnes, Creator, preseruer, and ruler of all thinges. As *Deut.* 6.4. *Heare O Israel, the Lord our god is Lord onely.* And cap. 32.39. *Behold now, for I, I am he, and there is no gods with me.* Isai. 44.6. *I am the first, and I am the last, and without me is there no god.* And cap. 45.5. *I am the Lord, and there is none other: there is no god besides me.* 1. Cor. 8.4. *Wee knowe that an Idole is nothing in the world, and that there is no other god but one.* Eph. 4.5. *One Lord, one faith, one baptisme, one god and father of all, which is aboue all, and in vs all.* See also *Deut.* 4.35. 2. *Kings.* 22.32. *Psalm.* 18.32. *Isai.* 36.5.[^58] & 45.21. & 47.8.10. *Hose.* 13.4. *Mat.* 2.10. *Marc.* 12.32. *Rom.* 3.30. *Galat.* 3.20. 1. *Tim.* 2.10. *&c.*\n\nThere are not wanting reasons and arguments also, vnto which the iudgement of reason assenteth and yeeldeth, that there are no more true gods but one.\n\n1 *We are to hold so manie for gods, as haue manifested their diuinitie by certaine and vndoubted testimonies. But there is but one onlie manifested by miracles, prophecies, & other works, which cannot be done but by an omnipotent nature.* Isai. 44. Psalm. 86. *Therfore but one is to be held for god,* euen he whō the Church adoreth. Obiect. *Other gods haue wrought miracles, & vttered prophecies.* Ans. 1. *Those miracles were no other thā might be done by creatures, not proper to an omnipotent nature.* 2. *They confirmed some manifest impietie or turpitude,* and therefore were not true miracles.\n\n2 *His authoritie and Maiestie is greater,*[^59] *who alone raigneth ouer all, and alone gouerneth all thinges, than his, who hath a fellow partaker of the rule and gouernement with him, that is, it is a point of the greatest maiestie, to raigne alone: but the Maiestie of god is so great, that no greater can either bee, or bee imagined:* Therefore there is but one God. The Maior is prooued. *Because hee who is not Lord alone, vnto him greater Maiestie may bee added: but the greatest and highest Maiestie, is that,* whereunto nothing can be added. And the Minor is prooued *by the perfectnes, omnipotencie, blessednes, and surpassing goodnes of god, & by natural iudgement.* Exod. 34.14. *Thou shalt bowe downe to none other god.* Isai. 42.8. *I am the Lord, this is my name, & my glorie wil I not giue to another.* 1. Tim. 1.17. *Vnto god onelie wise, be honor.* Apoc. 4.11. *Thou art worthie, O Lord, to receiue glorie, and honor, & power: for thou hast created all thinges.*\n\n3 *That which hath greatest perfection, can bee but one,*[^60] *for the whole is greater and perfecter than anie part thereof. Therefore he is perfect, who hath the whole alone: and they imperfect, who haue anie thing diuided and distributed amongst them. Furthermore, the verie euidence of the thing it selfe doth so inforce vs to confesse the greatest perfection of goodnes, wisedome and power to be in god, seeing he is the cause of al, that good is in nature; that nothing is more absurd, than to imagine anie thing to be god which is not most great, and most perfect. Wherefore there is but one only diuine essence, for that the diuinitie beeing dispersed into more gods, would be al and whole in none: and so none of them would bee perfect, & therefore none the true god.* And herehence appeareth the vanity of that deuise and imagination, whereby *it fained that there is but one supreme god: but to this are added, other minor & demy gods,*[^61] *as subiect and vnder-powers to the highest.* For seeing it is impious to conceiue of the diuinitie, otherwise than as being most great & most perfect, and such wherto nothing may be added, & which is subiect to none; therfore neither that which is distributed into more gods, neither any thing, which commeth short neuer so little of the greatest perfection and surpassing al mans cogitation, can be the true god, as it is often saide: *Lord, who is like vnto thee?* Whether therefore the others bee equall, or inferiour, yet would there be in none the whole diuinitie. For in him that is supreme or soueraigne, & the rest iointly together is more of the diuinitie, than in that one supreme onely. Therefore neither in the supreme & soueraign god, should the whole deitie be. And further those inferiour powers can not bee gods, because they are not most perfect, nor supreme.\n\n[^62]4 *God is of infinite goodnes, and the verie chief good. But there ought to be one onelie chief good For if besides that there were another chief good also, that should be either greater, or lesser, or equal. If greater, then should it also be god: which were contumelious against god: if lesser, it should not be god: if equall, then neither the one nor the other should be god.*\n\n[^63]5 *There is but one Omnipotent. God is Omnipotent. Therefore he is but one.* The Maior is proued thus. *He against whose will any thing may be done, or whom another can hinder from doing that he would, cannot be truely omnipotent: but if there be more, at one & the same time put to be omnipotent, then shall they be able to do anie thing, though the others bee against it; and one shall necessarilie haue the power to hinder another, and to let his action, and to doe any thing contrarie to the others wil; for otherwise hee should not be able to doe all thinges (for it is proper to him that is omnipotent, that no man be able to resist him) but should haue his power bounded and limited within a certaine compasse. None of them therefore would be indeed omnipotent, but in word onely and by intreatie each of other: and therefore there cannot bee imagined more gods, except omnipotencie be withall taken from them.* Obiection. *But they may agree all. Wherefore omnipotencie hindereth not, why there shoulde not bee moe omnipotent.* Aunswere. Omnipotencie is, not onely not to be hindered, but, not to be able to be hindered.\n\n[^64]6 *It is not lawfull to imagine god to be such a one, as sufficeth not for the wielding and menaging of all things, neither such a one as is superfluous or idle, without manifest impietie and absurditie; seing there is nothing superfluous or idle in god. But if there be put more gods, either each of them will be too weake to rule all, and so imperfect, and not worthie of the title and name of diuinitie: or one will suffice for the guiding of the whole world, and so the rest shall bee idle, superfluous and needelesse. Wherefore there must needes bee but one god, that hee alone may suffice for all.*\n\n7 *There can bee but one infinite:*[^65] *for if there were more infinites; none shoulde bee present euerie where, and rule all. Wherefore there cannot be more, but one onelie god which is infinite.*\n\n8 *There is but one first cause of al things. God is that first cause.*[^66] *Therefore he is but one.* Obiect. *Manie are called Gods. Psal.* 82.6. *I haue said, yee are gods.* 1. Cor. 8.5. *Manie are, and are called gods in heauen and in earth.* Exod. 7.1. *Moses is called Pharaos god. Likewise the gods of the heathen. Therefore there is not one god onely.* Ans. There is an ambiguity & double signification of this word, *God,* which sometimes signifieth him, *who is by nature god, and hath his being not frō anie thing but from himself and by himselfe, and all other thinges are from him.* Such a God is but one onely. Sometimes it betokeneth not the verie Diuine, Eternall, and immense Essence, but *a god either so entitled,* for some similitude of the Diuine properties, dignitie, and diuine office, and function: *Or an imaginarie, and faigned god.* Such Gods are manie. First, *Judges, and Magistrates are entitled and called gods,* not that they haue the Diuine Essence communicated vnto them, and are by nature GOD; but because they beare a Diuine office and function, that is, because they are the Deputies and Vicegerents of GOD, by whom, as by his instrumentes and seruaunts, hee exerciseth his power and iudgementes here on earth: and therefore dooth furnish and arme them with Wisedome, Fortitude, Power, Authoritie, and Maiestie, as much as is necessarie and sufficient to bridle the mindes of the multitude, beeing desirous of licenciousnes, and to holde and keepe them in feare and obedience: hee dooth also vouchsafe them the honour of his name, that the Subiectes may thereby know, that they haue to deale not with men, but with GOD himselfe, (whose Vicegerents they are) whether they obeie their Magistrate, or repine against him. Rom. 13.2 *Whosoeuer resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God.* Secondly, *The Angels also are called Gods,* both for the excellencie of their nature and giftes, power and wisedome, as also for the diuine office and function, which God exerciseth by them in this world, in defending the godly and punishing the wicked. Thirdly, *The Diuel is called the God of the world,* for his great potencie and power, which hee hath ouer men and other creatures by the iust iudgement of God. 2. *Cor. Ephes.* 6. Nowe Idols are called Gods by a figuratiue sp••che of imitation, imitating and following therein the opinion of men who saigne a diuinitie in creatures, feare them, trust in them, and rest on them. *Exod.* 20.3. *Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me.* Philip. 3.9. *whose God is their bellie.*\n\n## 4 What these words, Essence, Person, & Trinitie, betoken & signifie\n\n[^67] *ESsence,* as it is vsed in this doctrine, for substaunce, is a thing subsisting by it selfe (that, is a thing hauing a proper beeing, not sustained in another) although it bee communicated to moe. That is saide to be *communicable or communicated,* which is common, or may bee made common to moe. That is saide to bee *incommunicable,* which is not in moe, neither can bee affirmed of moe. *Mans essence is communicable and common to manie men, but this essence is in generall common, not in particular, and in number:* that is, the nature and essence of all men is in generall one, but not one in number: for euerie man hath his Essence distinct from others, neither are all one man, but manie men. *But the Essence of God is communicable in particular;* because the selfesame Deitie in number, and that whole and entire is common to the three persons, & is the substance of the three persons: and therefore the three persons are that one God, who created all thinges; not three gods.\n\n*A person, is a thing subsisting, indiuiduall, liuing, vnderstanding, incommunicable, not susteined in another, neither part of another.*\n\n*Subsisting]* By which word is signified, that it is not an accident, cogitation, decree, vanishing sound, or any created qualitie, or motion.\n\n*Indiuiduall]* Not any generall; but a particular one in number, and therefore vndiuidable, and called indiuiduall. *Liuing]* No inanimat thing, which hath no life, as a stone.\n\n*Vnderstanding]* A thing which hath sense onely, as are brute beastes, who are thinges liuing and sensible, but not vnderstanding, and therefore are no persons.\n\n*Incommunicable*] Not the diuine Essence, which is common to three: not the substaunce of mans nature or any other thing created: which is communicated to the thing begotten thereof or thence deriued.\n\n*Not susteined in another*] Not the human nature of Christ: because this is personallie susteined *of the word,* that is, so, that it together with the word is the substāce of one Christ, & except it were subsisting in the word, should not at al be.\n\n*Neither part of another*] Not the soule of man, which as long as it is conteined in the bodie, is part of man.\n\n## 5 What difference betweene Essence and Person\n\nIn the Church,[^68] by the name *of Essence* is vnderstood that which God, the etern•• Father, and Sonne, and holy Ghost, eache of them are in themselues absolutely, and is common to them three, euen the verie eternal and one onely Deitie, or the verie being of God. By the name of *Person* is signified the manner, after which that beeing or Essence of God is in eache of these three, or the proper and seuerall manners of eache of their beeings. That is, Person, is that, which eache of these three are respectiuely or being compared one to the other: or, is that very being of god considered respectiuely to one and another, and distinct by a proper and peculiar manner of beeing and subsisting from the others. Wherefore *in number there is one and the same Being or Essence in God,* that is, in each of these three, who are god, *but it is after a diuers manner in god.* As when we speake *of god the father;* that being is of it selfe, not from another. *The sonne* is the father: *The Sonne* is the same being or Essence, but from the Father: *The holie ghost* likewise is the selfe same diuine being, which the father is and the sonne, but from the father and the sonne. So *the wisedome, power, iustice, goodnes, bountifulnes, mercie, &c. of these three are the verie diuine being or essence, which is in number one and the same in these three. But to be of himselfe, or from another; likewise to be from one, or from two:* (that is, to haue that one Essence of himselfe, or to haue it communicated from an other, either from one or from two) *is the manners of being which are three, to wit, The eternal father, and the sonne, and the spirite of them both.* And this is it, that Iustine Martyr saith: *There is one existence or essence of the three, which is from none but of it selfe: because it is but one: but the manners of the existence are three.* Wherefore as concerning existence, Being, or essence it selfe, the three persons are of themselues: as concerning the maner of existing or beeing, the father is none but of himselfe: The sonne of the father; the holie Ghost, from both: The sonne begotten, the holy Ghost proceeding.\n\nThe summe of the difference between the Essence and person is: *the essence is absolute and communicable; the person respectiue and incommunicable.* This may bee made more manifest by exemplifiyng in a man. It is one thing, to bee a man, an other thing to bee a Father, or a Sonne; and yet one and the same, is both a man and a Father: but hee is a man absolutely, or in himselfe, or according to his owne nature; he is a father to another, or in respect of another, namely of his sonne. Semblablie, it is one thing, to be God, another thing to be the father, or son, or holy ghost, and yet one and the same is both God, and father; god in respect of himselfe, or his own nature; father in respect of the sonne. Again, *the essence of a man who begetteth another is communicated to him who is begot: but the person, or indiuidual, is not communicated.* For the begetter bringeth forth not himselfe, but another distinct from himselfe, the same essence notwithstanding being communicated vnto him. And no relatiue is his correlatiue, or any part thereof. Therefore the sonne is not the father, nor the father the sonne, although both bee true man. So in like sort, the eternall Father hath by eternall generating communicated to the Sonne his Essence, but not his Person, that is, hee begot not the Father, but the Sonne, neither is the Father the Sonne, or the Sonne the Father; albeit each is true God.[^69]\n\nNow although this be like in God and man, that both doe communicate to an other not his Person, but his Essence: yet *is there an exceeding dissimilitude in the maner, whereby the diuine Essence being infinite, and the humane being created and finite is communicated to another:* Which dissimilitude is diligently to be obserued. For first, *in men, in the father & the Sonne, the Essence is as distinct as the Persons themselues.* The father and the Sonne are not onely two persons, but also two men distinct in essences: So that the father is not that man, which is the sonne. *But in God the persons are so distinct, that yet the essence remaineth common, one and the same,* and therefore there are not three Gods, but the Sonne is the same God in number, which is the Father and the Sonne. Secondlie, *In persons created, hee that begetteth and generateth doth not communicate his whole essence to him that is begotten: (For then hee should cease to be a man,) but only a part, which being alotted and seuered out of the essence of him that begetteth, is conueied or deriued into him that is begotten, and is made the essence of another indiuiduall or person, distinct from the essence of the indiuiduall who begetteth. But in vncreated persons he that begetteth or inspireth, communicateth his whole essence to him that is begotten or proceedeth, or is inspired: yet so, that he who communicateth doth reteine the same, and that whole.* The reason of both differences is, *that the essence of man, as also of other creatures, is finite and diuisible, the essence of God infinite and indiuisible: and therefore the Deity may, beeing the same and whole or entire, bee together both communicated and reteined.* Wherefore the eternall Father, and Sonne, and holy Ghost are that one true GOD: and yet the Father is not the Sonne, or the holy Ghost, neither is the holy Ghost the Sonne; that is, they are one God, not three Gods, but three persons, subsisting in one God.\n\nBy the name *of Trinity,* are vnderstoode the three maners of beeing in God, that is, three not essences, but persons of the same diuine Essence. *Now Trinity and triplicitie,* as also *Trinal and triple differ.* That is said to be *Triple,* which is compounded of three essences, or is distinct by three essences. *Trinall* is that, which in essence is but one and most simple, but hath three manners of beeing. *God therefore is not Triple;* because there are not mo essences: *but Trinall,* because he beeing one according to his essence, is three according to his persons.\n\n*This difference of essence and person is to be obserued and held.* 1 *Least the vnitie of the true God be distracted.* 2 *Least the distinction of the persons be taken awaie.* 3. *Least another thing be vnderstoode by the name of person, than the truth of gods woorde declareth.* For *person* in this place doth not signifie only a relation or office, as the Latines are wont to speak, *Principis personam tueri, to defend the person of the Prince,* as of olde, *Sabellius* falsely taught: muchlesse doth it signifie the countenance, or visible shape (as in these daies *Seruetus* sported and trifled with the word, *person*) representing the forme, or gesture of another; such as is the person of a stage plaier: but it signifieth *a thing subsistent,* truely distinct frō others, vnto whom it hath a relation & respect, by an incommunicable property: that is, it signifieth that which begetteth, or which is begotten, or which proceedeth; not the office, or dignity, or degree of him that begetteth, or is begotten, or proceedeth. Furthermore, *the persons are not anie thing separated from the essence, but each of them are the verie selfesame whole essence of the Diuinitie.* But the difference is in this, that the persons are each distinct from the other, but the essence is common to them three. And, that the person is no other thing subsisting, or other substaunce, than the essence, may be vnderstoode in some sort, by the example of a man. One and the same man, or one and the same substaunce, is a father and a man, or a sonne and a man: and yet the manhoode, or, to be a man, is one thing; the fatherhoode, or, to bee a father, another: but there is not one subsistent which is the father, and another subsistent which is a man, but one and the same subsistent is both, because both manhoode and fatherhoode is in him: manhood absolutely, fatherhood respectiuely as in regard of his Sonne.\n\nOf the worde *essence* also it is furder to be noted, that *God or the Deitie or diuine essence is not in respect of the persons, the same which the matter in respect of the effect:* because God is vnchaungeable, neither is compounded of matter and forme. Therefore we cannot say wel: Three persons are, or, consist of one essence: *Neither is it as the whole in respect of the parts:* because God is indiuisible. Wherefore it is not well saide, that the person is a part of the essence, or the essence consisteth of three persons: for euery person is the whole diuine essence, one and the same. *Neither is it as the general to the speciall,* because the persons are not specials, but indiuiduals. *Neither is it simplie as the special to the indiuiduals,* because the diuine essence it selfe is indiuiduall, or one in number: and the persons are not another, or a diuerse, or a separated thing from the essence, but euery person is that essence. Therefore it is well said, *God or the Diuine essence, is the father, is the sonne is the holy ghost:* Likewise, *The three persons are one God, or in one God:* Againe, *they are one and the same essence, nature, diuinity, wisedome, &c. They are of one or the same essence, nature, diuinitie, &c.* Yet it cannot bee saide well, they are of one God. Wherefore *the diuine essence is in respect of the persons, as a thing after a rare and singular maner communicated, in respect of those things, vnto which it is common.* For neither is there the like example of community in any created things. *For a generall is a certain thing common to manie specials, & a general and special to manie indiuiduals: but yet so, that they are affirmed of those manie plurallie, not singularlie: as, that the father, and the sonne, or this father and sonne are two liuing creatures, two men. But wee maie not speake after this sort of God and the diuine persons, as to saie, the father and the sonne are two Gods, two spirites, two omnipotentes, &c. Because there is but one GOD, one spirite, one omnipotent, &c.* Wherefore that affirmation, the father is God, the Son is God, the holy Ghost is God, is a true affirmation affirming that which is more common of a thing which is more restrict: that is, affirming the essence of the indiuidual; which hath in some sort an analogy and proportion only with the speciall affirmed of his indiuiduall, but is not at al the same, nor of the same kind.\n\n## 6 Whether these names are to be vsed in the Church\n\nThese names are to be vsed and reteined in the church. Obiection. *But these names, namely Essence, person, and Trinitie, are not in the Scripture; therefore they ought not to be vsed and reteined in the Church.* Answere. These names which are not in the Scripture, neither the words themselues, nor the sense of them, are not to be vsed: but both *the names them selues of essence and person are* found in the Scripture, and the thing also or the doctrine it selfe concerning them. The name *Essence* is expressed by the name of Iehoua, which is frequent in the Scripture. Likewise by the name of *Beeing,* which often also offereth it selfe in the Scripture. *Exod.* 3.14. *I am that I am.* Reuel. 1.8. *Which is, and which was, and which is to come. The woorde Person, is expressed by the greeke woord* 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Heb. 13. which woord is there interpreted, Person: The ingraued forme of his person. The name of *Trinitie,* is signified, 1. *John.* 5.7. *There are three which beare recorde in heauen, the father, the woorde, and the holie ghost, and these three are one.* And this for the names themselues. Now for the thing. As often as is mentioned one Iehoua, so often is mentioned one essence. As often as the Father, the Sonne, and the holie ghost is called Iehoua, so often the three persons of the Diuinitie are expressed; that is, three subsisting, three vnderstanding, &c. And this aunswere yeeldeth the first cause, why these woordes ought to bee reteined in the Church: *because namelie they are extant in the holie Scripture, either in woordes or in sense and meaning.*\n\nThe Second cause is, *because they are fit to expound the phrase and speech of the Scripture vnto the vnlearned.* And furder if no woordes were to bee vsed, but such as are extant in the Scriptures, all interpretation shoulde bee taken away. For interpretation requireth, that the words of Scripture bee expounded to the vnlearned by such words, as being more vsual in other languages or matters & doctrines, are more easie for them to vnderstand, & paueth and maketh plaine away vnto them for the vnderstanding of the speech and phrase of Scripture.\n\nThe third cause is, *that the sleights and sophismes of heretiques, which for the most part they goe about to cloake and couer with the woords of holie Scripture, are more easily espied and taken heede of, if the same things bee expounded in diuerse woordes, and those especiallie short, perspicuous, and significant.* So the sectaries and followers of Seruetus do confesse, that the Father, the Sonne, and the holy ghost, are one God, but not one in essence, but by propagation, that is, that they are not 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, *the same in substance,* but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, *like in substance.* Likewise they graunt the Sonne to be true God, but they deny him to bee *the same in substance* with his father. But therefore is it that heretiques will none of the Churches phrase & speech, because they dislike the thing it selfe. For if there were a consent & an according in the thinges, we shoulde easily come to an agreement about the woordes.\n\n## 7 How many persons there be of the Diuinity or God-head\n\n*In one diuine essence are subsisting three persons,*[^70] and those truely distinct one from another by their properties; namely the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost; *each of which three persons notwithstanding are one and the same God, eternal, infinit, & most perfect in himselfe.* And these persons are consubstantiall and coeternal, without any confounding of their properties and respects, as also without anie disparagement, or inequalitie betweene them.\n\nAnd *that there are three persons,* each of which are that one true God, creatour of all thinges, is prooued, first, *by testimonies of Scripture,* which are taken partly out of the olde Testament, and partly out of the newe. The old Testament yeeldeth vs many testimonies. *Gen.* 1.2. *The spirite of God mooued vpon the waters: Then God said, let there be light.* Exod. 3.2. *The Lorde is saide to haue appeared vnto Moses in a flame of fire, out of the middest of a bushe.* Steuen, Acts. 7.30. calleth him *the Angell of the Lorde,* which is Christ the Sonne of God, euen *that Angell of the great counsaill.* Isay. 61.1. *The spirite of the Lorde God is vpon me: therefore hath he annointed mee, he that sent me to preach good tidinges vnto the poore, to binde vp the broken hearted.* Heere *the spirite* is discerned both from him that annointeth, and from him that is annointed. Hee is discerned also by his giftes, because he saith, *Vpon me,* that is, dwelling in me, sanctifieng me. Therefore these be three diuerse persons subsisting. But yet there are both mo, and more cleare testimonies in the newe Testament. *Mat.* 28.19. *Teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the father, and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost.* Iohn. 14.26. *The comforter which is the holy Ghost, whom the father will send in my name.* Ioh. 15.26. *When the Comforter shal come, whom I wil send vnto you from the Father, euen the spirite of trueth, which proceedeth of the Father.* 2. Cor. 13.13. *The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the loue of God, and the communion of the holie Ghost be with you al.* In this saying of the Apostle inuocation is ioyned with an application & distinction of the 3 persons. By *grace* he meaneth the benefites of Christ: by *Loue,* the acceptation, whereby GOD, for his Sonnes sake, doth receiue vs into fauor: by *the communion of the holie ghost,* his gifts which are common vnto the godly. 1. *John.* 5.7. *There are three in heauen which beare record* Tit. 3 5 *God saued vs by the washing of the new birth, and the renewing of the holie ghost, which he shed on vs aboundantlie through Jesus Christ our Sauiour.* Heere hee maketh three authors of our saluation. *Ephes.* 2.18. *Through him we haue an entrance vnto the father by one spirite.* Gal. 4.6. *God hath sent forth the spirit of his sonne into your harts.* Therefore it is one spirit, which the father & the Sonne sendeth. Secondly, *The same is proued by those places of Scripture, which giue vnto these three, the Father, the Sonne and the holie Ghost, the name of Jehoua and true God.* In like manner those places wherein those thinges which are spoken of Iehoua in the old Testament, are in the newe referred expressely and most plainly to the Sonne and the holy Ghost. Thirdlie, *those places which attribute the same whole diuine essence to the three;* and shew that the Sonne is the proper Sonne of the father, most truly begotten of him: and that the holy ghost is the spirit of the father and the Sonne, and that so proper and peculiar as that he is, and proceedeth of God, which is the father and the sonne. The sonne therefore and the holie Ghost haue the same, and that whole essence of the Deity, which the Father hath: The Sonne hath it communicated of the father by beeing borne of him, and the holy Ghost of the father and the sonne, by proceeding from them. Fourthly, *those places, which giue vnto the three the same attributes or properties and perfections of the diuine nature:* namely, eternity, immensity, omnipotency, &c. Fiftly, *those places, which attribute to the three the same effects or works proper vnto the Deitie,* namely, creation, preseruation, and gouernment of the world, as also miracles, and the saluation of the Church. Sixtlie, *those places, which yeeld to the three equall honour and worshippe, and such as agreeth to the true god alone.* By this consent therefore of the olde and newe Testament it is confirmed, that one GOD is three persons truely distinct, and those three persons are one God.\n\nBy this also we vnderstand, that it is truly said, *that the father is other from the sonne and the holie ghost, and the holie Ghost other from both:* but not truly, that the father *is another thing from the sonne, the sonne another thing, and the holy ghost another thing.* For *to be another thing,* betokeneth a diuersitie of essence; *to be other,* a diuerse manner of existing, or a distinction of person. Nowe the three distinct persons haue not a diuerse Deity, but one and the same in number.\n\n## 8 How the three persons of the godhead are distinguished\n\nThese persons are distinguished two waies:[^71] *by their inward woorkes: and by their outward woorkes. Their inwarde works are those which the persons haue and exercise one towardes another.* By these then they are distinguished, in *that the father is and existeth of himselfe, not from another.* Hee begot the Sonne, & inspired the holy Ghost, by communicating his essence vnto them after an vnspeakable manner. *The sonne hath his beeing from the father, beggotten of him from euerlasting,* that is, he hath the same essence with the father, but communicated vnto him from the father. *The holie ghost proceedeth from euerlasting from the father and the Sonne,* that is, hath the same essence, but communicated vnto him from the father and the Sonne. Obiection. *That which is not vnderstoode cannot be discerned or distinguished: the manner of the begetting and generating of the Sonne, and of the proceeding of the holie ghost is not vnderstoode. Therefore they cannot bee discerned or distinguished.* Aunswere. Those things cannot be discerned, which are not at all vnderstoode, neither in respect of the proper causes thereof, nor in respect of the effects. But that the son is begotten of the father, and the holy ghost proceedeth from the father and the sonne, we know out of the holy Scriptures. We vnderstand also in some sort, what this is, *namely, the sonne to be begotten of the father: For to bee borne or to be begotten, is to be produced out of his essence who begetteth to haue his essence communicated vnto him of him who begetteth.* Albeit the maner, whereby the eternal father communicated his essence, the same whole and entire vnto his son, we conceiue not. The like also is to be vnderstood concerning the proceeding of the holy ghost.\n\nHere is to be obserued also, that it is truly said, *The son is begotten: The holie ghost proceedeth.* Likewise, *The diuine person is produced, begotten, proceedeth of the essence of the father, or of the father and the son.* But not truly: *The diuine essence is produred, or begotten, or proceedeth.* Yet truly it is said, *The diuine essence is giuen, communicated to another, receiued of another.* The reason hereof is, for that *to bee giuen, communicated, receiued,*[^72] stretcheth further than *to bee produced, begotten, or to proceede.* For not whatsoeuer is giuen, communicated, receiued, is also begotten. Further, that is said *to bee begotten, not which is communicated to the thing begotten, but that, vnto which the substaunce of him that begetteth is communicated:* So the essence of GOD the father, is not begotten, or produced from another, and yet the selfe same essence of it selfe subsisting, is giuen and communicated to the Sonne and the holy Ghost, and receiued of the Sonne and the holy GHOST. *John* 5.26. *The father likewise hath giuen to the Sonne to haue life in himselfe.* Neither dooth it followe: *The person is begotten: therefore the Essence is begotten.* For that which is affirmed truely of a thing respectiue, is not necessarily to bee affirmed of a thing absolute in his owne nature. For although euerie father hath a Sonne: yet not euerie thing, of which it maie bee truely affirmed, that it is a father, maie bee said to haue a Sonne. Albeit then the person of the Sonne is begotten: yet whatsoeuer is the Sonne is not begotten.\n\n[^73]Another difference of the persons is, *in the order of their outwarde actions,* which they exercise towardes the creatures, in them, and by them. *The Father woorcketh, createth, sanctifieth of himselfe, by the Sonne and the holie Ghost.* Hee sendeth them, and is not sent. *The Sonne woorketh from the Father by the holie Ghost:* hee is sent of the Father: hee sendeth the holy Ghost: *The holie Ghost woorketh and is sent from both.* His working is said to bee from another, who woorketh anothers will and pleasure going before, his owne accompanieng and following it, not in time, but in the order of woorking. *The persons therefore differ not in the woorkes themselues, but in the manner onelie and order of working.* The work is not distinct: the manner of working is distinct. *The father is called the first person,* because the Deity is communicated vnto him from none. *The Sonne, the second person:* because the Deity is communicated vnto him from the Father. *The holie Ghost, the third:* because the essence of the father and the son is communicated vnto him from the father and the son. Now *the first and last* are here said, not as in degree, or dignity, or time, but onely in order of existing and working.\n\nThis eight question together with the former shall be more at large explicated in the Articles of the sonne and the holy Ghost.\n\n## 9 Wherefore this doctrine is to be held and maintained in the Church\n\nThis doctrine of the Trinity is to be learned and held in the Church. 1. *In respect of the glorie of God,*[^74] *that God maie be discerned and distinguished from Idoles.* For God will not bee matched with Idols: but will haue himselfe to bee woorshipped, and celebrated, and therefore knowen and agnised for such a one, as he hath declared himselfe to bee. 2. *In regard of our owne saluation and comfort.* No man is saued, who knoweth not the father; and the father is not knowen without the sonne. 1. *John.* 2.23. *Whosoeuer denieth the sonne, the same hath not the father.* Againe, no man is freed and saued from sinne and death, without beleeuing the Mediatour Christ. But no man reposeth trust and confidence in the sonne, when as yet he is not knowen vnto him. Therefore we must first know the sonne, and then for the son we must know the father, that we may beleeue in him. Likewise no man is sanctified and saued by the holy Ghost who knoweth not the holy Ghost. For he who receiueth not the holy Ghost is not saued. But no man receiueth him, whom hee knoweth not. Therefore who knoweth him not is not saued. That no mā receiueth him, whom he knoweth not, is proued by those words of Christ. *John* 14.17. *The spirite of truth the world cannot receiue, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him.* Ioh. 3.5. *Except a man bee borne againe of water and the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen.*\n\nHence it manifestly appeareth, *that they which wil be saued must necessarily know the father, the sonne, and the holy ghost.* And they must knowe, that the sonne and the holy ghost are distinct from the father, but yet cōsubstantial with the father, & equal in perfections, honor, worship, & therefore the same true God which is the father. For except God be known of vs to be such, as he hath declared himselfe to be; he doth not communicate himselfe to vs, neither may wee looke or hope for euerlasting life from him. And what he hath shewed himselfe to be, wee haue heard, namely, *that he is the eternall Father, coeternall Sonne, and coeternall holie Ghost.*\n\nBut among al points there is none more sharply oppugned by the aduersaries of the truth, than this doctrine of the three persons in one godhead, especially since the son of god was manifested in the flesh. It is not harde to espie the causes of this strife, *for that indeede no part of Doctrine is more vnknowen and vnsearchable to mans reason: as also for that the diuell in hatred of God and men attempteth with horrible fury to darken and extinguish the glory of the Sonne of God incarnate.*\n\n[^75]1 Obiection. *One Essence is not three persons: Jehoua is one essence. Therefore he is not three persons.* Answere. One finite essence, is not three persons: But God is infinite. Obiection 2. *That which hath a beginning is not eternall. But the sonne and the holy Ghost haue a beginning: Therefore they are not eternall.* Aunswere. That which hath a beginning of essence and time is not eternal: But the sonne and the holy ghost haue onely a beginning of person, or order, or maner of beeing: and so the Scripture teacheth, Christ both to bee Iehoua, and to haue a beginning, namelie as touching his manner of being. *He gaue vnto the sonne to haue life in himselfe.* Obiection. 3. *Our vnity with God is a consent. But the vnity of the son with the father is like to ours. Therefore it is the vnitie, not of essence, but of consent, which the sonne hath with the father.* Answere. The conclusion of this reason hath more in it, than was in the former propositions. For the conclusion is general of al kind of vnitie, whereas the Minor was particular of the vnity of consent. For there is another vnitie of the Sonne with the Father, namelie of essence. Obiect. 4. *In whome the whole Deitie is, besides him there it no other, in whome the whole Deitie is. But the whole Deity is in the father. Therefore not in another.* Aunswere. The Maior is false: because the same Deity which is in the Father is whole also in the Sonne, and whole in the holy Ghost. Obiection. 5. *The diuine essence is not begotten: But the Sonne is begotten. Therefore he is not the diuine Essence.* Answer. Where al be particulars nothing can be concluded. And the first proposition or Maior cannot bee expounded vniuersallie: For it is false, That whatsoeuer is the diuine Essence is not begotten. Obiection. 6. *Where are distinct operations, at leastwise internall, there also are distinct essences. But the internal operations of the father, and the sonne, and the holy Ghost are distinct. Therefore also their essences are distinct.* Answere. The Maior is true of finit persons, but not of infinite. Obiect. 7. *The diuine Essence is incarnate. The three persons are the diuine Essence. Therefore the three persons are incarnate.* Aunswere. Here also are meere particulars, whereof nothing can be concluded. For the Maior speaketh not of the Diuine Essence generally, but particularly as it is the Sonne. Obiection. 8. *The Sonne is Mediatour vnto Jehoua. But the Sonne is Jehoua. Therefore hee is Mediatour to himselfe.* Aunswere. Here also are meere particulars, and therefore nothing concluded. For not all that is Iehoua, is Mediator. Obiect. 9. *Christ hath a head aboue him: Therefore hee is inferiour to GOD, and by a consequent hee is not of one and the same essence with GOD.* Aunswere. Hee hath indeede a Head, but that first, in respect of his Mediatourshippe, secondly in respect of his manhoode. Obiection. 10. *This is* (saith Christ) *life euerlasting, that they do know thee to bee the onelie verie God. Therefore the Sonne and the holie Ghost are not true God.* Aunswere. In this place is opposed, not the father to the son and the holy ghost, but God to Idoles and creatures. Moreouer the particle, *onelie,* dooth not belong to the subiect, *thee,* but to the predicate *God,* which the greeke Article sheweth. Obiection. 11. *Jehoua is the Trinity. The father is Jehoua. Therefore he is the trinity.* Aunswere. Iehoua is not taken for the same, but varieth in this Syllogisme. For Iehoua in the Maior is meant of all three persons, in the Minor of one only. Reply. *The father is Jehoua, one in number: Therefore the father is the Trinitie. Heere those diuerse manners of beeing are of no force.* Aunswere. He is one in number of essence, not of persons. Obiection. 12. *Where are three & one, there are four. But in god are three & one, namelie three persons, and one essence. Therfore there are four in God.* Aunswere. Where there are three and one reallie distinct, there are foure. But in God the persons are not really distinct from the essence: for the three persons of the Diuinity are one and the same essence: Obiection 13. *The same works are atributed to the Father, and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, in the Scripture.* Aunswere. This hindereth not the distinction of persons. For mo persons may concurre to one action, the distinct order of woorking beeing obserued. Obiection. 14. Christ saith, *John.* 14. *He that seeth me, seeth the father.* Aunswere. Christ meaneth not hereby, that he is the father, but that he sheweth and resembleth the person, wisedome, omnipotency, goodnes and wil of the father in his doctrine and woorkes: as it is saide: *The Sonne, which is in the bosome of the father, hee hath shewed.* Againe, *Who is the inuisible image of GOD.* And as himselfe addeth here, *The father in mee, and I in the father.* Obiection 15. *The wisedome and power of the father are not distinct persons from the father, but are the father himselfe, as also mercie, goodnesse, chastitie, trueth and other properties of God. But the Sonne and the holie Ghost are the wisedome and power of GOD: Therefore they are not persons distinct from the father, but the father himselfe wise and powerful.* Aunswere. There is an ambiguity in the woordes, wisedome and power, which in the Maior signifie the wisedome and power, whereby not only the father, but the Sonne also and holy Ghost is wise and forcible or effectuall, that is, the common nature or essence of the father, and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost. But in the Minor they signifie the persons of the Sonne and the holy Ghost, the Son beeing called the wisedome, and the holy Ghost the power of GOD, because by them the Deitie sheweth foorth, and declareth the wisedome and power thereof.\n\n[^1]: The causes which haue made men to doubt whether there be a God.\n[^2]: The reasons which proue there is a God. 1. The order of all thinges in the world. 2. The nature of mans minde.\n[^3]: 3. The general rules and principles naturallie ingendered in the minde of man.\n[^4]: 4. This principle it selfe; That God is.\n[^5]: 5 The terors of conscience.\n[^6]: Against the beastes of the world, who think this doctrine of God to bee but a cunning deuise of the wiser sort to keepe the simple people in order.\n[^7]: 6. The punishmentes of the wicked.\n[^8]: 7 Common weales wisely ordered.\n[^9]: 8. The order and nature of efficient causes.\n[^10]: 9. The endes of all thinges.\n[^11]: 10. Certaine & euident foretellings of euents.\n[^12]: 11. Heroical and noble instincts of minde.\n[^13]: Wee must acknowledge God to bee such, as himselfe hath manifested himselfe to bee.\n[^14]: The glimse of nature not sufficient to shew who is the true God.\n[^15]: The voice of nature concerning god, neither to bee reiected nor contemned, either in respect of insufficiencie, or of mens misconstring it.\n[^16]: The description of God according to the rules of Diuinitie.\n[^17]: The description of God according to philosophie.\n[^18]: In what the former descriptions differ.\n[^19]: How God and Angels appeared vnto men.\n[^20]: How God is saied to be seene face to face.\n[^21]: How the partes of mans bodie are attributed vnto God.\n[^22]: The image of God in man doeth not argue a bodily shape in God.\n[^23]: Why wee must knowe God to bee spirituall.\n[^24]: Why God is saied to bee intilligent, and against whom wee are to holde it.\n[^25]: The eternitie of god without beginning or end.\n[^26]: God eternal vnto vs.\n[^27]: God, other and diuerse from all creatures.\n[^28]: How all thinges are saide to bee of God.\n[^29]: What wee are to learne by the immensitie and incomprehensibilitie of God.\n[^30]: Reasons, to shew that the power and essence of God is euerie where, whole one, and the same.\n[^31]: Infinitie or immensitie proper to God, not imparted to anie creature.\n[^32]: God most perfect in himselfe.\n[^33]: How God is said to haue made al things for himselfe.\n[^34]: The glorie which wee giue vnto God is auaileable for our happines, but neither doeth nor can make God more happie:\n[^35]: Our obedience, though due to God, yet bringeth no encrease to him.\n[^36]: Gods reioicing in our obedience and saluation is the cause thereof: but not our obedience and saluation, the cause of his reioicing.\n[^37]: What is ment by Gods vnchangeablenes.\n[^38]: Why God is sayd to repent, when yet hee doeth nothing which hee decreed not from euerlasting.\n[^39]: Gods promises and threatninges conditional, and with an exception.\n[^40]: Gods vnchangeablenes one of his speciall differences, whereby hee is distinguished from all creatures.\n[^41]: What is signified by gods omnipotencie.\n[^42]: How the doctrin of the church and philosophie differ in conceiuing of Gods omnipotencie.\n[^43]: Gods exceeding wisedome: whereby both hee knoweth all thinges perfectly, and is the fountaine of all knoweledge and vnderstanding.\n[^44]: The Goodnes of God diuerslie taken in scriptures.\n[^45]: The righteousnes of God both generall and particular.\n[^46]: Men not able without the doctrine of the church to conceiue aright of Gods iustice and righteousnes.\n[^47]: The causes which make men to conceiue amisse of Gods iustice.\n[^48]: How wee are taught the truth of God in scripture.\n[^49]: God dissēbleth not when hee saieth hee will doe that which yet he doth not.\n[^50]: How God is saide to deceiue a deceiued Prophet.\n[^51]: Why chastitie is one of Gods properties.\n[^52]: The mercie of God in preseruing his creatures.\n[^53]: In what the bountifulnes of God is seene.\n[^54]: For what causes God is saied to bee most free.\n[^55]: The anger of God against sinne.\n[^56]: How the conceiuing of the whole nature of God, he, that is instructed by the spirit, goeth beyond him whom nature informeth.\n[^57]: Whence first sprang the multitude of Gods.\n[^58]: Reasons to shew that there is but one God. 1. But one onely manifested by sufficient testimonies of miracles and prophecies, and other workes.\n[^59]: 2 The maiestie of God admitteth no fellowes,\n[^60]: 3. That which is most perfect, is but one.\n[^61]: Whatsoeuer is God, is Soueraigne, and Supreme.\n[^62]: 4 But one chief good.\n[^63]: 5 But one Omnipotent.\n[^64]: 6 More Gods would be either vnperfect, or superfluous.\n[^65]: 7 There can be but one infinite.\n[^66]: 8 But one first cause. How many are called Gods in scripture.\n[^67]: The explication of these wordes serue much for the vnderstanding of the vnconceiueable mystery of the Trinitie: and therefore is it not to bee read with a running eye.\n[^68]: Essence is the verie being of God; Person, is the manner of his being, which manner of being is threefold, and so maketh three Persons.\n[^69]: God, and man communicate both their Essence to another; but their maner of communicating is most different, and is much to be obserued.\n[^70]: Three persons are one God, and one God is three persons.\n[^71]: The three persons distinguished by their inwarde workes mutuallie directed towardes one another.\n[^72]: The person, not the essence, of the Sonne is begotten.\n[^73]: The persons distinguished by their outward works extended vnto the creatures.\n[^74]: The doctrine of the Trinity to be tuaght in the Church. 1 In respect of Gods glory. 2 In regard of our saluation.\n[^75]: Certaine obiections against the Trinitie aunswered."}