acomplrilon taken from the ~~~k::~~~::,: ~~:c~e~::~hrifi in a!: things,ifwe wouiJ I~ I :tnd it Handcth rhus. As in the A, B, C, of the cnioy.ctcrnall happincffc: for\\ ahout him is ' Grecians, A lpha is the firfi lctter,and therefore norhi1\g ~ut changing;andvnldl't: \VC hauc our , the beginning ofall the lcucrs; and Omega is fiablcndlc from him, we cannot but come to the laH,and therefore the end ofall chc lcncrs: an cndc. • So ( fa1th Chrifl) I am thebeginmng ofall things Sccond!y,hc i; the endc;bccaufc all things in thoa a~·e, and the cnde o_f all things. The fidt hcaucn and c:arth were made to !Cruc h~m: For· part of this fimilitude is in chcfc words, I am him were a.IIIhingJcreated, Coi.I.I6. t!Jatis,w Alpha and Omega; that ~s,lamM .Alpha and 0~ fcrue tOr his glonc and praifc. m~,g(,, The fccond pan 111 thcfc words, The 6eThe JCcond thing here (aid of ChriH is this,. gilmingand thecndc. Which t4, WM,andis zo Cf)me. Thdc \\'Otds were from this and fuch likemanner offpcaking I expounded in the 4· verfe,v\•herc the very fame the PapiO:s gatker, that it is lawfull to worfhip are3!1inncd ofthe Fathcr.The mcaningis,th:il! Godjn al!range language: And that the fcripChrifi is in prefent a perfeil fubftancc, ~ndefturcs are to be read and dcliuered to the pco· fence or 6eeiJZ~:.fuhfrflmg in, 6y, rmdf,;omhimfo!fc, plc in anvnknownetonguc.But theircolledi- B .. andJitch aJi~~f!ance hewM iH timepajl, ft"om all on is fduolous:For t.hough thevnlearned fngeterniric,andflschasfoal!conrimtein time10 comt lifl1 man know not what Alpha,and Omega is, for m~rmore. yet the Churches to whom this bookc was Hence we lcarnc three things. Firll,tbat the writte"n,being Grecians,kncw gcn~rally what fccond perfon in the Trinitie IS confnbtlamiai was mcam hereby. with the farhcr,that is, ofone & the fame fi!IJ... Againc,though the fpirit ofGod vfeth here fiance and nature with h1m. The realon is,beand there a ih·angc word or phrafe,yet we may caufe there can be but one onc!y 1Ubtlancc or not follow that praC1ifc in the wholcfcruicc effcnce;.Nhich bath bcci-ng in and by it felfC, & worfhip ofGod.whcrcby neither the word, and from it fclfc alone:ncithcrcan "''C concciue nor praicr,ibould be vnderfioodofthe people how tberc fl10uld betwo, orrnorc J but oncly as the Papifis doe. one; as there cannot be two cternalls, or two I amrh~beginning. Chrifl is fai.de to be the infinities, two omnipotems & abfolute lords, beginning for two cau(es.Fir!l, bccaufe he was which haue nothing one of another. Now in rhe very firfi of all t}:lings: there \)'as nothing C the4. vcrfe it is f.1idc ofthe Farhcr, Thott h~ isa before him, he had abceincr when<!~! creatures fubftance of himfelfe, inhimfelfe, and from himwere not; the"n was he the famethathc is now: fo~f~alone, And here the fclf-: fame d1ing is f<~.id & for this faithS. !Ohn, c.I. 1.In th{ beginning ofthe fecond pcrfoii,thc fonne.And therefore w.u theword, tbat.is·, tlieSonne ofGod,he had he is ofthe very i3.mc fublhmcc wich the Fahis bceing, and fubfifiing when all other creather: for though they be di!linCl perfons in the tureswantcd it,aud began to be. Godhead, yet they hauc but oneand the f:mc .This·prooueth the eternitieof ChrHl, hefub{tance,one and the i3rnc diuinc n;tturc, and caufe he hath his being before any creature;he Godhead. was afubfiance and e£fence begotten ofthe fa... Sccondly,hcnce we may gather ,That Chri{t ther before all worlds, not crea_c.t'ti 3.$ other is GodofhimfClfe; becaufc as the Father is,was, r:fu1tSit,, (;features arc, or made of any other.~ and ll1all be;. fo the fonne is, was, ::111d fhall be; 1 <J Sccondly,hc is calledthe beginn.ing.;.becaufc and that. in the fame rcfj,cCls: So that as the fahe giucth a beginning tP ~n creatu.r~s :For all ther is God ofhimfclfc, :tnd from none other, things~whicb wer<i:.cre.ate_d, andha~a be<."'ing, fo the fonnc is God ofhimfclfc,and from none were cr.cated hy.hirn,and had their being from other. Indccde as hcc is the: Sounc,thc frcond him. So faith the Apgfllc, All thingf~re from perfon, fo he is ofthe Fathcr,and bath his beehim, Cot r .t6.And hence we Lcarne;1hatwhen D mg fromhimby crernlll generation: bur as he we.go.e about any bufine{fc inwoi<;l or: dcedc, is God, he is confuO!lantiall with the Father, we muH begin it.wichjJlUO_s;uion 'in thename 3nd coequal! with him, and hath hie ciTcnce of, of €brifi:for Chfift he gifts the beginnjng,&; and in him alone. And the fame is to beaffir- ! prd<<oding to all things.Altd without his help med ofthe holy Ghofi;as he is thcthird,pcifon I wC ·cahhot hauein an:y tHing goQd fuccdfe. heproccede-~fro1~ the father and the Son,but Secondly, the fame -Chrilt is the ende of all as he is Gqd, 1 he is of hm,fclfe, and from none things, &that for two caufe_s: Eirfl,bccaufe he other. - isthela!lofa.Uthings;and aft-er himJ.s n.oching Ti)ird1y,h~ncewe learnc,that Chrifi i~ eocl , in fitbfifling,and beeing:foral creatures ifthey tcrnal.l wirhtheF'athcr,bcing cuerb!ling as the ~vcrcjleft to themfelucs, would come ,to nofather is,& el!~ry vvaY. coequal,hauing the fame . thillg.i.And wher'oas.fornc cre":lturc.sbc eternal, attributes ofthe godhea-d that the father hath.. it is not ofthemfeluCs, but by·him, ·and fi-om The third pOint couching Chrift is, that hce t him which iS th.c cnde. B.m~h~ugh they all i• the Almightic. There ts in God, and fo in i !hould come to n.othing,yct Chri!l w.ould rt· Chrifi;a double power:Firft,a Pot(tial:fcc6dw \ mainc the fame he "''as. fOr cucr, namelv the c... ly,an ACluall power.Potenciall is that, \~·here.. ternall Sonne, and word of the ;FarhC;. This by he can doe many things moc then cuer he • .---- __l'_tl_'e_n_n_,_o'_''_d_n_,._k_o_v_'"_'_it-h-fu_l_ll_'u_r_p_o_fe_o_f_h_e_•r_t_ _ d_i_J_, _o;_r 2 w_il-l::... do_c_'_'_s l_'e-co_•_d_d_ra_i-fc_c_h-il_d:.. re:.:n::._~::o ..._ ____l Y y 2 Ab•·a-
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