De angelis
or finde what thing God is properlye, after the greatnesse of his most excellent majestye, but onely the Father, the Sonne, the holye Ghost, bee one trinitie in one vnitie, one vnitye in nature & in essence, one trinity in three persons, so named trinitie, as one vnitie of three persons, which be united together in one nature. Under this forme rehearsed, it sufficeth to everye christian creature to knowe the trinitie, and in especiallye to them which bee of the common sorte or state. The knowledge of the names of GOD is not required as necessarye to euerye man to knowe, for they bee many in number, and everye name that is of God, it sheweth or signifieth the godly essence or being, or it signifieth the godly or diuine perfection, or it sheweth the divine or godlye persons. The names signifieng or betokening the diuine essence or beeing, bee called names Essentialls.
The names which betoken or signifie divine or godlye perfection, bee called names Perfectionals. The names shewing, betokening, or specifieng the godlye or divine persons, are named Personalls, or Vocalls. These three manners of names bee diuided into manye other manners of names which of necessitie bee to bee learned of these greate and cunning Doctours of Theologie or Divinitie, which bee to us, or of right ought to bee, teachers and Preachers of the worde of God incarnate, and to shewe us ensample of good lyfe by theyr vertuous living, and ever to be stronge and mightie, and readye defendours of our Christen faith, and on the holy Church or Congregation by theyr excellent perfect science and cunning. It is right necessarye to vs that live in this our Christian faith, to trust truelye, and steadfastlye to beleeve, that the Sonne of the Father of Heaven, which is without beginning coeternall to his Father and to the holye Ghost: by the whole consent: of this, blessed Trinitie, and one unitie, and bye the cooperation of the holye Ghost, hee entered into the wombe of the most pure, most immaculate, most cleane, most vertuous, most humble, and most meeke Virgin Marie, in whome was neither spot nor riuell of sinne, after the salutation of Gabriel the Archangel when shee had answered these words of meeknesse: Behold the hand maide of the Lord, bee it done to me after thy word.
Thus this blessed sonne of God, not leaving or forsaking the Godhead, tooke mankinde unto the Godhead, and is perfect God, one with his Father in godhead, he is also perfect man, & in his manhead he is lesse than his father is, & in his manhead hee is in Hebrewe named Iesus, in the Greeke tongue hée is cal∣led Sother, & in the Latine, he is called Saluator: and euery name of these three, in our language, is to say, our Saviour.
He is also named Emanuel, which name by interpretation of our language, is to saye, God is with us. After his most blessed Natiuitye, hee proued in his humanitye, that hee was perfect God, for hee coulde all Science without anye teacher. He also chaunged pure Water into Wine, hee gave sight to the man that was borne blinde, hee sayde openlye to the Jewes and to the Pharesies, I, which speake to you am the beginning.
Hee fedde manye thousandes of people with fewe Loues of bread, and with fewe Fishes, the Winde and the Sea obeyed to his commaundement, hee raised Lazarus from death to lyfe, which was foure dayes dead, and stinking in his grave, in these, and in manye more excellent myracles, he shewed that hee is perfect God.
Hee also shewed that hee is perfect man, for hee eate and dranke, and slepte, and so tooke increase in nature as man doth, hee wepte, hee fasted, he suffered all the miseryes and wretchednesse of man, excepte sinne.
It lyked him also to fulfill, to perfourme and to accomplishe all the wordes that the holye Patriarchs and Prophets hadde uttered and spoken of him longe before: Also hee tooked our humanitie, and so to fulfill the prophesies, hee suffered,