Liber primus
that his humane nature should be taken by the kissing of his vnkinde disciple, and most horrible traitour Judas. And by the cruell persecution of the Jewes, after many punishments, they blasphemed God, before Pilate, cried wickedly: Crucifie, crucifie him: and so vnder Poncius Pilate he suffered to be crucified, and vpon the Crosse he died in his humanitie, and was interred and buried. And notwithstanding that his Sepulcher or graue was sealed and signed, and kepte with Knights, yet the third day by his Godhead or diuinitie, he rose in his hu∣manitie, and the .xl. day ensewing, he ascended into heuen, and sitteth ther at the right hande of his father: and he from thence perfect God and perfect man, is to come, and to iudge the liuing & dead. In the dead is vnderstoode the bodye, which hath bene mortall, and in the lyuing is vnderstood the soule which is spirituall and immortall.
Before this Iudge Christ Iesus, which is God and man sitting in his throne of iudgement, all reasonable creatures shal stand. And he shall set all the godlye on his right side, and all the wicked on his left side, and all shalbe iudged after their actes and deeds, and after their thoughts, as they haue ben guided in their bodies, well or euill: then the good shall haue blisse eternall, and the euil and accursed, shall haue and suffer euerlasting paine. Wherfore euery christen man & woman haue this blessed Trinitie, the Father, the Sonne and the holy Ghost, stedfastly grounded in their faith, as one perfect vnitie. To this Unitie in Trinitie, and to this Trinitie in one Unitie, mankind be neuer vnkinde, for this blessed Iesus our Sauiour, the seconde person of the Trinitie, which with his father & with the Holy ghost is one God, one essence, & one vnitie: which Iesus also of his infinit goodnes, of his excellent pitie, & of his most plentuous mercie, suffered patiently most horrible paine and passion, and death in his humanitie, for to redéeme all mankinde. And for this his vnsearchable good, not able to be spoken, and inenarrable or not able to be talked or told great excellent and mightie kindnesse, he desireth of man but this gift, saieng thus: Giue me thy heart, & it sufficeth me. Man if thou loue almightie God, thou beleeuest & trustest in God: & thy true and stedfast beleefe is but a thing dead without good works, Because good workes proceede of faith, as by good works each faith is expressed.* Therfore euery man & woman do euer good deeds, & haue good thoughts, & let thy language be good: and whereas that by humane fragilitie or frailtie, thou trespassest against the commaundement of almightie God, yet sée that thou dispaire not: for the good Lord of his aboundaunt grace, hath giuen a law for trespassors in this present lyfe, that is to say, Contrition,* Confession, and Satisfaction. And euery reasonable creature taking this waye, maye be sure that almightie Christ Iesus very God and man, is Mediatour in his perfect humanitie to the highest and most blessed and inestimable diuinitie or deitie, for all mankinde.
¶Sith it is perillous to euery earthly man, & in especially to him that hath a thin wit, and litle cunning, as I know that I haue, to wade depe in these matters of Diuinitie, I will treate no farther thereof at this time. The holy trinitie giue vs grace, that we may truelye and faithfullye beleeue, and stedfastlye stande in our beleefe, and that charitie may raigne among vs Christen people.
¶I haue thought good for the farther expressing of God, to set before thee, the first Ladder of Henry Cornelius Agrippa, taken forth of his booke, tituled, De occulta Philosophia.
Now let vs perticularlye determine of the numbers themselues, because number is nothing but a repetition of one or vnitie. Let vs first consider what one is, for one doeth most simply pearce euery number, and being the common measure, originall, and fountaine of all numbers, doth containe euerye number onely ioyned in him, voyd of all greatnesse, alwaies the self same, & vnchangeable,
