And what hath he committed at any time,1 worthy of this so monstrous rancour & cankered despite? Was it because he did profess him self to be the Son of God? Albeit he did never speak any thing in his own commendation without singular modesty, neither boasted in his speech further of him self, then that he was the son of man: yet if this ⟨image 32⟩same he, were not the very true undoubted son of God, do ye then nominate some one man upon •arth, whom you may justify was his father, and condemn the whole history of the new Testament to be lies, if you can. What trow you, would his Apostles, & other his disciples, being daily and hourly conversant with him self, his mother, & his mothers husband, so throughly accompanied, & acquainted with all the actions of his life, have bin so wilfully, and foolishly blinded, as to give such credit unto him, & to believe in him? would they have settled the whole affiance of their salvation in him? would they so courageously have undertaken so many perilous hazards of life?2 would they so constantly have yielded their carcasses to all manner of horrible tortures, not in words only, but with loss of life also, ratifying and testifying the thing, whi•h they knew to be in him most assured, and that with effusion of their blood, if they had seen nought else in him beyond the natural substance of man, and not rather conceiving throughly in him a secrete divinity,3 that was hidden under the veil of the flesh bodily? But if these things shall be but of small credit with you, what will you answer ⟨image 32⟩to those so great and manifold tokens of wonderful virtue, to such supernatural and prodigious wonders of his? what say ye to so great force of his divine operation, to so great power of his miracles, not wrought by him alone, but by his Apostles also through the virtue of his name only,4 yea, and long sithence now and then openly wrought in his Church, through the effectual operation of his glorious name? What will you say to his so great majesty in word, innocency of life, certainty in prophesying? And besides all these, his marvellous signs & tokens expressed in his own person? What will you say to that his incomprehensible glorious resurrection, his unspeakable ascension into the heavens: lastly, to those his most gracious gifts of the holy Ghost poured upon us from the heavens?
And what hath he committed at any time,1 worthy of this so monstruous rancor & cankered despite? Was it because he did professe him selfe to be the Sonne of God? Albeit he did neuer speake any thing in his owne commendation without singular modestie, neyther boasted in his speach further of him self, then that he was the sonne of man: yet if this ⟨image 32⟩same he, were not the very true vndoubte• sonne of God, do ye then nominate some one man vpon •arth, whom you may iustifie was his father, and condemne the whole historie of the new Testament to be lyes, if you can. What trow you, would his Apostles, & other his disciples, being dayly and hourly conuersant with him self, his mother, & his mothers husband, so throughly accōpanied, & acquainted with all the actions of his life, haue bin so wilfully, and foolishly blinded, as to giue such credite vnto him, & to beleeue in him? would they haue setled the whole affyaunce of their saluation in him? would they so couragiously haue vndertaken so many perilous hazardes of life?2 would they so constantly haue yelded their carkasses to all maner of horrible tortures, not in woordes onely, but with losse of lyfe also, ratifiyng and test•fiyng the thing, whi•h they knewe to be in him most assured, and that with effusion of their blood, if they had seene nought else in him beyond the naturall substance of man, and not rather conceyuing throughly in him a secrete diuinitie,3 that was hydden vnder the veyle of the fleshe bodily? But if these thinges shall be but of small credit with you, what wil you answere ⟨image 32⟩to those so greate and manifolde tokens of wonderful vertue, to such supernaturall and prodigious wonders of his? what say ye to so great force of his diuine operation, to so great power of his miracles, not wrought by him alone, but by his Apostles also through the vertue of his name onely,4 yea, and long sythence nowe and then openly wrought in his Church, through the effectuall operation of his glorious name? What will you say to his so great maiestie in worde, innocencie of life, certeintie in prophecying? And besides al these, his marueilous signes & tokens expressed in his own person? What wil you say to that his incomprehensible glorious resurrection, his vnspeakeable ascension into the heauens: lastly, to those his most gracious gifts of the holy Ghost powred vpon vs from the heauens?
- 1The Jews can render no cause of their cruel murdering of Christ.The Iewes cā render no cause of their cruel murdering of Christ.
- 2Testimony of the Apostles.Testimony of the A•ostles.
- 3The Divine miracles of Christ.The Diuine miracles of Christ.
- 4Miracles in the name of Christ by his Apostles.
