The Institution of Christian Religion

And the name of Person hath not ben in use among the Latins only: but also the Grecians, perhaps to declare a consent, have taught that there are three prosopa, that is to say Persons in God. But they, whether they be Greeks or Latins that differ one from an other in the word, do very well agree in the sum of the matter.

And the name of Person hath not ben in vse among the Latins onely: but also the Grecians, perhaps to declare a consente, haue taught that there are three prosopa, that is to say Persons in God. But they, whether they be Grekes or Latins that differ one from an other in the worde, doo very well agree in the summe of the matter.

Now howsoever the heretics bark at the name of person, or §3some overmuch precise men do carp that they like not the word feigned by devise of men: sith they can not get of us to say, that there be three, whereof every one is wholly God, nor yet that there be many gods: what unreasonableness is this, to mislike words, which express none other thing but that which is testified and approved by the scriptures? It were better (say they) to restrain not only our meanings but also our words within the bounds of scripture, than to devise strange names that may be the beginnings of disagreement & brawling: so do we tier our selves with strife about words: so the truth is lost in contending: so charity is broken by odiously brawling together. If they call that a strange word, which can not be showed in scripture, as it is written in number of syllables: then they bind us to a hard law, whereby is condemned all exposition ye is not pieced together, with bare laying together of texts of scripture. But if they mean that to be strange, which being curiously devised, is superstitiously defended, which maketh more for contention than edification, which is either unaptly, or to no profit used, which withdraweth from the simplicity of the word of God, then with all my hart I embrace their sober mind. For I judge that we ought with no less devout reverence to talk of God than to think of him, for as much as what soever we do of our selves think of him, is foolish, and what so ever we speak is unsavoury. But there is a certain measure to be kept. We ought to