28 (Book 28)
Touching the day and houre, none knovveth it, no not the Angels
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Touching the day and houre, none knovveth it, no not the Angels
that are in heauen, nor the sonne him self: none but the father.
All povver is geuen me in heauen and in earth.
IF all power bee geuen to our Lord Iesus as wel in heauen as in earth, it semeth there is nothyng, no not in heauen hyd or vnknowen vnto hym. But by the way we must note to what purpose he spake thys. Christ willyng to appoynt hys Apostles to Preache the Gospell, fyrst spake to them of hys power. A meane or common authori∣tye had not in thys case sufficed. But it was mete that he which sent to haue eternal and happy life to be promysed in hys name, should haue an Empyre souerayne, and in very dede diuine, to thend y• al the world might be brought in awe of hym and that hys doctryne which shoulde be published should bee able to ••ame al loftynes, and to bryng downe al mankynde, the Apostles had neuer bene persuaded to take on thē so hard a charge except they had bene
very certaine that their warrante was placed in heauē being of soueraine po∣wer. He calles himself Lord and kyng as wel of heauen as of earthe, bycause that in that he bringeth men so true obedience, by the preaching of his gos∣pel he hath established and appoynted the throne of his Kingdome on earthe. And in that he regenerateth his faith∣ful into a new lyfe, and calleth them to the hope of saluation, he openneth the heauens to the end to lyft vp to happy immortalitye with the Angels those which before not only crepe in y• world but also were plunged in the dark bot∣tomlesse depth of death. True it is that Christ euerlastingly hath had with his father al power and autority, and that of his own right: but yet it is sayd that it was geuen him, to we••e, in our flesh. Then he is apointed gouernor, iudge, & soueraigne Prince ouer al the whole Church, but it was not clearly knowē tyl after hys resurrection. For then at the laste he was adorned with the mar∣kes of a soueraigne King, and recea∣uing a name aboue al names, hee had
also the endes of al things in his hand•• to dispose them at his good pleasure. But whilest he is yet in our mortal flesh it is sayd that the sonne him selfe knoweth not when the day shal be of hys fearful comming. In asmuchas he is God nothing is vnknowē vnto him. He hath bene euer God, neyther hath his Manhode taken any thing frō hys diuine maiesty. The two natures were vnseparably ioyned together in hym: but it was in such sorte, that neither of both lost their property. Chiefly the Diuinitie rested and shewed not it self as often as it was expedient that the nature of man did that which belonged to it, to accomplish the charge and of∣fice of a Mediatour. Wherfore ther is no absurdity or inconuenience in thys that the sonne of God who knew al, yet according to the conceyte and vnder∣standing of hys manhoode there was some thing which he knew not: for o∣therwise he coulde not haue bene sub∣iecte eyther to griefe or to carefulnes, or haue bene like vnto vs.
A man may reply yt this cānot be spo∣ken
of the sōne of God that he was ig∣noraunt, bicause ignorance is the pun∣nishment of sinn, and he sinned neuer. It is also spoken here of the heauenly Angels, that this day is hidden from them, wil any say that this ignoraūce procedeth of sinne? Though they haue in no wise offēded, yet are they in som∣wise ignoraunt. As touching the sonne of God, he hath so put on mans fleshe that he hath taken on hym the paynes due for sinne. And where he knew not of ye later day according to his humain nature, that doth no more take away any thing from his ••••nne nature, thā his being mortal dyd.