H. Zanchius his confession of Christian religion Which novve at length being 70. yeares of age, he caused to bee published in the name of himselfe & his family. Englished in sense agreeable, and in words as answerable to his ovvne latine copie, as in so graue a mans worke is requisite: for the profite of all the vnlearneder sort, of English christians, that desire to know his iudgement in matters of faith.

Of the eternall omnipotencie of one true God.

yeare. 1575.

1

WHen in the Scriptures god is called mightie, we must not conceiue in our mindes, that there is a passiue might in God: whereby he may suffer any thing, or leaue to be that which he is: or become that which hee is not by any chaunge of himselfe: but we must with a firme faith beleeue, (as it is indeede) that hee hath onely an actiue power, whereby he alwaies worketh and can worke.

2

For god is an essence most simple, most per∣fect, truely eternall, voide of all passion, and vn∣chaungeable, and most powerfull: & of whom and by whome all things are made.

3

Yet wee must not imagine any such actiue power in God, which is a diuers thing from his essence.

4

For God in his owne most simple essence is such, whatsoeuer he be: iust, good, or almigh∣tie.

5

And although there be indeed but one one∣ly power in God: yet for the diuers respectes

wherein he is considered, it may be saide (not impiouslie) to be manifold.

6

For it is one respect when it is considered, as God workethal waies in himselfe in vnder∣standing, willing, louing: and another respect, when wee behold it as God hath wrought out∣wardly or without himselfen in creating the world: and as he euermore worketh in gouer∣ning the same: and as he could worke innume∣rable things, if he would.

7

Therefore as the actions of god are not vn∣fittly distinguished into abiding actions, and passing: so the power of God may not vniustly be called two-fold, one, wherein he euer from all eternitie did worke and doeth worke in himselfe: the other, wherein he did not onely make, ruleth, and worketh all thinges in time without himselfe: but also can bring to passe infinite things, which he neuer will doe.

8

Whereuppon it is also that the same is vsu∣ally deuided into actuall power, which wor∣keth whatsoeuer hee will: and into absolute power, whereby he can also do infinite things which he will not: because otherwise he could not be said to be simply omnipotent.

9

For as we hold not with them, which think God is therefore called omnipotent: because simplie whatsoeuer can bee saide or thought,

whether it be good or ill, or if the same implie a contradiction, he can doe the same: so nei∣ther doe we subscribe to their opinion, which hold that God is called and is omnipotent for no other cause, but for that he can do whatso∣euer he wil: that his power should so stretch no farther then his will: but we beleeue he is ther∣fore almighty: in that besides he can do what∣soeuer he will, he can also both will, & bring to passe, innumerable things which he will ne∣uer will, nor bring to passe.

10

For when the Scripture saith, that God did whatsoeuer he would: it plainely teacheth, that he could haue done much more if he would. And he which saieth hee will haue mercie on whome he will, and he will harden whome he will, he sheweth manifestly, that he could as∣well haue mercie on all, or harden all, as he can harden some, and haue mercie on some: and therefore that hee can haue mercie on more then he will haue merdie on: and so that: there are more things which he can doe, then he will doe.

11

For that which he can doe, be can by his na∣ture doe: and therefore can not but be able to doe it: vnlesse he could also so doe, as that he should not be God. But whatsoeuer without himselfe he willeth, he freely willeth it: and therefore could also not will it, so as it is ma∣nifest,

that God can do more, then he will: se∣ing he can will that he will not.

12

Now we say God can doe all those thinges: which are not repugnant either with his per∣sonall proprieties, or with his essence and na∣ture: or which implie not a contradiction: or lastly, which are not of the defect or want of power, if they be admitted.

13

Thus although the father, cannot bee the sonne, nor the sonne the father: neither also the father cā beget of himselfe another sonne, or the sonne any other of himselfe: yet there∣fore doeth nether the Sonne nor the Father cease to be omnipotent.

14

For these are personall proprieties, that the father should begett and not be begotten, but the sonne be begotten, not begett: neither doth the essence of God beare it, that there should be more fathers, or more sonnes.

15

Neither is any thing taken away from the power of god, in that, he cannot bring to passe, but that he must be good, iust, wise▪ seing he cā not be God, vnlesse he be such, as the scripturs describe him.

16

So we take no power from God, nor weakē it at all, if we say God cannot sinne, he cannot

suffer, he cannot bring to passe, either not to be that which he is: or that those things which are done, should not haue bin done: because these things are partly of the defect of power, and partly they implie a contradiction: And therefore are directly repugnant to the trueth of God: and simply impossible.

17

And so is it the propertie of God, to be om∣nipotent, as that it can belong to no created thing.

18

For seing omnipotencie is nothing else but the verie immeasurable, infinite essence, and able to be communicated to no creature: that it should agree to that thing to be omnipotēt, vnto which it doeth not agree to be God in it owne essence.

19

Neither can a thing finite bee capable of a thing infinite, seing euerie thing is receiued according to the measure (as they saye) of the receiues.

20

Also it is no lesse contrary to the nature of God, that there should bee more almighties: then that there should be more gods. Where∣upon christian religion will not allow: that the three persons in God should be said to be three almighties.

21

Wherefore although the man Christ Iesus is

truely omnipotent, because hee is not man onely, but also God: yet his humanitie cannot be, or be said to be properly omnipotēt, with∣out impietie.

22

For the humaine nature of Christ, though it be vnited to the diuine nature into one person of the word: and yet as it is not therefore made God: so neither is it made properly omnipotēt: but held still the owne weakenes, whereby it was able to suffer for vs and to die.

23

For neither could it haue suffred, if as God, so also it had beene made omnipotent: seing, to be able to suffer is impotencie: and there∣fore God could not suffer, because hee is om∣nipotent.

24

And if the humaine nature of Christ was made omnipotent, through the hypostaticall v∣nion in Christ: why doe the Scriptures attri∣bute it not to his humanitie, but to his deitie, that his bodie sawe no corruption: or that this soule being restored to him, he rose from the dead?

25

Furthermore as a humaine bodie, through the vnion with the minde, neither is made an incorporeall substance indued with will and vnderstanding: neither receiueth from it either immortalitie or the vertue of vnderstanding or willing: so neither the humaine nature,

through the vnion with the diuine nature of the word, is made an essence subsisting by it selfe, most simple and most perfect: or hath receiued from it, to be properly omnipotent.

26

Noreouer the argument, whereby the fa∣thers prooued against the Arrians, Christ to bee true God by the omnipotencie attributed in the holie Scriptures to the sonne, is quite o∣uerthrowne, if we graunt that the omnipoten∣cie, maye bee communicated to any created thing.

27

Lastlie concerning religion, wee must not speake but agreeable to the Scriptures, and to the analogie of faith. But the holie Scriptures doe declare none but onely God to be omni∣potent, neither did the church euer professe a∣ny otherwise in her creeds.

28

Whereas Christ saide after his resurrection, alpower is giuen vnto me: Authoritie is one thing, and power another: neither said he, it is giuen to my humanitie, but to me: neither was this spoken in respect of his nature, but of his of∣fice of a mediatour. And that office was and is of his whole person, according to both na∣tures.

29

Therefore as we beleeue by the holie ghost, God alone to bee truely and properly omni∣potent,

so also with the whole church do wee confeffe and preach.

30

But we doubt not that the humaine nature of Christ is indued, both with that power (though finite) which farrexceedeth the power of all created things aswel in heauen as earth: and therefore wherein it may well & properly be called the mightiest of all creatures: & also forthe hypostatical vnion with the truely om∣nipoten: worde: although properly in it selfe it be not such: yet we graunt it may in some sort be said to be omnipotent: namely, in as much as it is so vnited to the vvorde, that both those things, which are proper to the vvord may also be said of it yet in the concrete: and the vvorde did vse and might vse his soule and his body as proper instruments, (yet the proprieties and actions of each of them remaining distinct) to performe many of the workes of his omnipo∣tencie.