to speak of himself.' He that does not this, stumbles and falls into errors, and at last rushes headlong to perdition. For, it is utterly impossible that human reason should apprehend even the least article of faith. Nor can any mortal have any right thought or sure knowledge of God whatever, without the Word of God; and that, even the gentiles are compelled to confess. For they relate this particular of an excellent poet of theirs, named Simonides. On a certain day Hiero, tyrant of Syracuse, asked him what, or what kind of an object, God was; or what opinion he held or received concerning God. Upon which he requested to have three days allowed him to consider of it. And when, at the expiration of three days, the tyrant asked him the same question, and he had to give the answer, he requested another three days to think upon it more deeply. When these three days had expired, he repeated the same request again and again, until he could delay the answer no longer, nor find any farther means of evading it. And when Hiero wondering, asked him why he did so, he said, "Because, the longer I consider it, the more deeply obscure the matter appears to me.' From which example we derive this proof-that the farther and the more deeply human reason goes in the investigation of God, his works, his will, and his counsel, the farther it gets from the knowledge of them, until it comes at last to know nothing and to believe nothing of God at all. Of which kind of men, not a few are found among the wise and prudent in this day. And this ought to be the lot of all, who, leaving the Word, follow the guidance of reason, and bring her first of all into their counsels on all articles of faith, that they might see how they agree with her.

Therefore, since we have here a text so powerful and so plain, we must take heed that we wilfully obscure it not by the blinded eyes of reason, nor wrest it, nor suffer it otherwise to be interpreted. For here you see the words are plain, and any one may comprehend and understand them.-Christ giveth to all that believe eter

nal life:- but, no one can give eternal life save God only: wherefore, it must incontrovertibly follow, that Christ is truly and naturally GOD.

And moreover, as he saith that eternal life: stands in our knowing him and the Father; it plainly follows, that no one can attain unto eternal life without the knowledge of him. And therefore, the knowledge by which both himself and the Father are known, must be the same. And hence it must also follow, that he is of the same essence and nature with the Father: that is, that he is equally God with, but of a different person from, the Father. These things are so clearly proved in this text, that even reason herself cannot deny or gainsay them.

But the worst of all is here that reason is not content with the words, but, leaving them, rashly runs into another direction. She refuses to believe at once that the words themselves are true, but wishes to search out and comprehend how they can be considered as true and possible. And when she cannot comprehend that, she leaves the words, and forms out to herself new imaginations; and then, wrests the words themselves according to her own pleasure, and interprets them according to the imaginations she has formed.

Hence, the Arians also have wickedly and maliciously twisted and perverted this text, while they laid the stress upon that part of Christ's words where he said, "that they might know thee the one true God," as though he excluded himself and ascribed divinity to the Father only. But this is not proving or making plain, but interpreting the scripture falsely, and not observing what the sense of the words is in their proper connexion with each other. We also affirm that it is truth and rightly said, that there is none other God but him ́ only. But they will not see what is immediately subjoined to it, that Christ makes himself in all things equal to the Father, and so expresses himself as though he himself were the true God: seeing that, (as it is there said,) he places eternal life in the knowledge of himself and of the Father equally, and thus of the two makes one.

And when he orders his words thus," thee the one true God;" he does it, that he might always give. honour unto the Father, as having received all things from him; and that he might thus lead and draw us unto the Father through himself. Of this, there are testimonies to be seen throughout St. John. And he unites himself to the Divine essence, assuming to himself the same and an equal power, when he says, that he will be known together with the Father as the giver of eternal life; which is the work of God alone.

Wherefore, these words make the most powerful of all against the Arians and all other heretics, and also against the Jews and infidels; who say, and boast, that they believe in the one God only that made the heavens and the earth; and who on account of this their faith, condemn us Christians as adoring another God, &c.For Christ's intention is to shew, that they know not the true God, how strongly soever they may be of that opinion, and may glory in it; and that they do not apprehend who he is, nor understand how he is to be known; seeing that, he alone is the one true God, who "sent" Jesus Christ. In which his intention is to say, that he who would not err in the one true God, must seek him only in Christ the Lord; for that none other is the true God, but he who sent Jesus Christ. Hence, he who has not this Christ, errs from the true God, (although he may know and believe that there is only one true God,) because he does not believe in him who sent Christ, and who by him giveth eternal life. Wherefore, all the force lies in the word " thee "-" that they might know thee the one true God." Which "thee?"-Who "sent" Jesus Christ! As though he had said, The Jews and many others have, as they imagine, the one only true God; but "thee," who art the only true God, they know not; because they know not Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. And yet, they all the while paint out to themselves a God according to their own imaginations which is not the true God, but a mere nothing at all! Hence you see that Christ does not here use the word one," that he might separate himself from the Father,

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or make himself distinct from the Divine essence; (which is guarded against with sufficient caution by other words,) but, more especially, that he might join himself with the Father, and make the Father to be one in union with himself; against all those who form out to themselves another God, or seek God some where else than our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let it suffice to have spoken thus concerning the manner in which the Evangelist has firmly established this article, the divinity of Christ. Now let us more at large speak of that knowledge in which eternal life consists-what it is, and how it avails; that we may learn to understand this text rightly and thoroughly, as being the sum and substance of the New Testament.

Our old teachers have referred these and the like sayings to the life to come, as though they did not all concern us as to this life. We, however, will dwell upon these and the like sayings here below, and will endeavour to make them profitable unto us: seeing that, they are written for the doctrine of faith, and pertain most especially above all other unto this life. For that which we are to inherit and to possess in the life to come, must be known and apprehended here by faith. Now this knowledge is, knowing how we are to think of the Father and of Christ: concerning which Peter speaks, 2 Epís. iii. where he says, "Grow in grace, and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." That is, give all diligence that this may be your only concern, your only care and thoughts,-to learn and know rightly this Man Christ and let no one of you seek after any thing as better than this. For this only is our wisdom and our knowledge; which is called the Christian knowledge and doctrine; and whatever is taught or learnt besides this, is not to be considered the Christian doctrine.

And now, if any one should ask, 'What ought

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Christians to know and teach?' no other answer is to be given than this- that Christ is to be known as sent by the Father' and let not him, who neither knows, nor has learnt, nor taught this by any means, glory in being a Christian. For although a person should know

all things under the sun-how God made the heavens and the earth, and how he wrought all his signs and wonders; moreover, although he should know and keep the Ten Commandments; and, in a word, although he should be endued with the knowledge and power of all the angels; yet all this together would not make him a Christian! Wherefore, all things that can be preached or known, commanded or performed, concerning all the good teaching and lives of men, must be kept exclusively separate, and no other knowledge whatever must be left to remain and to avail unto the constituting of a Christian, than that only which is here spoken of— "that they might know thee, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Concerning this knowledge and the effective power of it, the holy prophets have also spoken gloriously and clearly; as Isaiah liii. “ By the knowledge of him, shall my righteous servant justify many. That is, he shall deliver them from their sins, and rescue them from the jaws of the devil, by this only the understanding and knowing who and what he is! To the same effect are the words of Jeremiah also, chap. ix. "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth." And it is the same thing that this text also is intended to set forth- If thou wilt have eternal life, there is no other way whatever for thee to attain unto it, than in knowing the one true God the Father, through Jesus Christ his Son whom he has sent. And if any man shall set before thee any thing else whatever out of Chsist he will deceive thee.

Therefore, the old teachers before mentioned have done injury and violence to this most beautiful text; yea rather, have taken from it all its virtue and marrow; by separating it from the doctrine of faith, and taking it only as a prophecy concerning the life to come. The cause of which error was, their not understanding what that is which is called the knowledge of Christ: for they