An Ample Declaration of the Christian DoctrineChapter 2. The declaration of the vsuall blessing with the signe of the Crosse

Scholar. Before wee come vnto the first part of this doctrine, I would be glad you should giue mee some taste of those things which are to be beleeued, declaring vnto mee in grosse and in summe, the most necessarie mysteries that are conteined in the Creede.

Master. You haue reason, and so I will doe. You must then know that the principall mysteries of our faith are two, and both two are conteyned in the blessing that wee vse to make with the signe of the holie Crosse. The first mysterie is the Vnitie and trinitie of God: the second is the Incarnatiō & Passion of our Sauiour.

Scholar. What meaneth the Vnitie and Trinitie of God.

Master. These are most high matters, & by litle and litle are to be declared, in the progresse of this doctrine: but for this time it shall suffice to learne the names, & to vnderstād so much as you may. The Vnitie of God signifieth, that besides all things created, there is one thinge that hath not had beginning, but hath alwaies been, and euer shall bee, and hath made all other thinges, and maintaineth and gouerneth them, and is aboue all, most high, most noble, most glorious, most potent, absolutely Patrone of all thinges: and this is called God, who is one onely, because there can not bee more then one true Diuinitie, that is to saye, one onely Nature and Essence, infinitely potent, Holie, good, and so foorth. Yet notwithstanding this Diuinitie, is founde in three persons, which are called the Father, the Sonne, and the Holie Ghost, which three persons are one onely God, because they haue the selfe-same Diuinity and essence. As for example, if three persons here in earth, called Peter, Paul, & Iohn, should haue one & the same soul, & one & the same bodie, they should be called three persōs, because one is Peter, an other Paul, and an other Iohn: and yet they should be one man onely, and not three men, not hauing three bodies, nor three soules but one bodie and one soule. This is not possible amongst men, because the being of a man is dererminat & limited, and therefore cannot be in many persons. But the being of God & his diuinitie is infinite. And there fore the selfe-same being, and the selfe-same Diuinitie of the Father, may be, and is found in the soone, and in the Holie-Ghost. There bee then three persons, because one is the Father, another is the Sonne, and the third is the Holie-Ghost. And yet they are one God onely, because they haue the same Diuinitie, the same being, the same power, wisedome, goodnes, &c.

Scholar. Tell me now what signifyeth the Incarnatiō & Passiō of our Sauiour?

Master. You are to know that the second Diuine person, the which as wee haue said, is called the Son, besides his diuine being, which he had before the world was created, yea from all eternitie, tooke the flesh & soule of man, that is to say, our whole nature, in the wombe of a most pure Virgin, and so hee who was before only God, came likewise to be Man. And after hee had conuersed with men thirtie and three yeares, teaching the way of saluation, and working many miracles, in the ende hee suffered himselfe to be nayled vpon a Crosse, and on the same dyed to satisfie God for the sinnes of the whole world: and after three daies he rose from death to life, and after fourtie daies more, ascended into heauen, as wee shall shew in the declaration of the Creede: this is the Incarnation and Passion of our Sauiour.

Scholar. Wherefore are these the principal mysteries of our Faith?

Master. Because in the first, is contayned the first beginning, and last end of man: In the second, the onely and most effectuall meanes to know the first beginning, and how to attaine vnto the last end: & because in beleeuing and confessing these two mysteries, we manifest our selues distinct from all the false Sectes of Gentils, Turkes, Iewes and Hereticks: and lastly, because without beleeuing and confessing these two mysteries, no man can be saued.

Scholar. How are these mysteries conteyned in the signe of the Crosse?

Master. We make the signe of the Crosse when we say: In the name of the Father, and of the Sonne, and of the Holie Ghost, and that in this forme, putting the right hand vnder the forehead, when we saye, In the name of the Father: then vnder the breast, when we say, & of the Sonne: lastly, frō the left shoulder vnto the right, when we say, and of the holy Ghost. And withall the word, In the name, doeth shew the vnitie of God: because it is said, in the name, and not in the names: & by the word name is also vnderstood the diuine power and authoritie, which is one only in all the three persons. These words of the Father, of the Sonne, and of the Holie Ghost, doe shew vnto vs the Trinitie of persons: The signing in forme of a Crosse, representeth vnto vs the Passion, and consequently, the Incarnation of the Sonne of God: the passing from the left shoulder to the right, and not from the right to the left, signifyeth that by the Passion of our Sauiour, we are transferred from sinne vnto grace, from transitorie things vnto eternall, from death to life.

Scholar. To what purpose is this signe of the Crosse made?

Master. First it is made to shew that wee are Christians, to wit, souldiers of our chiefe Emperour Christ, because this signe is, as it were an ensigne or liuerie, which distinguisheth the soldiers of Christ, from all the enemies of the Holie Church: to wit, Gentils, Iewes Turkes & Heretiks: besides this signe is made to call for Gods helpe, in all our works:: because with this signe, the most holie Trinitie is called to help by meanes of the passion of our Sauiour: and therefore good Christians vse to make this signe, when they arise from bed, whē they goe to sleepe, and in the beginning of all other things, which they haue to do; finally this signe is made to arme vs against all temptations of the Deuill, because the Diuel is a fraid of this signe, and flyeth from it, as malefactors doe, when they see the signe of the officers of Iustice, and often-times by meanes of this signe of the holie Crosse, a man escapeth many dangers, aswell spirituall as temporal, when he maketh it with faith and trust of Gods mercy, and of the merits of Christ our Sauiour.