IV. The essential proprieties in God do not in very deed differ from the essence.

For we acknowledge that in God for his singleness the essential proprieties do not in deed differ from the essence and therefore they without this cannot be communicated to any creature, and therefore no creature can be or can be said to be (for example sake) omnipotent simply, just, wise or such like. Even as our Lord Jesus speaking of one propriety, teacheth of them all saying: ‘None is good (simply) but God’.

V. That nothing is or can be made simply such as God is, unless the same might simply be God.

Wherefore, they which will affirm that any created substance ever could or can be made partaker of those divine proprieties whereby it should be such as God is, as simply omnipotent and such like, they must needs then confess that the same is or that it can be ὁμοούσιον, of the same substance with God, forasmuch as neither the Son himself is simply omnipotent, but as he is ὁμοούσιον, consubstantial with the Father, nor yet the Holy Spirit.

VI. A confirmation of the former opinion.

Whereupon we also understand, how it is that sith the Son is no less omnipotent then the Father and so likewise the Holy Ghost, yet we do not say that they are three almighties, but we confess with Athanasius and the whole church, that they are one only almighty, because indeed of them all there is but one and the self same substance. Therefore seeing no creature hath one and the self same essence with God, but a far other and diverse, and if the same by communication of the divine omnipotency could also be made omnipotent, then it must follow that there might be more almighties then one, which we believe can not without blasphemy be affirmed.

VII. Errors.

Wherefore we condemn and detest all heresies, which have risen against this first article of our faith or have sprong from hell and been condemned by the holie fathers in their lawful councils, as those of Cerinthus, Ebion, Valentinus, Marcion, Manichaeus, Arius, Eunomius, Sabellius, Praxea, Fotinus and such like as Servetus and Tritheitae, also the blasphemies of Jews and Turks [Muslims].

And lastly all heresies which have been invented by the devil, either against the unity of the divine essence or against the true Trinity of persons. Yea, and those therefore which deny either the Son to be true and everlasting God or the Holie ghost to be so, or which do confound these persons and say they bee one and the self same existence, which for divers respects is called by diverse names of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

We also condemn all those errors which do separate the essential proprieties of God from the divine essence, which it seemeth unto us that these men very unadvisedly do, which teach that those essential proprieties in very deed may be communicated or rather are already communicated to creatures without communication of the essence.

Girolamo Zanchi, De religione christiana fides – Confession of Christian Religion, ed. Luca Baschera and Christian Moser (1585; 2 vols, Leiden: Brill, 2007), II.IV-VII, 1: 131-37.

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