ssess that essence. To repeat, Christ could not be called the
express image of God if he and the Father were not distinct persons;
there must be one imaged and one who is the image. Expressed more
clearly and according to Scripture, one person is the Father, who in
eternity begets the other; the other is the Son, begotten in
eternity, yet both are equally eternal, mighty, wise and just.

6. Though the Jews and Turks ridicule our doctrine, as if we taught
the existence of three brothers in heaven, it does not signify. Might
I also cavil were it to serve any purpose here. But they do us wrong
and falsify our teaching; for we do not conceive of the Trinity as in
the nature of three men or of three angels. We regard it as one
divine essence, an intimacy surpassing any earthly unity. The human
body and soul are not so completely one as the Triune God. Further,
we claim the Holy Scriptures teach that in the one divine essence,
God the Father begot a son. Before any creature was made, before the
world was created, as Paul says, "before the foundation of the
world," in eternity, the Father begot a Son who is equal with him and
in all respects God like himself. Not otherwise could Paul call
Christ the express image of the invisible God. Thus it is proven that
the Father and the Son are distinct persons, and that nevertheless
but one God exists, a conclusion we cannot escape unless we would
contradict Paul, and would become Jews and Turks.

PAUL AND MOSES AGREE IN TESTIMONY.

7. Again, Paul makes mention of Christ in different phrase, saying:
"Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were
destroyed of serpents." 1 Cor 10, 9. Now, keeping this verse in mind,
note how Paul and Moses kiss each other, how clearly the one responds
to the other. For Moses says (Num 14, 22): "All those men ... have
tempted me these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice," and
in this connection the speaker is represented by the term "Lord,"
everywhere in the Bible printed by us in capitals to indicate a name
belonging only to the Eternal, applicable to none but the one true
God. Other terms used to designate God are sometimes applied also to
men, but this word "Lord" refers only to God.

Now, Moses says: "And the Lord [Adonai, the true God] said ... All
these men ... have tempted me these ten times." Then comes Paul
explaining who this God is--saying they tempted "Christ." Crawl
through this statement if you may; the f