cause of the will of God which is reuealed in them proposition 4 The summe of those things which are conteined in the holie scriptures is the lawe and the Gospell which parts are indifferentlie conteined as well in the new as in the old testament proposition 5 The fift booke of Genesis hath a preface agréeable to the lawe and the Gospell as being that which should be capable both of the one part and the other proposition 6 They which perceiue the knowledge of God taught here by the creation doo obteine the same by faith proposition 7 We beléeue that the world was so made by God that notwithstanding there is auouched no alteration of the will of God Probable proposition 1 HEauen and earth which are written to haue béene first made doo expresse the matter of all things that were to be brought foorth both of the bodies aboue and beneath proposition 2 The spirit of the Lord which was carried vpon the waters may verie probablie be taken for the holie Ghost and for the wind proposition 3 The word of GOD in the bringing foorth of things is a manifestation of his will proposition 4 Whereas GOD might manie waies haue made the world he onelie approoued this waie and therefore it is oftentimes added And God sawe that it was good proposition 5 The euening and morning were made the first daies of the gathering togither spreading foorth of the light before the bringing foorth of the sunne proposition 6 The waters aboue the firmament be in the middle region of the aire A disputation of the article of creation proposition 1 WHen we speak of the creation of things we bring not foorth one thing out of another after Aristotles maner but we affirme all natures as well bodilie as without bodie to be created of nothing by the word of God proposition 2 For God to the intent he would make manifest both his power and his mercie created of nothing an infinit sort of men in the whole nature of things proposition 3 And thus must this creation be vnderstood not that things be here created in such wise as they should haue their being without the counsell of God but God continuallie gouerneth and directeth them as Paule in the Acts saith In him we be we liue and haue our moouing proposition 4 Further the maner of the creation was this First God made the heauen and the earth and those things which be conteined in them proposition 5 Besides this that there might be a certeine mind which should vnderstand this infinit power and wisedome of this creation he made man and gaue him rule ouer his creatures proposition 6 And bicause he had made him after his owne image he commanded also that he should be acknowledged and magnified of him aboue his works proposition 7 And this was no hard matter for man to doo when he had the whole power in his owne hand proposition 8 For the image of God according wherevnto God had made man was the mind it selfe in man in the which mind shined the true knowledge of God and in the will true obedience Propositions out of the first chapter of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 ALbeit that names are manie times giuen by men yet this also must be referred vnto God séeing the ends conditions from whence things be named be of God and by his procurement he that nameth is rather mooued in respect of one of those things than in respect of another proposition 2 The kéeping backe of waters from drowning the earth we attribute not to the stars but to the word of GOD as also the power whereby plants and hearbs are brought out of the earth proposition 3 The great lights are set for signes to gather thereby the faire and stormie weather to come and the other dispositions of the aire and they be also signes whereby the wrath and mercie of God is perceiued before hand proposition 4 Vnto the signes of heauen must not be attributed a power ouer the reasonable part of our mind neither yet a frée power of things to come proposition 5 Albeit it is said Let the waters or earth bring foorth this or that yet the creation of all things must be attributed to God alone proposition 6 So must we occupie our selues in the bookes of philosophie and in the contemplation of naturall things as we referre all the properties instruments actions and substances of them vnto God the authour proposition 7 Whatsoeuer things are spoken in the creation of man as touching the image and similitude of God doo most fullie agrée vnto Christ and by him are restored vnto vs. proposition 8 In that that man being created according to the image of God is set ouer creatures we gather a rule what maner of elections we ought to make either of ministers of the church or of magistrates proposition 9 The perfection of life must not be weighed by abstinence from eating of flesh proposition 10 The true sabboth is the ceasing from works which be proper to our nature corrupted but not from those wherevnto God leadeth vs by his spirit and admonition proposition 11 All the life of a christian man ought to be a sabboth after the maner before said Probable proposition 1 A Man is said to be created vnto the image and similitude of God bicause since he is made of a reasonable nature and indued with all vertues whereby he should represent GOD he had by God his dominion ouer creatures proposition 2 God hath oftentimes restored by faith vnto the godlie that power ouer creatures which was giuen at the beginning proposition 3 Our bodie is partaker of the image of God bicause it is the instrument wherewith we through our actions doo expresse the properties of God proposition 4 By this reason that a man is indued with the image and similitude of God is declared the nature of true felicitie of vertues and of all laws and whome the church ought to haue for hir citizens proposition 5 When God said Be ye fruitfull and multiplie he commanded matrimonie by which precept all men are bound which can doo that dutie or by a speciall instinct of God are not mooued that in single life they should be more readie to serue the Gospell proposition 6 The eating of flesh was not dispensed with before the floud either bicause men were then stronger or bicause the earth brought foorth better fruits than now it dooth or else that men might more enure themselues to humanitie proposition 7 Whereas in the holie scriptures are taken manie arguments and similitudes wherby we are persuaded to liue well there is a forme giuen vs from plants lights liuing creatures which forme we may vse in other things when they happen Propositions taken out of the second chapter of the booke of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 MAns soule is not of the substance of God neither hath it the same nature that the soules of other brute beasts haue proposition 2 The soules of men were not
things which are offered by the word of God For who can woorthilie expresse vnto what miserable and horrible mischances this bodie of ours is cast out It is sicke it is wounded it is dissolued made crooked torne and maimed Oftentimes men become blind oftentimes deafe And as touching the mind they are oftentimes mad oftentimes frantike and they that most labour about the truth can not attaine to the knowledge of the same without intermingling of infinite errours How could the Ethnikes boast of vertues Naturall vertues are testimonies of our calamities The end of temperance as the chéefe good things séeing we haue them as witnesses of our calamities To what purpose serueth temperance which is therefore giuen to bridle drunkennes gluttonie lusts and the foule and shamefull motions of the mind For these things declare that it hath no place but in minds which be yet subiect to corruption The which corruption the more inward it is the more miserable it maketh vs and as a domesticall enimie violentlie assaileth the secret parts of our harts These affections saith Augustine are vices Rom. 7 19. bicause as Paule saith they hinder vs that we cannot doo those things which we would Besides The end of wisedome what is the part of wisedome but to foresée that by errour we be not deceiued in the choise of good things and auoiding of euill Certainlie if we were not bewrapped in errours and darknes we should not néed of this remedie But séeing it is vsed it argueth that men are not yet happie but are folded in great and gréeuous errours vnlesse wisedome doo helpe on euerie side Also iustice The end of iustice whereby euerie man commeth by his owne is necessarie for none other cause but to suppresse robberies extortions and violent dealings And yet neither can that so preuaile among men but that iust and honest men oftentimes suffer manie things both shamefullie and vniustlie The end of fortitude Now what shall we speake of fortitude The same doubtlesse armeth men patientlie to abide all sorrowes dangers torments yea and death it selfe if necessitie shall require Among those so great euils these wise fellowes durst appoint the chéefe goodnes Which euils neuertheles they said might sometime be so increased as a man may kill himselfe Oh happie life crieth Augustine that séeketh the helpe of death to finish it For if it be happie why doo they cut it off and shun it But if it be miserable why doo they place in it the chéefe goodnes Thus are they derided of God bicause they despised that hope which is neither séene nor attained vnto by mans reason And bicause they mocked it when they heard it preached in the woord therfore hath God by his heauenlie doctrine condemned them as fooles ridiculous persons Out of the Preface vpon the Epistle to the Romans 2 Another sort doubtlesse perceiuing the often fallings into wickednesse and that of verie excellent men thought by their religious procurements yea rather by their superstitions and worshippings deuised of themselues to cause God to be fauourable vnto them of whom afterward they might obtaine all good things The commō opinion of the chiefest good The Philosophers puffed vp thorough their knowledge of naturall things And this for the most part was the opinion of the common people who after a sort iudged not so euill as did the Philosophers For these men were so puffed vp in the pride of their vertues and ciuill duties and with the knowleges of natural things that they thought these things to be sufficient vnto themselues for the obteining of felicitie But the common people were not ignorant both of the filthines of sinnes and of the dailie offendings of the Maiestie of God Wherefore they thought it good to flie vnto religions the which since they had them not pure and vncorrupt they fell into idolatrie The Hebrues opinion of the chiefest good And here came in the Hebrue people among them and tooke part with both For by reason of the ten commandements they boasted that they had the summe of all vertues among them and that if they fell at anie time from them they had ceremonies prepared for them whereby they might make satisfaction Against these things Paule disputeth in his Epistle to the Romanes Paules iudgement concerning the chiefest good and sheweth that it cannot be that we should obtaine righteousnes by morall or naturall duties bicause as well the Iewes as the Gentiles doo not in their life and maners expresse so much as they acknowledge that the lawe of nature or Moses lawe requireth Neither must we grant that we can fullie and perfectlie obserue the lawe For then might we attaine vnto perfect righteousnes by woorks which would be a plaine absurditie For herein standeth our righteousnes that our sinnes shall not be imputed vnto vs but the righteousnes of Christ shall be imputed to the beléeuers No doubt but there happeneth some renewing when we being iustified doo worke rightlie but yet this is not through perfect Also grace is giuen to the regenerate but yet not such as remooueth all the lets which doo hinder the perfect kéeping of Gods lawe Neither doo wée in the teaching herof affirme paradoxes or strange opinions or set forth things that be contrarie vnto Paul but wée chéeflie maintaine those things which are most agréeable to the apostolicall doctrine But as for the rites and ceremonies which on the other side the Iewes brag of when they be without Christ and faith they are accounted detestable before God as Ieremie Esaie and the prophets which were interpreters of the lawe haue most plainelie taught By all these things it is easilie gathered that whereas all men of all ages professed themselues to séeke for the chéefest good yet that they which wanted the true and perfect knowledge of God did as it were but grope after it in the déepe darknes and weried themselues in booteles labors These things being on this wise declared I will now more largelie and particularlie treat of humane ends following speciallie the course of Aristotle and will shew betweene-whiles wherein he as touching this matter agreeth or disagreeth with the holie scriptures 3 Aristotle in his first booke of Ethicks In the commentaries vpon Arist Ethicks Cap. 1. indeuoreth to prooue that before humane things there is set foorth some certeine end bicause all humane things desire some good thing and that good thing wherevnto they tend hath the consideration of an end and so humane things haue a prescribed end And therefore doth he make mention of good bicause it is the chéefest thing whereof felicitie hath his name and bicause the respects of good and end be verie néer alike in so much as some haue thought that good and end are all one And therfore Aristotle commendeth the old prouerbe that All things doo couet good which may not be vnderstood of anie one thing for it can not be that there should be some one certeine
saith that they can by no meanes be corrupted bicause God is the author of them it is no firme reason For euen they which be of ripe yéeres haue both a bodie and a soule which be the works of God and are continuallie preserued by his power and yet may they be defiled and corrupted But if he shall saie that this commeth of mans will and frée choise so will we answer that the same may come of other causes to wit through propagation and séed A false syllogisme of Pighius And so Pighius reasoneth from that which is not the cause as though it were the cause for his meaning is that if men be corrupted It is false that men cannot be contaminated but by the will and free choise it cannot otherwise be than by the will and frée choise which is not true All the arguments which he obiecteth against vs arise hereof that he saith he vnderstands not how this corruption can be deriued to the posteritie and how it is possible that infants should bée bound by anie lawe and how a lawe can be made of that which we are not able to auoid But séeing the holie scriptures declare teach and testifie these things it maketh no matter how much Pighius either vnderstandeth or not vnderstandeth for we beléeue manie things which we perceiue not nor knowe not by anie certeine reason Which neuertheles ought not to be of anie such force as euerie man should obtrude vnto vs to beléeue what things soeuer they shall thinke good vnder this pretence that although they cannot be perceiued by reason yet they ought to be comprehended by faith séeing God is also able to make things which be far greater For first that which we would haue to be beléeued ought to be shewed out of the holie scriptures then afterward if we cannot atteine vnto it let vs cleane vnto faith and set reason aside But it followeth not by our definition In humane nature and in Ethnike men some good thing is left that there is no good thing lest either in nature or in Ethnike men Onelie this we affirme that this sinne would destroie all if God through Christ brought not a remedie vnto the regenerate Also God is present somtime in them which be not regenerate and adorneth them with excellent noble vertues whereby originall sinne is restrained and Common-weales and empires are kept at the least-wise in some ciuill order Socrates would not go foorth of prison when he might Aristides being driuen into banishment wished vnto his citizens that they might neuer be in so ill case as they should call him to their remembrance Phocion being demanded a little before his death whether he would haue anie message to be doone vnto his sonne Let him neuer saith he remember the iniurie doone vnto me The Common-weale of Rome had his Curtios Scipios and Catos God suffereth not originall sinne to rage as much as it might nor the diuell so much as he desireth men of ciuill honestie and verie great louers of vpright dealing Which duties albeit as they were in men which knew not God were sinnes yet were they bridles of originall sinne and of nature corrupted least all things should be confounded and good lawes fall to ruine and the light of nature be in a maner extinguished 26 Now séeing we haue confirmed originall sinne by the testimonie of the scriptures and haue confuted the opinion of Pighius and haue reiected the opinion of them which thinke originall sinne to be a guiltines and bond procured through the sinne of Adam and haue alledged the definition of Augustine that Originall sinne is concupiscence of the flesh and of Anshelme that It is a want of originall righteousnes and last of all séeing we haue largelie and by manie testimonies prooued our owne definition now it remaineth that we prosecute those things What be the conditions and properties of originall sinne which we purposed to intreate of in the third place namelie of the conditions and properties of originall sinne how it is spred abroad how it is abolished how the remnants thereof are in men renewed and also what punishment is due therevnto Indéed as touching the maner how it is powred thorough into the posteritie manie opinions are recited The first of them is of the propagation of soules which we will shew by the iudgement of Augustine to be a more readie waie than the rest although it be not receiued of all men Another opinion is which Augustine followeth to wit that originall sinne is conueied from one to another by the lust and inordinate delight of the parents This reason hath twoo errors first bicause it saith that this euill is in procreation as a matter of necessitie which neuertheles may be separated from the same And the School-men themselues confesse that he which should be begotten without a vicious desire of the parents yet shall he drawe originall sinne for they saie that it is sufficient therevnto that it was in Adam as in the first principall séed Another absurditie is that then originall sinne should onelie consist in the fowle affection of the lust where in verie déed it comprehendeth as hath béene said the whole corrupting of nature Others haue thought that the soule was created euill by God bicause it should be a part of man execrated and put vnder the curse But bicause this séemeth to be against the nature of creation that it should be called a deprauation therefore that opinion is also reiected The last opinion is commonlie receiued namelie that The soule gathereth originall sinne through coniunction with the bodie that is alreadie infected and corrupted by the parents What the seate is of originall sinne Whervpon if it be demanded what is the seate thereof or as they commonlie speake what is the subiect We answere that it hath place in the flesh as in the root and beginning then out of that fountaine it also possesseth the soule so is extended throughout the whole man Seed is the instrument to conueie this sinne so as the séed is the instrument wherby this sinne is conueied from the parents vnto their children Pighius obiecteth that Vices cannot be deriued by séed vnto the posteritie vnlesse perhaps those vices which cleaue and sticke in the bodie of the parents as we sée happeneth in the leprosie in the falling sickenes In the sedd is not the sinne and other diseases of the bodie neither dooth nature suffer that sinne should take place in the verie substance of the séed so as it can be conueied by it vnto the children Here we answer Not onlie the diseases of the bodie but of the mind also are deriued from the parents to the children first that it is not true that onelie the diseases of the bodie of the parents are deriued vnto the children For we also sée that manie conditions of the mind are deriued from the parents vnto their children as wit furie ambition gentlenes pride and
predestination are in the predestinate Predestination is in déed defined but of necessitie there must be expressed and declared the ends vnto which men are by it directed And therefore they are ioined with foreknowledge bicause God knoweth both the beginnings and meanes and ends of our saluation This moreouer is to be knowne that when of the fathers as sometimes it hapneth predestination is called foreknowledge that then it signifieth not onlie knowledge but also approbation which as we haue declared perteineth vnto purpose Wherefore we did what we could to speake properlie to the end these things should not be confounded How predestination is sometime called prescience Looke In Rom. 9. I for this cause haue stirred thee vp Lastlie is to be considered also how in predestination are knit togither the goodnes wisedome and power of God which are his most chéefe proprieties Purpose which commeth of his goodnes is placed in the will of God Foreknowledge declareth a wise preparation for the will purposeth nothing which is not before knowne Lastly when it is come to be put in execution then is power present 14 And now bicause things contrarie perteine to one and the selfe-same knowledge and the one of them serueth much to the knowledge of the other euen as we haue defined predestination so also will we define reprobation I said before that I was of the same mind that the Schoolemen are namelie that the reprobate are not predestinate not for that I iudged their reasons to be so firme but bicause the scriptures vse so to speake for the most part This is their reason bicause predestination directeth not onlie to the end but also vnto the meanes which leade to the end But forsomuch as sins are the meanes by which men are damned they saie that God can not be named to be the cause of them To speake properlie God is not the cause of sinnes Vndoubtedlie if we will speake vprightlie and properlie God can not be said to be the cause of sins whome yet we can in no wise vtterlie exclude from the gouernment and ordering of sins for he is the cause of those actions which to vs are sins although as they are of God they are méere iustice for God punisheth sins by sins Wherefore sins as they are punishments are laid vpon men by God as by a iust iudge Besides it is God which withdraweth his grace from men which being withdrawne it can not be chosen but that they must fall And forasmuch as through his agitation or stirring vp all we both liue and mooue doubtles all the works which we doo must néeds in a maner bée done by his impulsion Although thereof followeth not that he should powre into vs any new naughtines for we haue naughtines abundantlie inough of our selues both by reason of originall sin and also bicause the creature if it be not holpen by God of it selfe it declineth without measure and end to worse and worse Furthermore God and that vndoubtedlie by iustice ministreth vnto the reprobate and vnto the wicked occasions of sinning and woonderfullie bendeth the harts of men not onlie to good but also as Augustine saith by his iust iudgement to euill Sinners are not all manner of waies excluded from the prouidence of God Yea also he vseth the malice of men will they or iust they vnto those ends which he hath purposed vnto himselfe Rom. 1 24. and 28. Esaie 6 10. Ezech. 14 9. And the holie scriptures sticke not to saie that God deliuereth men into a reprobate sense and maketh them blind and seduceth them and manie other such things and yet for all this he can not be trulie called the cause of sins séeing we haue the true cause of sins sufficient in our selues So as that reason of the Schoolemen is not firme neither cleaueth it to a verie sure foundation Howbeit I therefore separate the reprobate from the predestinate bicause the scriptures no where that I knowe of call men that shall be damned predestinate Which sentence According to the phrase of the scriptures the reprobate are to be separated from the predestinate though I sawe no reason why yet would I iudge is to be followed bicause of the authoritie of the word of God Howbeit I thinke that the holie scriptures so speake for that as we haue before said predestination hath a regard vnto those ends vnto which we can not by nature atteine such as are iustification good life and glorification by which God exalteth vs far aboue all strength and power of nature But the sins for which we are damned although they are not excluded from the gouernment of God namelie after that maner as we haue alreadie declared yet doo they not passe the strength of our nature for euerie man of himselfe is prone inough to sin 15 Wherefore reprobation is the most wise purpose of God whereby he hath before all eternitie A definition of reprobation constantlie decréed without any iniustice not to haue mercie on those whome he hath not loued but hath ouerhipped them that by their iust condemnation he might declare his wrath towards sins and also his glorie The former parts of this definition are alreadie declared when we defined predestination God dooth no iniurie vnto them vpon whom he hath not mercie euen vnto that part without anie iniustice which part is therefore added bicause God doth iniurie vnto no man although he bestowe not his mercie vpon some for he is not bound vnto anie man by anie lawe neither is he compelled of dutie to haue mercie vpon anie man Wherefore God answereth in the Gospell Is thine eie wicked Mat. 20 15. bicause I am good Is it not lawfull for me to doo with mine owne what I will The selfe-same hath Paule taught by the power of the potter And yet he affirmeth that there is not therefore anie iniustice in God for here is intreated of mercie and not of iustice And vnto Moses was answered in Exodus Ibidem 15. Exod. 33 verse 19. I will haue mercie on whom I will haue mercie c. I will not haue mercie on them c. By those words is signified All men of their owne nature are in miserie that all men are of their owne nature in miserie for mercie is bestowed vpon none but vpon them that are in miserie Out of this miserie God deliuereth some and those he is said to loue other some he ouerpasseth and them he is said to hate for that he hath not mercie on them that by their iust condemnation he might declare his anger also his iustice against sins The reprobate are condemned bicause of their sinnes The damnation of these men is said to be iust bicause it is laid vpon them for their sinnes And yet we ought not hereby to inferre that sinnes fore-séene are the cause why anie man is reprobate Sinnes foreseene are not the cause why a man is reprobate for they bring not to passe
fift and sixt chapters The cheefe means whereby man is called to repentance It also furthereth much if the life of Christ be set foorth if his godlinesse be shewed that by comparing the contrarie in vs we may vnderstand how farre off we be from Christ Moreouer if we be often put in mind of the promises of God and the honor of them set foorth at large and that it be shewed that sinne dooth exclude vs from them Thirdlie if the lawe it selfe be vrged and rightlie expounded that we may sée what it requireth and how much we be debtors There may also out of the scriptures be added examples of repentance euen of such as were excellent men in humane worthinesse such were Dauid Ezechias Manasses Nabuchadnez-zar and Peter These examples shew that this waie which Christ taught must be followed The effects must be weighed namelie refreshing Christ said I will refresh you This repentance worketh maruellous ioies first of all in vs secondlie in the church Matt. 11 28. also among the heauenlie companie Christ saith Greater is the ioie in heauen vpon one penitent sinner than of nintie and nine that are iust Luk. 15 7. This place dooth Augustine handle in his booke of Confessions for Victorinus at that time was conuerted vnto the faith at Rome a confession whereof he made a great ioie was raised in the church Lastlie the mercie of God must be set foorth how readie he is to receiue penitents Héerevnto serueth the historie of the prodigall child Further that which Christ spake of the shepheard Luk. 15 11. which leauing his whole flocke went to séeke for one shéepe Also that which is spoken of the woman which found a grote in the 15. of Luke Let this suffice which we haue spoken of repentance The ninth Chapter Wherein is treated and discoursed of workes of Supererogation of Purgatotorie and of other papisticall corruptions In 1. Cor. 9. verse 23. BVt forsomuch as superstitious men doo labour by some places of the scripture to thrust vpon the church manie of the works of supererogatiō first we will sée what the opinion of these men is and by what reasons they confirme the same afterward we will bring weightie arguments against their error further we will consider what must be determined by the word of God lastlie shal be confuted the reasons which séeme to withstand this discourse Touching the first An opinion of the Schoolemen touching the measure of obseruing the lawe of God it is taught in the schooles that God is so verie good that whereas he might haue compelled vs to manie and almost to an infinite number of things yet would he not bind vs so greatlie as he might haue doone but in the kéeping of the lawe he limited vs within certeine bounds and latizes within which whosoeuer shall kéepe themselues shall atteine vnto saluation But and if so be there be anie found so prompt and willing as they will go beyond the bounds prescribed them in the commandements that is verie lawfull neither is it doone without great praise and reward Wherefore they terme such works not to be works of dutie wherevnto we are bound by the lawe And séeing such kind of actions as they saie be most honest and most holie they call them works of supererogation Whence the works of supererogation are named that is an ouerplus of well deseruing as though by them we bestowe and giue more than we are bound to doo 2 For the confirming of these things The first reason of our aduersaries they bring the first argument out of the epistle to the Corinthians It was lawfull for Paule and that by all lawes to take his expensis while he preached and yet he did not take them wherefore he gaue more than was necessarie by the commandement of God Wherevpon he sharplie rebuked the Corinthians saieng 1. Cor. 8 9. I absteined euen from those things which were lawfull for me and will not ye temper your selues from the things that be vnlawfull Further The second reason they bring foorth the yong man which was desirous to obteine euerlasting life to whom the Lord said Keepe the commandements Behold saie they Christ describeth to him a generall kéeping of the commandements as being necessarie for his saluation The yong man goeth yet further and testifieth that he kept those commandements from his childhood Christ hearing this looked vpon him and loued him and said If thou wilt be perfect go thy waies sell all that thou possessest and giue it to the poore and followe me This saie they is a worke of supererogation for he had first as much as was required vnto saluation This did Christ as being perfect set before him which was put to his choise whether he would doo it or no. Also they bring an argument out of the seuenth chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians The third reason touching sole life or virginitie verse 28. and. 38. which state is so fréelie laid before vs as he which taketh not the same vpon him may haue saluation but he which doth take it vpon him is both commended the more and is said to doo somewhat better Wherefore the apostle saith He that giueth his daughter in marriage dooth well but he that giueth hir not dooth better verse 25. And he plainlie testifieth that He hath no commandement touching this matter but onlie that he giueth counsell Wherevpon they appoint manie euangelicall counsels The scholemen descant vpon the word counsell in Paule the which Thomas and other Schoole-men doo thus define namelie that they be persuasions of a greater good added to the cōmandements that a more readie better end may be atteined the which things doo not bind vs to assent vnto them but onelie that we contemne them not and that as touching the preparation of the mind we at a certeine time both admit and execute them The fourth reason They gather a reason also of almes-déeds as if a man be bound to giue the tenth and he giueth the fift part this man saie they dooth vndoubtedlie more than he is bound to doo Wherefore Christ Luke 21 1. in the 21. chapter of Luke cōmendeth the poore sillie widowe bicause she powring out all hir substance being but one small farthing offered more than the rest séeing others gaue of that which was ouerplus vnto them and thus they conclude that she bestowed more than she was bound to doo The fift reason Yea moreouer if thou take awaie from these men the works of supererogation they shall haue no satisfactions for sinnes wherein the third part of repentance consisteth bicause vnto such satisfactions they require works which otherwise be not due For if that penitent persons should be bound in anie other respect to doo those things The sixt reason they should not satisfie for sinnes Lastlie I haue heard many alledge that place out of the epistle to the Romans Rom. 8 35.
not by a perfect But by the commandements what is concluded as touching men not yet borne anew Mans strength and power cannot thereby be prooued but that they haue a will it may be prooued which being mooued by grace they shall haue some power to obeie or to doo their dutie since it is not repugnant vnto it to be renewed as being of such a nature that it may be regenerated of GOD and at the leastwise to obeie him with an obedience vnperfect Further if outward things be considered it hath some libertie but this is not to doo the law which speciallie requireth the verie inward motions that doo procéed of faith and inspiration of the spirit of God Wherefore I grant some such kind of libertie bicause experience teacheth that it is so not that I am constreined by that argument to confesse that if the lawe cannot be kept by a frée will magistrates shall punish offenders in vaine and that the lawes were giuen in vaine For if this argument were firme it should be concluded thereby that we while we are not regenerate haue also frée will vnto those supernaturall things séeing euen to those that be not regenerated God hath giuen lawes as touching these things and for them dooth punish except they haue them I grant therefore that as touching outward things we haue partlie this libertie but yet I could not be mooued by those arguments vnlesse there were another thing to mooue me A similitude For the magistrate himselfe if there should be brought vnto him an open robber or a théefe so they wittinglie and willinglie did anie naughtie act he will punish them The magistrate will not then inquire whether they had a frée will or whether they were mooued by affection in such sort as reason could not withstand Yea and men not as yet regenerate which are without faith hope and charitie if they should die GOD would punish them neither would he respect whether in that state they could haue them or not haue them And God himselfe punished originall sinne neither dooth he séeke when we are borne whether we may be without it or not without it Augustine Augustine in his booke of confessions saith that Infants also at that age haue their vices and sinnes for they are infected with enuie And sinnes they are when as neuerthelesse it lieth not otherwise in their power neither haue they reason to resist those motions 5 The powers of frée will are not to be gathered out of the lawe and commandements of God I grant indéed The which we doo we doo freelie that when anie thing is commanded frée will is commoned with séeing if we obeie or if we resist that doo we with the will For we doo not assent or dissent with our nostrils fingers or other members of the bodie but with our iudgement Howbeit it is not thereby prooued that we are able to doo so much as is commanded vs. Therefore although I be not mooued by this reason to affirme this fréedome yet I grant the same being mooued by experience not euerie experience but with the same which hath a testimonie out of the holie scriptures which doo not deceiue In the first chapter to the Romans is intreated of them Rom. 1 19. which were not renewed which are said to haue knowne the inuisible things of God I meane the Godhead and eternitie by the creatures The verie which thing Dauid affirmeth Psal 19 1. The heauens declare the glorie of God c. And in the same epistle The Gentils Rom. 2 14. which haue not the lawe doo naturallie those things which bee conteined in the lawe And as touching things to be doon they were said to haue had the knowlege of equitie For When as they should haue knowne the righteousnes of God and that they which doo such things are woorthie of death Ibidem 3. they not onlie doo those things but they also consent vnto those that doo them and so are made inexcusable For they cannot pretend ignorance sith they knew that they did not euen that same small thing that they atteined vnto Neither can they rightlie excuse the weakenesse of their strength séeing they themselues made a waie therevnto by the sinne of Adam in whom all men sinned Matth. 5 46 Also Christ said If yee onelie loue them which loue you the Publicans and harlots doo thus And no man doubteth but that generallie good maners are to be allowed and to regard fréendship is a rightfull thing for they are despised which either betraie or hurt their fréends Also the Lord in the seuenth chapter of Matthew Matt. 7 11. saith If you when ye be euill can giue good things vnto your children c. Neither thinke I that it is to be doubted but that naturall affection of parents towards their children whereby they wish well vnto them is good for they that contemne their owne children or doo verie cruellie handle them are greatlie despised Moreouer Paule when he was yet an enimie of God and persecuted the church did profit in outward iustice aboue verie manie of his fellowes Gal. 1 13. as vnto the Galathians he testifieth And to the Philippians he sheweth that he was vnreprooueable and faultlesse according to the righteousnesse of the lawe Also the histories of the Ethniks doo shew of manie things that Scipio Pompeie Caesar Cato and Cicero did singularlie well speake decrée and execute for the commodities of their countries and publike profit sake when as neuerthelesse they were strangers from Christ Hereby it appeareth as well out of the holie scriptures as out of the writings of the Ethniks that some thing must be granted to this libertie although that degrées must be appointed therein for it séemeth not to be granted vnto all men alike The varietie may be according to the temperatures of the bodie according to the instruction or education according to the places or countrie exercises and such like Neither are we to leaue it vnspoken that these notable acts which in the histories are mentioned of the infidels happened by some motion and peculiar instinct of God who would that such examples should be extant to the intent that Common-weales and kingdomes might be preserued And that all things should not run to confusion it behoued some to be adorned with excellent conditions who might doo good to others by kéeping them in their dutie Wherefore as we grant that the spirit of prophesieng and such other kind of graces are sometime giuen by God vnto wicked men so likewise without a iustifieng grace there might be giuen of God besides the common influence some spirits of fortitude or chastitie and of seueritie and such like Wherfore this is the frée will which I iudge is to be granted with the which neuerthelesse there are ioined woonderfull infirmities and bondages First in the vnderstanding there is great darkenes and blindnesse so that it scarselie at anie time vnderstandeth what is to be doone And in the
fleshlie persons they be deceiued and séeke for pleasures where they ought not Wherefore I maruell at Epicurus which taketh his argument from children whose nature is not yet become full perfect neither are they indued with any vertue therfore may easilie be deceiued Againe it must be considered that men doo perpetuallie labour and are wearied with sundrie exercises and therefore to be recreated and refreshed they turne themselues to diuers pleasures and when they cannot haue honest pure and simple pleasures they will be satisfied with those grosser and hurtfull pleasures And men haue a compounded nature not simplie one and vnmixed and thereof it coms that they imbrace sundrie kinds of pleasures Somtimes they take those which belong vnto the mind and sometime those which be of the bodie since that they consist as well of the mind as of the bodie Yea and the bodie it selfe bicause it hath manie humors and is indued with manie senses therefore are we somtimes mooued to these pleasures and sometimes to those according as the humors stir them vp or as the sundrie obiects doo fall into the senses But God since he is one and most pure he enioieth one and the selfe-same pure and eternall pleasure Who be most inclined to the pleasures of the bodie But to those pleasures of the bodie they that be yoong and melancholike men are most inclined In them while their stature is increased the humors are disturbed and nature is wearied and haled and therefore doo they flie vnto pleasures as vnto a certeine medicine and recreation Likewise dooth the melancholike humor disquiet and vexe melancholike persons and suffereth them not to rest so as they being wearie returne to pleasures whereby they somewhat restore and exhilerate themselues Wherevpon it appéereth that nature yea God himselfe Why these pleasures were giuen by God vnto men did not vnprofitablie giue vnto mankind these pleasures that the immoderate vse of them might be auoided For by them we lead the more commodious life and we take more willinglie in hand the necessarie labours of life and the preseruation of mankind and are the more readilie healed of our dailie infirmities Moreouer yoong men by certeine honest and moderate pleasures are stirred vp vnto honest duties and excellent vertues and by gréefes they are terrified from sinnes and wickednes Augustine And Augustine addeth that these base pleasures are certeine steps of good and as it were a little shadowe of the nature of felicitie and of the chéefe good whereby we may be stirred vp to an earnest desire thereof wherefore they be of force to awaken vs wherein neuertheles we are not to staie but must rather rise vp vnto better things And that we should not dwell in these things God is so good that he with these kinds of pleasures hath mingled manie bitter things What pleasures are not to be auoided and why As touching those pure vnmixt and no bodilie pleasures and which haue no excesse let this be the proposition They ought not to be refused but since they are of the better sort they drawe not a little néere vnto the nature of the chéefest good for they be desired not for themselues but for another thing I said that they drawe néere to the nature of the chéefest good bicause in verie déed the chéefest good is not in pleasure no not of this kind for that consisteth in the most perfect action and vnto it is pleasure ioined as a perpetuall companion wherefore it cannot be plucked from the chéefest good so as it should not be comprehended in the nature thereof We verelie grant that the same is wished for of all men since there is none but desireth both to liue and to liue well And as to liue is to worke so to liue well is to be occupied in a verie good action wherevnto when excellent pleasure is ioined all men wish for the same when they wish for that whereof it is a perpetuall companion But an excellent action it cannot be vnlesse it be conuersant about the most noble obiect whereof as of a fountaine our perfection dependeth Which that it may euidentlie be perceiued we must vnderstand that we are made perfect by a most excellent obiect as by the efficient cause whereby our mind and will is carried or is allured vnto it Againe we are made perfect through pleasure which is an affect and qualitie that is instilled into our mind Whether pleasure for life or life for pleasure is to bee wished But it is called into doubt by some whether pleasure must be wished for the life sake or life for pleasure sake And to omit those things which may be said on the other part that which to mée séemeth good I thus set downe Pleasure is desired for the life sake not the life for pleasures sake bicause pleasure hereof ariseth that the action agréeth with nature and this we both féele and knowe Wherefore that aboue all is to be wished to the intent that the action may be counted most perfect Neither is anie man ignorant that perfection is instituted for that thing sake which dooth make it perfect especiallie when in his owne nature it hath no stabilitie And all men sée that meate it selfe is better than the sauce thereof 10 But how those things How Aristotles opinion agreeth with the scriptures which Aristotle bringeth doo agrée with the holie scriptures we may easilie perceiue First he saith that this opinion as touching the grosser sort of pleasures is the opinion of manie and that of the vulgar sort of men Which also Christ taught affirming that the waie of perdition is large Matt. 7 13. and manie doo go that waie He addeth moreouer that they which iudge this are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is most burdensome And in Esaie we knowe that it was said to wicked Ahaz Esaie 7 13. Is it a small matter vnto you to be greeuous vnto men Aristotle calleth them bond-slaues And the Lord said Iohn 8 34 He that dooth sinne is the seruant of sinne Also Peter said Euerie man is his seruant 2. Pet. 2 19. of whom he is ouercome Aristotle saith that they choose a beastlie life And we haue it in the Psalmes Man when he should be in honour Psal 48 12. is compared vnto the brute beasts and is made like vnto them Also Ieremie Ierem. 5 8. Euerie man neigheth at his neighbours wife And againe in the psalme Be ye not like horsse and mule Psal 32 10. in whom there is no vnderstanding They which so thinke saith the philosopher doo defend themselues by the authoritie of princes which liue after the maner of Sardanapalus Neither dooth this disagrée with the holie scriptures wherein we read that such in a maner were the people as were the kings whom they had Osea 4 9. And in Osea we reade Such people such priest In the Prouerbs the 29. chapter When the wicked shall beare rule transgression shall
vnderstanding and contemplation And he saith that these men haue a hard felicitie bicause they be as it were at war with nature not séeking in déed to destroie the bodie or flesh but prouide this that those things may be no impediment to their contemplation And therefore since this is a more priuate life it néedeth not manie things But he saith that Aristotle spake not of these men which he testified when he saith that By nature a man is ciuill and they which are of this sort vnlesse they minister to their elders and parents those things which be necessarie and also vnto their posteritie wife frends and citizens they haue a maimed and vnperfect felicitie although they be furnished with manie good things And the diminishing of their felicitie is either more or lesse according as they shall more or lesse want those good things which we haue recited It belongeth therefore vnto a happie man to haue a care of all those things which I haue recited which if he may commodiouslie doo he hath inough and may be content otherwise he shall not be counted happie These things I thought good to rehearse out of the doctrine of Eustratius to whose opinion I subscribe not For in that he will haue anie man so to liue alone that he should giue himselfe onlie to contemplation and be hidden from the companie of other men forsaking the duties of charitie and other vertues toward them is both against philosophie and diuinitie For the philosophers crie out generallie that men are not borne to themselues and declare that it is mans nature to helpe others and in like manner to be holpen of others Moreouer there wants no testimonies of the holie scriptures whereby such a kind of life is condemned 1. Cor. 10 verse 24. Paule said that None ought to seeke their owne but that all should be doone to the edification of our neighbours And God commanded in the lawe that the parents should be honored which precept in verie déed commandeth the maintenance of them And the parents are commanded Exo. 20 12. that they should diligentlie and earnestlie instruct their children Neither are there lawes wanting of wedlocke o◠defending and preseruing of fréends and of the poore Yea and Paule vnto Timothie said He that hath cast awaie the care of his owne 1. Tim. 5 8. and especiallie of his owne houshold hath denied his faith is woorse than an infidel Wherfore it is not lawfull for anie man to choose to himselfe so solitarie a life as he will set apart the care of other men True indéed it is that Aristotle treateth seuerallie of ciuill life and function also of life contemplatiue but yet not for this purpose that any man should wholie addict himselfe to one of these liues but to the intent that whosoeuer aspireth to felicitie may knowe that he is not able to obteine the same except in an excellent sort he be partaker of both these estates of life Two properties of our nature Two properties doubtlesse there be of our nature for nature it selfe hath made vs both men of vnderstanding and ciuill Wherefore in our actions we must answere to both conditions namelie that when they happen vnto vs in our actions we may execute them as we ought and according to vertue Againe that when anie leisure serueth vs or that by anie chance we are let from dooing of things then we to be occupied with great pleasure in the contemplation of diuine and humane things that so these actions which in kind séeme to be diuers may helpe one another For if a man be exercised in morall and ciuill vertues in gouerning of a familie common-weale to the intent he may haue the more readie and quiet mind in the helping and succoring of his fréends it so coms to passe that he returneth the more apt to contemplation And on the other side when anie man by reason of his leisure shall be in earnest contemplation of diuine and humane things he is afterward thought to be much the readier to doo other affairs This we knowe did Tullie Cato Pompeius Lucullus and such like singular men among the Ethniks And we read in the holie scriptures that Christ our sauiour did somtimes withdrawe himselfe vnto the mountaines and woods that he might praie and meditate of diuine things but within awhile he returned to the people and was all manner of waies a helpe vnto mankind The verie same thing did Iohn Baptist Elias and other the prophets Yea and the same Iesus our Lord first taught his apostles in the wildernes afterward he sent them out into Iudaea to preach to heale them that were sicke So then let there be two kinds of life but yet not in such sort that anie man should perpetuallie be addicted to anie one of them That vertue is not the cheefest good and wherein the same agreeth with it 24 Among some of the philosophers vertue was taken to be the chéefest good That vertue is not the cheefest good which Aristotle refelled on this wise It behooueth that the chéefe good be perfect But vertue is not perfect Therefore it must not be counted the chéefest good The maior proposition appéereth for if it be not a perfect chéefe good our desire resteth not therein but will desire moreouer some other chéefe good The minor proposition namelie that vertue is not perfect is prooued bicause it is an habit that is a power not in act it may oftentimes be in the subiect without the action therof as a thing that manie waies may be stopped as by sléepe by taking awaie of the occasion if matter be wanting and when afflictions sicknes and misfortunes doo disquiet vs. This opinion which placeth the chéefest good in vertue it selfe is of all other that we haue hertofore recited most néere vnto truth and therefore it hath had great and graue patrones But how it draweth néere vnto the truth hereby we easilie gather that there is none more certeine nor surer preparation vnto felicitie than vertue for from the habit of vertue procéedeth that action which is affirmed by Aristotle to be verie felicitie vertue therefore is the néerest power or facultie vnto felicitie Why vertue is not the cheefest good But whie the same cannot be the chéefest good felicitie it selfe it is cause inough that it is referred vnto a further end For to what purpose doo we procure vnto our selues the habits of vertues but that we may the more easilie and redilie doo well Wherefore since that vertue is directed vnto action action shall be better and more to be desired than it I am not ignorant An obiection of the Stoiks that they which are woont to hold with the Stoiks haue béene accustomed to obiect against the Peripatetikes saieng that they while they appoint vertue to be the chéefest good doo not vnderstand it as it is in the power and lieth without act but doo take the same as it is ioined
all things but as it were a potter Chrysostome in the 19. Homilie vpon the epistle to the Ephesians saith that If a ship though it be sound and well rigged can not brooke the seas without a good maister or gouernour how much lesse can the whole workemanship of the world stand without the care and gouernment of God For if a maister-workeman will not begin to build before he haue deuised in his mind all the parts fashions and fourmes of the building shall we thinke that God hath rashlie without counsell or reason made all things vniuersallie Vndoubtedlie the heauenlie spheares the stars the firmament the aire the water the heate the cold so manie causes and changes of things contrarie and repugnant one to another would fall to ruine vnlesse they were susteined by some gouernour Without care and prouidence our bodie might not be defended from the rigor of the heauen We call those prouident men which being of such excellent iudgement and disposition doo kéepe all the parts of their bodie in their proper office and dutie But God hath the same place in the world that the mind hath in man Besides this the holie scriptures ascribe vnto God the destructions of kingdoms and prophesies and miracles which things doo far passe the compas of our nature And last of all they attribute vnto him the generall iudgement wherein God will one daie render to euerie man according to their works Wherefore we being induced by these and manie more reasons doo conclude that there is a prouidence For we passe not for the Epicureans whose maner of spéech is this Why the Epicures denie prouidence Euen so the powers on high With labours toile are prest The care whereof which on them lie Bereaue them of their rest And this also God walketh vpon the poles of heauen and considereth not the affaires of men These monstruous opinions haue they bred partlie for that they being of grosse wit could not perceiue higher things and partlie being of a shamefull and abhominable life would deuise for themselues this consolation least they should be perpetuallie tormented with the feare of punishments For He that liueth wickedlie Iohn 3 20. abhorreth the light And children when they haue done a fault would not haue either their father to be at home or the maister in the schoole And as touching the first part these things vndoubtedlie should be sufficient for Christians who are perswaded onelie by the word of God without other reason that there is a prouidence 7 But what prouidence is we shall easilie vnderstand by the definition of the same What prouidence is Prouidence is the power of God whereby he directeth all things and bringeth them to their appointed ends In this definition the generall word is power Assuredlie God is most absolute yet for our capacitie sake we saie that there is in him two maner of powers to wit the power of vnderstanding the power of willing For God vnderstandeth and séeth all things and not this onelie but he also willeth all things Héere I will make no néedles disputation whether the will of God be before the vnderstanding or vnderstanding before the will If anie man would knowe these things I send them vnto Scotus and Thomas This power and facultie which I speake of belongeth vnto the qualitie for it is a naturall power The difference is that God by this power directeth all things whatsoeuer either be or hereafter shall be But yet this is not enough for he also conducteth them to their ends But to what ends Euen vnto agréeable ends And those be agréeable which his purpose hath appointed The power is the cause and that things be brought to their proper ends is the effect Here haue we comprehended all the kinds of causes which can be assigned in this matter All the causes of prouidence No efficient cause of the prouidence of God This I speake bicause there can be giuen no efficient cause of the prouidence of God The formall cause is the power of God The matter whereabout are all manner of things whatsoeuer for we in no wise except anie thing But the finall cause is that all things may atteine to their owne ends and may redound to the glorie of God By this definition we sée Prouidence is no bare but an efficient knowledge Acts. 17 28. Rom. 11 36. Prou. 16 1. that the prouidence of God is not onlie a bare knowledge but it is some bringing to effect For as Paule saith In him we liue we mooue and haue our being And againe Of him and in him and by him are all things And as Salomon saith Man may prepare his heart but God ordereth the speach For we are not able to mooue no not the toong being the lightest part of the bodie without the prouidence of God Matt. 10 19. And Christ saith that A sparowe dooth not light vpon the ground without the will of our heauenlie Father And All the heares of our head are numbered Some dreame that God indéed made all these things but after he had made them A similitude cast them off So forsooth carpenters when they haue doone sufficientlie in building of a house they afterward leaue the same but if God should doo so this world would soone come to ruine For a house vnles it be oftentimes repaired and vnderpropped falleth to ruine and decaie If the soule be seuered from the bodie what remaineth but that the bodie will become putrified and rotten Neither are they to be heard which saie that God indéed ruleth all things but that this is nothing else but to minister vnto all things the common influence which euerie thing draweth vnto it selfe This is euen to make God not in verie déed but in name to be the ruler and gouernour of the world Whether God onlie by common influence doo rule all things For if so be that euerie thing according to the nature thereof doo bend and applie vnto it selfe that common influence of God then God followeth the nature of things created where as rather contrariwise all things created ought to followe and séeke after God But they saie that euen as he which throweth a stone A similitude or shooteth an arrowe hath doone enough to haue first forced the same although he himselfe afterward followe not after them when they be out of his hand so it was sufficient for God in that he indued all things with a certeine power although he do not perpetuallie gouerne them But these things be not alike for a stone and an arrowe doo fall immediatelie after that they be shot bicause that force which is in things created cannot be of long continuance Wherefore vnlesse that God should prosecute by his euerlasting care and prouidence the thing which he hath forced the nature of euerie thing could not abide When the Peripatetiks perceiued that all these inferiour things were continuallie troubled they iudged that the prouidence of God was aboue the moone
dutie is sometimes doone by contemplation and then that corrupt person hath a will not to loue his neighbour hath a will not to go to the holie assemblie Wherefore we sée here that the act of will and that same action thereof which is the action of nature dooth depend of God deformitie and priuation dooth not so But sometime they be omitted bicause a man dooth not thinke of those things I meane not of a contempt Héere saie I that although there be no action there of that kind yet is there an other which contendeth with right reason He is not mindfull of the holie congregation bicause he will walke about for his pleasure or else vse some pastime and those actions be aduersaries to right working Or if that be no action at that instant yet was it a little before For example Ouer night he would féed like a glutton afterward he could not rise earlie to be present in the holie congregation Wherefore in the sinnes of omission we shall find an action either proper to that kind or else an other striuing with the good motion of the will either which is then presentlie reteined or else that went before 21 God then is the cause of all things How sin is drawn from the nature of the second causes and inferior things according to their owne nature receiue the moouing of the first cause Wherefore if sinne be drawen it is drawen by the nature of the second causes I will make the matter plaine by a similitude A similitude In liuing creatures we haue that power which hath his name locall motion and it mooueth beasts either to walke or to runne and those creatures are mooued according as they receiue their moouing from that locall motiue power but if a legge be defectiue be out of ioint or crooked that motion hath halting in that course ioined therewith but that halting as it is a moouing commeth from the moouing power of the soule as it is faultie and lame it dependeth of the faultines of the leg which was broken And thus it is as touching that continuall moouing wherewith God stirreth his creatures There is indéed a common influence and it is receiued in things according to the qualitie of them so the subiect of deformitie or priuation is of God and the moouing of God sometime passeth through the mind corrupted whervpon the fault of the action is not of God but is drawen from the next cause But what it is that God there dooth and how he gouerneth that deformitie is declared before now we treate of the act which breaketh foorth from our will Wherefore it is rightlie said that the priuation of righteousnesse followeth not the worke of our will and the motion thereof so farre foorth as it is in the kind of nature but as it is in the kind of moouing Augustine in his seuenth booke De ciuitate Dei the 30. chapter saith that God dooth so gouerne his creatures as he permitteth them to exercise and worke togither with him their owne proper motions For God dealeth not alone but as I said before the wicked men and the diuell also doo vse their naughtie endeuor in working But when we saie How the selfesame act is produced by God and by vs. that the act it selfe which afterward through our owne fault is euill is brought foorth by the chéefest cause that is by God and by vs that is by our will how shall we vnderstand this Whether that God doo it wholie or we wholie Or whether it be partlie from him and partlie from vs And héere we drawe this producement to the verie act of our will We answere If consideration of the whole be referred vnto the cause we must speake after one sort if it be referred vnto the effect after an other sort If the whole be referred to the cause so that we vnderstand our will to be the whole cause of the action that it be able by it selfe to worke without God it is not true for vnlesse God would assent thervnto it should not be able to bring foorth action So God although by his absolute power he might performe the worke it selfe by him selfe yet as the course of things is he will not deale alone but will haue the creature to be a doer togither with him by this meanes are neither the will nor yet God said to be the whole cause But if it be referred to the effect it selfe God and the will are the full cause for God and the will make the whole effect although they be ioined togither in action I will shew the thing by an example For bringing foorth of an action A similitude we haue a will and an vnderstanding and our will maketh the whole effect and our vnderstanding is the cause of the whole effect but the one is nigh the other further off How it is that the will dooth all and God dooth all And so is it of the will and of God the will dooth all and God dooth all but one is the first cause and the other is the second 22 As touching the third point the sinne which followeth is sometimes said to be a punishment of the sinne that went before How sinne is the punishment of sinne and so God is said to punish sinnes with sinnes Then if the sinnes which followe be weighed as they be punishments they after a sort be attributed vnto God not that God dooth instill new naughtines or that he driueth men directlie vnto sinning but when he hath withdrawne his gifts then dooth sinne followe whereby the mind is destroied And those destructions those wounds of minds as they be punishments they come vnto vs by iust desart Hereof we reade in the first chapter to the Romans Rom. 1 24. that God gaue them vp vnto a reprobate sense as we haue declared before And that sinne hath the respect of punishment insomuch as it corrupteth nature it is manifest Augustine saith and it is vsuallie receiued Thou hast commanded Lord and trulie so it is that euery sinne is the punishment of him that sinneth This also doo the Ethniks acknowledge Horace saith The Sicill tyrants yet could neuer find Than enuie greater torment of the mind Those euill affections doo drie vp the bones maâ—e féeble the strength doo afflict the minds yet this is iustlie doone for God is iust and righteous in all his waies But if we be depriued of grace we haue deserued the same 23 Wherefore we conclude this question of ours A conclusion of the question and saie that To speake properlie and plainelie God is not the authour of sinne neither would he sinne to be And yet is not God said to be the vnperfecter or the weaker bicause he cannot make sinne for that is not imperfection and impotencie but perfection These things cannot God doo bicause he is the chéefe good and the chéefe perfection naie rather he establisheth lawes against sins he crieth out against them and he punisheth
out of all doubt is taken awaie in regeneration For by that means it coms to passe that although it be verie sin indéed yet God dooth not impute it for sin Moreouer Augustine dooth compare concupiscence with those sinnes which are called actuall by the comparison whereof it may be said to be no sinne for it is far from the gréeuousnes of them But I maruell how Pighius dare saie that Augustine determineth without testimonie of the scriptures that concupiscence is originall sin séeing he in his disputations against the Pelagians defendeth his opinion chéefelie out of the holie scriptures The cause whie originall sinne is called concupiscence And the cause whie he calleth originall sinne concupiscence is for that originall corruption dooth chéeflie declare it selfe through the vnpurer desires of the mind and of the flesh 13 Now it is expedient to sée what others haue said concerning this matter for besides this there is also another opinion of them which say that originall sin is a lacke of originall righteousnes Whether this sinne be a want of originall righteousnesse Anshelmus What the schoolemen meane by originall iustice Which thing Anshelmus affirmed in his booke De partu virginis and he drew manie other scholasticall authors into his opinion And these men meane no other thing by originall iustice or righteousnesse but the right institution of man when as the bodie obeieth the mind and the inferior parts of the mind are subiect to the superior when the mind is subiect vnto God and to his lawe In this righteousnes was Adam created and if he had so continued all we should haue liued in it but séeing he fell all we were depriued thereof And they would haue the lacke of this righteousnes to be originall sinne A similitude Entrie defect maketh not a thing euill But that they may shew their opinion the better they saie that euerie defect is not euill for although a stone doo lacke righteousnes yet it shall not be said that a stone is vnrighteous or euill but when as a thing shall be fit and méet to possesse that whereof it is destitute then such a defect is said to be euill as it happeneth in the eie when it is béereft of abilitie to sée well we doo not saie therefore that there is a fault or blame in the eie For then sinne commeth when by reason of such a lacke there followeth a contending and wrestling against the lawe of God An obiection of Pighius And this opinion is also condemned by Pighius for he saith that It is no sinne if one kéepe not the gift which he hath receiued For it may be that one which is borne in perfect health and in a good state of the bodie A similitude may fall into a disease or be maimed in some member or else become lame yet there is none that will call those defects offenses or sinnes But this similitude is not agréeable to the purpose for a disease or maime of the bodie doth not make either to the performing or violating of Gods lawe but that which they call a want of originall righteousnes dooth of necessitie bring with it the breach of Gods lawe Moreouer he laboureth to prooue that the losse of originall righteousnes in yoong children is not sinne bicause the same was not foregon by their fault but this againe is to call God to an account God is not to be called vnto an account But God is not registred among the decrées of men he is not to be brought into the order of mans lawes Let Pighius confer that opinion with this which he reasoneth against This affirmes he that God dooth condemne the faultines and vncleanes which he appointed and shewed to be in new borne babes Pighius maketh guiltie and condemnes children of that vice and sinne which is not in them but onelie is that which Adam the first parent of all committed in himselfe for otherwise he taketh those children to be most innocent But whether of these is the further from reason and dooth dissent from the lawes of men To punish an innocent for the sinne of another Or else to condemne him which hath cause in himselfe whie he should be condemned Vndoubtedlie vnto them which shall diligentlie consider of the thing it selfe The saieng of Anshelme is better than the opinion of Pighius Eccle. 7 30. the saieng of Anshelme is better in manie respects than this opinion of Pighius We knowe it to be true which Ecclesiastes saith that God made man vpright but when he had once sinned he fell by and by into wickednesse He dooth not now behold God and heauenlie things anie more but he bendeth himselfe continuallie down to earthlie and to carnall things and is subiect to the necessitie of concupiscence and this is to want originall righteousnes For actions be not plucked awaie from man but the power of well vsing them is taken awaie as we sée happen by experience A similitude in such as be taken with the palsie verelie they mooue their hand but bicause the power is hurt whereby they might rule that motion they mooue the same faintlie and deformedlie This also happeneth in vs for séeing diuine righteousnes is wanting the ground is corrupted whereby our works should be rightlie ordered and performed But saith Pighius it cannot be sinne in yoong children to be destitute of this gift for they are not bound by anie dutie or obligation to haue it But if saith he our aduersaries shall saie otherwise let them shew a lawe whereby we that are borne bée bound which saith he bicause they cannot doo let them cease to saie that this want of originall righteousnes is sin But we not onlie will shew one By what lawe they which are borne are bound to haue originall sin but thrée lawes The first is the institution of man God made man according to his owne image and likenes wherefore such it behooueth vs to be for God dooth iustlie require that which he made in our nature And the image of God dooth herein chéeflie consist that we be adorned with diuine properties namelie iustice wisedome goodnes and patience But contrariwise Pighius crieth out Wherein standeth the nature of the image of God that this is not the nature of the image of God for that he saith consisteth in vnderstanding memorie and will as Augustine is his bookes De trinitate and in manie other places hath taught These things indéed are said of the Schoole-men But we will prooue the matter to be farre otherwise both by the scriptures and saiengs of the fathers Looke part 1. place 12 verse 26. Ephes 4 24. 14 First it is thus written in the epistle to the Ephesians Put ye off the old man according to the conuersation in times past which is corrupt according to the deceiueable lusts and be ye renewed in the spirit of your mind and put yee on the new man which according to God is created
in righteousnes and true holines And in the third chapter to the Colossians verse 10. Ye haue put on the new man which is renewed to the knowledge and image of him that created him And a little after he sheweth the properties of this image verse 12. Put ye on the bowels of mercies goodnes modestie meekenes gentlenes forbearing one another and forgiuing one another And in the eight chapter to the Romans Whom he before knew verse 30. he also predestinated to be made like vnto the image of his sonne All these things doo sufficientlie declare what maner of image of God the holie scriptures set foorth vnto vs in the creation and instauration of man neither did the fathers mislike of this opinion Irenaeus in his fift booke saith that by the infusion of the holie Ghost man is made spirituall euen in such sort as he was created by God And Tertullian against Marcion saith that that is the image of God which hath the selfe-same motions and senses with God and the reason which persuadeth vs herevnto is that man was therefore made at the beginning like vnto the image of God A reason why man was made to the image of God bicause he should be the gouernour of all things created as if he had béene a certeine deputie of God And no man can doubt but that God will haue his creatures to be well gouerned for he continuallie biddeth vs that we should not abuse them And we are bound by a lawe to ascribe vnto God all those things whereby we are holpen as from whom all things doo flowe But a good vse and right administration of things cannot appéere vnles we be furnished with those conditions which we haue said doo belong to the image of God And whereas Augustine assigned the image of God to be in the vnderstanding memorie and will we saie he did it to the intent he might set foorth vnto vs some forme or example of the diuine persons how one of them doo respect another But he must not be so vnderstood Augustine defended The powers of the mind not despoiled of vertues be the image of God By the lawe of nature we are bound to haue originall righteousnes as though he would make these faculties of the mind to be the image of God they being naked and despoiled of those vertues which we haue declared Wherefore we haue a lawe giuen vnto vs either by the institution or by the restitution of man which Paule commandeth and by this bond we are bound to haue the originall righteousnes which we haue lost We haue also the lawe of nature and to liue agréeable vnto it as Cicero saith in his third booke De finibus is the principall and last end of mans estate and this lawe dependeth of that other which we before spake of For of no other thing dooth it come that we in cogitations haue our mind Rom. 2 15. which accuse and defend one another but that they are taken from the woorthines of nature as it was first instituted by God For whatsoeuer either the philosophers or lawe-giuers haue commanded as touching the duties of mans life The precepts of mans life proceed from the forme of a most vpright nature the same dooth wholie depend of the fountaines of our creation For those precepts cannot come out of a corrupt nature out of selfe-loue and out of malice whereof it coms that we are prone vnto euils but they come from that kind of most vpright nature which they feigne to be doone by the worthines of man and which we knowe out of the holie scriptures to be instituted by God Rom. 7 23. By this cōmandement Thou shalt not lust the want of originall iustice is condemned and commanded to be renewed by vs. And herevnto as some will haue it dooth apperteine that lawe of the mind which the lawe of the members dooth resist There is also a third lawe which God would haue to be put in writing namelie Thou shalt not lust which commandement although our aduersaries doo wrest vnto actuall sinnes yet we haue shewed that the same belongeth also vnto originall sin and that God by his commandement would haue all kind of naughtie concupiscence to be vtterlie cut off from men 15 Now therefore we haue lawes which so long as they be extant shall perpetuallie bind vs and make vs debtors to performe that righteousnes which they require Infants feele not the lawe but sinne lieth asleepe in them Rom. 7 9. True indéed it is that infants féele not those lawes and therefore sinne lieth asléepe in them as Augustine saith in his second booke De peccatorum meritis remissione following that which Paule saith I sometimes liued without a lawe not that there was at anie time no lawe prescribed vnto Paule but bicause in his childhood he felt not the same by reason of yoong age Wherfore Paule saith that Sinne was dead which Augustine interpreteth was on sleepe but when the commandement was come that is when the lawe began to be knowne of me sinne did reuiue No doubt but it was in him before sinne but when he felt it not it séemed dead Now it appéereth how those things with we haue spoke agrée with the holie scriptures An obiection of Pighius But Pighius vrgeth yet further that these doo perteine nothing vnto infants for that a lawe ought not to be made as touching those things which cannot be auoided But when he speaketh thus he followeth not the sense of the holie scriptures for theyr sufficientlie teach that those things which be commanded in the lawe cannot be perfectlie fulfilled when neuerthelesse they be straitlie commanded A lawe may be made of such things as cannot be fulfilled Rom. 8 ◠Paule saith in the epistle to the Romans that Looke what was vnpossible to the lawe forasmuch as it was made weake by the flesh God sending his onlie sonne c. By these words it appéereth most plainelie that the lawe as it is commanded cannot be performed for if it could we should be iustified by works Neither had it béene néedfull that Christ should suffer death for vs. Vtilities of the lawe There be also other offices of the lawe for which it is written For assuredlie the same is profitable to direct the actions of godlie men but most profitable of all to discouer sinne Rom. 3 20. Rom. 7 7 Rom. 5 20. 1. Cor. 15 verse 56. Gal. 3 24. for By the lawe saith Paule commeth the knowledge of sinne Againe I had not knowne lust vnlesse the lawe had said vnto me Thou shalt not lust Besides by the lawe sinne is also increased and dooth burthen vs the more and dooth the more gréeuouslie presse vs for The lawe entered in that sinne might abound And to the Corinthians The power of sinne is the lawe All these things tend to this end that man as by a schoolemaister should be brought vnto Christ and should craue his helpe
right but from that which is Gods right for we must not haue respect what the wife would but what God will And as concerning that which Sara did she did it by the setting on and persuasion of the holie Ghost wherewith there is no doubt but she and other godlie women were indued The Schoolemen among the number of whom we cited Caietanus saie that There is not anie lawe extant which expresselie forbiddeth polygamie To the 21. which although they affirme yet certeinlie others saie not so In déed the verie forme thereof in plaine termes is not found and expressed yet is the same necessarilie gathered by the words both of Christ and Paule And thus much of this question Of Barrennesse 16 Among the Iewes barrennesse was reprochfull In 1. Sam. 1. 10. and was accounted a verie gréeuous infamie and that for manie causes First bicause it séemeth to be repugnant vnto that precept wherein God commanded both immediatlie after the making of the world Gen. 1 22. 28. 8 17 9 1. and straitwaie after the floud saieng Increase and multiplie Further bicause those that be barren atteine not to that blessing of GOD which he promised vnto Abraham to wit that his séed should be as the starres of heauen and as the sand of the sea Againe they which wanted children séemed after a sort to be hated of God in that he would not haue their generation and stocke to be spred anie further abroad But others thought that barrennesse was therefore infamous among the Iewes bicause Messias should procéed from their posteritie And so euerie one indeuoured to haue manie children that out of his progenie Messias might one daie be borne Howbeit he was promised onelie vnto the tribe of Iuda and familie of Dauid so as it behooued onelie these to be carefull of that matter Howbeit of that desire there may be brought an other reason much more true For the true religion and pure woorshipping of GOD before the comming of Christ was in publike profession reteined onelie among the Iewes Wherefore the more that the Iewes increased in number the greater multitude should be of the worshippers of God For this cause therefore did holie men studie to haue a large posteritie that the true God might be worshipped of a great manie But if to anie man there happened no children he was noted with a kind of infamie rebuke Therefore when Rachel at the length became great with child Gen. 30 23. The Lord saith she hath taken awaie my rebuke Esaie 4 1. And Esaie saith In that daie shall seuen women take hold of one man they shall saie We will find our selues bread and apparell onelie take from vs our rebuke Moreouer among Ethniks it was reprochfull to be without children And among the Romans those which had begotten manie children were excused by the ciuill lawe from charge and publike offices as it is manifestlie set foorth in the title De ijs qui numero liberorum se excusant At Rome doubtlesse thrée were sufficient for an excuse In Italie were required foure In the prouinces fiue so they were not adopted nor yet were taken of the enimies nor died out of the wars Howbeit this number of children excused onelie from personall offices not from offices of inheritance but sixtéene children in number excused from both kinds of offices as it is in the Digests De iure immunitatis in the lawe Semper which was made by Pertinax Afterward also twelue did excuse as appéereth in the Code De decurionibus in the lawe Si quis decurio Bréeflie the bearing of children hath alwaies béene an honorable thing among all nations A certein Lacedaemonian being an old man and vnmarried as he passed by the high waie sawe a man that did not rise vp to giue him honour and he asked of him why he did so Who answered him Bicause thou hast left none vnto the Common-weale that may rise vp vnto me when I am old And albeit that among the christians this kind of rebuke may séeme to be taken awaie yet must we indeuour to our power that we may leaue verie manie children vnto the church But by the example of Anna we are warned that the lacke of children and fruitfulnesse are not to depend onelie of the second causes séeing they procéed chéeflie from God himselfe For in the familie of king Abimelech Gen. 2 18. God shut vp the wombes of the women that they might not bring foorth Afterward at the praiers of Abraham they were deliuered that they might beare children So as Rachel when she gréeuouslie afflicted hir selfe Gen. 30. 1. and said to hir husband Giue me children for else I shall die Iacob being angrie said Am I vnto thee in Gods steed If GOD keepe from thee the fruit of thy wombe why dooest thou crie vnto me So on the other side fruitfulnesse is the gift of GOD. Therefore in Esaie the 66. chapter he saith verse 9. Am I he that maketh other to beare and beare not my selfe And Dauid in the psalme pronounced It is God that maketh the barren woman to keepe house Psal 113 9. and to abound with children VVhether it be lawfull for children to marrie without the consent of their parents 17 Now shall it be verie well to sée In Iudges 14 verse 5. whether it be lawfull for children to contract matrimonie without consent of their parents An example of the forefathers Certeinlie Samson would not And it is a matter of much honestie and of thankfulnesse towards the parents if matrimonie be not contracted without their knowledge and consent At the beginning Adam did not choose himselfe a wife God was his father and brought Eue vnto him Gen. 2 22. Abraham when Isaac was a man Gen. 24 3. sent his seruants to his kindred to séeke out a wife there for his sonne Gen. 28 1. Isaac also sent Iacob into Mesopotamia to his vncle to the end he might get him a wife there The lawe of God Afterward followed the lawe that was giuen of GOD by Moses that children should honour their parents But the honour which must be giuen vnto them Wherein standeth the honoring of parents is not onelie to vncouer the head to giue the vpper hand and to rise vp yet these things must also be doon though they be not sufficient but they must also susteine their progenitours if néed shall require and shew themselues dutifull towards them Wherefore The power of a father defined the power of a father is defined to be a bond of pietie whereby children are bound to their parents to performe the duties of humanitie and thankfulnesse If so be children in other things ought to obeie their parents doubtlesse they ought chéeflie to doo it in contracting of matrimonie Herof there is a peculiar lawe in the 22. chapter of Exodus If a maiden which is not betrothed verse 16. shall be deceiued he that hath
oftentimes made woorse And besides that also such superfluitie might serue to reléeue other poore folks also 9 Neither saith he Giuing or bestowing In giuing of almes is a certeine communicating Esaie 2 3. Iohn 4 22. but Communicating bicause in almes giuing there is a certeine communicating For if we speake of the poore which were at Ierusalem the Gentiles had receiued at their hands spirituall things For the word of the Lord came out of Sion and the lawe of God out of Ierusalem and saluation from the Hebrues Séeing out of that nation were appointed preachers of the Gospell to preach vnto the whole world Therefore Paule in the second to the Corinths the eight chapter saith That your abundance maie releeue their want and that on the other side verse 23. their abundance may releue your want But if we speake of other poore folkes euen when we helpe them with our almes there redoundeth vnto vs no small commoditie or profit For Christ warned as we read in Luke Luke 16 â— Make you freends of vnrighteous mammon that when you faile they maie receiue you into euerlasting tabernacles But what if the poore be euill and they also excluded from the kingdome of heauen These things are to be vnderstood not of the men but of the works But by this meanes also followeth another absurditie That by the vertue of our works we should obteine the kingdome of God I answer As we denie that works are the causes of eternall life so likewise we denie not that God rewardeth the good works of the faithfull A reward of almes deeds Rom. 2 6. which are now regenerate by Christ since we know that He will iudge euerie man according to his works For he will saie I was hungrie Matt. 25 35 and ye fed me I was thirstie and ye gaue me drinke I was a stranger and ye harboured me The kingdome of God is giuen for election and for she promises sake which the saints receiue by faith But bicause those things are hidden from mans eies therefore are good works brought foorth which are the proper and manifest effects both of our faith and Gods election 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Giuing our selues saith he to hospitalitie This is not spoken without a great emphasis To follow hospitalitie is more than to keep hospitalitie Gen. 18 2. Looke in Iud. 9 11. for it is a greater matter to pursue hospitalitie than onelie to be hospitall For Abraham expected not till strangers came home to him to desire to be receiued and to desire lodging but going of his owne accord out of his tent he looked round about to sée if he could espie anie stranger whom he might receiue into his house And if he sawe anie he ran vnto him and praied him not to passe by his house If I haue found fauour saith he in your eies I beseech you turne in vnto your seruant Gen. 19 2. And the same diligence and mind was in Lot and well nigh in all the fathers Paule in these words chargeth vs not with anie vile and vndecent works but with verie honorable and excellent works Hospitality becommeth a noble man For there was neuer anie noble man or notable prince but that he was desirous to doo good vnto others and was carefull ouer strangers Titus Vespasian when he called to remembrance at night that he had doone no good turne vnto anie man would with heauines saie Fréends we haue lost this daie And Christ saith that The kings of the nations beare dominion ouer them and they which haue power ouer them are called gratious in Gréeke it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Ethniks also saie that GOD hath a care ouer strangers and therfore they worshipped Iupiter Xenius who had a care regard of strangers This propertie of GOD Homer describeth in the second booke of his Odysses And Virgil verie aptlie saith Iupiter was a keeper of hospitalitie Iupiter hospitibus nam te dare iura loquuntur that is For men saie that thou O Iupiter giuest right vnto strangers And the naturall affection toward citizens commonlie stirreth euerie man that if he méet a stranger and one that is néedie he will to his power helpe him and prouide harbour for him Euen so in like manner if peraduenture the saints which as touching the eternall countrie are our citizens doo come vnto vs we ought to helpe them and gentlie to interteine them 10 But bicause that Iahel séemed to haue violated the lawes and couenant of hospitalitie it is a doubt In Iudg. 4 verse 22. Whether Iâ—hel did right in violating the laws of hospitalitie whether we should condemne hir or quit hir Howbeit bicause all controuersie dependeth not a little of the circumstances of the persons we will therefore set hir before our eies and consider with our selues what manner of men the Kenites in the fourth of Iudges were They assuredlie in bloud were ioined with the Israelits Who the Kenits were for they were the posteritie of Hobab the father in lawe of Moses Moreouer they perfectlie agréed with the Hebrues in the exercise of godlinesse and in the lawe of God Neither was their faith idle but effectuall and working for they leauing their countrie followed the Israelits through the desert and God which was their guide through the wildernesse Wherfore at the length when the lands were distributed they obteined inheritance togither with them in the land of Chanaan For these causes if Iahel went about to set the Iewes at libertie she did but hir duetie neither did she take vpon hir anie other mans office On the other part let vs consider of Sisara Who Sisara was He was an oppressor of the people of God and now slaine by the power of God and vtterlie confounded neither appeared there in him anie token of repentance but he would rather hide himselfe to the intent that he escaping this so present a danger might againe gather a new host against the Israelites In déed after a sort he was in league with Heber the Kenite yet as it is to be thought with no sincere hart but onlie to plucke him away from the rest of the Iewes whereby he might haue the fewer enimies and not be compelled to fight with so manie enimies at one time or else to get of him a great tribute or some other commoditie which he looked for Furthermore in this his misfortune he calleth vpon no God he desireth not the helpe of other mens praiers but onelie séeketh lurking places where he might hide himselfe till such time as the rage and heate of the conquerors were somwhat slaked and onelie trusted vnto the helpes and aliance made with men By these things it easilie appeareth that Iahel did hir dutie and Sisara deserued to be slaine 11 But as touching the lawes of hospitalitie The lawes of hospitalitie ought ordinarilie to be kept iuiolated Gen. 19 8. we also iudge that they by themselues and of their
And Paule in the 1. to the Corinthians verse 8. the 12. chapter Vnto one saith he is giuen the word of wisedome vnto another the word of knowlege vnto another faith and vnto another the grace of healing And then he addeth that It is one the selfe-same spirit which worketh all these things diuiding vnto euerie man as pleaseth him And if thou wilt saie that this place and the foresaid petition of the apostles perteineth vnto the particular faith by which are wrought miracles doubtles I will not be much against it And yet if thou wilt néeds haue it so I will reason A minori that is From the lesse for if these frée gifts are not had but from the spirit of God much lesse can that vniuersall effectuall faith whereby we are iustified be had from else where Further Paule vnto the Romans Rom. 12 3. Vnto euerie one saith he as God hath diuided the measure of faith And in the last to the Corinthians 2. Cor. 4 13. Hauing saith he the selfe-same spirit of faith euen as it is written I haue beleeued for which cause also I speake We also beleeue and speake that God which raised vp Iesus from the dead shall through Iesus raise vp our bodies also Vnto the Galathians are reckoned vp the fruits of the spirit Charitie ioie peace patience lowlines Gal. 5 22. gentlenes faith meekenes and temperance Faith here is numbered among the fruits of the spirit wherefore it procéedeth of the spirit But vnto the Ephesians he saith more manifestlie Eph. 2 8. By grace ye are saued through faith that not of your selues for it is the gift of God And in the Acts of the apostles it is thus written Acts. 16 14. The Lord opened the hart of the woman that sold silks to giue heed vnto those things which Paule spake And in the 13. chapter They beleeued Acts. 13 48. as manie as were predestinate vnto eternall life Wherefore it is not to be doubted How the holie Ghost is in men not regeâ—erate but that faith is ingendered in our harts by the holie Ghost who in déed may for all that be had of them which beléeue not but yet as persuading onlie and not as sanctifieng them And although into the elect he suddenlie powreth in faith yet forsomuch as he is the cause of faith he is therefore before it both in dignitie and in order 67 Now let vs sée what absurdities Pighius gathereth out of this our sentence iudgement If the spirit saith he be the author of our faith and vseth the instrument of the word of God and may be also in them that beléeue not how commeth this to passe How it commeth that at one verie sermon part of the hearers beleeue and part not that when as there are manie at one and the selfe-same sermon where as both the spirit is present and the word preached yet part doo beléeue and part beléeue not We answer in one word that that commeth bicause the spirit is not of like efficacie in all men neither doth after one and the selfe-same maner teach all men inwardlie in the mind But of his will we cannot render anie cause although we nothing doubt but that it is most iust If the matter be so saith he the hearers will easilie content themselues neither will they put to their indeuor or studie for they knowe that that is in vaine when as it wholie dependeth of the spirit of God This is not onelie a verie common but also an enuious obiection But we answer that all men are bound to beléeue the word of God and therefore their bounden dutie is diligentlie and attentiuelie to hearken therevnto with all their strength to assent vnto it and if they so doo not they shall then incur the punishments of the lawe Neither are they to be hearkened vnto if they shall saie that they could not obeie it or if they would haue gone about to haue prooued what their strength could haue done their indeuor for that they were not as yet iustified should haue béene in vaine and sinne A similitude As if a maister should bid his seruant which is lame to walke and he would excuse himselfe and saie that he were lame and could not go without great deformitie it is not to be thought All sinnes are not alike that therefore he is excused We are not of that mind to thinke that all sinnes are alike naie rather we teach that they which omit or neglect those outward works which they might performe and put not to their indeuor and studie to doo well doo much more gréeuouslie sinne than they which according to their strength and power obserue some outward discipline And as Augustine saith Cato and Scipio shall be much more tollerablie delt with than Catiline or Caligula But I would haue Pighius himselfe whom our opinion so much misliketh to declare when he thinketh that the holie Ghost is giuen vnto men He will answer when as now these preparations haue gone before when a man hath beléeued feared hoped repented and sincerelie loued What thing else would Pelagius saie As though to beléeue to loue and such other like doo spring of mans strength He alledgeth this also thinketh it to make for his purpose Mat. 11 28. Come vnto me all ye which labour and are laden and I will refresh you For he thinketh that labours burthens contrition confession and as they call it satisfaction fastings teares and such other like doo make to the obteinement of iustification But this place is to be vnderstood farre otherwise for Christ calleth them labouring and loden which were oppressed with the lawe and felt their owne infirmitie and the burthen of their sinnes and which had now long time laboured vnder humane traditions These men being now wearie and in a maner without all hope the Lord calleth vnto him for they are more apt and fit for the kingdom of heauen than are other blessed and quiet men which by their owne works and good déeds doo thinke themselues verie iust God saith Pighius requireth works preparatorie and then he promiseth not to faile them of his grace This was wholie the opinion of the Pelagians Against which the holie scriptures are vtterlie repugnant for they teach that It is God which giueth both to will Phil. 2 13. to performe according to his good will that it is God which beginneth in vs the good worke and accomplisheth it euen vnto his owne daie Phil. 1 6. that it is God from whom onlie we haue sufficiencie when as otherwise we are not able to thinke anie thing of our selues as of our selues Wherefore it is manifest that Pighius confoundeth the lawes of God describeth those things which are well set foorth in the holie scriptures 68 Further when as we saie that vnto iustification it is not sufficient to haue an historicall faith he faineth himselfe to maruell what
gathered of the former words Augustine The same Augustine De sancta virginitate 42. chapter Whosoeuer remaineth chast from the beginning is directed by God He which of an vnchast man becommeth chast is amended by him and whosoeuer is vnchast vnto the end is forsaken of him That which he may doo by his secret iudgement he cannot do vniustlie Againe Chastitie is commanded both in matrimonie and out of matrimonie And that sentence of Augustine is throughlie well knowen Giue what thou commandest and command what thou wilt Also The lawe commandeth grace bestoweth Augustine also in his booke De adulterinis coniugijs the 18. chapter He that can receiue let him receiue Wherefore he that can let him receiue that which all men receiue not but those can receiue vpon whom the secret yet not the vniust mercie of God doth bestowe it Hereby it also appeareth that it is God which by his secret but yet by his iust iudgement distributeth vnto some not vnto others And the same Augustine against Iulian Augustine in the 5. booke and seuenth chapter when an aduersarie of his had said that in our election God estéemeth continence bicause it is said To say that we haue sole life in election is Pelagianisme Ierom. All men receiue not this saieng answereth Thou shouldest haue noted that which is said before But they to whom it is giuen Wherein thou shalt note that to saie wée haue sole life in our choise is Pelagian heresie 16 Ierom might be alledged who in expounding the 19. chapter of Matthew saith that We must throughlie examine our owne strength And he vseth these words to declare that it is no ordinarie strength which can performe this vocation Gregorie Gregorie also in his Pastorall plainlie saith that this is not euerie mans worke And he that will gather more places of the Fathers touching these things let him read the plaine sincere Bucer against the bishop of Winchester Some of the fathers seeme to iudge otherwise An excusing of the Fathers and godlie answer of D. Bucer vnto the bishop of Winchester I grant that there be some of the Fathers which séeme to be of another iudgement that virginitie I meane and sole life is in their power which be willing therevnto who I thinke should be thus vnderstood that it behooueth that our will and choise should exercise themselues in the gift of grace receiued least that men should be thought to be led as stocks and stones They meane also that such a gift bestowed should be nourished with desire praiers That the authoritie of the fathers must not remoue vs from the doctrine of the scriptures An obiection other such godlie indeuours for when we haue receiued grace after regeneration and haue béene adorned by God with some gifts wée be workers togither with him And if the Fathers ment otherwise the authoritie of them must not remooue vs from that which the holie scriptures doo most manifestlie teach 17 They which be against vs doo obiect that Paule writeth 1. Cor. 7 1. It is good for a man not to touch a woman Ibidem I would that all men were as I my selfe am Wherefore saie they would he praise and set foorth these things vnto men vnles they should be conuenient for all men He might séeme in verie déed to trifle in vaine to warne vs hereof And it is most repugnant vnto the bountie of God that he should not giue vnto all men those things which be good yea and in granting that vnto one which he giueth not to another can hardlie be auoided the respecting of persons But these men should haue marked that those words which Paule hath An answer concerning the praises of sole life are neuer put absolutelie But bicause we should not erre he alwaies restraineth them verse 2. Let euerie man saith he haue his owne wife and euerie woman hir owne husband for auoiding of fornication verse 3. Let the man render due beneuolence vnto his wife verse 9. If they cannot conteine let them marrie It is better to marrie than to burne Euerie one hath his proper gift of God one after this maner and another after that Wherfore the words which be spoken of Paule must euen so be vnderstood as they be written of him Doubtlesse we are greatlie bound to the holie Ghost which hath so exactlie declared these things which if they were not expressed How much we are bound to the holie Ghost for speaking so plainlie of these things Paule also saith I would haue you all to speake with toongs 1. Cor. 14 5. in such sort as they be we should not be able to open our mouths against so impudent aduersaries Albeit reason would require that although the words had béen spoken absolutelie yet that they should haue béen restrained by other places of the scripture least there might appeare a contrarietie in the words of the holie Ghost For in the same epistle he saith absolutelie and plainelie I would haue you all to speake with toongs which vnles thou vnderstand For mine owne part reseruing the distribution of the holie Ghost it were verie ridiculous Also he saith fréelie and absolutelie I would that yoong widowes should marie and beare children 1. Tim. 5 14 and gouerne their households wherein neuertheles must be vnderstood If there be anie imminent danger of their falling or If so be they growe wanton Neither must the apostle be so expounded as that he would plucke from them the power of abiding in widowhood if they were able so to do He saith also Rom. 9 3. He wished to be accursed from Christ that He wisheth to be accursed from Christ for them that were his brethren according to the flesh wherein thou must vnderstand If it were possible But these things which be now intreated of are determined and defined by the same apostle himselfe Neither is there anie cause why wée should complaine of Gods liberalitie The bountifulnes of God cannot be accused and bountifulnes if he giue not all maner of things vnto all men That is bountifull inough that whatsoeuer good thing is in vs all that hath he of his méere mercie powred vpon vs. Certeinlie I for my part will neuer complaine of God that he hath not made me a prophet or else that he hath not bestowed vpon me the gift of toongs so much hath he giuen me as séemed good vnto him Neither doo kings of the earth A similitude how liberall soeuer they be giue so much vnto Gentlemen as they doo vnto Senators or Counsellers they giue according as they shall thinke méet to euerie man Respecting of persons is not where dutie hath no place Respecting of persons as the Schoolemen themselues testifie is not found where dutie or bond hath no place which we may not thinke of God séeing he is bound to no man nor oweth anie dutie to anie man Neither is he persuaded by the
whether this penance inioined after confession Who may performe these punishments ought to be rendered vnto God by innocents or may be also performed of the residue Scotus affirmeth it Bicause saith he that these be onelie punishments and temporall things whether they be doone by one that is woorthie or vnwoorthie so they be doone it sufficeth Others denie this and saie that no works can satisfie God vnlesse they be acceptable but the works of them that continue in sinne please not God therefore they make no satisfaction They leaue the matter vnperfect but yet in effect they agrée that a man may make satisfaction to God for sinnes The difference betweene Christs satisfaction and ours They distinguish the satisfaction of Christ from our satisfaction they ascribe vnto him the greater perfection For saie they he was God man and was one person and there the diuinitie wrought by the humanitie But men though not so fullie doo satisfie notwithstanding through the grace that is bestowed vpon them They conclude that the actions of perfect men doo merit of condignitie so as the punishments which should haue béene suffered are taken awaie They saie that Christ satisfied for the fault and that satisfactions are in force for the residue of punishments If thou demand How can ye satisfie How our actions may satisfie they being alreadie tied vnto Christ when as all your actions be alreadie bound vnto Christ They will answer that God might haue bound a man so that all his acts should haue béene of dutie yet that hée would not but of his owne goodnes left manie things at libertie Neither vnderstand they that séeing God commanded Deut. 6 5. that we should loue him with all our hart with all our mind and with all our strength that there is nothing more for vs left at libertie They procéed further and saie They saie that we can satisfie for others that We be able to satisfie God for punishments euen in those actions which be commanded by the lawe of God bicause he indéed commanded these actions but we be lords ouer our actions when we doo them with a frée will we satisfie God with a frée action And they saie that we not onelie may satisfie for our selues but for others also as in ciuill matters one man may paie for another And to the intent they may séeme to cloke their opinion by scriptures they bring a place to the Colossians I reioise in my sufferings for you Col. 1 24. and supplie that which wanted of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his bodie which is the church They saie that Paule was a man and said that with his sufferings he fulfilled that which was wanting They adde We saie not that there was anie thing that wanted in the passion of Christ but bicause we are the members of Christ the good things that we doo are said to be Christs From whence pardons did spring From hence had pardons their originall They saie that the Pope is the disposer of the sufferings of Christ and of the bloud of the martyrs and of the labours of other saints Vndoubtedlie they make a great gaine thereof for the matter is brought to that passe that they communicate of their owne works vnto others which be of their owne companie Yea and they saie that it may be that a man may first satisfie for another man before he satisfie for himselfe But Paule said that he supplied those things which were lacking vnto the passion of Christ bicause it behooued that the same should be preached vnto the Gentils this did not Christ by himselfe he was minister of the circumcision but this could not be doon without afflictions That punishments are sometime forgiuen without satisfaction And Paule sorrowed not in them but saith that he reioised in them Notwithstanding they saie that sometimes it may be that satisfaction is not required to be made for these punishments but they are fréelie remitted namelie in baptisme For that they sawe that the primitiue church appointed not publike confession vnto those which came to baptisme they framed this reason Bicause saie they in baptisme the death of Christ worketh by it selfe without our will but not in repentance I maruell how these men dare vtter such things as though they which come vnto baptisme come not of their owne accord and professe their faith willinglie They saie that therein is no néed of dispositions that it is sufficient that there be no hinderance that is that we be not delighted with the act of sinne In the other case they saie that punishments are remitted when a man is preuented by martyrdome Works of satisfaction They appoint verie manie works of satisfaction but they reduce them vnto thrée points namelie fastings praiers and almes-déeds otherwhiles they adde lieng on the ground and pilgrimages And least they should séeme to deale without the scriptures they bring foorth a place out of Daniel Redeeme thy sinnes with almes-deeds Dan. 4 24 And out of Luke Giue almes Luk. 11 41. and all things shall be cleane vnto you In the second of Ioel Turne vnto me with all your hart with fasting Ioel. 2 12 with weeping and with moorning They bring manie examples of praiers which were vsuall among the prophets 31 Now that we haue heard their opinion let vs argue against them A confutation of the aduersaries First we must be assured that lewd concupiscence corruption of nature and contamination whereby men are let from doing of perfect works is not taken awaie after iustification Rom. 7 23. Paule saith that he féeleth an other lawe in his members Vnto the Galathians Gala. 5 17. The flesh so striueth against the spirit as ye doo those things which ye would not doo Séeing therefore we doo no perfect works how shall works satisfie GOD Matt. 19 17. Christ said If thou wilt enter into life keepe the commandements but these must be perfectlie kept otherwise wée cannot haue life by desert of these works Let them consider moreouer that if they doo anie good thing they doo it not of themselues but by the grace of God The good which we doo is of the grace of God therefore we doo not satisfie by our owne worke If God would deale with men in the rigor of his iustice vndoubtedlie he should doo no iniurie to them if he should throwe downe all the saints which be in heauen but he cannot bicause he hath bound himselfe by his promise Dauid said that God crowneth vs in mercie Psal 103 4. and louing kindnesse not in satisfactions Psal 143 3. There shall no man liuing saith the same Prophet be iustified in thy sight Suppose we that God sitting in place of iudgement one of these that iustifie themselues should come vnto him God will saie vnto him What hast thou brought that I haue not giuen vnto thee In the 17. of Luke it is said When ye haue doone
Psal 44 25. For thee are we killed all the daie long we haue beene counted as sheepe appointed to the slaughter but in all these things we haue preuailed and doone more than ouercome It had béene inough saie they to haue ouercome but when they doo more than ouercome then doo they more than they are bound to doo 3 But on the other side there be manie things which ouerthrowe this assertion Against the works of supererogation Deut. 6 5. The first reason for the Lord requireth that we shuld loue him with all our hart with all our mind and with all our strength Wherefore there is no ouerplus in vs that we can giue more than is due For what soeuer we doo we doo it with hart with soule with mind and with strength therefore are we bound and doo owe vnto God all that is in vs. And Augustine saith in his booke De doctrina christiana Augustine When he saith With all thy hart with all thy mind with all thy soule and with all thy strength he hath left nothing in thée vntouched so then thou must referre all thy cogitations and forces and labours vnto that end wherevnto they were giuen thée And whatsoeuer happeneth vnto thée to be beloued it must of necessitie be drawen to that place wherevnto the whole streame of loue runneth The same Augustine But more euidentlie in his booke De spiritu litera at the end he saith Séeing we know not God perfectlie while we liue héere While we are in this life we can not perfectlie keepe the commandement of loue 1. Co. 13 12 we can not perfectlie loue him for no man loueth more than he can know Heere we know by a glasse and in a darke saieng now we knowe in part wherevpon we loue in part In the heauenlie habitation we shall fulfill that commandement and it shall not be fulfilled vnlesse it be with all the hart with all the soule and with all the strength And thus it followeth that we doo not now loue him with all our hart with all our soule and with all our strength but with all these as they be diminished and abated And if peraduenture thou wilt demand Why God commanded that which we can not performe whie God hath commanded vs to kéepe that which in this life we are not able to doo He answereth It is doone to the intent that our faith while it séeth wherevnto it must be bent maie make vs more earnest in praiers and indeuour to go forward so as we will neuer iudge our selues to be come vnto the fulnesse of perfection Yea and in religion he dooth most of all profit which beholdeth how farre he is from that which he ought to performe Wherefore it appéereth by these things that we are so tied in the midst betwéene the first commandement as touching the imbrasing of one God and the last We can not satisfie the first commandement and the last while we are in this life which commandeth vs to shunne all lust that there is not in vs to doo and answer that which is commanded For whatsoeuer good thing we doo either in absteining from the ill or following of the good that is conteined in these two commandements Further Christ said that The gate is narrowe Matt. 7 13. and the waie straict that leadeth vnto life Neither spake he héere of ouerplus of good works The second reason but of such as are necessarie vnto life Now then how dare these men declare those things to be so easie as not onelie they may be performed but also that a great deale more than inough is added by manie Further in what sort our works be vnperfect The third reason and how there is found a great lacke in each one of them the holie scriptures in euerie place beare record Rom. 7 14. Paule vnto the Romanes dooth confesse that he is sold vnder sinne and plainlie saith that in his flesh dwelleth no good thing so as he dooth not that which he would but rather that which he would not Ibidem 12. In my mind saith he I serue the lawe of God but in my flesh the lawe of sinne and I feele an other lawe in my members resisting the lawe of my mind and leading me captiue vnto the lawe of sinne and death And vnto the Galathians Gal. 5 â—… So that ye doo not those things that ye would And Iob said Iob. 9 28. that he dooth perpetuallie feare his owne works And in Esaie Our righteousnes will appeere like filthie rags Esai 64 6. Wherefore Dauid cried out Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant Which things being on this wise Psal 143 2 with what face can we affirme that there be works of supererogation The 4. reason 4 The words also of Christ which are in the 17. of Luke doo vtterlie confute this fained deuise When ye shall haue doone all these things saie ye verse 10. we are vnprofitable seruants we haue doone that which was our duetie to doo Christ would haue vs thus to saie when we haue doone that which is well certeinlie he would not haue vs to lie Wherefore the seruants of God if they doo anie thing they are bound to doo it neither doo they anie more than their dutie is to doo for a seruant of what value so euer he be oweth to his maister all that is in him The 5. reason Besides this we are bound by the commandement of Christ to praie continuallie Matt. 6 12. Forgiue vs our trespasses And in Iohn we read 1. Iohn 1 8. If we saie we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues there is no truth in vs. Iam. 3 2. And in the epistle of Iames In manie things we offend all 1. Kin. 8 46. And in another place There is no man that liueth vpon the earth without sinne Mark 10 24 The 6. reason And Christ said that He which trusteth in his riches cannot enter into the kingdome of heauen wherevpon the Apostles maruelled and said Who is he that can be saued So farre were they off from thinking of the works of supererogation as there was in them a doubt of saluation it selfe Neither did Christ answer them Ye not onelie may be saued but may also atteine to an ouerplus of well doing and impart thereof to others but as touching saluation he said Ibidem 17. That which is vnpossible to men The 7. reason Iere. 17 5. Iere. 48 10. is possible for God Ieremie saith Cursed is he that trusteth in man And also Cursed is he that dooth the worke of God negligentlie Here let euerie man examine himself he shall sée whether he doo the works of supererogation The 8. reason Iohn 15 12. And touching the loue of our neighbor Christ commanded that we should loue one another as he himselfe loued vs who died for vs. Let a man sée what he is able to doo as touching
these things ouer aboue that which he ought when as Christ himselfe gaue his life for them that be weake and for his enimies Who séeth not that we must first doo those works that be necessarie before we doo aspire to works of supererogation It were a peruerse indeuour for a man to giue more than he is bound vnto and not to yéeld those things which are of dutie greatlie required The 9. reason Deut. 4 12. I let passe that which we read in Deuteronomie God would haue nothing to be added vnto his lawe Séeing then these works as they saie be not due they were added ouer and aboue vnto the lawe The 10. reason We knowe that our actions whatsoeuer they shall be do partlie perteine vnto God and partlie vnto our neighbour and in respect of ech kind we are so bound and indebted as no man séeth himselfe able to paie Either it must be said that these works of supererogation doo neither apperteine vnto God nor yet vnto our neighbour which is most absurd or else that they doo apperteine vnto them and then all supererogation shall be vtterlie ouerthrowen In the epistle to the Philippians the 4. chapter verse 8. The 11. reason it is written As to the rest my brethren whatsoeuer things are true whatsoeuer things are honest whatsoeuer things are iust whatsoeuer things are pure whatsoeuer things are woorthie of loue whatsoeuer things are of good report if there be anie vertue if there be anie praise thinke vpon these things which ye haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in me these things doo and the God of peace shall be with you Let these sharpe witted men find out what can be added moreouer vnto this commandement of Paule These things the holie Ghost requireth to this end that the God of peace may be with vs. I demand of thée whether thou be able or not The 12. reason to doo anie thing beyond the lawe If thou canst not wherefore contend we We agrée verie well togither But if thou wilt saie that thou canst then saie I that thou art altogither bound by the lawe séeing the same requireth both all thy power and strength and whatsoeuer thou canst doo Neither doth it helpe thée if thou faine that these works of supererogation doo serue for the remoouing of impediments and helpe vs for the more readie seruing of God bicause I will answer that wée are bound so much as we can to take awaie those things which doo hinder in so much as we are not to account of our father and mother if they call vs backe from the obedience of God Neither is it without pride and infinite arrogancie The 13. reason to saie that thou doest more than thou art bound to doo and it is no small iniurie vnto Christ who shall be said to haue died in vaine if thou mightst be able to performe the lawe or to doo more than hath béene commanded in the same And it is a maruell how they can affirme The 14. reason that there be some good works which if we will not doo when we maie yet that we sinne nothing at all séeing it is a most gréeuous sinne not to be willing to loue God more if thou canst What else will this be than to denie God to be the chéefest good when as thou wilt not loue him so much as thou canst Will not that be euen to abuse his gift and grace To this end hath he giuen thée power to loue him more than thou dooest loue that the same should neither be in vaine nor rest idle 5 They haue vsed to saie that it may be that sometimes by reason of our infirmitie weakenesse we misse of our dutie in the commandements which be necessarie to saluation and yet that in the meane time we take in hand certeine works that be not due But I will aske them what maner of works I beséech you be these To liue looselie and sometime shamefullie and to prouide that certeine Masses may be said for them to take pilgrimages in hand to make a choise of meats and other things of like sort or else to bind himselfe by a vow of single life and to forsake his parents to rehearse euerie daie a full number of small praiers no whit reforming his life and maners and to repose a confidence in these workes as though thou shouldest by them haue saluation and excell all other men These be verelie the works of supererogation vaine I meane superfluous and to saie as the Gréeks doo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Works and by works of which the Lord shall saie in his iudgement as we read in Esaie Who hath required these things at your hands Esaie 1 12. Esaie 55 2. Whie doo ye laie out monie and not for bread Thou séemest will they saie to persuade a certeine desperation We despaire of our owne strength but not of the mercie of God vndoubtedlie this I affirme that we despaire of our owne strength and not of the fauour grace and mercie of God whereby he giueth strength to enter into an obedience of the lawe and that he imputeth not vnto vs the sinne which we commit but maketh the righteousnesse of his sonne our Lord Iesus Christ common vnto vs. 6 Now that we haue alledged reasons and that out of the scriptures against this assertion we thinke it good to set downe what may séeme méet to be determined in this disputation First of all we grant What is to be determined in this question that the obseruation of the lawe is diuers and after manie sorts among the faithfull by reason of the diuersitie of degrées for all men tread not alike in the same which ariseth through the difference of mens strength and ablenesse All men cannot doo alike euerie man hath his measure of faith distributed vnto him by God And there are found among the Christians not onelie some which doo negligentlie but those also which sometimes fall and that into most gréeuous sinnes for which they deserue to be excluded from the kingdome of heauen vnlesse they should repent which thing is alwaies granted vnto them that are predestinated vnto eternall life Wherefore there be found diuers degrées of kéeping the lawe vnto the lesser sort of which degrées they that be weake of strength doo atteine and though there be much wanting in them yet haue they saluation bicause the mercie of God through faith in Christ supplieth their want But they which be the stronger sort Although the stronger sort come to the higher degrees of obedience yet they doo not more than dutie and go forward beyond the lowest degrées doo not more than is their dutie to doo séeing they haue a greater power and abilitie Wherefore they are without all doubt bound to doo more and if they go not so farre forward as they can they sinne So that there is in a maner none to be found which is not speciallie guiltie
béene borne withall Naaman desired it might haue beene lawfull for him to prostrate before the idoll in presence of the king Looke part 2. pl. 4. art 28. and pardoned at Gods hand if when the king of Syria worshipped in the temple of Rimmon he also should knéele and fall prostrate before the idoll Indéed he desireth not by expresse words that the prophet by his praiers would obteine this thing for him but yet neuertheles after an other maner or closelie he did signifie it Neither is it against godlinesse that they which doo féele themselues weake and féeble in faith should craue to be holpen and confirmed * 1. Praier verse 24. by diuine power euen as in the ninth chapter of Marke the father of the child that had a dumbe spirit who said that he did beléeue and yet neuerthelesse praied that his vnbeléefe might be strengthened Doubtles Naaman sawe that there was sinne in that action of the which he spake and therefore desired pardon for the same For there is no man that desireth pardon for iust and honest things He therefore knowing his owne infirmitie and vnderstanding that this should happen vnto him desireth pardon for his offense to come Whereby it is perceiued that sinne of this kind perteineth not at all vnto ignorance Sometimes idolatrie is committed being not knowen to be such as it is as was the same of the which Sozomenus wrote in the third booke of his historie A horrible act of Iulian the Apostata where he reporteth that Iulian the Apostata a horrible enimie of Christian godlines sitting in his tribunall seate after the maner of other emperours had before him fire and frankincense to the intent that before him might be continuall incense to the idols of the Ethniks And when he minded at a certeine daie to bestowe a benefit of monie vpon those souldiors that were about him and accepted none but such as had throwen into the fire certeine graines of frankincense in verie déed the simpler sort of souldiors which professed Christ nothing imagining with themselues of idolatrie as they who thought that the same ceremonie rather perteined vnto the imperiall dignitie than vnto the worshipping of idols threw graines of frankincense into the fire prepared and among others receiued the monie distributed vnto them by the emperour But afterward when as they were in banket one with another they talked verie godlilie and honourablie of Christ whereat one of them that stood by greatlie maruelled said How can ye either speake rightlie or thinke well of Christ séeing ye haue this daie forsworne him And he let them vnderstand that the incense which was made before Iulian was doone vnto the idols which they hearing foorthwith departed out of their lodging crieng out that they were wholie christians and that they would perseuere in the right and perfect faith that indéed their hand erred but that their mind remained all one And while they thus cried out they came vnto the emperour restoring vnto him their monie and praieng him if so it were his pleasure to kill them for that they would still continue Christians Héere we sée that the act of idolatrie through error was committed But it happened not on this wise vnto Naaman who had some gesse that the thing which he feared to doo tended to vngodlie worshipping of idols He séemeth to demand that of the prophet which was not in his power namelie The commandement of auoiding idolatrie cannot be dispensed with by men that he would dispense with the lawe or commandement which concerneth the flieng from idolatrie Vndoubtedlie all mortall men are bound without anie exception vnto that precept But they doo most gréeuouslie offend against the same which being indued by GOD with some great benefit haue transferred themselues vnto the worshipping of God among the number of whom no doubt but Naaman was at this time Howbeit it séemeth that he ment not of idolatrie indéed An excusing of Naaman but onelie as touching the outward gesture of the bodie whereof he rendereth a reason vnto the prophet namelie that the king might not bow his knée vnlesse he also did bend downe to the ground bicause the king leaned vpon his hand And it is not without a fit signification that one and the same thing is twise repeated by Naaman namelie The Lord forgiue me or The Lord be mercifull vnto me For that repetitiō sheweth that the thing which was required was doone with a verie humble hart and that it was desired of the prophet with a most vehement affection of mind Howbeit it séemeth that it should be imputed vnto this mans fault that he was too desirous to kéepe still his honour and authoritie for if he would haue giuen ouer his state and office he might haue auoided all danger of the sinne that was imminent 12 But they which indeuour after a sort to defend him doo curiouslie and subtilie distinguish the action of bowing downe before an idol If so be saie they that Naaman had bowed his knées with intent to followe the dooing of his king then had the worke of them both béene of one sort reason and nature and therefore should haue béene condemned of idolatrie For in imitating of the king he would haue doone the verie same thing that the king did whose purpose was to worship the god Rimmon wherefore neither could he that did imitate idolatrie be absolued But this is not agréeable with Naaman who had alreadie called Elizaeus to witnesse that he would not from thence forward offer anie oblations or sacrifices vnto strange gods wherefore it resteth that the same action was onelie a certeine kind of dutie towards the king Which action vndoubtedlie of his owne nature and simplie was indifferent for to sit with the king when he sitteth to stand with him when he standeth to knéele with him when he knéeleth doo not in respect of themselues belong either vnto vertue or vnto vice but may be doone either well or ill wherevpon it is said to haue his forme and kind of the things added which they call circumstances Those vndoubtedlie if we haue respect vnto in this place the act of Naaman will be found faultie For first there is a respect to be had vnto the place wherein it is doone as being in the temple and before an idol togither with the king worshipping prostrate also Naaman maketh himselfe one of the idolaters Furthermore the qualitie of the time it selfe is to be considered namelie that euen then when the king should worship he should bow himselfe before the idol Rimmon For men are not woont to adore all the while they be in the temple but then onelie when they implore the helpe of God when they giue thanks vnto him when they praise and celebrate his goodnes or power These qualities and circumstances doo shew that the act of Naaman was faultie But hereby they yet still endeuour not a little to excuse the same bicause in such kind of dooings the
commaundements extant in the lawe of God But there is another vocation priuate whereby euerie one of the faithful is appointed to his owne proper degrée Euery man in the Church hath some priuate function office state and function For there is none founde in the Church of Christ that is not placed in some particular calling To the first 1. Cor. 16. 15. 17 These things being now determined let vs confute their Argumentes First as touching Stephana and his fellowes wée therefore saie that they ordained themselues bicause they offered themselues to the holie ministerie of their owne accord and chose to themselues this kinde of life the which is both troublesome and laborious And this exposition doeth Chrysostome followe Neither doe we so vnderstande those things that be spoken as though they despised the laying on of handes and the custome of right due ordering Nor doe I doubt but that either Paul or Apollo did lawfullie ordaine these men and admitted them vnto the holie ministerie That which Peter saieth is true To the second 1. Pet. 2. 9. Exod. 19. 6 that we by Christ are made both a kingdome and priesthood And the same sentence we reade in Exodus vttered according to this sense vnto the Israelites that God of his bountifulnesse promoted the Nation of the Iewes vnto excellent honours that in their common weale they might haue kinglie honour and Priesthood In what maner we be all partakers of the kingdome and priesthood whereby their affaires both in Religion and ciuill state might be in good case The verie which thing Christ hath bestowed vpon vs Christians séeing we haue euen himselfe in the Church to be both King and Priest But hereof we must not conclude that eche one priuate man either then among the Hebrewes or nowe among vs might vse these functions at his owne pleasure but it sufficeth that euerie one be partaker of those functions bicause although these things be not exercised by all men yet doe they profite all men We might also vnderstand that we are all spirituallie both kings and Priests For they which be regenerated by Christ doe as Priests offer vnto God Praiers and giuing of thankes Almes mortification of the flesh and other sacrifices of this kinde They be also kings bicause they are not subiected vnto naughtie affections but doe raigne ouer them Wherefore this place nothing at all serueth the Anabaptistes Further we graunt To the third Iohn 20. 23. Mat. 16. 19. that the keies are giuen vnto the whole Church but yet least a confusion should happen it is méete that some should be chosen among all which should vse the keies the vse of which maie redound vnto all that beléeue in Christ To the fourth Rom. 12. 6. 1. Cor. 12. 4. Ephe. 4. 11. That there should be Rulers of the Church Paul hath admonished more than once and Christ hath not forbidden it who when he gaue commandement that we should not be called Maisters and Rabbi he repressed ambition Math. 23. 8 and would that none of vs should hunt after these things but he forbad not that wée should haue in honour and honorablie count them whom the Lord hath set ouer vs Nay rather Paul wrote vnto Timothie that he was appointed to be the Maister of the Gentils 18 As to brotherlie correction and housholders which instruct their familie and also of them which were restored vnto health by Christ and finallie of Martyrs which confessed Christ before the tribunall seats of the Iudges To the fifth sixth seueÌ„th and eight we thinke it must be answered all after one manner bicause these things pertaine vnto the generall vocation which consisteth in the commaundements of God For the Lord commaunded Math. 18. 15. Deut. 67. Titus 2. That we should correct our brother that parents should instruct their familie and that those which had receiued benefite should be of a thankefull minde vnto their benefactors and that they shoulde not suffer the benefites which they haue receiued of God to lie hidden but should publish them whereby the Author maie be the more glorified Moreouer we are commanded not onelie To beleeue Rom. 10. 10. but also to confesse with the mouth So as the Martyrs were bounde by duetie when they were examined by the Iudges to confesse Christ openlie otherwise they had denied him To the ninth Iud. 4. 4. Exod. 15. 20. 2. Kings 22. 14. As touching the holie women and other Prophets which exercised the ministerie without attending till they were called those wée saie had extraordinarie vocations the Church either béeing as yet not planted or else so fallen to decaie as it might not otherwise be repaired And as concerning Paul when he saith To the tenth 1. Cor. 14. 30. that hee that prophesieth ought to giue place if it shal be reueiled vnto an other We haue spoken at large before and nowe we brieflie answere that then the giftes of the holie Ghost flourished by myracle neither ought it to haue bin extinguished or hindered but rightlie ordered But now the matter is otherwise There is some one man which preacheth and he commeth instructed and prepared to teach Wherefore he must not rashlie be interrupted by others Howbeit if there shall be anie among the number of the faithfull to whom it maie séeme otherwise and that hath better perceiued the matter whereof the other intreated if we will conforme the Church vnto the decrée of the Apostle as much as our state wherein we haue no myracles wil suffer hée shal not bée despised in respect that he is a laie man or vnlearned but ought to be had in conuenient maner place and time Nor shall this bée to attribute vnto him the publike function of the ministerie To the eleâ—…th Furthermore that which they last of al affirme earnestly that to iudge is more than to speake is not true For there be fewe that can speake verie well of which talkers neuerthelesse there bée infinite that can iudge especiallie as touching the principall and generall pointes of Religion Againe wée affirme not that all which stand by can iudge aught of those things that be spoken when as notwithstanding they do al iudge Besides this the iudgement is not pronouÌ„ced according to the opinion of all but according to theÌ„ which determin most soundly In 1. Cor. 25. vers 9. The example of Paul must not teach vs to chose â—l men to be ministers in the Church 1. Tim. 3. 5 6. Rules in elections set downe vnto Timothie to be kept 19 But the election of Paul and such other ought not to moue vs but that in choosing the Ministers of the Church we must followe the doctrine of the same Apostle taught vs in the Epistle vnto Tymothie where he wil that those which bée nouices in religion shoulde not bée chosen but they which haue a good testimonie But it must be considered that the rules discribed vnto Timothie were giuen vnto men from
all created at the beginning but are dailie created of God to be put into the bodies proposition 3 Those things which are spoken of paradise must not be vnderstood so allegoricallie as the truth of the historie should not be reteined but the allegories may profitablie he ioined vnto the thing that was doone proposition 4 Whether that garden of pleasure be yet extant cannot be defined by the holie scriptures proposition 5 The dignitie of the lawe of GOD is not to be estéemed by deserts of actions commanded or forbidden therein but for that in it is conteined the iudgement of GOD for dooing of things which alwaies must be preferred before the counsell of man proposition 6 Both kinds of death as well of the bodie as of the soule was set before Adam if he transgressed the commandement of God proposition 7 The first man was created mortall albeit it was in him not to die proposition 8 It is not good for a man to be alone bicause it is not pleasant nor honest nor profitable proposition 9 Thrée exercises were set before man at his creation namelie to obeie God to behold the natures of things created and to exercise husbandrie proposition 10 The sléepe of Adam in the bringing foorth of the woman signifieth vnto vs that Christ by his death purchased his church Probable proposition 1 THe breathing of God whereby the first man was made a liuing soule is a token shewing vs that the reasonable soule is giuen vnto men not by the strength of nature but â—uâ—wardlie by the helpe of God proposition 2 The garden of pleasures was planted in the region of Eden as the name declareth not far from Assyria Mesopotamia and Arabia proposition 3 The trée of life hauing fruit which prolonged life to them that should eate of it allegoricallie signifieth Christ proposition 4 The trée of good and euill is not onelie so called of that which followed but bicause of the same there was a lawe giuen whose propertie is to shew the difference of good and euill proposition 5 By forbidding the fruits of the trée of good and euill we are taught not to be so hardie as to rule our selues by the wisedome of the flesh or else to determine by mans iudgement what is good and what is euill which neuerthelesse is requisite that we decrée by the spirit of God and by the word proposition 6 Séeing the lawe was giuen to Adam the woman being not yet created it sheweth that women should be instructed by men as touching the lawe and word of the Lord. proposition 7 The woman was made of the rib of man to declare that the church was foundes in the strength of Christ Propositions out of the second and third chapters of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 CHildren must not for their wiues sake so leaue their parents as not to succour or reuerence them albeit they are bound to liue néerer to their wiues than to their parents proposition 2 Whereas the husband and wife are said to be one flesh matrimonie is declared to be inseparable so long as they can be one flesh which is taken awaie by adulterie and for want of power to performe the dutie of marriage one towards another proposition 3 Matrimonie is therefore said to be a mysterie bicause it representeth vnto vs the most streict coniunction of Christ with his church proposition 4 The church immediatelie from hir beginning had Adam for hir gouernour not without the word of God for he being indued with the spirit of GOD spake with the selfe-same words both as touching Christ and as touching matrimonie proposition 5 Temptations are therfore permitted by God bicause they be profitable for the church proposition 6 The diuell promised vnto the woman those things which she had alreadie to wit the opening of the eies and likenesse to God Probable proposition 1 WHereas God brought Eue framed vnto Adam we are thereby taught that those marriages are not well knit where God ioineth not the parties togither proposition 2 Since that mans soule is a spirituall substance and is immortall we must not grant that it is deriued vnto the children by the séed of the parents proposition 3 The serpent was the fittest instrument in temptation to expresse the ill practises of the diuell and his craftinesse against men proposition 4 The wicked will of the tempter declareth the most skilfull wisedome of GOD whereby he knew how to vse wel euen most wicked things proposition 5 This did the diuell by his first temptation chéeflie indeuour that Gods word should not be beléeued as it was requisite proposition 6 The originall of Eues fall was that setting aside the earnest cogitation of the word of God she began to weigh in hir mind the commoditie of the forbidden fruit which the diuell set before hir togither with the beautie and swéetnesse thereof proposition 7 The shame and the deuise of the couerings are not to be ascribed to the diuell but to the goodnesse of God as a bridle whereby the euill now brought in might the lesse spread it selfe abroad Propositions out of the third chapter of Genesis Necessarie proposition 1 SHame and the shunning of Gods sight are properties which followe sinne proposition 2 The enimitie which GOD put betwéene the diuell and the woman belongeth vnto all godlie men proposition 3 Albeit the power of treading downe the diuell be proper vnto Christ yet dooth he communicate the same with the faithfull proposition 4 The cursses which GOD laid vpon the first men were not onlie punishments but also they shewed men their duties and brought remedies against temptations and sinnes proposition 5 If the creatures through mans transgression fell into a woorse condition than they were it is méet that vpon the restitution of him those also should be restored proposition 6 Since God remooueth idlenesse from man they which altogither shun labour agrée not with his will proposition 7 Christ tooke not awaie by his first comming the punishments of these cursses but mitigated them howbeit at his second comming he will altogither take them awaie proposition 8 Séeing garments are inuented for the profit and honestie of this present life those garments are iustlie found fault withall which haue anie thing against these two properties proposition 9 Sacrifices be signes whereby we confesse the excellencie of God proposition 10 Anie man is accepted of GOD before his works be acceptable vnto him proposition 11 Those things which God either by exhorting or commanding sheweth should be doone those are not in our power to be doone of vs vnlesse we be holpen by his grace Probable proposition 1 THe scripture therefore saith that the eies of the first men were opened after sinne bicause there brake out a new féele of new punishments proposition 2 By the example of God who so preciselie inquired after sinne iudges are admonished that they condemne not men before they be heard and their cause examined proposition 3 In the curssing of the serpent those punishments of
determine of the goodnesse and naughtinesse of humane actions those eate the fruit of the trée of good and euill forbidden to our first parents Propositions out of the xx chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 THe commandement of the sabboth is partlie morall Thou shalt keepe holie the sabboth daie and partlie ceremoniall wherevpon some thing conteined therein is eternall and some thing but for a time proposition 2 The christian church erred not when in the place of the Iewes sabboth it appointed the Lords day to be kept whereof there is mention made in the holie scriptures although there is no commandement there extant as touching the obseruation thereof proposition 3 The magistrate ought to compell strangers although they be of an other maner of religion that they doo nothing openlie against the religion of the citie proposition 4 Those works were not forbidden to be doone on the sabboth daie which might neither be deferred nor preuented without the losse of life proposition 5 The works of charitie which we are bound necessarilie to doo vnto our neighbour must be preferred before holie ceremonies proposition 6 The commandements of God haue an order among themselues therefore when two of them méet togither at one time which cannot be performed both at once we must applie our selues to the former not indéed neglecting the latter but deferring it till an other time proposition 7 Those works must be doone vpon holie daies which by the word of God it is manifest doo belong to the worship of God proposition 8 It is lawfull for the church to adde vnto the ceremonies deliuered to vs by the word of God both time maner place yea and some ceremonie as well for ornament as for edifieng of the faithfull who neuerthelesse are not permitted to change the substance of them as the Papists haue doone in their Masse which now cannot be doone with a safe conscience proposition 9 The Monkes which drawe awaie children from their parents and make them Monkes Honor thy parents sinne more gréeuouslie than did the Scribes and Pharises whom Christ reprooued bicause they transgressed the commandement of honouring parents proposition 10 In the promises of temporall things God includeth spirituall promises proposition 11 Temporall things although they sometime séeme vile yet are they conteined in the promises of God to the intent we may be taught that the prouidence of God extendeth it selfe vnto all things and to let vs knowe that good things although they be neuer so small must be asked from God Probable proposition 1 IN the word Parents are comprehended schoole-maisters maisters ministers of the church bicause in old time when there were but few men the good man of the house performed all these duties proposition 2 In the table of the ten commandements parents are not expreslie commanded concerning dutie towards their children bicause they haue by nature more vehement affections ingraffed therevnto than children haue towards their parents proposition 3 The precept of honouring parents is chéefelie in the promise as Paule saith namelie in the particular promise for that promise which is in the second precept is generall Propositions out of the xx chapter of the booke of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 WHen God commandeth that we should not kill he by the testimonie of Christ Thou shalt not kill forbiddeth anger which must not be vnderstood of euerie anger but of that onelie which is against charitie proposition 2 Reuenge belongeth not to priuate men séeing it is a worke of the magistrate proposition 3 They which saie that the commandement of not reuenging is a counsell and not of necessitie to saluation doo greatlie erre proposition 4 It is lawfull for euerie man against them that be priuate to repell violence by violence so it be not doone of hatred or desire to reuenge and onelie when an extreame necessitie forceth wherein we cannot vse the helpe of lawfull defenders proposition 5 The mishap of those that are punished with death is to be lamented but yet the execution of a iust iudgement against them must not be hindered by our defenses or by the intercessions of others proposition 6 It is not lawfull for a man to kill himselfe Wherefore Peâ—llianus is iustlie condemned for iudging them to be martyrs who when they were fallen into gréeuous mischéefes killed themselues vnder pretense of repentance proposition 7 Neither are those to be heard which grant the same when chastitie is put in danger proposition 8 The death of Samson excuseth not them which of their owne will doo kill themselues proposition 9 In the precept wherein adulterie is forbidden Thou shalt not commit adulterie matrimonie which is the contrarie is commended for that it is a lawfull â—oming togither of man and wife into one flesh by the institution of God for the procreating of children and godlie education of them and that fornication may be auoided proposition 10 The lawfull vse of matrimonie is not as manie thinke a veniall sinne proposition 11 They which saie that matrimonie is not good but in comparison of whooredome and adulterie are of an ill iudgement proposition 12 Matrimonie is violated when man and wife being lawfullie ioined togither into one flesh there is mingled a strange flesh not onlie in the grose and outward fact but with the hart with words beckes and other dispute actions proposition 13 Also matrimonie is violated by a diuorse admitted without lawfull causes proposition 14 It is not in the power of man and wife that the one should grant to the other the vse of their bodies vnto others out of matrimonie proposition 15 In a well ordered Common-weale the crime of adulterie ought to be punished with death proposition 16 Christ released not the seueritie of the lawe of God in that respect that he condemned not that woman which was taken in adulterie Propositions out of the xx chapter of Exodus Necessarie proposition 1 BY that precept Thou shalt not steale the Israelites could not be reprooued of theft when they robbed Aegypt Thou shalt not steale since to vsurpe other mens goods against the will of the Lord belongeth vnto the nature of theft But they carried not out other mens goods but their own to wit being giuen them by God proposition 2 By this precept are established priuate possessions of things so as there must be no communitie brought in as touching the possession of all our goods but onlie as touching a participation of the vse and fruits proposition 3 The entercourse of merchants if it be iustlie ordered is not to be condemned but it ought rather to be accounted as a bond of humane societie proposition 4 They which deceiue the magistrate of tributes are guiltie of theft no lesse guiltie are prâ—…ces when they exact greater tributes than reason would or else when they grant not vnto the subiects those things for the which they paie tributes proposition 5 They which deâ—…aâ—… ministers yoong students and the poore of the
sacrament And if a man doe diligentlie weigh his words scant any age shall be fit for baptisme For that he thinketh it to be denied to young mē also to them that be vnmaried as persons subiect as yet to temtation and faults as if albeit old men be lesse with lust inflamed yet they be not vexed with gréeuous kinds of temptations Neither was Tertullian so néere of one time to Higinus as you suppose For Higinus was bishop in the yeare of our Lorde 140. but Turtullian florished vnder Eleutherius in the yeare 210. Nowe whereas Higinus doth onely decrée of the Godfathers to infants it appeareth they were woont to be baptised before that For he that ordaineth the manner of a thing doth surely deale in a matter that was extant before I denie not that in the primitiue times baptisme was sometimes differred for all were not baptised in their infancie Yet none of right beliefe denied baptisme to infants if they were offered to receiue the same Which if you thinke not so to be it were conuenient you should shew some one who withhelde children from the sacrament of regeneration There was indéede one among them who gaue aduise that baptisme should be differred till thrée yeares end if it might be in respect of the childrens strength which happily he supposed because children of thrée yeares old begin then to remēber somwhat But he in any wise denied not that they should be baptised before thrée yeares if they were in daunger of life or if it séemed good otherwise to their parents In sum the time of baptisme at the beginning was not preciselie set yet was it neuer denied to children that were offered Concerning Origen it is certaine he saith that the baptisme of children is a tradition of the Apostles And this reason he alledgeth because euen they also haue their corruption to be washed away and your allegations are found in his commentarie vpō the Epistle to the Romanes and are to be vnderstoode of them that be of riper yeares For in those dayes many of elder yeares were conuerted vnto Christ and many that were borne of Christians differred their baptisme for certaine yeares when as we haue alreadie saide no time was prescribed Of such then doeth Origen complaine that in that age the sacrament of baptisme was not so plainly and cléerelie declared as in the Apostles times and that the Apostles began baptisme at them that were of riper yeares there is no question But that they did not baptise children withal by what scriptures will it be prooued To Ludouicus Viues vpon the 26. Chapter of the first booke De ciuitate Dei what else should I answere but that he is deceiued when he saieth that none but of ripe yeares were baptised of old For Cyprian who was after Tertullian about 40. yeares resisted them in the Councell who thought that the eight day was to be tarried for in baptising of children whereby nowe you sée that euen then children were baptised and that the question of the time onely was disputed of Wherefore both Viues and Erasmus might in this matter haue spoken more warily But where you séeme to denie baptisme to infants for my part I doe contrariwise by al meanes affirme and beléeue the same as a thing which out of the scriptures is cléere ynough vnto me Now if you admit Originall sinne to be in children and yet will not permit them to be baptised you are not of Origens iudgement whom I cited before vpon the Epistle to the Romans But that Ruffinus rather than Origen should be authour of those thinges that there bee read howe shall we knowe So the same might be saide of his Commentaries vppon Genesis Exodus and other bookes Truely I am faine to reade Origen as he is translated sith the Gréeke coppies are not commonly extant And as you alledge for your opinion Origens testimonies both out of these Commentaries vpon the Epistle to the Romans and out of his Homilies vpon Leuiticus so shoulde you likewise admit those thinges that we take from thence Which neuerthelesse whether you haue gathered them out of his Commētaries or out of his Homilies vpon Leuiticus or vpon the Numbers they make but to this that verie manie at those dayes of ripe yeares were admitted to the Sacrament of Baptisme And the like woulde at this day come to passe if God would graunt that the Turkes shoulde receiue Christ This déere friend in Christ is that which now I would shortlie runne ouer Which I pray God you may at the length acknowledge with me to be true Certaine it is that Paul had no power but to edification Nor doe I who do easilie acknowledge the meanenesse of my giftes thinke my selfe to haue receiued any thing of the Lord which is not due to the edification of the Church of Christ The cause of religion I am for my part readie to further in all things which I shall iudge agréeable to holie writ But if you be not yet of the same mind that I am God may bring to passe that one day you will thinke as I doe The question of childrens baptisme hath béene once or twise disputed of héere for scholasticall exercise sake not that God bée thanked I haue founde anie héere who déeme otherwise thereof than the Church at this day beléeueth To write vnto you what foundations in the scripture our faith of childrens baptisme dependeth vppon I haue thought superfluous partlie for that I discoursed them vnto you at large when you talked with me partlie for that you may reade them in bookes published by men most notable aswell for their learning as for their Godly iudgement I wish you in the Lorde well to fare From Oxforde the first of December 1550. For Martin Borhaus his salutations I thanke both him and you Of your saluation in Christ most desirous Peter Martyr Here followe letters of M. Peter Martyr to certaine Englishmen To a certaine friende of his 35. SYr your Letters full of courtesie which you wrote vnto me were so welcome as I do giue you excéeding great thankes for them Vndoubtedly herein I receaued most comfort by them that I vnderstande you are so mindefull of me and doe perceiue that this is doone for no other cause but that you haue a verie great loue of godlinesse and to the holie scriptures Therefore since you loue God in me and the labour though it bee verie small which I bestowe vppon the Church I reioyce in this your good wil and affection And I pray and beséech almightie GOD againe and againe that he wil daily more and more increase the studie of godlinesse holie doctrine wherwith he hath hitherto adorned you I sorrowe vnspeakeablie that there is euerie where in England so great a penurie of the worde of God and since they which are bounde to féede the shéepe with the doctrine of Christ are of such faint courage as they vtterlie refuse to doe their duetie I knowe not with what teares and
owne nature ought to be kept sacred and inuiolated This did Lot vnderstand when he would haue put foorth his daughters to the naughtie lusts of the wanton Sodomits to the end they should doo no iniurie vnto them which were lodged with him And this same example did the old man followe which receiued the Leuite with his wife as strangers as it is more at large expounded in the historie of the Iudges Whose counsell Iud. 19 25. in betraieng his daughters although I allow not yet I doo verie much commend the defending of strangers Yea and the Gentiles worshipped Iupiter and gaue vnto him the name of kéeping hospitalitie knowing by the light of nature that God had a singular care ouer strangers and ghests Pythagoras Pythagoras also for this cause discommendeth the swalowes for that they lodge vnder the couering of mens houses and yet will neuer be made familiar or tame vnto their hosts Also there were sometimes certeine mischéeuous houses Certeine mischeeuous houses in the which none might anie longer inhabit as probable writers haue declared and that bicause the customes of hospitalitie had béene broken in them And contrariewise where hospitalitie hath béene well and faithfullie kept not onelie angels Gen. 18. but God himselfe also hath somtimes béene a most profitable ghest Matt. 25 35. Christ also in the end of the world will saie I was a stranger and ye lodged me commending his chosen in the sight of all the world for the vertue of hospitalitie And it is manifest that men in the old time wished that there should be great amitie betwéene the housekéeper and his ghest Lastlie GOD commanded that the Hebrues should not despise the Aegyptians Deut. 23 7. or wholie driue them awaie from them and that for this cause that at the beginning they gaue intertainement vnto their ancestors Wherefore we must conclude by a generall and ordinarie lawe that the customes of hospitalitie ought to be kept inuiolated And this also ought to be firme No lawes of freendship so necessarie but must be brokē when God commandeth that no lawes nor fréendships be they neuer so honest and iust but if God command otherwise they ought to be broken For so long must all these things be of force as they shall be allowed by the will of God Then séeing God had now cast out Sisara and the Chanaanits and would haue them to be destroied no couenants might iustlie be kept with them for we must rather obeie God than giue place to the reasons of men And of this will of God Deborah was both a prophesier and an interpretor She had declared that Sisara was now cast out by God and foretold that he should be sold into the hand of a woman Exo. 32 29. 12 After this manner the Leuits obeied Moses in the killing of their fréends and kinsefolks To whom Moses in the name of God said Ye haue consecrated your hands so farre was it off that they were reprooued for breaking the bonds of fréendship Ieremie also when by the commandement of God Iere. 48 20. he had declared that the Moabits should be slaine curssed those which had withdrawne themselues from that mind He is accurssed saith he that dooth the worke of the Lord deceitfullie In the lawe it is also commanded that none should be spared Deut. 13 6. which did intise anie to idolatrie no not the father nor the mother neither yet he which sléepeth in thy bosome Who séeth not here that the most néerest bonds of fréendships must be contemned if the will word of God be therevnto ioined Abraham was commanded to kill his sonne and that his onlie sonne Gen. 22 2. as touching whom he had receiued a most large promise The promise of God and the naturall loue of the father séemed to be against this commandement notwithstanding against both these being vrged by the word of God he ought to haue killed his sonne So must we thinke that all men although they be of nigh kin vnto vs are sacrifices to God so manie as he commandeth to be slaine Wherefore it is written in the 34. chapter of Esaie verse 6. The Lord hath a sacrifice in Bozra But they which with a preposterous clemencie What happeneth to them that haue a preposterous clemencie 1. kin 20 39. contrarie vnto the word of God will be mercifull let them remember what happened vnto the king of Samaria He when he had spared Benhadad the king of Syria contrarie to the commandement of God was in this manner reproued by the prophet in the name of God Thy soule shall go for his Of benefiting and vnthankfulnesse 13 Forsomuch as iustice and honestie require this In Iud. 12 ◠that we should giue thanks vnto them which haue bestowed benefits vpon vs nature followeth this order that we should conuert the effects into their causes forsomuch as they haue their conseruation and increase from thence from whence they spring This was due vnto Ieptha since he should haue had either the highest place or the next vnto the highest among those that had well deserued of the publike-weale The degrees of benefits For first thou séest some that when they bestowe benefits they haue onelie a respect to themselues So doo shéepheards neatheards and swineheards when they prouide pasture for their cattell whereof they haue charge since therein they séeke onlie for their owne gaine and commoditie Otherwise they haue no loue to oxen shéepe and swine There be others which in dooing of good haue regard both vnto themselues and also vnto them whom they doo helpe For the poore doo serue rich men princes partlie bicause they loue them and partlie to get some commoditie at their hands In the third degrée are those placed which doo in such sort bestowe a benefite vpon anie man as they looke for no recompense of him It oftentimes happeneth that when we sée one in miserie we are touched with mercie and we helpe him which without doubt procéedeth of humanitie Forsomuch as we are men we thinke that nothing belonging to a man but it apperteineth vnto vs. They are counted in the last and chéefest place which benefit others euen with their owne gréefe hurt and losse After this maner Christ dealt towards vs Wherein Ieptha is resembled vnto Christ he redéemed mankind with the losse of his owne life Whom Ieptha after a sort resembleth who deliuered the Israelites vnto libertie and that to his great danger Which he declared by this forme of speaking Iudg. 12 3. I haue put my life in my hands that is I haue not refused to indanger my life Wherefore the Ephramites were most vngratefull for so great a benefite The degrees of vngratefull men The first sort of vnthankfull men is when they requite not good to those that deserue it at their hands The second when they praise not nor allow well of those things which good men bestowe vpon them The
nature or dignitie of persons since rather he putteth vpon vs all such persons as it hath pleased him Otherwise if respect be had vnto our originall we be all equall and deriued all from one clod of earth We cannot performe all things that be set foorth vnto vs by God 18 They saie also that whereas God laieth before vs two kinds of life namelie matrimonie or sole life vnlesse he should permit vs to haue a frée choise he might séeme to dallie and in vaine to set foorth those things vnto vs. If this kind of reasoning were effectuall a man might saie Séeing life and death are set before vs by God A similitude there is strength naturallie present whereby we challenge vnto our selues life refusing death And whereas in like maner there is set foorth vnto vs either the obseruing or transgressing of Gods commandements there is libertie granted and strength sufficient in vs to put in execution either of them at our owne pleasure When as neuerthelesse it appeareth most manifestlie that none without the singular grace of GOD can kéepe the commandements A similitude euen as a sicke man although that health be propounded vnto him can neuer of his owne bare and simple choise recouer health without the benefit of God by meanes of the physician and medicines A similitude Further whereas there be sundrie arts and functions of mans life which are set before vs yet are we not all fit for them neither haue we equall strength and power to compasse them There be some which are altogither vnapt to learne lawes or physicall sciences or languages or honest arts bicause perhaps they want memorie wit or industrie And to others which be of the weaker sort it would be impossible that they should take vpon them the feats of warre or the ship-mens cunning Wherfore touching virginitie or sole life there is no commandement extant which is not conuenient for all men Euerie one ought in himselfe to doo that which we sée the wiser sort of parents neglect not to doo towards their children when they are to put them to anie art or occupation verelie they search out what they can doo wherevnto they are apt and able which being knowne they determine of them as they shall sée them naturallie giuen and made therevnto Wherefore let vs not deale vnaduisedlie but let vs earnestlie desire God by praier that he will shew vs what kind of life may be most conuenient for our saluation that it may be conformable to the grace which is giuen and God will not faile them which inquire and aske counsell of him 19 They vniustlie accuse vs We despise not praiers fastings as though we despise praiers and fastings which thing they speake not trulie séeing we knowe that chastitie is conuenient both for matrimonie for sole life neither doo we thinke that it can be had vnlesse it be granted by God But this we saie and constantlie affirme that it is a rash part for vs to will and go about to prescribe vnto him in what state he should place and appoint vs when we burne and are tempted in such sort that we being ouercome doo yéeld our selues vnto lust leauing matrimonie which we may vse as a iust remedie appointed by God to giue our selues so long to praier and fasting vntill we win the will of God that he at our owne choise would haue vs not chast married folks but continent sole liuers In things indifferent God dooth not alwaies grant the suppliant that which he iudgeth good for himselfe In these indifferent things we obteine not alwaies that which we our selues thinke to be good for vs but rather that which GOD knoweth dooth make most for the sanctifieng of his owne name Paule praied to be deliuered from the sting of the flesh and from satan which buffeted him but he heard that grace should suffice him 20 They also which serue this or that saint An obiection argue after this maner God granted a sole life vnto Paule vnto Iohn therefore the same is granted vnto all I answer An answer that this is a verie cold cauillation séeing there is brought no full and perfect induction For as touching some The induction is not perfect it may be granted that God gaue particularlie vnto them the gift of sole life but that it is vnderstood to be of all men alike it is both false and against the holie scripture partlie in Matthew and partlie in Paule Also there is a place brought by them out of the epistle to the Philippians I may doo althings in Christ Phil. 13 4. who strengtheneth me But the sense of these words is not generallie to be taken for Paule was minded A place to the Philippians discussed Phil. 1 24 and 2 24. as it is there written to haue abidden longer with the Philippians who neuertheles could not escape the persecution of Nero the emperour Also he desired to haue the lawe of his members taken awaie Rom. 7 24. which resisted the lawe of the mind which might not be so long as he liued here Wherefore the apostle in that place spake of hunger thirst penurie pouertie and finallie of the crosse which Christ dailie laid vpon him to beare These things he said that he was able to endure through Christ but he spake not of those things which men by their owne rashnesse doo willinglie laie vpon themselues It is your owne lithernesse saie they for if you would no doubt but you might repell from you the burning and stings which ye alledge for an excuse Here we demand againe of them that when a man dooth that shaking off all slouthfulnesse which other men doo not whether he haue that which he hath of himselfe or of God Beware thou saist not Of himselfe for then shalt thou discouer thy selfe to be a Pelagian And if thou saie Of God then of necessitie thou confessest that there is something in him which is not granted vnto other men and that is euen the same which we speake of Certeinlie a miserable thing is the deriding which they make of vs when we vse to name the word Gift or Vocation and they saie that these be dreames and imaginations of our owne Howbeit these men should knowe that we are not ignorant that the Schoole-doctors haue not spoken on this wise howbeit the faithfull and such as be verie godlie and sincere haue not béene ashamed to vse these termes The names of gift and calling which the holie Ghost hath spoken in the holie scriptures The name of calling is vsed by Esaie in like maner by Ieremie and the other prophets Esai 49 1. Iere. 7 13. Ioel. 2 32. Rom. 8 29. Rom. 9 12. Rom. 11 29 1. Cor. 7 20. Gala. 1 15. in the new testament it is vsed in the 8. 9. and 11. chapters to the Romans also in the 7. chapter of the first epistle to the Corinthians in the first chapter to the