regeneration to the ende that he may make it pure cleane withoute spotte or wrinkle and a holy and glorious Churche M. I did neuer yet so well vnderstande these two pointes nor yet the diuersitie and difference that thou hast made betwene the benefites of Iesus Christe and the Baptisme and the Supper whiche are Sacramentes as now I do vnderstande all these things In vvhat sorte the faithfull in baptisme do put on Iesus Christ and are vvashed vvith his bloud P. WHen I tell thée that the baptisme declareth vnto vs howe that Iesus Christe is set foorthe vnto vs in baptisme for a robe of innocencie Iustice holynes and that we cloth our selfe with him by meane of the same I do not thinke thée to be of so grosse an vnderstanding to thinke that the faithfull do put on Iesus Christ naturally and corporally as a man putteth on a garment or a cloke M. I should be very grosse if I so vnderstoode it P. How doest thou then vnderstand it M. That euen as a garmente or a cloke do serue to couer the body euen so do the innocencie iustice and holynesse of Iesus Christe serue vs to couer our sinnes at the iudgemente of God to the ende that there appere no one spotte of them in his sighte P. And touching the bloude of Iesus Christe doest thou thinke that oure soules and consciences be washed and made cleane in Baptisme as one would with water wash a body in a bath or ryuer or else shéetes in a bucke Mathevv Thou makest here with me goodly discourses I thinke there is none so beastly whiche doth not well knowe that the bloud of Iesus Christe is called the washing of soules and of consciences not as though they must be washed and dipped in the bloud of Iesus Christe as one woulde wash and dippe a body that he woulde washe and make cleane or some other suche like thing but that the holy Ghost speaketh so to giue vs to vnderstande that whiche thou hast sayde to witte what the water of baptisme signifieth concerning the washing and purification of our soules and consciences in the bloud of Iesus Christ VVhat greater reason there is to communicate corporally of the body and of the bloud of Iesus Christ in the Supper than in Baptisme P. THow doest aunswere me verye well but if thou find it strange that a man shuld say that they which are baptised haue put on Iesus Christ bodily as a garmente and are washed with hys bloud as with a materiall bath why shouldest thou not finde it as straunge or more straunge that a man should say that the body and the bloud of Iesus Christe are naturally and bodily eaten and drunken in the Supper as are the bread the wine which are the signes M. Thou makest me to consider somewhat more déepely of this matter than heretofore I did P. It is a matter well to be thoughte on For if that in Baptisme we haue no carnall communication with the body and bloud of Iesus Christ but only a spiritual I sée not what greter reason there is to haue rather in the Supper a carnal communication with him than in Baptisme considering that the supper dependeth of baptisme and that it is as a more ample confirmation of the possession of the benefites of Iesus Christe into the whiche wée beginne to enter by Baptisme and doe continue by the Supper M. I finde thy reasons very good P. Thou shalte finde them yet better if thou do consider how muche that grosse and carnall opinion doth disagrée as wel with the nature of the body of the bloud of Iesus Chryste as wyth the faith that we oughte to haue in his ascention into heauen and of his seate at the right hand of God and of his spirituall and diuine presence and vertue by the whiche he is euer present in his church and doth guide and gouerne it eternally Hovve the corporall and carnall presence of the bodie and of the bloud of Iesus Christ in the Supper greeth not with the true nature of them M. EXpounde this same vnto me somewhat more at large P. For the first to what purpose is it to thinke that the bodie of Iesus Chryst is chewed and eaten and sent into the stomacke and frō thence downe into the bellie as is the bread whiche signifieth it in the Supper and that his bloud is also drunken as is the wyne which is the signe For bée it that thou vnderstand that the breade and the wyne be conuerted into the substance of the bodie and bloud or else that the bodie be eaten with the bread and the bloud drunken with the wine yet is there still greate absurditie cleane contrary to the nature of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Chryste M. What contrarietie fyndest thou therin P. Séeing that Iesus Christ hath a very true naturall bodie in euery respecte lyke vnto oures as touchyng the corporall substaunce sinne excepte it is certaine and true that hée is not bodily and naturally not only in the heauen and in the earthe at one tyme but also neyther in infinite places For he hathe not a bodie whiche filleth the heauen and the earth as dothe his diuinitie but hathe a bodie whyche can not be a true and verie bodie if hée be not in some certayne place agreeable to his nature to his glorie and celestiall maiestie Hovve the glorifying of the bodie of Iesus Chryst doth not chaunge at all the substantiall nature propre substaunce of the same M. THou speakest of the bodie of Iesus Chryste as though he were in euery respecte like vnto oures and that he were not glorified at all as ours shall be also after the Resurrection of our bodies P. Albéeit that the bodie of Iesus be glorifyed by his Resurrection and Ascention into heauen yet followeth it not for all that that he hath lost the proprieties of his humane nature and that his corporall substance is chaunged in suche sorte that it is conuerted into diuine nature or that he is in suche sort transfourmed that he is infinite to be in euerye place or that he is so multiplied that for one bodie he hath many or an infinite number as necessarily it must be if the errour wherof wée nowe speake shoulde haue place Of the contrarietie that is betvvene the corporall presence of Iesus Chryst in the Supper and his ascention into heauen M. BVt they which maynteyn thye opinion say that these things maye not be considered naturally but supernaturally and that they do surpasse the capacitie of all mans vnderstanding P. I graunte them all that But why is it then that they forge vs a corporall and naturall presence of the bodie and bloud of Iesus Chryste in the stéede of a supernaturall and spiritual presence M. They say that the same corporall and naturall presence doth not at all hinder the supernaturall and spirituall Pet. Albeit that they saye it it doth not therfore followe that it is so And on the other syde I
sée not howe they will agrée their opinion with the articles of oure faythe by whiche wée doe confesse not only that Iesus Christe is gone vp into heauen but also that he is there sette at the ryght hande of the Father and that from thence hée shall come in Iudgemente by a visyble and corporall presence euen as he went vp visibly corporally according to the verie testimonie of the Angels and also of Sainte Peter who hath sayd that the Heauen muste néedes receyue hym vntill the tyme of the restoring of all thyngs wherof God hath spoken by the mouthe of all his Prophetes since the beginning The eightenth Dialogue is of the presence of Iesus Christe in heauen and in the supper and in his Church VVhether the ascention of Iesus Christe be a true ascention or no or else if he made himselfe only inuisible MATHEVV IT séemeth to me that all that whiche thou hast spoken of the ascētion of Iesus Christ is nothing against the opiniō of those against whom thou hast so long disputed for they denie not that Iesus Christe is gone vp into Heauē neyther that he shall come visiblie and bodily to iudge the liuing and the dead euen as thou hast said P. How do they then agrée their doctrine with this confession M. They alleadge two things vppon this pointe The firste is that the heauen and the right hand of God where Iesus Christe is do stretche ouer all The other is that the comming of Iesus Christ which is made by the sacrament the Supper is inuisible wherfore albeit that he bée there bodily in the propre substance of his bodie bloud yet is he not there visibly but inuisibly P. If they make no space betwéene the earth and the heauen and that they will stretche out the heauen euen to the earth in suche sort that Chryst hath not absented him from the earth as touchyng his bodie and that he didde retire himselfe when he went vp into heauen it may not then be sayde that he is ascended as the Scripture witnesseth but that he hathe alwayes remayned vppon earthe without departing from thence agaynst that whiche he himselfe did prophecie to his disciples It muste also be sayde that hée should then haue made hym selfe inuisible to them and that he were stil yet on earth not visible but inuisible Hovve that the presence corporall of Iesus Christ in the Supper may haue no place excepte he haue an infinite bodie or manye M. I Know not what to say to thée herein For if it were so then shoulde there be no true ascētion of Iesus Christ into heauen P. Albeit that it were so yet must it néedes be that he haue a body infinite to be in so many places at ones or else that he haue an infinite number of bodies to be in so many places at once as they wold haue him M. I vnderstand well that if Iesus Chryste had suche a bodie that his humane nature wer infinite as is his diuine it could be no more an humane nature nether could there be any differēce betwene the one the other Of the inuisible comming of the body of Iesus Christe P. AS cōcerning that which thou hast sayde of the inuisible comming of Iesus Chryste where is it in the holie Scriptures that they fynde suche a comming in the which Iesus Chryst cōmeth from heauen inuisibly in the proper substance of his bodie M. I can not tell for as thou haste alredy decelard in the articles of faith we speake but of two corporall commings of Iesus Chryst Of the spirituall comming of Iesus Christ P. I Wil grant them that there is an inuisible cōming of Iesus Christ by the whiche hée commeth dayely inuisibly to all But that is not in the proper and naturall substaunce of hys natural bodie but by his diuyne vertue whereby notwithstandyng hée maketh vs in deede partakers of his bodie and of his bloud and doth nourish vs as he doth testify the same vnto vs in his holy Supper doth the same by the vertue of his holy spirite the whiche ioyneth vs vnto him without being néedefull that Iesus Christe descend or ascend in his owne body to make vs partakers M. But howe may this be done forsomuche as the body of Iesus Chryste is in heauen and that wée be on the earth and that ther is so great distāce betwene the one and the other P. Seing that this coniunction is not naturall nor carnall but supernaturall and spiritual it is not at all harde for the holy Ghosts in such sort to ioyn the earth and the heauen together and to drawe vp our hearts into heauen euen to Iesus Christe M. I know well that there is nothyng harde nor impossible to God. P. In lyke manner is it not harde for Iesus Chryste to make the vertue and efficacie of his bodie the sacrifice of the same which he hath offered for vs to come euen to vs without being néedefull that he descende bodily from heauen to come to vs. M. I graunte to thée all that Hovve that the corporall presence of Iesus Christ in the supper is contrary to the diuine vertue that is in him to communicate his gifts and graces to his Church P. IT must necessarily be that it be so for if he coulde haue no communion with vs and communicate himselfe to vs without comming downe from heauē bodily and without that he were with vs corporally presente his vertue shuld not be so great as it is nor should it be so wel set foorth nor in so great effect M. Is that the cause why he saide to his disciples it is expedient that I go for if I go not the comforter which is the holy Ghost will not come P. It is certaine that by these words he would giue his disciples to vnderstand two things M. Which be they P. The first is that his corporal presence did holde them still fixed in the earth and did hinder them by the meane of their infirmitie rudenes to cōprehend vnderstand that his kingdome was spiritual not carnall as they thought it to bée M. Which is yet the other pointe P. It is that he was not come vppon earth there to raigne by a corporall presence but to retire his body into heauen that he would raigne by his holy spirit by his spirituall diuine vertue among his according to the promise which he made them whē he said when you shall be gathered together two or thrée in my name I am in the middest of you And againe I am with you euen to the consummation of the worlde Of the spirituall and diuine presence of Iesus Christ in his Church and of the vertue of the same M. THou vnderstandest then these passages of the spiritual diuine presence of Iesus Christ in his Churche P. No man may otherwise take them And therfore Iesus Christ hath said to shewe that great power which he had Al power is giuē me
both in heauē and in earth S. Paule in like fort hath written that he is ascended aboue all the heauens to the ende he mought fill al things that he mought fulfill all in the same M. Doest thou vnderstand that he doth accomplishe and fill all things not by his corporall presence but by his spirituall diuine presēce and vertue P. We may not otherwise vnderstand it if we do beleue that Iesus christ hath a very natural body that he be in déede gone vp into the heauens For as we haue alredy said as ther is no reason to giue him many bodies to be in manye places at a time euē so is it ouer strange to giue hym a bodye which may fill the heauen and the earth Hovve that the corporall presence of the body and of the bloude of Iesus Christ is contrary to the true communion of them in the Supper M. I Doe now remember that thou hast alredy said that the body the bloud of Iesus Christ could not be separated frō his spirit frō whence I do conclude that the body and bloud of christ Iesus cānot be receiued but to the saluation of them which doe receiue it P. None may doubt thereof M. It followeth then further that infidells cannot receiue them forsomuch as they cannot receiue them except they receiue their saluation the whyche they cannot obtaine without faith wherof they are void P. This which thou sayest dothe yet confirme more and more all that whiche we haue handled heretofore concerning the corporall presence of Iesus Christ in the Supper M. It is also the cause why I did againe set foorth thys matter For if the body and the bloude of Iesus Christ be corporally in the supper in suche sorte that whosoeuer receiueth bodily the bread and the wine therein receiueth also the body and the bloud of Iesus Christ corporally there shall follow thereof many things which séeme to me very contrary as well to the office of Iesus christ as to the nature of this Sacrament of the Supper P. Thou sayest very truthe and I am very glad to here of thée that which thou thinkest M. For the firste we shall be constrayned to confesse that a man maye in the Supper receiue the body and the bloude of Iesus Christe without faith and without his spirite for the vnfaithfull whiche shall receiue the bread and the wine shall no lesse receiue the body and the bloud of Iesus Christe than the faithfull P. Beholde there a very straunge consequencie M. Moreouer if a man may receyue them without faithe they whiche shall receiue them in such sorte shal receiue thē either to their saluation or condemnation if they receiue thē to their saluation it must néedes followe that a man maye obtaine saluation without faith if they do receiue thē to their condemnation it must then followe that the body and the bloude of Iesus Christe do bring in this Sacramente against their nature deathe in stéede of life whiche is also against the nature of the Sacramente for it was not ordeyned to bring death to man but life VVhether a man maye conclude of the vvords of Sainct Paule that a man may receyue the body and the bloud of Iesus Christ in the supper to condemnation P. THou concludest very well but they which houlde the opinion againste the whiche we dispute at this presente make no difference to affirme that the infidels receiue in the supper the body the blud of Iesus Christ that they receyue thē to their condēpnation For they build themselues vpō that which s Paule hath saide That who so eateth in the supper the bread drincketh the wine of the lorde vnworthily doth eate and drinke his condempnation M. I know well that those mē affirme that which thou saist But I cannot well agrée their opinion with the matters the which we haue alredy handled And as touching that which they alledge of S. Paule he sayth not who so shall eate the body and drincke the bloud vnworthily shal receiue his condempnation but he saith he that shall eate of this bread shall drinke of this cup. P. Thou hast also to note beside this that there is difference betwene receiuing the supper vnworthily to receiue it without faith and as touching the word of condempnation it may be also taken in diuers maners but wée will now no longer dwell vpon these two pointes It is sufficient for vs to knowe that the bodye and the bloud of Iesus Christ cannot bée truely receyued but by the faythfull Of the principall difference that maye be betvveene the transsubstanciation of the bread and of the vvine into the bodie and the bloud of Iesus christ and the bodily coniunction of them together M. I Do well vnderstand by all the reasons testimonies which thou hast brought out of the holy scriptures that we may seke no corporal nor carnall presēce of Iesus christ neither in the supper nor yet in all thys visible worlde but only a spirituall and diuine presence Wherfore whē I haue well considered the whole I finde no great difference betwene them that affirme that the bread and the wine be conuerted transubstanciated into the bodie blud of Iesus christ in the supper by the vertue of the sacramentall wordes those which affirme that albeit that the bread the wine remayne still in their owne substāce yet notwithstāding the body blud of Iesus christ be there also present with thē in their proper and natural substāce not only spiritually but also corporally substancially as are the bread the wine P. There is no great difference but in that that the one sort thinking to auoid the absurdities which follow the opinion of the others do fall into other absurdities which are nothing lesse of the which we will no more speake here bycause the matter woulde be to long whereof we haue alredy sufficiently spoken Of the vnion that is betvvene Iesus Christ and his members signified by the breade and the vvine in the Supper M. I Am very well contented for thys time with that which thou hast said and therefore shewe me now what properties the bread and the wine haue yet which are agreable to this Sacramente of the Supper beside that whiche thou hast already said P. I haue already sayd that those signs were agreable to this sacrament bycause they be apte to represent the spirituall nouriture by the bodily M. I doe very well remember thys pointe P. Thou hast also to note vppon the same that as one lofe and one vessell of wine are made of many graines gathered togither euen so doe they in the Supper represente vnto vs how that al the children of God which are dispersed are gathered broughte togither in one and vnited with Iesus Christ their head by his deathe as Saincte Iohn doth witnesse M. Thou wilte then saye that that vniō which is made of many graines in one lofe or in one wine
to the children or people of Israel as though he gaue his lawe but to them onely the whiche notwithstanding euen as it hath bene sayde heretofore doth no lesse belōg to vs than to that people Wherfore I would gladly vnderstād the meaning of it and the causes and reasons for the which God did so set it forth wherein it belongeth to vs. D. You doe know well that when Kinges Princes make any Lawes and doe cause any statutes or ordinaunces to be published in their name they doe accustome to put some preface to it cōtayning their name and the titles wherby they declare what their Maiestie Lordship power is Seing then that God whiche is the chiefe King Prince of al creatures would publishe his Lawe was it not then méete that he shoulde declare that he was the Lawmaker and what was his maiestie power And therefore did he say I am the lorde thy God whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Egipte from the house of bondage Then is it requisite before all other things to knowe in this lawe who is the true God and by what meanes he may be knowen and discerned and seperated from false Goddes that this knowledge goe before all the cōmandements folowing For who shall call vpon God who shall feare him who shall loue him who shal put his truste in him if that first he do not know him and not in such sorte as the heathen doe who although they had a certayne opinion that there was a God vpon whome it behoued them to call to feare to loue and to honour yet for all that they did not know who he was nor where to finde him And for so much as wée can not sée him nor discerne him with eyes nor with any other corporal sense yet notwithstanding wée must beholde him embrase him and speake vnto him from the harte and frō the spirite Of the name Eternal vvhich is Jehoua in Hebrevve giuen to God. T. WHerefore dothe he first call him selfe the Eternal D. He dothe declare in the Hebrewe tongue in the which Moyses hath writtē these things by the woorde of Iehoua the which we do so translate what is his beyng his nature that he is the Creatour of al creatures the first the last without beginning and without end and hath his being of none other but of him self of him all things haue their beyng are come from him and doe returne into him It is he by whom we liue moue are Thē may he lawfully say I am the whiche none els may iustly say Wherefore seyng that he is our Creatour so by consequent our guide gouerner that we haue of him our soule body and goodes is it not méete that we doe acknowledge him to be our King Prince Lord render to him the homage of soule of body goodes of all things els that we haue receyued of him to yelde vnto him perfect obedience For this cause the holy Scripture putteth vs in minde oftētimes of these things giueth to God the title of maker of heauen and earth Wherfore it must néedes be graūted that none other be our God but onely he vnto whom this name and title belongeth which is that Eternall essence that can doe all things and is the beginning the conseruation the end of all things In vvhat sorte God is generally called the God of all men and chiefely the God of his chosen people T. WHerefore doth he also say beside that Thy God D. Bicause that this first benefite is cōmon to all men to al creatures according to their nature in as much as he is creatour of thē all he addeth vnto it also this title to make him more amiable and fauourable vnto vs to the end that by that meane he may make his doctrine more acceptable vnto vs that he may make vs the more willing to receyue it as the doctrine of our father who by the same procureth nothing but onely our cōmoditie and saluation And therefore he doth not onely say God but thy God which is a maner of speach that according to the phrase of the holy Scripture carieth with it fauour grace For first the name of God the which Moyses here doth vse doth signifie in Hebrewe force forces to declare vnto vs that he hath the power to aide and helpe vs and that he is not onely God for him selfe to witte that he will kéepe in him selfe the good things that in him are and not to bestow distribute them but that his very office is to bestow thē vpō men to shewe him self gratious fauourable towardes thē When he doth the contrary being prouoked thereunto by their frowardnesse wickednesse he doth by his prophets call that worke a straūge worke Wherefore when he calleth him selfe the God of any people he declareth therby that he is not only their God as he is generally the God of all creatures as Creatour of them but that he is their God not seuere rigorous as a iudge toward euill doers but curteous louing fauourable merciful as a good father to his childrē When then he sayeth Thy God he doth then put thē in minde of that which he spake before that he had chosen this people as his own enheritance as a precious Iewell among all the rest And therefore it is not without cause sayd by the Prophete he hath done so to none other nation And therefore he sayth by Esaie And now saith the Lord thus which hath created thée Iacob who hath fashioned thée Israell feare not for I haue bought thée I haue named thy name Thou art mine When thou shalt passe by water I will be with thee the floudes shall not swallow thée vp When thou shalt passe through the fire thou shalt not be burnt For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israell thy Sauiour c. T. There is a goodly declaration of that which thou hast now spoken and a very apparant testimonie D. It is euen so For thou séest that after that he calleth him self the God the maker fashioner of Israell the Eternall he addeth vnto it immediatly Thy Sauiour whiche haue redéemed thée For vvhat cause God doth make expresse mention in the preface of his Lavve of the deliuerance of Israell out of Egipte T. ANd why doeth he adde yet which haue brought thée out of the lande of Egipt D. To put thē in minde of the great benefite the which not long before they had receiued of him and whereby he had plainely declared vnto them that he was their God and that he esteemed them for his people in an other sorte than he did the Egiptians wherefore they had good occasion to thinke that so good a God and so louing a father would not set forth vnto thē any doctrine but such as should be greatly for
the glory of God to be preferred to all creatures And if that al the creatures should perish wherefore should we thinke it straunge if god were glorified in their perdition and that it did so please him T. No man ought to finde that straunge excepte he do more estéeme the creature than the Creator D. Therefore it is playne that this offence whiche many giue vnto themselues in the matter of reprobation of the reprobates procedeth not but from a maruellous greate pride and arrogancie of the flesh whiche estemeth itselfe more than it ought to do for if it had so small an estimation of it selfe as the worthynesse therof requireth and did estéeme God his glory so muche as it ought to do he should not onely not finde it straunge to knowe that god hath ordeyned to be glorified in the damnation of some no although it should be done with his owne person he shoulde glorifie God in his iust iudgement he would not murmure against him to wage the lawe with him and to play the lawyer and to pleade againste him to mainteyne the cause of the reprobates accusing hym as though he should do them wrong but rather he would desire himselfe to be damned as Saincte Paule desired for his bretherne the Israelites if it were possible that it moughte be done and that God mought be the more magnified and glorified therein From whēce then come these cōtrary thoughts but only of the horrible pride that is in our corrupted nature for what are we from whence came we what wrong may God do vnto vs wherin are we able to accuse him or attribute vnto him the faulte of our offences and of oure damnation and to set him in the place of the Deuill author of sinne considering that what determination so euer he haue made of vs we cānot complaine that we haue any other force violence constrainte to do euill but onely of oure owne wicked concupiscence vnlesse that happily we would complayne in that that he hath not made vs suche as coulde not sinne or else hauing sinned that he dothe not bestow vppon all like grace and that he dothe not saue all forsomuche as he moughte if that he woulde otherwise he shoulde not be God nor almightie but it hath pleased him that not without good and iust cause the whiche is continually such albeit that we cannot vnderstand it Therefore we must continually say with the Prophete that oure damnation is of our selues and our saluation of God only and say with S. Paule But o thou mā what arte thou that pleadest against god shall the thing that is fashioned say vnto him that fashioned it why hast thou shaped and made me thus The potter hathe he not power of the clay to make of one very lumpe one vessel to honoure and an other to dishonor And what if God wold to shewe his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with great pacience the vessells of wrath prepared to perdition and to shewe the riches of his glory vppon the vessells of his mercie which he hath prepared to glorye and agayne O the déepenesse of the riches of the wisedome and knowledge of God his iudgementes are not to be searched out and his wayes are impossible to be found For who is he that hath knowne the Lordes intente or who hath bin his counsellor or who is he that gaue to him firste and he shal be recompenced Hovve that the vvill of man cannot by any meanes be constrayned no not by the deuill himselfe but only of his ovvne vvickednes T. FOr my parte I graunte to all that which thou hast sayde but yet canst thou not denye but that mā is yet oftentimes constrained to sinne by meane of the temptacion and soliciting of the deuill D. This constraint wherof thou speakest is cōstraint without cōstraint for it is not in the power of al the deuils nor of al the creatures that are to constraine the will of one mā Wherfore what temptatiō or solicitatiō so euer happē vnto him if he did not willingly consent therevnto he could not be induced to do any kinde of thyng against his will. But it fareth with hym as it doth with a harlot for if she be solicited by bawdes and whoremasters she will giue ouer hir selfe vnto them which thing an honest woman will not do but will resist all suche temptations and procurements wil ouercome them Therfore albeit that the harlot may impute some parte of the cause of the offēce that she hath committed to those that did entise hir and procure hir therevnto yet notwithstanding she may not say that she hath bin constrayned so to do nor may by that meane excuse hir selfe for if she had not agréed therevnto of hir owne will she had not at all playde the harlot but bycause that she was already naturally thervnto enclyned these procuremēts did serue hir as it were matches oyle wood throwne into the fire which would kindle nor slame neuer the sooner nor the more if it were not naturally enclyned and prompte therevnto In like sorte is man broughte to euill thorough his owne concupiscence the which being wakened and sturred vp by the diuell dothe the more declare it selfe and sheweth more plainely what his nature is wherfore thou séest here howe that man dothe continually sinne of his owne will and if he will saye that he hath bin constrayned to do any kind of worke the which he knoweth manifestly to be against the will of God it must be considered wherein he hath bin enforced and cōstrayned if he haue in any wise bin enforced by the force of others so that he could not be in any wise master of his members although he did resist it by all the meanes that he coulde and dyd declare by his wordes and actes that hys harte and will did in no wise consente thervnto he may be excused as an honest womā may that hath bin takē of force the which notwithstanding hath cried and resisted by all meanes possible against the whoremaster and hath bin as willing to lose hir life as hir chastitie but if thou doest an euill worke either to please men or else for feare that thou shouldest fall into their displeasure or indignation and receyue any dishonor or wordly hindrance thou maist in suche a case alledge none other constrainte but only that of thy wicked wil no more than Pilate might whē he condemned Iesus Christe enforced by the constrainte of the Iewes For if thou didst loue God with al thy harte and better than thy selfe and didst more estéeme his glory than thine owne and thy soule than thy body and the heauen more than thou doest the earth thou moughtest be frée from losing that whiche thou fearest to lose and shouldest not lose it at all but shouldest gaine it double For as Iesus Christ saith he that shall loose his life for my sake the same shall finde it and he that feareth
Sauior and redéemer Iesus Christ M. This good God and Father giue vs the grace the whiche I humbly desire in the name of his sonne Iesus Chryst that it may please him so to imprinte in our heartes all that doctrine by his holie Spirite that we may well put it in vse to the glorie of his holy name and to the edification of all men P. This good God giue vs the grace and not to vs only but also to all the people of the earthe to the ende that euen as he is God only and that there is but one onely mediator Iesus Christ and one lawe and one Gospel and one Baptisme and one Church euen so that al may be vnited in him by his holy Spirite to serue and to honoure him in truthe and in Spirite euen as to hym only all honour and glorie doth belong for euer and euer Sobeit The ende ¶ The Printer to the Readers greeting FOr somuche as many good men desire to haue the copie of the prayer whiche the Author of this booke hath accustomed to make at the beginning of his sermons so haue I thoughte it no inconuenient to printe it here to the ende that all suche as woulde mought vse it to the aduancement of the glorie of God to whose grace I commende you The Prayer ACknowledging oure faultes and imperfections and that of our selues we can haue no good thyng if it be not giuen vs from heauen wée will humble our selues before the high maiestie of our good God and Father full of all goodnesse and mercie beséeching him that he will not enter into Iudgemente wyth vs to correct and punishe vs in his anger and wrath hauing regarde to our sinnes and iniquities but that he looke vpon the innocencie iusties and obedience of hys sonne Iesus Chryst whom he hath giuen to death for vs for whose sake if maye please him to receiue vs al to mercy and by his heauenly lyghte to driue oute of our heartes all darknesses erroures and ignorances and to fill vs with his graces and the graces of his holy spirit which may bring vs to the ful knowledge of al truth and may open to vs the true vnderstanding of his holy word to the ende that it be not corrupted by our carnall sense and vnderstanding but that he may giue vs the grace as he hath spoken by his holy Prophetes and Apostles that being gouerned by one very Spirite we may declare it to his honoure and glory and to the edification of all men and that we do not heare it only with our carnal eares to oure iudgemente and condemnation as the Infidels and hypocrites doe but that we maye receyue the same into our hartes as true children of GOD thorowe true and lyuely Fayth the whiche may be effectuous and working thorowe charitie learning thereby to renounce oure selues all Idolatrie all wycked superstitions and carnall affections to put wholly all oure trust in hym and to consecrate and conforme oure selues wholly vnto hys holy will to the ende that our lyfe and conuersation may bée to his honour and his praise and that for our Lord Iesus Christs sake we may be found without blame and without spotte before his face the whiche things wyth all others whiche this good GOD and Father doothe knowe to be necessarie for vs wée will demaunde them of him as this great Sauiour and Redéemer Iesus Chryste his deare Sonne our Soueraigne mayster hathe taughte vs saying all with one heart Oure Father whiche arte in Heauen c. The Exposition of the Preface of the Law set foorth by maister Peter Viret Minister of Gods worde I Am the Eternal thy God which haue brought thée out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage Questions concerning the presence of God in the mountayn of Synai and of his voyce and of the lawe giuen by the Angelles TIMOTHE DANIEL BEfore that we enter into the Exposition of the Cōmaundements conteined in the Law according to our agréement I woulde gladly vnderstande two litle poyntes of thée which Moyses maketh mention of Daniel What are those pointes Timothie The first is howe that God whiche is in all places and doth fil both heauen and earth and is infinite did descende into the mountayne of Synai for was he not there before The other howe he spake in proper person for somuche as he hathe neyther bodye mouth nor voyce like vnto mans voyce if we doe consider him in his béeing and diuinitie On the other syde S. Paule and S. Stephen doe playnly testifie that the lawe was giuen by the Angels Of the presence of God in general which is common to all men and creatures and of his speciall presence towardes his seruantes D. THere is no greate difficultie in these questions For albéeit God doth fill bothe heauen and earth through his diuinitie yet notwithstanding for so muche as he doth not alway declare his maiestie his power his wisedome and goodnesse so manifestly and familiarly in one place as in an other the holie scripture to condescend and agrée to our grosnesse doth oftentimes attribute that vnto God whiche is proper to man to declare vnto vs the more plainly and familiarly his presence and assistance There is no dout but that God was alreadie in the mount Sinai before the time that he gaue his lawe as he was throughout the whole worlde and euen as he is at this day but he did not shew him selfe in such sorte as he did then there shewe him selfe to his people wherefore the Scripture sayth bicause of such a shewyng of his presence that he did there descend Of the voice of God vvhich vvas heard by men and of his lavve giuen by the Angels T. ANd what sayest thou concernyng the other pointes D. Albeit that God haue no body as concernyng his diuine essence or beyng nor voice like vnto the voyce of man so is it notwithstanding an easie matter for him to whome nothing is impossible to make him selfe a voyce and to take such forme and likenesse as pleaseth him to cause him to be heard and knowen so farre sorth as is méete for the saluation of man the infirmitie of mā may endure And also there is no inconuenient to say that the lawe which God gaue was giuen by Angels for so much as God was serued by their ministerie in the giuing of it and that his maiestie was not there shewed but being accompanied with his Angels which are alwaies prepared ready to serue him wherefore both the one and the other is true to wéet that God himself did speake giue his lawe and that it was giuen by the ministerie of his Angels Of the preface of God in his Lavve and of the titles vvhich he giueth to himself in the same and of the poynt that is chiefly required in that Lavve T. BEfore that God did take in hand to giue his cōmaundements he doth first vse a Preface whiche semeth to belong onely
to loose it the same shal loose it and therefore thou wouldest not leaue God for any creature nor woldest change the inheritaunce whiche is prepared for thée in heauen for no earthly inheritance nor the blessing of God thy father for a messe of potage as did Esau but woldest rather loose thy life which ought not to be so deare vnto thée as the honoure of God and the saluation of thy soule Of the contrarietie vvhich semeth somtime to be among the commaundements of God and vvhat consideration is required in the same and of the deuision of the vvhole lavve into tvvo tables and of the order of the matters that are disposed cōteined in thē T. I Do knowe righte well now by that whiche thou saist that all suche clokings cannot excuse vs before God but from whence commeth it that God somtimes dothe allow workes whiche he seemeth to haue forbidden he commaundeth to honoure father and mother and to obey the magistrates and yet notwithstāding he doth often times greatly commend those which do not obey thē at all He forbiddeth murther and yet sometime he commendeth those that do committe it D. That diuersitie cōmeth of the nature of the commandementes of God and of the order whereby he hathe disposed them in his Lawe for he hathe broughte and deuided the whole into two Tables in which he hath written disposed his commaundementes according to the order worthynesse of the thing that euery one of them cōteyneth T. Declare that order vnto me D. In the first he hath written foure which do properly and directly concerne his glory without speciall consideration of any other than of him as the three first requests which are written in the prayer of our Lorde Iesus Christe The second conteyneth sixe which do concerne those things that do belong to oure neyghboure which must be measured by the first foure of which they do depende and to whose ende they oughte alway to haue regard as the thrée last requestes of the prayer of our Lord Iesus Christ ought alway to be referred to that ende wherevnto the thrée first do pretend wherefore if any thing do happen for the which any commaundement of the firste table must be broken to accomplish any of the secōd it behoueth them in suche a case that the seconde giue place to the firste and that it haue recourse vnto the same to haue the true vnderstanding and the true vsage of that which it doth conteyne Of the manner hovv to accord and agre the passages and sentences of the lavve and of the holy Scriptures vvhich seme to disagree set foorthe vppon the commaundement giuen to honoure father and mother and vvhat loue or hatred he vvould that we shuld beare them T HOw may this be hath God giuen a lawe which is contrary to it selfe and doth conteyne commaundements which cannot be obserued without transgression of others D. No if the lawe bée well vnderstoode in that meaning sense for the whiche it was giuen by God and for the better vnderstanding of all thys difficultie I will declare it vnto thée by certayne examples which are very familiar God commaundeth me to honoure my father to what ende is this commanded me To the ende that God moughte be honoured in the honoure that we giue to our fathers acknowledging the goodnesse that we haue receyued of him by them who haue bin the instruments and ministers of his louing kindnesse toward vs. D. Thou hast well aunswered thou doest then see here howe that this commaundement hath his foundation in the firste table in such sorte that if thou dishonor thy father thou doest not only dishonor that man which is thy carnall father but in him doest thou dishonor God thy eternall father of whome the carnall father is nothing else but an Image or instrumente towarde whome thou declarest of what affection thou arte towards him whome he representeth and the more neare that this image is to thée and the more neare thou drawest to the nature of it and that God doth more familiarly and more plenteously communicate vnto thee his louing kindnesse by this instrument and the more that he maketh his image to shyne in him so muche the more is thy wickednesse iniquitie the greater but if it should so come to passe that thy father shuld be vntrue toward god should require of thée a thing wherin thou couldest not obey him vnlesse thou shouldest disobey God thou arte not at all in any thing bound vnto him in such a case for in such a case thou arte dispensed with in the first table by the interpretation true meaning of the same For seing that the honor which thou owest to thy father dothe comprehend the honor of god is grounded vpō the same it is certayne that if god be dishonored in that which thy father requireth of thée thou doest not honour him at al in such sorte as thou arte commāded by god to honour him if thou do it in such sorte as thy father requireth thée to do for thy father cannot be truly honoured in that wherin god is dishonored but is dishonored in that wherein god is dishonored although that men cannot alwayes vnderstand know it Therefore when thy father doth commaund thée any thing thou oughtest to haue good regard to the nature of the thing whiche he commaundeth thée to doe if it be a thing that thou maist doe without offence towarde God and thyne owne conscience séeke by all meanes possible to please him for the honoure of him that dothe so commaunde thée howe harde soeuer it be to doe if it bée otherwise in suche a case acknowledge him not at all for thy father bycause that the deuill doth require by him that thou shouldest yelde him in thy father that honoure which thou owest to thy only God and that he will make thy father his instrumente but leaue that Sathan transfigured into the likenesse of thy father and say vnto him that thou hast no father for whome thou mayst refuse and leaue God thy heauenly and eternall father For if a father should require his daughter to giue ouer hir selfe vnto him that he mought make hir a harlot or else that he himselfe moughte abuse hir or otherwise that he shoulde deliuer hir to anye whoremaster ought she to acknowledge suche a father for hir father and were she bound to obey him in suche a matter T. There is no man if he haue so muche as one sparke of good iudgement but would iudge hir worthy of greate blame if she should do it and worthy of great prayse if she did rather choose to die than to please hir father in such wickednesse for by such meanes she should not obey to hir father but to a bawde a whoremaster and an horrible incest and to a very Deuill D. Thou hast saide well Then if it be not lawfull for a daughter to giue ouer hir body to hir owne father to abuse it in any