for that the Churches bothe oures and youres do beleeue agreeably to the Scriptures of God and tradition of the holie fathers ¶ A Confession of faith made by the Counsell of Chalcedon taken out of the booke of Isidore AFter the rehearsall of the Creeds set foorth by the Synodes of Nice and Constantinople with a fewe wordes put betweene streight way the holie Counsell of Chalcedon doeth prescribe their Confession in these words We therfore agreeing with the holie fathers doe with one accorde teache to confesse one the same sonne our Lord Iesus Christ and him to be perfect GOD in the deitie and the same also verie man of a reasonable soule and bodie touching his Godhead beeing of one nature with his Father and the same as touching his manhoode of one nature with vs like to vs in all thinges excepte sinne Touchinge his Godhead borne of his Father before the worldes and the same in the latter dayes made man for vs and for our saluation Wee teache to consider that hee is the one and the same Christe the sonne our Lorde the onely begotten sonne in two natures nâ—ither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated and that the difference of the natures is not to be taken awaye because of the vnitie but rather the propertie of bothe his natures remaining whole and meeting together in one person and one substance that he is not parted or diuided in two persons but is one and the same Sonne the only begotten sonne God the worde Our Lord Iesus Christe euen as the prophets from the beginning haue witnessed of him as he himself hath instructed vs and the confession of the fathers hath taught vs These thinges therefore being ordered by vs with all care and diligence the holy and vniuersal Synode doth determine that it should not be lawful for any man to professe any other faith or else to write to teache or speake to the contrarie That the Decree of the Synode of Calcedon is not contrarie to the doctrine of the blessed bishop Cyrill taken out of the fifte Booke of the holy Martyr Vigiluis against Eutyches BVt nowe let vs consider the last article in the decree of the Synode of Calcedon We confesse that Christ our Lord the onely begotten Sonne is to be vnderstoode to bee one and the selfe same in his two natures neither confounded nor chaunged nor diuided nor separated not making voide the difference of the two natures because of the vnitie but keeping sound the propertie of both natures comming together into one person and substance not as beeing diuided or separated but as beeing one and the same onely beegotten Sonne God the word our Lord Iesus In this article this displeaseth them because they saide The propertie of bothe natures remaining sound Or The difference of the natures not beeing made void And that they may persuade vs that those things which they mislike are assuredly so they vsing their accustomed largenesse of wordes and vaine assertions doe bring in many testimonies out of the articles of Cyrill wherein he denyeth not the two natures in Christe but teacheth that there is but one person To the intent therefore that we maye not confute them with our disputation alone let vs set downe also the wordes of Cyrill that euen as they leane to the testimonie of Cyrill so by the testimonie of Cyrill they may be ouercome In the Synodall epistles of Cyrill to Nestorius thus it is writteÌ„ For we do not affirme saith he that the diuine nature is turned or chaunged into flesh nor yet that it is transformed into the whole man which consisteth of bodie and soule but wee say rather that the reasonable soule hath coupled to it selfe the substance of liuing flesh that it is vnspeakablie and vnconceiuably made man and is also called the sonne of man not of bare will alone nor by the onely taking on of the person but because the two natures doe after a certeine maner come together in one so that there is one Christ and one Sonne of both the natures by ioyning them in one not in making void or taking away the difference of the natures but because they that is the Godhead and the manhoode together by that hidden and vnspeakeable knitting to the vnitie haue made to vs one Lorde and one Christe and one sonne What could be spoken more plainely than this What could be shewed more cleerely out of the Epistles of Cyrill to agree with the determination of the Counsell of Calcedon For see neither are wordes to wordes nor sentence to sentence any thinge contrarie but euen as they had one meaning of faithe so vse they in a manner the selfe same wordes The holie Synode said The difference of the two natures beeing no where made voide Saint Cyrill sayde The difference of the natures not beeing made voyde or taken away by ioyning them together The holie Synode said Bothe the natures meeting together in one person S. Cyrill saith Not of a bare will onelie nor yet by the onlie taking on of a person but because the two natures after a sorte doe meete together in one The holie Synode said Not beeing diuided into two persons but beeing one and the same Christe S. Cyrill said So that of two that is to say of two natures is one Christ the sonne And again Because they that is the Godhead and the manhood together haue made to vs one Lorde one Christe and one Sonne c. The Creede of the first Counsell held at Toledo when Honorius and Arcadius were Emperours taken out of the booke of Isidore WE beleeue in one verie God the father allmightie and the sonne and the holie Ghoste maker of thinges visible and inuisible by whome all things were made in heauen and in earth We beleeue that there is one God and one trinitie of the diuine substance And that the father himself is not the sonne but that he hath a Sonne which is not the father That the sonne is not the father but that the sonne of God is of the nature of the father And also that the holie Ghoste is the comforter which neither is the father him selfe nor the sonne but proceeding froÌ„ the father and the sonne The father therefore is vnbegotten the sonne begotten the comforter not begotten but proceeding from the father and the sonne The Father is hee from whome this voice was hearde out of Heauen This is my beloued sonne in whome I am well pleased heare him The Sonne is he whiche saide I went out from the Father and came from GOD into this worlde The comforter is the holie Ghoste of whom the sonne said Vnlesse I go away to the father the coÌ„forter shal not come We beleeue in this trinitie differing in persons but all one in substance not diuided nor differing in strength power and maiestie and we beleeue that beside this there is no diuine nature either of Angel or of spirit or any power which may be beleeued to be God. We therefore
grace that is which haue power to giue grace For they say that they are as instruments pipes certeine conduits of Christes passion by whiche the grace of Christe is conueyed and powred into vs but that the signes of the old testament giuen to the fathers were signes onely and not causes of grace also whiche haue force to signifie but not to giue grace They séeme truelye to haue suckte that errour out of Sainct Augustines words wrongfully vnderstoode for he writeth vppon the 73. Psalme thus The sacraments of the new lawe are more wholesome happie than they of the old lawe because they promise these giue But S. Augustinement to say no other thing than that whiche in another place he speaketh after this manner The sacrament of the old lawe did foreshew that Christ should come but ours doe shewe that hee is come For also against Faustus Lib. 19. cap. 14. he calleth the Sacraments of the old lawe Promises of things to bee perfourmed but our sacramentes tokens of thinges that are alreadie perfourmed Wherfore vpon the 73. Psalme he sayeth The sacramentes of the old lawe are giuen to signifie the verie thing but ours do witnesse that it is giuen and signifie that it is present I confesse that he saith more than once that our sacramentes are more comfortable and effectuall but hee said that by no other reason than for that the Messias being alreadie reuealed and giuen vnto vs in the new testament our sacramentes are more perfecte more lightsome and more beautifull for Christ hath brought all signes to an end wherfore ours haue a more full signification and after a sort are the more liuelie But if Augustine had béene altogether of that opinion which these men do fauour and followe would not godlines it selfe persuade vs to forsake the authoritie of men and cleane to the word of trueth Let vs sée therefore what may bée gathered out of the word of trueth that is out of the canonical scriptures touching the likenes and difference of the sacraments of the old and new testament This we hould for a certeintie out of the scriptures that there is but one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God and Lord of either Churche that there is but one faith in him thorough Christe of either Churche that there is but one waye layd downe in either Church to atteine to the promises of saluation to be short that there is but one Churche of the onely liuing God gathered together out of either people both of the Iewes Gentiles I thincke there needeth no large confirmation of these thinges out of the scripture béecause in the 8. Decade and third Sermon I haue handled them at the full Now that I haue fortified and cōfirmed these thinges before by the writinges of the Apostles thus I conclude not of mine owne braine but by the authoritie of God They which alwayes haue one euerlasting and vnchaungeable God one waye of saluation set forth for all in Christ from the beginning one faith one church one baptisme the same spirituall meate and drincke they cannot choose but haue the selfe same sacraments as touching their substance But the Iewes and Christians haue one God one faith one way of saluation which is by Christe to be short one church therefore haue they also the selfe same sacraments sauing that ours are giuen vnder other signes and for that throughe the reuelation ot the Sunne of righteousnes I meane Christ are made more lightsome and manifest I saye further that the scripture witnesseth that the sacraments of the old testament and ours are of the same force in so muche that Paule calleth them circumcised which are baptised and them baptised which are circumcised And he also teacheth That oure fathers did eate that spirituall meate which wee eate dranke of that spirituall drincke that is the rocke But anon he addeth And that rocke was Christ The words of the Apostle are well knowen and are read in the 1. Cor. 10. The same Apostle in the se-second chapiter to the Coloss saith In Christ ye are complete or made perfecte in whome also ye are circumcised with circumcision made without hands by putting off the bodie of the flesh subiecte to sinne by the circumcision of Christe buried with him in baptisme c. What I praye you can bée spoken more plainely Circumcision made without handes is the circumcision of Christians which is baptisme But in the former place of Paul to the Corinthians we must mark as elsewhere I put you in minde that to be baptised into Moses is not the same that it is to be baptised into Christe For to be baptised into Moses is all one as if he had said to be baptised by Moses or thoroughe the ministerie of Moses For it is manifest that Moses broughte the people to GOD whiche were onely committed to his charge In many places in Aurel. August ye shall read the like howsoeuer oure aduersaries doe father vppon Augustine this difference betwene the sacraments of the old lawe and ours of their owne bringing in For he Lib. 2. cont literas Petil. cap. 27. sayeth The sacraments of the Iewes were in out ward tokens diuers from ours but in the thinges signified they were equall and all one Also Tract in Ioan. 26. vpon this place He is the bread which came downe frō heauē he saith Manna did fignifie this bread the altar of God signified this bread Those were sacramēts In signes they are diuers but in the thinge signified equall The like woordes thou mayest read Lib. 19. contra Faustum Manichęum cap. 13. 16. 17. And againe Tract in Ioan 45. Before the comming of oure Lord Iesus Christ whē he came basely in the fleshe there were iust and righteous men who did so beléeue in him then that was to come as we doe beléeue in him nowe that is come The times were chaunged but so was not faith And so forth And anon In diuers signes is all one faith so in diuers signes as in diuers words because woords chaunge their soundes by times and truely words are nothing bu◠signes For in that they signifie they are wordes take a waye the signification from the word and it is a vaine noyse Therefore all woordes are significations Did not these that ministred those signes in the old lawe beléeue those thinges which we no we beléeue were prophecied before hand by them No doubt they did beléeue them but they beléeued they should come and wee that they are come Also vppon the 77. Psalme The same meate and drincke sayeth hee had they in their Sacraments which wée haue in oures but in signification the same not in likenesse For the selfe same Christ was figured to them in the rocke but manifested to vs in the flesh But with them all God was not well pleased All verilie did eate one spirituall meate and dranke one spirituall drinke that is which signified some spirituall thing but in all of them God had no delight And
haereticorum THe rule of faith is that we out of hande professe openly what our beleefe is which is that in deed wherby we beleeue that there is one God onlie not any other beside the maker of the worlde whiche by his worde sent out firste of all brought foorth all thinges of nothing That worde beeing called his Sonne beeing seene after sundry sortes of the Patriarches beeing alwayes hearde in the Prophetes and lastly by the spirit and power of God the father beeing brought into the virgin Marie beeing made fleash in her wombe and borne of her became Iesus Christ which afterwarde preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdome of Heauen wrought myracles sate at the right hande of the Father was nayled to the crosse roase againe the thirde day was taken into the heaueÌ„s sitteth at the right hand of the Father sent the power of the holie Ghost to gouerne the beleeuers in his owne steed shall come with glorie to take the saintes into the ioy of eternall life and heauenly promises and to condemne the wicked to euerlasting fier when both the parties are raysed vp and haue their fleash restored againe This rule as it shall be prooued beeing ordeyned by Christ hath among vs no doubtes at all but those which heresies bring in and which make men become heretiques The Creede of the blessed Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria taken out of his bookes WHosoeuer will be saued before all things it is necessarie that he holde the Catholique faith Which faith exeept euery one do kepe holy vndefiled without dout he shall perish euerlastingly And the Catholique faith is this that we worship one God in trinitie and trinitie in vnitie Neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the Father another of the Sonne and another of the holy Ghost But the godhead of the Father of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost is all one the glory equall the maiestie coeternall Such as the Father is such is the Sonne and such is the holy Ghost The Father vncreate the Sonne vncreate and the holy Ghost vncreate The Father incomprehensible the Sonne incomprehensible and the holy Ghoste incomprehensible The Father eternall the Sonne eternall and the holie Ghost eternall And yet they are not three eternalls but one eternall As also there be not three incomprehensibles nor three vncreated but one vncreated and one incomprehensible So likewise the Father is almightie the Sonne almightie and the holie Ghoste almightie And yet are they not three almighties but one almightie So the Father is God the Sonne is God and the holie Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods but one God. So likewise the father is Lord the Sonne Lord and the holie Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lordes but one Lord. For like as we be coÌ„pelled by the Christian veritie to acknowledge euerie person by him selfe to be God and Lorde So are we forbidden by the Catholique religion to say there be three Gods or three Lordes The father is made of none neither created nor begotten The sonne is of the father alone not made nor created but begotten The holie Ghost is of the father and of the sonne neyther made nor created nor begotten but proceeding So there is one father not three fathers one sonne not three sonnes one holy ghost not three holy ghostes And in this Trinitie none is afore or after other none is greater or lesse than other But the whole three persons be coetâ—rnall together and coequall So that in all things as is aforesaid the vnitie in trinitie and the trinitie in vnitie is to be worshipped He therefore that will be saued must thus thinke of the trinitie Furthermore it is necessarie to euerlasting saluation that he also beleeue rightly in the incarnation of our Lorde Iesus Christ For the right faith is that we beleeue and confesse that our Lorde Iesus Christ the sonne of God is God and man. God of the substance of the father begotten before the worldes and man of the substance of his mother borne in the worlde Perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule and humane flesh subsisting Equall to the father as touching his godhead and inferior to the father touching his manhood Who although he be God and man yet he is not two but one Christ One not by the conuersion of the godhead into flesh but by taking of the manhood into God. One altogether not by confusion of substance but by vnitie of person For as the reasonable soule and flesh is one man so God and man is one Christ Who suffered for our saluation descended into hell rose againe the thirde day from the deade He ascended into heauen he sitteth on the right hand of the father God almightie from whence he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead At whose comming all men shall rise againe with their bodies and shall giue account for their owne woorkes And they that haue done good shall goe into life euerlasting and they that haue done euill into euerlasting fier This is the Catholique faith which except a man beleeue faithfully he can not be saued The Creede of the blessed Damasus bishop of Rome taken out of the seconde Tome of S. Hierome his woorkes WE beleeue in one God the father almightie and in one Iesus Christ our Lorde the sonne of God and in the holy ghost We worship and confesse God not three Gods but the father the sonne and the holy ghost one God one God not so as though he were alone nor as one which is himselfe father to him selfe and sonne him selfe also but him to be the father which begot him to be the sonne which was begotten but the holy ghost to be neither begotten nor created nor created nor made but proceeding from the father and the sonne coeternall coequal and working together with the father and the sonne because it is written By the worde of the Lorde the heauens were established that is by the sonne of God and by the breath of his mouth all the powers thereof And in another place Sende forth thy breath and they shall be created and thou shalt renew the face of the earth And therfore vnder the name of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost we confesse one God which is the name of the power and not of the propertie The proper name of the father is the father and the proper name of the sonne is the sonne and the proper name of the holy ghost is the holy ghost In this trinitie of persons we worship one god in substance because that which is of one father is of one nature with the father of one substance and one power The father begat the sonne not by will or necessitie but by nature The sonne in the last time came downe from the father to saue vs and to fulfill the scriptures who neuerthelesse neuer ceassed to be with the father And
that séede and branch of life should come Moreouer the holy fathers taught that God by a certaine league hath ioyned him selfe to mankind and that he hath most streightly bounde him selfe to the faythful and the faythfull likewise to him selfe againe Wherevpon they did teache to be faythfull to God ward to honour God to hate false Gods to call vpon the onely God and to worship him deuoutly Furthermore they taught that the worship of God did consist in things spirituall as fayth hope charitie obedience vpright dealing holinesse innocencie patience trueth iudgement and godlinesse And therfore did they reprehend naughtinesse and sinne falshoode lacke of beliefe desperation disobedience vnpatientnesse lying hypocrisie hatred dispitefull tauntes violence wrong vnrightuous dealing vncleannesse riottousnesse surfetting whoredome vnrighteousnesse and vngodlynesse They taught that God was a rewarder of good but a punisher and reuenger of euill They taught that the soules of men were immortall and that the bodyes shoulde rise againe in the daye of iudgement therefore they exhorted vs all so to liue in this temporall life that we doe not lese the life eternall This is the sum of the worde of God reuealed to the fathers and by them deliuered to their posteritie This is the traditiō of the holy fathers which cōprehendeth al religion Finally this is the true auncient vndoubted authenticall catholike faith of the fathers Besides this the holy fathers taught their children childers children the accompt of the yeares from the beginning of the world also the true historicall course as well profitable as necessarie of things from the creation of the worlde euen vnto their owne times leaste peraduenture their children shoulde be ignoraunt of the beginning and succession of worldlye things and also of the iudgementes of God and examples of them whiche liued as well godly as vngodly I coulde declare vnto you all this euidently and in verye good order out of the first booke of Moses called Genesis if it were not that thereby the sermen shoulde be drawne out somewhat longer then the vse is But I suppose that there are few or rather none at al here present whiche doe not perceiue that I haue rehearsed this that I haue said touching the tradition of the auncient fathers as it were worde for worde out of the booke of Genesis so that nowe I maye very well go forwarde in the narration which I haue begonne So then what so euer hitherto was of the fathers deliuered to the world by worde of mouth as it were from hand to hande that was first of all put into writing by the holy man Moses together with those thinges whiche were done in al the time of Moses life by the space of 120. yeares And that his estimation might be the greater throughout all the worlde among all men and in all ages and that none shoulde but knowe that the writings of Moses were the very worde of God it selfe Moses was furnished and as it were consecrated by God with signes and wonders to be meruelled at in déede whiche the almightie by the hande that is by the ministerie of Moses did bring to passe and verily he wrought them not in any corner of the worlde or place vnknowne but in Egypt the moste flourishing and renoumed kingdome of that age Those miracles were greater and farre more by many then that they can be here rehearsed in fewe wordes neyther is it néedful to repeate them bicause you dearely beloued are not vnskilfull or ignorant of them at al. After that also God by other meanes procured authoritie to Moses For many and often times God had communication with Moses and amongst the rest of his talke sayde he Beholde I will come to thee in a thicke cloude that the people may heare me talking with thee may beleue thee for euermore Neyther was the Lord therewith content but commaunded Meles to call together all the people sixe hundreth thousand men I say with their wiues and children They are called out to the mount Sina where God appeareth in a wonderfull and terrible fashion and he him selfe preaching to the congregation doth rehearse vnto them the ten Commaundements But the people being terrified with the maiestie of God doth pray and beséech that God him self would no more afterward preach to the congregatiō with his owne mouth saying that it were inoughe if he would vse Moses as an interpreter to them and by him speake to the Church The most high God did like the offer and after that he spake to the people by Moses what soeuer he would haue done And for bycause that the people was a stifnecked people by keping company with Idolaters in Egypt was not a little corrupted Moses nowe began to set downe in writing those things whiche the holy fathers by tradition had taught the things also which the Lorde had reuealed vnto him The cause why he wrote them was least peraduenture by obliuion continuance of time and obstinancie of a people so slowe to beleeue they might either perish or else be corrupted The Lord also set Moses an example to folow For what so euer God had spoken to the Church in Mount Sina that same did he streight way after write with his owne finger in two tables of stone as he had with his finger frō the beginning of the world writtē the same in the harts of the fathers Afterward also in plain words he commaunded Moses to write what soeuer the Lord had reueled Moses obeyed the Lordes commaundement and writ them The holy Gheste whiche was wholye in the mynde of Moses directed his hand as he writ There was no abilitie wanting in Moses that was necessarie for a most absolute writer He was aboundantly instructed by his auncestours For he was borne of the holiest progenie of those fathers whome God had appointed to be witnesses of his will commaundements and iudgements suppose Amram Kahad Iacob Sem Methusalem and Adam He was able therefore to write a true and certain Hystorie from the beginning of the worlde euen vntill his owne time Wherevnto he added those thinges which were done among the people of God in his owne life time whereof he was a very true witnesse as one that sawe and heard them Yea and that more is whatsoeuer he did set forth in his bookes that did he read to his people and amongst so many thousandes was there not one found which gainsayed that whiche he rehearsed so that the whole consent and witnesse-bearing of the great congregation did bring no small authoritie to the writings of Moses Moses therefore contained in the fiue bookes called the fiue books of Moses an hystorie from the beginning of the world euē vnto his own death by the space of 2488. yeres In which he declared most largely the Reuelation of the worde of God made vnto men whatsoeuer the word of God dothe containe and teach In which as we haue the manyfolde Oracles of God him self
to lay hand on the life to come The faithfull Saints could in no wise haue don these things vnlesse the doctrine whiche they beléeued had béene of god Although therefore that the Apostles were men yet their doctrine first of all taught by a liuely expressed voyce and after that set downe in writing with penne and yncke is the doctrine of God and the very true word of god For therefore the Apostle left this saying in writing When ye did receaue the woord of God whiche ye heard of vs ye receiued it not as the word of men but as it is in deede the word of God which effectually worketh in you that beleeue But nowe the matter it selfe and place require that I gather also and plainely reckon vp those bookes wherin is conteined the very word of God first of all declared of the Fathers of Christ himselfe and the Apostles by-word of mouth after that also written into Bookes by the Prophetes and Apostles And in the first place verely are set the fiue bookes of Moses Then follow the bookes of Iosua of Iudges of Ruth two bookes of Samuel two of Kinges two of Chronicles of Esdras Nehemias and Hester one a piece After these come Iob Dauid or the booke of Psalmes Prouerbes Ecclesiastes and Cantica With them are numbered the foure greater Prophets Esaias Ieremias Ezechiel and Daniel then the twelue lesser Prophetes whose names are very well knowne With these bookes the olde Testament ended The Newe Testament hathe in the beginning the Euangelicall hystorie of Christ the Lord written by foure Authors that is by two Apostles Mathewe and Iohn and by two Disciples Marke and Luke who compiled a wonderfull goodly and profitable booke of the Actes of the Apostles Paule to sundrie Churches and persons published 14. Epistles The other Apostles wrote 7. whiche are called both Canonical and Catholique And the books of the new Testament are ended with the reuelation of Iesus Christ whiche he opened to the Disciple whome he loued Iohn the Euangelist and Apostle shewing vnto him and so to the whole church the ordinaunce of God touching the Churche euen vntil the day of iudgement Therefore in these fewe and meane not vnmeasurable in these plaine and simple not darke and vnkemmed books is coōprehended the ful doctrine of godlynes whiche is the very word of the true liuing and eternall God. Also the bookes of Moses and the Prophetes through so many ages perils and captiuities came sound and vncorruptted euen vntill the time of Christ and his Apostles For the Lord Iesus the Apostles vsed those bookes as true copies and authentical which vndoubtedly they neither would nor could haue done if so be that eyther they had béen corrupted or altogether perished The bookes also whiche the Apostles of Christ haue added were throughout all persecutions kept in the Church safe and vncorrupted and are come sound and vncorrupted into our handes vpon whome the endes of the world are falne For by the vigilāt care vnspeakable goodnes of God our Father it is brought to passe that no age at any time either hathe or shal want so great a treasure Thus muche hitherto haue I declared vnto you derely beloued what the word of God is what the beginning of it in the Churche was what procéeding dignitie and certaintie it had The word of God is the speache of God that is to say the reuealing of his good will to mankinde whiche frō the beginning one while by his owne mouthe and an other whyle by the speache of Angels he did open to those first ancient and most holy Fathers who againe by tradition did faithfully deliuer it to their posteritie Here are to be remembred those great lightes of the world Adam Seth Methusalem Noe Sem Abraham Isaac Iaacob Amram and his Sonne Moses who at Gods commaundement did in writing comprehend the hystorie and traditiōs of the holy Fathers whervnto he ioyned the written lawe and exposition of the lawe togeather with a large and lightsome hystorie of his owne lyfe time After Moses God gaue to his Churche moste excellent men Prophets and Priestes who also by worde of mouthe and wrytings did deliuer to their posterity that whiche they had learned of the Lord After them came the Onely begotten Sonne of God himselfe downe from heauen into the world and fulfilled all whatsoeuer was found to be written of himselfe in the Lawe and the Prophetes The same also taught a moste absolute meane howe to liue well and holily He made the Apostles his witnesses Which witnesses did afterwardes first of all with a liuely expressed voice preach al things which the Lord had taught them and then to the intent that they should not be corrupted or clean taken out of mans remembraunce they did commit it to writing so that nowe we haue from the Fathers the Prophetes and Apostles the word of God as it was preached and written These thinges had their beginning of one the same spirite of God and do tende to one end that is To teach vs men how to liue well and holily He that beléeueth not these men namely the only begotten Sonne of God whom I pray you will he beleeue We haue here the moste holie innocent vpright liuing most praise worthie most iust moste ancient most wise and most diuine men of the whole world and compasse of the earth and briefly suche men as are by all meanes without comparison All the worlde cannot shew vs the like againe although it shuld wholy a thousand times be assembled in Counsels The holy Emperour Constantine gathered a generall counsell out of al the compasse of the earthe thether came there together out of all the worlde thrée hundred and eightéene moste excellent Fathers But they that are of the wisest sorte will say that these are not so muche as shadowes to be compared to them of whome we haue receiued the worde of god Let vs therefore in all thinges beléeue the worde of God deliuered to vs by the Scriptures Let vs thinke that the Lorde him selfe whiche is the very liuing and eternall God dothe speake to vs by the Scriptures Let vs for euermore prayse the name and goodnesse of him who hath vouched safe so faythfully fully and plainely to open to vs miserable mortall men all the meanes howe to liue well and holyly To him be prayse honour and glory for euermore Amen Of the worde of God to whom and to what end it was reuealed also in what maner it is to be hearde and that it doth fully teache the whole doctrine of godlinesse ¶ The seconde Sermon DEarely beloued in the laste Sermon you learned what the worde of God is from whence it came by whome it was chiefly reuealed what procéedings it had and of what dignitie and certaintie it is Now am I come againe and by Gods fauour and the helpe of your prayers I will declare vnto you beloued to whome and to what ende the worde of
sonnes of God What is he therefore that séeth not that in this treatise of Saint Paule iustification is taken for adoption especially since in the very same fourth Chapter to the Romanes he goeth about to proue that an inheritance is due to fayth wherevnto also he doth attribute iustification By all this it is made manifest that the question of iustification containeth nothing else out the manner and reason of sanctification that is to say wherby and how men haue their sinnes forgiuen and are receiued into the grace and number of the sonnes of God and being iustified are made heires of the kingdome of God. And now let vs trye whether that which we haue sayde be taught in the Scriptures the Christ before the iudgement seate of God when sentence of condemnation was to be pronounced against vs for our offences tooke oure sinnes vpon his owne necke and purged them by the sacrifice of his death vpon the crosse and that God also layd vpon Christ our fault and punishmeÌ„t so that Christe alone is the only satisfaction purging of the faithful This doth the Apostle Paule teach most expressely where he sayth Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect It is God that iustifieth Who shal condemne It is Christ that dyed yea rather it is he which is raised vp is at the right hand of the father making intercession for vs. And againe he sayth Christ redeemed vs from the curse of the lawe while he was made the curse for vs For it is written cursed be euery one that hangeth on the tree that vpon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham through Iesus Christ c. This did the Apostle teach out of the writings of Moses And Moses in his bookes doth often times make mention the the sinnes are laid vpoÌ„ the heads of the beastes which were sacrificed But those sacrifices bare the tipe or figure of the death and sacrifice of Christ Esaias also in his 53. chapter saith expresly He verily hath takeÌ„ on him our infirmities and born our peines He was wounded for our iniquities and smitten for our sinnes For the peine of our punishment was laid vpoÌ„ him and with his stripes arâ— we healed We all went astraye like shepe euery one turned his own way but the Lord hath thrown vpon him all our sinnes And immediatly after He hath taken away the sinnes of the multitude and made intercession for the transgressors Then these wordes I think nothing can be brought more to the matter or more fit for our present purpose To this alludeth Saint Peter when he sayth The Lorde him selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the crosse that we being dead to sinne may liue to righteousnes by the signe of whose stripes we are made whole Herevnto aliuded S. Iohn the forerunner of the Lorde when he sayde Beholde the Lambe of God that taketh awaye the sinnes of the worlde Moreouer the Apostle Paule beareth witnesse hereto saying Him that knewe not sinne he made sinne for vs that we throughe him might be made the righteousnesse of God Also in his Epistle to the Colossians he saythe It pleased the father that in Christ all fulnesse should dwell and by him to reconcile all thinges vnto him selfe hauing set at peace through the bloude of his crosse by him both things in earth and things in heauen These I suppose are testimonies sufficiently euident to proue that vpon Christ are layde our sinnes with the curse or condemnation due vnto oure offences and that Christe by his bloud hath cleâ—sed oure sinnes and by his death hath vanquished death and the deuill the authour of death and taken away the punishment due vnto vs. Yet bycause there be some and those not a fewe whiche denie that Christe by his death hath taken from vs sinners both faulte and punishment and that he became the onely satisfaction of the whole worlde I will therefore nowe alledge certaine other testimonies and repeate somewhat of that that I haue before recited thereby to make it manifest that Christe the only satisfaction of the world hath made satisfaction both for our sault and punishment Esayas verily witnessed that bothe the faulte of our offence and the punishment were taken away when he sayth He bare oure infirmities and was wounded for oure iniquities finallye the discipline of peace that is the discipline or chastising or punishment bringing peace or the penaltie of our correction that is the punishment due to vs for our offences was layde on his necke Marke also what followeth And with the blewnesse of his stripes are we healed This doth euidently teach that by the peine of Christe oure punishment is taken a waye For looke what peine penaltie punishment or correction was due to vs and the same was layde on the Lorde him selfe and for that cause was the Lorde wounded and receiued stripes And with them he healed vs But he had not yet healed vs at all if we should yet looke for woundes stripes stroakes that is to say punishment for our sinnes The death of Christe therfore is a full satisfaction for our sinnes But what I praye you shoulde Christe auayle vs if yet we shoulde be punished for oure offences Therefore when we say that he did beare all our sinnes in his bodye vpon the Crosse what else doe we meane I praye you but that the Lorde by death that was not due vnto him tooke from vs Gods vengeaunce that it might not lighte on vs to our punishment Paule as often as he maketh mention of our redemption made by Christe is wont to name it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which worde he vnderstandeth not as the common sort do redemption barely and simply but the very price and satisfaction of redemption Wherefore also he writeth that Christ him selfe did giue him selfe to be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for vs that is to say the price wherewith captiues are redéemed from their enimies in the warre For that which we do commonly call raunsomes the Gréekes do name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So then that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when man for man and life for life is redeemed But vpon them that are thus raunsomed and set at libertie there is no punishment afterwarde layd by reason of the translation therof from one to another Furthermore this is the newe Couenaunt that God in his Christ hath made with vs that he will not remember our iniquities But howe could he chose but remember oure iniquities if he ceased not to punishe them So then this remayneth not to be doubted of that Christe our Lord is the full propitiation satisfaction oblation and sacrifice for the sinnes I saye for the punishment and the faulte of all the world yea and by him selfe alone for in none other is any saluation neyther is there any other name giuen vnto men whereby they must be saued I denie not but that bycause of discipline chastisement and exercise diuers sortes
but through one For he saith not And to the seedes as though he spake of many but as speaking of one he saith And to thy seede that is Christ Therefore it is a detestable thing to augment or diminishe any thing in this testament of God Christ alone is the only sauiour stil men can neither saue them selues nor other Againe in the same Epistle to the Galathians he saith We knowe that man is not iustified by the workes of the lawe but by faith in Iesus Christ in so much as no flesh shal◠be iustified by the workes of the lawe This is nowe the thirde time that Paul saith that men are not iustified by the workes of the lawe In whiche clause he comprehendeth all maner of works of what sorte soeuer So then no kinde of workes do iustifie But what is it then that iustifieth Faith in Christe and that verily alone For what else can these wordes import We knowe that man is not iustified but by fayth in Christe For the force of these two speaches is all one Faith alone dothe iustifie And it is certaine that we are not iustified but by faythe in Iesus Christ He addeth the example of the Apostles And we haue beleued in Iesus Christ that we might be iustified by sayth in Iesus Christe and not by the workes of the law In like maner also Peter argueth by an example in the Acts of the Apostles and saith We beleeue that through the grace of our Lord Iesus Christe we shall be saued euen as they Acts. 15. Moreouer in the very same chapter to the Gala. he saith I despise not the grace of God for if righteousnesse come of the law then Christ is deade in vaine For if we in our selues had had any thing whereby we might be saued what néeded the sonne of God to take our flesh to suffer and to dy But for bycause the sonne of God being incarnate did suffer and die and died not in vaine therefore in our fleshe there was nothing that could obtaine saluation for mankinde Wherfore the only sonne of God is our Sauiour for euer and by true faith maketh vs partakers of his saluation Paule in the very beginning of his Epistle to the Rom. doth proue that al men are sinners that in men there remaineth no strength for them to be saued by and that the lawe of God it selfe doth dig vp the knowledge of offences that is doth apply them bring them to light and make them manifest but doth not take them away blot them out or vtterly extinguish them and that therefore God for his owne goodnes sake to the end that the work that he hath made shoulde not altogether perishe doth iustifie the faithfull fréely by faith in Iesus Christ I will rehearse a fewe of the Apostles owne wordes The righteousnesse of God saith he is declared without the law being witnessed notwithstanding by the law and the Prophets the righteousnesse of God I say commeth by faith in Iesus Christ vnto all and vpō all them that beleeue For there is no difference For all haue sinned haue neede of the glory of God but are iustified freely by his grace through the redemptiō that is in Christ Iesu whō God hath set forth to be a propitiatiō thrugh faith in his blud These words of the Apostle I suppose are most manifest to them that beleeue He plucketh iustification from our owne merites strength and attributeth it to grace wherby the sonne of God is giuē to the worlde vnto the punishment of the crosse that al they that beleue that they are redéemed by the bloud of the sonne of God may be iustified Againe the Apostle immediatly after addeth Therfore we hold that man is iustified by faith without the workes of the law Vpon the necke of this againe he argueth thus Is he the God of the Iewes only Is he not also of the gentils Yes euen of the Gentiles also For it is one God that shall iustifie Circumcision by faith and vncircumcision through faith To be God is nothing else but to be life saluation But God is the God of the Gentiles also not of the Iewes alone therefore God is the life saluation of the Gentiles This life saluation he doth communicate to vs not by the law or through circūcision but by faith in Christ Therfore fayth alone doth iustifie This may be proued by the example of Cornelius the Centurion who as soone as S. Peter had preched vnto him and he once beleued was by and by iustified when as yet he had not receiued circumcisiō or the law when as yet he had not sacrificed nor merited righteousnesse by any work that he did For he was fréely iustified in faith thrugh Iesu Christ For Peter concluded his Sermon to him in these words To this Christ do all the Prophetes giue witnesse that thrugh his name whosoeuer beleueth in him shal receiue remissiō of sinnes After all this the Apostle Paul bringeth in that notable and singular example of our father Abraham teching by what meanes our father Abrahā was iustified For this being once truly declared it can not chose but be plaine manifest to euery one by what means Gods wil is to iustifie al men For the sonnes can not be iustified any other way then the father before them was iustified Abraham therefore was not iustified by circūcision or receiuing of the sacrament For it is saide that he was iustified before he was circumcised Afterward was added the signe of circumcision as the seale of the righteousnesse of faithe that is the signe or sealing that al the séede of Abraham is iustified by faith The same our father Abrahā was not iustified by the lawe For the lawe was 430. yeres added to the promise not to take away sinne or to worke iustification but to make sin appeare to make vs altogether emptie when we are once made emptie to send as it were compell vs to flye to Christ Againe Abraham was not iustified by his works And yet in that most excellent Patriarch are found to be good works yea those too good workes of true faith which are both notable and many in number suche and so many as you shall scarcely finde in any other Neuerthelesse yet the Apostle saith What shall we say then that Abrahā our father as pertaining to the flesh who I say is oure father touching the flesh did merit or find for both those significations hath the Greeke worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For if Abraham were iustified by works thē hath he to boste but not before god For God is only iust and he that only iustifieth Al mē are corrupt yea euen Abraham is a sinner and euery man standeth in néed of the glory of god For which cause also the Prophet did plainely forbid to boast in any thing but in the mercy of god Wherefore Abraham boasted not againste God he acknowledged him selfe to be a
againe and in their owne flesh stande amonge the lyuinge that are chaunged before the Tribunall seate of Christe lookinge for that laste pronounced sentence in iudgemente This doth Paule set downe in these woordes Loe I tell you a mysterie we shall not all verilie sleepe but we shal all be chaunged in a moment of time in the twinckling of an eye at the sounde of the laste trump For it shall sounde and the dead shall ryse againe incorruptibly and we shal be chaunged For this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortall must put on immortalitie By this euident testimonie of the Apostle wee maye gather in what facion our bodyes shal bee in that resurrection Verilie oure bodyes shal be none other in the resurrection then now they bee this onely excepted that they shal be cleane without all corruption and corruptible affection For the Apostle sayth The deade shal rise againe And wee shal be chaunged And againe pointing expressly and precisely to these very bodyes which here wée beare aboute hée sayth This corruptible This mortall Yea This body I saye and no other as Iob also witnessed shal rise againe and that shall rise agayne incorruptible which was corruptible that shall rise againe immortall which before the resurrection was mortall So then this body of ours in the resurrection shal be set free from all euill affections and passions from all corruption but the substaunce therof shall not be brought to noughte it shall not be chaunged into a Spirite it shall not loose the owne and proper shape And this body verilie because of that purification and cleansing from those dreggs yea rather because of these heauenlie and diuine giftes is called both a spirituall body and also a glorious and purified bodie For Paule in the thirde to the Philippians sayth Our conuersation is in Heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour the Lorde Iesus Christe who shall chaunge oure vile bodie that it maye be made like vnto his glorious bodie See here the Apostle calleth not oure resurrection from the deade a transubstantiation or losse of the substaunce of our body but a chaunging then also shewing what kinde of bodie that chaunged bodie is hee calleth it a glorious bodie not without all shape and voyde of facion but augmented in glorie yea hee setteth before vs the verie bodie of oure Lorde Iesus Christ where in he sheweth vs what facion oure bodies shall haue being in glorie For in plaine woordes hee sayth Hee shall make oure vile bodie like to his glorious bodie Let vs therefore see what kinde of bodie oure Lorde had after his resurrection it was neither tourned into a Ghoste nor broughte to nothinge nor yet not able to be knowne by the shape and figure For shewing them his handes and feete that were easilie knowne by the printe of the nayles wherewith hee was crucifyed hee sayde See for I am euen hee to wit cladde agayne wyth the same bodie wherein I hong vppon the Crosse For speaking yet more plainely and prouing that that bodie of his was not a spirituall substaunce hee sayde A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as yee see that I haue Hee hath therefore a purified bodie fleshe and bones and the verie same members which hee had when as yet his bodie was not purified And for this cause did the same Lorde offer to Thomas his syde and the scarres of his fiue woundes to bee fealt and handled to the ende that wee shoulde not doubte but that his verie bodie was raised vp againe Hee did both eate and drincke wyth his Disciples as Peter in the Actes witnesseth before Cornelius that all men might know that the verie self same bodie that died rose from death againe Now althoughe this bodie be comprehended within a certaine limited place not dispersed all ouer and euerie where although it haue a iust quantitie figure or shape and a iust weight with the owne kinde and nature yet notwithstanding it is free from euerie passion corruption and infirmitie For the bodie of the Lorde once raysed vppe was in the Gardeine and not in the Sepulcher when the women came to annoynt it it meeteth them by the waye as they returne from the Sepulcher and offereth it selfe to be séene of Magdalene in the Gardeine it goeth in company to Emaus with the two Disciples that iourneyed to Emaus in the meane time while hee was wyth them in bodie hée was not among the other disciples when they twayne are returned to the eleuen the Lord himselfe at euening is present wyth them Hée goeth before his Disciples into Galile presently after hée commeth into Iurie againe where his body was taken vp from Mount Oliuet into Heauen All this doth prone the certayne veritie of Christes his body But because this bodie although it be a true and verie bodie of the owne proper kinde place disposition of the owne proper shape and nature is called a glorified and glorious body I will say somewhat of that glorie which verily is incident to the true shape and substance of the body once raysed vppe againe First glorie in this sense is vsed for a lightsomnes and shining brightnes For Paule sayth that the children of Israel for the glorie of Moses countenaunce coulde not beholde with their eyes the face of Moses so then a glorious body is a bright and shining bodie A very good proofe of this did our Lord shewe euen a litle before his resurrection when it pleased him to giue to his Disciples a small taste of the glorie to come and for that cause toke asyde certaine whom he had chosen into the toppe of a certaine hill where he was trāsfigured before them so that that the facion of his countenaūce did shine as the Sunne and his clothes were white and glistered as the light The Lord verilie had still the same bodilie substaunce and the same members of the bodie but they were transfigured But it is manifest that that transfiguratiō was in the accidēts For light and brightnesse was added so that the shape substance of the countenance and bodye remayning as it was the countenaunce and body did glister as the Sunne the light And althoughe wée reade not that the body of the Lord did within those 40. dayes wherin he shewed himselfe aliue againe to his Disciples make manifeste and spread abroade the brightnesse which it had and that by reason of the dispensation whereby also hée did eate with his disciples not withstanding that clarified bodies neede not foode or nourishment at all yet neuerthelesse his bodie shineth nowe in Heauen as Iohn in the first of the Apocalipse witnesseth and the sacred Scriptures laye an assured hope before vs that euen oure bodyes also shall in the resurrection be likewise clarified For the Lord himselfe in the Gospell alledginge the woords of Daniell sayth Then shal the righteous shine as the Sonne in his fathers kingdome For this cause the glorious bodies are called also clarifyed of the
ought not to denie his assistance and defence to the godly ministers of Christe and the Churches Herevnto belong the testimonies of Saint Paule that may be alledged In the last chapter of his first Epistle to the Thessalonians he saith We beseeche you brethren to knowe them which labour among you and haue the ouersight of you in the Lord and admonish you that yee may haue thē in reputation through loue for their worke and be at peace with them Again to the Hebrues he sayth Obey them that haue the rule ouer you and giue place vnto them for they watch for your soules as they that shall giue account for them that they may do it in ioy and not in trembling for that is profitable for you For how many and great calamities haue falne vpon kingdomes and peoples for the contempt of Gods worde and his ministers many examples can teache vs but that especially which in the laste chapter of the second booke of Chronicles is set downe in these words The Lorde God of their fathers sent to them by his messingers rising vp betimes and sending for hee had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place But they mocked the messingers of God and despised his wordes and iested at his Prophetes vntill the wrath of God arose against his people and till there was no remedie Like vnto this are the wordes of the Lorde in the Gospell where he sayth I sende vnto you Prophetes and wise men some of whome ye shal scourge and kyll that all the righteous bloud may light vpon you whiche hath bene shead vpon the earth from the bloud of the righteous Abel vnto the bloud of Zacharias the sonne of Barachias whom ye slue betweene the temple and the altar and so foorth for the place is knowne to you all dearely beloued and is to be séene in the. 23. Chapter after S. Mathew We must beware therefore in any case that we doe not despise God who speaketh to vs in his word by his seruants the Prophets We owe by the force of this commandement all loue reuerence help comfort and humanitie to our kinsfolkes and alliance In this commandemēt are they condemned that shew them selues to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say men without all naturall affection and friendly loue to their owne bloud and kinsfolkes There is a certaine naturall affection goodwill loue and pitifull mercy which the Scripture calleth the bowels of mercy in the father and mother towarde their children in brother towarde brother and in cousins toward their kinssolkes and friends of their aliance We haue notable examples hereof set downe in the Scriptures of Abrahams loue toward his sonne Isaac and of Iosephes affection toward his father Iacob and his brethren but èspecially towarde Beniamin his brother by one mother Mothers and daughters in lawe haue a notable example to followe in Noemi and Ruth Mothers and daughters in lawe for the most part do beare a deadly hate the one to the other which is the cause of muche mischiefe in the houses where they be Let them learn therfore by this preatie example how to behaue them selues on both parts Let the mother in lawe thinke the daughter in law to be her own daughter and let the daughter in lawe honour and reuerēce her mother in law euen as if she were her owne mother Many thinges must be winked at on both sides many things must be taken in good part and many thinges put vp with a quiet mynde Many thinges must be forgiuen and they must both haue their eares stopped against tatling talebearers and wrongfull suspicions Concorde in euery house is the greatest treasure that may be and discord at home is the most perillous and endlesse mischiefe that can be inuented Paule his wordes touching good turnes and honour to be giuen to our kinsefolkes are very wel knowne and extant to be séene in the fift Chapter of his first Epistle to Limothie Last of all also there is to be found in the worde of God a peculiar lawe for the honouring of olde men which biddeth vs to rise before the hoary and gray haired head Olde men therefore are to be honoured whome we must worthily magnifie and in whom we must acknowledge the singular grace of God in giuing them long life and that by long and continuall experience of all thinges they haue attayned to muche witte or wisedome whereby they are able to helpe vs with their counsell They therefore ought to be praysed that all may vnderstand that gray haires are a crown of glory Moreouer if aged impotent persons are driuen into néede then must our aboundance supply their necessitie To be short we must not denie to olde men any dutie of humanitie wherewith we may pleasure them In the same sort also there are here commended vnto vs widowes orphans wardes poore men straungers sicke and miserable people And for that cause did the deuout and good men of olde bestowe their goods liberally to the refreshing of olde men widowes fatherlesse children and poore sillie creatures Those goods at this day are called Churche goods or Ecclesiasticall contributions whiche vndoutedly are very wel bestowed if they be layde out on them for whome they were giuen In the Emperours constitutions we may sée that there were common houses and substaunce builded and appointed for all sorts of néedie people For there is mention made of houses for fatherlesse childrē of Hospitals for olde men of spittles for beggars of places for sicke men and nourceries for children Among vs at these dayes there are Hospitals and Monasteries very many whereof haue seuerall places appointed for orphans olde men poore people impotent creatures sicke persons and infants They therefore doe commit an vnappeasable offence whosoeuer bestowe to other vses the substance and places ordeined for olde and poore people and lash out they care not howe prodigally in ryot and lustinesse the almes bestowed vpon poore silly souls And nowe hitherto haue I declared howe our parents ought to be honoured and they which are conteined vnder the name of parents There is now remaining the third and laste part of our present treatise wherin we haue to sée what God promiseth to them that honour their parents religiously whereby we haue to gather what perill hangs ouer the heades of them that wickedly neglect and irreligiously despise their parents The Lord in the lawe therefore sayth That thy dayes may be long in the lande which the Lorde thy God shall giue thee The meaning of which saying is Honour thy father thy mother that thou maist for many dayes inioy the possession of the lande whiche thou shalt haue in testimonie of my fauour to thée ward These wordes doe properly belong to the Iewes But very well and truly doth a godly minister of Christe writing vpon this place say Bycause the whole earth is blessed to the faithfull we do nothing amisse when we reckon this present life among the blessings
in the beginning what minde may be able at any time to clime beyond that WAS Or when shall wee so comprehend in our minde that WAS that it goe not before or outreache our thoughtes Vppon good reason therefore worthily the Prophete Isaie béeing astonnished cryeth out And who shal declare his generation For he passing all capacitie of minds and being farre aboue and beyond all reason of man is vnspeakeable And anon after hée sayeth Beecause the sonne is before all worldes he cannot bée begotten in time but hée is euermore in the father as in a founteine as he sayeth of him self I went out and came from the father For we do vnderstād the father as a founteine in whome the word is his wisedome his power the ingrauen forme of his person his brightnesse and his image Wherefore if there neuer were any time wherin the father was without his wisedome his power the ingrauen forme of his person his brightnesse and finally his image wée must of necessitie force confesse that the sonne also is coeternall and euerlasting with him since hee is the wisedome power c. of the father euerlasting For how is he the ingrauē fourme of his fathers person or how is he the most perfect image of his father vnles he haue perfectly obteined and possesse the beautie of him whose image he is And it is not absurd that we said the sonne is to bée vnderstood in the father as in a founteine For the name of founteine doth signifie nothing else than as from whome And the sonne is in the father from the father not flowing abroad but either as brightnes from the Sunne or as heate from the fire wherewith it is indued For in these examples we sée one from one to be brought forth and both to be so coeuerlasting that the one can neither bee without the other nor yet kéep and reteine the qualitie of their nature For how shall it be the sunne if it bee depriued of his brightnesse or how shal brightnesse bée vnlesse there be a Sunne from whēce it doth come And howe shall that be fire that wanteth heate Or from whence should heate come but from the fire or else from somewhat else peraduenture not farre distant from the substantiall qualitie of fier As therefore the qualities which procéed from these bodies are together with them from whence they do procéed and euermore declare from whence they doe come so is it to bee vnderstood in the onely begotten For he is vnderstood to be of the father but he is beléeued to be likewise in the father not differing from the nature of his father neither yet next his father second in nature but alwayes in the father himselfe and with him and from him according to the manner of his vnspeakeable begetting Thus farre Cyrill And these poinctes surely concerning the father and the vnspeakable beegetting of the sonne of God are stedfastly to be beléeued according to the scriptures Furthermore touching the sonne of God let vs firmely hold vndoubtedly beléeue that he is consubstantiall or of the same substance with his father and therefore true God that the selfe same sonne beeing iucarnate for vs and made man subsisteth in either nature as well of God as also of man howbeit so that these natures are neither confoūded betwéene themselues nor yet diuided For we do beléeue one and the selfe same our Lord Iesus Christ to be true God and true man All euerie one of which points throughout their parts we wil plainly and according to the measure of grace that God shall giue vs declare vnto you About the word Homoousius which the Latinists agréeably haue translated Consubstantiale consubstantiall the Ecclesiasticall historie doeth testifie that there hath béene longe much altercation among the auncient writers What it signifieth and howe it was taken of that most famous and solemne Synode of Nice the most learned and godly Eusebius Pamphili bishop of Cęsarea briefly and pithily expounded in this sort In that the sonne is said to be consubstantiall with the father it hath an expresse signification for because the sonne of God hath no similitude or likenesse with creatures that were made but is resēbled and likened to the father alone who begat him neither is he of any other substance essence or beeing than of the father And the same Eusebius anon after sayth Vnto which sentence and opinion in this manner expounded it appeareth wee maye well subscribe seeing wee doe knowe that the best learned and famous bishops and interpretours among those that were auncient reasoning of the Godhead of the father and the sonne vsed this word Homoousius These bee Socrates his woordes in the first booke of histories and the eighth Cap. Surely the godly gouernours of churches being constrained by the hypocrisie craftinesse malice of heretiques did themselues vse and caused others also to vse woords most pithie and as little doubtful as might be whereby partly they might manifestly expresse the sound truth partly discouer and reproue yea and also thrust out the deceipts and malicious practises of heretiques Arius confessed that the sonne of God was God but in the meane while he denied that the sonne was cōsubstantial with his father wherefore hee declared that hee did not sincerely cōfesse the true Godhead of the sonne Neither makes it any great matter thoughe there be not expressed in the holy Scripture some apt and fit word to set out and declare the thinge in so many letters as it is written in another tongue so that that be read to bee manifestly expressed in the scriptures whiche by the word is signified Wherefore if wée shew that the sonne is of the same substance or nature with the father and so equal with and like vnto God and one with him we haue then made sufficient and plentifull demonstration that the sonne i◠Homoousius or consubstantiall with the father The prophete Zacharie bringing in the person of God speaking sayth Arise O thou sword vppon my sheepeheard vppon the man that is my fellow or my coequall Smite the sheepeheard and the sheepe of the flock shal be scattered abroad Loe God calleth the shéepheard that is smitten his fellow or coequal And who is that shéepeheard y was smitten the historie of the Gospell doeth declare poincting out vnto vs the very sonne of God himselfe oure Lord Iesus Christ Neither doth it hinder but further oure cause that Hierome readeth not The man that is coequall with mee but The mā cleauing vnto mee For as hée denieth not that Amith doeth signifie coequall so hée setteth downe another woord no lesse effectuall For when hee translateth it The man cleauing vnto mee hee would expresse the inward and very substantiall that I maye so terme it inherence or coequalitie of the father and the sonne For he addeth in his Commentaries And the man which cleaueth vnto God who is it but euen he that sayeth I am in the father and
of Christe are of the diuell and therefore that they by al meanes together with all their disciples sectaries are to be auoyded This treatise of the true flesh of Christ we knit vp with these most plaine wordes of Paul WheÌ„ Christ was in the forme of God he made himselfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men found in figure as a man He huÌ„bled him selfe made obedient vndeath euen the death of the crosse Wherefore it is without doubt that the sonne of God tooke true and humane flesh and in the same is consubstantiall or of the selfe same substance with vs in all points sinne excepted Neither did oure Lorde after he was risen againe from the dead though he were glorified put off or lay aside his true body which he had once taken and put on And his glorification doth not take away the trueth of his nature For he saith vnto his disciples A spirite hath not fleshe and bones as ye see me haue Wherefore he carried that his true verie fleshe into heaueÌ„ with him in his true flesh he appeareth alwayes for vs in the sight of good the father in his true flesh he will come to iudge the quick the dead in his true flesh they shal sée him which crucified him Christ according to this nature who in respecte of his Godheade is no creature but a creatour is a creature For the fleshe of Christ hath beginning lineally descended from Adam who is the creature of the liuing god And albeit these thinges be sufficiently fenced with the force of the scriptures yet it shall not séeme yrckesome vnto you dearely beloued to rehearse the opinion of the blessed father Cyril which concerning the same matter he hath left written in his Epistle vnto Successus Byshop of Isauria Diocesse in these wordes Bycause I founde in your aduertisement such a kind of thing as though the holie flesh of Christe the sauiour of vs all were turned into the nature of his deitie after his resurrection so that now he shuld seme to be wholy solie god we thought good also to make answere vnto this And a fewe wordes after After the resurrection certeinely it was the selfe same body whiche suffered but yet not hauing now in it self mans infirmities For we affirme not that it abideth hunger labour or any such like thing but we confesse that now it is incorruptible and not this only but also that quickneth and giueth life For it is a body that both hath and giueth life that is to say of the onely begotten sonne of God and it is glorified with the most worthy brightnesse of God and it is knowne and taken to be the bodie of god Therefore if any man say that that is Gods body as the body of a man is mans body he swarueth net from allowable reason Wherevpon I thinke that most â—lessed Paule also sayde Though wee haue knowne Christ after the flesh now yet hencefoorth knowe we him no more For being as I sayde the proper body of God it farre passeth all humane bodies But a body made of earth could not abide to be turned into the nature of the Deitie or Godhead For this is impossible Otherwise we abase the Godhead as if it were made and as if it had taken somewhat into it selfe whiche according to nature doth not properly belong to it Hereby it is proued to be as much follie to say that the body is turned into the nature of the Godhead as that which is the worde to be chaunged into the substance of flesh For as this is impossible bycause it is proued to be a bodye not able to be turned and chaunged so also it is not possible that any creature can be turned into the essence or nature of the Godhead but fleshe is also created And therefore we say that the body of Christ is diuine bycause it is the body of God and beautified with vnspeakable glorie and nowe let vs confesse that it is vncorruptible holy and giuing life but that it is chaunged into the nature of the Godhead neyther haue any of the holy fathers so thought or taught neyther doe we so thinke Thus farre Cyrill And Theodoretus Byshop of Cyrus Dialog 2. Eranist sayth I will shewe that the body of the Lorde yea after the ascension was called a bodie Heare Paule therefore saying Our conuersation is in heauen from whence wee looke for a Sauiour the Lord Iesus Christ who shall chauÌ„ge our vile bodie that it may be fashioned like vnto his glorious bodye Therefore it is not chaunged into an other nature but remaineth indéede a true very body replenished with diuine glorie casting foorth beames of light But if it be chaunged into an other nature their bodies also shall likewise be chaunged For they shall be fashioned like vnto him But if the bodies of Saints kéepe the substance of their nature the body of the Lord likewise hath his substance vnchangable Thus farre Theodoret. Furthermore when we professe that Christ hath true and verie flesh we doe not meane fleshe withoute soule For we must confesse that Christe hath a reasonable or humane soule not voyde of a mynde Arius taught that the sonne of GOD tooke fleshe onely without a soule and that the worde was in place of the soule And Apollinarius did attribute vnto Christe a soule but hée toke away the minde denying that it was reasonable The scripture doth both attribute vnto Christe a soule and taketh not away the minde from the soule The Lord himselfe sayeth in the Gospell The sonne of man came not to bee ministred vnto but to minister and to giue his soule a redemptioÌ„ for many The same Matth. hath left written of him He began to be sorowfull and heauie And Iesus said My soule is heauie euen vnto the death And in another place the Lord himselfe saith Now my soule is troubled And if so bee that this soule of Christe lacke the minde which is the chiefest part of the soule how hath he a soule how could he be sorrowfull and vnderstand desire and remember With hartie desire sayth the Lord haue I desired to eate this passeouer with you before I suffer But this desire came not from his godhead neither from his flesh only nor from his soule waÌ„ting a mind but from his perfecte manhood of body and minde Moreouer we read in the Gospell that the Lord said The sonne of man came not to destroy mens soules but to saue them Therefore hee toke not flesh onely but a reasonable soule also For man had perished both soule and body therefore that he might bée saued both body and soule oure sauiour Christ toke a very mans body a reasonable soule that is to saye a most perfecte man Therefore blessed Athanasius teaching vs according to the scriptures the coÌ„fession of true faith said Christ is God of the substance
it is not lawfull to conuerte his holie mysteries to any other purpose than hee hath appointed Neither haue wee any examples to proue the any holie men did euer vse the Lords supper to any such end as these men doe The children of Israel receiued the feaste of the Paschal lamb in remembraunce of their deliuerance out of Egypt and that they should continue thankfull vnto so beneficiall a Lorde how greate an offence had they cōmitted if they had so often-times eaten their banquet as béeing oppressed with calamities they desired to be deliuered desired it by dooing that déed They receiued the Arke of the couenaunte from the Lord in token of his diuine presence and assured help but when contrary to the end wherevnto it was appointed they bare it into the campe to the intent they might obteine the victory thereby they them selues were putt to flight and slaine and the Ark caryed away by the Philistines into captiuitie Againe if the Lords supper bee a publique holie feaste of the whole Church gathered together in one in the whiche there ought to be breaking distributing eating and drinking and thereby the communion of the bodie and bloud of Christe bee declared and sealed it followethe that the Lords supper ought not to be ordeyned neither for any in health or sicknesse neither for any lying sicke in his bed or at the point of death be it either priuatly at home or openly at Church neither can the godly require the Lordes supper vnto any such priuate vses For the institution of Christe our Lord muste not be altered by any humane authoritie or custome Verilie S. Paule requireth a publique assembly of the church and a generall méeting for the due celebrating of the supper When you meete together therfore in one place this is not to take the supper of the Lord that is to say Ye doe not eate the Lordes supper The reason is For euery one when they shoulde eate taketh his owne supper c. Wherefore hee will not that any thing bee done therein priuatly Likewise in the same place hee sayeth that they méete together and eate the Lordes supper to their owne damnation which make haste to the Supper not tarrying for the congregation vntil they doe all méet they eate and drinke together For he sayeth Wherefore my brethren when you meete to eate and drinke tarry one for an other if any man be hungry let him eate at home to wit that he be not constrained to eate before the residue that ye mete not together to your condemnation Wherfore the Lords supper is not a priuate but a publique supper to bee giuen to no man priuatly And forasmuch as that assembly is not publique or generall when foure or fiue doe communicate with the sick their saying is nothing which say that the supper may be ordeined for the sick if so be that others doe sup with them Moreouer who wil denie that the example of Christe and the Apostles is perpetually to be followed But it is euident enough that Christe celebrated his supper in a common dyning place haueing gathered the Churche vnto him as well as it might at that time be gathered Sainct Paule sayeth that in that pointe hée followed the example of the Lorde and that he hath deliuered no other thing to the church than that which he receiued of the Lorde Neither reade we in any place of the Scriptures that the other Apostles of Christe carryed the Sacramente to the sicke and that they ordeyned the holie Supper priuately for euery one to appease his tentation But all the apostles commaund vs in euery place to confirme and strengthen the sicke and afflicted conscience with the Lordes worde they teache vs also to succour the distressed with diligent prayer S Iames hath diligently sett downe in writing how the faithfull shall behaue them selues towardes the sick and them that are departing out of this worlde but as touching the celebrating or carrying the Sacrament vnto them hée speaketh not one worde Neither is it likely that the Apostles the moste faithfull doctours of the Churche would dissemble the matter if so be they had thoughte that it had apperteined chiefly to our saluation They haue warned vs often of thinges of farre lesse importaunce And certeine it is that they haue taught the Churche all thinges that béelong to true godlinesse and saluation but as for this matter they haue not mentioned one worde of it They obiecte out of the Actes of the apostls this authoritie And breaking bread from house to house they eate meate together with gladnesse and singelnes of hart praysing God. But that place is to be vnderstood of the bodily nourishing meat not of the mysticall foode For it followeth They receiued meate or sustenaunce together And therefore as it is read in the 58. Chapter of Esay to breake breade is as much to say as to féede and so it signifieth héere also For the richer sorte gaue foode to the poorer which they did with a chéerfull not with a sorrowfull hearte and they that receiued the benefite praysed god But if any man doe stubbernly contend that the Apostles did sup in priuate houses We answere that it maketh nothinge to the present matter of the sick and of priuate communion For as I haue saide before at that time they vsed priuate houses in stéede of Churches And therefore they supped in priuate houses not to féede the sick with the bread of the sacrament but because the vniuersall church of that place was gathered together in them as it appeareth in the 20. Chapter of the Actes as the maner is in persecutions They obiect moreouer that the auncient fathers sent the sacrament vnto them that were bounde in prison and to them that were departing to féede on vpon the way But I haue declared in place else-where wherefore the ancient fathers did so Héerevnto also we add that mans custome cannot preiudice the word of God. The blessed martyr Irenaeus writeth that the byshops of Rome were wont to send the Sacrament to other byshops whiche come to Rome from other places in token of concorde and agreement But that custome was not vsed by all byshopps neither is it vsed in the Churche at this present Héereof it followeth that many thinges were vsed by the auncient fathers as that whereof wee spake before whiche was in giuing the Sacramentes to infants which notwithstanding are no lawe vnto vs Good men also at this day may suffer a priuate supper for a time for them that do not yet vnderstand the full vse of the supper But who will gather héereof that euery man ought of dutie to doe that which is permitted vnto some vpon sufferaunce But if we continue contentiously to affirme it to be a reliefe for vs in our trauaile it will growe to this whiche wee haue séene receiued already certeine hundred yéeres ago that there shall be hope and confidence putt in the receiuing of the sacramēt as though
faith was profitably and godly set against the new corruptions of heretiques Yet were the writings of the Prophets Apostles the Springe the Guide the Rule and Iudge in all these counsels neither did the fathers suffer any thing to be done there according to their owne minds And yet I speake not of euery Constitution and Canon but namely of those auncient Confessions alone to which we doe attribute so much as is permitted by the Canonicall Scripture which we confesse to be the onely rule how to iudge to speake and doe The seconde generall counsell was helde in the royal citie Constantinople vnder Gratian the Emperour in the yeare of our Lorde 384. There were assembled in that Synode as witnesseth Prosperus Aquitanicus 180. fathers or Bishops which condemned Macedonius and Eudoxius denying the holy ghost to be God. And about the yeare of our Lorde 434. in the very same yeare that the blessed father Augustine died when that godly Prince Theodosius the great was Emperour there came together at Ephesus the thirde Synode of 200. Priestes or thereabout against Nestorius which tare the mysterie of the Incarnation and taught that there were two sonnes the one of God the other of man whom this Counsell condemned together with the Pelagians helpers of this doctrine as cousin to their owne The fourth generall counsell was assembled at Calcedon in the yere of our Lorde 454. vnder the Emperour Martian where 630. fathers were gathered together who accordinge to the Scriptures condemned Eutyches which confounded the natures in Christ for the vnitie of the person Beda de ratione temporum and many other writers doe ioyne with these foure vniuersall counsels two generall Synodes more the fifte and the sixte celebrated at Constantinople For the fifte was gathered together when Iustinian was Emperour against Theodorus and all heretiques about the yere of our Lorde 552. The sixte came together vnder Constantine the sonne of Constantius in the yere of our Lorde 682. And there were assembled 289. Bishops against the Monothelites But there was nothing determined in these Synodes but what is to be founde in the foure first counsels wherefore I haue noted nothing out of them ¶ The Nicene Creede taken out of the Ecclesiasticall and tripartite historie WE beleeue in one God the father almightie maker of all thinges visible and inuisible And in one Lord Iesus Christe the sonne of God the onely begotten sonne of the father that is of the substaunce of the Father God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made beeing of the same Essence and substance with the Father by whome all things were made which are in heauen and whiche are in earth Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe was incarnate and manned was made man Hee suffered and rose againe the third day he ascended into Heauen and shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead And we beleeue in the holie Ghoste As for those that say it was sometime when he was not and before he was borne he was not and whiche say because he was made of thinges not beeing of nothing or of an other substance that therefore the sonne of God is either created or turned or chaunged them doeth the holie Catholique and Apostolique Church curse or excommunicate The Creede of the counsell held at Constantinople taken out of a certeine copie written in Greeke and Latine I Beleeue in one God the Father almightie maker of heauen and earth and of all things visible and inuisible And in one Lord Iesus Christe the onelie begotten sonne of God borne of his father before all worldes light of light very God of very God begotten not made beeing of the same substance with the father by whome all things were made Who for vs men and for our saluation came downe from Heauen and was incarnate by the holie Ghoste and the virgine Marie and was made man He was also crucified for vs vnder Pontius Pilate He suffered and was buried and he roase the third day according to the Scriptures And he ascended into heauen and sitteth on the right hand of God the father and he shall come againe with glorie to iudge the quick and the dead whose kingdome shall haue no end And I beleeue in the holie Ghoste the Lord and giuer of life who proceeding from the father is to be worshipped and glorified together with the father and the sonne who spake by the prophets in one Catholique and Apostolique church I confesse one baptisme for the remission of sinnes I looke for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the worlde to come ⧠The confession of faith made by the Synode at Ephesus IN as much as because heere I note all things briefly I could not in writing place with these that large Synodall Epistle written by S. Cyrill to Nestorius wherein is conteined the full consent of the generall Counsell held at Ephesus I haue therefore rather chosen out of the 28. Epistle of the same Cyrill a short confession sent to the Synode and alowed by the whole Counsell Before the confession are set these wordes Euen as in the beginning wee haue heard out of the diuine Scriptures and the tradition of the holie fathers so will we briefely speake not adding any thing at all to the faith set foorth by the holie fathers in Nice For that doeth suffice as well to all knowledge of godlines as also to the vtter forsaking of any hereticall ouerthwartnesse And a litle after this the Confession is sette downe in these wordes We acknowledge our Lorde Iesus Christe the onely begotten Sonne of GOD to be perfect God and perfect man of a reasonable soule and bodie borne of the father according to his Godhead before the worldes and the verie same according to his humanitie borne in the latter times of the virgine Marie for vs and for our saluation For there was made an vniting of the two natures Wherfore we confesse bothe one Christe one Sonne and one Lorde And according to this vnderstanding of the vnconfounded vnitie we acknowledge the holie virgine to be the mother of God because that GOD the word was incarnate and made man and by the verie conception gathered to him selfe a bodie taken of her But for the speaches vttered by the Euangelistes and Apostles touching the Lord we knowe that the Diuines doe by reason of the two natures diuide them so yet as that they belong to one person and that they doe referre them some because they are more agreeable to the diuinitie to the Godhead of Christe and other some because they are base to his Humanitie To this confession Cyrill addeth these wordes When wee had read these holie wordes of youres euen in the Synode to whiche the confession was sent and did perceiue that wee our selues were of the same opinion for there is one Lorde one faithe and one baptisme wee glorified GOD the sauiour of all men reioycing together in our selues
sayinges euen as it were siluer cleansed in the fire and seuen times fined from the earth This you shal more fully perceiue dearely beloued if I speake somewhat more largely of the cause or beginning and certaintie of the worde of god The worde of God is trueth but God is the onely welspring of trueth therefore God is the beginning and cause of the worde of God. And here in déede God since he hath not members like to mortall men wanteth also a bodily mouth yet neuerthelesse bycause the mouthe is the instrument of the voice to God is a mouth atributed For he spake to men in the voice of a man that is in a voice easily vnderstood of men and facioned according to the speach vsually spokeÌ„ among men This is euidentlye to bée séene in the things wherein he dealte with the holy fathers with whome as with oure parents Adam and Eua Noe and the rest of the fathers he is read to haue talked many and often tymes In the mount Sina the Lord him selfe preached to the great congregatioÌ„ of Israel rehearsing so plainly that they might vnderstand those tenne Commaundementes wherein is contained euerye poynt of godlinesse For in the. 5. of Deut. thus we reade These words meaning the. 10. CommauÌ„dements spake the Lorde with a loude voyce from out of the middes of the fire to the whole congregation And in the 4. Chapiter A voice of wordes you hearde but no similitude did you see beside the voice God verily vsed oftentimes the meanes of Angels by whose ministerie he talked with mortall men And it is very well knowne to all men that the sonne of God the father being incarnate walked about on the earth and being very God and man taught the people of Israell almost for the space of 3. yeares But in times past and before that the Sonne of God was borne in the worlde God by litle and litle made him selfe acquainted with the hartes of the holy Fathers after that with the minds of the holy Prophets and last of all by their preaching and writinges he taught the whole worlde So also Christe our Lorde sent the holy ghost which is of the father the sonne into the Apostles by whose mouths words writings he was knowen to all the world And al these seruants of god as it were the elect vessels of God hauing with sincere harts receiued the reuelation of God from God him selfe first of all in a liuely expressed voyce deliuered to the worlde the Oracles and worde of God whiche they before had learned and afterward when the world drewe more to an ende some of them did put them in writing for a memoriall to the posteritie And it is good to know how by whom all this was done For by this narration the true cause certaintie and dignitie of the word of God doth plainly appeare There are not extant to be séene the writings of any man from the beginning of the worlde vntill the time of Moses whiche are come to oure knowledge although it be likely that that same ancient and first world was not altogether without all writings For by S. Iude the Apostle and brother of S. Iames is cited the written prophesie of our holy father Enoch which is read to haue ben the seuenth from our father Adam Furthermore the writing or historie of Iob séemeth to haue bene set foorth a great while before But howe soeuer it is all the Saintes in the Churche of God giue to Moses the faithfull seruant of God the first place amoÌ„g the holy writers From the beginning therefore of the worlde God by his spirit and the ministerie of Angels spake to the holy fathers and they by word of mouth taught their children and childers children and all their posteritie that whiche they had learned at the mouth of God when they verily had hearde it not to the intent to kéepe it close to themselues but also to make their posteritie partakers of the same For God oftentimes witnesseth that He will be the God of the fathers and of their seed for euermore This is most plainly to be séene in the historie of Adam Noe and Abraham the first and great grandfathers In the. 19. of Genesis verily we reade that the angell of God yea and that more is that eueÌ„ the Lorde him selfe did say to Abraham And shall I hide from Abraham what I minde to doe since of Abraham shall come a great and mightie people and al the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him And this I knowe that he will commaunde his children and his posteritie after him to keepe the way of the Lorde and to do iustice iudgement and the rest Abraham therfore a faithfull and zealous worshipper of God did not euen as also those olde fathers of the firste world did not waxe negligent at all herein but did diligently teache men the wil iudgemeÌ„ts of God whervpoÌ„ of Moses yea of God him selfe he is called a prophet That deuout liuely tradition of the fathers from hande to hand was had in vse continually euen from the beginning of the world vntil the time of Moses Moreouer God of his goodnesse did prouide the no age at any time should be without most excellent lightes to be witnesses of the vndoubted faith and fathers of great authoritie For the worlde before the deluge had in it 9. most excellent most holy and wise men Adam Seth Enos Kenam Malaleel Iared Enoch Methusalem and Lamech The chief of these Adam and Methusalem doe beginne and make an end of all the. 1656 yeares of the world before the deluge For Adam liued 930. yeres He dieth therefore the. 726. yeare before the floud And Methusalem liued 969. yeres He dieth in the very same yere that the floud did ouerflowe and he liued together with Adam 243. yeres so that of Adam he might be aboundantly inoughe instructed as concerning the beginning of things as concerning God the fall and restoring againe of mankinde and all things else belonging to religion euen as he was taught of God him selfe These two fathers with the rest aboue named were able sufficiently inoughe to instruct the whole age in the true saluation and right wayes of the Lorde After the deluge God gaue to the world againe excellent men and very great lightes The names of them are Noe Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Palec Reu Saruch Nachor Thaâ—e Abraham Isaac and Iacob Here haue we 13. most excellent Patriarches among whom the first two Noe and Sem are the chiefe nexte to whome Abraham Isaac and Iacob were more notable then the rest Noe liued 950. yeares in all He was 600 yeares olde when the floud drowned the worlde He therefore sawe and hearde all the holy fathers of the firste world before the deluge thrée only excepted Adam Seth and Enos And also he liued manye yeares together with the other whiche had both séene and heard them so that he could be
God is reuealed in what manner it is to be hearde and what the force thereof is or the effect Our God is the God of all men and nations who according to the saying of the Apostle woulde haue all men to be saued and to come to the knowledge of the trueth and therfore hath he for the benefite life and saluation of all men reuealed his worde that so in déede there might be a rule and certaine waye to leade men by the pathe of iustice into life euerlasting God verily in the olde time did shewe him selfe to the Israelites his holy and peculiar people more familiarly then to other nations as the Prophete sayth To Iacob hath he declared his statutes and his iudgementes to Israel he hath not dealt so with any nation neyther hath he shewed them his iudgementes and yet he hath not altogether bene carelesse of the Gentiles For as to the Niniuites he sent Ionas so Esaias Ieremias Daniell and the other Prophetes bestowed muche labour in teaching and admonishing the Gentiles And those moste auncient Fathers Noe Abraham and the rest did not onely instruct the Iewish people which descended of them but taught their other sonnes also the iudgementes of god Our Lorde Iesus Christe verily laying open the whole world before his disciples sayd Teach all nations Preache the Gospell to all creatures And when as Sainte Peter did not yet fully vnderstande that the Gentiles also did appertaine to the fellowship of the Churche of Christe and that to the Gentiles also did belong the preaching of the glad tydings of saluation purchased by Christe for the faythfull the Lord doth instruct him by a heauenly vision by speaking to him out of heauen and by the message which came from Cornelius as you knowe dearely beloued by the hystorie of the Actes of the Apostles Let vs therfore thinke my brethren that the worde of God and the holy Scriptures are reuealed to all men to all ages kindes degrées and states throughout the worlde For the Apostle Paule also confirming the same sayth Whatsoeuer things are written are written for our learning that through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we may haue hope Let none of vs therefore hereafter say what néede I to care what is written to the Iewes in the olde Testament or what the apostles haue written to the Romanes to the Corinthians and to other nations I am a Christian The Prophets to the men of their time and the Apostles to those that liued in the same age with them did both preach and write For if we thinke vprightly of the matter we shall sée that the Scriptures of the olde and newe Testamentes ought therefore to be receiued of vs euen bicause we are Christians For Christ our Sauiour and maister did referre vs to the written bookes of Moses and the Prophets Saint Paule the very elect instrument of Christ doth apply to vs the Sacramentes and examples of the olde Fathers that is to say Circumcision in baptisme Coloss 2. and the Paschall lambe in the Supper or Sacrament 1. Cor. 5. In the tenth Chapter of the same Epistle he applyeth sundry examples of the Fathers to vs And in the fourth to the Romans where he reasoneth of fayth whiche iustifieth without the helpe of works and the lawe he bringeth in the example of Abraham And therewithall addeth Neuerthelesse it is not written for Abraham alone that fayth was reckoned vnto him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whome it shal be reckoned if we beleeue c. By that meanes say some we shal againe be wrapped in the lawe we shall be inforced to be circumcised to sacrifice fleshe and bloud of beastes to admit againe the priesthood of Aaron together with the temple and the other ceremonies There shall againe be allowed the byll of diuorcement or putting away of a mans wife together with sufferaunce to marrie many wiues To these I aunswere that in the olde Testament we muste consider that some thinges there are whiche are for euer to be obserued and some thinges whiche are ceremoniall and suffered onely till time of amendement That time of amendment is the time of Christe who fulfilled the lawe and tooke awaye the curse of the lawe The same Christe chaunged Circumcision into Baptisme He with his owne only sacrifice made an end of all sacrifices so that nowe in steade of all sacrifices there is lefte to vs that onely sacrifice of Christe wherein also we learne to offer our own very bodies and prayers together with good déedes as spirituall sacrifices vnto god Christ changed the Priesthood of Aaron for his owne and the Priesthoode of al Christians The Temple of God are we in whom god by his spirit doth dwell All ceremonies did Christ make voide who also in the nineteene of Mathewe did abrogate the bill of diuorcement together with the marriage of many wiues But althoughe these Ceremonies and some externall actions were abrogated and cleane taken away by Christ that we should not be bound vnto them yet notwithstanding the Scripture whiche was published touching them was not taken awaye or else made voide by Christ For there must for euer be in the Churche of Christ a certaine testimoniall wherby we may learne what manner of worshippings and figures of Christ they of the olde time had Those worshippiÌ„gs figures of Christ must we at this day interprete to the Churche spiritually and out of them we muste no lesse then out of the writinges of the newe Testament preach Christ forgiuenes of sinnes and repentance So then to all Christians are the writinges of the olde Testament giuen by God in like manner as the Apostles writ to all Churches those thinges which bore the name or title of some particular Congregations And to this end is the woord of God reuealed to men that it may teache them what and what maÌ„ner one God is towardes men that he would haue them to be saued aâ—d that by faithe in Christ what Christ is and by what meanes saluation commeth what becommeth the true worshipers of God what they ought to flie and what to ensue Neither is it sufficient to know the wil of God vnlesse we do the same and be saued And for that cause sayde Moses Heare Israell the statutes and iudgements whiche I teache you that ye may doe them and liue And the Lorde in the Gospell confirming the same cryeth Blessed are they whiche heare the worde of God and keepe it And here is to be praysed the excéeding great goodnesse of God whiche would haue nothing hid froÌ„ vs whiche maketh any whit to liue rightly well and holily The wise and learned of this world doe for the most part beare enuy or grudge that other shoulde attaine vnto the true wisedome But our Lorde doth gently and of his own accorde offer to vs the whole knowledge of heauenly things and is desirous that we goe forward therein yea and that more is he doth further our
knowne nor lefte in writing of the holye Scriptures Some there are that dâ—e attribute it to the Apostles them selues and therefore doe call it by the name of the Apostles Créede Saint Cyprian the Martyr in his exposition of the Apostles Créede saythe Our auncestors haue a saying that after the Lordes ascension when by the comming of the holy ghoste the fierie tongues sate vpon euery one of the Apostles so that they spake both diuers and sundrie languages whereby there was no forreine nation nor barbarous tongue to whiche they seemed not sufficiently prepared to passe by the way they had a commandement from the Lorde to goe vnto all nations to preache the worde of god When therefore they were in a readinesse to departe they layde downe among them selues a platform of preaching for them all to followe least peraduenture being seuered one from another they should preach diuers things to them that were conuerted to the fayth of Christe Wherefore being there altogether and replenished with the holy ghoste they gathered one euery ones seuerall sentence and made that Breuiarie as I saide to be a patterne for all their preachings to be framed by appointing it for a rule to be giuen to them that should beleeue This sayth Cyprian But whether they were of the Apostles owne making or no or else that other the Apostles disciples made theÌ„ yet this is very wel knowne that the very doctrine of the Apostles is purely conteyned and taught in them These twelue Articles are called also a badge bycause by that signe as it were by a badge true Christians are discerned from false Nowe I will declare what order I will vse in expounding them vnto you This whole breuiatie or abridgement of faythe may be diuided into foure partes so that the thrée firste partes may make manifest the misteries of the thrée persons in one godheade and that the fourth may laye forth the fruits of fayth that is to say what good things we looke for by faith what good things God bestoweth on them that put their trust in him And yet this notwithstanding I wil procéed herein euen orderly so as the twelue Articles are placed or set downe The first article of Christian faith is this I beleeue in God the father almightie maker of heauen and earth And this first Article of the Créede containeth two especiall pointes For firste we say generally I beléeue in god Then we descende particularly to the distinction of the persons and adde The father almightie For God is one in substance and thrée in persons Wherefore vnderstanding the vnitie of the substaunce we saye plainly I beléeue in god And againe kéeping not confounding the persons we adde In the father almightie In Iesus Christ his only sonne And in the holy Ghoste Let vs therefore be léeue that God is one not many and pure in substaunce but thrée in persons the Father the Sonne and the holy ghost For in the law it is writteÌ„ Hearken Israell The Lord our God is one Lord. And againe in the gospell we reade that the Lorde sayde Baptise them in the name of the father of the sonne and of the holy ghoste By the way this is singularly to be marked of vs that when we pray wée say Our father which art in Heauen giue vs this day our daily breade but that wheÌ„ wée make Confession of our beliefe wee say not we beleeue but I beleeue For faithe is required of euery one of vs for euery particular man to haue wythonte dissimulation in his harte and without double meaninge to professe it wyth his mouth It was not enough for Abraham to haue fayth for all his seede Neyther wil if auayle thee any thing for an other to beleeue if thou thy selfe art without fayth For the Lord requireth fayth of euery particular man for himselfe Wherefore so oft as wee confesse our fayth euery one of vs by himselfe doth saye I beleeue But what it is to brleeue I haue declared alreadye in my fourth Sermon It followeth in the Confession I beleeue in god God is the obiecte and foundation of oure Fayth as hee that is the euerlastinge and chiefe goodnes neuer wearie but alway ready at our neede Wée therfore beléeue in God that is to say wee put our whole hope all our safety and our selues wholy into his handes as vnto him that is able to preserue and bestowe on vs all thinges that are requisite for our behooâ—e Nowe it followeth that that God in whom we rest and vnto whose tuition wée do all commit oure selues is The Father Almightye Our God is therefore called Father because from before all beginninge hee begatte the sonne like to himselfe For the Scripture calleth God the father of oure Lord Iesus Christe He sayth the Apostle is the brightnesse of the glorie of God and the liuely Image of the substaunce of the father to whom he said Thou art my sonne this day haue I begotten thee And againe I will be his father and hee shal be my sonne Also God is called father in respecte of the likenesse that hee hath with oure earthly father to witte because of our Creation the fauour loue good will carefulnesse where with he is affected towards vs For God hath created vs God loueth vs God regardeth our affayres and is careful for vs yea and that more exceedinglye too then any earthly father is For saith Dauid Euen as the father pitieth his childreÌ„ so doth the Lord pitie them that feare him for hee knoweth our estate remembring that we are but duste Esaias also in his 49. Cap. sayth Can a woman forget her owne infante and not pitie and be fayne ouer the sonne of hir owne wombe But admit she do forget yet will not I forget thee In this is declared Gods good will to vs ward and wée confessing that God is our father do also professe that God to vs is both gentle liberall and merciful who wisheth vs all thinges that are auayleable to our health and purposeth nothinge to vs warde but that which is good and wholesome and last of all that at his hande wée receiue what good soeuer wée haue either bodilye or ghostly God is called Almighty because by his might hée can do al things because he is Lord of all thinges and hath all thinges subiecte to his commaundement For the same cause also is hee called the Lord of Hostes Heauen Earth and whatsoeuer is therein Starres all Elements Men Angells deuils al liuing Creatures all things created are in the power of the moste highe and euerlasting god What soeuer hee commaundeth that they doe nothing is able to withstand his will. What hee wil that must of necessitie be done and also these things he vseth euen as his owne wil and pleasure is and as his iustice and mans saluation do require Firste wée confessed that God doth will vs well and nowe wée acknowledge that whatsoeuer hée wil that he is able to bring
fro and in which the Starres are placed that are called the furniture and hoast of Heauen For sayth Dauid God is cloathed with lighte as with a Garmente hee spreadeth forth the Heauens as it were a Courteyne Hee saieth also I shall see thy Heauens the worke of thy fingers and the Moone and Starres which thou haste layed And againe Which couereth the Heauen with cloudes and prepareth rayne for the earth And againe The Heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmamente sheweth forth the woorkes of his hands Then also Heauen is taken for the throne and habitation of God And lastlie for the place seate and receptacle of them that are saued where God géeueth himselfe to be seene and enioyed of them that be his For Dauid witnessinge agayne sayth The Lorde hath prepared his seate in Heauen Wherevppon the Lord in the Gospel sayth Sweare not by Heauen for it is Gods seate And the Apostle Paule sayth Wee knowe if oure earthly mansion of this tabernacle be destroyed that wee haue a dwellinge place for euer in Heauen builded by God not made by hands And therefore in this signification Heauen is called the Kingdome of God the kingdome of the father Ioy Happines and felicitie Eternall lyfe Peace and Quietnes And although God in deede be not shutte vp in any place For hee sayth Heauen is my Seate and Earth the footestoole of my feete Yet because the glorie of God doth most of all shine in the Heauens and because that in Heauen hée giueth himself to be seene and enioyed of them that are his accordinge to that sayinge Wee shall see him euen as hee is And againe No man shall see mee sayth the Lorde and liue Therefore God is sayde to dwell in Heauen Moreouer Christe our Lorde touchinge his Diuinitie is not shutte vp in any place but accordinge to his humanitie once taken which he drew vp into Heauen hée is in the verie locall place of Heauen neyther is he in the meane time heere in earth and euery where bodilie but being seuered from vs in bodie remayneth in Heauē For hee ascendeth which leauinge that which is belowe doth goe to that aboue Christe therefore leauing the earth hath placed a seate for his bodie aboue all Heauens Not that hee is caried vp beyonde all Heauens but because ascendinge vppe aboue all the Circles into the vtmoste and highest Heauen hee is taken I saye into the place appointed for those that are saued For Paule the Apostle speakinge plainlie enoughe to be vnderstoode sayth Our conuersation is in Heauen from whence wee looke for the Sauiour to come c. In the same manner also Luk the Euangelist sayth And blessing them hee departed from them and was caried into Heauen But whie do I make so much adoe about expounding that which is most euidentlye declared in the verye Creede by that which followeth For the nexte is Hee sitteth at the righte hande of God the father Almightie For by this wee vnderstande what kinde of place Heauen is and what our Lorde doth in Heauen It is not surely for our frailtie ouer narrowlie to seeke out or discusse the secretes of Heauen and yet it is not againste Religion to inquire after that that is taught vs in the Scriptures and so perfectlie to remember it as it is taughte vs Our Lord is simplie sayde to sitte and that too to sitte at the righte hande of the Father Almightie Let vs therefore see what the right hande of the father is and what it is to sitte at the righte hande of the father The righte hande of the Father in the Scripture hath two significations Firste the righte hande of God is the place appointed for them that are saued and the euerlasting felicitie in Heauen This did S. Augustine set downe to be marked long before vs who in the twentie and sixt Chapter of his booke De Agone Christiano wryteth That the righte hande of the Father is the euerlastinge felicitie giuen to the Sainctes euen as also the leaft hande is moste rightlye called the continuall miserie allotted to the vngodlye not so that by this meanes that I haue sayde the righte or leafte hande is to be vnderstoode in respecte of God himselfe but in respecte of his Creatures capacitie And this did S. Augustine speake accordinge to the Scriptures For Dauid sayth The path of Life shalte thou make knowne to mee the fulnes of ioyes is in thy sighte and at thy right hande is gladnesse for euer What else is this than if hee had sayd Thou shalt bring mee into life I saye into the very Heauens where I shal be filled wyth ioyes both by seinge and beholdinge thee and also by enioying thee At thy right hande in eternall blessednesse are ioyes euerlastinge In the Gospell also we reade that the Sheepe are placed by the Iudge at the right hand and the Goates at the left And when the right hand is taken in this sense Then To sitte doth signifie to reste from all labours and to liue quietlie and in happie state For that saying of the Prophet is very well knowen A man shall sit vnder his Vine As if hee should haue sayd all thinges shal be at peace in safetie and at quiet So then this that I haue saide is mente by the righte hande of the father and where wee confesse that the sonne doth sitte at the righte hande of the father Almightie wée do acknowledge that our Lorde beinge deliuered from all trouble and mortall infirmities doth now in his humanitie both reste and reioyce in the verie locall place of Heauen where wee belieue that both our soules and bodies shal bee and liue for euer For the Lorde himselfe in the Gospell witnesseth that in his fathers house there are many māsions which hee goeth to prepare that they mayè haue a place and although hee did depart yet that hee woulde retourne to them againe and take them vnto him selfe that wher hée is they also might be in the same place with him Wherefore wee beleeue that Christe is at rest in Heauen where hee hath prepared a place of reste for vs also to remayne in ioyes euerlastinge And for because oure bodies shall not be euery where in felicitie but in the onely appointed place therefore sayd S. Augustine truly that Christ our Lord accordinge to the measure of his very body is in some one place of Heauen And S. Cyprian sayth To sit at the right hande of the father is the mysterie of his fleshe taken vppe into Heauen Secondarily the right hand of God is put for the vertue kingdome protection deliueraunce and power of god For Dauid sayth The Lords right hande is high the Lords righte hand doth mightie things And Moses saide Thy right hand O Lord is magnified in power thy righte hand O Lord hath broken the enimie And when the righte Hande is put in this sense then To sit doth signifie to reigne to deliuer to vse power and do the office of a
of the Apostles Créede saith He sayd not in the holy church nor in the remission of sinnes nor in the resurrection of the body For if he had added the preposition In then had the force of those clauses beene all one with the force of that that went before For in those words wherein oure beliefe touching the Godhead is set downe we say in God the Father In Iesus Christ his Son in the holy ghost but in the rest wher the speach is not of the Godhead but touching the creatures or mysteries the preposition In is not added that we may say In the holy Churche but that the holy Church is to be beleued not as we beleue in God but as a congregation gathered together to God and that the forgiunesse of sinnes is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the forgiunesse of sinnes and that the resurrection of the flesh is to be beleeued not that we ought to beleeue in the resurrection of the fleshe So then by this sillable In the Creator is discerned from the Creatures and that that is Gods frō that that is mans This saith Cyprian S. Augustine in his booke De Fide et Symbolo hath I beleeue the holy Churche not I beleeue in the holy Church There are alledged also his wordes in his epistle Ad Neophytos touching consecration Distinct 4. ca. 1. We saide not that ye had to beleeue in the Church as in God but vnderstād how we said that ye being cōuersant in the holy Catholique Churche should beleeue in God. Much more euidently doth Paschasius in the first Chap. of his first booke De Spiritu Sancto say We beleeue the Church as the mother of regeneration we do not beleeue in the Church as the authour of saluation He that beleeueth in the Churche beleeueth in man For man hath not his being of the Churche but the Churche beganne by man Leaue of therefore this blasphemous persuasion to think that thou haste to beleeue in anye worldly Creature since thou mayst not beleeue neither in Angel nor Archangel The vnskilfulnesse of some haue drawne and taken the preposition In from the sentence that goeth nexte before and put it to that that followeth adding thereto also too too shamelesly somewhat more then needed This hath Paschasius in that booke of his which Saint Gregorie the greate Bishop of Rome liked very well of What say ye to that moreouer that Thomas of Aquine reasoning of faith in the seconde booke Part. 2. Artic. 9. quest 1. sayth If we say I beleeue in the holy Churche we muste vnderstande that oure fayth is referred to the holy Ghoste whiche sanctifieth the Churche and so make the sense to be thus I beleeue in the holy spirite that sanctifieth the Church But it is better and according to the cōmon vse not to adde at all the sillable In but simply to say the holy Catholique Churche euen as also Pope Leo sayth This hath Thomas So nowe ye haue hearde the opinions of the auncient Doctours of the Churche Cyprian Augustine Gregorie Paschasius Pope Leo and also of Thomas of Aquine whiche taught nowe in the later times And dearely beloued ye doe vnderstande by proofes taken out of the Canonicall Scripture that we must acknowledge and confesse the holy Catholike Churche but not beléeue in the holy Catholique Church And nowe we haue to sée what that is that is called the Churche and what is called the Catholique church Ecclesia whiche worde we vse for the Churche is properly an assembly it is I saye where the people are called out or gathered together to heare somewhat touching the affaires of the common weale In this present treatise it is the company communion congregation multitude or fellowship of all that professe the name of Christe Catholique is as muche to say as this fellowship is vniuersal as that that is extended throughe all places and ages For the Churche of Christe is not restrained into any corner among the Donatists in Aphrica it stretcheth out it selfe throughe the compasse of the world and vnto all ages and doth conteine all the faithfull from the first Adam euen vnto the very last Saint that shall be remaining before the end of the world This vniuersall Churche hath hir particular churches I mean the churche of Adam and of the Patriarches the Churche of Moses and of the Prophetes before the byrth of Christe the Christian Churche which is so named of Christe him selfe and the Apostolicall Church gathered together by the Apostles doctrine in the name of Christ And finally it containeth these particular Churches as the Churche of Ierusalem of Antioch of Alexandria of Rome of Asia of Aphrica of Europe of the East of the West c. And yet all these Churches as it were members of one body vnder the onely heade Christe for Christe alone is the heade of his Church not onely triumphant but militant also do make one onely Catholike Churche in whiche there are not to be founde either heresies or schismies and for that cause is it called the true Church to wit of the right and true opinion iudgement fayth and doctrine For in the Church onely is true fayth and without the Church of God is neyther any trueth nor yet saluation So then in this Article we confesse that all the faithfull dispersed through out the whole compasse of the earth and they also that at this time liue in heauen as many I say as are already saued or shall euen vntill the very end of the worlde be borne to be saued are one bodye hauing gotten fellowship and participation with God and a mutuall communion among them selues And for bycause no man can be made one with God vnlesse he also be holy pure euen as God is holy and pure therefore we beléeue that the Church is holy that is that it is sanctified by God the Father in the bloude of the Sonne and the gift of the holy Ghost We haue hearde testimonies inough in the former Sermons Therefore this one of Paule shall be sufficient which he writeth to the Ephesians Christe loued the Churche and gaue him selfe for it to sanctifie and to cleanse it in the fountaine of water through the worde to make it vnto him selfe a glorious Churche not hauing spot or wrinckle c. By which words we vnderstand that the church is called vndefiled altogether cleane not in respect of it selfe but bycause of Christe For the Church of Christ is so farre foorth holy as that yet euery day it doth goe forwarde in profiting and is neuer perfect so long as it liueth on the earth And yet notwithstanding the holinesse of it is moste absolutely perfect in Christ Wherevnto veryly belongeth that notable saying of the lord He that is washed hath no need but to washe his feete onely for he is wholy cleane For the faythfull are purely cleansed by Christe who washeth them with his bloud
and comfort imprisoned captiues Herevnto Lactantius lib. Institut 6. cap. 12. hath an eye where he sayth The chiefest vertue is to keepe hospitalitie and to feede the poore To redeeme captiues also is a greate and excellent worke of righteousnes And as great a work of iustice is it to saue and defend the fatherlesse widowes the desolate helplesse whiche the law of God doth euery where coÌ„maund It is also a part of the chiefest humanitie and a great good deed to take in hand to heale and chearish the sicke that haue no body to helpe them Finally that last and greatest duetie of pietie is the buriall of strangers and of the poore Thus muche hitherto touching the duetie of ciuil humanitie which true loue sheweth to his neighbour in necessitie But it is not inough my brethren to vnderstande how we ought to loue our neighbour though we ought often to repeate it but rather we must loue him excéedingly and aboue that that I am able to say Let vs heare the Apostle who with a wonderful goodly grace of spéech with a most excelleÌ„t exquisite holy example of Christe doth exhort vs all to the shewing of charitie to our neighbour and sayth If therefore there bee any consolation in Christe if any comfort of loue if any fellowship of the spirite if any compassion mercie fulfill ye my ioye that ye be like minded hauing the same loue being of one accorde and minde let nothing be done through strife or vaine glory but in meekenesse let euery man esteeme one the other better then him selfe looke ye not euery man on his owne thinges but euery man also on the thinges of others For let the same minde be in you that was in Christ Iesus who being in the fourme of God thought it no robberie to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruant and made in the likenesse of men and found in figure as a man he humbled him selfe made obedient vnto death euen the death of the crosse Wherefore God also hath lightly exalted him and giuen him a name which is aboue euery name that in the name of Iesus euery knee shoulde bow of things in heauen and things in earth and things vnder the earth and that euery tongue shoulde confesse that the Lorde Iesus Christe is the glory of God the father To him alone be honor power for euer euer Amen The end of the first Decade of Sermons The Second Decade of Sermons writen by Henrie Bullinger Of lawes and first of the lawe of Nature then of the lawes of men ¶ The first Sermon THE summe of all lawes is the loue of GOD and our neighbour of which and euery parte whereof bycause I haue already spokeÌ„ in my last Sermon the next is that nowe also I make a particular discourse of lawes and euery part and kinde thereof Let vs therefore call to God who is the cause and beginning of lawes that he through our Lorde Iesus Christe will vouchsafe with his spirite alwayes to direct vs in the waye of trueth and righteousnesse A heathen writer no base authour ywis made this definition of lawe that it is an especiall reason placed in nature coÌ„mauÌ„ding what is to be done and fordidding the contrarie And verily the lawe is nothing but a declaration of Gods will appointing what thou hast to do and what thou oughtest to leaue vndone The beginning and cause of lawes is God him selfe who is the fountaine of all goodnesse equitie trueth and righteousnesse Therefore all good and iust lawes come from God him selfe althoughe they be for the most parte published and brought to light by men Touching the lawes of men we muste haue a peculiar consideratioÌ„ of theÌ„ by theÌ„ selues For of lawes some are of God some of Nature some of Men. As concerning Gods law I wil speak of it in my seconde Sermon at this present I will touch first the lawe of Nature and then the lawe of Men. The law of Nature is an instruction of the conscience and as it were a certaine direction placed by God him self in the mindes and hearts of men to teach them what they haue to doe and what to eschue And the conscience verily is the knowledge iudgement and reason of a man whereby euery man in him selfe and in his owne minde being made priuie to euery thing that he eyther hath committed or not committed doth eyther condemne or else acquite him self And this reason procéedeth from God who both prompteth and writeth his iudgementes in the hearts and mindes of men Moreouer that which we call Nature is the proper disposition or inclination of euery thing But the disposition of mankind being flatly corrupted by sinne as it is blinde so also is it in all pointes euill and naughtie It knoweth not God it worshippeth not God neyther doth it loue the neighbour but rather is affected with selfe loue towarde it selfe and séeketh still for the owne aduauntage For whiche cause the Apostle sayde That we by nature are the children of wrath Wherefore the lawe of nature is not called the lawe of nature bicause in the nature disposition of maÌ„ there is of or by it selfe that reason of light exhorting to the best things and that holy working but for bycause God hath imprinted or ingrauen in our myndes some knowledge and certaine generall principles of religion iustice and goodnesse which bycause they be grafted in vs and borne together with vs do therefore séeme to be naturally in vs. Let vs heare the Apostle Paule who beareth witnesse to this saith When the Gentiles whiche haue not the lawe do of nature the things conteined in the law they hauing not the law are a law vnto themselues which shew the workes of the lawe written in their hearts their conscience bearing theÌ„ witnesse and their thoughts accusing one another or excusing in that same day when the Lorde shall iudge the secrets of meÌ„ by Iesus Christ according to my Gospel By two arguments here doth the apostle very euidently proue that the gentiles are sinners For first of all least peraduenture they might make this excuse and say that they haue no law he sheweth that they haue a law and that bicause they transgresse this law they are become sinners For although they had not the written law of Moses yet notwithstanding they did by nature the things coÌ„teined in the law The office of the law is to disclose the wil of God and to teache thée what thou haste to do and what to leaue vndone This haue thei by nature that is this know they by the lawe of nature For that whiche followeth maketh this more plaine They when they haue no law are to them selues a law That is they haue in theÌ„ selues that which is written in the law But in what sort haue they it in them selues This againe is maâ—e manifest by that which followeth For they
shew the worke of the lawe written in their hearts But who is he that writeth in their hearts but God alone who is the searcher of all harts And what I pray you writeth he there The lawe of nature forsooth the lawe I saye it selfe commaunding good and forbidding euill so that without the written lawe by the instruction of nature that is by the knowledge imprinted of God in nature they may vnderstand what is good and what is euill what is to be desired and what is to be shunned By these wordes of the Apostle we doe vnderstande that the lawe of nature is set against the written law of God and that therefore it is called the lawe of nature bycause it séemeth to be as it were placed or grafted in nature We vnderstande that the lawe of nature not the written lawe but that which is grafted in man hath the same office that the written lawe hath I meane to direct men and to teach thē and also to discerne betwixte good and euill and to be able to iudge of sinne We vnderstande that the beginning of this lawe is not of the corrupt disposition of mankinde but of God him selfe who with his finger writeth in our harts fasteneth in our nature and planteth in vs a rule to knowe iustice equitie and goodnesse Then also the Apostle maketh his seconde argument wherby he proueth the Gentiles to be guiltie of sinne and this argument he fetcheth from the witnesse bearing of their conscience For the conscience being instructed by the lawe of nature doth accuse and condemne the euill committed bycause this conscience onely and alone is in stéede of a thousande witnesses And againe it excuseth that is it absolueth and acquiteth them if nothing be committed contrarie to the lawe But although in this present life we doe set light by the iudgement of our conscience yet verily we may not thē despise or lightly passe ouer the consciences accusations when the Lorde shall come with iustice and equitie to iudge the world So then by all this it followeth that all nations are sinners whome vnlesse the Sonne of God the common and onely Sauiour and deliuerer of all the worlde doe cleanse from their offences it can not be but that all nations must néedes perish in their sinnes But nowe we come againe to the lawe of Nature of whiche there are two pointes especially for you to be put in mynde of The firste is Acknowledge God and worship him The seconde is Kéepe or mainteine societie friendship among mē Touching the first we haue these wordes of Christ his Apostle Whatsoeuer may be knowne of God is manifest among them to wit among the Gentiles for God hath shewed it to thē For his inuisible thinges being vnderstoode by his workes throughe the creation of the worlde are seene that is both his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse bicause that when they knew God notwithstāding they glorified him not as God neyther were thankfull c. So then the Gentiles knewe God yea they knewe what so euer might be knowne of god But what teacher had they or what maister They had God to their maister In what order taught he them or out of what booke Not out of the written bookes of Moses or the Prophetes but out of that great and large booke of Nature For the thinges that are not séene of God in whiche sorte are his euerlasting eternitie his vertue power maiestie goodnesse and Godhead those he woulde haue to be estéemed of according to the visible things that is the thinges whiche he hath created For Gods eternall Godheade is knowne by mans creation by the continuall mouing of Heauen and the perpetuall course of riuers For it muste néedes be that he is moste mightie whiche susteineth all these thinges whiche moueth strengtheneth and kéepeth all thinges from decay and which with his becke shakes the whole worlde Finally who doth not sée the goodnesse of him whiche suffereth the Sunne to rise vpon the good and the euill But to what intent reuealeth he these thinges to the Gentiles To the intent forsoothe that they may acknowledge him to be God that they maye glorifie and worship him as God and be thankfull to suche a benefactour When therfore they doe not this they are inexcusable and perishe deseruedly for their vnbeliefe and vnthankfulnesse sake So then it is manifest that the lawe of Nature doth expresly teache that there is a God which is to be acknowledged and reuerently worshipped Touching the latter of these two especiall pointes that is for the preseruing of friendship and societie among men the Lorde in the Gospell sayth What so euer ye woulde that men shoulde doe to you doe ye the same to them This sentence did Alexander Seuerus the Emperour turne and expresse thus What soeuer thou wouldest not haue done to thee selfe that doe not thou to another Whiche saying he loued so well that he commaunded it to be written vp in his Palace and common houses of office Moreouer to that generall lawe belong these that followe Liue honestly Hurt not another Giue euery man his owne Prouide thinges necessarie for life and kéepe it from distresse But nowe bycause the lawe of Nature is made opposite to the written lawe of God it is requisite that it be aunswerable also to the lawe of God let vs therefore sée what the wise men and law giuers of the Gentiles haue left in writing to counteruaile the tenne Commaundementes and how farre their writings are answerable to the law of God. Pythagoras in S. Cyrils first booke Contra Iulianum writeth thus of god God verily is one and he too is not as some doe imagine without the gouernement of the worlde but being wholy in euery place of it doth view al the generations in the whole compasse thereof and is him selfe the moderation of all ages the light of his owne vertues the beginning of all works the light in heauen the father of all things the life and quickening of all thinges and lastly the mouing of al the circles Sée here Pythagoras confesseth that there is but one God who is the maker preseruer and gouernour of all things the father of al and the light and life of al things Zaleucus in the Preface of his lawes writeth as followeth It is necessarie that all men which inhabite any citie or region what soeuer be throughly persuaded that there are Gods which is euident to be seene by the contemplation of heauen and all the world and by the goodly disposition and order of that that is therein For it is not conuenient to thinke that these are the workes of Fortune or mans abilitie Then also the Gods must be worshipped and honoured as they that are the causes of all good thinges that are done to vs by any manner of meanes Euery one therefore must do his best to haue his mind purely clensed from all euill For God is not honored of a
earthly Gods he shall not doo amisse considering that for the nighe affinitie betwixt vs thei ought to be if it be lawful so to say more to be honored of vs thē the Gods thē selues And it is necessarie to be persuaded that we must with a continuall readinesse of minde doe our indeuour to repay the benefites receiued at their handes with the like again And although we shal do very much for them yet notwithstanding all will be too litle in comparison of that we ought to doe And so foorth as followeth For sooner will the time faile me then that I can conueniently rehearse this and the like belonging herevnto out of heathen writers neyther did I purpose to reckon vp all Against murder wrong and iniurie very seuere lawes haue ben made by the Gentiles From them also came the lawe called Lex Iulia against adulterie and detestable buggerie They ordained excellent lawes for the contracting obseruing of Matrimonie And the worde of truth doth expresly declare that the Chananites were wiped away bycause of their incest in marriage and horrible lustes Leuit. 8 Lycurgus also Solon and the Romans did publishe lawes for the restraint of outragious expences in riotous persons And here of purpose I ouerpasse that which is naturally ingraffed in all men the begetting I meane and nourishing of their issue and ofspring Against thefte deceipt and vsurie for the lawfull getting and possessing of goods for the distributing of riches and for bargaining the Gentiles haue very commendable lawes That saying of Ausonius is notably knowne If greedie gaping after gaine to get another groate Makes vsurie dispatch apace to cut the poore mans throate All the Gentiles in their writings do worthily commend the truth and do by all meanes they can crie out on and condemne lying slaundering and all such kinde of knauerie The lawe of the twelue tables is that a false witnesse shoulde be cast headlong downe from the top of Tarpey Charondas Catanaeus among other excellent sayings of his owne hath this also Let euery one saith he loue honestie and truth and hate dishonestie and lying For they are the markes wherby vertue is knowne from vice We must therfore beginne with children while as yet they are litle ones inure our selues to chastise them if they delight to lye and to make muche of thē for telling the truth that thereby the best and fruitfullest braunche of vertue may be graffed in euery seuerall mynde so be turned as it were into their nature The wiser sorte of the Gentiles doe vtterly condemne concupiscence and euill affections whiche the Poet in his Satyres blameth as the root of all mischiefe where he saith Frō thence almost comes euerie cause of mischief for no vice That reigns in man so many times could franticke heades intice To mingle poyson priuily to stop anothers breath Or else in armour openly to worke his riuals death As beastly raging lust hath done So then by all this we may easily gather that euen in the Gentiles mindes also were grauen a certaine knowledge of God and some precepts whereby they knewe what to desire and what to eschue whiche notwithstanding they did corrupt and make somewhat mystie with the euill affections and corrupt iudgements of the flesh For whiche cause God also beside the lawe of nature did ordeine other meanes to declare his will I meane the liuely tradition of the Fathers the aunsweres of Angels the voices of Prophets wonderfull miracles and written lawes which he published by wise and very deuout Patriarches All these did God ordeine to be a helpe to the law of nature What soeuer therefore is to be found among the Gentiles agréeable to trueth and honestie that is to be referred to God the author of all goodnesse and on the other side whatsoeuer is contrarie to the trueth that must be attributed to the corrupt nature and euil affections of mankinde In all this that I haue sayde ye haue to note especially that here I speake of knowledge and not of abilitie The knowledge of the lawe is after a sorte manifest in the Gentiles but the consent the will and abilitie to fulfill the law is weake and not easie to be foūd in them Wherefore as we affirme that the vnderstanding of the law must be inspired from heauen so also we say that abilitie to fulfill the lawe muste of necessitie be giuen of God aboue Nature without grace is herein without force and effect But whereas some of the Gentiles beare the name and praise of righteousnesse as Melchizedech Iob Iethro other more they haue that not of their own abilitie but of the grace of God as by the hystorie of Iob we may euidently gather by probable argumentes Wherefore if any of the Gentiles be saued then are they saued not by the workes of nature or their owne desertes but by the mercy of God in our Lorde Iesus Christe Moreouer the lawe of nature is not graffed of God in man to the intent that it without grace and Christ should worke mans saluation but rather to teache vs what is good and what is euill thereby to conuince vs to be sinners and without excuse before the Lorde Paule verily prouing that the Gentiles by the lawe of nature are guiltie of sinne as well as the Iewes by Moses lawe doth shew that in Christ alone the sonne of God is iustification life and all good else Thus farre touching the law of nature The lawes of men for my promise was that in my seconde part I would speake of them are those which are by men ordeined published to the preseruation of the common weale and Church of god Touching these they are of diuers kindes For there are politique lawes there are ecclesiasticall lawes and mens traditions Politique lawes are those which the magistrate according to the state of times places and persons doth ordeine for the preseruing of publike peace and ciuilitie Of this sorte there are an innumerable company of examples in the ciuil lawe and constitutions of the Emperours especially of Iustinian All which ought to come as neare as may be to the lawes of God and Nature and not to be contrarie to them or to haue any smacke of impietie or cruell tyrannie To such lawes Saint Peter willeth vs to obey where he sayth Submit your selues vnto al maner ordinaunce of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as they that are sent by him for the punishment of euill doers but for the praise of them that doe well For although the Apostle by ordinaunces or mens constitutions doth inclusiuely meane the kings and magistrates them selues as in the seconde clause of the sentence he doth immediately declare yet notwithstanding he doth bid vs therefore obeye good lawes and iust bycause by them the Magistrates support and rule the common weale Moreouer iust and honest politike lawes are an helpe to loue and
gaue them mee is greater than all and no man is able to take them out of my fathers hand I and my father am one Hereunto belongeth that outâ—rie of S. Paule which he vseth to the encouragement of vs Christians where hee saith Who shall seperate vs from the loue of Christe Shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or hunger or nakednesse or peâ—ill or sword As it is written For thy sake are we killed all day longe and are compted as sheepe for the slaughter Neuerthelesse we ouercome in all these things through him that loued vs For I am sure that neither death nor life nor Angels nor rule nor power nor thinges present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shal be able to seperate vs from the loue of GOD which is in Christ Iesu our Lord. The Sainctes I confesse in their calamities doe féele griefe and many discommodities but so yet that euen in their discoÌ„modities they haue farr many more coÌ„modities they are therfore diminished one way but augmented an other way so that the crosse of theirs is not their destruction but an excercise for them and a whoalesome medicine And therfore I thinke that that same worthie and golden sentence of S. Paul can neuer be too often beaten into your minds where hée saith We are troubled on euery side yet are we not without shift we are in pouertie but not in extreeme pouertie we suffer persecution but are not forsaken therein wee are cast downe but we perish not The faith full therefore doe in this world loose these their earthly riches but do they thereby loose their faith Loose they their vpright and holy life or loose they the riches of the inner man which are the true riches in the sight of God The Apostle crieth Godlines is a great luâ—re with a mind content with that that it hath For wee brought nothing into the world it is certaine that wee maye carrie nought away but hauing foode and rayment we must therewith be content And the Lord verily who of his goodnesse hath created Heauen and earth and all that is therein for the vse of men which euen séedeth the Rauens younge ones will not cause the iust man to die with hunger and penury Moreouer that man doth not loose his treasure in this world which gathereth treasure as the Lord hath coÌ„maunded him with whom y faithful know that a most wealthie treasure is layd vpp in heauen for them which are in this world spoiled of their â—errestrial goods for their lordâ— masterâ— sake That worthy notable seruam of god Iob doth cry Naked camed ouâ— of my mothers wombe naked shal I turne to the earth againe The Lord gaue and the Lord hath taken away as the Lord pleased so is it happened Blessed be the name of the Lord. Last of all it is manifest that to denie the truth therby to escape persecution is not the way to kéepe our wealth and quiet state but rather the meanes to loose them yea by so doing wee are made infamous to all good men of euery age and nation For we sée that they which would not for Christ and the cause of his trueth hazard their riches but chose rather by dissimulation and renouncing of the truth to kéepe their worldly wealth did reteyne for euer infamous reproch and daily augment most terrible tormentes which vexed horiblie their guiltie conscience loosing neuerthelesse in the diuels name y wealth which they would not once hazard in the cause of their Sauiour But they on y otherside which ieoparded themselues and all their substaunce in the quarell of Christe despising manfully al daungers that could happen did alwayes finde a swéete and pleasant coÌ„fort which strengthened the minds of their afflicted bodies For they crie with the Apostle Wee haue learned in whatsoeuer estate wee are therewith to be content Wee know how to be lowe wee know also howe to exceede euerie where and in all thinges we are instructed both to be full and to be hungrie both to haue plentie and to suffer neede We can doe all thinges through Christ who strengtheneth vs. They know that the same Apostle hath said Ye haue suffered with ioy the spoyling of your goods knowing that ye haue in heauen a farre more excellent substance which will endure For the Lord in the Gospel also said Verilie I say vnto you there is no man that hath forsaken house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or landes for my sake and the Gospels but he shall receiue an hundred folde now at this present with persecutions and in the world to come eternall life Mar. 10. So than the Saincts and faithful seruauntes of God are oppressed with seruitude in this present world but therewith all they know and consider that the Lord himselfe became a seruaunt for vs men whereby they that are seruauntes in this world are made frée thorough Christe and by terrestriall seruitude a way is made to celestiall libertie The faithfull are exiled or banished their countrie but the heathen Poet sayth A valiaunt harted man takes euerie countrie for his owne Verilie in what place of this world soeuer wee are wée are in exile as banished men Oure father is in heauen and therefore heauen is our countrie Wherefore when wée die wée are deliuered from exile and placed in the heauenly countrie and true felicitie In like maner whom the tyrant killeth with hunger and famine those doth hée ridd of innumerable euils And againe whomsoeuer famine doth not vtterly â—il but only tormeÌ„t â–ª them doth it teach to liue more sparingly and afterward to fast the longer and deuoutly Nowe in this case the faithfull which suffer famine do call to remembraunce the examples of the auncient Sainctes of whome when Paul speaketh hée sayth They wandered about in sheepe skinns goate skinnes being destitute afflicted and tormented of whome the world was not worthie they wandered in wildernesse in mountaynes and in dennes and caues of the earth christians also consider that the state of famished Lazarus who died amoÌ„g the tongues of the dogges that licked his blaâ—â—es was farre â—erter than the surfetting of the strutbellied glutton who being once dead was buried in hell Moreouer it is to be abhorred de tested and yet lamented of all men to see a crue of barbâ—rous villaynes and vnrulie souldiours abuse perforce not honest matrenes onely but teÌ„der virgins also that are not fit yet nor ripe for a man But the greatest comfort that wee haue in so great a mischiefe and intollerable ignominie is that chastitie is a vertue of the mind For if it bée a treasure of the minde then is it not lost though the body be abused euen as in like sort the fayth of a man is not thought to be ouercome although the whole body be coÌ„sumed with fire And chastitie is not lost verilie where the body is defloured because the wil
Wherevppon wée doe fréely confesse that the lawe doeth properly make manifeste our infirmitie but that the Gospel giueth a medicine a remedie to that which was almost past hope And now here we must thinke that our holy ancestors had not the lawe alone to conuince them of sinne nor Moses to doe nothing else but kill and slay nor that Moses was giuen to wound them but to heale them that not by his owne power or vertue but by the guiding of them to him that chéerisheth the contrite in heart and healeth all their sorrowes that is Christ Iesus who also wrought by the ministerie of Moses For we must not thincke from the beginning of the world nor from Moses his time till the comming of Christe that the bare letter was preached onely and that the grace and spirite of God was idle wrought not in the mindes of the faithfull For in that the law doth shewe vs and inuincibly proue to vs that in vs I meane in our flesh y perfection is not which the most holy and perfecte God doth in his lawe require of vs it doeth therein reuoke and pull backe mankinde not by the vertue of it selfe but by the power of the quickening spirite of Christ from confidence of the fleshe as that wherin there is no health nor iote of perfection and so coÌ„sequently doeth giue vs occasion to turne our selues to Christ our mediatour who is alone our sanctification perfection And so for this occasion the law is a path and readie way and as it were a scholemaster giuen by God to vs men to drawe vs from all confidence in our owne strengths from all hope of our owne merites and from y trust in any kinde of creatures and to lead vs directly by faith to Christ who was made by God as I said eueÌ„ now our righteousnesse sanctification and redemptioÌ„ without whom there is no saluation vnder the sunne Therefore Moses did not onely vrge the lawe but did also preach Christ life in Christ For the Lord in the Gospel saith to the Iewes Thinke not that I will accuse you to my father There is one that accuseth you euen Moses in whome ye trust For if ye had beleued Moses ye would vndoubtedly haue beleued mee For he wrote of mee And Paule to the Galathians saith If there had beene a law giuen which could haue giuen life then no doubt righteousnesse should haue beene by the lawe but the Scripture hath concluded all vnder sinne that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ should bee giuen vnto them that beleeue But before faith came wee were kept vnder the lawe and were shut vp into the faith which should afterward be reuealed Wherefore the lawe was our scholemaster vnto Christ that we should be iustified by faith Loe what could bée said more plainly then that the lawe hath concluded all vnder sinne But to what end That the promise by the faith of Christ Iesus should bée giuen vnto them that do beléeue And againe Before faith came that is before he came to whom our faith is directed and vppon whoÌ„ it is grounded we were kept vnder the lawe How forsooth being shut vp vnto the faith that was to bee reuealed Therefore our fathers were shut vpin the law that they should not breake out at any time séeke for life and saluation any where else but in Christ alone Wherefore the lawe did lead vs by faith directly vnto Christe And yet more plainly hée saith The lawe was oure scholemaister vnto Christ Loe here againe the law doth bring vs to Christ And againe he addeth That we should bee iustified by faith Therefore the lawe setteth forward the true doctrine of iustification teaching plainly that we are iustified by faith in Christ and not by the merits of our owne workes In whiche point it is opeÌ„ly like vnto the Gospel and taketh to it selfe the office of the Gospell and no meruaile since to many men through their owne fault the Gospell doth become and is made the letter Furthermore the same Apostle doth in an other place say that in sacrifices they called their sinnes to remeÌ„brance we knowe that in them was prefigured the purging of sinns Therfore eueÌ„ the ceremonial lawes also led them to Christ testifying teaching them that he alone doth clense vs from all our sinnes Whervpon I conclude that the office of Moses and of the lawe both was is to opeÌ„ to vs our sinne iudgment yet not to condemne vs only but also by occasion to lead vs to Christ By which we learne also that the law doth not only teach vs the first principles and rudimentes of righteousnesse but the very true absolute righteousnesse For Moses doth expresly say that he taught a most perfecte absolute kind of doctrine as that wher in both life and death doth wholie consist And the Apostle saith that the law leadeth vs by the hand to Christ that we should be iustified by faith Now the righteousnesse of faith is the most perfect righteousnesse Therfore wher as the precepts of the law are in some places called the rudimeÌ„ts of the world that is for two especiall causes The first wherof is because the lawe is as it were the first instructioÌ„s or elemeÌ„ts which when the doctrine of the Gospel commeth is finished and giueth place to it as to more absolute principles The latter cause is because ceremonies are taught vnder outward thinges or signes when as in those outward things they do prefigure and set forth to be séen y inward things euen Christ himselfe his holy mysteries And out of that which I haue hetherto said we may also learne that the ancient saints which liued vnder the old testament did not séeke for righteousnesse saluation in the workes of the lawe but in him which is the perfectnesse end of the law euen Christ Iesus therfore that they vsed the law the ceremonies as a guide and scholemistresse to lead them by the hande to Christe their sauiour For so often as they heard that the lawe required perfect righteousnesse at their hands they did by faith through grace vnderstand y in the lawe Christ was set forth to be the most absolute righteousnesse to whom all men ought to flie for â—he obtâ—ining of righteousnesse So often as they mette together in the holy congregation to behold the holy Ceremonies which God had ordeined they did not looke vppon the bare figures only nor thincke that they did please God and were purged from their sinnes by that externall kinde of worshipp but they did cast the eyes of their minds of faith vppon the Messiah to come who was prefigured in al the Ceremonies and ordinaunces of the lawe They therefore did abuse the lawe who thoughte that they were acceptable to God and that they serued him as they should because they were busie in those Ceremoniall workes For those thoughtes and persuasions the Prophets
the strict kéeping of Moses lawe This rule must alwayes be kept obserued Sainct Peter doth simply commaunde and saye Submitt your selues to all manner ordinaunce of man for the Lordes sake whether it be vnto the king as hauing the preeminence or vnto rulers as vnto them that are sent of him for the punishement of euil doers but for the laude of them do well And yet the same Apostle affirmeth that we ought rather to obey God than men so often as men do publish lawes against true religion iustice and equitie concerning which I spake in the exposition of the commoÌ„ place of the magistrate And so thus much I thought good to saye touching the abrogatioÌ„ of the Iudiciall lawes Now if euery one of you do throughly ponder with him selfe the things y I haue hithereto saide touching the lawe of God the partes of the lawe the vse or effect the fulfilling and abrogating of the same it will be a thing of no difficultie to determin what euery one ought to think concerning that point or title of this treatise wherof I promised in the beginning of this sermon that I woulde speake somewhat towarde the ende to witte that the testament of the olde and new church is all one and that there is but one way of true saluation to all that eyther are or haue bene saued in this worlde and also wherein the newe testament dothe differ from the olde For since I haue alredie shewed that all the pointes of the lawe haue a respect and a kinde of Relation vnto Christ and that hee was in the lawe preached to the fathers to be the onely Sauiour in whome alone they were to be saued who is it which cannot perceiue that they had none other but the verie same manner and way to be saued which we at this day doe enioy by Christ Iesus And yet that this may appeare more euident I wil not stick to bestowe some paines to make this matter more manifest vnto you with as plaine a demonstration as possible may be although a playner cannot likely be than that which I haue alredie shewed you Verily there is no difference of the people of the testament of the church or of the manner of saluation betwixt them among whom there is found to be one and the same doctrin the same faith the same spirite the same hope the same inheritance the same expectation the same inuocation and the same sacraments If therefore I shal be able to proue that all these thinges were indifferently common to them of the olde church as wel vnto vs then haue I obteined that which I shott at to wite that in respect of the substance there neither was nor is any more than one testament that the olde fathers are one and the same people that we are liuing in the same church and communion and saued not in any other but in Christe alone the sonne of God in whome also wee looke for saluation That they and wee haue all one and the same doctrine I proue thus Our doctrine is the doctrine of the gospel But that the fathers were not without the sanâ—e doctrine it is euident by Sainct Paule who testifieth saying God verily promised the Gospel of God afore by his prophets in the holie Scriptures of his sonne which was made of the seede of Dauid after the fleash and hath been declared to bee the sonne of God with power by the spirite c. What could be saide more plainly The Gospell which is at this day preathed was of olde promised by the prophets in the holie scriptures to wite that the sonne of God should come into the worlde to saue all faithfull beleuers This Gospell also teacheth that the faithful are not iustified by the works of the lawe but freely by grace through faith in Christe Sainct Paule saith By the deedes of the law there shal no fleash be iustified in his sight For by the lawe coÌ„meth the knowledge of sinne But now is the righteousnesse of god declared without the law being witnessed by the testimonie of the lawe and the prophets the righteousnesse of God coÌ„meth by the faith of Christ Iesus vnto all and vpoÌ„ all them that beleeue With Paule S. Peter also doth fully agrée where in the Synod helde at Hierusalem he saith Neither we nor our fathers were able to beare the yoke of the lawe but do beleeue euen as they to be saued through the grace of our Lorde Christ Iesus And so consequently in all other substanciall and material poynctes there is no difference in doctrine betwixt vs and them To procéede nowe they whose doctrine is al one must of necessitie haue all one faith For faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the worde of god What doeth that argue that Abraham the rest of the holie fathers are set before our eyes as examples of faith for vs to followe wee sée that it is so in the holie Gospel of the Lord the sacred writings of the Apostles But who would giue vs such forreine examples to imitate as doe not concerne the thing for which they are giuen Paule in many places but especially in the fourth Chapter to the Romanes sheweth that faith must bée imputed to vs for righteousnesse as we reade that it was imputed vnto Abraham nowe that faith of his was not another but the vâ—rie same faith with ours which restâ—th vppon the promise of God and the blessed séede For he calleth Abraham the father not of these onely which are borne of the circumcision but of those also which walke in the stâ—ppes of the faith which was in Abraham before hee was circumcised Besides that also the confirmation of the Christian rule I meane the Apostles Creede or articles of our beleefe is fetched out of the Scriptures of the fathers of the olde testament which is vndoubtedly a moste manifeste argument that their faith and ours is the verie same faith They did beléeue in the Messiah that was then to come and wee beléeue y he is alreadie come and do more fully perceiue neerely see all that which was spoken of before in the prophets as I will anon declare when I come to shewe the difference betwixte the two testaments That all one and the same spirite did gouerne our forefathers and the people of the newe couenaunt who can doubt considering that the spirit of God is one alone and that Sainct Peter doth in expresse wordes testifie that the spirite of Christe was in the Prophets And Sainct Paule also saith Since we haue the same spirite of faith according to that which is written I beleeued and therefore I spake and we beleeue and therefore do we speake Therefore although the same apostle doth in another place saye that the faithfull haue not receiued againe the spirite of bondage vnto feare but the spirite of adoptioÌ„ whereby they crie Abba father Yet doth he not denie but that the faithful fathers had the same spirite that wée
haue For euen they also cried to God as to their father although they obteined it not by the lawe which terrifieth but by the grace of the Messiah Againe the same Apostle saith Whosoeuer are led by the spirite of God they are the sonnes of God. Which sentence we may thus conuert say that the sonnes of God are led by the spirite of God. But there is none vnlesse it bee such an one as neuer read the scriptures which will denye that the auncient fathers were the sonnes of God and were so called bothe by the Lorde him selfe and also by his seruaunt Moses What may be thought of the moreouer that our forefathers were called kings and priestes and so consequeÌ„tly a royall priesthood and a priestly kingdome which names Sainct Peter applyed to the faithful beléeuers in Christ Iesus Nowe such a kingdome and priesthood cannot be or consist without the vnction of the spirite The holy apostle Iohn I confesse in his Gospell sayde The holy Ghoste was not yet beecause Iesus was not yet glorified But as hee spake not of the substaunce of the holye Ghoste which is coeternall with the substance of the father and of the sonne so he doth not altogether denye that the fathers had the holye Ghost For in that place he speaketh of the excellent gifte which after the ascension of the Lorde was powred out vpon the people that did beléeue For Iohn him selfe interpreting him selfe doeth immediately before saye These wordes who so euer beleeueth on me out of his belye shall flowe riuers of water of life spake hee of the holye Ghoste which they that beleue on him shuld receiue The gifte therefore of the holie Ghoste was not at that time when the Lorde spake those words so commonly and plentifully powred vppon all men as it was vppon the faithfull after the glorification of the Lorde Iesus And verily our forefathers and the holie Prophets coulde not haue so precisely and eâ—pressely foretolde all the mysteries of Christe the church which the Euangelistes and Apostles do testifie to be nowe accomplished fulfilled vnlesse in their prophecies they had béene gouerned by the verie same spirite wherewith the Apostles were afterward instructed For it is a wicked thing for vs to thinke that the Prophets and patriarches did like madde men babble they knewe not what and speake suche woordes as they them selues vnderstoode not Abraham sawe the daye of Christe and was gladde of it for by that spirituall sight of his he had and felt with in him selfe a certeine kinde of spirituall ioye Howe manye times doth Dauid in the Psalmes testifie that the seruice of God and the holie congregation did delight him at the verie harte which wordes he vttered not so much for the ioye that he had in the externall ceremonies but for that he did by the spirite and by faith beholde in those ceremonies the true Messiah and Sauiour of the world And since it is euident that our forefathers were iustified by the grace of God it is manifest that that iustification was not wrought without the spirite of God through which spirite euen our iustification at this day is wrought and finished Therfore the fathers were gouerned by the verie same spirite that we of this age are directed by Of this opinion was sainct Augustine whose wordes dearely beloued I meane to recite vnto you worde for word out of his seconde booke de Peccato orig contra Pelag. et celest Cap 25. Things to come saith he were foreseene of the prophets by the same spirite of faith by which they are of vs beleeued to be alreadie finished For they whiche of verie faithfull loue could prophecie these thinges vnto vs coulde not choose but bee themselues partakers of the same And whereuppon is it that the Apostle Peter saith why temptye God to laye vppon the Disciples neckes the yoke that neither our fathers nor wee were able to beare but wee beleeue that through the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christ wee shal be saued euen as they Whereupon is I saye that Peter saith this but for because they are saued by the grace of the Lorde Iesus Christe and not by Moses lawe by which doth come not the saluing but the knowledge of sinne But nowe the righteousnesse of God is without the lawe made manifest witnessed by the lawe and the prophets Therefore if it be nowe at this time made manifest then must it needes bee that it was beefore although as then it were hidden The hyding whereof was prefigured by the vaâ—le of the temple which when Christe died was rent in pieces for a signification that it was then reuealed And therefore this grace of the onely mediatour of God and man the man Christ Iesus was then in the people of God but it was hidden in theÌ„ as it were rayne in a sliece which God doth separate vnto his inheritaunce not of duetie but of his owne voluntarie will but nowe that sliece being as it were wroung out that is the Iewish people beeing reprobated it is openly seene in all nations as it were vppon the bare grounde in an open place Thus much out of Augustine Nowe also there was sett beefore the eyes of Israel a earnall and temporall felicitie whiche yet was not all that they hoped vppon For in that externall and transitorie felicitie was shadowed the heaueÌ„ly and eternall happinesse For the apostle in the fourth eleuenth Chapter to the Hebrues saith that the fathers out of that visible and temporal inheritance did hope for an other inuisible and euerlasting heritage Neither was Christe to any other ende so expressely promised them nor the blessing and life in Christe for any other purpose so plainly layde defore them nor Christe him self almost in all their ceremonies so often prefigured for any other intent but that they thereby might bee put in hope of the verie same life into which wee are receiued through Christ our redéemer For the Lorde in the Gospell saith that wee shal bee gathered in the kingdome of heauen into the same glorie with Abraham Isaac and Iacob But here is an obiection made that life and saluation was promised onely and not perfourmed vnto the fathers but that they being shut vp in prison did looke for the comming of Messiah I for my parte do not finde any thing in the scriptures to bee written of such a prison whereinto the holie Patriarches were fast locked vpp Peter verily maketh mention of a prison but in that prison hee wil haue the disobedient not the obedient spirites to be But if any man obiect that Christe descended to them belowe we verily do not denye it but yet we say withal that he desceÌ„ded to the departed saincts that is that he was gathered to the companie of the blessed Spirites whiche were not in the place of punishment that is in torments but in the ioyes of heauen as the Lorde him self coÌ„firmeth the same when being readie to descende to them belowe
they shall all knowe mee from the little vnto the greate But of the law it is written that it was grauen in tables of stone Yet for all this let no man thinke that the fathers obteined no remission of their sinnes For as they by faith had frée forgiuenesse of their sinnes so did God both write his lawe and powre his spirite into their heartes For which of vs at this day can saye that wée excell in knowledge and in faith either Abraham Moses Samuel Dauid Esaie Daniel or Zacharias So then the difference is not in that the fathers of the old testamente were without the remission of sinnes and the illumination of the holie Ghoste and that wée alone which are the people of the newe testament haue obteined them but the difference doeth consiste in the greatnesse amplenesse largenesse and plentifulnesse of the giftes to witt because they are more liberallie bestowed and more plentifully powred out vppon more nowe than they were of old For all nations being called doe not by dropmeale but by whole handfulls drawe the water of life The Lord doth powre out his spirite vppon all fleshe Of old God was knowen in Iurie onely but nowe since Christe is come into the world his disciples are gone thoroughe all the corners of the earth teach all kingdomes to knowe the Lord. Of old the worthie men and Prophets were not so many but that they might bée numbred because the land of promise in a maner alone did bréed such good and holy men But who is at this day able to reckon all that kings Princes noble men Prophets Bishops doctours Martyrs excellent persons of euery sexe estate and age whiche haue beene and are at this day bred not onely in Iurie but also in Arabia Idumea Phenicia Mesopotamia Persia Asia Aegypt Africa Gréece Italie the Easte the South the Weste and the North Frée remission of sinnes is preached to all countries and kingdomes All the faithfull in euerie nation vnder heauen are throughe Christ receiued into the grace and fauour of God the father All haue receiued in great abundaunce the gift of the holy Ghoste All haue prophecied All haue knowen the lord Finallie the lawe maketh no man perfecte The Gospell simplie maketh perfect and doth directly without any stopp lead vs to Christe and causeth vs to rest and to content oure selues in him alone Last of all I will not slippe ouer this difference althoughe it be of little weight and such an one as other like vnto it may be easilie obserued that the lawe appointing out a certeine land peculiarly separated from other nations did promise to the old fathers the possession of the same so long as they did kéep the law but if they did transgresse the lawe then did it threaten that they should be rooted vpp and vtterly cast out of that good land But to vs no one limited lande is expressely promised For the earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof the rounde world and all that therein is But althoughe hée doeth not héere assigne to vs as hée did to oure forefathers of olde any certeine or peculiar thinge yet doeth hée not at any time neglecte vs For hée féedeth blesseth and preserueth vs in euery land and nation Therfore the promises which were of old made to oure forefathers concerning the land of promise being come to an end are vtterly vanished away so that they which for an age or two agoe did incite many nations to arme themselues for the recouerie of the holy land doe seeme to haue béene besides their witts Christ by his comming into the world hath sanctified all the earth For there are in euerie nation of the world some sonnes and heires of God and his kingdome Touching the likenesse and agréement the vnlikenesse and difference of both I meane the old and newe testaments or people I haue therfore spoken the more briefely béecause I haue in the first Sermon of the first Decade and in the sixte Sermon of this third Decade alreadie hādled the selfe same matter Finallie I haue but shortly touched the abrogation of the law because I did a good while ago set foorth two treatises y one of the Auncient Faith the other of the Only and eternall Couenaunt of God whiche treatises I knowe to bée familiar amonge you I will not héere in the conclusion recapitulate vnto you y special points of this Sermon partly because I haue alreadie béene somewhat to long and partly because I haue as I hope vsed so plaine an order that euery point is indifferently well settled in euery manns memorie Thus haue I by Gods grace and sufferance made an end to treate of Gods holy law wherin I haue béene occupied a good sort of dayes by seuerall Sermons Blessed bée God and oure heauenly father world without end whome I beséech to blesse vs all thorough Iesus Christ our Lord and Sauiour Amen ¶ Of Christian libertie and of offences Of good workes and the reward thereof ¶ The ninthe Sermon I HAVE alreadie through many sermons discoursed longe vppon Gods lawe nowe therefore because vppon the consideration handling of the lawe there doe arise certaine pointes not to bee omitted which doe depend vppon and are annexed hand in hand vnto the lawe of which sort are Christian libertie good woorkes the reward of good woorkes sinne and the reward or punishment of sinne I wil speake of them in order as God shall put into my mouth whō I shall desire you to praye vnto with mée beséeching him not to suffer me to speake in these or other points of holy doctrine the thing that shall sounde against his holy will. Vppon the abrogation of the lawe doeth Christian libertie depende and follow as the effecte of the abrogating of the lawe which libertie doth minister vs occasion to speake of offences Nowe concerning Christian libertie the most holy Apostle of Christ Sainct Paule hath reasoned verie diligently and largely whereby we may gather that the consideration of Christian libertie is neither of no weighte nor yet of little profite But the treatise therof is especially necessarie to vs of this age amonge whom there are no small number of men which doe either not vnderstand what Christian libertie is or else if they knowe it do foulie abuse it thereby to fulfill the lustes of the flesh I will therefore tell you who is the deliuerer that setteth vs at libertie who they are that he setteth at libertie and wherein and howe farre forth he setteth them at libertie whiche things being once knowen it wil be an easie matter to perceiue what Christian libertie is what the propertie or disposition of those is which are so set at libertie and howe farre forth they must beware from giuing office to any man and from abusing their graunted libertie There is none other deliuerer promised giuen and preached vnto vs than Christ Iesus the Sonne of god For he which doth deliuer other men must be himselfe frée from the
all the world to wite Christe once offered vpp for vs which are by faith made partakers of him But nowe as we do not acknowledge or admitt the satisfactions that are obtruded vnto vs in the doctrine of the priestes and Monckes so do we by all meanes detest the indulgences of the Byshops of Rome They called these Indulgences a beneficiall pardoning of crimes or remission of the punishment or of the guilt or of both to wite by the power of the keyes bestowed by the Lorde and for the merite of the Martyrs bloud for so they saye graunted or giuen to them that are rightly contrite in heart and do confesse their sinnes For these fathers of Indulgences are wont with their Indulgences to remitt againe the rigour and seueritie of the satisfaction whiche lyeth in them to order at their discretion Truely as one saide The fathers gentle Indulgence doeth make the children naught So haue their Indulgences vtterly corrupted true repentance But thou canst read in no place that such power was giuē to the Popes as they did feigne We read that to the Apostles the keyes were giuen by the Lorde but those keyes were nothing else but the ministerie of preaching the Gospell as I in place conuenient will shewe vnto you Nowe the Gospell promiseth to vs remission both of the guilt and penaltie for Christe his sake and faith in Christ and doth admonishe vs that in the latter times there shall come men that shal saye we are Christes that is which shall attribute to them selues the things that do properly belong to Christe alone such as is especially the forgiuenesse of sinnes But it commaundeth vs to flie from them and by all meanes to take héede of them as of wicked seducers The same Euangelicall trueth doth teache that the faithfull are cleansed by the onely bloud of the sonne of God. Their indulgences do promise mē the cleansing of their sinnes through the bloud of S. Peter S. Paul and other holie Martyrs And for that cause are they the prophanation of the bloud of the sonne of god The Saincts do washe their garments in the bloud of the Lamb not in the pardoning bull or boxe of indulgences nor in the Martyrs bloud Yea Paule him selfe denyeth that either he or Peter or any other of the Sainctes was crucified for the Church of god And yet their indulgences were so sett foorth as though God were pleased with vs for the bloud of the Martyrs Therefore their indulgences are flatly contrarie to the Apostles doctrine And I admonished you in my Sermon of good woorkes in these woordes of Paule I fulfill that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in my fleshe for his bodies sake which is the Church that that fulfilling is not referred to the worke of the purging or propitiation of Christ which is consummate vnlesse Christe at his death did testifie falsly saying It is consummate but to those afflictions where with the members of Christ that is the faithful are exercised by the crosse so long as they liue in this fraile fleashe Verily the Lorde maketh accompt of the afflictions layde vppon the faithful as of his owne For to Paule he saide Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee Moreouer when he saith For the churche he meaneth not for the expiation of the churche but for the edification and profite of the same And Paule susteined gréeuons afflictions at the handes of the Iewes because he preached the Gospell to the Gentiles And it was expediēt that in him there should be shewed to the Church an example of Patience so rare as coulde not lightly be founde againe Yea other haue often times obiected against these indulgence defenders this godly saying of the holie man Pope Leo in his 81. Epistle Although the death of many Saincts is precious in the sight of the Lord yet the slaughter of no man subiect to sin is the propitiation for the sinnes of the worlde Again The righteous haue receiued not giuen Crownes of glorye and of the manful constancie of the Martyrs are sprong examples of patience not the gifts of righteousnes for their deaths were singular neither did any one by his ending pay the debt of another since there is one Lord Iesus Christe in whome they are all crucified dead buried and raysed vp againe Thus much out of pope Leo. We haue therfore by diuine and humane testimonies euidently proued that the indulgences giuen to sinners by the merite or treasure of the Martyrs bloud are méere blasphemies against God and open iniuries against his holye Martyrs I haue hetherto spoken of those indulgēces which were of olde fréely bestowed by the Popes of Rome although at this day they be few in number and curtayled too now therfore I will say somewhat of their indulgences which they for the moste parte doe sell and make traffique of To sell indulgences is in the Church of God a sinne so detestable as that it is harde to name any one more horrible And yet it is and hath bene a common practise and merchandize these many yéeres with the Bishops of Rome their factors whom they cal Apostoliques not hauing any one word in the scripture wherewith to cloak y wicked inuention And now though I slip ouer and doo not shew you how Indulgences are nothing but a bare name with out any stuffe or matter and that vnder that vaine name miserable men and silly soules are foulely deceiued yet note that Christ the chiefe and only high Prieste of his Catholique and holy Church in the dayes of his fleshe did with a whip driue the buyers and sellers as impudent dogges out of the Church of God whiche thing hee did twice Once at the beginning of his preaching and an other time a little before his Passion At the first time he added Away with these thinges from hence and make not my fathers house an house of merchādize At the latter time he saide It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer but ye haue made it a den of theeues And Simon Magus also in the Actes of the Apostles seeinge that by the laying on of the Apostles hands the holye Ghoste was giuen did offer them money saying Giue me this power also that on whome soeuer I lay my handes hee may receiue the holy Ghoste But hearken howe Peter accepteth his petition Thy money said he perishe with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of GOD may be obteined with money Thou haste neither parte nor fellowship in this businesse For thy harte is not right in the sight of God. Loe the giftes of God are not gotten with money Loe their harte is not righte that make merchandize of Religion Loe they haue no parte or fellowship in the inheritaunce of the kingdome of Heauen or in the preaching of the glad tidings therfore what shall we say now of the Indulgences whiche the Popes Apostoliques doe set to sale for money What shall we say of the very
Indulgenciaries and the Pope him selfe whose Hierlings they be We must confesse verily that they are the fellowes of Simon not Peter but Magus For Peter did by the iust sentence of God curse such kinde of merchantes Your money saith he perish together with you This is a heauie and terrible but yet a moste iust iudgement of the moste iust god The same Apostle Peter foreséeing that in the church there would be many such merchants doeth in his last Epistle say There were false Prophets among the people euen as there shal be false teachers among you which priuily bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lord that hath bought them and bring vpon themseâ—ues swift damnation And many shall followe their damnable wayes by whome the way of trueth shal be euil spoken of And with couetousnesse through seigned words shall they make merchaÌ„dize of you For what is it with fained words through couetousenesse to make merchandize of the miserable idiotes if this is not when they say that they doe giue full remission of sinnes vnto all them that are contrite and doe confesse their sinnes For if any man doo acknowledge his sinnes and with a true faith conuert him selfe to God through Christe euen without theire Indulgences he doth obtaine plenarye remission of all his sinnes Those foxes therefore make mony of smoke deceiuing simple soules and selling for coyne the thinge which they neuer had neither possibly can be purchased with money And thus much hetherto of bought and solde Indulgences Of which other writers haue made very long discourses I suppose that by this little any man maye easily vnderstand how to iudge of them a-right We are now at length come past those rocks and shelfes to whiche we did of purpose saile that when we had viewed the moste perilous places we might admonishe the vnskilfull passagers to take héede howe they strike vpon them for making shippwrack of their soules by thincking that in these Indulgences doeth lye she true force of sufficiente Repentaunce wherein there is nothing but the vtter displeasing of Godes moste holye maiestie Therefore letting that alone as it is we doe now returne to declare she last member of repentance whereby we said that penitentes doe mortifie the olde man and are renued spiritutually First of all therfore it séemeth good to tell what the olde man is what the newe or regenerated manne is and what the power or strength of man is For by the demonstration thereof we shall the better vnderstand what it is to mortifie the olde man to be renued in the spirit We say that the olde man is all that which we haue of nature or of our first parents to wit not the body only or the flesh I mean the grosser and substantiall parte of the bodye but euen the verye soule with the strength the power and faculties of the same Therefore wheras in some places of the holye Scriptures the fleshe is put for man we must not onely vnderstand the massie substance and grosser parte of the bodye but the very fleshe together with the soule and all the faculties thereof that is the whole man not yet regenerate For the Lord in the Gospell saith That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirit is spirit And this he speaketh concerning regeneratioÌ„ which is not according to the fleshe as Nicodemus did falsely imagine but according to the spirit The woord Flesh therfore dooth importe the naturall power and faculties of manne euen all that I meane which we haue or take of our first grandsyre Adam The new man is said to be he that is regenerate by the spirite of God in Christe or is rerenued according to the image of Christe with all the giftes and vertues of the holye Ghoste And as the flesh is vsually put for the olde man so is the spirit by an Antithesis commonly vsed and taken for the newe man. Now héere the very place requireth to discourse somewhat of the power or vertues of man Of whiche although I haue else-where disputed all redye as in the Sermon of Fréedome and bondage and of sinne yet héere againe I wil touch suche points as I thinck to suffice for this present Argument There are two partes or faculties of our soule Vnderstanding Will. Vnderstandinge doeth discerne in things obiect what to receiue or what to refuse and is as it were the light and guide of the soule Will chooseth for in it dooth lye bothe to will and to nill which are againe impeld by other powers and faculties Nowe the vnderstanding is of two sortes For we vnderstand either Earthlye or Heauenly thinges I call those Earthly things which do apperteine not to the life to come but to the life present whervnto we referre all liberall artes and handicrafts the gouerning of publique weales and the ruling of priuate houses By heauenly things I vnderstand God himselfe eternall felicitie and life euerlastinge the knowledge of God and all kindes of vertues faith hope charitie righteousnes holynes and innocencie of life Now let vs sée what this vnderstanding of man is able to doo and what power it hath The Iudgement and vnderstanding of man in Earthly things is not altogither none at all but yet it is weake and verye smal God wot The vnderstanding therefore that is in man dooth come of God but in that it is small and weake that commeth of mans owne fault and corruption But the bountifull Lord doeth augment in men those giftes of his whereby it commeth that mans wit bringeth woonderful things to passe For which cause we read in the holie Scriptures that the artes wittes of men are in the handes of god But in the knowledge or vnderstanding of heauenly matters there is not one small sparke of light in man his witt of it selfe is nothing but darckenesse which at the beginninge was created by God moste sharpe lightsome but was afterwardes by mans corruption vtterly rebated and darkned againe For therefore it is that Christe in the Gospell sayed No man commeth to mee vnlesse my father drawe him And in the prophets it is written All shal be taught by GOD. And Paule saith The naturall man perceiueth not the thinges that are of the spirite of God for they are foolishnesse vnto him Neither can knowe because they are spiritually discerned The naturall man that is that olde man which is not yet regenerate by the holie Ghost is not a blocke altogether without all sense or féeling For if he were vtterly without all the discourses of reason then how should the preaching of the Gospell séeme foolishnesse vnto him He doth therefore by the gifte of God heare and vnderstande the wordes and sense of the holie scripture but by reason of his naturall corruption he is not touched with them he doth not rightly iudge of theÌ„ they seeme méere follie vnto him neither doth he perceiue that they must be discerned spiritually because
of the prayers of Angels and that they offer the prayers of the faythfull in Gods presence therefore not Christ alone prayeth or maketh intercession for vs in heauen but also the Saintes We denie that this followeth bycause the scripture teacheth that Angels are ministring spirites and according to their office offer prayers only as ministers in the presence of God but not to make intercession or that men are heard for Angels sakes but for Christes sake who maketh intercession and for whose sake the prayer whiche is brought and offered vnto God is acceptable vnto him Nowe if so be they will bring foorth the like also touching the blessed soules of the Saintes and reason Asimili from that that is like let them first teache that soules are appointed and made ministring spirits But they can not and if they coulde yet had they not proued that the heauenly Saintes are intercessours For not the Angels themselues doutlesse are therefore intercessours bycause they offer the prayers of men vnto god They agrée say they and are knit vnto vs in the same knot of charitie and loue and forbycause the spirites of the blessed whiche liue in heauen do loue vs here in earth therfore according to the nature and disposition of this loue they also praye for vs We answere that they gather this without warrant of scripture For that we maye without wrangling graunt them this that the Saintes in heauen are not without the loue of their neighbour yet notwithstanding we adde that this loue in the heauenly Saintes hathe not nowe that nature or disposition and those offices which in times past it had in earth Otherwise we should attribute many moe absurdities to the Saints as though they eyther did or suffred those things which they neither do nor yet suffer Whilest they liued in earth according to the disposition and nature of loue they were sorie and they were glad and they prayed with vs yea they also made intercession for vs but nowe that they haue put off this corruptiō and haue lefte vs leading their liues in heauen with the Lord they neither knowe our affaires neither are moued with any earthly affectiōs They vnderstād that it is passing well with vs without their helpe They vnderstande likewise that the worke of our saluation is already wrought and accomplished so that they may acquiet them selues and rest from their laboures and reioyce in Christe who is doubtlesse the onely intercessoure with the father of all men liuing in their miserie bycause he knoweth all and can do al neither is he moued at neither wearied or tyred with or yet is ignorant of any thing but taketh vppon him most absolutely and dispatcheth all things whatsoeuer are incident or belong to an intercessour They vnderstande that this glory agréeth vnto the onely sonne of God and therefore they goe not busily about it that they in Christes steade might appoint or make thē selues intercessours For here the loue that they beare to God surpasseth the loue of their neighbour But these mē obiect that the saints pray not in heauen after the rite and fashion of that only intercessour but after the same maner that they prayed for their fellow-brethrē in earth Euen nowe we sayde that it did not follow This they did in earth therfore they doe the same in heauen Neither can it be proued by manifest scriptures that the Saints in heauen pray for vs Why then doe they set foorth vnto vs doubtfull opinions for certeine For that we may graunt them that the Saintes pray in heauē which thing not a fewe of the fathers haue written it doth not therfore followe that the Saints are to be called vpon For that sentence of S. Augustine is very well knowne which is reade written in his booke De Ciuitate Dei. 22. chap. 10. The Gentiles did both build temples made altars ordeyned priestes and offered sacrifices vnto their Gods. But we do not erect tēples to our martyrs as vnto Gods but remēbraunces as vnto dead men whose spirits liue with god Neither do we there set vp altars vpon whiche we might sacrifice vnto martyrs but we sacrifice to one God who is the sacrifice both of the martyrs also our sacrifice according to whiche sacrifice as men of god that haue ouercome the worlde in the confession of him they are named in their place and order Howbeit they are not called vpon of the priest that sacrificeth Bycause hee is Gods priest not theirs Now the sacrifice it self is the body of Christ which is not offered vnto them bicause they also them selues are the same Thus saith he Testifying plainly enough that the Saintes are not called vpon or to be called vpon bicause sacrifice belongeth vnto God and not to the Saints Wherefore when the aduersaries adde That the Churche many yeares called vpon the Saintes that the churche erred not and therefore they that call vpon the Saints do not erre We answere that the churche doth not erre when she heareth the voyce of her bridegrome and shepehearde but that she doth erre when neglecting the voice of her shepheard she followeth her owne decrées The whole churche of Israel erred together with their high Priest Aaron the elders of the people when transgressing the lawe of God they worshipped god represented by an image with singings and dauncings otherwise than he him selfe had appointed Neither are the Israelites absolued from errour and sinne for that many yeares they put not downe their high places They add againe The saints haue helped when they haue bene called vpon therefore they are to be called vpon Oftentimes that falleth out well whiche is instituted against the worde of god But who can thervpon gather that that is good whiche is instituted against the worde of God as though the innocent and harmlesse were therefore to be spoyled with warre bicause we sée that by warre mercilesse souldiers waxe rich The Gods of the Gentiles likewise séemed to heare the petitions of their supplyants but are the Gods of the Gentiles therefore to be called vpon But we meane not to answere to euerie one of their arguments bicause we haue done that already elsewhere according to our talent We conclude therefore that the word of truth vttered out of the mouth of God doth teache vs inuocation of Gods name by the mediation of Iesus Christe neither doe we reade that any holie man either in the olde or the new testament of whome the scripture vndoubtedly hath made mention called vpon any though neuer so excellent a Patriarch or Prophete departed this life or vpon any Apostle or Apostles disciple otherwise than by the name of Iesus Christ Let vs therefore hold fast that that doctrine is most perfect and most safe which biddeth vs all to cal vpon God alone by his only sonne that God him selfe requireth this of euery one of vs and that when we obey we please God. The last place touching the seruing of God doth remaine behinde This
his owne nature he is vnspeakeable vnmeasurable incomprehensible euerlasting yet notwithstāding that I may say somewhat in a certeine order concerning him if it will be no otherwise I will at the last shadowe out that which the scripture the inspiration of the holie Ghoste himselfe verie largelie declareth of him The holie Ghost is the third person in Trinitie to bee worshipped very God procéeding from the father and the sonne which inlighteneth regenerateth sanctifieth and fulfilleth the faithful with all good graces But that the holie Ghost is the third person in the holie Trinitie I thincke it is sufficiently at large declared in the third Sermon of this Decade Surely this onely sentence of our Sauiour Baptize them in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holie Ghost doeth aboundantly confirme to godly mindes that the holy Ghost is the third person in Trinitie Moreouer that he is verie God of the same power glorie maiestie and Beeing with the father and the sonne that especiallie proueth beecause hee is the third person in the holie Trinitie Neither must we thinke that he is lesser than they because hee is reckoned in the third place For though the blessed Trinitie be remembred of vs in order yet notwithstanding there is no degrée no time no place or number in the blessed Trinitie For blessed Athanasius made his confession according to the Scripture and said The catholique faith is this that wee worshipp one God in Trinitie and Trinitie in Vnitie neither confounding the persons nor diuiding the substance For there is one person of the father another of the sonne another of the holie ghost But the Godhead of the father of the sonne and of the holie Ghoste is one the glorie equall the maiestie coeternall Such as the father is such is the sonne and such is the holie Ghost The father vncreate the sonne vncreate the holie Ghost vncreate The father incōprehensible the sonne incomprehensible and the holie Ghost incomprehēsible That father eternall the sonne eternal and the holy Ghost eternal and yet are they not three eternalls but one eternall c. And Augustine also in his 15. booke De Trinitate cap. 26. sayth In that high Trinitie which is God there are no distances of times whereby it may bee shewed or at least demaunded whether the sonne were first borne of the father and afterward the holie Ghoste to proceede from them both c. Truly we confesse that the father the sonne and the holy Ghost is one God and that the same is eternall Therefore let it trouble no man that the spirit is put in the last place For when the Apostle in his epistle to the Corinth framed his blessing he said The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the fellowship of the holie Ghost be with you all he maketh mention of the holie Ghost in the last place but the same Paule sayeth There are diuersities of gifts but it is the selfe same spirite And there are differences of administrations but it is the selfe same Lord and there are diuerse maners of operations but it is the selfe same God which woorketh all in all setting the spirite in the first place teaching that the order of names doth not make difference of dignities After this manner also in the former testimonie he placed the sonne before the father not ouerthrowing the order which the Lord hath set downe in Matth. but shewing the equalitie of the Trinitie in honour For what canst thou more plainly saye thā that which the scripture saith that the holie ghost doth sanctifie renue regenerate giue life and saue and these are operations agréeable to God onely By operations therfore we manifestly acknowledge that the holie Ghoste is God of the same Essence and power with the father and the sonne For the holie Ghost from the beginning beefore all creatures visible and inuisible is a creatour not a creature as Iob witnesseth His spirite hath garnished the heauens Againe The spirite of GOD hath made mee and the breath of the Almightie hath giuen mee life Zacharias the priest and father of S. Iohn Baptist sayeth Blessed bee the Lord God of Israel for he hath redeemed his people as hee spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets whiche haue beene since the world began And S. Peter sayeth For the Prophecie came not in old time by the will of man but holy men of GOD spake as they were moued by the holy Ghost By this I pray you who cannot gather that the holy Ghoste is God For God spake by the mouth of the Prophets and the holy Ghoste spake by the mouth of the Prophets Therefore the holy Ghost is God. The same Peter also in expresse words hath called the holy Ghost God when he accused Ananias of theft yea and also of sacrilege for when he had said Howe is it that Sathan hath filled thy heart to lie vnto the holy Ghost by and by he addeth Thou hast not lied vnto mē but vnto God. To the doctrine of Saint Peter agrée those thinges in all poinctes whiche S. Paule the doctour of the Gentiles hath taught For hee called the beléeuers the temples of God Knowe ye not sayeth he that ye are the temple of God and that the spirite of GOD dwelleth in you And againe Knowe ye not that your bodies are the temple of the holy ghost which is in you whom ye haue of God and yeare not your owne To be the temple of God and to be the temple of the holy Ghost Paule taketh to bee one and the selfe same thing it followeth therfore that the holy Ghost is god For in his Epistle to the Corinthians hee expresly nameth the holy Ghost god For after he had said There are diuersities of giftes but it is the selfe same spirite and had reckoned vpp the kindes of giftes by and by hee addeth And all these things woorketh euen one and the selfe same spirite distributing to euerie man seuerally euen as hee will. And he himselfe had said a litle afore There are diuerse manners of operations but it is the selfe same GOD which worketh all in all But Didymus Alexandrinus a man of excellent learning doeth knit vp a most euident argument of the Godhead of the holy Ghost declaring also that his nature doeth altogether differ from the nature of Angels For in his 1. lib. de Spiritu Sancto hée hath left this written S. Hierome so interpreting it If the holy Ghost were a creature he should haue at the least a limitable substance as haue all thinges whiche are made For althoughe inuisible creatures are not limitted within place and boundes yet in propertie of substaunce they are limitted but the holy Ghost since hee is in many places hath not a limitable substāce For Iesus sending forth the preachers of his Gospel he filled them with the holy Ghost But neither did all the Apostles goe to all
of prayer for the â—eade For that whichsome albedge out of â—he second booke of Machâ—beiâ— proueth thing For that booke is not canonicall Which thing it behooued them to haue learned long since euen out of Hierome They adde that prayer for the deade is an vnwritten tradition of the Apostles I heare them But I knowe well enough that the vnwritten traditions of the apostles are not contrarie to their writtâ—n doctrines I knowe well enoughe that the written doctrines of the apostls no where commaunde prayers for the deade and in no place allowe them When Paule the Apostle exhorted the Thessalonians to moderation in lameâ—ting for the dead the time being then verie fitte and most 〈◊〉 to giue commaundement concerning offering of prayers for the soules of the deade if he had thought them any whit profitable and necessarie yet notwithstanding he maketh no manner mention of them yea rather he simply teacheth what they ought to beléeue touching the fouâ—es of the faithfull being separated from their bodies namely that they liue in euerlasting blessednesse with Christ wayting and looking for the reâ—urrection of their bodies But who can not sée that this certeintie and plainnesse of the Apostles doctrine is intangled and perilously shaken with this feigned Apostolique tradition For if we beléeue in Christ let vs beléeue his wordes and promises He him selfe saide that he is the resurrection and life of the faithfull and that the soules of the beléeuing euen immediately 〈…〉 death of the body 〈◊〉 escape and 〈◊〉 into liâ—â— â—f I say we 〈…〉 of the Lord why then doe we aâ— yet being 〈◊〉 for the saluation of the 〈◊〉 of the deade prays and make supplicatioÌ„ for them as though they had not yet obteyned saluation â–ª By these our prayers truely we giue a manifest proofe that we dout of our faith hope not after that as concerning the saluation of our fouls which wedge â—â—th professe with tâ—ung and which also the wordes of Christe and the Apostles commaunde vs to hope after The stedfast faith truely and assured hope of those that beléeue and stay them selues vppon the promises of Christe dâ— forbid vs here to take and weare blacke mourning garments in offerings for the dead whose souls we beléeue to haue already put on white garmentes they forbid vs to giue occasion eyther to vnbeléeuers or to weaklinges in fayth of repreheâ—â—ing vs worthily bycause we 〈◊〉 and lament for them who 〈◊〉 say do liue with God as if they were â—ast into hell fire and busily set our selues a worke with making humble prayers vnto God to deliuer the miserable souls out of torments that is to say bycause the faith which we professe with tong and voyce we condemne by the testimonie of â—ure heart and mynd yea and of our outwarde workes If we goe on after this sorte truely we are double dealers in our hope and in our faith The things whiche we speake séeme to be dissembled false and feigned For it auayleth nothing in words to â—â—â—nt of vertue and with déedes to destroye trueth Therfore let him that wil receiue this 〈…〉 as they caâ—â— it of the Apoâ—â—les touching the offering of prayers for the faithfull departeâ— as for me I meane to receiue nothing repugnant to true â—ayth and 〈◊〉 from the apoâ—â—les doctriâ—e 〈◊〉 doe I persuade any man to receâ—â—â— such â—anitie This also I can not choose but tel you that that which they call the tradition of the apostles S. Augustine calleth the tradition of the fathers reâ—â—iued of the Churche For in his 〈◊〉 〈…〉 apostâ—li 32. he sayth This which the fathers deliuered the whole Church obserueth to wit that prayers shoulde be made for them in the communion of of the body and bloud of Christ wheÌ„ they in their own place are reheâ—â—â—ed at the verie sacrifice and the same is mentioned to be offered for them also And againe 〈…〉 gerendâ— Cap. 4. he saith Supplications or prayers for the soules of the dead are not to bee neglected whiche the church hath receiued to be made for all that be departed in the Christian brotherhod not rehearsing them by name but in a general remembrance of them altogether Thus saâ—e he â–ª Who though in some place he 〈◊〉 the traditioÌ„s of the apostles very say yet by these words this séemethmore expresly to be his meaning y this 〈◊〉 or order of praying for the dead was deliuered to the churche by the fathers and doubtlesse many yeares after the Apostles time was receiued of the church The same August defendeth in more places than one that the receiuing of the Eucharist or sacrameÌ„t of the Lordes supper is as necessarie for infants being newe come forth of their mothers wombe to y attaining of saluation as the sacrament of baptisme The chiefe and notable places wherein â—e hand â—â—th 〈…〉 in his first booke against 〈…〉 his 〈…〉 against y Pelagians Nether doth he 〈◊〉 that opinion with lesse 〈…〉 than the tradition â–ª bicause that 〈…〉 and very vsual in the church in y age But who at this day receiueth y ceremonie as Apostolical Who séeth not that those good fathers otherwise most faithfull pastours in that thing suffered some inuention of man The written doctrine of S. Paule deserueth at this day more to be estéemed than that auncient tradition of the church Paul writeth Let euery man 〈◊〉 himselfe and so let him eatâ— of this â—â—eade and drinke of this cap. Whâ—reby al men vnderstand that y Eucharist or sacrament of the Lords supper is for them to receiue that are of perfect age not 〈…〉 For y cauâ—â— it 〈…〉 for our elder to forsake y tradition and to draw more neare to the scripture Let theÌ„ therefore in this mâ—tter giue vs 〈◊〉 also to depart froÌ„ the vncertein tradition of the fathers to cleane to the moste 〈◊〉 faith doctrine of the apostles But 〈◊〉 say they was condeÌ„ned for this cause for that he beléeued prayers were vnprofitable for the dead I 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 y Aerius was coÌ„deÌ„ned neither do I take vpon me to defend him whom â—hylastrius Epiphanius Augustine do make mention to haue 〈…〉 Arian a man polluted with other â—oule errors But touching prayers for the dead whether they be profitable or vnprofitable there is no doubt that they are catholiques notheretiques who beléeue that which is deliuered â—et downe in the apostles créed For according to the tradition of this créede we beléeue the forgiuenesse of sinnes 〈…〉 life euerlasting They which beleèue these things â—â—tein vndoutedly what soâ—â—er they beléeue For the Lord said to the Contâ—â—ion Go thy way and as tho◠〈…〉 so be it done vnto thâ—â— Therefore who so euer beléeueth forgiuenes of sinâ— life euerlasting hath obteyned forgiuenesse of sinnes surly he shal liue in euerlasting life Which thing if y be true as it caÌ„not be false whith is deliuered vnto vs in the apostles créede what place I pray you shall prayers
haue for the deade for the dead haue their sinnes forgiuen them therefore al lets delayes vnto life are taken away so they liue with god But they which haue not beleeued haue reteined kept their sinnes stil being east down into the bottomlesse lake sticke fast in the myâ—e of hell Which thinges since they are 〈◊〉 certâ—ntie truly theâ— is a 〈◊〉 of praying for y dead 〈◊〉 before goâ—â— nor among the faithful Herevnto are annexed so many examples of the â—aintes in both the Testaments which are to be preferred both before vs 〈…〉 condeÌ„nations of men Which I pray you of the holy fathers euer prayed 〈◊〉 their dead Did Adam pray for his Abel did the sonnes pray for their father Adam What prayers did Abraham offer to God for the soule of his father Thare or for the soul of his most deare wife Sara What prayers poured Esau and Iacob forth for their father Isaac when he died the â—â— sonnes of Israel for Iacob Solomon for Dauid In the new Testament Iohn baptist is beheaded of Herode Stephan stoned of the Iewes Iames his head is cut off by the shoulders at the coÌ„mandemeÌ„t of Agrippa their disciples burie their bodies do all things religiously belonging to their burials but in somany 〈…〉 made of prayâ—r for the soules of the deaâ—â— For they beléeued they forthwith after death were carried into euerlasting life Who theÌ„ after so many notable examples after so cleare profession of the catholique and sinnere fayth 〈◊〉 ye vs to the necessitie of praying for the soules of the dead Who can say hereafter that we are hereâ—iques who fulfill that in worke whiche we professe in profession of fayth or confession of the mouth yea which do no other thing thaÌ„ the most excellent worshippers of God of both Testaments haue done before vs. The last pâ—st wherewith they vnderprop their purgatorie least it should fall is the appearing of spirites For Rabanus a byshop sheweth out of the testimonies of Pope Gregorie and reuerâ—nd Beda that the soules of dead men haue very often appeared and taught that oblations and praiers do profite them verie much But I wonder that men of learning wold grouÌ„d their worke vpon so rotten ruinous foundations For the Lorde in the lawe forbiddeth to aske the truthe of the spirites or soules of the deade In the Prophetes we are sent from such 〈◊〉 to the law the testimonie In Luke the rich glutton cryeth in torments saith I pray the father Abraham that thou wouldest sende Lazarus to my fathers house for I haue fiue brethren that he may witnesse vnto them least they also come into this place of torment But he heareth They haue Moses and the Prophetes let them heare them But when the riche glutton hadde answered No father Abraham but if one come vnto theÌ„ from the dead they will beleeue and repent He heareth againe If they heare not Moses and the Prophetes neyther will they beleeue if one rise from death Therefore it is most certeine and confirmed by the authoritie of the gospel that blessed soules are not sent of God vnto vs to teache vs any thing Who I pray your woulde giue eare to wicked and condemned soules The Gospell of Christe sendeth vs all to the canonicall scripture Wherevpon it followeth that the testimonies which are fetched from Oracles or appearings of the spirites of the dead are of no weight but most deceiuable and full of lying Mans testimonies are agreeable with Gods which also teache vs that souls being separated from their bodies can not wander or stray in these regions The wordes are too long to rehearse which Tertullian learnedly disputeth of this matter in the ende almoste of his booke De Anima yet they are all leuelled to this 〈◊〉 to shew that souls separated from their bodies and appointed to their places do not returne again into this world To the obiection of some that boast of arte Magicke and also that by the power of God many haue returned froÌ„ the deade into this life he answereth But although the power of God hath called backe againe some soules into their bodies to giue vs instruction of his might and right yet therfore that shall not be communicated with the credite and boldnesse of Magicians and the deceitfulnesse of dreams and licentiousnesse of Poets but in the examples of the resurrection when Gods power eyther by Prophetes or by Christe or by Apostles bringeth soules into bodies it is manifestly declared by sound euident and ful truth that it is the shape of a true body that thou mightest iudge all appearings of 〈◊〉 men 〈…〉 Therefore 〈◊〉 in his 29. Homelie vpon Mâ—â—demauÌ„ding What then shall wee answere to those speaches I am such a soule Hee answereth It is not the soule of that dead body which speaketh these things but the diuell who deuiseth these things to deceiue theÌ„ that heare him And anon he sayth Wherefore these are to be counted the wordes of olde wiues and of dotards and childrens toyes and phantasies And againe A soule separated from the body can not wander in these regions For the soules of the righteous are in the hands of God and the soules of infants likewise for they haue not sinned And the souls of the wicked after this life are by and by carried away Which is made apparant by 〈◊〉 and the rich glutton But in an 〈◊〉 place the Lorde also sayeth Thâ—◠〈◊〉 they shall require thy soule againe from thee Therfore the soule when it departeth from the body can not wander here with vs and that not without cause For if they which go a iournie chauncing into vnknown countries know not whether they are like to goe except they haue a guide howe much more shal the soule bee ignoraunt whether it shall goe after it hath left the body and entereth altogether into a newe life and straunge way vnlesse it haue a guide Out of many places of the scripture it may bee proued that the souls of iust righteous men do not go astray after death For Stephan sayth Lorde Iesu receiue my spirite And Paul desired to be losed to be with Christe Of the Patriarch the scripture also sayth He dyed in a quied or good age and was gathered vnto or layd by his fathers And that the soules of the wicked can not tâ—rrie or haue their abiding heere giue eare what the rich glutton sayth and consider what he craueth and obteyneth not For if the souls of meÌ„ might be conuersant here he had come him selfe as hee desired and had certified his brethreÌ„ of the tormeÌ„ts of hel Out of whiche place of scripture this also plainely appeareth that foules after their going out of the body are carried into som certein appointed place froÌ„ wheÌ„ce they caÌ„ not return of their owne accord when they wil returne but waite and looke for that terrible day of iudgement Thus much hitherto out of
of Sacraments is made through the will institution choyce or commaundement of God and seale of his word Wherfore water bread wine vsed after a cōmon maner or not so as they are chosen and instituted of God the word of God is as it were slaundered and they are altogether common prophane but being only vsed according to the choyce or cōmandement of God holily and the worde or signe being added they begin to be Sacramentes whiche they were not afore The same substaunce remaineth in them still which they had before But they are instituted to another ende and vse for they are sealed with the word and commaundement of God and therefore are hallowed wherevnto may also be added their holy vse by a true faith setting forth the benefite of our redemption and giuing of thanks by faithful praiers to our boūtiful redéemer To this purpose we may fetche examples of ciuil gouernmēt wherin some things for certein newe causes adioyned hauing their substance remaining still are now made that whiche before they were not For siluer or golde being not yet coyned with the Magistrates marke is nothing else but siluer and golde But if by the commandement of the Magistrate a new forme be added by a printe it is made money whiche it was not before althoughe it be the verie same substance whiche it was before Waxe before it be sealed is common and vsuall waxe but when by the kinges will and commaundement that which is ingrauen in the kinges seale is printed in the waxe and is sette to euidences and letters patentes by and by it is so estéemed that who so shall deface the sealed euidence is attached as guiltie of treason Whereby I trust you sée plainely that the true sanctification or consecration of Sacraments doeth consist in the will and institution of God in a certaine ende and holie vse of the same whiche are declared vnto vs in the word Of the whiche peraduenture I haue spoken more at large than some may think néedfull But the godlie Reader will pardon mée this my tediousnesse since my desire is to open all thinges faithfully diligently and at large Now that I haue defended the lawfull vse of the word and declared the vertue of it and opened vnto you as occasion serued the true sanctification or consecration of Sacramentes I will returne to that where I left and because I taught that sacraments consist of two parts the signe and thinge signified it remaineth to shew that those two parts reteine their natures distinguished not communicating properties by declaration whereof bothe to those thinges which go before and to those whiche followe yea and to the whole substance of the sacrament a wonderful light without doubt shal appéere But of communicating of the names or termes I will speake in their conuenient place That eche parte reteineth theire natures distinguished without cōmunicating or mingling of properties it is to be séne hereby that many be partakers of the signe and yet are barred from the thinge signified But if the natures of the partes were vnited or naturallye knit together it must néedes be then that those whiche be partakers of the signes must be partakers also of the thing signified Examples of Scripture as they are ready so are they euident For Simon Magus in the Actes of the Apostles receiued y signe and was baptised but of the thing signified he had not neither receiued so much as one iote And Iudas Iscariot a cruell and faythelesse traytour of his maister did likewise Eate the bread of the Lord but he did not eate bread the Lord. Otherwise he had liued happie iust blessed for euer For he which eateth me saieth the Lord himselfe shal neuer dy But Iudas died euerlastingly therefore he did not eate that foode of life To these euident testimonies of scripture I will nowe adde also certeine of Saint Augustines perteyning to that purpose who in his treatise vpon Iohn 26. saith We receiue this day visible meate but the Sacrament is one thing and the vertue of the sacrament is another Howe many doe receiue of the things vpon the altar and when they haue receiued it doe die Wherevppon the Apostle sayth He eateth and drinketh his owne damnation Was not the morsel poyson which the Lord gaue vnto Iudas and yet he receiued it after he had receiued it the enimie entred into him not because that was euill which he receiued but because he being euil did receiue that good thing vnworthily And immediately after he saith The sacrament of the thing that is of the knitting together of the bodie and bloud of Christ is receiued at the Lords table of some vnto life of other some to destruction but the thing it selfe whereof it is a Sacrament is reteiued of all men vnto life of none to destructiō whosoeuer shal be partakers thereof And againe he sayth He which dwelleth not in Christe nor Christe in him without doubt he neither eateth his flesh nor drinketh his bloud spiritually although earnally and visibly he chawe with his téeth the Sacrament of the bodie bloud of Christ but he doeth rather eate and drinke the Sacramēt of so great a thing to his owne damnation And so forth He hath the like words in his booke De Ciuit. Dei. 21. cap. 25. And in his booke De Doctri Christ. 3. ca. 9. he sheweth that In the Coniunction of natures there had need to be a distinction lest we shuld sticke too muche vpon the outwarde signe Now we come to the proofes of the scripture The Apostle witnesseth in the Cor. 10. chap. that all our fathers were baptised and did all eate of one spirituall meate and did all drinke of one manner of spirituall drinke but the Lord◠in many of them had no delight Whereas if they had eaten that spiritual meate and dranke that spirituall drinke spiritually by faith vndoubtedly the Lorde had delighted in them For without faith as he himselfe saieth it is impossible to please God therefore with them that haue faith GOD is well pleased Wherefore our fathers truely were partakers of visible sacraments but they were destitut of inuisible grace whereby it followeth that the signe and y thing signified do reteine their natures not confounded or mingled but distinguished and separated Besides this the wordes of the gospell haue some affinitie or at the leasfe some likenesse with Sacramentall signes Otherwise the wordes are preferred farre before the signes the Apostle sayinge that he was sente to preach and not to baptise But many heare with their outwarde eares the worde of the Lorde who for all that because they are voyde of faith are also without the inwarde frute of the worde Paule saying yet againe For to vs was the gospell preached as well as vnto thē but the word which they heard did not profite them because it was not coupled with faith For so it commeth to passe that many receiue the visible sacramentes and yet are not partakers
whereas the sacramentes were common to all yet grace was not common to all which is the pithe of the sacramentes As euen now at this daye faith is reuealed which then was hid the founteine of regeneration is common to all whiche are baptised in the name of the father and of the sonne and of the holy Ghoste but the inward grace whereof they are sacramentes wherby the members of Christe with their head are borne a new is not common to all Thus farr Augustine who teacheth that their signes or sacraments are not vnequall or bulike whiche haue the same faith and religion but that all the difference that is resteth in the diuersitie of the time otherwise they differ not Nowe that I haue made an ende of the similitude and difference of the Sacramentes of the old and newe testament and that by occasion of a receiued opinion that the sacraments of the newe lawe doe conferre or giue grace of themselues let vs also consider what manner of thinge the same is And first touching the word Grace I will giue you these fewe thinges to note Grace is the fauour and good will of GOD wherewith God the father imbraceth vs for Christes sake purifyeth iustifieth and endueth vs with his good giftes and saueth vs. For the writinges of the Apostles doe plainely call that Grace whereby wée are saued and iustified or made righteous by faith in Iesus Christ Of this Grace it is written I make not the Grace of God of no effecte For if righteousnes come by the Lawe then Christ died in vaine Of this Grace it is written Christ vnto vs is beecome vnprofitable as many as are iustified by the lawe are fallen from Grace Of this Grace it is written If it come of grace then is it not of woorkes for else grace now is no more grace What is not the sonne of GOD himselfe called The Grace and gift of GOD Iohn 4. Titus 2. Cap. Nowe to conferre Grace what is it else than to giue or franckely and fréelye to bestowe some thinge on a man which he had not before Therefore if the Sacramentes doe giue Grace to the receyuers of them then truely they giue those thinges whiche they signifie to them whiche had them not I meane Christe with all his giftes that is to saye they make them pleasaunt and acceptable vnto GOD they iustifie and saue yea and that of them-selues insomuche as they are said to haue receiued vertue to sanctifie from the passion of Christe and not to signifie onely or to helpe to commende or to further Yea and they also attribute the receyuing of Grace to our worke wherby we receiue the Sacrament But howe contrarie this doctrine is to the trueth of the holye Prophetes and Apostles I will now declare It was an old errour amonge the Iewes that Sacramentes did iustifie Hereof commeth it that the holy Prophetes of GOD reasoning and rebuking the people of God committed to their charge yet sauouring of false opinions cryed That their labour whiche they bestowed vppon their Ceremonies and sacrifices was in vaine And that GOD is delighted with faithfull obedience with fayth I say charitie innocencie and also with true godlines Amonge whome Ieremie sayeth Thus sayeth the Lord of hoastes the GOD of Israel Heape vpp your burnte offeringes with your sacrifices and eate the fleshe For when I brought your fathers out of Aegypt I spake no word vnto them of burnt offeringes and sacrifices but this I commaunded them saying Hearken and obeye my voyce and I will bee your GOD and yee shall bee my people so that yee walke in all the wayes whiche I haue cōmaunded you that ye may prosper The like place is in Esaie the first Chapiter The Lord hath not despised neither haue his holy Prophets contemned all sacrifices in generall since hée him selfe instituted them by Moses but they sought to suppresse beate downe that false opinion and vaine confidence whiche they had in sacrifices It is a vaine confidence and a false opinion to beléeue and thincke that sacrifices of themselues and for our workes sake doe make vs acceptable vnto god For faith maketh vs acceptable vnto God by the Messias And the Lord did not institute sacramentes or sacrifices that beeing offered they might giue grace or iustifie vs but to be witnesses of the grace of God that by them his people might be kept drawne in due order from idols and heathenish worshippings and ledd to Christ the highe priest and onely sacrifice or oblation for the whole world For they were certeine scholinges or exercises as Paule proueth saying The law was our scholemaister vnto Christe that wee should bee iustified throughe faith but after that faith is come wee are no longer vnder a scholemaister Therefore the sacrifices of the old lawe did not giue grace to them that sacrificed neither wrought they their iustification but were tokens and testimonies that God doth sanctifie and iustifie by and through the sacrifice appointed before all worldes the Messias I mean◠to faith in whome they did as it were a certeine scholemaister by guiding vs bring vs. And truly when the Apostles preached the pure and sound doctrine of the Gospell that By the onely grace of God in Christ the faithfull are saued this auncient errour of their elders had taken such déep roote in the minds of the Iewes that euen they whiche had receiued Christe stoode neuerthelesse in cōtention y Christ was not able fully to sanctifie iustifie without the helpe of the Iewishe sacrifices Against whome the Apostles disputing with great grauitie and inumcible power of y spirite did plainely proue that a Christian without any obseruations of the ceremoniall lawe or helpe of any woorkes euen by the only méere and frée grace and mercie of God in Christ is sanctified purified iustified and saued Whiche vndoubtedly is the healme as commonly is said and stearne of the Euangelists and Apostles doctrine whiche who so denieth he hath no part doubtlesse in the inheritance of Christ and his Gospell Neither is it obscure or doubtful whiche euen nowe I haue set forth in these fewe wordes For who is ignorant of that memorable dissention betwéene the chiefe Apostles of Christe Paul and Barnabas kindled against those which taught Except the Christians were circumcised after the maner of Moses they could in no wise be saued Against whome Peter maketh this conclusion That our hearts are purified by faith that wee whiche beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ True it is that the aduersaries would bring backe againe that which the Apostles abrogated and toke away but in the meane while this is also vndoubtedly true that the Apostles with no other forceable engine more strongly battered as it were and beate downe flat to ground their aduersaries bulworke in defence of sacraments y purifie thā with this That we which beleeue shal be saued by the grace of our Lorde
the Apostles frame their exhortations Where againe the Analogie beeinge considered it hath very much light and force in it Trées are pruned and all that which is drie barren and superfluous in them is cutt away And so by circumcision they that were circuÌ„cised were put in minde to cutt away with the knife of the spirite whatsoeuer grewe vpp in the flesh against the lawe of god Herevnto had Moses respecte when he said in Dent Circumcise therfore the foreskin of your heart and bee no more stiffenecked Whome Ieremie following in the 4. Cap. sayeth Be ye circumcised in the Lord and cut away the foreskinne of your hearts c. Those thinges which the Apostle hath taught touching the celebration of y Passeouer are more plaine than that they néede héere to be rehearsed And I haue alreadie intreated of them at large in the sixte Sermon of my third Decade The verie same Apostle in his Epistle to the Romanes saith Knowe ye not that all wee which haue beene baptised into Iesus Christ haue beene baptised into his death Weare buried then with him by baptisme into his death that likewise as Christ was raised vp from the dead by the glorie of the father euen so wee should walke in newnesse of life c. So wee are put in minde by that mysterie of baptisme to renounce forsake Sathan and the world to mortifie and subdue the fleshe and to burie the old Adam that the new man may rise vp againe in vs thorough Christ Furthermore the supper of the Lord doth admonishe vs of brotherly loue charitie of the vnitie that wee haue with all the members of Christe it warneth vs also of puritie and sinceritie in faith that because wee haue openly professed that wée are vnited to Christe and to all his members wée should haue a special care and regard that we be not found faithles and vntrue to our lord Christ and his church that wee should not defile oure selues with forreigne and strange sacrifices Wée are also admonished of thanckefulnesse to magnifie the grace of God who hath redéemed vs according to that saying As often as ye shal cate of this bread and drinke of this cupp ye shal shewe forth the Lords death vntill he come Thus farre haue I intreated of the force the ende and the effecte of sacramentes vnto the which I haue as I thincke attributed no more nor no lesse than I ought that is as much as may be proued out of the scripture to be due vnto them They are the institutions of Christ therefore they care not for counterfeite and strange praises They haue praise sufficient if they haue those praises whiche hee that instituted them namely GOD and Christ Iesus the high priest of the Catholique Church vouchsafed to attribute vnto them Nowe because there is mention made verie ofte of faythe in this whole booke I will further shewe also that without faith sacraments profite nothing and againe that to those which receiue them by fayth they are not superfluous or vaine For this séemeth as yet to belong to the â—ull exposition and coÌ„sideration of Sacraments That Sacramentes without fayth profite not it is easily proued For it is sayde that SacrameÌ„ts are seales of the preaching of the Gospell and things apperteyning to the same For if the preaching of the Gospell be hearde without fayth it doth not onely profite nothing vnto life but it turneth rather vnto iudgement to him that heareth the lord him selfe bearing witnesse and saying If any man heare my wordes beleeue not I iudge him not for I came not to iudge the worlde but to saue the world the worde that I haue spoken the same shall iudge him in the last day To that saying of the Lorde agréeth this of the Apostle For vnto vs was the Gospell preached as well as vnto the fathers but the worde which they hearde did not profit theÌ„ bicause it was not coupled with fayth to them that heard Who now is such a dorhead which can not gather that sacrameÌ„ts without faith are vnprofitable especially since the same Apostle sayth Whosoeuer shal eate this breade drinke this cup of the Lord vnworthily shall be guiltie of the body and bloude of the Lord But all our worthinesse before God doth consist in fayth the same Apostle yet againe witnessing out of the prophete The iust shall liue by fayth And By faith the elders or fathers obteined a good report Wherevnto also belongeth that whiche is read in the Gospell They which were biddeÌ„ were not worthy Whervpon it followeth that worthinesse consisteth in faithfull obedience Herevnto also may be referred I thinke thoâ—e examples whereof mention hath béene made more than once already before Al our fathers were baptised and did all eate of one spirituall meate but in many of them God had no delight And Paule againe saythe Without faith it is impossible to please God therefore without faith Sacraments profite nothing The examples of Simon Magus and Iudas the traytor are verie well knowne of which one was baptised the other admitted to the Supper and yet had no fruite of the Sacramentes bicause they wanted true faith To these pithy and diuine testimonies of God we will nowe adde some places of S. Augustine out of his ninetenth booke against Faustus and twelfth chap. Peter sayth Baptisme saueth vs and least they shuld thinke the visible Sacrament were sufficieÌ„t by which they had the forme of godlinesse and through their euill manners by liuing lewdly and desperately shuld denie the power therof by by he addeth Not the putting away of the silth of the flesh but in that a good coÌ„science maketh request to god Againe Lib. 2. contra literas Petiliani cap. 7. he saith They are not therfore to be thought to be in the bodie of Christ which is the Church or congreagation bicause they are corporally partakers of his Sacraments For they in such are also holy but to them that vse and receiue them vnworthily they shal be forceable to their greater iudgement For they are not in that societie of Christes Church whiche in the members of Christe by being knit together and touching one an other doe growe into the fulnesse of god For that Church is builded on a rocke as sayth the Lorde Vpon this rocke will I builde my Church but they builde on the sande as the Lord also sayth Hee that heareth my wordes and doth them not I will liken him to a foolish man. And again in his treatise vpon Iohn 13. The syllables of Christes name and his Sacraments profite nothing where the faith of Christe is resisted For fayth in Christe and his Sacraments is to beléeue in him which iustifieth the vngodly to beléeue in the mediatour without whose intercession we are not reconciled vnto god Thus farre Augustine An obiection is made If Sacramentes doe nothing profite without our fayth then they depend on oure
defende that infantes vpon the pinche of necessitie not béeing guiltie of the contempte of God or wicked negligence are not damned though they die vnbaptised For so saluation should be tyed to the signe and the promise of god shuld be made voide as though that alone without the signe vpon the point of necessitie were vaine could worke nothing and as if the hand of God were shortened boūd as it were to the signe For otherwise I teache by al means that infantes are to be baptised and the baptisme is not to be delaied negligētly or to be put off maliciously but in the meane time if by too too spéedy death they departe vnbaptised I exhort charge that a good hope confidence be had in the trueth mercie of the Lorde who promiseth in the law and the gospel that he is the God of young infantes and that his will is that not so muche as one of his little ones should perishe With Pelagius and Pelagians we haue nothing to doe neither are we ignorant what S. Augustine hath writen vnto Hierome epist. 28. in this behalfe Who so euer shal say sayth he that infants which leaue this life not hauing ben partakers of Christ his sacramente of baptisme are quickened and made aliue in him this man doubtlesse doth sette himselfe both against the preaching of the Apostles condēneth the whole Churche where for this cause they make hast and runne with their children to haue them baptised for that without doubt they beleeue that by no meanes otherwise they coulde be made aliue in Christe And againste the Pelagians epistle 106. The Apostolicall seate dealing against Pelagius accurseth them whiche saide that Infantes vnbaptised haue life euerlasting The same Aug. Lib. 1. de an◠c. ca. 9. to Renatus disputeth against Vincentius Victor who graunted that infants are inthralled to original sinn yet neuerthelesse are saued though they be not baptised against whō he bringeth forth this saying of our sauiour Except a mā be borne of water of the spirit he can not enter into the kingedome of God. But we which cōdemne both Pelagius Pelagiās do affirme both those things which they denie to wit that infantes are borne in originall sinne therfore that the sanctification of Christ is necessary vnto them without which they are not saued Again we defend and maintein that the same infants ought to be baptised if it be possible though by the right of the couenaunt they belong to the bodie of Christ are sanctified by the bloud of Christ Pelagius taught that infants ought not to be baptised for that he helde opinion they are without all fault or any sinne blame offence That wicked vngodly man therfore did not acknowledge either our owne corruptiō or the benefit which God hath performed by in through Christ Yet canst thou find neither of these in our assertion doctrine wherfore we take no part with the Pelagians S. Aug. in that selfe same epistle vnto S. Hierome expressly saith Thou art none of them which say that there is no guilt drawne frō Adam frō which the infant should bee washed by baptisme And against Iulian also Li. 1. ca. 2. he proueth by the sentences of the holy fathers that infants haue original sinne ther-vpon gathereth that therfore infantes ought to be baptised because they haue sinne For the Pelagians gathered cleane contrarie They haue no sinne therefore they are not to be baptised For the counsel of Carthage writeth thus to Innocent The Pelagians denie that infantes are to be baptised For these say they perished not neither is there any thing to be◠saued because there is nothing in them that is corrupt or wicked c. But we in so much as we beleeue that infantes are borne in sinne yea and that they are both borne the children of wrath and are corrupt and wicked moreouer because wee beleeue that the sonne of God was borne without sinne of a pure virgin to fulfill and confirme Gods promises which doe not shut out infantes from saluation but let them in as ioyncte-parteners in the league therefore we holde defende that they are to be baptised And therefore this reason gathered of Augustine we cannot simplie allowe Out of the felowshippe of Christ no man commeth vnto life But by baptisme wee are ioyned as members into the bodie of Christ haue fellowship with him therefore infantes which are not to be baptised are without the fellowship of Christ and therefore are condemned For as we denie not that we are graffed into the bodie of Christe by partaking of the sacramentes as we declared in our last sermon of Sacramentes nexte and immediately going before this so we haue elsewhere shewed and that too oftentimes alreadie verie largely that the firste beginning of our vniting or fellowship with Christe is not wought by the sacramentes but that the same vniting or fellowshipp whiche was founded and grounded vpon the promise and by the grace of God thoroughe the holy Ghost was communicated vnto vs and ours yea before the vse of the sacramentes is continued and sealed vnto vs by the participation or receiuing of the sacraments Although therfore an infant die without baptisme and being shut out by necessitie from hauing felowship with Christ so that he be neither partaker nor yet sealed by the visible signe of the couenant yet he is not altogether an aliant or stranger frō Christ to whom he is fastened with the spiritual knot of the couenant by the vertue whereof he is saued The place of Gen. 17. alledged of cutting off the vncircumcised frō the people of God in consideration of the time it fitly agréeth to those that are of perfect age wel grown in yeres not to babes or infantes which thing is séen in Moses whō the angel of the lord for neglecting circumcisiō or for delaying it longer than was lawfull would haue slaine as he testifieth of himselfe neither am I ignorant that certeine olde interpetours referre y not to Moses but to Eleazar the sonne of Moses But the verie course of the hystorie the circumstances of the same doe sufficiently proue that the danger lay on the fathers not on the sonns necke What if a reason be added in the wordes of the law whiche by no meanes agréeth to infantes Therfore shal the vncircumcised perish saith he because he hath broken my couenant So that if we consider that circumcision in the verie same place was commaunded not only to infantes but to such as were of perfect age as to Abraham Ismael and others desiring visibly to be ioyned into the felowship of god we are not to maruell the destruction is threatened to the disobediēt For if any mā at this day vnderstande knowe the Lords ordinaunce comprehended in these his wordes He which shall beleeue and bee baptised shal be saued wil yet neuertheles not be baptised but boasteth the faith is sufficient for him
clearenesse of that Heauenlie brightnesse wherewith they glister are adorned Secondarilie glorie and vilenesse are made contraries For Paul saith Hee shall chaunge our vile bodie to make it in facion like to his glorious bodie In these woordes Vilenesse and Glorie are set the one against the the other Vilenesse comprehendeth the whoale packe of miseries and infirmities passions and affectiōs which for sinne was layde vppon the bodie From all which our bodies are purged in the resurrection of lyfe so that then the glorious bodies are bodies dreyned from the dregges of all corruption passions and infirmities and clad with eternitie heauenly feelinge and glorie For the Apostle sayth It is sowen in corruption it riseth in incorruption it is sowen in dishonour it riseth in glorie it is sowen in infirmitie it riseth in power it is sowen a naturall bodie it riseth a spiritual bodie The giftes therefore of the glorious clarified bodies are very great and many as incorruption glorie popower the quickening spirite For the Apostle himselfe shewing what he ment by the natural spiritual bodie addeth this immediatly sayth There is a naturall body and there is a spirituall body as it is written The firste man Adam was made a liuing Soule and the laste Adam was made a quickening spirite And yet agayne more plainely he sayth Howbeit that is not first which is spiritual but that which is naturall and then that which is spirituall The first man is of the earth earthy the seconde mā is the Lord frō heauen As is the earthy such are they that are earthy as is the heauenlie such are they also that are heauenlie And as wee haue borne the image of the earthy so shal we beare the image of the heauēlie So then Paul calleth that naturall bodie an earthy bodie which wee haue of our first father Adam whose quickening is of the soule and by it doth liue And hee calleth the spiritual bodie an Heauenly body which wee haue of Christe and made to the likenesse of the body of Christe which althoughe it be a verye body in déede and the fleshe thereof be verie fleshe in deede yet notwithstanding it is quickened and preserued by the spirite of Christ and needeth not any power vegetatiue Although therefore these very bodies members which now we beare shall after the resurrection be in Heauen yet neuerthelesse because they are clarified and clensed from all corruption and féelinge of the naturall bodie there shal not be verilie any natural or corruptible sense or affection nor vse of the carnall bodie and members And this doth the Lord affirme againste the Sadduces that dreamte of marriages in Heauen or rather by that absurditie made a mocke of the resurrection where hee sayth The sonnes of this worlde marrie wyues and giue in marriage but they that shal be thought worthy of that world and of the resurrection from the dead do neyther marrie wyues nor giue in marriage neither can they die any more For they are equall to the Angells and are that sonnes of God assoone as they be the sonnes of resurrection To which effect also Paul sayth Flesh and bloude cannot inherite the kingdome of God. And least peraduenture anye man shoulde mistake his wordes and thincke that hee spake of the substaunce of the fleshe hée addeth immediately this for interpretation thereof and sayth Neither shall corruption inherite incorruption Wherefore fleshe and bloud that is to saye the affections and lustes of the fleshe shall not be in the Electe that liue in Heauen For the ioyes of Heauen do differ a greate deale from the ioyes of the earth are so farre forth of an other condition that they cānot admitte such corrupt Creatures to be inheritours of them for that cause the corruptible bodies muste firste be purged from all corruption by that meanes purely clarified The Turkes therefore are deceiued that looke for earthly ioyes Moreouer the bodies of the wicked shal also rise againe For Paule in the Actes sayth I belieue all that is written in the Lawe and the Prophetes hopeing in God that the resurrection of the deade which they themselues looke for also shal be both of the iust and vniust See here the Apostle saith of the vniust also But in this resurrection there shal not be taken out of their bodyes the infirmitie corruption dishonour and miserie for euen then that very body risinge agayne in dishonour shall by the iudgement and power of God be surely shut in dishonour and corruption and so be condemned for euer to beare endlesse tormentes and in death and corruption shall neyther dye nor yet corrupt that euen as on earth are founde certaine bodyes that doe indure euen in the fire so the cursed bodyes of the wicked shall not be worne out nor broken with any torments what so euer for euery minute they shall receiue newe strength to suffer and so by continuall suffering shall abyde their deserued punishmentes for euer and euer and without all end For the Lorde in the Gospell sayeth They that haue done euill shall rise againe to the resurrection of damnation that is to an induring and euerlasting damnation And Daniell before him sayde And the multitude of them that sleepe in the duste of the earth shall awake some to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetuall contempt And in the Gospell againe the Lorde sayth Their worme dyeth not and their fire is not quenched And the very same wordes vsed Esay before him in his 66. Chapter We muste alwayes therefore haue that saying of the Lord in our heartes Feare him that can destroy bothe the body and the soule in Hell. Thus much hitherto touching the resurrection of the flesh The last Article of our beliefe which with good lucke shutteth vp the rest is this And life euerlasting We haue heard and vnderstoode that the soules of men are immortall and that oure bodyes doe rise againe in the ende of the worlde We haue confessed that this is our beliefe It felloweth now in the latter ende of the Créede whether it is that the immortall soul and body raised vp again shal come Therfore in our confession we say And life euerlasting that is I beléeue that I shall haue life and liue for euer bothe in body and soule And that euerlastingnesse verily is perpetual and hath no ende as a litle before is proued out of the holy Scriptures Moreouer the soules are made partakers of this eternall life immediatly after they are departed out of the bodyes as the Lorde him self witnesseth saying Hee that beleeueth in the Sonne of God shall not come into iudgemente but hath escaped from death to life As for the bodyes they are buried and doe putrifie and yet so notwithstanding that they shal not be without life for euer But they shall then at length be receiued into eternall lyfe when being raysed vp they shall after the time of iudgement be