is there hope to remedie these thinges by the helpe of the Christian princes D. I see no greate hope in that behalfe For who be the Christian princes that maye geue order in this if they be seduced by the Pope and hys that Antichrist will be serued of them for to make him continuallye more stronge if they be well instructed in the doctrine of the Lord and that they haue a desire to reforme the church according to the rule of his worde that Antichrist forthwith endeuoureth to sturre vp al those princes and nations that are abused by him to hinder so godlye an enterprise And when one prince wil an other will not Wherefore it will be a very long time before mē may cause all the princes and other estates of the world by whose meanes such assemblies ought to be made to agrée in one opinion and to come together and to consente in one so holye a worke For we shall finde in all these estates those same difficulties lettes and excuses whereof we haue already spoken For there is so great contempte of God and of hys worde and so greate negligence and carelesnes in all estates concernyng those things that touch the honour of God the health of soules and so great a burden of their owne glory and priuate profitte and their hartes so rooted in the earth that they forget heauen and can finde at no tyme any leasure to labour in the worke of the Lordes house T. That is a verye great euill D. We may easely iudge what hope we shall haue of a generall reformation by meanes of a generall councell by the experience of those thinges which we daylye see in those places where God hath alreadye geuen of hys grace to princes Magistrates to laye their hands to his works to beginne some maner of reformation in his church Let vs beginne with the best reformed church that may be found in christendome and let vs compare the forme and order of it with that that was in the auncient church I meane not of the most perfect that euer was as of that of the Apostles but of that church that was longe after the Apostles tyme what difference shall we finde T. I thinke we shall finde very great difference D. So great as we shall be ashamed to call a reformation the reformation that we shall therein find seing the deformitie that ther yet doth rest wherof euery man complayneth and yet no man can remedie it ¶ Of the negligence and vvante that is in the ministers of the church and generally in all other estates wherby the reformation of the church is hindred T. WHat is the cause thereof D. Euery man in his calling for oftentimes it is seene that the Ministers are negligent in their ministerye and doe not call vpon the magistrates and people exhorting them to execute their offices vprightly and sincerely as they ought to doe for often tymes it is seene that they them selues do as much or more feare a reformation then others do And if there be defaulte and negligence in those men which shoulde be a lyght vnto others let vs then well wey what may be found in the magistrates and people For there are very few which on their part feare not a reformation and desire not at all to frame it according to the rule of the worde of God to directe theyr liues and maners according to the same but rather to make the worde of God subiecte to them and to haue a reformation according to their own will pleasure And frō whence commeth al this but onely from an euill conscience and of a disordinate desire that is in men of a carnall libertie and of a manifest rebelliō against God For they will not haue God to reigne ouer them but they will liue and reigne at their pleasure They can not endure to haue their naughtie affections and dissolute maners to be bridled and the abuse of their estates corrected and their tyrannye suppressed by the worde of God They besturre them on euery side by all meanes possible and employe all their forces to caste of the yoke of the Lord to the end they wil not be subiecte to him and consider not in the meane time that in refusing to yeld vnto God that obedience whiche they owe vnto hym they rest subiectes to the deuil and become daily more and more his slaues for they had rather to reigne by the deuil and the deuill to reigne in them thē to liue and reigne by God and God to reigne in them and ouer them Wherefore we may well say of them altogether that which S. Paule did of the ministers of his tyme at which time the worde of God dyd geue fruite in other sort then now it doth Euery one sayeth Phill. 1 he is about his own busines and careth but for himself and not for Iesus Christ It cōmeth somtime to passe that there are good ministers and that on their part do acquite some pece of their duetie in thys behalfe but those which are ioyned in the same ministerie with them shoulde helpe them and drawe with them in the same yoke that they drawe are oft tymes those that hinder them more then any others T. When this happeneth the hindraunce is not small for one onely horse that draweth backewarde doth hinder more then sixe horses which draw forward are able to ouercome ¶ Of the empeachmentes that men geue one to an other in the reformation of the church and of the punyshment of God vpon them for the same cause D. IF it so come to passe that the Ministers agree wel and do wel acquite them of their duetie peraduenture they shall not finde the Magistrates and officers of that same sorte which will put to their handes to helpe them in theyr ministerye as their office requireth but will rather bande against them to ouerthrowe all good discipline and will rather maintayne vicious men then vertuous Or ells if it come so to passe that the Magistrates and officers bee well affected towarde the reformation of the Church they may meete with ministers which shall not greatlye hasten them forward but will rather disswade them from it where they ought to perswade them to it and will rather geue them libertie to runne a straye then to put them in the right path Or if it so come to passe that the Ministers and Magistrates with the officers bee all of one mind as concernyng holye things and do helpe one an other in the workes of the Lord which thing is very seldome sene yet shall they haue much to do to range the people vnder any good discipline For ther are fewe which are tractable and will willinglye submitte them selues vnto it and if there bee some of so good a sorte there shall be some Minister or some Magistrate that shall seke to altar him and be offended with him Wherfore seing that there are so fewe Ministers Magistrates and people that are willing to submitte
and when wee shall eyther take in oure handes the booke of the holye Scriptures thereby to vnderstand of the wyll of GOD or elles that we come together in the Church to heare hys voyce by the holy Ministery of hys worde or els to communicate and be partakers of hys holy sacraments and of the prayers which are there made we oughte to goe with no lesse reuerence ne yet to prepare oure selues in none other sorte then yf we shoulde heare Actes ii God wyth hys owne mouthe speake out of the cloude and out of the greate smoke whiche was in the Mounte of Synay and that we dyd heare the greate thunders and the lyghtninges that were then sene For euen the same God whiche then dyd there speake is euen he that speaketh at thys present daye in hys Churche and shall iudge vs accordyng to that lawe whiche he hathe published there And albeit that he speaketh vnto vs nowe more familiarly and more louynglye then he then dyd yet notwythstandyng let vs not thyncke that he is of lesse power and force then he then was But in that that he vseth such gentlenes and benignitie towarde vs the punishment shall be so muche the greater vppon vs yf we doo abuse the same Yf we wyll vnderstande howe wee oughte to guide and gouerne oure selues wee muste cleane to the resolution of thys Councell and to the decrees and ordinaunces whyche we haue receyued ¶ Of the Councell that vvas holden in the Mounte Syon and of the conference of the same vvyth that vvhyche vvas holden in the Mounte Synay and of Moyses and of Iesus Christe and of the Ministery of the lavve and of the Gospell T. THys is a goodlye Councell and of greate authoritie but thou saydst that there was yet an other in the lande of Chanaan and of Iudea and in especiall in the Mounte of Syon by the verye Sonne of GOD. I woulde bee verye gladde that thou wouldest declare vnto mee also what that was D. That Councell dothe euen so muche excell the other as Iesus Christ Heâ— iii dothe excell Moyses and the Master of the house the seruaunte For thoughe that GOD hym selfe dyd speake in proper person in bothe yet notwithstandyng he hathe shewed hym selfe this seconde tyme in a sorte muche more authentique and more excellent more amiable and agreable to the weakenesse of mans nature then euer he dyd synce the beginnyng of the worlde For when he shewed himselfe in the mounte Synay the people dyd not see his Deut. 4. Exod. xiâ— Hebr. ii face nor shape nor dyd see or heare anye thing but suche as were horrible and fearefull It was not lawfull for them to doo so muche as to come to the mountaine or to touche the vttermoste parte thereof wyth out daunger of deathe and to bee stoned or striken thorowe wyth arrowes were it man or beaste Therefore the people beynge greatlye amased and afrayde desired Moyses to be Exod. xx Eeu xxviii as a meane betwene GOD and them and to declare vnto them hys wyll and pleasure as hys Embassadour to that ende that they moughte heare no more that voyce of GOD so horrible and fearefull for they thought that they coulde not heare it agayne but that they shoulde all dye and dyd muche maruell that euer they coulde heare it with oute deathe Wherefore GOD knowyng the weakenesse of hys people dyd promise them to sende them a Prophet euen oute of the middest of their brethern lyke vnto Moyses into whose mouthe he woulde put his worde and by Deut. xviii the same he woulde cause them to heare his voyce This Prophete accordyng to the testimonye of Sainâ—t Peter is Iesus Christe oure Lorde of whome the Father hymselfe dyd saye This is my welbeloued sonne in whome I Actes iii. Math. 3. 1â— haue set my whole delighte heare hym And for that cause the Apostle saythe writyng to the Hebrewes that God hath Heb. i in tyme passed oftentymes and in sundrye sortes spoken to our Fathers by the Prophetes but in these latter dayes he hath spoken to vs by hys own Sonne and making comparison of thys manifestation whiche was made by oure Sauioure Iesus Christe wyth that of the mounte of Synay Truely sayth he you are not come to the mountayn whiche moughte bee touched nor to burnyng fyre nor yet Heb. xiâ— to darkenesse and myste and vnto tempest neyther vnto the sounde of a trompette and to the voyce of wordes the whiche those whiche dyd heare it refused that the communication should be addressed to theÌ„ any more for they could not endure that which was commaunded If a beast touch the mountayne he shall bee stoned or elles stricken thorow wyth a darte And so terrible was the sighte that appeared that Moyses sayde I feare and quake but you are come to the mounte Syon and to the Citie of the lyuyng God the heauenly Ierusalem and to the companye of manye thousandes of Aungels and to the congregation of the firste borne which are written in the heauens and to God which is iudge of all and to the spirites of iust and perfecte men and to Iesus Christ the mediatoure of the newe TestameÌ„t and to the sprinckled bloude of whiche declareth better things then the bloud of Abell See that you despyse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not whiche despysed hym that spake on earth much lesse shall we escape yf we turne away from hym that speaketh from heauen whose voyce then shooke the earth T. It semeth to me that these wordes conteyne a goodly conference of the Ministery of the lawe and of the Gospell and I haue a great desyre to heare it ¶ Of the manifestation of God in Christ D. THen where as the people saw nothing at that tyme but fyre and smoke and greate darcknes whiche letted them from seyng both the Sunne and the Moone Deut. 4. also the heauens God hath shewed himselfe to vs in Iesus Christe his sonne in mans shape in our owne fleshe For it is he that is the very Image of God and that very forme of hys substance the bryghtnes of hys glory It is he that is the true Iohn i â— Tim. iii Seb. i. Mal. iiii Iohn viii Sonne of Iustice and the onely lyghte of the worlde by whome all mystes and darckenesses are chased away euen those whiche let vs to see GOD. And where as then the people durste not come to the foote of the Mountayne howe perfecte and howe well prepared so euer they were to receyue the Lorde wee haue nowe accesse euen to the verye throne of hys Maiestye by Iesus Christ our Lord through whome it is geuen vs not onely to come vnto hym but also Heb. iiii to touche embrace hym for the sanctification which i. Cor. 6 Dan. ix wee haue receyued of hym that is the holye of holye ones is in deede of other vertue and efficacye then was that of Moyses towardes the Israelites In the
the same but onely in y◠that Rome shall haue receaued it frō thence for it is the rule by that which the church of Rome the doctrine of the same must be ruled and not it by the church or doctrine of Rome That same then which was done in Ierusalem on the day of Pentecost Actes ii in the company of the Apostles Disciples of Iesus Christ was done to the ende that the Apostles and Disciples of Iesus Christ being armed with y◠power of the spirite of God frō on high and with that goodly gift of tonges should as Acte 1. lawfull and authorised Ambassadours Heraldes of thys great King and sonne of the eternall God shewe and proclayme through out the vniuersall worlde the determination of this deuine and heauenly Councell fyrst publyshed declared by their Lord and Maister Iesus Christ with the blessings and curses prepared for those which shall receaue or refuse it It is the laste determination vnto the which we must cleaue and sticke which hath againe sithe that tyme ben cōfirmed by the miracles and death of so many Apostles and Martyrs that the number is in maner infinite It is a determination of such importance of such authoritie that the Apostles thē selues yea the very Angels of heauen must be subiecte vnto it in such sort that it is by no meanes lawfull for them to set forth or declare any other doctrine then that Gal. 1. 2. of the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ vpon payne of eternall cursing and not without cause For seing that the sonne of God hath spoken is there anye creature in heauen or in Heb. i Gal. i ii earth that may correcte it If then according to the witnes of Saint Paule the curse and maledictiō of this great Councell be suche let vs then see in what sorte we ought to esteeme those which dare to take in hande that which neyther Apostle nor Aungell what so euer he be eyther dare or will and in what daunger they put them selues that will followe and harken vnto such men ¶ Of the vengeaunce of God agaynste those that despyse the Gospell T. MEn ought to consider and thinke wel on that which thou sayest and truely God hath geuen vs a greate gifte and hath shewed vnto vs a great token of loue when that after thys greate and worthye personage Moyses and so manye other excellent Patriarches and Prophetes he woulde also sende hys owne Sonne and woulde himselfe speake vnto vs by hym and teache vs the true and ryghte waye of sauation and woulde leade and bryng vs thither Esay ii Mich. iiii by hym as a good father leadeth hys little chylde by the hande Therefore we shoulde be verye vnhappye if we would not followe such a guide for if we will not heare the voyce of the very Sonne of God and truste in him whom shall we heare and whom shall we beleue We may well saye with S. Peter Lorde to whom shall we goe For thou haste the woorde of eternall life D. The testimonie that Iohn vi hath beene recited oute of the Epistle to the Hebrewes doth shewe vs playnelye into what daunger we put our selues if wee dyspyse the doctrine whiche the Sonne of GOD hath broughte vnto vs from heauen which ringeth in hys Church thorowe the mouth of his Ministers and is daylye set before vs in the holy Scriptures T. It is greatlye to be feared that if they which dispised the doctrine whiche was brought vnto them by the seruaunt were so grieuously punished Heb x they which shall contemne the Lord and Master deserue to be double punished D. For y◠very cause our Lorde Iesus Christ sayd that the iudgement shall bee more easye Math. x Marck vi Luk. ix x againste those of Sodome and of Gomorre then agaynste them that would not receaue his Gospell and the bringers of the same ¶ Of the difference that men do commonly put betvvene the lavve of rigor and the lavve of grace and of the abuse that therein is T. HOw doe these thinges agree then with the difference that we sée men put commonly betwene the olde and the new Testament and betwene the law of Moyses which was geuen to the Iewes and the lawe of Iesus Christ geuen to the Christians For men do commonly cal y◠of Moyses and the olde Testament the lawe of rigour and that of Iesus Christ and the newe Testament the lawe of grace D. Do these men which make that distinction thinke that God is chaunged since the time that he gaue his lawe by Moyses that he doth not as much hate iniquitie now as he did then Do they thinke that he can better endure the outrage that is done to his own Sonne then he could do that which was done to his seruaunt Doe they thinke that Iesus Christ came into the world to encrease allowe sinne and not rather to make it more more hatefull and to put it away T. It is like so for if a man do alledge that adulterie must be punyshed and will shewe howe much it displeaseth God for so Leuit. x Deut. 22 much as he cōmaunded in the law of Moyses that adulteries should be punished by death they haue forthwith their recourse to this distinction of the law of rigour of grace saying that we are vnder the lawe of grace and not vnder the law of rigor And although they do the like in diuers other such crymes yet is there none to whom they woulde make this law of grace more beneficiall then to whores whoremaisters D. Wherfore do they not then cause that law of grace to be as fauourable to theues whom they condemne to death which the lawe of Moyses doth not as it doth the adulterers But what is the cause that murtherers theues Exod. 22 Prou. ◠and all other euill doers are punished why haue they no part of this lawe of grace T. They thinke that they haue greater reason concerning the punishment of adulteryes because that Iesus Christ would not condemne the womā Iohn viii which was taken in adulterie and brought vnto him by the Iewes D. Will they by that meane conclude that Iesus Christ did more fauour adulteries thē he did other offences and crimes They are therin greatly deceaued For Iesus Christ did not that which he did in that matter to geue men to vnderstand that whores and whoremaisters shoulde remayne vnpunished but for y◠that his office tended not therunto and that he woulde confound the hypocrisie of those which had brought her vnto him and therefore he woulde haue done no lesse touching any other offence Therfore we may not in this sort abuse the grace which is brought vnto vs by Iesus Christ T. Yet notwithstanding y◠matter passeth so at this daye ¶ Of the difference and diuersitie of the lavves of Moyses and of their nature D. IT is very true as it hath beene alreadie declared els
T. I Pray thee declare vnto me somwhat particularlye by what meanes he doth this wherof thou speakest D. First he doth it by the firmament and by the earth and by al his creatures which as continuall preachers neuer cease day nor night to preache vnto vs the knowledge maruelous workes of that same great God and prince their creator euen as Dauid and S. Paule do witnesse After that the great Psal 1â— Rom. 1. Act. 14. 17. endeuour of so many Patriarches Prophets Apostles and auncient Doctors with a marueilous nuÌ„ber of other good seruauntes of God who by their pure and holy doctrine good lyfe and conuersation haue filled that whole earth with the knowledge of God and also do teach vs at this present day by their holy writinges But what shall we saye of the very sonne of God who came into the world in proper person to make this publication in the moste solemne maner that euer was made in the world And euen at this present day how many and sundrye meanes hath God geuen vs to be instructed by eyther by the mouth of diuerse which he sendeth vnto vs dayly or els by bookes written in all languages sent forth into the worlde to all nations and regions of the same by his most marueilous prouidence which thing shall make vs all to be vtterly without excuse Wherfore we may well say with the Prophet The people which Ose 4. are ignoraunt shall be beaten and because that thou haste contempned and refused knowledge I wil contempne thée and cast thee from me also ¶ Of those that cloke their rebellion agaynste the vvorde and vvill of God vnder colour of obedience vvhich they ovve to the lavves that theyr princes haue made agaynste the same of such as commit the charge of their consciences to their curates and pastours T. THere are yet others that haue a litle better colour which say that they wil beleue as theyr princes do and that they are bounde to obeye all their lawes and ordinaunces There are also an other sorte which committe them selues wholy into the handes of their Bishops and curates which are their pastours and spirituall fathers and onely those that haue the charge of their soules and consciences and shal render accompt and endure the punishment for them if that through their negligence they be euill instructed D. I feare that it fareth with many of those meÌ„ that haue such shyftes as it dyd with the Citizens of Ierusalem which greatly marueiled to see their Lordes and rulers to suffer Iesus Christ without contradiction to teach openly in their temple consâ—dering that before that time they sought meanes to put him to death all the while that they thought that their gouernours and pastours condempned both Iesus Christ and his doctrine and that they forbad that any man should speake of him this was a sufficient empeachment to hinder them from coÌ„ming to him But afterward when they sawe that they had left of to pursue him and that they wer of the opinion that they had chaunged their purpose and dyd acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the true Christ they did then no more depend vpon the iudgementes and consciences of the rulers and prelates nor would in any wyse followe the opinion that they then knewe that they had of Christ but builded them selues vpoÌ„ fayre theologie and began to dispute with them selues to be a hindraunce to theÌ„ selues saying Iohn 7. we know well from whence this fellowe is But when the Christ shall come no man shall know from whence he is Wherfore do they not now saye we must acknowledge him for such an one for that that our pastours do so We do here sée the nature of man is prompt to followe rather euill examples then good T. It is euen so D. And on the other part I can not say whether that these meÌ„ that would haue it seene to the worlde that they haue so good an opinion of their princes and are so readye to obey their lawes and ordinaunces woulde make any great conscience to betraye and sell them euen in their great neede if there were any goodly occasion offered vnto them by other princes better to aduaunce them to honours estates then by their own But I would gladly know whether they do make so great difficultie to violate and breake the good statutes that are made by their princes for the maintenaunce of their common welth and to withholde from them if they might safely do it without daunger of their person any part of the tribute custome that is due vnto them by Gods ordinaunce Rom. 13. Math. 22. as they doe to transgresse those wicked lawes whiche are made contrary to all right equitie for to hinder the course of the Gospell would seeke to vnderstand the wil of God and to know those things that are necessarye for the health of their soules to serue God as he himselfe hath coÌ„maunded in his law I feare that this great obedience which the greatest number of theÌ„ do beare toward their princes and their lawes procedeth rather of rebellioÌ„ which they haue in their hartes against God then of the truth good affection whiche they beare toward their prince and his lawes But because they dare not declare opeÌ„ly the malice that is in ther harts they are very glad to haue this colour would rather haue tyrantes to their princes which shoulde forbyd theÌ„ to heare the voyce of the Lord then to haue good ChristiaÌ„ princes which should compell theÌ„ to heare serue and honour God ¶ Of those vvhich coÌ„mit idolatries to their princes preferring their lawes before the lawes of God what autoritie Gods word hath ouer all men and ouer all their lawes T. I Feare that there are many such but there are many others that are not the worste people of the world but yet they are idolaters of their princes D. Thou dost rightly terme such men idolaters of their princes for in that they take their princes for their law in matters of religioÌ„ conscience and seeke not otherwyse to vnderstande the will of God they make them their Gods and their idoles and doe them great wronge for it apperteyneth to no prince nor to any creature what soeuer or how excellent he be no not to the very Angels of God to geue lawes of religion of the seruice of God but onely to God himselfe vnto whom this seruice the honour of such thinges doth appertaine And therfore S. Paule sayth that if he himself yea if an Angell Galath i. coÌ„ming froÌ„ heauen shoulde declare any other Gospell then that which he hath taught which is the true Gospell of Christ let the same Angell be a cursed If he make the very Angells subiecte to the word of God how much rather should all men which are but mortall creatures be subiecte to the worde of God For vnto whom doth it belong to geue lawes eyther to the prince or
their kyng and that they had a prince which was an Idolatrer the people forthwith chaūged with the prince and retourned immediatly to their firste Idolatrie as it came to passe vnder Manasses Ioachim and Zedechias And in maner the like happned in the tyme of the heretikes for they did alwayes either loose or ◠Re. xxiiii increase their stoutnes accordyngly as they founde theyr princes T. The auncient histories of the Churche do yelde cleare and perfect witnesse of that whiche thou sayest ¶ Of the hypocrisie of those that depende onely vpon men in matter of Religion and of the proofe therof D. NOw from whence do these sodaine alterations and chaunges procede but that the one sort are enforced through fear to leaue of to set a good face on it as a horse doth whylest a man hath hym shorte rayned in hys brydle whiche after beyng put into the fieldes as soone as he is at libertie or els as a riuer whiche is letted or holden backe by force of rampares whiche floeth forth violently as soone as they are broken The other sorte do chaunge as the prynce doth bycause they dwel vpon the authoritie and doinges of men and not vpon the onely worde of God And therfore I say that euen as the Councels do make the one sorte hypocrites so make they the other disciples of men rather then of Iesus Christ For to receiue a doctrine and to beleue it for the authoritie and apparence of men whiche do alow it that is not properly to beleue the worde of God although it be nothyng els but the very pure Gospell but it is to beleue and wholly to put trust in men For if those men whiche by their authoritie haue moued me to receiue it should happen to forsake it I should be no lesse prest and ready to refuse to shake it of with them then I was to receyue it and to alow it be their meanes We do at this present see very plainly the experience hereof in those Churches whiche here to fore haue bene reformed by the preachyug of the Gospell whiche at thys present haue receyued the Interim and the Masse For that Interim is a very perfect tokē or proofe for mē to know in dede who they be that haue vnfaynedly beleued God and his worde and whiche they be that haue dwelled vpon men and their authoritie and haue receiued the Gospell either through hypocrisie and dissmulation for the loue of men and the hope of their owne gayne and fleshly libertie or els by perfect fayth and true simplicitie of harte and by that very persuasiō of the spirit of God in their conscience for the health of their soules to serue to the glory of God Those men that do chaunge in such sorte their fayth with euery wynde that bloweth do playnly declare that they neuer vnderstood Iesus Christ very well when he sayd Be Mat. xxiii not ye called masters vpon earth for ye haue a master in heauen to wit Iesus Christ ¶ In vvhat sorte vve may esteme men for masters and teachers and in vvhat maner vve are made the disciples of Iesus Christ or of men T. DOth he therby forbid vs to haue masters to teach vs and to call those masters of whom we receiue instruction D. How should he forbid it consideryng it is he hym selfe that doth teache vs by them that are nothyng els but the ministers of his grace by whom he whiche is our chiefe master doth declare him selfe to vs wherfore should he els haue sent his Prophets Apostles and disciples to teach and preache his holy Gospell vnto vs would he not that we should heare those that he sendeth vnto vs as if it were hym self in proper person that speaketh to vs and doth teach vs Wherfore sayd he then to his Apostles he that receiueth you receiueth me and he that refuseth and despiseth you refuseth Math. x. despiseth me and after immediatly he sheweth the reason For it is not you that speake but the spirite of your heauenly father that speaketh in you T. What is there to be vnderstode by these how may we both haue and not haue masters vpon the earth D. Yf by hearynge those that he sendeth vnto vs we receiue the doctrine whiche they preach vnto vs and beleue the same not for their sake that speake vnto vs ne yet for their great authoritie and apparēce neither for the opinion that we haue of them either to please them or els to receiue some worldly honor or profit at their hāds but onely bycause it is the pure and true word of God and that we heare that voyce of Iesus Christ our shepheard throughe their mouth beyng certayne and assured by his holy spirite that it is he that speaketh in them we are not then the disciples of men but of Christ And then is that same fulfilled in vs whiche our Lorde Iesus Christe alledgeth of the Prophete Esaye and that whiche hee him selfe expoundeth in the Gospell of S. Iohn And thy sonnes shal be all taught Esay iiii◠Iohn 6 of God Then who soeuer hath heard and lerned of the father commeth to me For when we beleue hauyng bene so taught by God it is for his sake that we do receyue the doctrine Psal lxxx◠and we take him for our master and not the men all beit that he doth communicate his name vnto thē bycause that they are his seruauntes and ministers as the name of God is gyuen vnto Iudges Prophetes and to the electe of God bycause that the Image of his maiestie iustice doth shyne and is presente in them although they be continually men and not Gods And on the contrary Yf I beleue the doctrine whiche I heare bycause that Tertullian or Cyprian Origene or Chrisostome Irene or Ambrose Hierome or Augustine Gregory or Isidore Luther or Erasme Eccius or Melancthon Gratian or Peter Lombard master of the sentences Iohn the Scotte or Thomas of Alquine do preache and teach the same vnto me or els bycause that the Popes and Cardinals the Bishops and others whom I esteme riche mighty and wise personages of great vertue and holynes do alowe and cōmend the same or els bycause that the Emperors kynges princes and Lordes the Italians and Spaniardes the Almaignes the Frēche and other nations do beleue it I am then no disciple of Iesus Christ in this doyng but a disciple of men ¶ Of the nature and vertue of true fayth and vvhat difference there is betvvene it and opinion T. ACcordyng to this accompte there are mo disciples of men then of Iesus Christe For there are very fewe whiche haue not greater regarde to men then to any thing els D. Yet notwithstandyng if it be so their fayth to say truth is no faith but opinion as it hath ben already declared For seyng that it is not buylded vpon the authoritie of God and his worde but onely vpon the oppinion whiche I haue of such personages it may be
witnesses onely which notwithstanding ought to haue some authority but before the eyes of all the people which were in no small number For before that time in their comming out of Egypt they were about sixe hundred thousand men valiant Exod. xii and able to weare weapons beside the women and children and a great number of other people T. Then was ther a great number of witnesses D. Yea and that of such witnesses as did see the thing with their own eyes and did heare it with their own eares If Moyses had come to the people and should haue sayd that God had spoken to hym and that he had geuen him the lawe which he presented to the people in Gods name ther is no doubt but y◠he shoulde haue found mockers and euill speakers and a great number of rebels and Mutiners in so great a people to haue scoffed at Moyses and to haue mutined rebelled against him saying that he had bene a lyar and a craftye and deceitful man which would couer him selfe with the name authority of God to erect a tyrannye ouer that people and to deale with them according to his pleasure T. It is not vnlike by that that happened after that this was done for if Core Dathan and Abiron with their adherentes which Numb xvi were thē selues witnesses of al these maruels by the which God did authorise the ministerye of Moyses durst to conspire and rebell againste Moyses and Aaron and did finde such a number of followers after suche an authorising of their voeation what woulde haue become of them if that God had not so armed them with his authority ¶ Of the declarations and aduertismentes that God did gyue to the people of Israel before he gaue them hys lavv by Moyses D. ANd therfore God did first commaund Moyses to declare vnto the people the workes which he most marueilously had done as well in the lande of Egipt as in the Exod. xix going forth out of the same by the which he did shewe hys great power in ouerthrowing the force of the Egiptians through his wrath and deliuering his people from their tiranny through his mercye to the ende that they might the better vnderstand of what power he was to punishe those whiche shoulde rebell agaynste his lawe and to shewe mercy vnto those that should submit them selues thereunto and how woorthye he was both to be feared and loued and in what reputacion they oughte to haue his seruaunt Moyses by whose hand he had done these greate woorkes and afterward to cause his people the more to loue hym the better to encourage them to heare his woord to obey his law he doth renew the auncient promises which were made to them and to their fathers and more strongly doth confirm and establish them declaring vnto them the great honour the great profyt and the great wealth that should happen vnto them if that they did obey their God serue him according to his wil and lawe After that he had made all these declarations he then gaue them to vnderstande how he was determined to shewe him selfe and to speake vnto them and to geue vnto Moyses in their presence hys law according to the which he will be honored and serued and then he declareth the cause and the reason why he wyl do it To the end sayth he that the people doo heare whilest I speake to thee and also that they beleue thee for euer T. These are godly admonitions ¶ VVhat tokens God gaue of his presence in the mount Synay vvhen he did geue and publish hys lavv D. IT cannot then be sayde hers that these thinges were fayned and that Moyses did vniustlye make them beleue that God did speake vnto him and gaue him that law Exod. xi◠whiche he brought to the people and yet that there was no suche thing at all For the people did see the cloude in the which God spake vnto Moyses to declare therby his maiesty To wyt that he is the chiefe King and Prince of heauen and of earth vnto whom al creatures must obey And forsomuch as God doth more manifest his presēce his glory his power and his maiesty in the heauen in the ayre then in any other of his creatures he tooke the cloudes for to declare his maiesty and soueraigntye that he hath ouer al. But he was not yet contented with this but before he would discend into the mount Synay in the thick darck cloude he caused the thunder to burst out in a marueilous sorte in the ayre whose crackes were heard al ouer made a horrible and a fearfull noyse He did also sende foorth the great lightnings in such sorte that at the ayre was lighted and was fylled with great fyres which were sene in al places very terrible On the other syde the people did see all the Mountayne in a smoke as it had bene of a great fyre or of a burning furnace They hearde also the cornet and the trumpet found which did ring with a marueilous violēce made a very feareful noyse in such sort as ther was neither great nor small that was not wonderfully afrayde did not tremble with great horrour and was not as it wer halfe dead for feare All that whyle the whole mountayne was couered with the great cloud in the which God spake with a mighty voice in the hearing of al the people and did pronounce from his own mouth the verye same woordes which he had written with his owne finger in the two tables of stone the which Moyses did afterward bring down from the mountayne of Synay and of the talke whiche he had with God in the same hyll ¶ Of the signification of the signes vvhich God dyd geue in geuing his lavv and of the reasons vvhy and hovv much they are agreable vvith the nature of the lavv T. WHat was the meanyng of al that for it was not done without cause D. It serued for the more strong cōfirmation of the thinges whereof we haue already spoken for there was none of them but that they did knowe ryght well that there was neyther illusion nor enchauntmente in those thinges and that they were done by no power of man but of God wherefore they serued againe as a new seale for the confirmation of the ministerye and vocation of Moyses of the maiesty and power of God to saue hys to destroy his aduersaries for by that he did declare that he was the God of nature and that he did dispose of her euen as it pleased him and that he dyd all that he woulde as well in heauen as in earth And therfore he would him selfe euen from his own mouth preach vnto his people he would also ring to the sermon that he would make vnto them and prepare them and make them hedefull to heare him He had then for his belles for his Musike the Cornet and trumpette to cause them to heare his voyce and to