naught it will not long endure although I vse order among them outwardly my hearte and profession is from them agreeyng with the mother Church of Rome No no saie they we do not preache nor yet teache openly we reade their newe deuised homilies for a colour to satisfie the tyme for a season By reason whereof the poore seelie people are kept backe from commyng forwardes to Christe whereas if they were vrged both publiquely ▪ by preaching and also with their owne hande writing to render accoūt of their faith to the hearyng and vnderstandyng of all the people it would driue them for very shame of them selues from runnyng into corners a whisperyng to perswade when as they openly haue preached to the contrary And by this meanes thei shoulde be easely tried out and those that are not sounde nor yet meete driue them out of the Church and make them wood-cariers and water bearers in the common weale as Iosua did the Gibeonites teachyng by their example others to beware to dissemble in their profession although in deede we knowe no mans hearte yet let vs vse that meanes that holy Scripture geueth vs to trie the spirites whether they be of God or not For we may easely perceiue what daunger it is to haue suche dissemblers and also dumbe Idols I meane those Pastours that the Prophet Zachary calleth Idoll Shepheardes that haue mouthes and cannot teache feete and cannot go to preache eyes cannot see the wickednes of the people nor how to reade the scriptures handes that cannot minister nor distribute the Sacramēts a right therefore it was well saied of Barnarde Successores omnes cupiunt esse imitatures pauci And if your L. woulde this doe as I haue before saied you should make them to take heede to them selues and to learnyng to continue therein For in so doyng they shal saue themselues those that heare them The second cause that moued me is certen bokes being abrode which came from Louane bookes full of scurrilitie and papistrie wonderfullye enuiyng and slaunderyng the godly Bishops and ministers of the Churche of God here in Englande and amonges all they name mee in their booke thinkyng thereby to discredite the doctrine that we teache For this is the nature of all Papistes when as they cannot staye vs from preachyng neither yet denie the doctrine we teache then thei will alwaies reare vp some false reportes and sclaunders vpō the preachers or els if these monstrous Papistes do knowe or see any olde crimes or vices which haue been in them before whiche now is mortified and dead in them they will rake it vp out of the filthy enuious dounghill of their Romishe heartes like vnto railyng Simeis whiche commyng out of Saules house of Rome against the godly Dauids that go in the Lordes busines thei cast out stones to stone godly Stephens they curse them that go in the Lordes iorney they call them murtherers that warre in the Lordes battaile thei call them vngodly that liue and preache vertuously but notwithstandyng all their false and wicked reportes we must learne with Dauid to possesse our soules with patience for that it is doen for our better triall and comforte As Christe saide Blessed are ye when men reuile you and speake all maner euill againste you for my sake reioyce and be gladde for greate is your rewarde in heauen for so did they to the prophetes which were before you for the seruaunt is not aboue the maister Did not alwaies the enimies of God raise vp suche rumours vpon Christe and his Apostles to that only ende to drawe the people from beleuyng or credityng them and therby to discredite their heauenly doctrine that they taught by the wil of god They made as though they had been carefull for godly men to enter into the Church but they meant nothyng lesse for they passed not how wickedly any liued against gods commaundements so that theirs were obserued and kepte So likewise our Papistes of Louane the Pharisees schollers they seeme in all their bookes to be verie carefull for Church men as they tearme them when as in verie deede they passe not what they are in life so thei continue with them in their filthy religion Doe not we see at this daie that many of them whiche are now conuerted to the Gospel are reproued by our papistes Louanistes of some vices and faultes that haue been doen by them in their papistrie and blindnesse and all for to sclaunder the doctrine and religion withall which during the time they were papistes thei were coūted no faultes but vertues Do not we see that if any of them kepe whores and harlots it is counted no fault nor synne among them but as one that liueth chaste and well if once he forsake them and take a lawfull wife doe they not crie out of him and say he is a fleshly man a carnall man and one that is vnchaste and now he cannot serue God bicause he hath broken the yoke of chastitie and liueth in the fleshe The marke then that they shoote at right reuerende father is not our life but to our doctrine and religion that they may discredite it to drawe the simple people from beleuyng it Alas with what faces can these papistical Pharisees thus write againste vs concernyng our liues and what men we were Can they see litle motes in our eyes and cannot perceaue the greate beames in their owne eies and yet not in the meanest only but in their cheefest heades yea euen in those heades that they call Lorde of Lordes Kyng of Kinges God of Gods their holy father the Pope as they call hym whiche cannot erre nor yet sinne as they affirme In steede of many I will recite a fewe of them that by those the residue maie be perceaued for they are all Herrynges of one Barell I praie you what was Pope Bonifacius was it for his holines that it was written of hym Intrauit vt Vulpes Regnauit vt Lupus mortuus est vt Canis He entered into the Popedome as a Foxe he raigned as a woolfe and died as a Dog Pope Ioane was she not an arrant whore begotten with childe by one of her Cardinals which these olde verses besides infinite mo testimonies witnesse Penes portum Petri Pauli peperit Papa pater patriae paruulum puerum VVhat was Pope Iohn the. 12 not a most vile damnable man did not he keepe Rainerath his mans wife did not he keepe one Stephana and her sister whiche had been his fathers concubines before did not he keepe one Anna a widowe and her daughter He spared saieth the stories neither high nor lowe olde nor young poore nor riche faire nor foule so that no women durst come vnto Rome on pilgrimage in his tyme he spared no place but woulde vse his filthy whordome vppon their holy aulters he would geue to his whores benefices golden Chalices crosses he would daunce
did talke with the woman of Samaria and also when he did bidde them that were in the Temple that they should come to drinke those liuely waters did vse the same maner of speakinges for to declare vnto vs also to what ende he did institute the signe of water in baptisme And that this is true that I saie I doe take Iohn for my witnesse who expoundyng the wordes of his maister did saie that by those waters he did vnderstande the holy ghost which they that beléeued should receiue Thirdly by this figuratiue maner of speaking he doeth instruct and teache vs what a Christian man that is regenerated by the holy spirite of god ought to be comparyng the water and the winde whiche are creatures moste fine cleare and pure with the earth whiche is an element more grosse more heauy and more materiall These wordes then doo signifie as muche as if he should saie that in steede of that grosse earthy and corruptible man he must be renewed and made altogether a newe creature heauenly spirituall and perfect differyng asmuche from hym that is earthy and corruptible as the water and winde do differ from the earth and that this muste bee doen by the holy ghost who is that true water that worketh this purifiyng in vs. But let vs graunt vnto them that this texte ought in déede to be vnderstande of the visible baptisme what shall they get by it Doeth not the maister of Sentences hym selfe hauyng all questions that coulde be moued vpon this texte affirme that this place ought to be vnderstanded of them that could be baptized and did not estéeme it The doctours themselues perceauing what absurdities inconueniences should folowe if thei would vnderstand this texte of the outward baptisme only goe to the rigour of the letter were faine to confesse that there be .iij. maner of baptismes that is to say the baptisme of water the baptisme of the holy Ghost the baptisme of blood Wherby they doe confesse that there is some other baptisme besides the baptisme of water whereby a man maie be saued There is the baptisme of the holy ghost and of faith which can be without the baptisme of the water whervpon the maister of Sentences doth alledge S. Augustine saiyng Thou doest aske whiche is greater faithe or the water I doe not doubt but that thou wilte aunswere faith If that then which is lesse can sanctifie how much more shall that which is greater be able to doe it that is to saie faith of the whiche Christ saieth he that beléeueth in mee though he were dead yet shal he liue Here againe wil thei alledge Saint Augustine against me who writeth on this maner We doe not beléeue that any Cathechumene hath life euerlastyng though he dye in good workes except he be baptized or suffer Martyrdome Againe we doe beléeue that there is no way of saluation but for them that are baptized I thinke thei be not so ignoraunt but that thei know what their owne Doctours are wonte to aunswere to this place among whom one Holcot by name doeth openly withstande Saint Augustine sayng that his exception is not sufficient and that a man that knoweth and beléeueth in our sauiour Iesu Christe can bee saued by some other meanes then by martyrdome though he dye without baptisme Yea moreouer hee is of opinion that if a man shoulde beléeue perfectely that he were baptized although he were not yet he shoulde be out of the daunger of damnation and saieth plainely that this faithe should serue him vnto saluation though it were founded vpon a falshoode Therefore the maister of Sentences aunswering to such obiections saieth that these wordes of Sainct Augustine must be vnderstanded accordyng to the declaration that he geueth in other places where he doeth intreate more largely of this matter And therefore he doeth write that these thinges must be vnderstanded of those that had tyme to make them selues to be baptized and did it not For if any man hauyng faith and charitie would be baptized and can not beyng preuented by some necessitie the mercie and goodnes of almightie god doth recompence that whiche doth lacke of the Sacrament For when he is able to paie if he paieth not he remaineth bounde still But if he cannot and yet hath a good wil to do it god who doth not bynde his power vnto the Sacramentes shall not impute it vnto hym I haue alledged euen the very wordes as thei are written in the booke of the maister of Sentences who doeth proue also by Saint Augustine that the inuisible sanctifiyng hath been in some and hath profited them without the visible Sacramentes saiyng on this wise and maner The visible sanctifiyng which is doen and wrought by the visible Sacramente may be without the inuisible but it profiteth nothyng Yet we must not therefore contemne and despise the visible sacrament for the despiser and contemner of it can not be sanctified inuisibly And as for maister Holtcot although he doeth allowe that which the other haue written of the baptisme of blood yet doeth he sufficiently declare that he that beyng vnbaptized doeth shed his blood for the name of Iesu christ is not baptized by that blood that he hath shed but that the Churche doth holde hym for baptized bicause that he hath sufficiently declared that he did not despise baptisme but that he would gladly haue receiued it if it had been possible for hym sith that he hath shewed suche a faith in the gospell of our Sauiour Iesu Christe There is yet a place that they be wont to alledge out of a certaine booke that goeth vnder the title and name of Sainct Augustine The wordes are these holde this for a suertie and doubt in no wise of it that not onely they that doe alreadie vse reason or be of yeres of discretion but also the little infantes that begin to liue in their mothers wombe and die there with out the Sacramente of holy baptisme whiche is geuen in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost or they that without it passe foorth of this worlde after that they be borne shall be punished with euerlastyng fire For although they haue no actuall synne of their owne yet haue thei drawen by their conception and byrth the damnation of Originall synne Let them turne them selues which way soeuer they list and yet thinking to maintayne and vpholde the Lymbe of the litle infantes they do vtterlye ouerthrowe it and that vnawares to them selues For whosoeuer is aucthour of this booke that they do father vppon Saint Augustine the same that thei do alleadge and bring out of it doth vtterly cast them in their owne talke For if these wordes be true after the sence that they geue vnto them the litle infantes dying without baptisme shall not onely be depriued of the fruition of Gods glorie and of all other ioyes of heauen but also
threatnyng as it appeareth in Genesis Euen so may we saie of those folke that haue suche naturall impedimentes that they can not receaue the whole Sacramentes accordyng to the institution and ordinaunce of our Sauiour Christ If thei haue a true liuely faith and take holde therby vpon the mercie of God declared vnto vs in our Sauiour Christe For so doeth S. Augustine saie Credere in christum hoc est manducare panem viuum nolite parare fauces sed cor To beleeue in Christ that is the eatyng of the bread of life prepare not your mouthes prepare your haertes Againe Qui manducat intus non foris qui manducat in corde non qui premit dente He that eateth Christes body inwardly not that eateth outwardly he that eateth the body of Christe it selfe in his harte not that presseth the Sacrament with his téeth Againe Quid paras dentem ventrem crede manducasti What preparest thou thy tooth and thy belly beléeue and thou hast eaten Saincte Tertullian saieth Christus auditu deuorandus est intellectu ruminaÌ„duâ— est fide digerendus That is to say christ must be deuoured by hearing chewed by vnderstandyng digested by faith S. Ciprian affirmeth all this when he saieth Quod est esca carni hoc est animae fides Non dentes ad mordendum acuimus sed fide sincera panem sanctum frangimus That meate is vnto our flesh the same is faithe vnto our soules We sharpen not our teeth to bite withall but with pure faith we breake this holy bread Barnarde saieth also Qui manducat carnem meam bibit sanguinem meum habet vitam eternam hoc est qui recolit mortem meam exemplo meo mortificat membra sua super terram habet vitam eternam That is to saie he that eateth my fleshe and drinketh my blood hath eternal life that is he that beleueth or remembreth my pretious death and by my example doth mortifie his members vpon the earth hath eternall life By these testimonies we may sée howe the papistes might perswade the weake ones that thei speake of how that Christ is eaten by faith c. For truely they ought rather to forbeare the whole Sacrament then by mangling of it breake the institution of the Lorde But these ioly felowes which are so afraide to offende a fewe persons in whom no offence is to be feared if thei be well instructed and taught make no conscience at all to offende all the whole christendome by mangling of the holy sacramentees and by taking halfe of it away from the laitie For howe can men knowing the institution and ordinaunce of Christe communicate vnder one kinde with a good safe conscience And specially when thei sée them that should be the Lanternes and lights of the world to communicate vnder both kindes If thei be so charitable as thei wyll séeme to be why doe thei not them selues abstaine from the cup least thei minister occasion vnto the poore laye brethren to thinke that they do not receaue the Communion a right or as they ought to do and so to be disquieted in their consciences as long as they liue But what shoulde I tary any longer about this matter They do not onely take away halfe the Sacrament from the christian people which thing as their owne aucthours do testifie can not be done without great sacriledge but also they do so shamefully vse the sacramentall bread that they do also about it breake altogether the Lordes institution and ordinaunce For whereas our Sauiour Christe did breake the bread and did geue it to his apostles bidding them and all his faithfull ministers to do the same that is to say to breake the bread and to distribute it to all faithfull communicantes they do eate vp all alone making none partakers with them at all In déede thei breake the bread but it is only for a face and as it were for an apishe counterfeyting of the Lordes institution but no man doth faâ—e the better for it For thei eate vp all alone neuerthelesse and not one crumbe do thei geue to the poore people that standeth by them so that we may better call it an vnion or rather an excommunication than a Communion And a most deuillishe and detestable sacriledge rather than a holy and blessed Sacrament For through their miserable doyng in sufferyng the people to be present at praier and not communicate together according to the decrées were all excommunicated ipso facto In the Councell of Antioche it was decreed thus Omnes qui ingrediuntur in ecclesiam dei sacras scripturas audiunt auersantur antem preceptionem dominici sacramenti ab ecclesia abijci oportet c. All that come into the Church of God and heare the holy Scriptures and refuse the receauyng of the Lordes Sacrament lette them be put from the Churche c. The very like wordes ye haue in the Canon of the apostles Hugo Cardinaliâ— saith In the Primatiue Church saieth he as many as were present at the Canon of the Masse did daiely communicate and if they would not they departed as excommunicate Durandus saith In the Primatiue Churche al the faithfull daily receaued the Communion By these testimonies we may perceaue two things First that none came into the Churche but they were excommunicated if they were not communicantes Secondly how in the Primatiue Churche both the priestes and laie people receiued the CoÌ„munion with the Minister These doctours are no protestantes nor Hugonites but papistes as ye are Thus we maie sée that they sticke not to breake the lordes institution the Canons of the apostles nor yet passe vpon their owne doctours saiynges to these men no order rule nor Lawe will serue Againe whereas our sauiour Christ saith Take eate c. These our gentlemen are woont to say Nay not so but gape wide and we will cast it into your mouthes or ye shall fall downe vpon your knées and with knocking vpoÌ„ your brestes and holding vp of your handes ye shall deuoutly worshippe it So that here thei make the poore ignoraunt and simple people to beléeue that he who hath sanctified their mouthes hath not sanctified their handes also whereby it commeth to passe that if thei handle the visible and outwarde Sacramentes with gloues on their hands which are made of sheepe skinnes and olde rotten dogge skinnes they make no conscience of it but if thei chaunce to touche either the coÌ„secrated hoste or the Chalice â–ª with their bare skinne which Christe hath sanctified with his precious blood and hath promised to glorifie it at the day of the generall resurrection thei are so troubled in their consciences that thei thinke veryly that they shall sincke downe quicke into hell or that their fingers and handes shall rotte of Such godly doctrine do our papistes beate into poore mens heades But the angel did
that he stole awaie from his keper knowing wel in his conscience that he falsely for the most parte had accused mee and wickedly sclaundered mee So that I could not haue hym face to face before the commissioners to trie whether it were all true he spake at the Crosse thus he ranne awaie and lefte the infamie to mee bihinde hym So now I must referre my cause to God who shall call vs both to accomptes one daie from whom there shal be no runnyng nor scapyng awaie This Blackeall reuerende Father did open penaunce at Powles Crosse for that he had at that present foure wiues aliue And also for that he thrust hymselfe into the ministerie for the space of .12 yeres and yet was neuer lawfully called nor made by any Bishop accordingly Foure daies after his penaunce at the Crosse he was set in the Pillory in Chepeside with papers on his head for takyng the Bishop of Canterburies Seale from one writyng and set it to a counterfeict Commission wherewith he polled and pylled greate summes of mony from the poore simple ministers that dwelled in the countrie he is one that choppeth and chaungeth benefices passyng litle what meanes and waies he may practise so that he may haue and get mony from any man He hath and doth runne from countrie to countrie from towne to towne leading about with him naughty women as in Glocester shire he led a naughty strompet aboute the countrie called greene Apron Also he altereth his name whersoeuer he commeth Sometyme he is called Blackeall for that is his right name sometyme Barthall sometyme Dorrell sometyme Barkeley sometyme Baker sometyme one name sometyme another This is that man Reuerende Father that hath Lynxes eyes to see Motes in his brothers eye but cannot see greate beames in his owne He looketh to his brothers synnes that are past but not to his owne that are present and emminent to all mens eyes He casteth that ende of the wallet behinde him but other that come after hym can and will see it truely and reproue it godly and christianly and not enuiously For this enuy as Barnarde saieth is a bablyng euill a secrete poyson a hidden pestilence the worker of crafte the mother of dissimulation the beginning of vices a deuouring canker of holynes the blinder of heartes making diseases of remedies and griefes of medicine But I will leaue hym nowe to the Lorde desiryng hym to conuert him that he may amende his naughty life and turne to the Lorde with faith and true repentaunce and make his members to serue God in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of his life This made mee Reuerende Father accordyng to the talent which God hath geuen mee so in these euill daies and tymes to apply my labour that all men notwithstandyng their filthy bookes and railyng wordes may throughly see and perceiue what I am and haue been since I was called into the ministerie thereby to satisfie a number of fickle heades and vnstable people whiche knowe mee not in person yet by this meanes I shall seeme to be present to them when thei shall reade this my litle treatise of my faith for as Sainct Hierome saieth Letters and Epistles make men present yet beyng absent not doubtyng but that litle with whiche GOD hath indued mee by his free mercie may shine through the Clowdes and Mistes of errours whiche the Prince of darkenesse hath blowen abroade And for that I was one of the first ministers that euer your lordship laide handes on and also for that God hath made you one of good will desirous and of aucthoritie able to defende the profession of a christian man I coulde not but choose your Lordship vnder whose name my litle labour should appeare both for a testimonie vnto all men that you are one in whom the godly doe reioyce and a prouocation vnto others to goe forwarde in all godlines in the buildyng vp of Gods Churche whiche he hath purchased to hym selfe to be a spirituall and holy Priesthoode to offer vp spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God by his precious death and passion Humbly beseechyng your honour to take this my small talent in the beste parte not lookyng in this worke of myne for the pleasaunt speache of Isocrates nor the high style of Demosthenes nor yet the excellent dignitie of Plato nor the reuerende maiestie of Theucidides but a bare and homely style accepte my good meanyng yet whiche tendeth to gods glorie and aduauncement of his kingdome VVho prosper and mainteyne your Lordship in his feare knowledge and wisedome long to continue enrichyng you with all good blessinges and gouerne you by his holy spirite in all your actions and doinges to the maintenaunce of his glory and comfort of his poore afflicted and warryng Church vntyll he shall call you to come vnto him selfe there to continue in his glorious kingdome for euer and euer Amen From Redcliffe in Bristoll ¶ Your Lordships to vse in the Lorde Iohn Northbrooke preacher ¶ August ad Marcellinum Epist. 7. ¶ Ego proinde fateor me eorum numero esse conari qui proficiendo scribunt scribendo proficiunt ¶ To the Christian and faithfull Reader I Am not ignoraunte gentle reader howe daungerous an enterprise it is in this our age either to write or diuulgate any woorke abroade consideryng the furiousnesse of certaine snuffyng detractours in the worlde and bityng zoilous persones at home would make one like Augustines counsaile that saieth Tutior est discentis quam docentis conditio More safe is the condition of the learner then of the teacher For it is no marueile sithe that pernitious and hurtfull stepdame of Uertue Disdaine and Enuie continually putteth in her foote to hinder and let euery honest enterprise How hard a thyng it is and what greate impedimentes and lettes there are to enterprise any acte not onely daiely experience sufficiently declareth but also that Prouerbe confirmeth it whiche saieth that all thynges are hearde whiche are faire and excellent For assuredly there is no condition without his enemie no calling without some temptation no estate sure and cleare Therfore the estate of man so much the more is to be lamented how muche the lesse it is regarded woulde make a godlie harte to muse much and oftentimes how he might be a fruictfull and painfull labourer in Goddes Uineyarde Therefore what soeuer the wicked shall saie of me I will saie with Dauid Detrahebant mihi ego autem orabam For my frendship thei were myne enemies but I gaue my self vnto praier After that I had ended this my booke it happened by Goddes prouidence gentle reader that in a Lecture of myne at Redclif in Bristoll I had occasion giuen me by the text whiche was taken out of the .xxxj. Psalme where Dauid commendeth his spirite into the handes of God to proue that all the soules of the righteous that died before Christes commyng in the fleshe were in heauen and not in any Purgatorie Limbo
vnto it and beleued that thei should bee saued by the blessed promised seede haue all entered into the heaueÌ„ly ioye whiche hath been purchased vnto them and vs by our sauiour Iesus Christe And for thy better learnyng good reader marke this what I saie Although our Sauiour Christe hath been offered vp vpon the Crosse for to make satisfaction vnto the righteousnes of God for vs at the tyme that was appoincted him of the father yet was he slaine and offered in the presence of God froÌ„ the beginnng of the world For it is written The Lambe was slaine from the beginning of the world Againe Iesus Christe yesterdaie and to daie the same also is for euer In this the Apostle coÌ„prehendeth all the whole tyme passed â–ª presente and to come Iesus hym self had respecte hereto when he saied your father Abraham reioyced to see my daie and he sawe it and was glad Uerely verely I saie vnto you before Abraham was I am that is to say not onely God but the mediatour betwene GOD and man appoincted from before all eternitie For although in respect of vs he was crucified in the fulnesse of tyme and in the latter daies yet in the presence of God he hath been alwaies crucified and his Sacrifice hath been euerlastingly present with hym For in God is no difference of tyme as is in vs because that all thynges are presente vnto hym and for that he is aboue and beyonde the tyme and out of it For a thousande yeres are vnto hym but as as one daie So sainct Augustine saieth Apud deum autem nihil deest nec praeteritum igitur nec futurum sed omne praesens est apud deum That is With God there is nothing wantyng nothyng paste or to come but all thynges are presente c. Wherefore euen as the death and passion of Christe dooeth serue vs now vnto saluation whiche beleue that he hath been crucified for vs although he hangeth no more on the crosse So bee ye certaine and sure that it hath profited them â–ª that haue liued before that he was Crucified whiche beleeued that he should come and dye for them as wee dooe beleeue that he is come and hath died for vs. Therefore wee ought to acknowledge no iij. iiij.v.vj.vij.viij.ix.x or a xj places as if some soules had been lodged in hel some in Limbo some in a darke place in hell where was no paine Some in Paradise some in heauen some in earth belowe some in Purgatorie fire some in the water some in the ayre some in houses and cloisters and some in fieldes c. But notwithstandyng all these phantasies of mens deuises Christ giueth vnto them all their lodgyng either in Abrahames bosome or in the vnquencheable fire of hell that is to saie either in heauen or hell For so Augustine saieth Duâ— quippe habitâ—tiones sunt vna in igne aeterno alia in regno aeterno There are but twoo habitations one is in the euerlastyng fire of hell the other is in the euerlastyng kingdome of heauen Wherevpon wee maie gather that Christes soule wente straighte beyng separated from his bodie into heauen and not to helle For he saieth hym self to the Theife that honge on the crosse after he desired to remember hym when he came into his kyngdome to daie shalte thou bee with me in Paradise Also Christ commended his soule into the handes of his father His bodie was laied in the graue his soule was in heauen for so he saied the Theife should bee there that daie with hym c. And so he desired his father in his praier that al thei whiche his father had giuen vnto hym might bee with hym euen where hee is c. Now I maruaile what parte should goe into helle then The principalleste cause of this erroure is as I iudge for that thei thinke and suppose God the father did neuer loue vs nor fauour vs before we and thei were reconciled to hym by the death of his sonne whiche is cleane contrary For GOD the Father did with his loue preuente and goe before as the efficiente cause of our reconciliation in Christe Yea because he first loued vs therefore he afterwardes reconcileth vs vnto hym self And for this cause sainct Paule saieth God setteth out his loue towardes vs seyng that while wee were yet synners Christe died for vs And sainct Ihon saieth God so loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely begotten sonne that who soeuer beleeueth in hym should not perishe but haue euerlastyng life For the free election of Goddes loue is the efficient cause of our Saluation Christes obeidience the materiall cause our callyng by the outwarde woorde the formall cause Our sanctification by the holie Ghoste the finall cause Herevnto agreeth that saiyng of saincte Augustine where he saieth Quapropter incomprehensibilis est dilectio qua diligit Deus neque mutabilis Non enim ex quo si reconciliati sumus per sanguinem filâ—â— eius nos caepit diligere sed ante mundi constitutionem dilexit nos vt cum eius vnigenito etiam nos filij eius essemus priusquam omnino aliquid essemus Quod ergo reconciliati sumus deo per mortem Christi non sic accipiatur quasi ideo nos reconciliauerit ei filius vt iam amare inciperet quos oderat Sed iam nos diligenti reconciliati sumus ei cum quo propter peccatum immicitias habeamus Quod vtrum verum dicam attestetur Apostolus Commendat inquit dilectionem suam deus erga nos quoniam cum adhuc peccatores essemus Christus pro nobis mortuus est habebat itaque ille erga nos charitatem etiam cum inimicitias aduersus eum exercentes operaremur iniquitatem Proinde miro diuino modo quando nos oderat dilegebat Oderat enim nos quales ipse non fecerat quia iniquitas nostra opus eius non omni ex parte consumpserat Nouerat simul in vno quoque nostrum odisse quod feceramus amare quod fecerat that is to saie in Englishe The loue of God is incomprehensible and vnchaungable For he began not to loue vs since the tyme that wee were reconciled to hym by the bloud of his sonne but before the makyng of the worlde he loued vs euen before wee were any thyng at all that wée might also bee his children with his onely begotten sonne Therefore whereas we are reconciled by the death of Christe it is not so to bee taken as though the Sonne did therefore reconcile vs vnto hym that he might now beginne to loue vs whom he hated before But wee are reconciled to hym that alreadie loued vs to whom wee were enemies by reason of synne And whether this bee true or no that I saie lette the Apostle beare witnesse He doeth commende saieth he his loue towardes vs because when we were yet sinners Christe died
also the woordes of our Sauiour he that heareth my woorde and beleueth in hym that sente me hath life euerlastyng he shall not come into condemnation or iudgemente but is passed from death to life Whervpon I do conclude that the true preachyng of gods worde apprehended and taken hold of by faithe and the right ministration of the Sacramentes beyng duely and worthely receiued are the onely meanes â–ª whereby this moste worthie Sacrifice should bee applied vnto vs and whereby we should bee putte in full possession of all the benefites of Christes death passion and bloudshedding whiche are iustification before God free remission of our sinnes peace of conscience and life euerlasting Beyng so farre of that their wicked and blasphemous Masse should applie this moste omnisufficient Sacrifice of Christes death vnto vs or that by it we should bee made partakers of the benefites thereof but rather by it the wrathe of God is still more and more kindeled and the death of his onely begotteÌ„ sonne made altogether vnprofitable and of no value vnto vs. Therefore I doe vtterly â—eteste and abhorre it and dooe from my very harte and with all thankfulnesse that can bee possible receiue and embrace those singuler and soueraigne meanes that haue been by Gods prouidence appoincted vnto vs that by them we might be made through faith partakers of all the benefites of the precious death and bloudshedding of his entirely beloued and onely begotten sonne our onely and sufficient sauiour Iesus Christe our Lorde ¶ The .iiij. Chapiter ¶ Of Christes buriall and the profite that we haue gotten thereby WHo for a better and more sure confirmation of his death and for to declare and testifie vnto all the worlde that touchyng his manhoode he was deade in deede without any faynednesse or dissimulation for sithe that he muste dye for our synnes if he had not been deade in verie deede wee should haue remained still subiecte vnto euerlastyng death would be taken downe from the crosse and by men of good and honest reporte that is to saie Nichodemus and Ioseph of Aramathia be decently and honourably buried Pontius Pilate who was certified of his death consentyng and agreyng vnto the same laied in a new graue that was he wen out of a rocke or stone and wherein no man was laied before lest it shoulde bee blowen abroade by his enemies and noysed among the people that it was not he that was risen againe but some other man that was there buried before hym or that he was not risen againe by his owne vertue but by the vertue of some holy prophete that was laied there before as he that was caste into the graue of Elizeus was reuiued restored vnto life again as soone as he did touche the deade bones of the Prophete And as for that that he was laied in an other mans graue and not in his owne the same was dooen for to signifie vnto vs that as he was come into our fleshe for to sanctifie it in the whiche he did dye not for his owne but for our sinnes thereby to take awaie the styng of death and to sanctifie our death to the ende that it should bee no more a dreadfull death vnto vs but a ioyfull passage vnto euerlastyng life so would he bee buried in a graue of ours for to sanctifie and open our graues and as it were for to constraine and compell theim to giue vp our bodies againe at the daie of the generall resurrection of al fleshe Againe the graue that he was laied in was newe whiche is a lesson vnto vs that if we will haue Christ to dwell in our hartes we must be no stinckyng graues but put awaie all filthinesse and sâ—incking abhomination we must be made newe creatures altogether and put of the olde Adam whiche is corrupted through the deceiueable lustes and put on that newe man whiche after the Image of God is shapen in righteousnesse and true holinesse And as the same graue was hewen out euen in the rocke so must we if at least we will haue Christe to dwell and continue in vs bee hewen out and created in hym who is that strong and sure rocke that the true Churche and faithfull coÌ„gregation is builded vpon we must be no waueryng children that bee caried with euery winde of doctrine by the wilinesse of men and craftines whereby thei laie awaite for vs to deceiue vs but abide stedfaste in the truthe and growe in hym that is the heade that is to saie Christe Who also would bee buried although he might haue risen againe without any suche thing I meane without the costes and charges of any buriyng for to signifie vnto vs that the misterie signe of the Prophete Ionas was fulfilled in him as he hym self doeth manifestly declare vnto the Iewes for as Ionas was caste into the Sea for to asswage and still the tempeste that was raised and stirred vp by the mightie winde of Gods wrathe and was receiued into the Whales bellie abidyng three daies and nightes in the deepe of the Sea beyng still in the Whales bellie And after three daies was caste out againe vpon the drie lande aliue and without any hurte so it was necessarie that the onely begotten sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Christe for to pacifie and still the wrathe of his father should be cast into the deepe and bottomelesse geulfes of death whiche thought to deuour and swallowe hym vp and that he shoulde be in the bowels of the earth as the Prophete Ionas was in the belly of the Whale and so rise againe the thirde daie Which truely is a misterie that passeth all misteries for who in all the worlde would haue thought that Ionas beyng thus caste into the bottome of the raging Sea should haue escaped death or who would haue beléeued that our sauiour Iesus Christ should in death finde euerlastyng life vnto vs and that after suche opprobriousnes and confusion of the Crosse hauyng been driuen downe euen to very hell gates he should rise againe with such an excellent glory power and maiestie and that by his death the wrath of God should be pacified as the tempeste of the Sea was pacified and ceassed as soone as Ionas was hurled into it that calmenesse should be giuen vnto the troubled consciences of synners peace made betwixt God and men And yet contrarie to the expectation of all the wicked worlde all these thinges I meane euerlastyng life forgiuenes of our synnes the pacifiyng of Gods wrath tranquilitie and peace of conscience and a moste sure attonement betwéene God and vs are mightely purchased vnto vs by the death and buriyng of the onely begotten sonne of God our sauiour Iesus Christe ¶ The .v. Chapter ¶ How many waies this worde hell is taken in Scripture and after what maner Christe descended into hell WHom I doe stedfastlie beléeue to haue descended into hell for whether
in these fewe wordes which are both so swéete and so comfortable we haue three godly promises First howe that he will take awaie our wickednes our synnes and offences whiche thyng he did already fulfil and performe by the death and passion of his sonne Iesu Christe our Lorde of whom Iohn Zacharias sonne did saie this is the Lambe of God that taketh awaie the sinnes of the worlde Doth not this sufficiently teache vs that it is God onely and none other that taketh awaie our synnes and that he doeth it by none other purgatorie but by the blood of his only begotten sonne our sauiour and redéemer The seconde promise is that he will put awaie our sinnes and offences for his owne sake and not for any respecte that he should haue either to the merites of our owne workes or to any satisfaction that we be able to make here in this worlde whiles we be yet aliue for he saieth that he will doe it for his owne sake or for his owne selfe that is to saie of his owne meere goodnes and mercie beyng prouoked thereto by no maner of merites or deseruinges of our behalfe as Paule plainely setteth it out when he saieth Commendat autem suam charitatem erga nos Deus quod cum adhuc essemus peccatores christus pro nobis mortuus fuit That is to saie God setteth out his loue towardes vs seeyng that while we were yet synners Christe died for vs. They therefore that saie that they onely doe escape the paines of purgatory that doe beare here a sufficient penauÌ„ce and make satisfaction for ther sinnes doe most shamefully belye the trueth of Gods promises wherby we are certified and assured that God doeth take awaie our synnes for his owne sake only and not for any merites or satisfaction that we can make either in purgatorie or any where els though we were able to liue Mathusalahes life yea by their owne doctrine as ye shall finde it written in the maister of sentences though all the paines griefes sorowes and torments that euer were suffered by men sence the beginnyng of the world and shal be suffered vnto the laste daie of iudgement were heaped together one vppon a nother yet they should not be able to put awaie the least synne that is committed in this worlde Sainct Augustine saieth very wel acccordyng to the truth in the Psalmes Non tibi deus reddit debitam paenam sed donat indebitaÌ„ gratiam That is to saie God doth not render to thée due punishment but doeth giue to thée his vndeserued grace For as Peter Marter saieth vpon the Romaines Christus enim nobis donatus est gratis nullis intercedentibus nostris meritis Christus autem sibi nos non gratis sed suo sanguine cruce acquisiuit That is to saie Christe is giuen vnto vs freely without any our merites but christ hath gotten vs vnto hym selfe not fréely but by his blood and Crosse. And Sainte Barnarde saieth plainely these words Traditus est enim propter peccata nostra nec dubium quin potentior efficatior sit mors illius in bonum quà m peccata nostra in malum That is to saie He was deliuered vp or died for our synnes neither is it to bee doubted but that his death is mightier and of more force and effect in good towards vs then our synnes in euill As though he in fewe wordes had saide Christes death is more stronger to get saluation to vs then our synnes was to get vs dampnation for wee haue gotten more by our newe Adam then we lost by our olde Adams fal ¶ The .viij. Chapiter ¶ Popishe purgatorie is flat against the worde of god For it maketh Christes death and passion of litle or none effectâ— WHereby we sée plainely that their purgatorie pickpurse is cleane contrarie to the true doctrine of Christes passion for if I maie or can make a satisfaction by suffring of paines in purgatory for my sinnes then Sainct Augustines wordes are false for he should saie he doeth render to thee thy deserued paine or punishment and not to saie he doeth not render to thée thy deserued punishment and againe thy deserued grace not vndeserued grace Saint Barnardes words are not true if I may make or get to my selfe satisfaction by suffering of punishment in purgatory for my synnes for he should haue saide we haue gotten more by our sinnes in sufferyng paine then we haue by Christes death And so consequently payne was more effectuall and strong to vs to obtaine heauen then was Christes passion which suffered for our synnes and therfore synne was good to vs by this reason for through sinne came punishment in purgatorie by punishment commeth life euerlasting as the Papist affirmeth so then we maie saie Christ died in vaine he shed his pretious hart blood in vaine The thirde promise is muche like vnto that whiche hee made before by the prophet Ezechiell he doeth promise here that he will no more remember our sinnes but vtterly forget them and neuer thinke vpon them Whiche is signified vnto vs in many other places of the scripture as when it is saide that the lorde hymselfe will caste awaie our sinnes in to the bottome of the Sea. Againe that as high as the Heauens bee from the earth and as farre of as the East is from the West so farre the Lorde will put awaie our synnes from vs Is it to be thought then that forgettyng his promises he will so tyrannously punishe our sinnes after that he hath once forgiuen and pardoned them and also so substauncially purged them by the onely and true purgatorie whiche is the moste precious blood of his onely begotten sonne our sauiour Christ who beyng the wisdome of the father appointed and ordeined of hym to be our onely teacher and instructour in thinges that parteine to his glory and to our saluation and whose doctrine we ought to content our selues withall doeth make mention onlie of twoo waies of the whiche the one beyng narowe and streight doth leade them that walke in it vnto life and saluation And that the other waie is both wide and broade vnto vtter perdition and death euerlastyng And as he doeth here speake onely of two waies that doth leade eâ—ther to life or destruction so doeth he in Sainct Luke appointe only two sundrie estates and conditions of the dead placing all the faithfull departed in the boâ—ome of Abraham where they were in felicitie and ioye and all the vnfaithfull and reprobates in the vttermost darkenes of hell where the riche glotton was in intollerable tormentes and paines But yet doeth he more liuely stoppe the mouthes of our purgatorie Scullians when he saieth verely verely I saie vnto you he that heareth my wordes and beleeueth on hym that sâ—nt mee hath euerlasting life and shall not come into iudgement or condemnation but is passed from death vnto life These
Morauians Both Origene and also Cyprian were wonte to minister the Communion vnto the litle children that were brought in the armes of thâ— Parentes when thei came to receiue the sacrament geuyng vnto them not onely the misticall bread but also the misticall Cup. And in Saint Augustines tyme they did commonly minister the Sacrament in both kyndes vnto the young infantes and children when they were baptized And all this did come to passe bicause the auncient fathers and great learned men did take the saiynges of our Sauiour Christe after the rigour of the letter Whereof it did come also that some did thinke that if a man after that he was baptized had once receiued the sacrament he could neuer be damned or at least he should once be deliuered from damnation bicause that our Sauiour Iesus Christe did saie I am the bread of life whiche is come downe from heauen he that shall eate of this bread shall liue for euer They did alwaies sticke vnto the bare letter saiyng that our Sauiour Christ who had promised the same could not lie But Saint Augustine doth both reproue and also confute that errour These men are like to the person of Trumpington who readyng the .27 Chapiter of Mathew on Passion sonday as they call it and when he came to these wordes Eli Eli â—ama-sabacthani called the Churche wardens to hym and saide truely this booke doth appertaine to the Bishop of Ely for his name is here I will scrape out his name and put in our owne parishes name and so he did then he began to reade againe Trumpington Trumpington Lama-sabacthani Thus wee may see what absurdities men be wonte to fall into for lacke that they do not examine throughly the meanyng of the scriptures but will goe still to the rigour of the letter Saint Hierome saieth very notablie Non in verbis scripturarum est euangelium sed in sensu The gospell standeth not in the bare wordes of the Scriptures but in the meaning Therfore we maie saie vnto them as Saint Ciprian once saide to the Nouatian heretiques Andite Nouatiani apud quos scripture câ—lestes leguntur potiùs quam intelliguntur Hearken hereto ye Nouatian heretiques amongest whom the heauenly Scriptures are read rather theÌ„ well perceiued or vnderstanded For if folowyng the doctrine and opinion of the Papistes touching the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ we would take after the rigour of the letter the same that our Sauiour Christ doth speake of the eatyng of his fleshe and of the drinkyng of his bloud without all doubt wee shal be faine to confesse that all thei that haue once receiued the Sacrament shal be saued and that all they that neuer receiued it and so die shal be damned for euer Whereby it must needes folowe that it is no lesse necessary to minister the Sacrament of the body and blood of christ vnto the children then to baptize or christen them Wherfore I should thinke good that they should aswell geue aucthoritie vnto the Midwiues to minister the Lordes supper vnto the infantes in time of necessitie as thei geue them aucthority to minister baptisme whiche is a Sacrament of no lesse efficacie and dignitie then the other is yea rather by their doctrine it is of more vertue and strength For I haue not yet read that euer they condemned any bicause that they had not receiued the Sacrament of the Euchariste wheras they doe sende all them to the deuil that die without the receiuing of baptisme thought they would neuer so faine haue come to it But wheras we spake before of Midwiues how they baptized by the aucthoritie of the papistes in tyme of necessitie I speake it not so as that I doe allowe their doynges for I am of a cleane contrary mynde and doe saie with sainct Paule that none ought to take aucthoritie vppon them in the Churche to vse any ministration vnlesse they are called lawfully as Aaron was Christe gaue aucthoritie to his Apostles onely to baptize and to preach Sainct Paul in no wise would haue a woman to speake in the congregation muche lesse to minister a Sacrament whiche must be alwaies doen with doctrine for they must go both together Therefore was it rightly condemned flatly forbidden in the councell of Carthage without any maner of exception that women should once presume to baptize any at all And where they hang so much of necessitie if the childe be readie to dye that then she may and ought to do it Saint Augustine doubteth whether it be lawfull or no for them to do it at that instant of necessitie for his wordes are these Et si laicus necessitate compulsus baptismum dederit nescis an pie quisquaÌ„ dixerit esse repetendum Although a laye man compelled by necessitie do geue baptisme I can not tell whether a man may godly say that it ought to be iterated Howe the custome was before that Augustine was borne is gathered of Tertullian that it is not permitted to a woman to speake in the Church nor teache nor to baptize nor to offer that she shoulde not clayme to her self the execution of any mans office much lesse of the priestes Of the same thing Epiphanius is a substantiall witnesse where he reproueth Martion that he gaue women libertie to baptize Many foolishe women and men do say if the infantes dye without baptisme they are depriued of Gods grace and of their saluation Not so God pronounceth that he adopteth our infantes to be his owne before they be borne when as he promiseth that he wyll be a God to vs and to our séede after vs In this worde is conteyned their saluation for the first foundation of our saluation is neither faith hope loue nor feare of God but the election of GOD by whiche are saued not only they which of full yeres of vnderstanding do beleue hope loue feare call vpon heare and obey god c But also infantes albeit that they be taken out of this life without baptisme wherfore let vs not hang so much vpon creatures that we exclude and doubt of our creatour and for our foolishe good intentes sake will suffer sacramentes to be ministred by women cleane and besides the expresse worde of god Wherefore I do holde and beleue that it is no more méete and lawfull for a Midwife to baptize children in tyme of necessitie then it is for her to preache publikely and minister the Euchariste openly or otherwise But let vs come againe to the saying of our sauiour Christ â–ª that they haue alwayes in their mouthes for to condemne and cast away the poore séely infantes and children of the christians which dye without baptisme It is to be vnderstanded yea they that will consider diligently and weigh the absurdities that do ensue and followe of the exposition of them that do vnderstande it of baptisme going thus to the rigour of the letter shall
good that heart can not conceyue Full well spake Barnarde Traditus est enim propter peccata nostra nec dubium quin potentior efficatior sit mors illius in bonum quà m peccata nostra in malum Christe was deliuered and suffered for our sinnes doubtles his death was stronger and more effectuall in goodnes towardes vs then our synnes was in euill For he hath vanquished death Sathan the deuill and all the whole power of hell ¶ The .xj. Chapter ¶ VVhat comfort we haue gotten by Christes rising from death againe And that it shoulde be vnto vs as a glasse in this life c. ANd did rise againe most gloriously and triumphantly on the thirde day for our iustification For as Saint Paul saith he was deliuered for our sinnes and rose againe for our iustification meaning thereby that as by the death of Christ sinne is takē away so by his resurrection or rising againe righteousnesse is restored vnto vs For if he had not risen againe it had béen an euident signe or token that death had gotten the victorie of him and that hell had swalowed him vp as the other children of Adam Nowe if death had vanquished him and not he death we should haue remayned still in our sinnes and also in death And againe howe shoulde he by his death haue deliuered vs from death if he him selfe had béen vanquished and ouercome How should he haue gottē vnto vs the victorie if he him self had been ouerthrowen in the battaile Therefore we doe so parte the whole matter of our saluatian betwene his death and his resurrection that as we doe beleue that by his death synne is taken awaie and abolished and death vanquished and ouerthrowen So by his resurrection or risyng againe righteousnesse is restored and life giuen vnto vs againe And thereof it commeth that although we haue our full saluation in the death of Christ for by it we are reconciled vnto God satisfaction is made vnto his righteous iudgement the curse is taken awaie and all the whole penaltie paied yet it is not said that we are begotten againe by his death vnto a liuely hope but by his resurrection from the dead to enioy an inheritaunce immortall and vndefiled and that perisheth not As then the resurrection of Christe whereby he did rise againe most gloriously from death in the selfe same body that he toke in the virgins wombe of whom he toke his vndefiled substaunce and in the whiche he did suffer a most bitter death for vs which was taken downe from the crosse and layde in the graue is an infallible and most sure token and signe of his diuine vertue and power and of his triumphant victorie that he hath gotten against death Sathan the deuyll and against all the whole power of hell for it was his office to swalowe vp death who coulde do that but life it selfe It was his office to ouercome sinne who coulde do that but righteousnesse it selfe It was his office to vanquishe the whole power of the enimie worlde and fleshe who coulde do that but an absolute power of him selfe So this is a full certifiyng and a most certayne assuraunce vnto vs that we shall rise againe with him For as when we see with the eyes of our faithe our sauiour Iesu Christe rise againe from death we doe see hym as a noble and valiaunt capitaine and as a most victorious kyng lead synne death Sathan the deuil and all the whole power of hell captiues before hym as all vanquished beaten downe and ouerthrowen so that they can haue no more power vpon the elect and chosen of God that beleeue in him then thei haue had vpon Iesus christ hym selfe So doe we see our fleshe rise againe with his fleshe sithe that our fleshe that he toke vpon hym in the which he suffred and did beare the terrible iudgement and curse of God diyng in it a most opprobrious and shamefull death for our sinnes is triumphantly and victoriously risen againe from death in him death and all other enemies beyng vtterly discomfited and put to flight And for this cause our sauiour Christe is called the firste fruictes of them that sleepe and the first borne of the dead not bicause that he hath been the firste that hath been raised vp againe among mē For many haue been raised vp againe before hym as wel by hymself as by his Prophetes but bicause that he is the first and he only that is risen againe by his owne diuine vertue and power and whiche is the offpryng original and fountaine of the resurrection and life of all other that dye and are raised vp againe in hym and by hym And for a better confirmation and sealyng vp of this hope in our heartes he hath geuen vs a pledge and taken one of vs Bicause he woulde not leaue vs in any doubte he hath taken our fleshe and hath borne it vp into heauen whereby we are already put in full possession of it and are set downe with hym in the heauenly seates On the other side he hath geuen vnto vs his holy spirite for an earnest peny for to seale vp his promises in our heartes whiche doeth testifie vnto our spirite that we are the children of God. Sith then that we are the children of god and haue his diuine and heauenly seede in vs we ought not to doubte but that our sauiour Christe hath made vs partakers of his diuine nature as he woulde be partaker of ours and would be made man to make vs Gods that is to say heauenly and spirituall As then the Corne that is sowed in the grounde diyng in it brauncheth and taketh roote and then commeth foorth and groweth and doth at length bryng foorth fruict so are we most sure that when we die and are layde in the grounde we be as sowen and that we shall braunche and rise againe immortall and incorruptible sith that we cary away with vs the grayne or seede of the holy spirite of God whiche cannot dye And although our fleshe shall corrupte yet the spirite of God shal deliuer from corruption this bodie which shal be raised vp again by the diuine vertue and power of hym that hath raised vp our sauiour Christ who shall viuiste and quicken againe our mortall members And whiles that we are yet in this mortall life we muste to the vttermoste of our power expresse this faith and beléefe that we haue in the resurrection of Christe and of our risyng againe through hym in our conuersation liuyng walkyng still in a newe life which in this worlde is to rise againe with Christ as Saint Paule testifieth saiyng We are buried with hym by baptisme for to dye that likewise as Christe was raised vp from death by the glory of his father euen so we should also walke in a newe life For if we be graft in death like vnto hym euen so
body that he died and was buried in ¶ The .xij. Chapiter ¶ Of Christes ascention into heauen and how it is saide that he sitteth at the right hand of god c. And after what maner he is here amongest vs. AND he did most triumphantly in the sight of al his Apostles and Disciples ascende vp into heauen where a clowde receaued hym vp out of their sight the Angels testifiyng that as he was taken vp from vs into heauen so he shall be séene come againe at the dreadfull daie of iudgement when he shall being accompanied with his holy angels come downe to iudge both the quicke and the dead In the meane season we must not thinke though he hath taken the reall presence of his body away from vs that therfore he hath forsaken vs or that he doth not assist ayde and helpe his chosen and elect as long as they be pylgrimes and straungers here in the earth For according to his promise ▪ he is alwayes with vs vnto the worldes ende Which thing must be vnderstanded of his godly power and inuisible grace So doeth Saint Augustine saie Secundum presentiam maiestatis semper habomus christum Accordyng to the presence or as he is God we haue alwaies christ with vs againe he saieth in the same place Nam secundum maiestatem suam secundum prouidentiam secundum ineffabilem et inuisibilem gratiam impletur quod ab e◠dictum est ecce ego vobiscū sum omnibus diebus vsque ad consummationem seculi That is to saie in englishe as concernyng his diuine maiestie his prouidence his inestimable and inuisible grace these words are fulfilled that were spoken by hym beholde I am with you all the daies of your life vnto the worldes ende For as touching his humanitie or manhoode he is absent from vs and wyll be to the worldes ende vntyll he shall be séene visibly of all fleshe to come againe thereto accordeth S. Augustine saiyng Secundum presentiam carnis recte dictum est discipulis sui◠me autem non semper habebitis Accordyng to the presence of his fleshe or body it was rightly and truely saide vnto his disciples mée you shal not haue alwaies For it is to be noted that as he is both God and man so touchyng his manhoode or humanitie that he tooke in the virgines wombe ▪ he is in all thynges like vnto vs synne onely beyng excepted as the holie apostle doth write saiyng he tooke not on him Angels but the séede of Abraham that in all thinges he might be like vnto his brethren As then he did hunger and thirst in the same body was subiect to all maner of infirmities that we his brethren are subiect vnto sinne alwayes being excepted therefore Barnarde very pretily sayde Christe loued vs dulcior sapientior fortior Swéetely in that he toke our fleshe vpon him wisely in that hée had no sinne by takyng our nature vppon him strongly in that he vanquished Sathan death and sinne So hauing fulfylled the thinges that he toke it for he dyd cary it vp into heauen and there he sitteth in the same humaine body being nowe glorified and immortall on the right hande of God the father Almightie which is as much to say as that he is exalted aboue the heauens hauing receaued a full aucthoritie and power ouer all creatures both in heauen and in earth and raigning there in glorie with the father tyll his enimies be made his footstoole For when we heare that Christ is set downe on the right hande of his father we must put all grosse imaginations out of our mindes We must beware that we imagine not that God the father is set downe as an earthly king in some visible and materiall seate and that Iesus Christ is set downe by him in another as his son or one of his princes and lordes Againe we must not thinke that God the father in his diuine essence hath a right hande and a left hande with other humayne lymmes as we sée mortall men to haue For that were to fall into the heresie of the Antropomorphites but rather we must marke that it is spoken by a similitude being borowed of princes and kinges of the worlde For as a king doth commonly cause that man to sit by him and at his right hande whom he wyll most honour and vnto whom he wyll geue most aucthoritie and power so we do vnderstande by these wordes that our Sauiour Christe is exalted aboue all creatures and that he hath power geuen vnto him both in heauen and in earth and that he raigneth with the father hauing equall power with him Or by the right hande of God we may right well vnderstande with Saint Augustine the place of felicitie and ioye where our Sauiour Christ doth raigne nowe in glorie with the holy angels and with all the blessed spirites and soules of the chosen and elect of God As contrarywise by his left hand the state and condition of the reprobate is vnderstanded and signified vnto vs. Againe it is not knowen to them that reade the scriptures that to syt is many tymes taken for to be in quiet peace and rest as when Moyses saith to the children of Gad and of Ruben Shall your brethren go foorth vnto the warre and ye syt here Againe in the prophete Euery man shall syt vnder his Figge trée When we say then that our Sauiour Christ is set downe we do vnderstande that he is after the paynefull labours of this life and the wofull death of the crosse entred into a ioyfull and quiet rest where he shal be touching his humanitie and manhoode as lorde and head ruler of all creatures both in heauen and in the earth vntyl the time that all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began be restored againe as the holy Apostle saint Peter doth testifie vnto vs in the Actes For a better vnderstanding of the whole matter and also that the ignoraunt and simple persons may the better auoyde the subtile trickes of the deuyls Sophistrie which is wont to dasill the eyes of the vnlearned with this like argumentes The right hand of God is taken for his almightie power but his almightie power is can be euery where Ergo sith that Christ touchyng his manhoode is on the right hand of God the humanitie or manhoode of Christe can be euery where It is to be noted and marked that the right hand of God is taken two maner of waies First by it the almightie power of God is vnderstanded as when Moyses doeth saie in his Canticle Thine hande Lorde is glorious thine hande hath all too dashed the enimie And in the Actes of the Apostles Saint Peter saieth him hath God lift vp with his right hande In these places and such like the right hande of god is taken for his almighty power wherwith he
contradiction or resistaunce But the scriptures do teache vs cleane contrary For they all testifie vnto vs that Christe our Sauiour hauyng offered one oblation or sacrifice for synnes is set downe on the right hande of God for euer tariyng there till his fooes be made his footstoole as it hath been sufficiently proued before Thei doe therefore alledge in vaine the omnipotencie and almightie power of God for to proue thereby their deuillishe and moÌ„strous opinioÌ„ beyng in this point like vnto the anabaptistes which wheÌ„ thei be so sore pressed with the scirptures that they knowe not whiche waie to escape doe flye streight waie vnto the spirite hauyng then none other thyng in their mouthes but the spirite the spirite So these ioly felowes when they be beaten with the scriptures that they haue not one worde to saie will by and by with a great circumstaunce of wordes and fetchyng aboute alledge the omnipotencie and almightie power of God settyng foorth his wonderous works miracles that he hath wrought by it that so they may vnder the shadowe of them deceaue and blinde the poore vnlearned people whiche haue no vnderstandyng nor perceiueraunce of thynges These be for the moste parte the goodly argumentes and reasons that they doe vse if god hath doen this thyng or that thyng then will they bryng in some excellent miracle that god did worke in tymes paste may not he by his omnipotencie and mightie power bring to passe that the natural body of his sonne Christe should be in the Sacrament ye may see howe these newe fangled felowes do most shamefully deny the omnipotencie of God. These and other like thynges they doe daiely vomite out againste the true ministers of Gods worde in their railyng bookes and vpon their Alebenche where as they themselues are vtter enimies and subuerâ—ours of the omnipotencie and almightie power of god For thei do preache and daily shewe teache and write and also with fyre and sworde compell men to beléeue that christe can not geue vnto vs his fleshe to eate excepte his naturall body that he tooke of the virgine Marie that died vpon the crosse and ascended vp into heauen be there in the Sacrament â–ª really and substancially in déede more like a monstrous thyng then an humaine body Wheras on the contrarie we doe both beléeue and teache that our sauiour christ is able by his euerlasting and almighty spirite whensoeuer we doe worthely receiue his Sacrament to feede with his most precious flesh and blood both our soules and bodies vnto life euerlastyng and yet that hee needeth not therefore to come downe from heauen nor to be after suche a monstrous fashion in the sacramentall bread and wine For as the blood of our sauiour christ doth cleanse vs from all our synnes and yet we neede not to haue it really present with vs for to be washed or bathed in it so Christ our sauiour accordyng to his promise doeth daily or whensoeuer we doe come worthely to his holy Table feede both our bodies and soules with the wholsome and heauenly foode of his pretious body and blood and this doeth he by his eternall and almightie spirite so that he needeth not therefore to come downe at the becke and commaundement of euery iuglyng Papiste and to be really present in a péece of their sterched breade after that they haue with gapyng and blowyng spoken foure or fiue wordes vpon it Let any man that hath any sparke of the spirite of GOD iudge whether this maner of feedyng vpon the body and blood of Christ in the holy Sacrament whiche as I saide is doen by his eternall spirite doth not in all poinctes agrée with the holy Scriptures and with the almightie power of God who is neuer wont sith that of his owne nature he is most true to do or worke any thyng againste his owne worde and sacred Scriptures wherby we are certified that the heauens muste holde our Sauiour Christe till all thynges be restored againe that God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophetes since the worlde began The examples that they doe bryng of the walkyng of our Sauiour Christ vpon the waters or of his commyng in to his disciples and apostles when the doores were faste shut if they be well considered and looked vppon it shal be easie for to perceaue and vnderstande that they make nothyng for them but rather against them For when our Sauiour Christe did walke vpon the Sea although he did it by his diuine and godly power yet had he at the same present houre his true and naturall body with due proportion of lymmes and all other dimensions that doe pertaine to a mans body so that he coulde then be seene with the bodily eyes of his apostles taken vp sensibly into the Boate that they were in But no suche thyng will thei alowe in their monstrous being of christe his true and naturall body in their Sacrament Therefore this example maketh not for them but against them Now againe where they saie that our Sauiour Christ did go in to his apostles through the doores beyng faste shut here they make a shamefull lye For neither in the Gréeke nor in the Latine we shal finde that it is written through the doores beyng fast shut but the doores beyng shut or when the doores were fast shut Whereby the Euangelist doth signifie vnto vs the tyme that our Sauiour Christe came in to his disciples For therby may we vnderstande that it was verie late in the night when he came in to them as when any of vs doth saye I came home by candle light or when all the doores were fast shut yet no man is so foolishe as for to construe vppon his wordes that he had light borne afore hym or that he went in through the doores but by this maner of speaking we be wont to gather that it was late in the night when he came home Moreouer we do reade in the booke of the Actes that the apostles were put in the common prison at Hierusalem but the angell of the Lorde by night opened the doores of the prison and brought them foorth the doores of the prison beyng shut fast againe as sure as it was possible and yet none of the kéepers that were standyng without before the doores and kéeping them with al diligence did espie it when it was doen. Likewise in the same booke we finde written that when Herode would haue brought foorth Peter for to put hym to death the angell of the Lorde did come vnto hym as he slept betweene twoo souldiours bounde with two chaines and the keepers that watched and warded the prison standyng without before the doores And as soone as the angell smote Peter on the side and waked him his chaines fel of from his handes and also that when he and the angell were paste the firste and seconde watche and were come to
life the fleshe auaileth nothyng The like phrase of speache he vseth of the water of baptisme and although Christe was but once crucified yet would Chrisostome haue vs to thynke that we see hym daiely whipped and scourged before our eyes and his body hangyng vppon the Crosse and the Speare thruste into his side and his blood to flowe out of his glorious side into our mouthes after which maner S. Paul saieth that Christe was painted and crucified before our eyes These phrases of speache Chrisostome vsed most of any aucthour And now to their seconde obiection out of Crisostome that the papistes make whiche is this Elias saieth he when he was taken vp into heauen dyd leaue his cloke behinde him but our sauiour Christ when he ascended vp into heauen dyd both cary vp his fleshe with him and did also leaue it here behinde him It is easy to be aunswered For as he did cary vp our fleshe so he did leaue his fleshe here behinde him whiche we are our selues For as S. Paul saieth We are members of his body of his fleshe of his bones And truely as it ought to be vnto vs a singuler comfort â–ª that the most infallible scripture doth certifie vs that we are meÌ„bers of his body fleshe of his flesh and bones of his bones so it ought to be vnto vs the greatest reioysing in the worlde that he is in our fleshe ascended vp into heauen And as for that they aleadge out of S. Iohn where he saith Except ye eate the fleshe of the son of man drinke his blood ye haue no life in you Againe my flesh is meate in deede my blood is drinke in déede Lyra their owne doctour shal aunswere this place them to where he saith Haec verba nihil directè pertineÌ„t ad sacramentaleÌ„ vel corporaleÌ„ manducationem Nam hoc verbuÌ„ dictum fuit antequà m SacrameÌ„tum Eucharistiae esset institutum Ex illa igitur litera de sacrameÌ„tali coÌ„munione non potest fieri argumentum efficax These wordes of Christ in the .vj. chapter of S. Iohn directly pertaine nothing to the sacrameÌ„tall or corporall eating For these wordes were spoken long before the sacrameÌ„t was ordeyned Therefore of this place there can be made no good sufficient argument touchyng the sacrameÌ„tall Communion Sainct Augustine saith vpon these words of of Iohn There must be declared saith he the maner how to discerne a proper speache from a figuratiue wherin must be obserued this rule that if the thyng whiche is spoken bee to the furtheraunce of charitie then it is a proper speache and no figure So that if it be a commaundement that forbiddeth any euill or wicked act or commaundeth any good or beneficiall thyng then it is no figure But if it commaunde any ill or wicked thyng or forbyd any thyng that is good or beneficiall then it is a figuratiue speache Now this saiyng of Christe Except ye eate the fleshe of the sonne of man and drinke his blood you shall haue no life in you seemeth to commaunde an hainous a wicked thyng therefore it is a figure commaundyng vs to bee partakers of Christes Passion keepyng in our mindes to our greate comforte and profite that his fleshe was crucified and wounded for vs The like he hath in other places Thus one that hath but halfe an eye may easily vnderstande and sée the grâ—sse opinion of our papistes ¶ The .xxiij. Chapter ¶ The godly in the olde lawe did eate and drinke the same fleshe and blood of Christ that we do nowe in the newe Testament OUR forefathers in the olde Testament did eate him as veryly and truely in their sacramentes as we do in ours to the eternall saluation of all their soules that dyd faythfully beléeue in the promised seede Iesus Christ. Therfore S. Paul sayd they dyd all eate of the same spirituall meate did all drinke the same spirituall drinke for they dranke of the spiritual rocke that folowed them and the rocke was Christ So we may easily perceaue that they did eate the same meate that we do because the substaunce of theirs and our Sacramentes are all one So Sainct Augustine plainely affirmeth in these wordes Sacramenta illa fuerunt in signis diuersa in rebus quae significabantur paria Their Sacramentes were in outwarde tokens diuers but in the thynges tokened all one with ours Likewise Leo saieth Mysteria pro temporum ratione variata sunt quum fides qua viuimus nulla fuerit aetate diuersa The sacramentes are altered accordyng to the diuersitie of the times But the faith whereby we liue in all ages was euer one To conclude saint Augustine sheweth that their Sacramentes of the olde lawe were promises of suche thynges as should afterwardes be accomplished Our sacramentes of the newe Lawe are tokens that the same promises bee already accomplished The same Sainct Augustine in another place aunswereth to a certaine question as this Quomodo in coelum manum mittam vt ibi sedentem teneam He saieth Fidem mitte tenuisti How shall I reache my hande into heauen that I shall holde hym sittyng there Reache out thy faith and thou holdest hym Saincte Ambrose agreeyng hereto saieth Fide tangitur fide videtur non tangitur corpore non oculis comprehenditur He is touched by faith he is seen by faith he is not touched with body nor comprehended or seen with eyes Sainct Augustine saieth Habet fides oculos suos Faith hath her eyes and Barnarde saith Visio anime intellectus est The séeyng of the soule is vnderstandyng Therfore I am sure none wyll say that the fathers in the olde law did eate christ in their sacrameÌ„t butcherly as the papistes affirme yet you sée by these aucthorities that the substauÌ„ce of their sacraments ours are al one wherfore learne this lesson that Christ is in the bread figuratiuely he is in the faithfull worthy receauer spiritually and that he is in heauen corporally sittyng on the right hande of God his father to make dayly intercession for vs Let vs now lift vp the eyes of our faith into heauen and reioyce that our fleshe is ascended vp thither ¶ The .xxiiij. Chapter ¶ VVhat comfort we haue by Christes ascention into heauen WE are surely taught that by his ascendyng vp he hath opened heauen vnto vs which by Adams fall was shut vp vnto all fleshe and that sith â–ª hee is entered into Heauen with our fleshe as it were in our name or behalfe we do in a maner as S. Paul doeth testifie sit with him in the heaueÌ„ly seates being alreadie in full possession of heauen in him that is our head For we haue receaued it by faith possessed it by hope and are therein confirmed by holynesse of life Secondly we do beholde his diuine godly power wherein doth consist all our might vertue and strength and all our
this be not to goe out of the waie I can not tell what it is to go out of the waie But nowe let vs come to the examples that they do bring for to proue their goodly similitude withall Adoniah say they did sende Bethsabe vnto her sonne Salomon for to intreate for him may we not likewise desire the blessed virgin Marie to pray vnto her sonne Iesus Christe for vs Forsoothe if Adoniah had a brotherly heart towardes his brother Salomon he shoulde not haue néeded to sende Bethsabe vnto him but he might haue gone himselfe and béen welcome All that he went about was by some trayterous meane to put downe his brother from the crowne that he might make him selfe king It is no marueyle then that he durst not come him selfe to his brother Salomon sith that he had conceaued suche treason againste hym But what was the ende of this mediation Bethsabe did not so soone speake for hym but Salomon did straight waies commaunde to strike of his head Use that example who will for mee it is not verie holsome for the necke As for Absalon it is no marueile that he did seeke to bee reconciled by the meanes of Ioab For he knewe that his fathers wrathe and indignation againste hym was not yet pacified but we beyng iustified by faithe are at peace with God through our Lorde Iesus Christ whiche died for vs when we were yet synners muche more then seyng we are reconciled and haue by the meanes of hym receiued the attonement we shall bee preserued by his life Wee neede not then in all our trouble and affliction to flée vnto any other then vnto hym that hath made this attonement Moreouer though Ioab did obtaine that the kynges sonne should be brought home again Yet was there still suche rancour in Dauids harte that he would not see hym in twoo or three yeres after But we haue a promise that when soeuer we repente our selues of our synnes from the bottome of our hartes our sinnes shal be put out of remembraunce thei shal be no more thought vpon Sithe then that the graunde capitaine of the Lordes armies who is our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche hath foughten that good fight hath made so sure an attonemente betwixte his father and vs we will holde our selues vnto hym onely as vnto an omnisufficient mediatour betwene God and vs who leaste wee should for conscience of synne bee afraied to come boldely vnto hym dooeth moste louyngly and mercifully call vs all vnto him saiyng Come vnto me all ye that labour and are laden and I will refreshe you Now will I come to the similitude it self If we haue saie thei any matter to an earthly kyng or prince of the world we maie not come to his person without meanes some of his lordes or gentlemen muste bryng vs vnto hym and also speake and intreate for vs in like maner wee may not come to God or to his onely begotten sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde without mediatours intercessors and aduocates And what should these bee but the blessed virgine Marie and the holie Sainctes of heauen First they do great wrong and iniurie vnto God when they do liken him vnto an earthly prince or tyraunt of the worlde For the causes why wee maie not come vnto the princes and rulers of earth when soeuer we would without mediatours or meanes can not bee founde in hym nor yet in him sonne Iesus Christe our Lorde And therefore this similitude can helpe their matter nothyng at all The princes and rulers of the earth if thei bee good and louers of equitie and iustice thei haue many enemies that do daiely conspire their death And therefore is not lawfull for euery man that would for to come bluntly vnto theim least vnder a pretensed matter thei should be traiterously murthered and slaine Againe if thei be cruell and blooddie tyrauntes thei bee alwaies in feare of them selues and will scarcely suffer their lordes and peeres to come vnto theim without searchyng whether thei haue any weapons aboute theim or not muche lesse that any poore man should haue any accesse vnto them for to declare his suite But no suche thyng can there be founde in our heauenly kyng and lorde For dwellyng in heauen aboue he laugheth all his enemies to scorne and hath them all that rise against hym and against his annointed our sauiour Iesus Christe in plaine derision Againe he is so farre from all crudelitie and tyrannie that he doeth moste louyngly call all poore wretched sinners vnto him being readie at all tymes to ease them of the heauie burthen of their synnes But let vs graunte that there is some earthly kyng that is without all feare of treason and whiche is so benigne and gentle that he will suffer al men that will to come vnto him and to declare boldely their suites vnto hym yet can not he heare all matters and suites at once And therefore all men maie not come to hym when thei would but must be brought or let in by theim that knowe when the prince is at leasure to heare their causes Els he should bee ouercharged with the multitude of suiters But the Lorde our God is able to heare all mens matters at once though thei call vpon him all in one instant or minute of an houre Yea he knoweth what they neede afore thei aske or make any petitiō or praier vnto him Also the prince is a mortall man and occupieth a locall place and can not be in all places at once to heare the peoples suites and matters and therefore it is needefull for them to haue soliciters and meane makers to the king by his officers to haue their matters heard and discussed But GOD our heauenly kyng is in all places at one tyme and heareth all their matters and as wee haue saied knoweth all their needes before thei make their peticion All these thynges beyng well considered it is easy to perceiue that their similitude is not worthe a rushe to pike ones teethe for to establishe their Idolatrous inuocation of dead Sainctes I doe now remember a goodly saiyng of sainct Ambrose whiche serueth very well for this purpose Thei saieth he beyng ashamed that thei haue neglected God are wonte to vse a very poore excuse saiyng that thei maie by them come vnto God as we come vnto a king by his capitaines and lordes But goe to is there any man so mad or whiche forgetteth his welfare so muche that he will giue the honour of the kyng vnto any capitaine or lorde Sithe that if any be founde to goe about any suche matter thei are by the lawe condemned as traitours And these folkes doe not thinke them selues guiltie if thei giue the honor of the name of God vnto a creature and if leauyng the Lorde thei worship their felowe seruauntes as though there were some greater thyng that could be reserued to god For we doe therefore come vnto the king by his Lordes
God thei vse commonly saiyng That the dead sainctes do see and beholde in the brightnesse of the diuine countenaunce of God that shineth vpon theim as it were in a bright glasse all the necessities conflictes and troubles of men because that it is onely grounded vpon the vaine phantasie of worldly wisedome it oughte not to take place in such a waightie matter as this is But thei are also wont to alledge a place out of the Reuelation for to proue that the sainctes doe knowe all that is doen here in this worlde because that the Apostle saieth there And thei folowed the Lambe wheresouer he goeth These words saie thei doe sufficiently declare that the Sainctes are euery where with the Lambe If thei bee euery where with hym then doe thei knowe all thynges And herevnto be thei wont to adde the saiyng of saincte Hierome who expoundyng these wordes saieth on this maner If the Sainctes doe folowe our Lorde euery where and he is euery where and in all places then we muste beleue that thei that are with our Lorde bee euery where also not locally but by a celeritie or quickenesse that thei haue to perceiue that whiche God will haue theim to knowe As touchyng the place that they doe aleadge out of the reuelation of Iohn it serueth nothing for their purpose For the hundreth foure and fortie thousandes that folowe the Lambe wheresouer he goeth do signifie all true faithfull christians whiche folowe Christe that is to saie which doe frame their liuyng and conuersation after his example and doe endeuour themselues in all their doynges to folowe his holy and blessed coÌ„maundementes mortifiyng their bodies and offeryng them a liuely sacrifice vnto almightie God the father of our sauiour Iesu Christ. But we muste marke that saiyng of Sainct Hierome at the ende of his exposition he doth adde that the sainctes are in all places not locally but by a celeritie or swiftnes that they haue to vnderstande and perceiue that which God will haue them to knowe Now doe I denie that it is the wil and pleasure of God to shewe vnto the dead Sainctes what is doen here in this worlde And â—yll they haue proued by the Scriptures that God will haue the dead sainctes to knowe all that is doen here amongst vs I will by the grace of god abide still in the same opinion But I knowe that they shall neuer be able to doe it Saint Augustine shall aunswere Hierome and them both when he saieth these wordes Vbi siquidem sunt spiritus defuâ—â—â—â—rum vbi non vident neque audiunt quae aguntur an revenium iuistâ— vita hominibus ita tamen est eis cura de viuis quanquà m quid agant omnino nesciant quemadmodum nobis cura est de mortuis quamuiâ— quid agant vtique nesciamu That is to saie in englishe the soules of the dead are there where they do neither sée neither heare what is dooen or happeneth to men in this life suche care is with them for the liuyng that they are vtterly ignoraunt what they doe here in the earth as our care is for the deade whiche knowe not what they doe whose wordes are verye plaine and neede no exposition at all But put the case thei coulde proue that the sainctes knowyng our necessities doe praie for vs yet it should not folowe that we ought to praie to them or to make them our intercessours and aduocates sith that we haue no suche commaundement in the scriptures nor yet is there any example either of the Patriarches Prophetes or the Apostles of our Sauiour Iesus Christe The Scriptures doe certifie vs in certaine places that the Aungels doe praie for the elect people of GOD and that they doe also offer our praiers vnto hym yet ought we in no wise to praie vnto them For why they can doe nothyng but that that God commaundeth them to doe yea nothyng will they doe without his commaundement Therefore if we will haue them to ayde and assiste vs we must direct our praiers vnto god alone desiring and beseching his diuine maiestie that he vouchesafe to commaunde his holy Angels to ayde and succour vs in all our necessities troubles And then the blessed Angels hauing a commaundement or commission of God for to doe it wyll most gladly and most diligently assiste and helpe vs but we may not desire God to comaunde the dead Sainctes to doe the same bicause that thei be not appointed and ordeined thereto as the angels are The dead sainctes haue performed their course For vnto men it is not geuen of God to helpe one another but onely in this life present whiles they be yet in this transitorie worlde whiche thyng sainct Paule doeth well declare saiyng Whiles we haue tyme let vs doe good to all men Ye see that Sainct Paul saieth dum tempus habemus whiles we haue tyme as if he shoulde saie GOD hath appointed none other tyme vnto vs for to helpe one another but onely this present life Sainct Iames saieth also praie one for another that ye maie be saued Whereby God doth commaunde vs twoo thinges The one is that we shoulde praie one for another that is to saie that we should praie for them that praie for vs Therfore if the sainctes should praie for vs we should also be bound to praie for them but to saie that we must praie for the deade Sainctes it is to doe the Sainctes greate iniurie and wrong For it is written in their owne Canon lawes Iniuriam facit Martyri qui orat pro Martyre That is to saie he doth wrong vnto a Martyr that praieth for a Martyr Secondly we are coÌ„mauÌ„ded to pray one for another that we may be saued that is to saie whiles we are yet in the waie of saluation that we maie come to our waies ende It appeareth by this that it is not the will of God that we shoulde praie one for another but onely whiles we are in this worlde that so we maie exercise the workes of charitie whiles we haue tyme as it is saide before An other place doe they alledge out of Ieremie which is this Though Moyses and Samuell stoode before mée yet haue I no heart to this people Why say thei should Ieremiah speake so of the dead excepte be knewe that they did make intercession for the liuyng I maie a greate deale better reason after this maner Sith that neither Moyses nor Samuell did praie for the people of Israell it appeareth that there was then no intercessour of the dead For who of all the Sainctes shoulde haue taken thought for the people if Moyses did not who in this thing did exceede and passe all men whiles he did liue Therefore thus I saie I might make my argument againste them In the extreame necessitie of the people Moyses did make no intercession for them It is most likely theÌ„ that none at al did make intercession for them sith
of mens hartes shall be iudged who then can reioyce at the commyng of so dreadfull a daie Uerely these saiynges are most true and also most dreadfull and ought to moue vs to liue in the feare of God and to abstaine not only from euil deedes but also from euil wordes and thoughtes They ought also to put vs in remembraunce how muche bounde we are vnto the mercie and goodnesse of almightie God whiche when we were his enemies fightyng vnder the banner of Sathan the deuill against hym and al his holy lawes and ordinaunces did so loue vs that he did giue his only begotteÌ„ sonne for vs making him our righteousnes wisedome sainctification and redemption Why should then these greeuous saiynges be dreadfull vnto vs Is it not written At what tyme soeuer a synner doeth repente hym of his synne from the bottome of his harte I will putte his wickednesse out of my remembraunce so that it shall no more bee thought vpon If our wickednesse shal bee put out of remembraunce so that thei shall no more be thought vpon how shall thei bee laied to our charge at the daie of iudgemente Is not besides all this Christes righteousnesse our righteousnesse His wisedome our wisdome His holinesse our holinesse His innocencie and redemption our innocencie and redemption Doeth not Paule write â–ª That there is no condempnation to them that are in Christ Iesus These are more ouer the wordes of our Sauiour Christe He that heareth my wordes and beleeueth in hym that hath sent me hath life euerlastyng he shall not come into iudgemeÌ„t but is passed from death to life What shall we saie then Sall not the faithfull beléeuers come into iudgement Is it not written that we must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christe It is most sure that we shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of our sauiour Christe But as some doe come to the Sessions or Assises there for to receaue their iudgement and coÌ„demnation some for to geue euidence against them and to asist the iudge in his office so shall it be in the laste iudgement For the reprobate vnfaithfull and mercilesse shall come thether for to receiue their deserued condemnation And the faithfull with the blessed Angels for to adsiste their iudge Christ as he himselfe doth witnesse saiyng vnto his Apostles When the sonne of man that sit in the seate of his maiestie ye which folow me shall sit also vpon twelue seates and iudge the twelue Tribes of Israell And sainct Paule saieth these wordes Doe ye not knowe that the Sainctes shall iudge the worlde Knowe ye not how we shall iudge the Angels This is conclusion ought we to marke and also to beléeue that through a liuely faith in our Sauiour Christe we are iustified that is to saie we are counted iuste and righteous before God so that our synnes shall no more be imputed vnto vs nor laide to our chardge For as Iacob hauyng not of hym selfe deserued the right of the firste borne did put on the apparell of his brother and also his Goune whiche had a swéete odour and smell and so vnder the title and name or person of an other did come to his father that he might to his owne commoditie and profite receaue the blessyng euen so we are hidden vnder the precious purenesse of our eldest brother Iesus Christ our sauiour that we may in the sight of god receaue the testimonie and reward of righteousnesse I meane that sweete and comfortable blessyng that Dauid â—oth speake of saiyng Blessed are thei whose vnrighteousnesse are forgeuen and whose sinnes are couered blessed is the man to whom the Lord iâ—puteth no synne And as for our good deedes that doe procéede and come of that iustifiyng faith whiche can no more be without good woorkes then the Sunne can be without light or fire without heate â–ª although in them selues they be moste vnperfect yet in our sauiour Christe they are moste perfecte For Christe is the perfection performyng or fulfilling of the lawe for a iustification vnto all them that beleue Sithe then that we shall through faith in our sauiour Iesu Christ be iustified that is to saie counted iuste and righteous before GOD so that our synnes shall no more be laide to our chardgeÌ„ nor imputed vnto vs Sith againe that the vnperfection or vnsufficiencie of our good workes shal be cleane taken awaie by the perfect and omnisufficient obedience of our Sauiour Iesu Christe who hath fulfilled the lawe for vs all and deliuered vs from the curse and malediction of it why shoulde those greeuous sentences be dreadfull vnto vs. The .xxx. Chapiter ¶ To whom the sharpe Sentences of the Scriptures are terrible THere be thrée maner of people vnto whom these saiynges ought to be verie dreadfull For thei shal most extremely and with all rigour be executed vpon them These are the infidels or vnfaithful For it is writen he that doth not beléeue is iudged and condemned alreadie bicause that he did not beléeue in the name of the onely begotten sonne of god And vnder them I doe comprehende all the Godlesse Epicures of this wicked worlde which doe thinke that there is no God liuyng as though there were neither heauen neither hell For as S. Paule saieth vnto them that are rebellious and disobeye the trueth and folowe iniquitie shall come indignatioÌ„ and wrath tribulation and anguishe vppon the soule of euerie man that doeth euill The second sorte that ought to feare these sharpe and gréeuous sentences of the Scriptures are the mercilesse generation For as S. Iames writeth there shal be iudgement without mercie vnto hym that sheweth no mercie And for this cause our Sauiour Christe shall saie vnto them that shal be on his left hande Departe from mée ye cursed into euerlastyng fire whiche is prepared for the deuill and his Angels For I was an hungred and ye gaue mée no meate I thirsted and ye gaue mée no drinke I was harbourlesse and ye lodged mée not I was naked and ye clothed mée not I was sicke and in prisone and ye visited mée not Then shall they saie vnto hym when sawe we thée an hungred or thurste or a straunger or naked or sicke or in prisone and did not minister vnto thée And hee shall aunswere and saie verely I saie vnto you in as muche as ye did it not to one of the leaste of these ye did it not to mée All these shall go into euerlastyng fire and paines of Hell. This nowe is to be vnderstanded of them that will haue no pitie compassion vpon their poore néedie brethren but suffer them most vnmercifully to perishe for lacke of succour at their handes They that are suche I meane they that stoppe their eares at the clamours and cries of their poore needy brethren they themselues shall crie and shall not be hearde they shall
vnder the lawe and twoo thousande yere after the Lawe the worlde shall endure and no longer let vs not thinke that any mortall and synfull man is able to tell precisely the daie or tyme that he shall come or at howe many yeres ende he shall come to iudgement The Apostles themselues beyng tickeled with vaine curiositie would faine haue knowen it But saieth our Sauiour Christ vnto them it is not for you to knowe the times or the seasons which the father hath put in his own power If it had béen necessarie that we should haue knowen it our heauenly teacher maister would not haue hidden it from vs But sith that he hath hidden it nor woulde in any wise reueale it vnto vs it is a plaine token that it is not necessarie for vs to know it Leauyng then suche vaine and curious enquiryng of things that pertaine nothyng vnto vs let vs endeuour our selues to knowe those thynges that God will haue vs to knowe that we maie in all thynges frame our liuyng and conuersation accordyng to the blessed will of our heauenly father and so bee founde acceptable nor be ashamed when he shall render vnto euerie man accordyng to his workes Uerely there is no time of sluggardenesse left vnto vs. We see that the same departyng that the blessed Apostle Sainct Paule doeth speake of is come to passe alreadie For howe many nations and people be fallen away from the Empire of Rome or rather is there any Empire of Rome at all Againe howe many kingdomes Landes and Countries haue vtterly forsaken the highest Emperour of all I meane Iesus Christe our onely sauiour with his Gospell The .xxxij. Chapiter ¶ The Pope is Antichriste and that man of synne whiche shal be 〈…〉 before Christes commyng to iudgement MOreouer is not the man of sinne the sonne of perdition opened alreadie and exalted aboue all that is called God or that is worshipped sittyng as GOD in the temple of God and shewyng hymselfe as God For 〈◊〉 the doynges of the fleshely Idoll of Rome and ye shall finde that he is the same man of synne the same sonne of perdition and aduersarie For why In his decrees and lawes in his beggerly statutes and traditions he doeth exalte hymselfe aboue all the holy Lawes and ordinaunces of almightie god and aboue the Testament of the holy one of Israell whiche is confirmed and sealed vp with the moste precious blood of the onely begotten Sonne of God our Sauiour Iesu Christe but hym shall the Lorde consume with the breath of his Nosethrilles that is the spirite of his mouth and also destroye with the appearyng of his commyng For a taste you shall sée out of their owne bookes whether the Pope of Rome be that sonne of perdition that doeth exalte hymselfe aboue God or no. Franciscus Zarabella saieth the Pope doeth what hym listeth yea though it be vnlawfull and is more then a god Pope Nicolas saieth It is well knowen that the Pope of the godly prince Constantine was called God to beléeue that our Lorde God the Pope might not decrée as he decreed it were a mattter of heresie Againe their late Chapiter at Trident one Cornelius Bishop of Bitonto in an oration openly pronounced these wordes Papa lux venit in mundum The Pope is the light that is come into the worlde but men haue loued darkenesse more then light Againe Panormitane saieth these wordes Christe and the Pope make one Consistorie and kéepe one Courte and synne onely excepted the Pope can doe whatsoeuer God hymselfe can doe Againe in their Councell holden at Laterane in Rome one Symon Begnius the Bishop of Modrusia saieth thus vnto Pope Leo Ecce venit Leo de Tribu Iuda radix Dauid c. Te Leobeatissime Saluatorem expectauimus c. Beholde the Lion is come of the Tribe of Iuda the roote of Dauid c. O most blessed Leo we haue looked for thee to be our Sauiour Againe the Pope suffered the Embassadours of Sicilia to lye prostrate on the grounde thus to crie vnto him as if it had been vnto christ Qui tollis peccata mundi misereri nostri Qui tâ—llis peecata mundi dona nobis pacem O thou holy Pope that takest awaie the sinnes of the worlde haue mercie vpon vs Thou that takest awaie the sinnes of the worlde geue vs peace Wherefore we maie saie of hym as Sainct Gregorie writeth of antichriste Cum sit damnatus homo nequaquam spiritus Deum se esse mentitur Where as he is a damned man and not a spirite by liyng he faineth himselfe to be God Anselmus also saieth Simulabit se religiosum vt sub specie decipiat pietatis I mò se deum esse dicet se adorari faciet atque regna caelorum promitet That is Antichriste shall faine hymselfe to be holy that he maie deceiue men vnder the colour of holinesse Yea and hee shall call hym selfe God and shall cause hymselfe to be worshipped shall promise the kingdome of heauen Therfore to ende Eusebius saieth Hoc est argumentum eos odisse Deum quod velint seipsos appellari deos This is a token that they hate God For that thei will haue themselues called by the name of god In the meane season lest we doe perishe among them that receiue not the loue of the trueth vnto whom God of his righteous iudgement sendeth strong delusion that they shoulde beléeue lyes and so be damned bicause they beléeue not the trueth but haue pleasure in vnrighteousnes Let vs sticke fast vnto the Gospel of our sauiour Christ and vnto the wholsome doctrine of the holy Ghost whiche is the power of God to saluation to all them that beléeue The .xxxiij. Chapiter ¶ The strength and operation of the holy Ghoste workyng in vs. WHom I do also beléeue to be the Lorde and geuer of life to procéede from the Father and the Sonne and to be of one substaunce with them both beyng true and naturall God without beginnyng and without endyng by whom the Father woorketh all thynges in the Sonne by whom he doeth create moue mainteine viuifie and quicken all creatures by whom he doeth call and drawe vnto hym his elect and chosen renueth them into a newe life iustifieth and sanctifieth them enricheth them with many and sundrie giftes also strengthneth them til thei come to their perfect saluatioÌ„ who dwelling in vs doth with his light illuminate our mindes that we may learne and knowe perfectly what treasour of gods bounteous mercifulnesse we doe possesse and enioye in Christe So that we maie by good right call hym the keye wherewith all the riches of the heauenly kyngdome is opened vnto vs and the eye wherwith we doe see and beholde them And for this cause he is called now the earnest penye and Scale bicause that he doeth seale vp in our mindes and consciences the certitude or certaintie of
if it be iudged mercie being taken away or set a side Barnarde also saieth what can al our righteousnes be before God shall it not accordyng to the prophete be counted as a filthy blooddy cloute And if it bee straightly iudged shall not all our righteousnes be founde vnrighteous and hauyng lesse then it ought to haue What shall then become of our synnes if our righteousnes can not aunswere by it selfe Therfore criyng earnestly with the prophete Enter not into iudgment O lorde with thy seruaunt for in thy sight no man liuyng shal be iustified let vs with all humilitie haue our recourse vnto mercie whiche alone is able to saue our soules What maner of merite is this whiche cannot abyde the censure of Gods iudgement nor be deliuered from condemnation but through mercie onlie Wherefore learne this what soeuer is attributed to workes that same is dooen by reason of faithe which is annexed vnto them Wherefore as in a wall we haue a consideration vnto the foundation and in the fruites of trees to the rootes so whatsoeuer séemeth at the first sight to be adscribed to woorkes is to be assigned to faithe as vnto the mother of al good workes For whensoeuer the scripture séemeth to attribute iustification either vnto hope or vnto charitie or vnto woorkes those places are so to bee vnderstanded that iustification is there taught not by the causes but by the effectes So saieth Augustine vpon the Psalmes Laudo super edificationem operis sed video fidei fundamentum Laudo fructum boni operis sed in fide agnosco radicem vbi fides non erat bonum opus non erat bonum opus enim intentio facit intentionem fides dirigit That is I praise the buildyng of good workes but I sée the foundation is of faith I praise the fruict of good workes but I acknowledge the roote in faithe Where faith is not good workes are not the intention maketh a good worke but yet faithe directeth that intention Let vs therfore rather to confesse our sinnes with the Publicane then to glory and boaste of our merites with the Pharisee Suche are our merites that the confession and acknowledgyng of our synnes ought to bee preferred before the numbryng of them to obtaine life For all our workes must be vtterly excluded and stande a parte that Grace maie appeare frée the Promise simple and that Faith maie stande alone For the lawe condemneth vs wordes doe not auaile vs but faith in Christe onely iustifieth vs For a man may make this argument which is inuincible All that we can doe with god is onely by Christe our workes and merites be not Christe Ergo our workes and merites can doe nothyng with god Therfore sith it is so cleare let vs acknowledge our sickenes which is synne let vs open it by repentaunce and flée by faith to Christe whiche is our onely phisicion and health of our soules let vs all by faith only make our profite of hym and not of our workes and merites For as Augustine speaketh of the woman that was taken in aduoutrie brought to him when her accusers were all gone he saieth Relicti sunt duo misera misericordia There are two left saith he mercie and miserie And therefore God pardoned her in his christ For Christ saieth to her Go synne no more as though Christ woulde saie saieth Augustine in the same place Deleui quod commisisti obserua quod precipi vt inuenias quod promisi That is I haue taken awaie thy synnes that thou hast committed doe and obserue that I commaunde thee that thou maiest finde that I haue promised thee Therefore I beléeue that Christe onely is the lambe of God that taketh awaie all our synnes Here maie one obiect and saie If God only forgeueth synnes what meaneth this that we reade Whose synnes soeuer ye forgeue they bee forgeuen them and whose synnes soeuer ye doe withholde they shal be withholden is it not plaine that not God onely but the Apostles also doe forgeue sinne I aunswere There bee thrée maner of powers to forgeue synnes The first is the same which belongeth vnto God onely for it is proued by the prophetes wordes I am he I am he my selfe whiche dâ—e wipe awaie thy wickednes for myne owne sake The seconde is the ministers when they declare gods grace to the penitent and that all their synnes are doen awaie only by Christe and contrariwise to preache and pronounce malediction and wrath vpon the vnrepentaunt therefore sainct Hierome saieth The Bishops or Priestes neither bindeth the innocente nor looseth the guiltie but accordyng to his office wheÌ„ he hath heard the diuersitie of synnes as in publique offences he knoweth who ought to bee bounde who ought to bee loosed Also Peter Lumbard saith God hath giueÌ„ to priestes power to bind to loose that is to say to declare vnto men that the penitents bee either bounde or loosed Sainct Augustine hath these wordes Wee speake in your eares but how knowe wee what is wrought in your hartes Howbeit what soeuer is wrought in you it is wrought not by vs but by god Hierome saieth It is not the sentence or absolution of the Prieste but the life of the penitente that is accepted before god So you see how the Churche forgiueth synners that is it pronounceth mercie vnto the repentaunt and wrath vnto the reprobate and vngodly as wee haue sufficiently declared before when wee intreated of the aucthoritie of the Churche And as for their auriculer confession it is a méere deuise and a Popishe lawe good for nothyng but to heape Goddes wrathe and displeasure vppon all the dooers thereof for their owne lawes condempneth their doctrine whiche they teache that we can not be forgiuen of our synnes vnlesse wee number them in a priestes eare for these are the woordes in their owne distinctions Saene dici potest quod sine confessione oris solutione poenae exterioris peccata delentur per contritionem humilitatem cordis That is we may safely say that without confession of the mouthe and absolution of the outwarde paine synnes bee forgiuen by the contrition and humilitie of the harte Againe Gratian saieth one of their owne champions Antequam sacerdoti ora nostra ostendamus id est peccatâ— nostra conâ—iteamur a lepta peccati mundamur â–ª Before we open our mouthe vnto the Priest that is to saie before we make confession of our synnes the leprosie of our synne is made cleane Sainct Chrisostome saieth Non dico vt confitearis conseruo tuo peccata tua dicito deo qui curet ea I will thee not to confesse thy synnes vnto the Prieste that is thy fellowe seruaunt Confesse them vnto God that maie heale them Againe Examine thy synnes in thy heart within thee lette this iudgement bee without witnesse let God onely see thee makyng thy confession The
third is when any man forgiueth his brother which offendeth hym as Christ saieth If you doe forgiue vnto men your father shall forgiue you yours And saincte Paule saieth Forgiue one and other if any man haue a quarel to an other euen as Christe forgaue you euen so dooe ye But as concernyng that forgiuenesse of synnes whiche is necessarie to our saluation doeth depende onely vppon the grace mercie and loue of God without any our merites or worthinesse And that our synnes are clearely taken awaie by Christes death and passion and that he will cast them into the bottome of the Sea or els remoue them as farre from hym as the Easte is from the Weste and the Northe parte of the worlde from the Southe part of the same We must beleeue this without any doubtyng or waueryng tremblyng or fearyng mostâ— constantly and assuredly ¶ The .xlij. Chapiter ¶ It is no presumption to bee sure and certaine of our Saluation HEre the Papistes raue and saie wee are presumteous so to affirme the certaintie of grace and saluation for saie they Paule biddeth and counsaileth vs with feare and tremblyng to worke our saluation I aunswere This feare riseth in consideration of our owne weakenesse and vnworthinesse not of any distruste or doubte of Goddes mercie But rather the lesse cause we finde to trust in our selues the more cause we haue to truste in God. Now concernyng the assuraunce or certaintie of our saluation the scriptures are full Sainct Paule saieth There is no dampnation to them that be in Christe Iesu the spirite of God beareth witnesse to our spirite that we are the children of God I knowe that neither death nor life nor Angelles nor powers nor principalities nor thynges present nor thynges to come nor height nor deapth nor any creature els shall be able to remoue me from that loue that God beareth towardes me in Christ Iesu our Lorde Iob also saieth Although he kill me yet will I put my truste in him Notwithstandyng I will reproue my waies before his sight Againe he shall bee my saluation Againe I am sure that my redeemer liueth and he shall stande the last on the earth whom I my selfe shal sée and my eyes shall beholde and see God in my fleshe Dauid also saith In thée O Lorde haue I trusted I will neuer be confounded Tertulian saith Vt câ—rtum esset nos esse filiâ—s dei misit spiritum suum in corda nostra clamantem Abba pater That we might bee certified that we be the children of God he hath sent the holy ghoste into our hartes criyng Abba father Saincte Cyprian hath these wordes Et tu dubitas fluctuas Hoc est deum omnino non nâ—sse Hoc est Christum credentium magistrum peccato incredulitatis offendere â–ª Hoc est in ecclesia constitutum fidem in domo fidei non habere And doest thou stagger and stande in doubte of thy Saluation that were as muche as not to knowe God That were as much as with the sinne of vnbeliefe to offend Christ the maister of beleuers That were as muche as beyng in the Churche in the house of faithe to haue no faith Prosper saith Securi diem iudicij expectant quibus in cruce domini gloriantibus muÌ„dus crucifixus est ipsi muâ—do Thei vnto whom the worlde is crucified and are crucified vnto the worlde waite for the daie of iudgemente without feare Saincte Augustine also saieth Praesume non de operatione tua sed de Christi gratia gratia enim saluati estis inquit Apostolus Non hic arrogantiae est sed fides Praedicare quod acceperis non est superbia sed deuotîo Presume thou not of thy owne workyng but of the grace of Christ for the Apostle saieth Ye are saued by grace Here therefore is not presumption but faithe To proclaime that thou hast receiued it is no pride it is deuotion Againe he saieth Non mea praesumtione sed ipsius promissione in iudicium non venio It is not of my presumption but of his promise that I shal not come into iudgemente Sainct Basile also saieth Paule boasteth and presumeth of the contempte of his owne righteousnesse Saincte Ambrose plainly saieth I will not glorie for that I am a iust man but for that I am redeemed therfore will I glorie Not for that I am voide of synne But for that my synnes bee forgiuen me I will not glorie for that I haue dooen good to any man nor for that any man hath dooen good vnto me but for that Christ is my aduocate with the father and for that Christes blood was shedde for me To ende sainct Barnarde saieth What safe reste or suretie can the weake soule finde but in the woundes of our sauiour As he is mightier to saue so dwel I there with safetie c. I haue committed a greate synne my conscience is troubled yet shall it not bee shaken downe because I will remember my Lordes woundes For he was wounded for our synnes This is our presumpteous doctrine that we teache agreyng to the scriptures and with the holie and auncient fathers of the catholike Churche But their whole Papisticall doctrine of truste in mens workes and merites leadeth directly to the goulfe of desperation and dampnation and therefore saincte Cyprian saied of them verie well and truely Asserunt noctem pro die interitum pro salute desperationem sub obtentu spei porfidiem sub praetextu fidei Antichristum sub vocabulo Christi That is thei teache vs night in steede of daie destruction in stéede of health desperation vnder the colour of hope Infidelitie vnder the pretence of faith Antichriste vnder the name of Christe The .xliij. Chapiter ¶ Of free will. AS touchyng frée will whiche is so much extolled of the Pelagian Papistes that wyll make vs to beleue that we are able to deserue and that we are of power and streÌ„gth as of our selues to fulfill kéepe the lawes of God to beleue and repent and so consequently to obtaine life and saluation I saie it is a most detestable heresie and robbyng of Christes power â–ª to whom all power is geuen and also abolishyng of his precious death merites and goodnes towardes vs and a robbing of God to geue to mans will that is onely the giftes of god As sainct Iames saith Euery good and pefecte gifte is from aboue and coÌ„meth downe from the father of light as it is manifest in all the whole Scriptures to be proued For if there were suche abilitie power and strength in vs and suche a libertie of wil as the papistes affirme Why doeth not all men beleue the ghospell call vpon God repent praie confesse their synnes doe good workes kéepe the lawe enter into life receiue Christ keepe them selues from euill thoughtes wordes workes synnes sickenesse troubles aduersities famine thirste pouertie and such like But the Scripture telleth vs another
him He hath set fire and water before thee reache out thy hande vnto which thou wilt They doe herein shewe their ignoraunce if the matter bee waighed for all men knowe this booke is not autenticall nor numbred among the canonicall Scriptures therefore Sainct Hierome saith it is Apochrypha That is to say a thing that is hidden secrete or darke whiche hath no certaine authour or whiche is not autentike that is asmuche to saie as of aucthoritie or bookes which were not receiued by a common consent to be read and expounded publikely in the Church neither yet serued to proue any pointe of christian religioÌ„ saue in asmuch as they had the consent of other Scriptures canonicall to confirme the same or rather whereon thei were grounded But lette vs graunte that it is Canonicall what get thei by it For it maketh nothyng for their purpose For before we declare how it maketh nothyng for their matter we must consider of man what he was before he fell what he was after he fell and what he is when he is regenerated and newe horne againe of the spirite by the will of god If you marke this texte well you shall easily perceiue that he speaketh of man as he was before his fall in his firste estate of his creation and being in his originall innocencie and righteousnes And that doeth sainâ—te Augustine saie whose woordes are these Freewill before the fall was an vpright freewill before which fire and water was laied of God and the first man did reache his hande to whiche he would he did choose fire and forsooke water Sée the righteous iudge the same which man beyng free did choose he did receiue he would haue euill and the same did followe hym Againe he saieth I saie that free-will was in that man whiche was created firste For he was so made that nothyng could with stande his will if he woulde haue kepte Goddes commaundementes but after that he had synned through freewill he did caste vs all that come of his stocke into necessitie Againe he hath these wordes The fault whiche followed the synne and whiche is the punishemente hath tourned libertie into necessitie Againe Man vsyng free-will not well did bothe loose it and hym selfe And in an other place he hath these woordes Verum est magnas arbitrij liberi vires homo cuÌ„conderetur accepit sed peccando amisit It is true saith he that man when he was made did receiue greate strength of freewill but he loste it in synnyng These aucthorities of saincte Augustine doe sufficiently declare how the place that thei alledged out of Ecclesiasticus ought to bee vnderstanded for there doubtlesse the wiseman speaketh of man as he was firste created in the estate of innocencie not as he was with his posteritie after his fall whereby as Augustine saieth All men haue loste their naturall possibilitie and ablenesse and their naturall or originall innocencie And so oughte all the doctours to be vnderstanded when soeuer thei speake of free-will in man for thei speake of that freewill that was in AdaÌ„ before his fall And therefore sainct Augustine when he saith Ad ValentinuÌ„ Si noÌ„ est liberum arbitrium vt mundum iudicat deus If there bee no freewill how shall God iudge the worlde He meaneth there that God shall iudge vs all by his iustice in that freewill that we had in Adam before his fall whiche some men in his tyme did vtterly deny any freewill to bee in Adam at all vpon occasion whereof he saied these wordes to staie the contentions that then was For in an other place he openeth his full mynde and iudgemente saiyng Cum autem de libera voluntate recte faciendi loquimur de illa scilicet in qua homo factus est loquimur That is When wee speake of freewill of doyng well we speake and meane of that freewill in whiche man was first made before his fall And hereto sainct Hierome agreeth writyng vppon Ieremie when he saieth these woordes And therefore the heretiques bee wonte to promise felicitie and to open vnto synners the kingdome of heauen saiyng Thou maiest followe the maiestie of GOD and bee without synne sithe that thou hast receaued the power and strengthe of freewill and the vnderstandyng of the lawe whereby thou art able to obtaine what soeuer thou wilte And so the saied heretiques doe deceiue the poore simple and ignoraunte persons and specially women whiche beyng loden with sinnes are ledde to and fro with euery winde of doctrine deceiuyng by their flatterie all them that giue eares vnto them Here we see that sainct Hierome doth call them all heretiques that saie that men be able by their freewill to dooe bothe good and euill They do further obiect and saie that if man hath not that power of his owne strength to kepe the whole lawe and performe it why then are we commaunded to kepe it vpon paine of dampnation and if for not keepyng wee shal bee punished then are wée punished wrongfully and God shall seeme to bée vnrighteous to giue vs a lawe and to require performaunce of vs of the same when it is not in our powers and freedome to obserue it as â—e commaundeth And againe what neede so many exhortations to turne to hym to beleue hym to heare to repente to amende our liues c. if we haue not a wyll and power of our selues to doe al this And againe God saueth no man againste his will. As to the firste in that God giueth his lawe vnto vs to bee obserued and requireth of vs due fulfillyng of the same and for not doyng of it he will punishe vs he is in all this a iuste and righteous god And in that wée can not fulfill the lawe as it requireth the fault nor hardnesse of it to be kepte is not of God nor yet of the law it selfe for the lawe of it self is easie and so are all the commaundementes of GOD and if any difficultie or hardnesse bee in them it commeth not of the nature and propertie of the commaundementes of God giuen â–ª vnto vs but of the corruption of our owne nature Therefore sâ—inct Paule setteth foorthe this in plaine wordes saiyng What soeuer the law coulde not fulfill in as muche as it was weake because of the fleshe that same did God performe sendyng his sonne in the similitude of synfull fleshe and by synne dampned synne Two thynges are to be learned in Saincte Paules woordes Firste that it commeth not of the lawe that men are not able to fulfill it but of the imbecilitie and weakenesse of the fleshe Secondlie we doe learne that God doeth by his sonne Iesu Christe supplie the same that by reason of the weakenesse of our fleshe wee bee not able to fulfill God therefore is not vnrighteous to aske the performaunce of his commaundementes at our handes although we can not satisfie it accordyngly No more then if I were bounde to paie one
his will was not taken from hym and cleane chaunged into a stone or a blocke yet those giftes were so altered and diminished in hym after his fall that they were not so excellent or able to doe so muche as they were before his fall for his knowledge was darkened and his will was made bounde whereas before it was free for now it serueth synne not vnwillingly but willingly for it is called will not wyll Therfore as touchyng wickednesse or synne man is not compelled either of God or the deuill but of his owne motion doth euill and in this behalfe hath free will to doe mischef But as touchyng heauenly thinges goodnes and vertue what power it hath we haue saide alreadie For Sainct Augustine saieth Libero arbitrie male vtens homo se perdidit arbitrium Man misusyng his free will loste hym selfe and his will. Againe he saieth Liberum arbitrium captiuatum non nisi ad peccatum valet Frée wil once made thrall auaileth now nothing but to sinne Wherefore he crieth out as it were saiyng O malum liberum arbitrium sine deo O euill is free will with out God. Now laste of all wee muste consider whether thei whiche are regenerated haue frée will and after what sorte thei haue it In regeneratioÌ„ the mynde is inspired with the holy spirite to vnderstande and knowe the secretes and will of God And the will is not onely chaunged by Gods spirite but is made of abilitie also of her owne accorde to be willyng and able to doe good Excepte we graunt this we shall deny christian libertie and shall bryng in the bondage of the lawe Ieremie speaketh this in the person of God I will put my law in their mindes and write it in their heartes The Lorde also saith in the Gosspell If the sonne of God shall make you free ye shall bee free in deede And S. Paule saith Unto you it is geuen for Christ that not onely ye should beleue in hym but also suffer for his sake Againe I am perswaded that he whiche hath begonne this good worke in you will performe it vntill the daie of Iesus Christe It is God which worketh in you both the will and the deede Here notwithstandyng twoo thynges are to be obserued First that those that be regenerated in election doe good not onely passiuely but also actiuely for they be driuen of God to doe that whiche they doe Secondly we muste note that infirmitie and feblenesse remaineth in them whiche be regenerated For seeing that sinne dwelleth in them and the fleshe although they be borne a newe striueth against the spirite as long as thei liue thei doe not altogether without combraunce bryng that to passe whiche they determined as is seen by S. Paule when he saieth The lawe is spiritual but I am carnall solde vnder synne for I alowe not that which I doe For what I would that do I not but what I hate that do I. Now then it is no more I that doe it but the synne that dwelleth in mée For I knowe that in mee that is in my fleshe dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with mee but I finde no meanes to performe that whiche is good For I doe not the good thyng whiche I would but the euill whiche I would not that doe I Nowe if I doe that I would not it is no more I that do it but the synne that dwelleth in mee Therfore weake is our frée will by reason of the dregges of our olde Adam and the naturall corruption of man stickyng â—ast in vs to our liues ende Howbeit seeyng that the strength of the fleshe and reliques of the olde man be not so strong and of suche puissaunce as vtterly to suppresse conquer the workyng of the spirite therefore the faithfull are saide to be free yet so that thei acknowledge their infirmitie and weakenesse without boastyng braggyng of their freewill For the faithfull ought alwaies to keepe in mynde that saiyng whiche so often S. Augustine repeateth out of the apostle What hast thou that thou diddest not receiue and if thou hast receiued it why boastest thou as though thou receauest it not So we maie saie truely that the man regenerated is able to keepe the lawe of God in Iesu Christ and by Iesu Christ but not of himselfe For as saint Augustine saieth all the commaundementes of God be fulfilled when the synnes faultes be not imputed but pardoned But if they will say that a man beyng separated from Christ is able to do any good and kéepe the lawe of God they are in a greate errour and heresie For Christ hym selfe saieth That a tree can bryng foorth no good fruite excepte it be made good firste But no man is good of his owne selfe as it hath been declared already Ergo he can not bring foorth good fruite Againe Bide in mée and I in you As the braunche can not beare fruite of it selfe excepte it byde in the vine no more can ye excepte you abyde in mee Thus you see by Christ our Sauiours owne wordes that it lieth not in mans power to bryng any good fruite of hymselfe excepte he be graft in christe For sainct Augustine doeth shewe what we are without Christ when he saieth Let no man flatter hymselfe for of his owne he is a very Sathan hee hath that of God onely wherewith he is blessed For â–ª what hast thou of thyne but synne Take awaie synne from thee whiche is thyne owne thy righteousnes is of god Againe he saith A te habeo quicquid bom habeo quicquid autem mali habeo à me habeo Whatsoeuer good I haue I haue it of thee O Lord and whatsoeuer euyll I haue I haue it of my selfe Hée also saieth De nullo nobis gloriandum est quia nihil nostrum est nisi vt homo apud se prorsus exinanitus à deo totus pendere discat That is to saie we ought to boaste of nothyng For nothyng is our owne sauyng onely that man beyng of no reputation with hymselfe must learne to hang altogether of God. Therefore we are taught by these testimonies that wee ought not to boaste or hang vpon our selues and our free wyll workes as the Pelagian papistes teache vs lest we be straungers from God. For so saieth S Augustine Si vis esse alienus à graetia iacta merita tua If thou wilt be a straunger from grace boast of thyne owne merites or worthynesse Let vs learne hereby to humble our selues for that all we are nought and gone out of the waie we are all corrupte there is none that doeth good no not one Howbeit no man denieth but that men regenerate and not regenerate haue free wyll in outwarde thynges for man hath his constitution as other liuyng creatures haue that he will doe one thyng and will not do another he maie speake or
holde his peace go out of the house or tarie within the doores to eate this or that meate to put on this or that garment c. Yea to synne or to abstaine from the grosse actes of synne as murther adulterie fornication false witnes bearing and such like c. Whiche notwithstandyng we muste confesse and acknowledge to be the giftes of god And here also the power of God is alwaie to bee marked whiche brought to passe that Balaam could not go thither whither he would neither Zacharie returnyng out of the Temple coulde speake as hee had a good will to doe Here are condemned in this behalfe the Manichies who denied that free will was to a good man the beginnyng of euill and also the Pelagians who affirme that an euill man hath fréewyll enough to keepe a good commaundement both these are reproued by the holy scriptures whiche saie against the Maniches God made man righteous and good againste the Pelagians If the sonne of God shall make you free you shall be frée in deede and againe without mee ye can do nothyng For â–ª man had lost those excellent benefites that the Lorde had geuen vnto hym at the first So that after his fall of a wise man he became a foole of a iuste man an vniuste of a righteous man a sinner of a true man a lyer of a perfect man in all thynges he became vnperfect of a free man he became a bondslaue of a liuyng man he became a dead man of a blessed and good man he became a cursed and a wicked hauing after that a will altogether wicked which neither coulde nor would agree vnto the will of God But wholy vnto the wyll of the deuill the world the fleshe and synne whiche of hymselfe can doe nothyng but wickednesse bicause it is altogether fleshly bounde and captiue solde vnder synne Beholde nowe gentle reader the free will or that I maie better saie the bounde will of man in the state of this present life All these doctrines considered well I will nowe drawe to an ende of this my simple iudgement with the saiyng of sainâ—â— Augustine the golden candle in gods catholique church where he saieth these wordes Quid tantum de naturae possibilitate praesumitur vulnerata saucia vexata perdita est Vera confessione non falsa defensione opus habet What doe men so muche presume of the possibilitie of nature It is wounded it is mangled it is troubled it is loste It behoueth vs rather truely to confesse it then falsely to defende it And in a nother place he saieth Tutiores viuimus si totum deo damus non autem nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte committimus We liue in more safetie if we geue all vnto God rather then if we commit our selues partely to our selues and partely to hym In the Counsaile holden at Miluente it was godly decreed touchyng this controuersie and matter If any man doth say saie they that the grace of God can bee geuen by humaine inuocation or mans calling vpon God And not that the grace of God it self doeth woorke or bryng to passe that God is called vpon of vs he doeth gainesaie Esai the Prophete or the Apostle speakyng the same I am founde of them that soughâ— me not and did appeare plainly vnto them that did not aske for me or after me What can bee more plainly spoken of the vnablenesse of man before he be regenerated or borne a new by the spirite of god And beyng renewed by the spirite of God he wyll giue them faith to beleeue hope to trust repentaunce of synnes amendement of life and a hatred to all iniquities and synnes that it shall not raigne in them nor haue dominion in theim so that their wickednesse shall neuer be imputed vnto them And all this will he dooe for his sonne Iesu Christes sake our onely mediatour and aduocate who came into this worlde to fulfill the whole Lawe for vs for he did fulfill it in deede we by imputation He by merite we by mercie he by workes we by grace Therefore wicked are they and voide of the spirite of God what soeuer they be that will seeme to extoll integra naturalia of man so farre as though it were in mans posse and esse to satisfie the whole law and suche are our lubberly Louanistes and rebellious Papistes whom God conuert or soone confounde for Iesus Christes sake ¶ The .xliiij. Chapiter ¶ Of the generall resurrection bothe of the godlie and wicked at the laste daie WHO at his laste commyng shall by his almightie power raise vp againe our vile and mortall bodies and make them conforme and like vnto his glorious bodie that is now in heauen on the right hande of the father Which after the meanyng of the scriptures and of the Articles of our faithe ought to bee vnderstanded after this maner That as the bodie of Christe whiche he tooke in the virgines wombe was by his almightie power raised vp againe immortall and glorious all infirmities that it was subiect vnto being cleane putte awaie and taken of So these mortall bodies of ours euen the same that wee tooke of the substaunce of our synfull and mortall mothers shall at the daie of the generall resurrection of all fleshe bee raised vp againe accordyng to the mightie working of the Lorde whereby he is of power to subdue all thynges vnto him selfe So that we maie boldely saie with Iob. We are sure that our redéemer liueth And that we shall rise out of the earth in the latter daie that we shal be clothed again with this skinne and see God in our fleshe yea that we our selues shal beholde hym not with other but with the self same eyes not with an other but with the same verie bodies whiche we caried from our mothers wombe with the self same bones whiche nowe wee haue yet neuerthelesse that transformed and â—haunged made of mortall immortall or incorruptible of vile and lothsome glorious as ye maie reade and proue by those Scriptures noted in the margine and many other places besides where these thynges are sette foorth so plainely that it were shame for any man to doubte of the matter And there doe wee learne also that as the righteous and faithfull shall rise againe vnto immortalitie glorie and honour So the vnrighteous and reprobate shall rise againe with their verie bodies vnto euerlastyng shame and bodie and soule shall goe into hell with the deuill and his Aungelles there to abide euerlastyngly and to bee tormented with hym in hell with fire whiche neuer shall be quenched where shall bee bitter weepyng and gnasshyng of teethe and shall be liuely touched with the worme whiche neuer dieth which is the seconde death As the glorious risyng againe of the righteous and faithfull is called life euerlastyng thereby to signifie vnto vs that we shall not bee raised