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
for vs he therefore had a loue to vs euen then when wee were enemies to hym and wrought wickednesse Therefore after a marueilous and diuine maner he loued vs euen then when he hated vs For he hated vs in that we were suche as he had not made vs and because our wickednesse had on eche side wasted awaie his woorke he knewe how in euery one of vs bothe to hate that whiche our selues had made and to loue that whiche he had made Thus farre Augustine Whereby we haue to learne what a comfortable doctrine the Predestination of GOD is whiche many can not abide of whom saincte Paule long before spake of Also howe so euer we bee synners by our owne faulte yet we remaine his creatures And howsoeuer we haue purchased death to our selues yet he made vs vnto life So is he moued by méere and free louyng of vs to receiue vs and also to reconcile vs by his sonne Christ into his fauour Therefore in respecte of our corrupte nature and then of euil life added vnto it truely we are in displeasure of God guiltie in his sight and borne to dampnation of hell But because the lorde will not loose that whiche is his in vs he findeth yet somewhat that he of his onely goodnesse maie loue vs without any goodnesse or worthinesse that is in vs through his Sonne Christe our onely Sauioure To this saincte Augustine saieth Due res sunt homo peccator Quod audis homo fecit deus Quod audis peccator ipse homo fecit dele quod fecisti vt deus saluet quod fecit oportet vt oderis in te opus tuum ames in te opus dei Theâ—e are twoo thynges Man and Synner That thou hearest man God made it That thou hearest synner Man hymself made take awaie that thou haste made that God maie saue that he hath made It behoueth that thou hate in thy self thine owne woorke that thou maiest loue the woorke of God in thee Hereto Dauid saieth Beholde I was borne in iniquitie and in synne hath my mother coÌ„ceiued me Pourge me with Hysope and I shall bee cleane Washe me and I shall bee whiter then Snowe â–ª c. This doctrine well waighed will easely teache vs that all the righteous Soules departed in the faithe before Christes commyng were in heauen And therefore no neede for Christe his soule to goe into hell to fetche them out for in that place thei neuer were nor none of Goddes predestinate and electe children was or euer shall bee For whom the Lorde euer loued saieth the Scripture be loueth vnto the ende Nowe if any man should aske me when Christe wente downe to hell I will aunswere hym When he praied to escape death he began to goe downe and so all his sufferynges that he suffered afterwarde in bodie and soule for our synnes was his goyng into hell For he felt the burden and waight of Gods wrathe for our iniquities in suche sort that no paine tormente griefe sorrowe nor punishement that euer synne and disobedience had deserued in hell But that it was laied vpon Christ for vs to bryng vs vnto God whiche paines and torments he felt in his bodie and soule Wherby we maie gather how greeuous and terrible tormentes he suffred wheÌ„ he knewe himselfe to be arained for our cause before the iudgemente seate of god For there can bee imagined no more dreadfull bottomelesse depth then for one to féele hymself forsaken and estraunged from God and not to bee hearde when he calleth vpon hym euen as if God hymself had conspired his destruction Euen thither wee see that Christe was throwne downe so farre that by inforcemente of paine and tormentes of hell did sweate and his sweate was like droppes of bloud trickelyng doune to the grounde And he was compelled to cry out My God my GOD why haste thou forsaken me c. Here thou maiest note that in the Crede we reade not in the singuler nomber descendit ad infernum hee descended into hell as thoughe it did speake of a place certaine where into he was gone but in the plurall nomber descendit in inferna he descended into the helles Comprehendyng all that was before saied in many woordes how he suffered vnder Pontius Pilate was crucified dead and buried in this one woorde helles Now gentle Reader I praie thee not to take me in this my writyng that I dooe deny this Article of Christes descendyng into hell for I doe constantly beleue it and will in no wise God willyng denye it but affirme that he descended into hell accordyngly But of the maner of his descension into hell is our question They saie his soule went downe thither whiche thei can not proue by the woorde of God and therfore I can not beleue it But I saie this that the force efficacie and strength of his death and passion did pearce vnto the damned soules in hell through his diuine power and godheade to the greater increase and certifiyng of their eternall and iust damnation For I saie vnto thée in the worde of God and lye not that all Christes sufferynges sorrowes and passions that he sustained here for vs vpon the earth and vpon the Crosse in body and in his soule for our sinnes was his going downe into the helles â–ª Wherefore let vs constantly beleeue this that he was once in the flesh a verie man like vnto vs in al thing sinne only excepted and came downe for vs men and for our saluation that he did verely suffer passion of bodie and soule that he hath verely died and been buried And that he hath been verely reuiued againe and the verie same soule retourned againe into his owne naturall bodie and after did ascende vp into heauen and there sitteth on the right hande of the father to make daiely and continuall intercession for all his electe and to saue all them that come to God by hym c. As many therfore as be Christians haue giuen their faith vnto Christ in their Baptisme vnder the witnesse of a greate meany There they promised to forsake the fleshe the world and the deuill If now thei will bee at league with the synner and at agreement with the deuill and the euill doer thei haue broken their firste promise and are founde vnfaithfull for wherevnto thei are ouercome his seruauntes thei are whether it bee of synne vnto death or of obedience vnto righteousnesse And for their faithe thus violated giuen vnto the immortall God God againe will breake with them his couenaunte of mercie if in tyme thei repente not Lette vs holde therefore vnitie in doctrine Secondlie vniuersalitie in ioynyng of voyces Thirdlie consente in spirite and iudgement For the Papistes haue tourned vnitie to diuision Uniuersalitie to singularitie Consente to open and plaine discention And so vnder the name of the faithe thei persecute the faithe c. For if thou doest forsake Christes Shippe and wilt rowe
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
infirmities how muche more are thâ—â— now hearde beyng in glorie with God How muche better did the blessed Apostle Saincte Iames reason when he did saie Helias was a man mortall euen as we are and he praied in his praier that it might not raine and it rained not on the earth by the space of three yeres and sixe monethes And he praied againe and the heauens gaue raine Doe we not rather learne by their example to praie boldely vnto God though we be compassed about with infirmitie as they were then otherwise The holy prophete Dauid doeth not saie that the fathers were hearde bicause that they praied to any of the Patriarches that were before them but bicause that they praied vnto God and trusted in him The same selfe lesson doth Iames geue vnto vs. Let vs therefore â–ª folowe their examples and we shal be hearde as they were As the arme of God is not shortened since so his mercie is not waxen lesse He is as readie nowe to heare them that call vppon hym in truth and veritie as he was then Haue we not besides al this a mediatour an aduocate that appeareth continually in the sight of God for vs It is vnpossible then but that we shal be hearde whensoeuer we call faithfully vpon our heauenly Father through our onely Mediatour and Aduocate Iesu Christ our Lorde ¶ The .xxviij. Chapiter ¶ How and wherein wee ought to honour the Sainctes NOwe when thei haue nothyng to saie for their inuocations to deade sainctes beyng conuinced by the holie scriptures thei crie out and saie beholde these newe preachers dishonoureth defaceth spoileth maketh none accompt of the holie and blessed sainctes in heauen and especially thei dishonor the blessed virgine Marie the sweete mother of Christe Iesus to whom was more grace giuen then to any other creature and maketh no more of her then of another woman c. Belie vs not ye papistes for we giue to them that honour as we are commaunded in the holie scriptures to giue them And therefore sainct Cyrill saieth very truely At sanctos Martyres neque deos èsse dicimus neque adorare consueuimus laudamus autem eos potius summis honoribus quod pro veritate straenue certarunt fidei synceritatem seruarunt that is to saie in Englishe But neither we saie that the holie Martyres are Gods neither haue we vsed to worshippe or honour them but wee rather praise them with greate reuerence for that thei haue striued earnestly for the truthe and haue kepte the sinceritie of the faithe of Christe And Saincte Augustine sheweth also howe we must honour them saiyng Honorandi ergosunt propter imitationem non adorandi propter religionem The sainctes are to bee reuerenced and worshipped for imitation that is to followe their godly doinges and conuersation and not to honour them for any religion to make them our Gods or aduocates and to haue our confidence in them this kinde of honour wée giue to the sainctes and none other And wheras you saie there was more grace giuen to Marie then to any other creature because she was the mother of Christe You maie also learne in the booke of God to bee the childe of God is a greate deale greater grace then to bee the mother of Christe Therefore sainct Augustine saieth Beatior ergo Maria fuit Percipiendo fidem Christi quam concipiendo carne Christi Materna propinquitas nihil Mariâ— profuisseâ— nisi faelicius Christum corde quà m carne gestasset Marie was more blessed in that she receiued the faithe of Christ then in that she conceiued the fleshe of Christe Motherly kindrede could haue doest Marie no good vnlesse she had borne Christ more blessedly in her hart then she bare him in her fleshe And in an other place he saieth Mater mea quam appellastis faelicem inde felix est quiâ— verbum dei custodiuit non quia in illa verbum caro factum est My mother whom ye haue called blessed therefore is blessed because she hath kepte the worde of God not because the worde in her was made fleshe Therefore Epiphanius saieth Christe saied vnto his mother woman what haue I to doe with thee My houre is not yet come Lest any man shoulde thinke our Ladie was of greater excellencie he called her woman as it were prophesiyng of the kindes and sectes of heresies that were to come in the worlde lest any man hauyng to greate opinion of that holie Saincte should fall into this heresie and into the dotage of the same For in deede the whole matter is but a mockerie and an olde wiues tale and sothely to saie nothyng els but the handelyng of an heresie Therefore Origene saieth Si mensuram transcenderit charitatis qui diligit qui diligitur in peccato est If loue passe the measure of charitie aswell he that loueth as also he that is loued is in synne The saied Epyphanius saieth further Let no man eate saieth he of this errour touching saint Marie for though the tree bee faire yet is not this fruite to be eaten Although Marie bee beautifull and holie and honourable yet is not she to bee adoured But these women worshippyng Saincte Marie renue againe the Sacrifice of wine mingled in the honour of the Goddes Fortuna and prepare a table for the deuill and not for God as it is written in the Scriptures thei are fedde with the meate of wickednesse And againe their women boult flower and their childreÌ„ gather stickes to make fine cakes in the honour of the Queene of heauen Therefore let suche women bee rebuked by the Prophete Hieremie and let them no more trouble the worlde And let them not saie we worship the Queene of heauen Thus he applied the wordes of the Prophete vnto the virgine Marie beyng Idolatrously abused by the heretiques called Collyridiani as she and other Sainctes are by the Papistes abused now in these daies This shall now suffice for to proue that Christ our Sauiour touchyng his manhoode whiche he did take of vs is and shal be vnto the worldes ende in heauen on the right hande of the father that is to saie in felicitie ioye and glorie beyng exalted aboue the heauens made lorde ouer all creatures bothe in heauen and in earth and hauyng receiued a name that passeth all the glorie that man can reporte And that as heauen muste holde hym vnto the tyme of the restitution of all thynges that God hath spoken by the mouthe of his holie Prophetes since the worlde began beyng neuerthelesse here among vs touchyng his diuinitie and godheade and feedyng vs by his eternall spirite and by the veritie of his holie institution and ordinaunce with the heauenly foode of his precious bodie and blood so he doth appeare alwaies in the sight of God for vs beyng an omnisufficiente intercessour aduocate and mediatour betwixte God and man so that we neede not to goe vnto
the inner man that Christ maie dwell in your hartes by faithe Againe he saieth Greeue not the holie spirite of God by whom ye are sealed vnto redemption But that thyng that he requireth there he desireth God to graunte it to the Thessalonians saiyng Wherefore we praie alwaies for you that our GOD make you worthie of your callyng and fulfill all good purposes of his goodnesse and the worke of faithe with power that the name of our Lorde Iesus Christe maie bee glorified in you and ye in him through the grace of our lorde Iesu Christ. Again I planted and Apollo hath watered but it is the lorde that giueth the increase For in the Lorde we liue and moue and haue our beyng As we maie easily see in that Christe did saie vnto the man that was sicke of the palsie Arise take vp thy bedde and go home It did not folowe that he had strength to arise excepte Christe our Sauiour had giuen it hym but when Christe did saie vnto hym arise he did straight with it giue hym strength to arise Euen so when God dooeth by his Preachers speake vnto them whom he hath chosen alreadie and doeth bidde and exhorte theim to arise out of the bedde of synne straight therewith he giueth them strength to doe it Saincte Augustine agreyng herewith saieth Iubet ergo deus continentiam daâ—continentiam Iubet per legem dat per gratiam Iubet per literam dat per spiritum God doeth commaunde continencie and he doeth giue continencie he commaundeth it by the law he doth giue it by grace he commaundeth it by the letter he doeth giue it by the spirite And therefore he saieth moste excellently in his booke of confessioÌ„s Continentiam iubes da quod iubes iube quod vis Thou commaundest continencie giue that thou commauÌ„dest and commaunde what thou wilte Againe Lex data est vt gratia quaereretur gratia data est vt lex impleretur The lawe is giuen that grace should be sought grace is giuen that the law should bee fulfilled Againe Quod bene viâ—imus quod raecte intelligimus deo debemus nostrum nihil est nisi pâ—ccatum quod habemus That we liue well that we vnderstande a right wee haue it of God of our selues wee haue nothyng but onely synne that is within vs. Againe sainct Hierome saith Non dixit dedi â—is liberi arbitrij potestatem vt ipsi se suo labore saluarent sed ego custodiui eos ego seruaui Christe saied not I haue giuen to them the power of free will that thei by their owne labour should bee saued but I haue kepte them I haue reserued them These testimonies both of Scriptures and Fathers doe sufficiently declare that whatsoeuer God doeth requre of vs the same he must worke in vs by his holy spirite For of our selues we are able to doe no maner of thyng that good is Therfore saieth Sainct Augustine Homo sibi sufficit ad peccandum vt iustificetur non sibi sufficit nisi ab illo iustificetur qui solus est iustus Man is able or sufficient of hym selfe to synne that hee shoulde be iustified he is not able or sufficient of hymselfe excepte he shoulde be iustified by hym whiche onely is iuste Againe in the same place hee saieth I doneus est homo ad vulnerandum sed nunquam idoneus est ad sanandum se quando vult egrotat noÌ„ quando vult surgit Man is apte and meete to wounde hymselfe but he is not apte and meete to heale hym self when he will he is sicke not when he will he doeth rise And where as they saie God will saue none againste his will it is true in déede For thei are made willyng by hym before whom he will and dooeth saue and whom he made willyng them doth he also helpe aide and assist that they may do the thyng that he hath made them willyng to doe wherefore Christe said No man commeth vnto mee excepte my father doeth drawe hym And againe it is God that worketh in vs both the will and also the deede according to his good pleasure Sainct Augustine saieth agréeyng herewith No man saith he can beléeue hope or loue vnlesse he will but euen the selfe same will to beléeue hope and loue coÌ„meth not but from god Againe Nos volumus sed deus in nobis operatur velle Nos operamur sed deus in nobis operatur operari pro bona sua voluntate Hoc nobis expedit credere dicere Hoc est pium hoc est verum vt fit humilis submissa confessio detur totum deo Tutiores viuimus si totuÌ„ deo damus noÌ„ auÌ„t nos illi ex parte nobis ex parte coÌ„mittimus We will but it is God that worketh in vs to will. We woorke â–ª but is God that worketh in vs to worke accordyng to his good pleasure This is behouefull for vs both to beleue to speake This is a godly this is a true doctrine that our coÌ„fession maie be humble and lowly and that God may haue the whole We liue in more safetie if we giue all vnto God rather then if we commit ourselues partely to our selues and partely to hym Sainct Gregorie saieth Ipse aspirando nos preuenit vt velimus qui adiuuando subsequitur ne inaniter velimus He doeth preuente vs with his grace that we may be willing and with his healpyng hande he doeth followe vs leste we should will in vaine Sainct Barnarde saieth Neque enim aut inchoare bonum donec à misericordia preueniamur aut agere bonum donec adiunemur à gratia aut coÌ„summare in bono possumus donec gloria repleamur Neither can we beginne saieth he any good vntill we be preuented by mercie or els to doe any good vntill we be holpen by grace or els that we can ende in goodnesse vntill we bee fulfilled or replenished by glorie Therefore doeth Sainct Augustine call it Gratia praeueniens preuentyng grace Thus we maie sée that God saueth no man that is vnwillyng to be saued or that doeth withstande and resiste alwaies his blessed wyll and pleasure But before thae he saueth anye man he maketh that same man by his grace to consent and agree vnto his blessed will and pleasure yea he doeth reache forthe his hande vnto hym for to plucke hym vp Wherefore saieth Fulgentius Ye see of whom wee haue this good will that we must bryng vnto God euen of hymself and not of vs For it is he and none other that doeth woorke it in vs by his holy spirite Euerie good worke then which we doe worke in God the same doeth God woorke in vs For all thinges are of hym through hym and in hym bothe our good worke and our good will then be both of hym Hec Fulgentius Note here that wee saie not that man was bereft of his vnderstandyng