place he saithe what hast thou that thou hast not receiued wherfore if thou haue receiued it why bostest thou as thoughe thou hadste not receyued it And agayne he sayth It is giuen to you in the things appertayning to Chryst that not onely you shoulde beleeue in him but also suffer affliction for hys names sake Likewise he sayth For it is God that woorketh in you bothe the will and the deede euen of hys owne good will. And although the faythfull doo all that they doo with a frée spirite and willing minde yet neuerthelesse this their fréedome and willingnesse is let and hindered very much through the defectes and infirmities of the flesh whiche alwayes remayneth with vs euen vnto deathe Wherefore Paule greatly complayneth saying The flesh rebelleth agaynst the spirit and the spirite agaynst the flesh so that the things which I would not do that do I. Touching this matter read more Roma 7. And yet in this case doo we not attribute vnto man any more frée will than that which the frée mercy of God worketh by whose holy spirite he is fréely gouerned preserued But as touching the infirmity which dwelleth in vs the operation and working of the spirite is hindred and let thereby so that mans free will can doo nothing that is good and so that good which it is willing to doo and dothe is of the frée grace and holy spirite of god And therfore Paule attributeth not his good workes to hys owne free wil but to the grace of God saying By the grace of God I am that I am and hys grace was not in me in vayne but I labored more than they all and yet not I but the grace of God that was with me 1. Corinth 15. Marke well that he sayth yet not I but the grace of God which was with me But touching euill lyke as wée haue sayde already wée doo it not by compulsion or agaynst our will but willingly and that by reason of the corruption which is grafted in our nature And yet when wee runne headlong to the Deuill God can lette and stoppe vs and giue vs an other manner of mynde whereby wée may bée stirred and drâ—uen as it were to the things wherein before we had no delight The fithe Common place Of Fayth and good Woorkes The. xviij Question What they thinke of fayth hope and charitie The Answere TOuching these thrée being in déede the cheefe poynts of our Christian religion I thinke very wel and truely of them euen as the word of god hathe taughte Fayth is the sure confidence of a man that is lyghtened of God whereby he trusteth in God and in his onely son our Lord Jesus Chryst and his vndoubted worde and that to the remission of sinnes and eternall lyfe Hope is a stedfaste pacient and comfortable looking for of those things whiche we beléeue cheefly if the receiuing of them be deferred and appeare otherwise thaÌ„ they were beléeued to be charitie is poured into our hearts encreased and preserued and is due both to God man so that we should loue God aboue all things and our neighbour as our selfe euen as Chryste also hath loued vs The places of Scripture from whence these descriptions are taken I haue therfore willingly left out least this Booke shoulde grow and encrease vnto an huge volume The. xix Question Whether these three vertues faith hope charity are but one thing or else distinct vertues in the holy Scripture and chiefly whether the one may not be taken for the other The Answere TOuching these thrée singuler giftes of God S. Paule speaketh distinctly giuing to ech of them their peculyar properties 1. Thes. 1. VVe giue thanks vnto God almightie for you all making mention of you in our praiers remembring alwayes your effectuall fayth diligeÌ„t or working loue and stedfast hope in our Lord Iesus Chryst. c. And forasmuche as he giueth thankes and prayers vnto God he teacheth that these vertues are fréely giuen froÌ„ him vnto men and that therefore they ought to pray and render thankes vnto him And vnto faythe he attributeth a certayne effectuall working bicause that from hir all good works yea hope and charitie do spring And he calleth charity diligeÌ„tor working bicause true charitie or loue laboreth and exerciseth hir selfe to please bothe God and man And to hope he attributeth stedfastnesse and pacience bicause Paul in the eight to the Romanes sayth That wee are made safe throughe hope But hope if it be seene is no hope For how can a man hope for that which he seeth But if we hope for the thing whiche we see not by pacience wée looke for them Therefore fayth hope and charitie are distincted vertues and haue eche their proper operations And therefore are they seuerally reckened by S. Paule 1. Corin 1. in which place he sayth that these thrée are Agayne these vertues are so coupled togither and depende so one of an other that they can not in any wise be hadde seuerally For who so rightly beléeueth in God and his word the same also hopeth to receiue the things he looketh for Lyke as Paule teacheth out of the Prophet Abacuc in the Epistle to the Hebrues cap. 10. Againe who so rightly beléeueth in God loueth him as his chefe and euerlasting good and loueth man bicause he is the image of God redéemed by him as S. John teacheth in his Epistle And therfore Paule to the Hebrues Cap. 11. interpreteth fayth by hope saying Fayth is the substance or grounde of thynges which are hoped for And in hys firste Epistle to Timothe he sheweth that charitie springeth from faythe saying Furthermore the end of the commaundementis loue from a pure hart a good conscience and fayth vnfayned Therefore like as there is but one sunne and yet he is not alone so is there but one fayth and yet is she not alone But as from the sunne procéedeth two seuerall things so that thereby three things are in the sunne that is the globe or body of the sunne from whiche procéedeth brightnesse and heate and these thrée are so ioyned in one sunne that by no meanes they can be separated and yet are they three distincted things hauing eche their seuerall properties So lykewise these three vertues faythe hope and charitie are so knytte togither that by no meanes they may bée separated and yet are they seuerally distincted Wherefore euen as from the Globe or substaunce of the sunne as from one spring lighte and heate doo flowe so from faythe also bothe charitie and hope doo spring And as the body of the sunne is not the lyghte or the heate so Fayth is neyther Hope nor Charitie Yet neuerthelesse the bodye of the Sunne is not wythoute Heate and Lyght and Fayth is not without Hope and Charitie And as the sunne shineth by his brightnesse and not by his heate so faythe inasmuche as shée receiueth Chryste iustifieth vs before God and not through charitie Therfore
of the righteous and punishment of the vngodly which rewarde is not referred to the deseruing of oure woorkes but to the free mercie of God and therefore when the faithful doe any thing for the which God giueth them a rewarde they receiue not the same as of duetie but as giuen them fréely by grace And thys same dothe the Scripture manyfestly teache for Paule saythe The revvarde of sinne is deathe but eternall life is the gifte of God throughe Iesus Christ our Lorde Wherefore it is manifest that oure sinne deserueth deathe but oure righteousnesse deserueth not eternall life For it is the frée gift of God which Christe hathe deserued for vs and is therefore freely giuen vnto vs Wherefore the Apostle sayth For I counte not the afflictioÌ„s of this present time vvorthy of that glory vvhich shall be shevved on vs in the life to come Yet neuerlesse these men go about to persuade with all men that we deserue so great things by our owne woorkes and so wilfully sette them selues againste the faithfull Doctrine of our Lorde who saythe So you likevvise vvhen you haue done all that you can yet say that you are vnprofitable seruauntes vvee haue done that vve oughte to haue done And againste this saying of Augustine God revvardeth his ovvne giftes and not thy merites Againe If thou vvilt be an abiecte from grace then bragge of thy merites The. xxiii Question Whether that Marie Magdalenes sinnes were not forgiuen for the earnest loues sake which she bare vnto Christe The Answere IF that sinnefull Maries sinnes were forgiueÌ„ hir for the loue which shée bore to Christ then shée recompenced thys hir forgiuenesse and therefore it was not the frée gift of God neither wer hir sinnes remitted by grace But the Gospell teacheth that shée had remission of hir sinnes without any desert For the Lorde sayth There vvas a certaine man vvhich had tvvo detters and vvhen they vvere not able to paie him he forgaue bothe of them the dets Wherfore if hir det were forgiuen and pardoned then did shée not purchase or deserue it by hir loue Furthermore the wordes of the gospel plainly teache that Maries loue sprang from the forgiuenesse of hir sinnes and not the forgiuenesse of hir sinnes from hir loue for so is it written Of these tvvo therefore that is to say of the two detters which were pardoned tell me vvhiche vvill loue him most Simon answered saying I thinke him to vvhome moste vvas forgiuen And he said to him thou hast iudged right And therefore he afterwarde telleth with what great loue Marie embraced him and that bicause he had forgiuen hir many sinnes Yet notwithstaÌ„ding these men dare manifestly affirme the contrary to wit that â—ure Lord forgaue hir hir sinnes that for hir loues sake But yet they obiect that Christ sayd Many sinnes are forgiuen hir for shee loued much To that I answere that it is all one as if he should haue sayd many sinnes are forgiueÌ„ hir â–ª and therfore shée loueth much And that this is the true meaning of our Lordes words the things which go before and the things which folow after do manifestly teache For euen immediatly after these words he saith To vvhome a little is remitted he loueth a little Then knitteth he vp his words thus Thy fins are forgiuen thee Thy faith hath saued thee go in peace Sée therfore what saued hir first the free grace of our Lord by which hir sinnes were forgiuen secondly faith by the which shee receyued the mercy or grace of god and committed hir selfe wholely to him And héere hence it came that shée obtained quietnesse and faithfully loued him The. xxiiij Question Whether Christe did not reiect those which beleued in him and cast out deuils in his name and did not good workes and whether he will not call all those to eternall life which haue done good works whether he will not condemne al those at the last day which are workers of iniquitie The Answere IT hath bin euer known that the faith to woorke miracles is distincted from the faith in christ Wherfore it followeth not that bicause the faithe to woorke miracles saueth not those which doe them therfore true faithe in Christe saueth not Like as it foloweth not as we haue said before The deuil beléeueth and yet is not saued therfore faith saueth not For there is one faithe of the deuels an other of the faithfull wherby they trust in the grace and promisse of god Furthermore Christ shal iudge in the laste day after the manner of men for they iudge of things manifest and known and so also shall Christ do But bicause faith is the gift of God spirituall and inuisible yet notwithstanding sheweth it selfe by workes so that therby is made manifest who are faithful and who not therfore the Lord iudgeth according to works But let vs heare the sentence of the iudge Come saith he you blessed of my father possesse the inheritance or kingdome prepared for you before the foundation of the world And in whom are we blessed but only in christ Gal. 3. Wherfore if the kingdome come by inheritance theÌ„ is it of grace Furthermore if it be prepared before the foundations of the worlde then was it prepared before we were borne or could doe good woorks Of this matter Paule speaketh more Ephesi 1. Thus much haue we spoken of faith and good woorkes which we do not condemne or despise as our aduersaries do falsly accuse vs but this is it we onely séeke that we wold not haue that to be attributed to good woorks which only is due vnto christ For otherwise we exhort all meÌ„ to the doing of good woorks and that not such as we faine or deuise of oure selues but suche as God hathe commaunded to be done throughe true faithe and not to make marchandise of them Yea we testifie vnto all those churches which we teach that they are greatly reproued and coÌ„demned if they brag of faithe and declare not the samâ— by good woorkes The sixth Common place Of Intercession Inuocation and woorshippyng of Sainctes which now liue in heauen The. xxv Question Whether they doe not beleeue that Christe and his members that is to say the Angelles and Sainctes which liue in heauen doe pray vnto God for the vniuersal church of Christ The Answere IT is bothe faithfully manifestly taughte in the gospell the wrytings of the Apostles that Christ doth pray for his vniuersall churche and for all faithfull and is their only intercessor aduocate and mediator to God his heauenly father For Christe himselfe in the Gospell saythe Verely verely I say vnto you vvhat so euer you shall aske of my father in my name he vvill giue it you Hitherto you haue not asked any thing in my name novve aske and you shall receiue it And again Come vnto me all you that doe laboure and are heauy loden and I vvill refreshe you These woordes therfore of Christe
doe all the faithfull in the vniuersall church beléeue acknowledge Christe to be their onely intercessor to God the father therefore come they vnto him onely For they stedfastly beléeue that he is the Christe that is to say the annoynted and ordained King and Priest at the righte hande of God who hathe deliuered vs and hath ascended into the heauens euen vnto the righte hande oâ— God that he mighte alwayes appearâ— before his heauenly father for vs likâ— as Paule saythe that Christe is entreâ— into the heauâ—s that he might appearâ— in the sâ—ght of God and make intercession and pray for vs. But bicause Intercession or Prayer is reckened amongste the chéefest partes of the office of a Prieste or Bi â–ª shop and that there is but one Priest hoode yea and that so vnited that it cannot be translated giuen or imparted tâ— any other whereby it is called eternal and immutable therefore the faithful séeke not any other Bishop aduocate or intercessor besides Christ no not vnto the Angels or sainctes liuing in heauen But content them selues with Christ alone and vse him their onely aduocate and intercessoure to God as he which is best accepted with his father and can moste faithfully readily excellently effectually and wisely do this office For the Angels and Sainctes can in no wise be compared to Christe Furthermore he bothe can and will performe those things which we craue knoweth our want and calleth vs vnto himself neyther can we héereby wearie him and knoweth what is profitable for vs and howe all things may be done most commodiously for vs And all these did he confirme while hée lyued héere in this worlde bothe with his woords and déedes For he readily gaue care to all menne yea he knewe their necessities better than they could expresse them by their wordes was neuer wearyed but healed all diseases holpe all menne hadde euer inoughe for them and althoughe he cured many and gaue maruellous giftes yet had he still asmuche grace helpe other giftes as he had before Yea and when his disciples wold oftentimes haue put men off he tooke it not in good parte but how muche the more they thronged vnto him and craued many things of him so muche the more declared he his power ofteÌ„times exhorting them that they should continually come vnto him c. Wherby the faithfull receiue this comforte that euen this oure Lord Jesus Christe being nowe at the righte hande of God iâ— heauen is no lesse gentle willing ready and able to helpe all those whichâ— put their trust in him And therefore iâ— all their néedes they contente them selues with the intercession and medâ—ation of Christe And that chéefely sithâ— Paule sayth in the first Epistle to Tâ—mothe and the seconde Chapter Theâ— is one God and one mediator between God and manne euen the manne Iesu Christe vvhich gaue him selfe for thâ— redemption of all menne And S. Jhoâ— saith If any man sinne vve haue an adâ—uocate with God the father Iesus Chriâ—â— the righteouse and he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for ours onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde Touching the intercession of our Lorde Jesus Chryste in heauen we haue the manyfest and inuincible testimonies of the holy Scriptures but as touching the intercession of Angels and Saincts which are in heauen we haue no testimonie thereof and therefore the godly care not for it Yea those whiche beléeue the worde of God in which we haue taught vs but one onely intercessor Chryste in heauen they â—éeke for none other intercessor there â—ycause they haue the same full and â—erfectly in Chryste But they whiche â—oo not beléeue nor acknowledge Christ â—or their onely and perfecte intercessor â—nd aduocate those Infidels shall neâ—er be holpen with any prayers of Anâ—els or Sainctes althoughe they dyd â—ray for them The .xxvj. Question If Chryste be our onely interâ—ssor why did he then teach vs this prayer which we call the Lordes prayer which was also vsed of the apostles and so with one accord continued in prayer as it is written in the first Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles The Answere YT may very easily appeare by this question that those wicked men whiche were the authors of these questions did neuer rightly vnderstande this holy Prayer common vnto all men and commonly called the Lords prayer For they speake thereof as though wée dydâ—e pray the same of ourselues without Chryste when as muche rather it is the prayer of Chryste and is so named not onely for that he made the same but also for that wée nowe pray the same as euen by his mouthe For when wée say the Lords prayer we then with those wordes pray euen as it were with Chrysts owne mouth therefore the father who loueth hys sonne acknowledgeth his wordes and prayer and those are moste acceptable vnto him therefore euen for his sons sake he heareth vs And therfore in the Lords prayer Chryst is made the only intercessor and although wée pray the same with the Apostles yet are we not herd for their sakes but for Christs for euen their prayers are made effectuall acceptable vnto god through Chryst. In the Acts they require the gift of the holy ghost of whoÌ„ the Lord before had spoken in the gospel saying that his father would send him in his name and therfore it euery where appeareth that Chryst is the true aduocate and intercesser of all the faythfull And it were not a little to be wondred at why these men shoâ—â—â— more set by and regard the intercession of saâ—â—câ—s than of Chryst on lesse they did manâ—festly declare theÌ„ selues to be of that number of whome Paule speaketh in the â—â—â—ste Chapter to the Romanes saying which worship and serue the creatures more than the creator c. The .xxvij. Question Whether the charitie and loue of the Angelles and Sainctes whiche are nowe in heauen bee cleane put out and taken away from vs when as Paule yet sayth that Charitie neuer fayleth The Answere CHaritie or loue can neuer in heauen nor yet in earth bring to passe that the Saincts should chaleÌ„ge that vnto them selues which is onely due to Chryst that is to say his priesthoode and the office of a mediatour to make intercession to God the father Furthermore in the Saincts all things are purged and perfected after they bée departed out of this lyfe and fleshe vnto eternall felicitie and therefore Charitie which in this life reioyceth not in the miserie of the vngodly is not in the lyfe to come troubled nor sorroweth not for their damnation And bycause that God in heauen is all in all and that the saincts haue giuen them selues all wholly ouer vnto the will of God so as his will is their chéefe felicitie or ioy and therefore wée pray thy wyll be done in earth as it is in heauen therfore no kinde of charitie moueth them to make intercession For why they perfectly knowe that
inuocation prayers holy dayes fasting dayes gyftes sacrifices almes dedicating of Churches lyghting of Candles and such lyke then saye wée that God alone is to bée worshipped inuocated and honoured and not the Sainctes Yea the Sainctes wyll not bée worshipped and serued in this sort But if this worshippe signifie to reuerence and honestly and reuerently to thynke of them and acknowledge them prayse and commende them as the deare frendes of God and to imbrace them as the singular Ministers and members of Chryste then doo wée gladly beléeue and truely confesse that all the godly the blessed virgin Mary the Angels Apostles Martyres and all other Sainctes oughte by good right to bée worshipped Furthermore wée condemne all those which contemptuously thinke any thing of the Sainctes whiche lyue in heauen And chiefly we confesse that the blessed virgin Mary is woorthy all prayse and that shée is a pure vndefyled virgin bothe before in and after the birthe of Chryste and that shée is blessed aboue all other women and that of hir wombe was borne the sonne of God and therefore may very well be called the mother of god Yea wée also acknowledge and confesse that shée was the dearely beloued handemayden of God who for hirâ—faythe loue puritie lowlinesse holynesse pacience hope and suche lyke vertues can neuer bée sufficiently praysed and that shée was aboue all others beautified with moste singular gifts of grace and therfore we ought to thinke moâ—e reuerently of hir And as touching the Apostles of our Lorde Jesus Chryst we acknowledge them to bée the chosen and singular frends and seruaunts of God indued with most excellent giftes by whom it was his pleasure that the gospel should bée preached vnto vs that thereby the worlde mighte receyue lighte and wée bée delyuered from the mouthe of Sathan and adopted in Chryste into the number of the children of god Yea wée defende the doctrine faythe loue vertues and example of lyfe bothe of the Apostles Martyres and all other the godly agaynst all the enimies of GOD and of the Sainctes yea wée prayse God in them and loue them as the very members of the selfe same body with vs vnder our onely heade Chryste wée studie to followe the example of their lyues and faythe that wée may togither with them after this lyfe haue the fruition of eternall ioyes with god Furthermore whatsoeuer the holy Scripture teacheth or God commaundeth to bée done vnto them we muste readily and willingly yéelde it vnto them But nowe why wée doo not attribute and giue vnto them those honors which the Papists require that is to aske séeke helpe of them in time of trouble as from our intercessors sauiors I wil héere bréefly render the reasons and further also shew why we so earnestly teache and affirme that god alone ought to be worshipped called vppon and serued our lord Jesus Chryst to be acknowledged the onely euerlasting mediator and intercessor before god the father in heaueÌ„ First we haue a manyfest commandement that in all necessities God only is to be prayed vnto and called vppon and that he alone is sufficient for vs and that he bothe can and will giue vnto vs all things necessarie bothe for our bodies and soules for he him selfe calleth vs vnto him and promiseth vs all good things and is displeased so often as wee seeke vnto others and not vnto him and therfore when we come vnto him we greatly delight him and thereby worshippe him Secondely by the examples of all Sainctes and in the Psalmes also wée are taughte that God alone in all cases is to be called vpon and to be thanked for those benefites whiche we receiue what so euer they be Thirdely that common and holy prayer called the Lordes prayer can onely be sayde and offered to God the father and to no maner of creature Wherefore if we had no other thing but this prayer of our Lorde yet might wée thereby sufficiently knowe that none other is to be called vppon but God only Last of all S. Paule saith he ought to be called vppon on whome we doe beléeue but we doe beléeue in God only and therfore we ought to call vpon him only as he who alone knoweth is able and will helpe vs And yet we do not reiecte the intercession of Christ neither say we that we haue néede of no intercessor with god But like as God alone is to be called vpon so ought we to vse none other intercession nor any other aduocate or intercessor before God than Christe Jesus onely bicause the father hath appoynted him alone to this function therefore in him he heareth and receiueth oure prayers as I haue héeretofore sufficiently preued Wherfore if we would doe obedient seruice to the Sainctes then should we content oureselues with God and Christ our sauioure only For vnto this marke haue the Sainctes alwayes sent all menne and would not suffer themselues to be worshipped or called vpon Wherfore if they suppose that the saincts did not send men to Christe alone but to others also then let them shewe vs who they were to whom they sent theÌ„ For we haue our opinion confirmed by the manifest scriptures For when S. John twice as appeareth in the Reuelation 19. 22. fel downe before the Angell to worship him the Angell answered Take heede thou do it not for I am thy fellovve seruaunte and of thy brethren the Prophets worship thou God. Againe at the mariage in Cana a citie of Galelei when there lacked wine the mother of Jesu saide vnto him They haue no vvine Iesus ansvvered vnto hir and sayde vvoman vvhat haue I to doe vvith thee mine houre is not yet come His mother said to the seruaunts vvhat so euer he sayth vnto you doe it And this is the only will of the virgine Mary that what so euer hir sonne commaundeth we should do it And bicause he commaundeth vs to come vnto him to cal on him to pray in his name doutlesse the blessed virgin wold haue vs so to do to serue him and not hir which thing we do when we call vpoÌ„ hir son not vppon hir In the Actes also it is written of Peter and John that when they hadde healed the lame at the gate of the Temple the whole multitude being amazed ranne vnto them but the Apostles sent the people from them selues vnto Christe saying vvhy meruell you at this Or vvhy looke you so on vs as thoughe by our povver or vertue vve had caused this man to vvalke God hathe in this sorte glorified hys sonne c. Likewise Paule and Barâ—abas when they had healed the man that was as is wrytten in the foure twentienth of the Acts of the Apostles and that the menne of Lystra woulde haue done Sacrifice vnto them Paule refused it as a thyng horyble in the sighte of GOD and so renting hys garmentes diligently taughte them that God onely was to be woorshipped and not the Apostles