doctrin I arâ—…uÌ„t also but that this doctrine is the directe 〈◊〉 hereof that is euen more than the deuels â—…tioÌ„ the Papists malicious sâ—…laÌ„der of this doctrin Was the fast of Christ the directe cause of the diuels temptation and yet here on the diuell picked his occasion of tempting christ There is nothing ordeined of God to so good purpose but the diuell will seeke occasion therby to worke some euil successe so farre as he can But let him tempt as hee did Christ let him sift as he did Peter let him buffet as he did Paule let hym stryke as he did Iob let him go roaryng lyke a Lion as he doth about vs all Christe shall driue him away Peters faith shall preuayle yea the gates of hell shall not preuaile againâ—…e it Gods vertue in Paule shall be stronger in infirmitie Iob shall neuer let go thys trustie saying Etiam si interfecerit me sperabo in euÌ„ Although he kill me yet will I truste in him And al we that haue this firme belefe of Gods election shall neuer bee confounded Spes non pudefacit What shall we say then to these things If God be on our syde who can be agaynst vs who spared not his sonne but gaue him for vs all to death how shall he not giue vs all things with him also Who shall laye any thyng to the charge of Gods chosen it is God that iustifyeth who shall condemne It is Christe whiche is dead yea or rather whiche is risen agayn who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs who shall separate vs from the loue of Christ shall tribulation or anguishe or persecution or famine or nakednesse or perill or sworde as it is written For thy sake are we killed all daye long we are counted as shepe for the slaughter neuer the lesse in all these things we are more thaÌ„ conquerors through him that loued vs For I am persuaded that neither deathe nor life nor Angells nor principalities nor power nor things preseÌ„t nor things to com nor heighth nor depthe nor any other creature shal be able to separate vs from the loue of God whiche is in Christ Iesu our Lorde And shall I now feare the sclander of a rayling Papist to driue me from this houlde and fortresse builte on the worke of Gods eternall election founded thus in Iesus Christ go now Papist and sclander this doctrine to be presumption to be the neglecte of all vertue to be the inticement to all vice and licentious lyuinge Thou lyest Papist it is but thy sclaunder it is but the Diuels temptation And euen as before in the temptation to dispaire so now euen for his temptation and thy sclaunders I ground my selfe the faster thereon I will spit on my fingers and take better holde on the mercifull election of God than I did before hurling awaye all brittle sticks and rotten posts of mans merits and leaue only to the myghtie bulwarkes and strong battlements of Gods eternall purpose of my saluation Neyther shall I fall downe headlong neyther tempte I God for trusting to his mercie for I know he that hath ordayned me to the ende of eternall lyfe hathe ordained also the meanes for me to go thether And as I thank hym hartly for the one so I will by his grace obey him humbly in the other looke what soeuer hee commaundeth me his grace I truste shall not be in vayne in me but make me able to doe all good workes to the glory of him that hath electe mee Haec est spes mea reposita in sinu meo Go go now sclandering Papist and say this is presumption But let the Papist go and let vs here set downe our firste standâ—…d againste the tempting Deuell against the wicked worlde against the tremblinge fleshe against the sclandering Papist and stay our selues on this first parte Hic murus aheneus esto Lette this be a brasen wall vnto vs that all theire gunshotte shall neuer batter downe the eternall purpose of almightie God before the foundations of the worlde were layde that the worlde not the wicked worldlings nor euery particuler maÌ„ in the world but the elect of god y he hath chosen out of the world shold not perish but haue eternall life The Seconde parte THe seconde parte that I deuided this treatise into is to consider the cause of this Gods goodnes towards the world a passing great benefite is this of God that he wold not suffer the world to perish that we ar traÌ„slated from death we shal not be damned but a farre more passing benefit is this that he hath translated vs from death to lyfe that we shal not only not perish by damnation but haue lyfe and that eternal To the which benefit no worldly blessings of god nor al the riches felicity of the whole world is coÌ„parable For what shold it profite me to win all the world and lose myne own soule or what shold I geue to redeme my soul withal From whence then proceded this surmounting goodnes of almightie God vnto the world was there no cause mouing him thervnto â–ª yes verily that a great cause Here the Papists chiefly the ScholemeÌ„ labor meruellously to serch out the cause that moued God to bestowe on the world this excellent benefite of eternal life wherin so it be done reuerently according to the maiestie of sutche a matter their trauell were not disalowable but wheÌ„ they presume to go beyoÌ„d their bounds to curiously no meruel if they be striken as was Vzias for his vnreuerent presumptioÌ„ to touch the arke of god WheÌ„ they go quite an other way wheÌ„ they seke the causes there where the causes be not when wil they finde the cause thereof but mistake the cause as the blind Sodomites coulde not finde Lots dore as the blynded Syrians were mis led to Samaria and euen like the blinded Hob runne vp and downe about the house catching at euery thing commeth next to hande crying this is it that is it wearying them selues neuer finding the cause in dede therof Semper discentes nuÌ„quaÌ„ auteÌ„ ad viaÌ„ veritatis peruenientes â–ª always learning but neuer attaining to the way of the truth bicause thei take NoÌ„ causas pro causis no causes for causes which is the gretest error in Philosophie that can be mutch more in this high mistery of diuinitie and the causes of Gods doings that passeth all mannes Philosophie The Philosophers say nothyng is thoroughly knowne whereof the causes are vnknowne and to know eche thing by the causes of it is the true and perfect knowlege Herin they said true but alas their selues neither knewe the thinges nor the causes of them they neyther knew them selues nor God we must not searche then the cause hereof by Philosophers and yet they did as muche as carnall men can do but Animalis homo non percipit ea quae sunt Spiritus Dei the fleshly man perceyueth not
doo good if we put of the olde man and put on the newe if wee caste away the woorkes of darknesse and put on the arm our of lyghte yf wee dye to synne to lyue to god To conclude Christus mortuus est pro omnibus vt qui viuunt iam nō sibi viuant sed ei qui pro ipsis mortuus est refurrexit Christe dyed for all that those whych liue shoulde not hencefoorthe liue to them selues but lyue to him that dyed and rose for them And yf these thyngs be among you and abounde sayth Saint Peter they wyll make yee neyther shall be ydle nor vnfrutefull in the knowledge of our Lorde Iesus Christe For he that hathe not these things is blynded and can not see a farre off and hath forgotten that hee was purged from his olde sinnes shal haue no benefit of the death of Christ shal not enter into the kingdom of God shal heape wrath on them selues in the day of wrath For the wrath of God abideth on the chyldren of disobedience To whome the wages of vnryghteousnesse ande mist of darknesse is reserued that speakyng in swellyng woordes of vanitie beguyle with wantonnesse through the lustes of the flesh them that were cleane escaped from those that are wrapped in errour promising vnto them libertie and are themselues the seruantes of corruption For of whome soeuer a man is ouercome euen to the same hee is in bondage For if they after they haue escaped from the fylthinesse of the worlde through the knowledge of the Lord and of the sauiour Iesus Christ are yet againe entangled therein and ouercome the later ende i◅ worse with them than the beginning For better had it ben for them not to haue knowne the way of righteousnesse than after they haue knowne it to turne from the holy commaundement giuen vnto them But it is comme vnto them according to the prouerbe The dogge is returned vnto his vomite and the sow that was washed to the wallowyng in the myre And the vayn iangling coūterfeit protestant to make as litle accompt of this precious iewel the son of God and bring to as small effect by his licencious liuing the kingdom the priesthode the office the death passion resurrection all the merites and benefits of Iesus Christ as the false wicked papist by his diuelish doctrin did Let vs therfor dred gods wrath feare his iustice harkē to his voice ob serue Gods cōmandements be enflamed with his loue maruel at his wisdom and aboue al things Custodi depositum kepe make moste of this inestimable iewel of euerlasting lyfe the only begotten sonne of God ▪ our lord and sauior Iesus Christ. Thus wee see what a iewell God hathe bestowed vppon vs let vs now see how he bestowed it Did he sell it vs no God can not be bought nor solde Simon Magus thought to bie and sel god and so the Papistes made a sale of him and of all his graces all went by money They had learned this lesson of Iudas Quid vultis mihi dare ego vobis eum tradam What will ye giue me and I will deliuer him to you This lesson was so well conde without booke that there was nothing but money would fetch it For money Pope Boniface the thirde bought of the tyrant Phocas the title of supremacie to his sea of Rome For syluer pope Syluester solde himselfe to the dyuel For fifteene hundred pounde Pope Benet the nynth solde hys popedome to Gregorye the sixte This was somewhat aboue the price of Christe For a thousande ounces of golde Pope Gregorie the nynthe assoyled the Emperor Frederik For money the Popes gaue pardons for quick dead for many mo thousande yeares than euer the world shal stand In so much that by one pardoner were brought to Leo the tenth to buy the papacie a hundreth and twentie thousand Ducates And Iohn the thre twentieth had gotten before two hundreth fiue thousande ducates And the Popes ordinarie Annates only were estemed yerely to exceede sixe millions nine hundred three score and seuentene thousand fiue hundred florens But what speak I of twenties of hundreds of thousands or of millions of ducates of floreints of crownes of nobles of angelles of poundes that they gate by setting vp stewes by reuenues of hoores by licences of concubines and a thousand knacks besydes by voyages and warres of Hierusalem by dispensations for euery kinde of mischief by setting Princes by the eares by poysoning of Cardinals by Bulles palles graces prouisions pensions and the diuell and all This made the Abbot of Vrspurge cry out on Rome Gaude mater nostra Roma c. Reioyce our mother Rome for the water gates of the tresures in the earth are opened that riuers and heapes of money may flowe into thee reioyce on the wickednesse of men for thou gottest thy money to make a recompence of all those great mischieues Reioyce thou at thy helper discorde which is broken out of the bottomlesse pit of hell that many money bribes may come rolling into thee c. This is all the reioycing at Rome Whereon came the comon prouerbe Omnia venalia Romae al things are sale at Rome And their owne Frier Mantuan doth complain ◅empla sacerdotes altaria sacra coronae ignes thura preces coelum est venale Deusque Temples Priests aultars orders crowns fiers frankinsence prayers heauen yea God and all is saleable Si quid Roma dabit nugas dabit accipit au rum verba dat Heu Romae nunc sola pecunia regnat If Rome giue oughte it giueth noughte but toyes at taketh golde and giueth woordes Alas nowe a dayes onely money beareth all the rule at Rome Of the whiche the Romanists are so insatiable that no meruaile at the aunswere of Benet the twelfthe who beeing desired to encrease the number of hys Cardinalles for the greater magnificence of hys Courte at Rome I woulde glady quod he make their number bygger but I would firste haue the worlde made somewhat bigger for the worlde as it is will scarce suffise these that be already These are Priestes of Balaams marke hired wyth the rewarde of wyckednesse they haue exercised their hartes with couetousnesse cursed children and false prophetes of whom Pe◅er prophecied long ago that suche false teachers shold com amongst vs which priuily shal bring in damnable heresies euen denying the Lorde that hath bought them and bring vppon themselues swi◅te damnation and many shall folow their damnable ways by whom the way of truthe shall be euel spoken of and throughe couetousnesse shall they with fained words make marchandise of you whose iudgements long agone is not far off and their damnation slepeth not Hauing thus robbed the people for tri◅les and making them beleue they could sell this i◅well the sonne of God vnto them No it can not be bought neither for money nor mony worth nor for any thing that manne can
sonne than vs but only he did it for the loue of vs yet his loue of vs is onely in and for his sonne The Prince might seeke glorie and renowne by this strange fact as the Philosophers did in al their sufferings but Christ sought ignominie due to vs to bring vs to raigne in glorie with him In the ende the Prince must nedes die and his sonne also and how soone either of them God knowes And whether by not so famouse a deathe or no God knowes And how they shold haue liued with what troubles feares and changes God knows These things might moue them to be the willinger to suffer death that once they must nedes suffer and this they know But the sonne of God was not subiecte vnto deathe he neded neuer to haue died for death had no power ouer him as he truly sayd Habeo potestatē ponēdi animam meam iterum sumendi eam I haue power to geue ouer my life and to take it againe It lay in his owne power to die or not to die but that of his mere loue he vouchesaued for to die Moreouer the Princes death could worke but a small and trifling benefit the sauing of theyr bodily life for a whyle that perchaunce myght die body and and soule within a minute of an houre after But the death of oure vnspotted Lambe the sonne of God is become suche a sweete and acceptable sacrifice to GOD the Father and so effectuall vnto vs that if any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous he is the propitiation for our sinnes and not for oure sinnes onely but for the sinnes of the whole worlde To conclude there is as mutche difference betweene this or any other case that can be put of any creature husbande wife parentes children frend enemie neighbour stranger maister seruant prince subiect or whose loue soeuer it be as is betwene the creature creator as is betwene the person of a wretched mortal man the person of the liuing and immortall god The loue of God therefore whereby he so loued the worlde that he gaue his sonne for it doth excell all comparison doth excede all speache doothe passe all vnderstanding Wee speake but in a darke speeche theron we vnderstand it but as chyldren we see it but thorough a gl◅sle we know it but in part yea the angels meruaile at it and cannot fully conceaue the breadth the length the depthe the heigthe of this incomprehensible loue of God to manne and to knowe this loue of Christe whiche go◅th beyonde all knowledge But that we may haue some taste of this sweete loue of God some ioy of this his excellent gifte let vs deare beloued as we maye a little beholde the same He gaue his only begotten son Here are two things to be considered The one is the thing it self that for this loue he bestowed vpon vs The other is the maner of his bestowing it The thing that he bestowed was euen his sonne not his seruant but his sonne not his frende but his sonne euen his true begotten sonne and that his only begoten son Such as the father is suche is the sonne the Father is God the sonne is God God of the substance of his father very God and equall to his father in substance eternitie grace glorie power and euery thing For all that the Father hathe hee hathe giuen to him and he and the father are one Hee is the expresse image of the inuisible God the first begotten of all creatures the wisdome of his father by whome the world was made the light of the worlde the way the truth and the life the authour and fynisher of our faithe the prince of pastours and great shepeherd of our soules the true vine the bread of lyfe the rock and fountayn of the liuing waters the corner stone of the building and foundation therof the king of glorie the prince of peace the anoynted of God the high priest the mediator of the new Testament the lamb of god that taketh away the sinnes of the world the reconciler of God and man the Emanuel the Messias the blessed seede the hope and redemption of Israell The lord sauior Iesus Christ in whome is the fulnesse of the diuinitie in whom only is layde vp the vnsearchable treasorie of all the riches of the glorie grace fauor of this infinit loue of God euen the only begotten son of god So muche more excellent than the angels in as much as he hath obteined a more excellēt name thā they For vnto which of the angels sayde he at any tyme Thou art my son this day haue I begotten thee And agayne I will be his father and he shall be my sonne and againe when he bringeth in his firste begotten sonne into the world be saith And let al the angels of God worship hym c. to the Son he saith O god thy throne is for euer euer the scepter of thy kingdom is a scepter of righteousnes thou hast loued righteousnesse and hated iniquitie wherfore God euen thy God hath anoynted thee with the oyle of gladnesse aboue thy fellows And thou Lord in the beginning hast established the earth and the heauens are the workes of thine handes they shal perish but thou dost remayn and they al shall waxe old as doth a garmēt and as a vesture shalt thou fold them vp they shal be changed but thou art the same and thy yeares shal not fayle Vnto whiche of the angels sayde hee at any tyme Sitte thou at my right hād til I make thy enemies thy foote stoole And hath he then poured foorth on vs poore and wretched synfull misers sutche treasures of hys blessings that he hath giuen vs euen this his son in quem desiderant angeli prospicere on whom the angels desire to looke yea saithe the same sonne him self Dedit vnigenitum filium suum He gaue his only begotten sonne O infinite and vnspeakable loue O most preciouse gifte O most orient pearle O most happie marchant that can get this iewel The price of this gifte can not be tolde the value of this iewel is inestimable siluer and gold pearle and stone is nothing comparable to this wonderfull gifte of god No we are not bought with corruptible things as siluer and golde but with the precious bloud of Christ the sonne of God The sonne of God why could no lesser gift haue serued vs might not he haue geuen vs an angell But euen his sonne And that his only begotten son Might not he haue gyuen vs one of his adopted sonnes some notable man or womā some patriarche some Prophet some apostle or some holy sainte of god No God spared not to giue his his onely begotten son for man Yea nothing coulde sufficiently pacifie the wrath of God satisfie his iustice make due recompence for our vndue offence reconcile vs to the fauour of GOD againe vanquishe
is 〈◊〉 causantiuÌ„ causarum the cause of al causings and of all causes when we here it is Gods purpose so to be shal we not think eâ—…en this purpose of god the causer to be cause sufficient but we will seke for other causes in the causes inferior things that themselues are caused What absurditie were this in man and what presumption ahainst god sith we heare it is gods purpose and we are not content therwith Well say the Papists be it the cause be only in God and not in man nor any creature that he purposed to bestowe this benefite on the world yet she we me a cause in god himselfe that moued him hereunto Why is not this a sufficient cause of it selfe that we haue sayd al this while it was Gods purpose If this will not suffise thee what will suffise thee Shall I say it is Gods determination that is al one with purpose Shal I say it is Gods appoyntmente this is all one also Shall I say it is his good wil and pleasure what is this but in effecte the same also what shall I saye then that shall contente them Surely neyther I nor all the world shal be able to say any thing that can satisfie a warbling Papist in this matter For how should we satisfie him that is not satisfied with the purpose determination appointment wil and pleasure of God but he will needes know why God purposed determined and appointed why it was his will and pleasure But see euen here if this will content the Papist wee haue a further cause expressed in the firste begynnyng of this sentence Sic dilexit So God loued the Worlde Lo loue is the cause therof Yea but what made him loue the worlde saith the Papist nothing yes euen bycause hee would vouch safe so to doo Why sayeth he this commeth to the former cause hee loued it bicause he would But wherfore woulde he loue it Here the Papist setteth mee I confesse neyther will I search nor can I find any further cause than this neyther am I ashamed to be so sette of a Papist that I can go no further wheÌ„ I come to the loue good wil of God of which if it were so easy a matter to shew a further cause why was not S. Paul ashamed when he came to the alleaging of Gods will to crye oute that the Iudgementes of God were vnsearchable and durste goe no further after he had alleaged it to be Gods wil bycause beyond this cause he coulde fynde no cause hygher his fadome coulde reache no further Heere was abyssus abyssum inuocat Here was sette the Cherubin and the flamyng sworde to stoppe the entrie into this vnsearcheable Paradyse Here were the boundes of Gods Mountayne Sina limited that the people nor the Priestes nor any else durste or coulde enter into but onely our heauenly Prophete lyke to Moyses Iesus Christe not only man but GOD himself also And wil a beast a Papist a brutishe fleshly man presume to come neare thys mountayn yea to go beyond the boundes appoynted Shall not a dart be cast through him that dare presume thus beastely What is man that he should not be content when he heareth platte and playne it is Gods wyll but he wil demaund a reason of the same Iob neuer durste presume thus farre as the Papists doo yet when in the anguishe of his mynde hee wente beyonde hys reache The Lorde out of the whyrle wynde sayde Whoe is thys that darkeneth the counsell by woordes without knowledge Gyrde vp now thy loynes lyke a manne I wyll demaunde of thee and declare thou vntoo mee Where waste thow when I layde the foundations of the earthe Declare yf thou haste vnderstandynge c. Wylte thou disanull my Iudgemente or wylte thou condemne mee that thou mayste bee iustified or haste thou an arme lyke GOD or doest thou thunder wyth a Voyce lyke hym Decke thy selfe nowe wyth Maiestie and excellencye and arraye thy selfe wyth Beautie and glorye Caste abroade the indignation of thy wrathe and beholde euery one that is prowde and abase hym looke on euery one that is arrogante and bryng hym lowe and destroye the wycked in theyr place hyde them in the duste together and bynde theyr faces in a secrete place then wyll I confesse vnto thee also that thy ryghte hande can saue thee Thys presumption then not to bee content wyth the expressed good wyll of GOD but to searche further causes of his wyll then hee hath expressed that is his loue is euen to make our owne right hande our Sauiour as the Papistes doo Let vs therefore be content with this cause of Gods purpose that it is his good wil and procedeth of his mere loue And that his loue is the very and onely cause hereof as oure Sauioure Chryste hathe sayde Sic Deus dilexit mundum GOD so loued the worlde The loue of God is the cause of the Worldes saluation than the whyche what can bee a more notable cause and more comfortable herein than the loue and good wyll of god But the Papist whose mouth is not yet stopped nor hys ambitious mynde contented groynethe hereat that all shoulde proceede from the good wyll and loue of GOD Did not wee saithe he loue him before and then he loued vs No Papist we loued him not wee hated him as is already she wed In hoc est charitas non ê™ nos dilexerimus Deum sed quod ipse dilexit nos Loue consisteth herein sayeth S. Iohn not that we loued him but that he loued vs Prior dilexit nos he loued vs before and not we him before for then were all this in vayne then were the cause in vs not in God then were it no godamercie to God that we are saued but gramercie myne owne selfe for God requited me but loue for loue What a pawne checkemate were this to the loue of God But herein commendat charitatem suam Deus in nobis quoniam cum adhuc peccatores esâ—…emus God not onely loueth vs but herein he maruellously setteth out the glory and praise of his infinite loue vnto vs that euen when we were sinners when we were enemies he loued vs The only and whole cause then of Gods purpose to our saluation is the fauour loue of god Wherfore was Iacob preferred before hys brother Esau Iacob dilexi I loued Iacob Wherefore chose he the seede of Abraham Isaac and Iacob to be hys people for any merite of these their fathers which were holy patriarkes No Quia dilexit patres tuos forbicause hee loued their fathers Wherfore saith God vnto the Israelites The Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a precious people vnto hym selfe aboue all people that are vpon the earthe The Lorde did not set his loue vpon you nor chose you bicause ye were mo in number than any people for ye were the fewest of al people but bicause the Lord loued you Wherfore is the
be proude and glorie in himselfe if there be any cause of his own saluation in himself be it neuer so small a worke or neuer so smal a preparatiue or inclination therevnto he will take to much hart of grasse and not of grace theron Nay sayth the Papist wee will neuer by Gods grace denie the grace of god God hath a negatiue voice he may dash all we can not be saued without god But hath not man an affirmatiue voyce What will ye leaue him then It is but a little that we require God wot a very small sparke and that so ouercouered with the ashes of synne and corruption that it can neuer giue of it self any light or heat of a fier except the ashes be blowne away some stickes layd to to kindle the fyre And further then this say the Papists we willnot asâ—…e sith ye are so importune vpon vs we demaund at the least but this that ye graunt man to haue no more goodnes of himselfe than sutche small sparkes of election â–ª free will disposition and preparation as God seing them peepe out and giue but a glimpse vnder the ashes of synne with his worde he bloweth the ashes away and putteth too matter for vs to worke our owne saluation vpon What shall we sticke with them well beloued in this small request This seemeth to be but a triste What power is here giuen to man When woulde these sparkes make a fire to warme one by if the ashes were not blown away and sticks layd too which inferreth we can do nothing of our selues without the grace of god In whiche poyne they say true but they say not all the truth For not onely without Christ we can not become this good fyre but also without Christ we haâ—…e no such sparks in vs to begin this fyre withall for the word of God to blow vpoÌ„ But as the wood is his y he must put to his gracious gifts as the winde is his wher with he must blowe on vs his blessed worde and holy spirite so must the sparkes be his and all for else we are nothing but euen dead coales ashes Except ye speake of suche sparkes of the lustes of concupiscence as by the diuels blowing and oure owne laying of sticks togyther wil of themselues make suche a blase as wyll burne bodye and soule for euer For the fyre whereby wee be enflamed wyth the loue of GOD came of hym that sayd I came to bryng fyre into the worlde and what woulde I but it should burne The fyre that declared God to be the lorde and not Baal cam downe from heauen there was none in the wood but rather water The fiery tongs that sate on the disciples heds and warmed theire hartes came not of anye sparks of their owne but only from the ho ly ghost Then is not this that they count so small a request in any case to be graunted them both for the falsenesse of the begynnyng and the inconuemeÌ„ce of the sequele of it For first in the begynning they grounde on a wrong principle that there is at the least sutche sparkes in man where as there is no sutch at all in man whiche as it is therfore alye affirming that to be in manne that is not in him so it maketh hym proude of that he hath not That there is no sutche sparkes of goodnesse in manne is euidente Cum mortuâ—… esseâ—…is in delictis when as ye were dead in sinnes sayth S. Paule speaking of the tyme before God called them But dead coales are not quicke coales nor haue any sparke of fyre in them if they be deade for otherwise they be not fully dead But we were dead in sinne therfore there were no sparkes of goodnesse in vs If ye thinke the worde dead be to straightly vrged and that wee were not fully deade in synne but halfe dead as the Papistes wrest that parable of the man that fell into the theues handes then would I aske the question whether we were quickened by Christe or no but Saint Paule saveth Viuâ—…ficauit nos in Christo Hee quickened vs in Christe thorough loue Propter nimiam charitatem qua dilexit nos Therfore it muste needes folow wee were euen deade before neither was there any sparke of the life of grace in vs before that of his mere loue in Iesu Christ hee quickned vs For loke how mutch ye denie the deadnesse so mutche also yee denie the quickenyng But the quickenyng is onely of Loue and in Chryste therefore besydes thys cause of loue and besydes Christ there is nought in vs but death of synne there is no sparke alyue And in lyke case for free will there is no freedom but in Christe Si filius vos liberauerit verè liberi eritis If the sonne make you free sayth Christ then are ye free in dede But till then they are held captiue in the snares of the diuell to do his will they are seruauntes of sinne nor can do ought or will doe oughte or encline to ought but sinne And so mutche as yee denie this bondage so muche ye denie that freedom whiche Christ hath set them in Likewise for the filthe of that our naturall vncleannesse wherein we walowed and were so berayed that euen the cleanest place of vs was lyke a foule cloute in so mutche that God sayeth Thoughe thou washe thee with Nitre and rubbe thee neuer so much with soape yet art thou spotted in thine iniquitie before mee Untill wee bee washed with the bloude of Iesus Christe and then we be cleane through oute then were our synnes as redde as scarlet they shall be made as whyte as snow yea Et supra niuem dealbabor wee shal be made whyter than the snowe or fullers white sine ruga macula without any spot or wrinkle Looke then how much cleannesse thou attributest to thy selfe so muche thou deniest the washing of the bloud of Iesus christ For it is a good coÌ„sequeÌ„ce whatsoeuer was washed clean before it was washed it was foule Whatsoeuer was redemed and made free before it was redeemed was captiue What soeuer was found before it was founde was loste Whatsoeuer was rered vp was falne And whatsoeuer was quickned the same was dead before Then followeth it sithe all these benefites are wroughte on vs that we were bondsclaues we were falne we were defyled we were lost we were euen dead we had no freedome no staye no cleannesse no knowledge where we were no life in vs before This then is a false assumption that they would so sayne haue graunted vnto them and therfore in no case to bee assented vnto Neyther is the sequele hereof so small and tryfâ—…ing a thing as here to haue it granted they woulde seeme to make it It is a paltrie matter say they a very little thing and in a manner nothing that wee require If it bee so small a matter why do they so earnestly desire it why
yet because he is a man as am I hath in him the image of god as I haue hath a soule as well as I to be saued whatsoeuer he be therfore he is my neighbor Ensample The parable of the Samaritane what a neyghborly parte hee shewed to the Iewe and euen the same affection of neyghborly loue is required of vs It is a greate loue that God here requireth Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum thou shalte loue thy neyghbor as thy selfe This word as thy selfe is a great matter a maruelous loue Quis vnquā odio habuit carn◅m suam Who at any time hated his owne fleshe Who loues not him self best at least in his owne conceyte Doo not our common prouerbes saye It is a deare colup is cut oute of the owne fleshe Neare is my coate but nearer is my shirt And for this the diuell desired so mutche to touche but the skinne of Iob for hee knewe that passed losse of goodes and cattell of seruauntes and children and touched hym to the quicke and then he durste haue layd Skynne for skynne all that euer a manne hath hee will gyue for his lyfe But this loue that a man hath to him selfe God requireth to bee imparted to his neyghboure also this thē is a maruelous great loue that god requireth But where is this loue becom no man can attain to the perfection thereof Nay where is the other neighborly loue become of them that dwell about vs Surely it is gone to the Turkes and Iewes and almost cleane it from Englande It is wonder to see how Turkes will holde together howe Iewes will one helpe another how theeues wyll conspire howe beastes will agree howe Papists will vaunt of vnitie how dyuells will nestle them selues seuen diuels in one man yea a whole legion together in a man and two neighbours bothe professing them selues christians both but falsely callyng them selues Gospellers cannot abide the one the other but hateth persecuteth vndermyneth and woulde eate vp one an other if they could Scarce one towne one citie one country can holde two men nay will two townes two cities two coūtries hold one man This is not one for an other and God for vs al but euery one for himself the diuel for all Suche vnsatiable couetousnesse and implacable hatreds reigne in our hartes that this neighborly loue is gone except in fewe yet all wil babble of this loue of God but in dede al is but babbling Litle care they for this loue of God to them that set so little by his commaundemente that loued them For this is his cōmaundement that we beleue in the name of his sonne Iesus Christe and loue one an other as he gaue cōmaundement VVhich if we do not we are in darknesse our eyes are blinded and knowe not whether we go yea we hate God bicause we hate his creature For if any mā saye I loue God and hate his brother hee is a lyer Howe can he that loueth not his brother whome he hath seene loue God whom he hath not seene Let vs therfore reconcile our selues betimes if any mā haue ought against his brother or thy brother haue ought against thee agree with thine aduersarie quickely lest thine aduersarie deliuer thee to the iudge the iudge deliuer thee to the sergeant and thou be cast in prison verily thou shalte not come out thence tyll thou haue payde the vtmost farthing Be therefore affectioned one to loue an other with brotherly loue Owe nothing to any man but one to loue an other For he that loueth an other hath fulfilled the lawe For this commaundement Thou shalt not commit adulterie thou shalte not steale thou shalt not beare false witnesse thou shalt not couet and if there be any other commaundement it is briefly comprehēded in this saying euen in this Thou shalt loue thy neighbor as thy self Loue doth not euil to his neighbor therfore loue is the fulfilling of the law On the contrary parte though I speake with the tongs of men and angels and haue not loue I am as a soūding brasse or a tinkling cimbal though I had the gift of prophecie and knew all secrets and all knowledge vea if I had al faith so that I could remoue moūtaines and had not loue I were nothing although I fede the pore with al my goods though I geue my body that I be burned haue not loue it profiteth me not Loue suffreth lōg loue is bountiful loue enuieth not loue doth not bost it self it is not puffed vp it disdaineth not it seketh not her own it is not pro uoked to anger it thinks no euil it reioyceth not in iniquitie but reioyseth in the truthe it suffreth all things it beleuethe all things it hopeth all things it endureth all things loue dothe neuer fall away c. Nowe be it for all this high commendation of neyghbeurly loue when it once entreth comparison wyth thys surpassyng loue of God it hathe so many du◅ties to bynde it and so many infirmities to lose it that So God loued the worlde that no brotherly loue of neyghbors one to an other were it neuer so entier a loue is able to compare therwith We reade in stories of great loue that fathers and mothers haue borne theyr children and that chyldren againe haue borne their parentes This also is a godly loue and worketh so effectually in the hearts of the ◅ne the other with such priuy linkes of natures chayne of loue that not only the ciuile people but the most barbarous Scythians are moued there withall Whome when Darius pursued with an armie royall from place to place in the holtes and deserts of they ▪ countrey at the length demaunding of them by his Heralt when they would once m◅ke an ende of ◅light and a beginning of fight they answered that they had neither towns nor lands for the which they woulde conten◅e but if he draue them once to the toombs of their parents Darius shold then feele that the Scythians coulde and would lay aboute them In the whyche one onely so notable an aunsweare saith Valerius the wilde and barbarous nations haue fully cleered them selues of the name of sauage For nature is such a cunning schoolmistresse that needing no teachyng of the voyce or vse of letters euen of her propre and hiddē force she instilleth a loue of the parents into the hearts of the children Thus wrote the Heathen Chronicl◅r of the Romains that knewe not God nor ascrib◅d this loue to him Mutch more then should we be ashamed to degenerate from this naturall loue hauinge the commaundement of God to binde vs thervnto Honor thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be prolonged in the lande whiche thy Lorde thy God hathe giuen thee This is the first comaundement sayeth S. Paule that hath a promise annexed thervnto and therfore we ought a greate deale more to embrace the same yea it is
endorsed with a curâ—…e on the contrary not only of putting the disobedient childe to death but if this lawe were not at all yet the parents curse should pull vp the house by the roots â—…nsaÌ„ple the cursed seede of Cham ensample the late storie if it bee be true that is written of credible authors to be done in Germanie within this twenty yeres of a father that hauyng â—…idden his chylde goe on his his errand when the chylde stoode still and would not goe the vnaduised father in his fumish anger cuâ—…sed him and said Standest thou still stand still then so still standing I pray God thou mayst abide And euen sodeinly so soone as the curse was spoken the childe stode still and so standing there aboade till the day of his death A terrible ensample of the wrathe of GOD against childrens disobedience and to the confirmation of the authoritie that God hath giuen the parentes ouer their children For of our parents we haue not only our bodily goods but euen our bodies and al. And shal we not then loue them by whose loue we haue our being our life our norishing and vnder God the beginnings of all wee haue Many fathers and mothers now a days complain of the disobedieÌ„ce wilfullnesse and lacke of loue in their children more than they had wont to do What is the cause here of first this is a general obseruatioÌ„ although in particulers it be not altogether true that the parents loue is greter to his child than the childs loue is to his parents where of the townsmen of 〈◊〉 set vp a monument For wher as on a time they had condemned a father and his sonne for certain notorious crimes committed on muche entreatie made to the senate for theÌ„ it was at length graunted that but one of them shoulde die and that on this condition that the one shoulde do the execution on the other and he that executed the other shoulde him selfe escape agree on the matter as they could which of them should suffer The sonne being asked refused to die for the father and had rather execute his father thaÌ„ his father shold execute him The father being demaunded was conteÌ„t to suâ—…fer death him self of his sonnes hand though his sons vnnaturalnesse did greue him rather thaÌ„ he wold put his sonne to death Whervppon this monument was erected for a perpetuail memorie the pictures of bothe father and sonne the son behâ—…dding his father engrauen in marble and this poesie writen vnderneth Amor descendit nâ—…n asceÌ„dit Loue descendeth but not ascendeth And so the ryuers course descendeth but not ascendethe A stone naturally descendeth not ascendeth And the scripture coÌ„mendeth many fathers vnto vs that ful entierly haue loued their sons but few sons like Isaac Ioseph and Tobie are commended vnto vs for the like loue againe vnto their fathers This naturall loue wrought not in the vnnaturalâ—… sonne Absalon but it wrought so deepe in the father Dauid that he cryed out againe Absalon fili mi fili mi Absalon fili mi c. O Absalon my sonne my son Absalon my sonne woulde to God I myghte die for thee O Absalon my sonne my sonne The seconde reason of the sonnes disobedyence is the fathers cockeryng And that was the cause of Dauids weepyng and Absalons destruction euen hys fathers indulgence Thys destroyed Hely and his sonnes also And hathe broughte many foolyshe fathers to their graue with heauinesse and hath brought many sonnes to the Gallowes wyth wrâ—…tchednesse Remember the Fable of the chylde that bitte of his mothers nose when hee went to hanging bicause she would not bite his breche with a good rod when he went to filching A great many mothers nowe a dayes can not abide to 〈◊〉 their children beaten and a number of fathers as wise as the mothers the Schoolemaster that shoulde fetche bloudde of theyr chylde oute alas It were a pityfull syghte But were it not a more pitifull syghte to see howe myserablye the one destroyeth the other they thinke it loue it is more than mortaâ—…l hatrede this foolyshe coâ—…heryng of theyr chyldren Whiche if they feele not in the miseries of this life wherby repentance may saue the soule howesoeuer the body abye the follie of this hatefull cockering loue if not yet after this life the father and mother may mete the sonne in helle and there repeate those heauie and horrible curses that Gregorie teâ—…s of Cuâ—…sed be the houre sayth the father that euer thou wast borne Cursed be the tyme sayeth the sonne that euer thou begattest me and thus the one shall curse baâ—… the other and al bicause of this their cursed cockering Dye fathers and morhers especially you of this noble citie of London shaâ—…e not youre Citie vndoe not youre children and youre selues also We are thorough out all the Realme called cockneys that are borne in London or in the sounde of Bow bell this is your shame recouer this shame as god be praised ye do more than euer was wont to be done It had went to be an olde saying that fewe or none but were vnthâ—…ifts and came to nothing that were cockneys borne for so are we termed abroade But God be praised this is nowe a false rule and hath ben a good while since chiefly since the Gospels light hath shined on this noble citie it hath brought for the many worthy gouernors â–ª not able preachers godly pastors wise couÌ„selors pregnaÌ„t wits graue students welthy citiâ—…ens and is ful of maruellous towardes youth God blesse them and I trust will euery day more and more so blesse this renoumed citie that where before for wâ—…nton bringing vp it hath bene althoughe in other thyngs famous inâ—…ug he yet in this poynt of our births place a speck of blushing a terme of cockney a note of nipping vs It shall hereafter by Godly education be a thing to glory in that we borne in sutche a glorious citie as not only God hath made the hed of other in welth and honor but also a myrror of other in godlinesse and religion And that this may be loue your children but hate cockering Read and reade ouer twentie times and write it in steele and iron as Iob saith that is graue it in youre memorye that woorthie chapter in this pointe the thirtie chapter of Iesus the sonne of Syrach and there thou shalt see what the cockering of the chyld will bring bothe father and chyide vnto and what the contrary The third cause of childrens disobedience is the yll ensample of their parentes soone crookes the tree that good camocke will bee It soone prickes wil be a thorne the yong cockrel will learne easily to crow as he heareth the old cocke A great many suche crauen cockes there are that crowe full yll fâ—…uoredly and teach their cockrels to do the same scarse ere they be out of the shell We are prone inough and to proue of our selues to all vice without a teacher and
alas shal the father and mother teache it them nay it is no meruaile how coulde the olde Crabbe teache the yong Crab to goe but a byas They haue nousâ—…ed vp them selues in all wickednesse and so they teache their children so that as it were they clayme hel by inheritance It is a world to see how â—…oone wee are decked vp to be proude or ere we knowe what pride meaneth What a laughter and sport it is to the parentes to se their yong chyld do any vnhappy touch But Extrema gaudij luctus occupat this wicked beginning must nedes haue a wretched endyng Wilte thou loke thou foolish father to reape vertue and sowedst nought but vice thou wast disobedient to God and wilt theu loke thy chyld shal be obedient to thee Nay loke how thou hast done to thy children thy children wyll doo the lyke to thee What measure yee mete withall shal be met to you againe Beware therfore of nourishing them in vice of giuing euill ensample to them tinder wil not so sone take fyre as the child wil take hold of euil ensample And he that offendeth one of these little ones sayth Christe that beleueth in me it were better a mylstone were tied about his necke and he throwen into the bottome of the sea Neyther dothe Christe here excepte father mother or any other but who so euer he be that is occaâ—…ion of sinne to the childe by ensample instruction encoraging or by any other meanes this heauie sentence is pronounced on him Thou father therfore if thou loue thy childe yea if thou loue thy selfe bothe for his parte and for thine owne parte beware of euel ensample The fourthe cause of disobedience is the lacke of knowledge of his duety Thou bringest vp thy sonne in ignorance and idely and howe can he then but proue a stubborn pece chiefly when he hath no knowledge nor fear of god Now wil he stande in awe of thee or know his duetie to thee Dost thou loue in dede thy child loue thaÌ„ the more principall parte of him loue his soule more than his bodye loue the eternall life of him better than this temporall lyfe For else thou louest him not For proofe that thou louest hym thou shewest me what riches thou hast gathered for him what laÌ„des and rentes thou hast purchased for him what lyuings and offices thou haste prouided for him what payne what coste what trouble what sute what trauel what cares and God knowes withall what conscience thou haddest to compasse these things for thy chylde and is not all this a sufficient argument to proue thou louest him No surely is it not But I will healpe thee with a better argument Thou art content for thy chyld to goe lyke a carle to the dyuell before that thy chylde may come after to the diuel like a gentlemaÌ„ This is a token thou louest thy child that art content so thy chyld may be daÌ„ned thou wilt be damned too Now likest thou this loue is it not more worthy to be called hatred and worse it thou canst deuise â—… worser name for it this preposterous loue of thine to thy child Ah saist thou shal I not then prouide for my childe then were I worse sayeth Saincte Paule than an infidel I deny not but thou mayst yea and oughtest to prouide for him by all conuenient and godly meanes thou canst But the principall thyng that thou oughtest to prouyde for thy chylde is the Riches of the soule the knowledge the feare and the loue of god Primum quaerite regnum Dei 〈◊〉 omnia adijcientur â—…obis Fyrst seeke that thy chylde maye bee a Citizen of the kingdome of God that thy sonnes as Dauid sayeth maye bee As plantes growyng vp in thâ—…yt youthe in all Grace and Uâ—…ttue that thy daughters may bâ—… polished lyke the corner stones of the temple of God shining in the cleere beawty of shamefastnesse and modestie and become olde mothers in Israel And then all other things shall be cast vnto them by Gods prouidence When thou art dead and faire buried they shall haue inoughe to liue on and doe full well although thou hadst lefte them neuer a penie I was yong and now am oldâ—… saithe Dauid as who should saye I haue sene greate experience of many things in my dais yet neuer saw I the rightouse man forsaken and his seed beg their bred No though his father die yet is he as though he were not dead for he hath left one behinde him that is like him In his life he saw him and had ioy in him and was not sory in his death neither was he ashamed before his enemies he left behinde hym an auenger agaynst his enemies and one that should shew fauour to his frends Lo thus shall they be blessed that feare the Lorde bycause they bring vp their children in instructioÌ„ and information of the Lorde This is the true loue of the fathers and mothers to their children And this shall make if any thing wil make this loue of the parents descending to the children to ascende againe from the children to the parents so effectually that no earthly loue can be of greater force But be this loue also neuer so excellent when it once entreth this comparison of gods loue bicause it is so tied with the linkes of nature and bounden dewty on either parte although it somwhat resemble this loue of God our Father in heauen to vs his adopted sonnes in earth Wherby Dauid saith Sicut pater miseretur filioruÌ„ misertus est nostri dominus As the father hath mercie on his children so God hath had mercy on vs Can the mother forget her infant that she should not pitie the childe of her wombe although the mother coulde forget hir child sayth the Lorde yet will not I forget thee for I haue grauen thee vppon the palmes of my hands thy walles are euer in my sight Therfore I conclude on this loue as of the other that So God loued the worlde that no naturall loue of fathers and mothers to their children of children to their fathers and mothers is lyke this loue of God out heauenly father to vs. We reade of greate loue that seruauntes haue borne theyr maysters that maisters againe haue born theyr seruants the one hath suffred death to saue the other This was a notable loue Where are suche maisters and seruants now become nay it is now the old prouerbe vp downe trim tram such maister suche man suche cuppe suche couer neyther barrell better herring bothe maister and man may go in a line together for a great many of men and maisters now a dayes In many places where I come I heare the maisters complaine of their seruantes stubbornesse and vnfaithfull dealing of their seruantes dissolutenesse and lacke of awe But the maister seeth not howe God punisheth hym with his owne rodde howe his owne selfe is the cause here of He would haue his seruant all for
nor anye thing that a Prince canne deuise in yearthe to defende hym selfe and saue his honoure by is of more value than this one thyng the Subiectes faythful loue Neyther hath the subiecte a greater earthly treasure gyuen hym of GOD than a godly and louyng Prince nor a greater scourge in thys lyfe can there be than when Propter peccata populi facit hypocritam regnare For the peoples wyckednesse God sendes an hypocrit a false worshipper of God a setter vp of superstition and idolatrie an hatefull and cruel tyrant that loueth not his subiectes to raigne ouer them Consyder then with your selues how exceedingly we the people of Englande are bounde in this greate benefite among infinite other to Almightie God that wee be subiects vnder sutche a most gracious Prince that without suspition of lie or flattery we may truely saye Non taliterfecit omni nationi He hath not dealte so with anye nation as he hath dealte with vs Looke thorough out all Christendome comparisons are odious ye shall fynd no countrey no kingdom no realme no citie no state nor any people to enioy all those benefites all that whyle and after that sorte that we haue doone and long shall doo I trust vnder our most blessed Soueraigne The Lorde that hathe wroughte these benefytes to vs by her bee blessed for her and as in a stretched out arme he hath by her deliuered vs from the bōdage of Egipt Pharaos tirannie as hee hath to the preseruing gathering together and feeding vs poore strayed scattered famished weryed sheepe of his folde stirred her vp to be our shepherde deliuered her and vs from the Beare and the Lion as he hathe infeoffed her not onely with royall honoure and supreme gouernement but also endowed her with sutch princely qualities and excellente vertues that other people wonder at her as a myrror other Princes lerne at her as a patterne and we feele the benefit of her as a mother So God that for hys glorie and oure profite hathe giuen her to vs and vs to her for his mercie and truthes sake vouche safe to continue encrease blesse defende and prosper her long to raigne ouer vs and of a yong Lady make her an olde lustie mother amongst vs that hath suche motherly loue vnto vs What now remayneth on our partes to her but lyke faythfull subiectes to honour and obey her with all our industrie lyke louing and naturall children to loue her with all our hartes like Godly Christians with all prayer and supplication to praye for her and lyke true Englishemen to fyghte for her with all our mighte to healpe her with all our goods yea and nede were to die for her also For this I durst saye for her that if neede were as God forbidde or if her deathe coulde doe vs good as it can not but bring vs greatest hurte she woulde not sticke to suffer death either for Gods cause or for ours And this shee shewed full well when tyme was howe readie she was to become a constant mar◅ir for the truthe euen to the very pinche of deathe She went with Christ ouer Cedron into the garden and there slept not as som of the disciples did but sawe euen the cup and horrour of death before her So well she toke his crosse and followed him But God deliuered and exalted her to restore his truth and God preserue her to maintein it Amen Let vs therfore welbeloued of God and loued of her render loue for loue againe vnfainedly And al false harlots all doggish Doegs all dissembling Papists among vs that saye Amen from their teeth and wold if they could eate her with their teeth God turne their harts for his mercy or for his Iustice detect and roote them out that she our louing prince we her louing subiects maugre al Gods hers our enemies may long time liue and loue in God together Amen for Iesus sake Amē But what is this loue also were it neuer so vnfained or any of all these loues or all these loues and put them altogether and adde on the heade of al these loues the loue that we owe to God aboue all things which is most principally to be cōsidered to loue God with all our harte with all our soule with all our might and in respecte of this loue to set all other loues aside yea to hate oure selues in comparisō of this loue of God yet al the loues that we are able to bere one to another and all to God we are bound to them by so many causes that they are all rather dueties than loue And our loue whē it commeth to his most perfection is so imperfecte and hath so many bracks and blots till this corruptible shal put on incorruption and this mortall put on immortalitie yea when that which is perfect is com the imperfect abolished and that faith and hope shal cease only loue continue yet shal it neuer com nere this incomparable loue of god to vs wherby So God loued the world that for y worlds saluatiō he gaue his only begottē son Why sir may not a prince here in this world so loue his people to geue also his only begotten sonne for them and that for naughty caitiues theues wicked ones and traitors to him and to their countrey and that by the laws they ought to suffer a most reprochefull deathe yet may not this prince minding the iustice of the law shal passe so feruently loue those malefactours that he will not spare to geue his only begotten sonne to the laws seueritie and bitter deathe for the redemption of those trāsgressors so entierly beloued of him surely this were a maruelous harde case we can not put a harder no though he died him selfe for them We neuer redde of any sutche prince The ensample of Codrus that procured his owne deathe to saue the Athenians The ensample of the Philenian brethren that voluntarily were buried quicke for the enlarging their countrie bounds The ensample of the Decij and Curtius and such as gaue them selues to deathe for the preseruation of their coūtries this was maruelous great loue that moued them but nothing like the case here put How beit this is nothinge like to Gods case neither For if the prince bare sutche loue to those malefactors no great loue in any creature could com with out greate causes on their partes either that they had don for the prince or might doe for him that moued him to beare them this exceding loue But in God the creatour there was no cause at all as is alreadie declared on the worlds behalfe wherefore he shold loue the world neither benefite nor personage nor any thing besides the loue it selfe of god The Prince in this case might not fauoure his sonne or loue those offenders more than he did his sonne but the sonne of God is his best beloued neither did he this to his sonne as not louing his sonne or lesse louing his
the singular numbre to be slightly passed ouer for euen with the lyke obseruation S. Paule dothe presse vppon the Iewes GOD hadde promysed vnto Abraham that in his seede all Nations shoulde bee blessed The Iewes althoughe they referred thys to the Messias in especiall as the Papistes pretende to beleeue on Christe in especiall yet as the Papistes wyll beleeue on all theyr Sainctes besydes so the Iewes referred this to all theyr whole stocke and nation besides But Saincte Paule letteth not siyppe the promyse so but very earnestely vrgeth the woorde whereon hee proueth Chryste to bee that promised seede Abrahae dictae sunt promissiones semini eius non dicit seminibus quasi in multis sed quasi in vno semini tuo qui est Christus Vnto Abraham sayeth Saincte Paule were the promyses spoken and to hys seede he sayeth not and to his seedes as though it were to many but as in one and to thy seede whyche is CHRISTE Thus confuted hee the Iewes and euen so shall wee confute the Papistes that no lesse take away the beleefe of Chryste than didde the Iewes but styll vrge them wyth thys saying of Chryste Qui credunt in eum not in eos They that beleeue in hym not in them and yee shall quyte confounde them nor all the Papists in the world well may they champe on the brydle and wrangle after theyr confuse manner but they shall neuer be able to answer directly to this one argument that euidentely proueth them not to beleue in God nor to bee any partakers of this benefite excepte they forsake their inuocation with their other errours only beleue in him And although here the Papist might be cleane reiected as none of the housholde of faith yet bicause he quarelleth also in this part of receyuing this gift of God by faith and can not abide that we shoulde ascribe the receipt hereof to faith let vs heare what he hath to say against it But fyrste note that all his drift is againste faith And the controuersie of faith is the matter that of al other he can not abide And why is he suche an enemie vnto fayth bicause he himselfe hath no faith but always doubteth and hangeth betweene dispaire and hope For as Scientia non habet inimicos nisi ignorantes Science hath no enemies but those that knowe it not so the Papiste is the enemie of faith bicause he knoweth â—…ot what faith is First he is offended that Fayth shoulde be so extolled before all other vertues and woulde haue loue more principally required and cryeth out that by this doctrine charitie is waxen very colde and almoste cleane extinguished But this is not that the Papist hath such liking of loue and charitie except it be as is aforesayd S. Francis charitie that he loueth his Popes courtizans more than he beleueth in God and therfore would haue loue be set before beleefe As for that charitie that doth good to her enemies so heapeth burning coales vpon their heads rather than the Papists wold seme to want it they wil not cast ashes in our eyes as did Pope Bonifacius the eight on Ash wednesday to Porchetto archbishop of Genua nor onely heape very burning coales vppon oure heades but couer all our bodies with faggots also and burne vs cleane to ashes so feruent hot is their charitie againste vs or rather their boyling hatred and enuie that they beare vs and do these murderers so vaunt of loue and lament the decay of charitie This is euen as the theefe that hauing robbed a poore man asked him if he had any more the poore man denyed it but when the thefe serching him further founde somwhat more than the poore man thoughte had ben aboute him Ha good Lord quod the theefe what a hard world is this whom shall a man trust nowe a dayes And euen so the Papists spoyle murder with all kind of moste barbarous crueltie the poore professers of the Gospell and faith of Christe and yet they crie out Ha good God wher is charitie where is charitie What a harde and vncharitable worlde is this It is not charitie therefore that the Papiste reckeneth on though he vse the name of charitie to bleare the simple people withal for rather than he wold lese one iote of his aduantage or the pope one title or inche of his honour he careth not and all the worlde were together by the eares yea he will clap them on the backe and set them to it as at this day he doth This then is not charitie but vnder the name of charitie hee meaneth mannes workes bicause charitie is the bonde wherewith they are all tied and so are all comprehended vnder the name of charitie and therefore sayeth he charitie is the principall by the preparatiue workes whereof wee receyue euen faithe it selfe But herein he lyeth we receyue not faith by the preparation of any works but whatsoeuer worke springeth not out of faith the same work how glorious soeuer it seeme is nothing els but sinne Quicquid non est exfide peccatum est Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne marke this word ex of if it be not of it if it come not out of it it is sinne then faith goth before all other things in this matter of iustification and so faith is the principal thing and root of all Yea not only the principall but in this matter faith only and that without workes doth it And here againe the Papist is more offended than before that faith is made the only meanes of receauing this benefite What saithe he and nothing but faith No say I Christ mencioneth here nothing but faith Qui credit in eum He that beleueth in him Si potes credere If thou couldest beleue saith Christ all things are possible to him that beleeueth Confide fili tantum crede only beleue Be it vnto you acording to your faith Fides tua te saluum fecit fides tua te saluam fecit Thy faith saith Christ hathe saued thee Qui credit in filium habet vitam aeternam He that beleueth in the sonne hath life euerlasting and this is life euerlasting saith Christ to beleue thee to be the true God and whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ. And therfore say we with Iesus Christ we receaue this benefite euen only by faith in him By faith saith S. Paule our harts be purified by faith the iust man liues by faith we are al the sonns of God euen because we beleued in Iesus Christ by faith with the hart we beleue to righteousnesse By faith were all those benefites wrought that S. Paule to the Hebrues reckeneth vp We conclude therefore with Sainct Paule as he concludeth with Iesus Christ that we receaue this benefite only by faithe in him What by bare and naked faith saith the Papiste without all maner of works Sayeth not saint Iames shew me thy faith by thy workes True it is he doth so and
labyrinthe that he is neuer able to winde him selfe out to sit downe and rest him in a quiet conscience and persuade him self that he is alredy iustified For how can he thus quiet himselfe seeking iustification by woorkes when hee heareth Chryste saye When yee haue doone all that yee can do ye are vnprofitable seruantes and he feelethe styll in hym selfe manye doubtes and mutche imperfection And therefore hee maketh a generall resolution that wee can neuer attayne to any certaintie whether wee bee iustified or no and so ought continually to hang in a doubt therof and that it suffyseth vs in the meane space to recomforte oure selues wyth a generall beleefe that some shall bee saued but whether wee shall be saued or no that we still stande in doubt of say the Papistes Thus blyndely myserablye and infinitely they runne from one errour to an other for Ex quolibet se quitur quodlibet Grannte one falshoode and a number will followe and all commeth of this that boasting of faith theyknow not what faith meanes And so contending with vs about faith they bewray them selues that they haue no faith but in stede of faith mayntein plain infidelitie That whiche Christe flatly reproueth O ye of litle faith in respect that they douted that do they allowe for good necessarie That which made Peter to sinke and crie for helpe they crake they swimme safely and holde vp themselues by the chinne therin This argueth sayeth Saincte Iames whom they allege for their diuels faith that they them selues haue no true faith in God nor shall obteine any thing at his hands For sayeth he Postulet in fide nihil haesitans qui enim haesitat similis est fluctui maris non enim existimet homo ille Quam accipiat aliquid à domino Let him aske of the lorde in faithe doubting nothing at all for he that doubteth is tossed of the winde and caried away like a waue of the sea Neither let that man thinke that he shall receaue any thing of the lorde For a wauering minded maÌ„ is vnstable in al his ways By this popish doctrine then we shall obteyn nothing at the handes of God least of all saluation which aboue all ther things we ought to pray for if we doubte of Gods promises therin wee shall neuer be partakers of it But the Papists defend we must continually doubt thereof let not those Papistes therefore thynke that they shall receyue any goodnes no not faith or any grace of god or wisdom wher of S. Iames did speake left of all that euer they shal be saued but euer be faithlesse gracelesse godlesse frutelesse hopelesse and all euen bicause they euer doubt in God and call in question the veritie of his promises whiche is playne to deface them and to make him a lier like them selues as saithe S. Iohn Qui non credit deo mendacem facit eum He that beleeueth not GOD maketh him a lier and so muche the greater lier do they make him as God hath bound him selfe by an othe and therfore saithe S. Paule VVhen God made promise to Abraham bicause he had no greter to svvere by he sware by him selfe c. So God vvilling more abundantly to shevv vnto the heyres of promise the stablensse of his councell bownd him self by an othe by two immutable things wherin it is impossible that God shold lye that we might haue strong consolation which haue our refuge to hold faste the hope that is set before vs which vve haue as an anker of the soule bothe sure and stedfast Ideo ex fide saithe S. Paule Therfore it is of faithe that it mighte come by grace and the promise might be sure to all the seede not to that only vvhich is of the lawe but also to that seede whiche is of the faithe of Abraham vvho is the father of all as it is written I haue made thee a father of many nations before God whome hee beleued who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things whiche be not as though they were whiche Abraham aboue hope beleeued in hope that he should be the father of many nations according to that which was spokeÌ„ euen so shal thy seed be as the starres of heauen and the sands of the sea and he fainted not in faith nor yet considered his owne body which was nowe dead being almoste an hundred yeares olde neyther yet that Sara was past chylde bearyng he staggered not at the promise of God thorough vnbeleefe but was strengthened in faith and gaue glorie to God being full assured that he whyche had promysed was able to do it and therfore it was imputed to him for righteousnes neuerthelesse it is not written for him onely that it was reckned to him for righteousnesse but also for vs to whom it shall be imputed for righteousnesse so that wee beleeue on him that raysed vp Iesus our Lorde from the dead who was deliuered to death for our sinnes and rose agayne for our iustification Thus S. Paule most pithyly expresseth the nature of true faith most contrary to the Papistes wauering doubt and their generall houeryng in the aire of an opinion knowing acknowledging suche a thing to be but true faith is a stedfast and confident application therof to our selues wherby we may be able to say vnto Christ with Thomas Dominus meus Deus meus My Lorde and my my God To say with Dauid Dominus salus mea quem timebo The Lorde is my saluation whome shall I bee afrayde of In te Domine speraui non confundar in aeternum In thee Lord haue I trusted I shall neuer bee confounded The Papistes call this a bolde presumption but God graunt vs to presume on this fashion as sayth S. Bernard Ego fidenter quòd ex me mihi deest vsurpo ex visceribus Domini quoniaÌ„ misericordia affluunt nec desunt foramina ê‘ quae effluaÌ„t That that I haue not of my selfe I will boldly vsurpe of the bowels of the Lord for bycause they flow in mercie neyther want they holes whereout they flow This boldnesse vsurpation is a good presumption It is a firme faith that shal stand like mount Sion and nor be moued It is buylt on the rock that no tempest 〈◊〉 ouerturâ—…e and not on the sands of mens workes that euery doubtefull waue shall tosse and shatter it no the gates of hell shall not preuayle against this faith Si ambulauero in medio vmbrae mortis If I walke in the middle of the shadowe of death I will not feare for thou art with mee sayth Dauid And therfore sayth S. Paule Iustificati ex fide pacem habeamus erga Deum Being iustified by faith let vs haue peace not doubt to Godwarde lette vs assure our selues of the loue and fauour of god Qui credit in filium habet testimoniuÌ„ in seipso He that beleueth in the sonne hath the witnesse in himselfe For when you beleued sayth
Faythe and take holde of Chryste No sayeth Christe hymselfe Hoc est opus Dei vt credatis in eum This is the worke of God that ye beleeue in hym whome hee hathe sente It is not your worke Donum Dei est It is Gods gift Then man hath nothyng at all in hym selfe not so mutche as to put out his hande and receyue this gifte excepte GOD geue hym this gyfte also to receaue it except God geue him this hand to put out howe can he put out that he hath not it muste needes bee then that those that receyue this gift the sonne of GOD are euen the elect of god Crediderunt quotquot praeoidinati fuerunt ad vitam aeternam Euen so many beleued as were ordeyned to eternall lyfe And further then thys we will not we dare not we can not wade howe soeuer the diuell the worlde the fleshe the Papists doo startle hereat but moste humbly lette vs prayse and magnifie God for this and saye with Christe Confiteor tibi pater c. I giue thee thankes O Father Lorde of Heauen and earth bicause thou haste hidden these thyngs from the wyse and prudent and haste opened them vnto babes it is so father bycause thy good pleasure was such It is not so bicause it was oure pleasure oure will oure merite our worke our preparatiue or any thyng in vs But GOD hath only of his mere mercyful loue begunne it wrought it and performed it in his choyse vessels of mercie thorough his onely begotten sonne oure Lorde and Sauioure Iesus Christe Thus haue I derely beloued in the lord a great deale to long I graunt deteined your pacience but the matter for me I hope wil pleade my pardon A matter of no lesse momente in it selfe than conteyning the weyghtiest poynts of our religion the chiefest controuersies of oure contention and all the causes of our saluation Neither myghte wee passe through these matters hauing to deale with suche crafty and warbling aduersaries so soone as the ordinarie time in this place dothe require but I haue presumed in this extraordinarie Sermon or rather was driuen thereto to driue out the time extraordinarily for the aduersaries to step their mouths and if it please God to win their harts also at least for our selues to confirme strengthen ours against all theyr cauillations Which effect that it may worke in them and vs let vs neuer forget this most worthie sentence So god loued the world that he gaue his only begotten sonne that all that beleue in him shold not perishe but haue eternall life Let vs remember all the foure parts into the which I deuided this sentence In the firste let vs seriously set before vs these two endes Euerlasting death and Euerlasting life Secondly these two parties God and the world chiefly considering the eternall purpose and election of God the first cause and originall of our saluation In the second parte let vs consider what moued God to elect vs to life euerlasting nothing in the world but all in him selfe euen only his owne mere loue Wherin remember withall howe greatly they haue abused you or rather abused God by little and litle in taking all from God and let vs render all to him from whose loue all procedes to vs In the third parte consider by what meanes god hath wrought it euen by Iesus Christ His only begotten sonne What a passing loue thys was surmounting all kindes of loue what an excellente gifte it was and how the Papists trode it vnder foote and let vs beware least we misuse this gifte by securitie of life as they by false doctrine dyâ—… deface it Laste of all let vs receaue thys gifte by faith the only meanes we take it by and take hede of them for in euery thing they haue shewed them selues to God and man vnfaithfull neither know they what faith meanes and therefore are they suche enemies of this doctrine that only a stedfast faithe apprehending The sonne of God doth make vs acceptable vnto the father But let vs leauing them to Gods iudgemeÌ„ts to come vpon them admit and beleue this his eternall truth and prayse God for these his vnspeakable mercies poured on vs in Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the father and the holy ghost three persons and one most perfecte and euerliuing Godhed be all prayse and glory now and for euer Amen FINIS 1. Cor â–ª 2. Luc. 14. Philip. 3. Prou. 2. Rom. 6. Ludouiâ—… Viues Eccl 7. 3. Reg. 2. Osee. 13. Rom. 6. Math. 16. Rom. 8. 1. Cor. 9. Matth. 20 Matth. 2â—… Mark 9. Luc. 16. Matth. 15. Iohn 14. Iohn 10. Ierem. 7. 2. Pet. â—… Matt. 22. Mat. 22. Luc. 12. 1. Peter 4. Hebr. 10. Apoc. 3. Matth. 24 Matth. 25. Matth. 10. 1 Iohn 5. â—… Ion. 2. 1. Iohn 2. Iohn 1 Mare 16. Legenda in vita S. Francis. Iohn 17. 1. Iohn 2. Matth. 7. Iohn 6. Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. Iohn 13. Iohn 5. 1 Cor. 6. Gen. 3. Gala. 6. Iohn 12 Iohn 17. Rom. 10 Marc. 16. Rom. 10. Gala. 3. Rom. 4. 1. Cor. 3. 1. Cor. 6. 1. Cor. 2. Lbi. 1. Dâ—… doct christiana 1. Tim. 2. Rom 9. Prouer. 15. Rom 9. Rom. 9. Matth. 26. Ephes. 1. Rom. 8. Aug li. 50. Homiliâ—…r Homili 17. Act. 9. Psalm 117 Phil. â—… Iohn 6. Iohn 17. Ephes. â—… Rom. 9. Ezech. 33. 1. Tim. 2. Matth. 23. Psalm 17. Exod. 6. Malach. 3. Rom. 〈◊〉 Hebr. 13. Exod. 3. 2 Cor. â—… Lâ—…c â—… Rom. 8. Psalm 13. 1. Tim. â—… Matth. 6. Matth. 5. â—… Tim. 3. Ierem 2. Iohn 4. Gen 3. Rom. 13. Esa 48 Prouer. 25 1 Pet 4. 1 Cor. 13. â—… Cor. 11. Matth. 22. Matth. 10. Iohn 8. 2. Cor. 6. Iohn 8. Matth. 4. 1. Iohn 2. Matth. 4. Luc. â—…2 Iob. 1. â—… Pet 5. Matth. 16. 2. Cor. 12. Iob. 13. Rom. 5. Rom. 8. 1. Iohn 3. Collos. 1. Marc. 8. 2 Reg. 6. Gen. 19. 4 Reg 6. 2. Tim 3. Luc 10. 2. Tim. â—… 2. Tim. 1. Rom. 3. Rom 8. Rom 4. Psalm 126 Rom. 11. Ezech. 16. Ezech. 16. Esai 1. 57. Gen 12. Iosu. 24. â—…sa 59. Act. 7. Rom. 5. Gal. 5. Rom. 3. Rom. 3. Rom 6. Gal. 3. Gen. 18. Rom. 7. Matth 7. Luc. 6. Iohn 15. Ephes. 1. 1 Cor. 2. Psalm 48 Psalme 31. 2. Cor. 2. Rom. 5. Ephes. 2. Rom. 7. Iacobi 1. Rom. 8. Rom. 7. Matth 12. Poueâ—…b 〈◊〉 Matth. 15. Ierem 17. Gen. 6. Gen. 8. Psalm 13. Pigghius de origin peccato Rom 5. 1. Iohn 3. Iob. 14. Psal. 50. Ruth 4. 1. Cor 7 â–ª Heb. 1â—… Iohn 3. Gen. 2. Rom. 5. Rom. 6. Iohn 8. Rom 8. Rom 8. Rom 5. Rom. 5. Rom. 8. 2. Tim 1. Gala. 3. Tit 3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…phes 2. Gala. 5. Ad 〈◊〉 lib. quâ—…st 2 De â—…ide operibus cap 14 â—… Thâ—…ss 2 Rom 9. 〈◊〉 13. 1. Cor. 2. Augu in Psal. 6â—… Psaâ—…m 1â—… Iob. 〈◊〉 Iohn 17. â—…xod 9. Rom 9. Psalm 77. Iud epist. Psalm 15. Gen 3. Heb. 12. Exod. 19. Iob