beleeue that For if sinne be the breaking of the law then without the law there is no sinne P. No but death is the hyre or wages of sinne and deathe executed hys power aforetymes from Adam vnto Moyses the minister of the lawe euen vppon those that had not yet sinned after the maner of Adam which mischeefe God remedied by sending the heauenly Adam of whome the former earthly Adam was a tipe and figure that like as the first Adā had brought in sin and death so this latter Adā shuld bring in forgiuenes of sinnes rightuousnes and consequently also euerlasting lyfe R. It may seeme scarse cōuenient that the olde Adam should be a figure of the new For he did hurt both him selfe by his sinne and his posteritie by his example and by the spreading forth of his sinne by discent of birth and all men doo euen yet still to this day feele the markes of that old offence that is to wit natural leawdnesse distrust feare hatred of god and other suche thinges But Christe is the fountaine and welspring of all good thinges and chaseth al terrour douting and naughtinesse out of our mindes and procureth vs Gods good fauour and welspring Furthermore what iust comparison can there be betweene the sin of Adam and the fauour of God recouered for vs againe by our Lord Iesus Christ P. Truly you haue hit the matter as it is in deede Howbeit although the similitude seme to disagree in the other parts and to match things repugnant togither yet is it not only like but also far greater in this point that as by that one mans fall very manye fell into the tyranny of death so the gyft and grace of God did ouerflovv sheade forth it selfe more abundantly vppon many through Iesus Christ R. Now I perceiue the matter more plainly lyghtsumly For eyther of thē as I see did conuey ouer a certen heritable right of his into mankind The old Adam conueyed ouer sin and death the second Adam Christ conueyed ouer rightuousnes lyfe grace attonement Or if it be lawful to match the greatest things with the smallest God seemeth to haue incoūtered as it were hand to hand with Satan and to haue vtterly cut vp and ouerthrowen his kingdome that is too wit sinne and death and moreouer to haue deliuered Adā frō his tiranny to haue tryumphed and set vp a monument of victorie in grace ryghtuousnesse and euerlasting lyfe by his owne most deare beloued son P. After that you haue moost fitly noted vvhat is peculiar too be eyther of the Adams vvhat is common to them both novv it seemeth meete to be considered that there is great oddes betweene the afterdeele which the first Adam brought mankinde vnto by his fault and the vnmeasurable grace that is broughte vs by the heauenly Adam Christ For by the one sinne of the first Adam al men fell in danger of damnation But now the release of many sinnes is befalne vnto men by the benifyte of Christ who pardoneth the misdooings of thē that beleue and giueth them the spirite of true ryghtuousnesse R. Truly I am throughly perswaded of these things For albeit that all the vyces that euer were are or shall be doo spring out of that one offence as out of the verie well head yet notwithstanding there is offered vs so great and so vnconsumable a treasure of all goodnesse and vertue in Christe that wee be no more in any perill eyther of that originall sinne or of any of all the fruites thereof For all that fountayne of sinfulnesse shal be drawen dry by the diuine power of Christ and by the presence of his spirite But what remedie shewe you for death P. Verily euen a readie one Death reigned ouer all men subdued them to his tyrannie by one mans most heinous offence But they that receiue the full measure of Gods grace and the gift of righteousnes shall much more reigne in life thrugh one namely Iesus Christ R. O noble victorie whereby Satan his kingdome and death it selfe and all the rest of our enemies are ouercome by the heauenly Adam our Captayne and Emperour P. But to the intent we may at length make an ende of the comparing of the two Adams togither thus standeth the case Like as by one mans fault and offence condemnation was spred ouer all men so also by one mans righteousnes wherthrough we be made rightuous the benefite and gift also was bestowed vpon all men to iustifie them and to restore them to the spiritual life For like as by one mans disobedience many became gyltie of disobedience so also by one mans obedience many shall be made rightuous R. Surely Paule I am maruelously delighted with these your trim comparisons wherin to my seming you haue comprehended the whole state of christiā religion Which order of dealing would God that all such as will iustly be counted Christes disciples would follow and leaue all curious disputations To bee short I beare this in minde euer shall that all euils are to be fathered vpon the first Adam and all good things vppon the last But I can not tell what a bone you leaue me to gnawe vpon For seeing you attribute all thinges to Gods grace and mercy set foorth to vs in his Christe I see not to what purpose or vse the Lawe shoulde any more serue but to accuse vs and to bewray our sin and to prouoke vs to sin more more P Of the lawe and of his offices wee will speake more at length heereafter For this present thinke you it inough that the law stepped in to thintent that sinne might abound be more plainly discerned of men who were so blinde that they coulde scarse perceiue the shamefulnes of their sinnes And yet notwithstāding it came to passe thrugh Gods grace that the more that sinne abounded and grew strōg the more also did Gods goodnes and mercy ouer abound that like as sin had reigned to the death destruction of mankind so also grace might reigne through righteousnes vnto eternal life that by the meanes of our Lorde Iesus Christe the purchaser of mans saluation R. Sir you haue hitherto discoursed many thinges notably well concerning the free righteousnes wherwith god indued the beleuers Howbeit forasmuche as many men as I said at the beginning do take libertie occasion of sinning bicause the Lord doth lay forth the treasure of his grace to all men by his Gospell not only not imputeth not their sins to the beleeuers but also poureth the spirit of righteousnes into them as though the praise of gods mercy grew out of the multitude of sinnes therfore if I may be so bold as to take their person vpon me I demaund of you whether it be lawfull for the iustified sort to continue licētiously in sinning Chapter 6.1 either bicause men are frayle and subiect to corruption or to the intent that Gods grace may appeare more and more P. God
preferment aboue others euen in that respect But what booteth the lawe except yee keepe it both with an earnest mind in excellent deedes R. But the hope and saluation of the Iewes is grounded vpon many other thinges P. Who knoweth not that the Iewes are wont to hunt for glory by as yee would say the proprietie peculiarity of god But that is altogither vayne except a man imbrace the same God with al his hart mind by liuely faith Agein I know they are woÌ„t to professe brag of a certen wonderfull knowledge of Gods will but that knowledge neuer doth a man any good except he frame all his doings according to Gods will R. But the law of God is of gret force in working choyce of good and euill P. In deed it is certen that the difference of things is very vvell perceiued and discerned by that lavv But that is not the only thing that Gods word requireth it will also haue men to learne the true vvorshipping of God by the same Therfore although I graunt that the Ievves are able to discerne good froÌ„ bad by the helpe of the lavve yet doo they not in all points obserue Gods coÌ„maundementes R. I pray you Paule suffer me to take the person of the Iews vpon me and to mainteine their cace Thus do I reason with you I bestow my labour lustely in opening of gods laws in teaching theÌ„ in persuading men to frame their maners life according to the appointment therof I shew my self a strait ouerseer in corecting of other meÌ„s vices let slip no part of my duty What desire you more P. Me think I do now see either some Doctor or Gamaliel himselfe at vvhose hand I lerned the lavv of Moses vvhen I vvas a yong man Whom I intende to talke vnto in these vvordes Thou most excellent doctor of the Lavv puttest thy trust in this that thou art able to be a guide to the blinde that thou sheadest forth light to other mens darknes that thou teachest the ignorant and finally that thou art a perfect wise man Hovv then coÌ„meth it to passe that thou teachest others and teachest not thy selfe That thou counselest other men not to steale wheras notwithstanding thou intanglest thy self with theft Again that wheras thou tellest men that they must not commit adultrie thou thy selfe not only hauntest common harlots brothels but also comittest adultrie And finally as though it were a light crime to offende thy neibour doest also prouoke God with thy wickednes For thou criest out against the worshipping of Idols and in the meane while defilest thy selfe vvith most shamefull trecherie to Godvvarde Novve vvhat a shame or pride is this that you should professe your selues to be al on fire with vnmeasurable zeale of gods law when as notwithstending ye breake the law so shamefully and vnshamefastly R. If any of them should heare these wordes he woulde out of doubt cracke and burst a sunder in the middest Howbeit that perchance so great naughtines and dishonestie be scarse to be founde in those Doctors and Phariseis For although they liue not so chastly as would become them yet they offende more warely than yee would wishe and their cloking of things is so clenly that they can not be taken tardie with their faults if any be in them P. That is true in deede but the eyes of gods minde are sharpersighted than Linceus neither is any thing so hidden or secrete whiche is not open and vncouered vnto him Let them pretende as great a countenance of godlinesse honestie as they list and yet if there be any vncleanesse God seeth into it notwithstaÌ„ding that euen their very dedes if you loke wisely vpon them are seene to be defiled vvith moste filthy vices Therevpon spring those complayntes and accusations of the Prophetes vvhen they crye oute that Gods most holy name is flaundered and diffamed diffamed amonge the forrein nations through the wicked dooinges of the Iewes as Ezechiel and Esay and other of Gods prophets do witnesse R. I yeeld to the truth and I confesse that all sorts of men are subiect to very greeuouse errors and that not euen the Iewes are to bee exempted oute of the same number but are rather woorthie of sore blame if they will needs be counted holie in shew onely and not be holie in very deede But what thinke you of circumcision Do ye dout whether it be of sufficient ability to skoure awaye all spots of sin as the Iewes auowch For it was ordeyned of God himselfe as a certeine peculiar badge of Gods people and it wanteth not most greeuous paine of letting blud finally it is the expresse seale wherby it may appeare that the maker of the whole woorlde is the father of the Iewes that the Iewes likewise are his children Otherwise circumcision were too no purpose vnlesse the Iewes were to be preferred before all other nations by that prerogatiue and that it were a most sure pledge of their saluation P. I am glad that we be come by little â—nd little as it were by degrees to his â—oynt of shewing that the circumcised â—ewes shoote farie wide from the true â—arke of circumcision whereof we will â—peake more largely heereafter when â—e treat of the iustifying of Abraham But if it be so that circumcision be the couenaunt whereby God couenanteth to become the God of the Iewes for euer indentinge with the circumcised that they shall yelde him such obedience as it becometh children to yelde then doth it folow of consequence that circumcision was of greate valewe in Moyses lawe so farre foorth as Gods law and ordinance were obeyed specially seeing that the sayde cutting off of the peece of fleshe or foreskin was a signe of Gods foresaid couenauÌ„t Contrariwise it foloweth also that circuÌ„cisioÌ„ boted those nothing at all which brake the coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„ts of the law but rather that their circuÌ„cisioÌ„ was turned into vncircumcisioÌ„ that is to say that the Iewes the whiche were but pared in the flesh onlye were reckened in the same state and degree that the Greekes or Gentiles were vvhich are vnpared Yet notvvithstaÌ„ding I denie not but that they which held the true vse of circumcisioâ— did also reape most pleÌ„teous fruit therby as vvho had both kept the Lavv and also conceyued in their minde a sure trust of Gods mercy for the which only they beleeued that their sinnes vvere forgiuen them and thervpon tooke to them the seale and warrant of circumcision wherby the forgiuenesse of their sinnes vvas sealed vp And let these things bee spoken not to imbace the dignitie of circumcision ordeyned of god but to beate dovvne the pride of the Ievves vvho euen for the bare circuÌ„cisions sake thought theÌ„selues worthy to be adopted to be gods children R. Welneare the same errour seemeth to haue caught holde vpon the Christians among whom there are many to be found nowadayes whiche trust no lesse to the outward baptim of the elementall
vnto hym that woorketh wages is gyuen of duetie and not of revvarde But too hym that woorketh not but beleeueth in hym that maketh the offender gyltlesse hys firme and stedfaste fayth is imputed for innocencie For if a manne haue deserued and earned a thing by his owne labour trauell and paynes taking his obteyning of it is not a rewarde or free gyfte but a ryght and duety But if a man do not the things wherby he may deserue which is most truely verefied of man but doth so perceiue tast feele Gods goodnesse and louing kindnesse that he beleeueth himselfe to be taken for giltlesse before him through his meere mercy without any worke of his owne vnto him is innocency gyuen freely as a rewarde and not as a duety and hys stedfast trusting to the iustifier is reckened to him for ryghtuousnesse and innocency R. I agree fully to this reason For the thing that is freely bestowed vppon any man is not to be taken for a wages or desert but must be ascribed to Gods goodnesse Moreouer the same fayth for the which God rewardeth vs with rightuousnesse is sheaded into our harts by God himselfe and that of his owne mere free liberallitie and good wyll withoute respect of any desert at all whereof the wretched sinners might by any meanes brag or boast But haue you any more to say yet of the same matter P. Behold moreouer the euident authoritie of the kingly Prophet whiche shevveth the blessednesse of the man whose sinnes God forgiueth giueth him his owne righteousnes Psa 32.1 Blessed are they saith he whose iniquities are released and the filthines of whose sinnes are couered Blessed I say is he to whō God imputeth not his sinnes As for the residue conteyned in that Psalme you your selfe shall wey it aduisedly and apply it to this matter R. How fowlly then are they ouersene which surmise so many kindes of happinesse and blessednesse and write so sundrie sawes of it And to let passe the Philosophers how wicked ought those godly and how foolish ought those wise mē to seeme who vpon a conceite of I wot not what a kind of blessednesse refuse no paynes too make satisfacion for their sinnes whereas notwithstanding the said diuine Prophet protesteth that they be released forgiuen men of gods only meere goodnesse And not onely that but also to the intēt that mens drooping harts should be chered vp more more he affirmeth that they be after a sort concealed and hidden and ouerpassed least they myght at any tyme come into the sight of the angry iudge And how farre doth this maner of hyding sinnes differ from the maner that Adam vsed Gen. 3.2 when he would haue hidden his wickednesse from God with fig leaues if it had bene possible For he would haue hidden him self with things that grew in the fields But God clotheth his with Christes rightuousnesse Rom. 13.14 which is a most glorious garment or rather with Christ him self And if your leysure would suffer you to open all the other parts of that Psalme O how great comfort would it bring to mens minds For they that are to be registred in the number of those blessed men must be voide of al guile disceite and flee to Gods mercy whereby they hauing the filthinesse of their sinnes wiped away and hauing gotten the righteousnes of faith must apply al their indeuer to leade a godly righteous conuersation among men I let passe the residue of the notable things there Nowe that our talke may returne to our purpose this is to be cōsidered whether the saide blessednes befel vnto Abrahā before circumcisiō And againe whether this blessednes belong only to the circumcised or may be offered to the vncircumcised also seing you haue auouched that Abrahams faith was accepted for righteousnes Tel also plainly whether the said imputation and iustification were done in vncircumcision or in circumcision P. Surely he receiued not that benefite in circūcision but when he was yet vncircūcised then did the moste deere father vtter his good will mercy fauor towards him bestowed righteousnes vpō him Gen. 17.11 For so doo the holy scriptures most plainly shewe which tell vs that circūcisiō was appointed to Abraham in stede of a cognisance or badge as a pledge of the righteousnesse of faith wherewith he was indued euen at such time as he was yet vncircumcised that he might be counted the father of all beleeuers and euery vncircumcised person might by his example hope that his owne faith shall be reckened to him for righteousnesse R. Forasmuche then as Abraham was iustified fowrteene yeeres before he was circumcised it appereth that circumcision was not the cause of his iustifying for it followed his iustifying but rather the seale of it so that the Israelites may easely espie their owne errour in attributing so muche to the cutting off of a little peece of fleshe Esa 1. Psal 50. as who should say that God did set so muche store by the Ceremonies though he him selfe ordeyned them when they be voyde of true and liuely fayth And yet notwithstanding me thinks that some Christians do fondly follow the same errour who haue no Christianitie in them sauing that they were dipped in the clenzing water in the name of Christ Furthermore if Abraham when he was yet vncircumcised was so dearely beloued and accepted of God for his only faith howe cheerefull mindes and how assured hope ought all the vncircumcised Gentiles to haue if almightie God voutchsafe of his infinite mercie to bestowe the most excellent gift of righteousnesse vpon them Nay rather euen heereby it appeareth that the pride of the Iewes is in no wise blerable who standing vpon the reputation of their onely circumcision disdaine the poore Gentiles and would keepe them off from entring into euerlasting saluation For it is nowe more euident than the daylight that saluation belongeth no lesse to the Gentiles than to the Iewes inasmuche as Abraham was iustified that is to say was taken into the number of Gods children when he was yet a Gentile P. But by the way you must remember that Abraham is the father of all beleuers And forasmuch as he is so he is to be counted the father of the Israelites also yea of the circūcised howbeit but of those which not only are borne of him by fleshly discent but also do followe the footesteps of his fayth which he had before he was circumcized R. Hereby doth gods wōderful goodnes louingkindnes towards all mankinde shine forth most of al in that it imbraceth both Iewes Gentiles setting all as a certen pattern for eyther of them to fashyon their mynds vnto by following both his beliefe giuen to gods promises and also his singular awfulnesse and obedience togither with his contempt of all worldly things and all other his excellent vertues betokened by the signe of circumcision But yet me thinkes I sticke in the mire forasmuche as I am
haue not obeyed as now that they mighte attayne to mercy throughe the mercie that god hath bestowed vpō you For god hath suffered bothe the peoples that is to say all the posteritie of Adam to be shut vp in disobedience for this purpose most highly by al meanes too bee honored namely that he mighte lay foorth the treasures of his mercifull goodnes by hauing compassion on all R. Surely this purpose and determination of God is worthy of singular admiration and reuerence as which surmounteth the wisdome and vnderstanding of men For by this meanes is his diuine grace vttered which shoulde not haue bene so manifest if he had eyther broughte all at once together into the beginning or saued the Iewes without this breaking of as yee might terme it But by what reasons I pray you can it be proued that this was Gods eternall purpose and ordinance P. O my brother these secrets of gods mind are made manyfest to vs by their fallings out neither are to bee sifted with curious scanning but rather to be reuerenced with submission of minde For as ofte as I thinke of these matters and I thinke of them oftētymes I am compelled as a man rauished out of his wits to cry out after this maner O the deepe riches of Gods wisedome and knowledge How vnsearchable are his iudgements Sa. 9. 13. Esa 30.13 and his doings past finding out Hathe euer any man knowen the mind of the Lorde Hath euer any man bin of counsell with him Who hathe don him a good turne afore hande that he may de requyted with lyke kindnes Surely of him and by him are all things at him do all thinges 1. Co. 2.16 and as at their ende To him alone be glory for euer Amen R. Heere as I suppose you make an ende of the treatise of fayth whiche reacheth the maner of obteyning true rightuousnes and maketh the beleuers sure of Gods election Henceforth I perceiue you giue precepts of framing the maners of such as are regenerated but in what order you do it I am vtterly ignorant P. Forasmuch as mans state is to be considered two waies that is to vvit in priuate when he dealeth but vvith himselfe or in publike when he dealeth with others and that eyther in the cōmon welth or in the congregation of the faithfull hereout of spring twoo or rather three sorts of precepts Therfore first I exhort the godly to diligent tryal of themselues that they may so much the better apply themselues to the exercises of the vertues which Christians haue neede to continue in And for asmuche as it is not ynough for a godlye man to be garnished vvith vertue and honest behauiour excepte he vtter his godlinesse before others by example of lyfe when neede requireth Therefore I do secondly admonish your countrimē that they despise not the authoritye of their magistrats vnder pretence of christian liberty Moreouer bycause I herd ther was strife amōg you about things indifferent about the ceremonies of Moyses law I set downe certeine rules whereby both parties as vvell Ievves as Gentyles may vvalke with a good conscience before God maintein peace trāquillitye with their brethren To be short in this second part of mine Epistle ye haue preceptes of maners of gouernement and of churchmatters if you list so to terme them R. A very true order surely and verye nedefull for our cōgregatiō For welnere all men now adaies do thinke words to be godlines therefore do vaunt forth the profession of the Gospel rather with pratling which they call eloquēce than with honest behauiour and examples of life P. Those mē do I cheefly speake vnto Ch. 12.1 where I wryte vnto you in these words Therfore my brethren if you will be of the chosen sort haue receiued christs spirit I warne you for gods mercy sake that you make your callīg sure by good works And first of al I besech you offer vp vnto God not dum beasts any more after the maner of the Iewes but your ovvne bodies euen your owne selues I say your owne beastly affections as a liuing holy and acceptable sacrifice to god that your seruice may be reasonable spirituall in the sight of his diuine maiesty who delyteth not now at all in the slaughter sacrifising of dū beasts R. Truely Paule this is a shorte precept in woordes but harde to be vnderstode and most hard to be performed aryght P. If these alludings to the sacrifices of the olde law seeme hard to your vnderstanding I vvill shew you the meaning of my mynde in plainer woordes The thing that I desire is that you shuld nother in wordes consent nor in deedes fashion your selues lyke to the woorld or to such kynd of men as you see to be giuen vp to vngodlinesse and wicked dealing Ep. 5.10 but rather be chaunged and transformed by the renevving of your mynd For to chaunge a mans apparell dyet place or trade of liuing it is not so harde a matter but to follovv on continually vvith the reneuing of his mynd lyke as it is paynefull I vvill not say ouer hard so is it a most acceptable kind of sacrifice vnto God I let passe that is the fittest schole for men to try fynde out what Gods vvill is in what maner of goodnesse he delighteth and vvhat is perfect and acceptable in his sight For mans reason destitute of heauēly light is blynder than a betle to iudge of these things R. Vndoubtedly there spring vp dayly many and great braules among vs about these spirituall matters For there are some that will needes be all and alwaies ouerpeere and outface other men by hooke or by crooke so attainted with pryd and statelynesse of mynde that they wyll needes be sisters of all other men and appoynt all men what they shall do or not do P. You tell me of very ydle men and such as are to buisy in other folks matters Haue they so good leysure from their ovvne buisinsse at home that they may care for other mens affayres But I according to the charge of admonishing you which God hath giuen me do say vnto you not too one or twaine but to euerye one of you let none of you talke more vppon him than becōmeth him but let him so take vpon him as he maye be sene too be sober Let euerye man serue the church according too the meane and measure of faithe which god hath giuen him and bestowed vpon him For lyke as in one body we haue many mēbers and all the members haue not one office Eph. 4.4 so vvee beeing many are one body in Christ seuerall mēbers one of a nother Nother is it for any one mā to take vppon him to be the whole body to do to rule al things amōg you after his own liking R. Would God these light wits were away frō among vs. For with their inconstancy and lightnes they turmoyle confound all
than the otheâ— Patriarks of Alexandria Antioche buâ— that the Bishop of Rome which nowe adayes calleth al things backe to himself is no Bishop at al no nor so much as an elder except he do his duty in ministring the Sacraments and in instructing admonishing and teaching the people That God is the creator of al things God beeing singular good and almightie created all things bothe visible and inuisible by his coeternal word and also preserueth the same by his coeternal spirite according as Dauid witnesseth saying Psal 33. by the word of god the heauens were made and all the power of them by the breath of his mouth And al thinges that God made were as sayth the Scripture exceeding good and made for the vse and commoditie of man and I say that all those thinges proceeded from one beginning Therefore I condemne the Manichees Marcionites which did wickedly surmise two substances natures the one good the other bad likewise two beginnings two coÌ„trary gods one good another naught Of Prouidence I beleue that al things both in heauen earth in al creatures are mainteined gouerned by gods wisdome Psa 139. For Dauid witnesseth saith the lord is high aboue al natioÌ„s his glory aboue the heauens Who is like the lorde our god who hath his dwelling on hye and yet stoupeth to loke vpon the things that are in heaueÌ„ and earth The same man saith againe vnto god Thou hast forsene al my ways For there is not a worde in my toung which thou knowest not euery whit O Lorde Also Paule witnesse the same and saith by him we liue Act. 17. moue and be And of him by him and in him are all thinges Most truely therefore and according to the scriptures Rom. 12. doth Austin in the eyghte chapter of his booke concerning Christs Agonie say the Lord said are not twoo sparrowes solde for a farthing and one of them lighteth not vppon the grounde without the will of your father In saying so he ment to shew that euen the thing whiche men take to be vilest are gouerned by the Lords almighty power Ma. 10. For after the same maner doth the truth say Ma. 6. that he feedeth the birdes of the aâ—re and clotheth the lyllies of the feeld and also keepeth iust account of the heares of our heades Of the Angells both good and bad I admit with the right beleuing church that among all thinges created Angells and men are the cheefe the scripture of God pronounceth of the Angels that he made his Angels spirits his ministers a flame of fyre And againe are they not al ministring spirits sent forth to do seruice for them that shal be heires of saluation And the Lord Iesus himselfe witnesseth of the Diuill that he was a murtherer from the beginning John 8. and stode not in the truth bycause there is no truth in him When he speaketh a lye he speaketh of his owne for he is a Lyer and the father of lyes Therfore we teache that of the Angels some abode still in obedience and are appointed to the faithfull seruice of God and man and that othersome fell of their owne accord and were throwen downe into destruction and are become enemies of all goodnesse and of al faithfull men Of mans creation Concerning man and creation I beleue the doctrine of the scripture that at the first he was created good after the Image and lykenesse of God and the God did set him in Paradice Gen. 2. put all things in subiection to him Which thing Dauid coÌ„meÌ„deth mightily in the eyght Psalme Also he gaue him a wife and blessed theÌ„ And I say that man consisteth of twoo dyuerse substaÌ„ces in one persone namely of an immortall Soule and a mortall body Of the state of Innocency or of the originall ryghtuousnesse of our firste fathers and of their fall God made man at the beginning after the Image of God in true ryghtuousnesse and holynesse good and ryghtuous but by the inticement of the Serpent and by hys owne faulte he fell awaye from goodnesse and ryghtuousnesse and became subiect to sinne death and sundry calamities And suche as he became after his fall such are al the spring of him namely euen subiect to sin death and sundry calamities Of Sinne I vnderstoode Sin to be the natiue corruption of man deryued and spred abroade into vs all from those oure firste parents wherethrough we be plunged in lewd lustes and turned away from goodnesse but forewarde to all euill and full of all naughtinesse as distrust contempte and hating of God can do no good of oure selues no nor once thinke any But rather the more we growe in yeeres the more do we bring forth corrupt frutes meete for an euill tree in our thoughtes and words and deedes done lewdly against Gods law In which respect being through our own desert subiect to Gods wrathe we be put vnder iust punishmentes in so muche that we shoulde all of vs haue bin cast of from God if Christe oure deliuerer Mat. 12. Gen. 14. in whom mankinde whiche els was lost was restored againe had not brought vs to him againe Of death the wages of Sinne. Therfore by death I meane not onely bodily death whiche we must all of vs once suffer for oure sins sake but also the endlesse punishments due to our sinfulnes and corruption Eph. 2. For we were deade saith the Apostle in oure offences and sins and we were the children of wrath as others are But God who is riche in mercie quickened vs with Christ when we were dead through our sins Rom. 5. Againe like as by one maÌ„ sin entred into the world death by sin so also death passed into al men inasmuch as al men haue sinned Of originall sin and of the cause of sinne I acknowledge that there is original sin in all men and I acknowledge that all other sins which spring thereof are called sins and are sins in very deede by what name so euer they be called whyther deadly or veniall Mar. 3. or the sinne that is called the sin againste the holye Ghost which is neuer forgiuen Also I confesse that all sins are not equall though they spring all out of one fountaine of corruption and vnbeleefe 1. John 3. but that some are greuouser than othersome according as the Lord hath sayd that it shal be easyer for Sodome and Gomor Math. 10 than for the city that refuseth the word of the Gospell Therfore I condemne all suche as haue taughte contrarye heereto and specially Pelagius and all Pelagians and Iouianistes who with the Stoikes make all sins a lyke heynouse In this cace I am fullye of opinion with Sainte Austin who alledged his matters out of the holy scriptures and defended them by the same Furthermore I condemne Florinus and Blascus and all suche as make God the author of sin Psam 5. against whom
helper But none can be helped but he which doth somewhat The Manichies bereeued man of all dooing and made him as a stocke or a stone Secondly I make that in the regenerated there remayneth infirmitie For asmuche as sin dwelleth in vs and the fleshe fyghteth againste the spirite in the regenerated euen to the ende of our lyfe the regenerated performe not their purposes altogyther withoute incomberance These thinges are confirmed by the Apostle in the seuenth to the Romanes and in the fift to the Galathians And therfore that freedome of oure wyll is weake by reason of the dregges of the olde Adam and of the corruption that is bred and borne with man and remayneth in vs euen to the ende of our lyfe Notwithstanding for asmuch as the strength of the fleshe and the remnants of the old man are not so effectuall as vtterly to quenche the working of Gods Spirite therefore the faithfull are saide to be free but yet so as they acknowledge their owne weakenesse and boast not at all of the freedome of their will For the faithfull must euer beare in minde this saying which Saint Austin harpeth vpon so muche out of the Apostle Mar. 11. what hast thou which thou hast not receyued and if thou haue receyued it why bostest thou as though thou haddest not receyued Moreouer the thing that I had determined doth not foorthwith come to passe For the fallings out of things are in gods hand And thervppon S. Paule prayeth the Lord to prosper his iourney Rom. 1. Therefore euen in that respect mans freewill is weake Neuerthelesse no man denieth but that bothe the regenerated and the vnregenerated haue freewill in outwarde things For man hath this propertie common to him with all other liuing things to whome he is not inferiour namely to will some things and to nill other some So can he speake or holde his peace and goe abrode or tarie at home howbeit that euen in this behalfe an eye must always be had to Gods power whiche caused that Balaam coulde not attayne to the mark that he shot at nor Zecharie speake as he woulde haue done when he came out of the Temple In this case I condemne the Manichees which denie that mans freewill when he was good was the beginning of euill vnto him Also I condemne the Pelagians which say that an euill man hath sufficient free will to do a good commaundement For they be disproued by the holy scripture which sayth vnto the one sort God made man righteous and vnto the other if the sonne make you free then are you free in deede Of the true iustification of the righteous By the worde Iustifie the Apostle in his discourse of iustification Rom. 8. betokeneth the forgiuing of sinnes the acquiting of men from gilt and punishment the receyuing of them into fauour and the pronouncing of them to be righteous For the Apostle sayth to the Romanes It is God that iustifieth who shal then condemne There Iustifying is matched agaynst Condemning Act. 13. And in the Acts of the Apostles the Apostle sayth By Christe the releasing of your sinnes is preached vnto you and of all the thinges from which you could not be iustified by the Lawe of Moyses by him is euery one that beleeueth iustified For in the Lawe and the Prophets also we reade in this wise Deu. 25. If variance rise betweene man and man and they come to iudgement let the iudges iudge them and let them iustify the ryghtuos and condemne the vngodly And in the fift of Esay it is sayde woo be to them that iustify the vngodly for rewardes Nowe it is most certeyne that by nature all of vs are sinners and vngodly and cast and conuicted of wickednesse and condemned to die before Gods iudgement seate and that we be iustifyed that is to say released or set free from sin and death by God the iudge onely for Christes sake and not for anye desert or respect of oure owne For what is more manifest than this saying of Saint Paules Rom. 3. All men haue sinned and are destitute of Gods glorie but are iustified freely through his grace by the redemption that is in Christe Iesus For Christ toke vppon him the sins of the worlde and toke them away and satisfied Gods Iustice God therfore only for Christes passion and resurrections sake is mercifull to oure sins and layeth them not to oure charge but imputeth Christs ryghtuousnesse vnto vs as oure owne so as henceforth we be not onely clensed and purged from oure sinnes or made holie but also rewarded withe Christes ryghtuousnesse 2. Cor. 5. Rom. 4. and so consequently set free from sin death or condemnation and finally made ryghtuous and heires of the endlesse lyfe Therefore to speak properly only God iustifieth vs and onely for Christes sake doth he iustifie vs not imputing our owne sins vnto vs but imputing vnto vs Christs rightuousnesse Rom. 3. And bycause we receiue this iustification not by any workes but by trust in Gods mercy and in Christ therfore I teache and beleeue with the Apostle that the sinner is iustifyed by onely fayth in Christ and not by the law or by any workes For the Apostle sayth Rom. 4. I am of opinion that a man is iustified by fayth without the deedes of the law Againe if Abraham were iustifyed by workes he hathe whereof to boast but not before God Gen. 15. For what sayeth the scripture Abraham beleeued God and it was reckened vnto him for rightuousnesse Now vnto him that worketh not but beleueth in him that iustifieth the vngodly his faith is imputed to him for rightuousnesse And againe you be saued by grace through fayth that not of yourselues but it is gods gift Not by works least any man shoulde glory Ephe. 2. For asmuche then as fayth receyueth Christ our righteousnesse and imputeth all things to Gods free fauour in Christ therfore is iustification fathered vpon fayth howebeit for Christes sake and not bicause it is our worke for it is the gifte of God But that we receyue Christ by fayth the Lorde himselfe sheweth by many words in the sixth of Iohn where he putteth eating for beleeuing and beleeuing for eating For like as we receiue foode by eating so doo wee participate of Christe by beleeuing Therefore I deuide not the benefite of Iustification partly to Gods grace or to Christ and partly to our selues or to our owne charitie and works or to our owne deseruing But I attribute it wholly to Gods free fauor in Christ by fayth Besides this our loue and works could not please God if they were done of vs beeing yet vnrighteous and therefore it behoueth vs to be first iustified before we can loue or doo good works But we be iustified as I sayde afore by fayth in Christe through the onely grace of God who imputeth Christes ryghtuousnesse to vs and not our owne sinnes and consequently imputeth oure beleeuing in Christ vnto