pareÌ„thesis although meÌ„ might by grace be without syn it is so rare a byrde as was ne neuer shal be sene but only christ as the scripture Austen affirme it Nowe haue I shewed it to you clerely by scriptures yours as it were the skar and mater of originall syn to be no skar but sinne it self ne to be none so healed a wounde but that we must be regenered of the spirit and taught by the baptisme of water to mortifie that concupiscence that it is in mortifying neuer mortified tyl at the last breath out of our bodies Paul him selfe al faithfull felt this coÌ„cupiscence dwelling in theÌ„ striuing against the renouacion of y e spirit whiles they lyued It is therefore so blody and so skabby a skar in the soule that it is euer in cure in the wouÌ„ded half dead half a liue whoÌ„ the samaritane committed to the inholder luc â–ª x. and not so cleaue a skar as ye go about to cure it by baptism And so maister Ioye to returne to our mater yf ye wolde for policie fle from the worke of loue to the work of faith because ye wolde be assewred ye be no more assewered in respect by your own worke by faith then ye be by charitie but all oure asseweraunce is in gods promise quia deus verax omnis homo mendar No my lorde I fly not froÌ„ the work of loue to the worke of faith as ye do froÌ„ faith to loue thei both flyinge froÌ„ you But I do enbrace them bothe But in the worke of my iustificacion I obserue the order and doctryne of the scripture onely by faith to be iustified and so to procede to y e workes of loue first assewered by my faithe which assewerance loue can not geue me into Christe that he hath forgeuen me my sinnes Nether speke I of any other asseweraÌ„ce by my nowne works as ye wolde falsely impinge it vnto me but onely by the worke of faith into Christe which is not my worke but gods worke and his gift in me But I spake plainly of faith it self which is the very self certitude vndouted adseweraunce ioined to gods infallible promise sealled with his holy sprit my pledge pant and ernest peny geuen me in Christs promyse with which my faith thus sealed I am assewered of my remission and saluacion thorow hope But all our adsewerance say you is in gods promise Ioye But what asewerance haue ye in gods promise except ye beleue it Euen here haue ye condempned your self and of purpose left out faith the assewered certitude of gods promise and not charite ye wil vtter the trwth and bewraye your self vnwares the infallible prouidence of God so bringinge into light by your selues the same thinge ye contende to kouer and to suppresse For this my former boke ayenst you I dare saye ye wold haue punished him y t shuld haue brought it first into the realme and now haue ye made lawes y t none siche bokis be openly redde ne solde in the realme but haue condempned them And yet hathe God so blindened and infatuated you in your own false tyranye as to make your self to printe the same boke agene and yet agen to to be openly frely redd w t yours and sold in the realme And for one secret C. by your own blynd procurement are there now openly a M. distributed in y e realme into many haÌ„des that neuer had theÌ„ before And therfore how soeuer ye and yours wyll test at it I wyll retourne to my common collet a prayer in the churche Omnipotens sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentuÌ„ ut mereamur assequi quod promiâ—tiâ— fac nos amare quod precipis Now I pray ye returne to it againe and into the popes portewes youre versicles litanies matens euensoÌ„g and misse to that yet prayethe in the same to merit to obtayne remission of sinnes and saluacion by their popish workes pardous and pilgrimages For in deed ye be drouen froÌ„ the scriptures and compelled as euerye man seeth to flye to your popysh portews and missale to begge your false and beggarly autorities to coÌ„firme your doutfull doctryne I dare saye yf ye had knowen the scriptures to haue confirmed it ye wolde neuer haue sought suche shiftes Wherfore the some of our helth beginneth continueth and is accomplysshed by gods mercye Quia neque volentis neque currentissed miserentis dei est so the seweraunce of our helth depeÌ„deth vpon gods promyse I am afrayde lest as ye iugled w t your bare beleife so wolde ye do with gods promise ye shuld haue therfore added to it saying playnely The asseweraunce of our helth dependethe vpon goddes promyse of remission saluacion in Christ apprehended by faythe Mary quod you and that is truthe And here you wyll clappe your handes extoll the strength of treuth Ioye yea and of fayth to As though we pharseis as ye saduces call vs wolt oppresse it The promise of god is all Et ideo ex fide say you Ioye And therefore oute of faithe saith Paule is the heretage geuen Geuen he saith and not deserued vt firma sit promissio that by grace and not by Wynchesters workes it be geuen that ferme and sewer myghte be the promise I think there was neuer haithen gentyle or Iewe that so spightfully and so blasphemously mocketh out gods holy word as here do you of a sette proposed malice sinning agenst the holy goste For here because ye shuld not erre of ignorance god hath suâ—fred you to fall into the place of S. Paul which vtterly conuinceth destroieth all your dampnable doctryne Here Paul setting the lawe against the promise of the gospel as one contrary to the tother in the acte of iustificacion maketh .vii. mighty arguments to proue onely faith w tout the workes of the lawe to iustifye because the rightwysnes of workis and of the lawe cannot stand togither For that as cometh to vs by the promise he saith it cannot come to vs out of the lawe but the heretage cometh to vs by the promise ergo not out of the lawe emonge the whiche arguments this is one If our iustificacion shulde depende of the works of the law no man were sewer of his iustificacion bothe for thimperfeccion of his works also for thimpossibilite of the lawe to be performed of maÌ„ And agen the lawe worketh wrath and maketh sinne the more breeme to abounde Onely that thinge iustifyeth which settleth maketh sewer and fast our consciences out of doute but that is the fre promise of God receiued by our faith not the werkis of the lawe wherfore our faith onely staid vpon gods fre and vndouted promise iustifyeth Then he argueth agen thus Euery fre merciable promise of god in christ to forgeue vs our sinnes is receiued by onely fayth our iustificacion is the free merciful promise of God in Christ wherfore it must
of that rocke of faith onely in him wold haue it called a bare foundacion al this your extenuacion of faith to make it youre material shaples faith I tell ye wyl not serue your popishe purpose the almighty power of gods euerlastinge worde preaseth to sore vpon ye for onely faith iustifyinge Ye coud neuer haue coÌ„tended in a more difficile yea impossible argument and mater to proue then not oneli faith to iustifye but charite to be concurrant ye shulde haue red it Hebreus .x. how Paul declareth his mynde and order of these giftis sayiÌ„ge and affirminge vs to come to our great priste Christ with pure herte in the certaintie and asseweraunce of faithe ourr hertis sprincled and theuil conscience put a waye the body wasshed with pure water we holdinge the confession of hope not waueringe for he is â—aithful which hath promised consider we one another into this enâ—e that we maye prouoke vs to loue to do good workis where ye see in what place fayth first standeth with hir proper seueral operacion wher hope with hirs and laste of al charite placed with hir workes whiche order of these .iii. giftis the scripture euery where obserueth placinge faith as the foundacion and rote of hope and charite of al other vertews so y t as Paule saithe what soeuer is not of faith is synne And here aftir your longe vain bablinge of faith y e bringeth knowlege and faith that hath not charite as though trwe faithe and knowledge contrarye to Isaye were not all one or were withoute charite and faithe not to geue lyfe but loue to be y e lyfe of y e iuste coÌ„trary to all the scriptures then ye wold haue youre onely onely ioyned to onely god not to faith As thoughe when the scriptures with y e doctors saye by onelye faith man is iustified thei wolde exclude god the principal cause efficient from our iustiâ—ication and remission whiche plasphemye to think who is so madde and brutish And to confirme your deuillish drift ye adde stoughtly And this iâ— the plaine teachinge and agreable with scriptures whiche muste be vnderstanden as one parte be consonante w t another without siche hacking as ye make of it But not one worde of scripture bring ye for your teaching ne agreablenes but lordly ye say Thus we must vnderstand them as though ye had y e same falsly vsurped autoritie ouer y e scripture our faith as hath your aÌ„tichristeÌ„ father of roÌ„e to coÌ„pel coÌ„mauÌ„d vs to beleue to vnderstaÌ„d what ye list which is y t vsurped powr honor aboue god wherof daniel and Paul speke For when Christ euer referred his doctryne to the lawe and prophetis yet will this blody beaste and hir whelpes compel men to beleue their false doctryne falser faithe for their owne popishe persons vsurped false autorite only God gaue abraham faith where with to beleue in him and charite wher with to loue him And abraham as he beleued in God so he loued him bothe to gither Ioy It is trwe if he coud do bothe at once with one acte Here haue ye condemped your self For fyrst ye saye God gaue Abraham faith to beleue in him And now as touchinge this firste gifte what saith the scripture credidit AbrahaÌ„ deo et imputatum est ei ad iusticiam Abraham beleued in God and it was imputed him vnto rightwisenes here ye se that same only acte of beleif in God to be rekened to him for his rightwysnes ere loue procedeth to hir proper worke for loue presupposeth the thinge knowne by faithe ere she canne loue it As your selfe saith within .xii. lyues before and that faith briÌ„ging knowledge must nedes procede loue and yet blyndely ye forgetting your self harpe still of this your onely vntewned stringe Charitie loueth ergo charitie iustifieth your selfe see it ye say and write it that faith loue being two distincte giftes muste nedes tende into two sondrye and distincte effectes and yet be ye so blynd that ye wolde violently make them concurrant into the one effecte of iustification And ye saye charitie iustifieth which speche of faith as to saye faith iustifieth offendeth your dilicate eares because I speake it As thoughe all lyke speches saue suche as come out of your mouth thorowe malyce and arrogancy yea and that so proudly shuld stinke as saith the psal lxxii vpon you I maruell ye sweat so sore with so many wordes for charitie to iustifye and haue so litle charite your selfe and lesse loue to faith iustifienge whiche is truth And as often as Paule nameth faith not speaking of loue so ofte and oftener speaketh Ioan in his pistles of charitie without mencion of faith If the often speaking of a thinge shulde proue so do Ioan speake as often of synne withoute mencion of faith as doth Paul of faith without mencion of loue I wonder ye shame not thus fondly to reason But shew vs where saith Ioan charitie iustifieth as oft as Paule saith by faithe we be iustified who seeth not by these your vain shiftes and febler weak arguments how falce is your parte when ye can neither by scripture nor reason proue it howe oft saith Paul in one chapter By faith all oure fathers haue deserued the testimonye of rightwisenes Then wolde ye by as fâ—nde a profe make it appere that charitie iustifieth because christ saith The father drawethe vs to him by faith which to make it somwhat like ye falsely expowne christs words by putting to your owne dreame saing that by loue we be drawne to Christ. But and if ye had red but two lynes forther ye shuld haue sene Christ to haue expowned himself sainge vs to be drawne and to come to him onely by faith thus concludinge Euerye man therfore that hath herd of my father and is lerned of him he cometh to me To hear of y e father the scripture expowneth it to beleue and to haue faith geuen vs of him as christ affirmed it to peter and as Paul declareth it faith to come of hearinge And therfore to hear of god and to be lerned of god and to beleue in him thorow christ be alone Paul calling it auditum fidei that is the hearing of faith or faith had by hearinge And turne to y e pistle to the hebrews and loke whether we come not first to God by faith ere we loue him ye had nede go studie the scripturs yet beter lerne to conferre y e places not thus to allege theÌ„ at rouers Ye say a litle before Thei muste be vnderstanden as one parte be coÌ„sonant to the other without hackinge as I make of theÌ„ but in so saing ye twich your selfe by the nose Yt here openli chop your hackinge knyfe into your own sower herbes with a false glose hackt into your owne potage For ye neuer obserued the context ne conference of the places which is a token but of a popish lerned
an euident profe that ye stand yet vpon his syde to bringe him in againe w t his firste faith of all as your bokes declare you writen for his parte and doctryne ageynst the popis enemies I knowe it reported of diuerse papistes that the pope is more be holden to you for so defendinge him withe your penne agenste his aduersaries then to any other of his cardinals and bishops And therfore ye may be glad of so high commendacions prayse and so good a reporte of the popes frendis But we y t be chrysten men vnder our moste noble kinge haue renounced the pope with his false first faith and falser doctryne wil not admitte this your popishe assercion That we muste haue this his firste faith of all to knowe what we shuld beleue For we knowe it by our vndouted assewered faith which is the knowlege of gods mercye towarde vs in christe geuen vs of god that y e holy byble is his vndowted euerlastinge worde and constantly we beleue all that is contayned ther in when we read or heare it althoughe your holy fathers autoritie had neuer so affirmed ne admitted it For by y e word of faith as paul calleth it faith is geueÌ„ vs not by y e false decrees of antichrist And our faith stayed vpon gods holy word is the selfe same knowlege of god in christe Ioan confirminge the same i. Ioan. v. sainge we be certainelye perswaded that the sonne of god is commen hath geuen vs mynde to know him which is the trueth and we are in y e truthe At laste sith the scriptures be y e thing whiche we shuld beleue and your first faith of all must go before the knoweledge of the scriptures to be beleued so must your first faith be ioyned to and sustained not vpoÌ„ the scriptures and worde of god but vpon mans worde But euery man is alyer both your holy father and you to ergo your first faith of al must nede stande vpon and be stayed with lyes Theâ— I asked doctour Barnes if a gentil felte hâ—m selfe moued to go heare a preaching or read some part of scripture whether wolde ye call it well done of him so to do or were it sinne because it were before fayth seing faith is of hearynge And he saide it was good c It is good as the heithen philosophers call their ciuil morall vertewes good and the popes scole bona ex or in genere or moraliter not ex fide y t is a good haithen dede But seinge we be entred into the Christen religion grounded vpon fayth iustifyenge I aunswer that he beyng as ye say a gentyle whiche is an idolater not yet beleuinge in christe his goinge his hearinge or readynge is naught and sinne before god though it apere good before men for the tre is yet euyll and vnto the vnpure synful saith Paule nothiÌ„g is cleane for his herte is not yet purified by faythe Wherfore as Paule saythe what is not of faith is synne But because ye saye he is moued I muste aske you farther whether thys mocyon telleth hym that hys haythen gentylysshe relygyon is false and dampnable and the christen religion to be the true waye to his saluacyon in Chryste which motion now thus conceiued by the spiryte of fayth I say this man goethe forth to heare the worde for the confirmation of his faith into chryste to be encreaced and more knoweledge of the same to be augmented thirsting his saluacion as did Cornelius the centurioÌ„ which had his faith iustifienge him ere he went forth to heare peters sermoÌ„ And as for your vayne replicacion of no graunt that heithen good dedes iustifye before faith whiche commeth of hearinge it is not worth a podyng For because Barnes graunted the gentiles dede to be good whiche had not yet herde the word therfore ye conclude to hastelye ergo men be iustified before faithe for thoughe youre gentiles dede be one of your good dedes yet iâ— iustifieth not ye aske how he shuld haue faith before he heareth the sermoÌ„ sith fayth coÌ„meth of hearing for Barnes ye say had graunted in that mocion he was iustified Youre argument therfore is naught worth For ye must learne by christes wordes that as there be two maner of wordes that is to saye the inwarde and exterior worde so are there two maner of hearinges For faith commeth not onely of the outwarde hearinge of the sowne that smyteth the exteriour eares but especially out of the hearing of the interne word that persethe the herte by the secrete instincte and mocion of the spirite regenerynge the faythfull Of whiche interne hearynge the scripture speaketh sayenge Audiam quid loquatur in me dominus deus I shal heare what thynge the lorde god pleasethe hym to speake in me And christ saith all that haue herde and be learned of the father they come to me and we be al taught of god of y t which eares and interne hearinge Christe when he had taught certaine lessons spiritually to be vnderstanden out of his allegorike speches he cried loude who so hath eares to heare lette him heare Of this interne word of faith speaketh Paule saienge Nighe in thine harte is the worde of faith and also in many other places And because they nether mynde to do any good dedes Ioye None of your gentile iewishe good deades They wolde perswade to the worlde that we can do no maner of good dedes till we haue no nede of them Ioye As thoughe a iustified man were not bouÌ„d ne obedieÌ„t to gods precepts lo for our saluacion That is to saye till we be iustified and clerely in gods perfit fauour assured by our own beleif of life euerlasting And as though we shuld say to god geue me my wages afore hand make me sewer that I shal haue heuen and then I promise y t I wil forgeue my neighboure Oh blasphemy pernyciousely peruerting christes holy worde doctrine oh wicked lye most impudente for neuer find ye these blasphemouse lyes in myne ne in any other christen writers bokes we exhort you to moo good workes in one lefe of oure bokes then ye be able to do all the dayes of your lyfe And euen this is a good dede with goddes almyghtye worde to confute youre popishe doctrine wherwith ye wolde yet mayntaine the pope and bringe him in againe at your daye so sore longed for It is a good dede to stande on gods part with his word to resist such antichristes with all your impes For all oure bokes if ye wolde suffer theÌ„ to be sene perswade and exhorte the readers to such good workes as god commaundeth and disswade and dehort al men from youre dampnable superstitious workes rites and tradicions of lyeng men we with christ laye firste the foundacion stone euen Christ him self in our ferme and constante faithe But you peruertinge goddes order in doctrine sette youre workes yea and that Heathen infidele
The life which I nowe lyue in my fleshe per fidem uiuo filij dei I lyue it by the faithe of the sonne of god And Iohn saith he that remaineth in loue dwelleth in life the cause why Abacuck Paule declareth for that he that remayneth in loue dwelleth in faythe whiche is the lyfe of the iuste So y t to abide in loue declareth the man to continue in the lyfe of faith But I argew thus to you Charite can not loue god onles she first knowe god but by faith iustifienge god is firste knowne ergo faith iustifienge is before charite louinge Wherfore charitie iustifieth not For the thynge muste be firste knowen ere it be beloued Then thus faith iustifienge is before charitie louyng For the man is iustified in the former accion of faith knowyng beleuinge in gods mercye thorowe christe For faith is a lyuelye faith in hir owne proper work of beleif into christ ere she worketh by charite But you wold make charitie egall in accion with faythe in the worke of iustificacion whiche ye shall neuer do with all the popes lawe ne with all his dirtye diuinite ye haue And to proue your popishe parte ye sweate greatly to ioyne life to charitie as though then ye hadde your purpose And in your .lv. lefe folowinge ye saye the scripture geueth lyfe to charitie but ye dare not alledge that scripture as I haue alledged lyfe to be geuen to faith ye wold here by adioyning lyfe in charitie to be concurrant w t faith in iustificacion as I perceiue make faith your materiall shaples dead and an idle faithe till charitie setteth her a worke geuing to fayth hir forme lyfe But this dreame wil not serue you as I haue tolde you before And then ye saye hope muste be placed and establyshed of faith and loue contrary to the hole order and treaty of them thorowout all the scripture as ye se it distinctly orderlye and playnlye in all and in euerye parte and pistle of the Apostles and in the prophetes firste of faithe then of hope and laste of all of loue yf you vnderstande them Then ye prate pertly of your workes before your iustificacion And I tell you Shew me but any one of your good workes before your iustification before god and I shall soone tell you whether it be good or badde yea and that by the true twich stone of godis holy word that lieth not Ioy violently writeth this text of scripture when ye haue done al that I haue coÌ„maunded you then say you we be vnprofitable seruauntes c and all to diminishe thestimacion of good workes This byshop violentlye wresteth this texte with the monkes exposicion of the chartir howse to serue for his and their merits wherevpon theirs and all other monkish howses were founded and buylded till the gospell ouerthrewe them as it shall shortely subuerte your byshoprykes to as christes owne exposition of the same texte playnelye declareth it Your monkish glose is That be cause god is riche enough and want nothinge ne nedeth our commoditie goodis ne profit by our dedis therfore we muste say we be seruaÌ„ts vnprofitable to him But christ telleth vs a nother cause sainge Say that ye be seruants vnprofitable be cause ye haue done but your abounden dewty For what thanke hath that seruant because he hath done but y t he is commaunded to do These be Chrystis wordis to destroye your merits and supererogacion workis to merit more then ye nede which ouerplus ye sel to other men for money and londe to be geueÌ„ to your bishopriks abbeis therfore ye may be ashamed to render any siche a popishe cause coÌ„trary to christis owne wordis ye saye god hath no nede of our commodite profit and seruice It is trwthe therfore ye serue him theraftir redier to serue your lustis the deuil the pope the world God coÌ„maÌ„deth vs al creatures to serue hiÌ„ but aftir you nether to ê“moue ne to set forth his glorye name goodnes ne one to profit a nother Christ biddeth vs so to let our lyght shyne before meÌ„ that thei seinge our good works might glorifye our father in heuen And what ye do to the lest of myne ye do it to me saith he so that his pleasure profite and commoditie by our seruice consisteth and remaineth yet still in his chirche and his members And as the tolerances persecucions inuries done to his members he rekeneth them done to himself as it is to se collos i. act ix so accepteth he al benefites and workes of mercye and seruice done to his chirche of the pore faithful membres of christ as done and comon to himself as ye se mat xxv For which vtilite and profit done to him in his members he calleth vs contrary to your exposicioÌ„ profitable faithful seruants to hiÌ„ For he nedeth our seruice in his chirche and meÌ„bers and necessarye it is y t all his creatures so serue him sith he hathe therfore created them to celebrate his gloriouse name and geuen them and vs commandement so to do Albeit god is omnisufficiente almightye riche in himself yet standinge the creacion of al things in heuen erth to minister and serue him accordinge to his precepte it is necessary his glory goodnes to be spred celebrated by their seruice God nedeth not our goodes ergo he nedeth not our seruice how folowteh your argument seinge he hath created al things to serue him ye be a riche bishop hauinge of al things enoughe and nede not your seruants goodes yet seing ye haue seruants it is necessary that thei serue you al thoughe ye be able to serue your selfe wherfore I pray ye be as good for gods seruice as for your own for it standeth maketh as miche for his honour to require our seruice as it dothe for youre honour to be serued orels ye wold peruert the vniuersal order of the worlde if kinges and magistrates hauinge seruants shulde haue no nede of their seruice Ye saye god nedeth no seruice of vs. wheÌ„ he biddeth you therfore to go into his vyneyarde to plough vp mens hartes with his worde therin to be sowen and planted to fede his flock Tushe may ye say god nedeth none of my seruyce by your exposition for he is able enoughe to do it him self my seruice can not profite him and so his seruice and precept forsaken ye maye go into the popes garden there to playe the gardiner plante sowe his popishe rites tradicions deuyllishe doctrine still as ye haue done to poyson the simple soules w t errours and heresies To whome it shal be sayde at laste O euel and vnprofitable seruaunt c. take him awaye and his handes and fete bounden cast him into exterior derkenes where is weping and gnasshinge of tethe Then ye saye Gods seruice is profitable to vs but if ye did beleue your owne saieng ye wold serue him ernestlier then ye do
foloweth shew ye what is hope and Paules mynde He had before mightely proued by faith onely man to be absolued from sin treating sin the lawe faith and grace and here he commeth to the worke of hope whiche is exercised shineth in pacience proued by tribulacion wherof he here maketh large mencion setting forth our consolacion in the middes of oure affliccions by the hope of our saluacion to come calling hope the expectation of those thinges which haue bē before conceiued by faith y t is to wete our saluatiō and the redemption of our bodies in the resurrecciō for in this hope saith he we loke and abyde for our saluacion For we must first know y e thing ere we can ether waite and hope for it or loue it and be firste assiewered by our faith apprehendinge the promise therof to haue it ere by expectacion we wait for it wherefore the scripture saith firste we be saued by faith and then in ferme hope we wait for our saluaciō For if y e thing waited and loked for by hope were sene present saith Paule so were it not by hope loked for for wherfore shuld a man hope for the thinge which he seeth For asmuche therefore as we se not the saluacion whiche we hope to haue therfore thorowe pacience we tary and hope for it Hitherto be Paules wordes wherby ye se y t we be first iustifyed and saued by faith as the order and processe before of his pistle declareth it ere we tary and wait for it by hope Is this a Good argument By hop or in hope we abyde in a ferme expectacion for our saluacion conceiued before by faith ergo hope sauethe By faith in hope we be saued that is faith setteth vs in a perfit hope of saluacion For the saluacion is promised and receiued first into faith beleuinge and knowinge it ere it be waited for by hope Men vse now a dayes this blasphemouse sophistry whē thei wil īpugne such deuout saings as haue ben vsed in our chirch whē eche man exhorteth other to saue his own soul or desireth a nother to saue his neighbors soule or els moueth his frende by almos praier fasting good dedes to worke the welth of his soule Al which saluaciōs workts of saluacion good deuout men vnderstand to be done as in dede thei cannot be done otherwise by the merites of christes passion and gifte of god And yet these beastes that put no differēce betwene a key and an batcher diffame the speache If you or any of your scolers shulde come to me with this fonde speche to desier me to saue his soule I oughte to teache you and them accordinge to scriptures that there is but onely one sauiour Iesus Christe god and man and so shewe you the waye to him as testifieth Paule and christe to go to hym by faith into him and to tell you that I am no sauioure of soules no not of my nowne And as for the deedes whiche ye so blasphemousely call saluations and workes of saluacion therby men to saue eche others soules in so detestable a blasphemy ▪ as no godly eares may heare as the scriptures abhorre and detest the speache so oughte nether your mouth to haue vttered it ne w t pen to haue writtē it For the scripture knoweth but y e onely worke of oure saluacion and redemption which only christe Iesus once for euer and also perfitly openly and so plentuouslye wroughte in the myddes of the erthe as witnes the psal when he offered vp to his father in sacrifice his owne blessed innocent body to be crucified on the crosse for our sinnes And as for prayers almos fastynge whyche god commaundeth and not you the scripture calleth them the fruites of our faith and the frutes of the spirite declaringe our obedience to god and his preceptes testifienge our faith iustifieng and our loue to god and to our neighbours Ne call vs not beastes because we will not vse but rather impugne with gods worde those blasphemouse speches of your popishe chirch and deuoute papistes pilers of the rome churche or rather of the courte of rome we be nowe god be praysed vnder a nother head and in a nother chirch Is this a godly vnderstondinge of your deuout papistes To saye that by the merits of christes passion men by their dedes shulde deserue to saue them self ye blaspheme diffame y ◠merets of christes passion and robbe him of his glory with youre speache in so sayenge and of his merits to And euen these lo be youre romyshe craftye kayes and youre owne beastly hatchets ye vse to deceiue the simple christians and to seduce them from their onely and sufficient sauyour Christe into mennes saluacions by workes of your owne inuented popish saluacion After your lende diuiniti ye fal to fond policie askinge whether it be more profitable to take forgeuenes of synnes without a condicion or tary till the condicion were fulfilled whiche question is so fondly conceiued that I wil aunswere merelye to it as the prentis of London did aunswere his maister before the wardens when he asked him why sonne Is not a colde capod good meat yes quod the prentis if I had had it Ye both falsely and truncatelye reherce my question whiche is thus in my booke whether you laden with synne Christe callynge you and promysynge to ease you frelye forgeuynge you for your faith I ask you were it more profitable to you by that onely condicion of faith to set holde of his fre forgeuenes now offred you by Christ that cannot lye or to tary and send him worde ye will first knowe and fulfill your condicions And you answer as did the prentes That his master had spokē of miche good meate if a man coud haue it As thoughe Christes wordes and his promyse to be forgeuen for our faithe were but vayne rehersallis of vayne things neuer offred ne promised ne let before vs as neuer were the colde moton befe ne capons recherced of that vaine lyinge man the prentices master Compare ye Christes almighty infallible promises to vayne menis lyes And matche ye Christes ernest holy wordis with siche a prophane light iest Now I se y e god worthely punisheth in you one syn with a nothere euen your obstinate arrogāt impiete cōtempte of god and his worde with blyndnes hath made folishe your wisdom and hathe casten you vp thorow your own lustes into a forlorn mīd god geue ye grace to know nomo condicions wais into your remission and saluacion but only faithe in Christis moste preciouse blode and shortly to repent And so your maship hath said trwly that a man were beter if any thinge could be beter then god hath ordined it to take remission of sinne without any condicion For then without any endeuore all shuld haue it And your lordeship shuld haue lerned ere this that God hath offred and promised
vtter shame and confusion he tolde his y t the haithen kinges shulde be tikled with these flateringe titles and names of your lordship and your grace and saide to you uos autem non sic But se that you be not so called Thought he not therby to knocke downe your arrogant pryde and to teache you humilite verelye he forsawe and thought euen then vppon your pryde and lordeships to be exalted aboue him selfe But sone findeth the wolfe an occasion to deuoure the innocent lambe for drinking of the swete waters which shulde be comon to them both geuen of god to quench their thirst Here may euery reader see the venome of your kancred hart how gredily ye hunt for occasions to depraue bely and to sclaÌ„der me causeles ye say I alledge christes wordes in a sence of my nown imaginacion It is you and such popishe impes as yet defende his antichristen doctrine that wrest so violeÌ„tly the scripturs to your own damnable deuises For of al sich scriptures Si vis ad vitaÌ„ ingredi c. Si vis perfectus esse c. and forgeue and ye shal be forgeuen ye gather with pelagiane your fre choice and libertie to do good and to kepe the commauÌ„dements and to set vp your popishe merits and iustificacion of workes all damnable and iniuriouse to christes bloud as very enimies to grace and to god when christ proueth by siche textes man to haue no fre libertie to do good and his commaundementes to be impossible to man and that no man can therfore merite his remission ne saluacioÌ„ And eueÌ„ your own wordes fight against your own exposicions God commandeth vs things impossible to shewe vs to our selues nether to haue free libettie to do good ne to be able to merit oure saluacion that we shuld not glory in our dedis ne reioise iÌ„ our worthines but to render all glorye merits and dignitie to him and that we aknowleginge our own infirmite and impossibilitie shuld seke strengthe and power at him and that we shulde by faith enbrace his rightwisnes his holines his merits and satisfaccioÌ„s and his fulfillinge of the lawe for owr owne thus to geue all the glory and thankis to him for our remission redempcion saluacion thorow Iesus christ These saings Forgeue and ye shal be forgeueÌ„ and siche lyke containe in them bothe a precept and also a promise if ye godly expended them whiche promise assone as faith aâ—prehendeth she addresseth hirself effectuosly by loue to y e fulfillinge of y e precept iÌ„ forgeuinge hir neighbor For ther is nomaÌ„ y t forgeueth trwly onlesse he beleue first in christ is promise to haue forgeuenes hiÌ„ self And therfore when christ saithe Forgeue ye shal be forgeueÌ„ faith first setteth holde vpon hirowne promised forgeuenes in the later sentence and so of faith procedeth to do the precept your self heraftir can place theffecte before the cause yet tell vs y e cause to go before theffecte And canne ye not as well see and admitte the same order in Christes word is as in your own examples So that the man is not forgeuen because he forgeueth as ye arsewardly imagen but because he beleueth God to forgeue him therfore is y e beleuer both forgeuen himself of that faith he forgeueth his brother Ye shuld therfore acordinge to your owne example doctrine hereaftir of him y t folowth you to be your seruant haue coÌ„sidered lerned y t your forgeuenes of your neghbour is the effecte declaringe you to be forgeueÌ„ of god y e forgeuenes wherby god forgeueth you to be y e cause of your forgeuenes of youre neighbour thus y e effect to be placed before y e cause Sich inuersioÌ„s of coÌ„sequeÌ„ces in arguiÌ„g fro y e effect to y e cause called argumeÌ„tes a posteriore y e comeÌ„ speach y e scriptur oâ—teÌ„ vseth As to say y â— flowers be sproÌ„geÌ„ forth spred y e trees waxe grene ergo it is soÌ„mer And yet is somer y e cause of this effect theffect placed before y e cause And christ told the phariseye Hir sines be forgeueÌ„ hir because she loueth mich But iÌ„ declaring y e very cause w t theffect he expresseth hir forgeuenes of god to be y e cause of hir loue saiÌ„g To whoÌ„ is mich forgeueÌ„ thei be bouÌ„d mich to loue eueÌ„ thus declareth it christ iÌ„ his parable mat â— teachiÌ„g vs god first to forgeue vs y e greter detts to thiÌ„teÌ„t y t we seiÌ„g hiÌ„ self mercifull in forgeuing vs shuld be moued y â— more gladly to forgeue our brethern y e lesse dettes So that his former forgeuenes of vs is y e cause mouiÌ„g vs to forgeue other saiÌ„g Behoueth it not y e therfore to haue pite coÌ„passioÌ„ of thy felow seruaÌ„t seing y t I am so redy to forgeue y â— yea I had forgeueÌ„ y e before as y u knowst it therfore y u oughtest lykewyse to haue forgeueÌ„ hiÌ„ where it is plaine our forgeuenes of god to be y e cause which shuld moue excite vs gladly likewise to forgeue our neighbour y t y e forgeuenes of our neighbour is placed first as theffect befor y e cause as it is there iÌ„ other placs iÌ„ferred saiÌ„g Forgeue it shal be forgeuen you your own exaÌ„ple of your seruant folowing you hereaftir brought in of you coÌ„fouÌ„deth your self if malice had not so bliÌ„dned you for your malice god so worthely to haue hardened your hart against y e truth y t in rediÌ„g his word ye nether vnderstande it truely ne with feare reuerence enbrace it but abuse it into your owne daÌ„pnacion into the destruccion of many other soules If one shuld coÌ„e to you sekinge youre seruice and you couenant w t him sayinge Folowe or waite vpon me and thou shalt haue .xl. s. yerely Is not this comon couenant consented ther vpoÌ„ y e cause why he serueth you And yet is theffecte here in your owne wordis placed before the cause of his seruice for except the maÌ„ had beleued your promise and trusted to your wordis he wolde neuir haue done ye seruice And euen so iÌ„ this and lyke speches Forgeue and thou shalt be forgeueÌ„ we first by faith in gods promise apprehend our own promised forgeuenes of god which causeth vs to forgeue our brothern For excepte ye obserue this order ye shall fynde it but a faint fayned forgeuenes I wil not saye agenst it but that ye may be a good lawyer and a ciceroniane rethricion bold eloquent in doggish eloquence to perswade blasphemies and lies by crafty colours to turne whight into blak and to make foles beleue y e krow is whyght lest ye lese your estimacioÌ„ But as for any good godly lerninge or trwe vnderstandinge of the holy scriptures I know there is but litle or none in all your bablinge bokis Had ye counseld buâ— with S. Austen vpon siche texts Si
Chrysten head and a Christen head to haue AntichristeÌ„ ministers as ye haue studyed longe craftely to bringe it to passe in englond till your tyme daye becomen when ye maye agene ioyne your abolished head to his owne reserued body so craftely kepte of you for the same ende For ye knowe it ful well what muste nedis folowe so longe as the popis chirche stonde and his bodye lyueth amonge you And euen here if ye list take a taste of winchesters wylye witte to bringe home agene his in name and title onely with him and his holy abolished father To abolish a thinge is so to skrape and blott it out into naught that nether sâ—nt ne sauore ne any vestigie stepe or figne remayne therof But whether the popis faith religion with his rites ceremonies tradicioÌ„s be so abolished I reporte me to all y â— realme I bode ye in my former boke seke out y e text wher charite iustifyethe but yet haue ye not found it And therfore ye now fal to your own fonde witte with this foÌ„â— sophisticall argument God iustifieth god is charitie ergo charitie iustifieth I denye your argument for that your termes in the premisses and in the conclusion be not of one lyke significacioÌ„ as ye wel know TheÌ„ ye bid me reade a certain text of Paule agen do as plato was woÌ„t to do saing do it not touch me I haue red it agen here I write it to you againe to see whether ye caÌ„ yet se fele whether it toucheth you let all indiffereÌ„t reders be iuges whether it hit ye not set ye not out in your own colors it were apelles hiÌ„ self had paiÌ„ted you saing he y t wil be iustified by workes not by onely faith in Iesu christ is in the way of perdicion eueÌ„ in a corrupt mind caried away of coÌ„trary lustes and affeccions euer lerning neuer comeÌ„ to the true knowlege For sich deceiuers shal go forth worse and worse til their wykednes be rype leadinge other into errours theirselues beinge blynde and farre out of the waye auerted vnto vayne speche and false doctryne willinge to be sene Doctors and teachers and yet vnderstand thei not what thei say ne of what thing thei make their articles actes and enstruccions paraduenture ye wil say ye make theÌ„ not but I dare saye ye geue euil counsel bothe to the makinge and also to the cruel execucion vpon theÌ„ that will rather obey god then mens tradicions To the atteinment of iustificacion is required faith and charitie This sainge I confuted in my former boke thus Faith only saith christ and Paul is required to thatinment of iustificacion which is of God Nether is charitie diuided froÌ„ fayth but from the efficacie effecte office to iustifye for to this effecte and office is faith onely sufficient effectuously As from fyer or fro the sone we exclude not heat ne brightnes but yet hathe hir heate and brightnes their sondry effectes and offices for the heat warmeth w t hir brightnes she shyneth and geueth lihgt Here may euery reader se how falsely ye report my wordes and how maliciousely ye reporte of me faininge and forminge your owne false foundacion thus ye saye that charitie is ioyned with faith and ye take faith and charitie for .ii sisters but ye make faith the elder sister Hitherto ye say truth of me for in y e natural order of their proper operations faith worketh hir accion in knowledge of god and iustificacion before charitie worketh hirs in louinge god c And ye affirme that in iustification charitie that ye call the yonger sister is not excluded These be your wordes wherin ye saye the same Isay. No ye belye me deadly they be not my wordes as euery reader may see it But they be yours fained false wordes therevpon to deduce your false doctrine folowinge And here thrise ye rather your false inuented saing vpon me which I neuer said ne thought ne wrote them Isaye that chartie is with faith but yet excluded from thefficacy effect and office to iustifie so that she is not coÌ„currant with saith in the accion of iustification as I geue my plaine example but charitie hath a sondry act and operation from faith as to beleue in christ and to loue him be two actes as be to see and to here the sondry offices and actes of two distinct sences albeit thei be both together in one head And Isaye charitie is in the iustified man but not concurraÌ„t into theffect of iusâ—ification as anye cause formall with faith thereof as ye falsely report me Here maist thou see good reader what crafty falshed he vseth to argew ex non concesus of that I neuer graunted it him to make his false parte appere true I wrote more circumspectely addinge a plaine example for I knewe howe sinistrely capciouse this byshop is lest he shulde take any aduauntage at my wordes And nowe when his owne conscience telleth him that charitie is not concurrante with faithe in the worke of iustificacion contrary to his conclusion then he seketh his shiftes first in the xlvii lefe therto place loue because thei that abide in loue saith he abyde in faith whiche is the lyfe of the iust There he went about to proue charite to geue lyfe which I haue refuted iustly Then in the .lv. lefe he saith scriptur attributeth lyfe to charite but that scripture can he not yet finde And now at last as mistrustiÌ„g al this not to help him he saith That Isaye y e charitie is in iustificacioÌ„ y t I say y e same y t he saith belieth me falsly for I neuer said it as myboke testifieth Another variance betwene you and me is ye say Albeit both sisters faith charitie be in iustificacion yet charitie the yonger sister as ye terme it standeth stil idle and only waiteth vpon hir elder sister I neuer said these wordes as euery man may seeit it in my boke When theirwith wil not serueye then be ye compelled to flye to lyes In dede I call by waye of doctryne faith and charitie two sisters and faith to be the elder because she is the rote of charitie and is first in operation And nowe I wyll compare faithe hope and charitie to .iii. sisters or w t Sophocles to the .iii graces called charites so connexed hand in hande as it were inseperably linked togither ut gratia gratiam pariat uel trahat impugne the similitude if ye caÌ„ê These .iii. graces or giftes put into one soule are not idle giftes of god as ye blaspeme hys giftes but be in their continuall encreace vnto their proper distincte accions and may be well called after their autor or soule wherein they are Entelechia that is a lyuely perpetuall vnwearye workynge substaunce althoughe the body sleapeth which solicite the good tree to bringe forth hir frute in hir tyme. which graces