perfecto magistro reuelatam fideliter custodimus vt ab incontemptibili dispensatore mandatam We alone be the innocente lyuers what maruayle if it muste needes be so In deede it muste of force be so We that haue learned of God innocencie and good life bothe knowe it perfectely bycause it is reueled by a perfyte Maister and we keepe it faithfully bicause it is commaunded by an officer that maye not be despised Take this lesson Christian Reader learne of Christ for thy Iustification not onely to beleeue but also to lyue godly and vertuously whiche lesson as thou seeste they kepte whom thou canst not but commende and so shalte thou be like them whome thou doeste rightely commende Thou knowest by that which hath benne saied before in the twelth chaptre of this second Booke what a false and dissolute doctrine concerning Iustification is able to doo When Simon Magus Carpocrates and Valentinus had taught that menne might be saued by grace fayth and knowledge without good woorkes they re scholers gaue them selues to luste and licentiouse lyfe To auoyd that mischiefe beleue assuredly this godly and learned saying Non dormiētibus prouenit regnum coelorum Leo. ser 2. in Epipha ser 5. ibid. sed in mandatis Dei laborantibus atque vigilantibus vt si dona illius irrita nō fecerimus per ea quae dedit mereamur accipere quod promisit The kingdome of heauen commeth not to sleapers but to such as labour in Gods commandementes and watche to th' ende that if we make not his giftes ydle and voide by such thinges as he hath geuen we may deserue to receiue that which he hath promised The right and assured way to come to this fruite of Iustification Miche 6. is to followe the counsel of the Prophete To do iustice to loue mercie to walke carefully in Gods sight Circūspiciat se omnis anima Christiana Leo. ser 1. de Qua. drag Let euery Christiā soule saith S. Leo looke about it selfe and by straite examination discusse the inwarde thoughtes of her harte let it see that no debate cleaue there that no couetousnes settle let chastitie driue away incontinencie let the light of truth driue away the darckenesse of lying c. Let pride asswage let humilitie be taken in let anger amende let vengeance cease and wronges be forgotten Aug. Ser. 15. de ver Apost The like counsel geueth S. Augustine Proficite fratres mei c. Increase my bretherne serche your selues euer without guyle and flattery Especially folow one shorte rule which he maketh for euery man Augustin Tract 6. in epistol Ioan. saying Interroga cor tuum si est ibi dilectio fratris Examine thy harte whether the loue of thy brother be there Si inueneris te habere charitatem habes spiritū Dei. If thou finde that thou haste charitie thou haste the spirite of God And then if his spirite that raysed Iesus from the deade dwell in you Rom 8. he that raysed Iesus from the deade will also geue life to your mortall bodies And thus do we see that the way to examine and trie our selues and thereby to iudge of our Iustification is not only to serche whether we haue faith but also whether we loue 2. Cor. 7. and liue godly Perficientes sanctificationem in timore Dei. Doing holinesse in the feare of God. The Conclusion and ende of the VVoorke THVS haue I nowe by Gods helpe finished the second parte of this Treatie wherein mine intente hath ben to aduertise the Christian Reader See the Preface how to eschewe the second great or rather most dangerouse fal on the lefte hande whiche S. Augustine willeth all that teache or speake of Iustification to beware of Aug. in praefat Psal 31. The perill is for men to presume only of Goddes mercie dooing nothing them selues towarde their owne saluation whiche opinion he saieth if any man folowe leadeth him vndoubtedly to euerlasting ruine of sowle and bodie And bicause the onely or readiest meane to leade a man to that fall is to thinke that faith alone may suffise to iustifie and saue vs I haue at good length prooued that faith alone is not inough to bring a sinner from sinnefull estate to Gods fauour nor of wicked to make him righteouse without the woorking and helpe of hope charitie penance and the Sacramentes of Christ wherein I haue ben the longer bicause this opinion is lately crepte into the worlde and nowe spred farre and wide For albeit in times past some thought they might be saued without good woorkes yet did they not saie they might be saued without the Sacramentes De fide oper c. 27 As by this booke of S. Augustine thou maiest see And so all be it they waded deepe inough to drowne them selues yet wente they not so farre into the bottomelesse goulfe as sundrie haue done in this our age who saie that nothing woorketh in the acte of our Iustification but onely faith And therevppon haue brought in this proposition and made it a common speache emong them selues and theirs Faith alone iustifieth excluding therby from the acte of our Iustification not onely hope charitie and penance but also the very Sacramentes For if faith alone iustifie a sinner and make him of wicked rightuouse then is there none of these requisite or necessary for that effecte whiche neuer anie aunciente man learned that I haue seene didde maineteine I haue further declared that faith alone can continue no man in the state of grace muche lesse increase him in iustice and least of all bring him to the ende and perfectiō of iustice in life euerlasting without the helpe of good woorkes And so is the opinion of Iustification by onely faith in trueth and deede disprooued and founde vntrue in no sense maintenable as they take it I saie as they take it For although certaine aunciente Fathers sometime vsed these woordes Faith alone iustifieth yet doe they not meane thereby as these doe to exclude any of the vertues afore named or Sacramentes as I haue plainely shewed In the .18 Chapt. of this secōd booke I haue according to my promise in this whole Treatie affirmed nothing of my selfe that whiche I haue saied I haue prooued by euidente Scriptures folowing euery where the interpretation of suche as God hath placed in his Churche Ephes 4. to be Pastours and Doctours to the perfiting of the holie and to the building vp of Christes body which is his Churche The labour hath ben bestowed to the ende that the godly man whiche is the Christian man might be perfite and sownde 2. Timo. 3. readie and instructed to all good woorkes Whiche God graunte thee and mee with thee good Reader Once the beste exhortation and righte encouragemente to doe good workes See the .23 chapter is truely to thinke and beleeue that no man hauing time and opportunitie to doe them shal be saued without them Thus endeth the Seconde Booke of this
in heauen and come follow me He saieth also in an other place that he whiche seeketh to purchasse the grace of heauen and to bye euerlasting saluation must with the quantity of his patrimony marchaunt and bie the pretious iewell that is eternall life precious by the bloude of Christ The kingdome of heauen saieth he is like vnto a marchaunt man seeking for good perles and precious stones Matt. 13. but when he had found a preciouse stone he went and solde all that he had and bought it He also calleth them the children of Abraham whome he seeth to be workemen in the helping and nurrishing of the poore For when zachee had said Beholde Luk. 19. the halfe of my substance I geeue vnto the needie and if I haue defrauded any man of ought I render vnto him foure dubble Ihesus aunswered and saied This day is saluation made vnto this house for this man is also a sonne of Abraham For if Abraham beleeued God and it was reputed vnto hym for iustice verely he that according to God his commaundement dooth Almose beleeueth God and he whiche hath the truthe of faith keepeth the feare of God. But he whiche keepeth the feare of God thinketh of God in shewing mercie to the poore What it is to beleeue God and to thinke the scriptures true For therefore dooth he woorke bicause he beleeueth and knoweth those thinges to be true whiche are foreshewed by the woordes of God and that the holy Scripture can not lye whiche teacheth That vnfrutefull trees that is Barren and frutelesse menne shal be cutte away and throwne into the fier but the mercifull shal be called vnto the kingdoome And therefore in an other place also he calleth the woorkers and the frutefull by the name of faithfull personnes But as for the vnfrutefull and barren he saieth they haue no faith by these woordes If in the wicked Mammon Lucae 16. yee haue not been faithfull whoo will putte you in truste with that whiche is true and sound And if in the thing that is not yours yee baue been vnfaithfull whoo will geeue you that which is yours Pouetry is not to be feared for geuing of almes If thow mystruste and feare leaste if thow begynne to woorke bountifully thy patrimonie beeing consumed by liberall woorking thou maist perhaps be driuen to poouertie be in that behalfe without feare stand thou assured and out of care For that can not be wasted out of the which there is disbursed to Christe his vse and by the which a heauenly woorke is donne And thus doo I not warrant thee vppon myne owne credite but vppon the faith and warrant of the holy Scriptures Vppon the authoritie of God his promise do I assure it Proue 28. The holy Ghost speaking by Salomon saith He that geeueth to the poore shal neuer want but he that turneth his eies from them shal be in great penury shewing thereby that the mercifull and such as worke can neuer want but rather that the Niggardes and fruitlesse doo come in the ende to pouertie And the holy Apostle Paule also being full of grace of the heauenly inspiration saieth He that sendeth seede to the sower euen he also shall geeue bread to be eaten 2. Cor. 9. and shall multiplie your sowing and shall increase the yeeld of your fruitfull Iustice that you may be made riche in all thing And againe The administration of this dutie and woorke shall not only supplie in faith the want and neede of the saints but shall also be plentifull in geeuing with much thankefulnes towarde God. For when thankes for our almose and praiers are by the Oraisons of the poore directed vnto God the substance of the woorker is by the rewarde of God heaped and encreased And our Lord in the Ghospell euen then considering the hartes of such menne and by his foretelling worde denouncing this vnto the false harted and vnto suche as would not beleeue dooth protest and say Matt. 6. Doo yee not take thought saying what shall wee eate or what shall wee drinke or wherewith shall wee be appareled For these thinges the Gentiles seeke after but your Father knoweth that you haue neede of all these thinges Seeke yee first the kingdome of heauen Ibidem and the righteousnes thereof and all these thinges shall be cast vnto you He saieth all thinges are cast vnto them and geuen vnto them which seeke the kingdome and iustice of God. For our Lorde saieth that those menne shall when the daie of Iudgement commeth be admitted to receiue the kingdome whiche haue ben woorkers in his Churche But thou fearest lest thy patrimonie perhaps will faile thee if thou beginne of the same to yeeld bountifull woorkes And knowest thou not wretched man that while thou fearest the decaie of thy houshold thy life and saluation bothe doo faile And while thou arte carefull that nothing be diminished of thy goods doest thou not see that thy selfe arte diminished being a loouer rather of Mammon then of thyne owne soule Thus while thow fearest lest thy patrimonie should perishe to saue thy selfe thy selfe doest perishe to saue thy patrimonie And therefore dooth the Apostle well crie out and saie Nothing brought wee into this world 1. Tim. 6. neyther truely maye wee carrie ought hence but hauing nourriture and coouering let vs be therewith content For they that will becoome riche falle into temptation into snares and into many and hurtefull desyres which whelme a man into perdition and destruction Couetousnes the roote of al euils For the roote of all euills is couetousnes which some seeking after haue made a wracke of their faith and haue plunged them selues into many sorowes But doest thou feare still least thy patrimonie may happe to faile if thou beginne to bestowe plentifully thereof Proue 10. Why When was it seen that the iust man could wante reliefe sithe it is written Our Lorde will not kill with hunger the iust soule 3. Reg. 17 Helias was fed in the wildernesse by the ministery and seruise of crowes And to Daniell being by the kinges commaundement shutte vp in the denne for a praie to the Lions his dinner was from God prouided Danie 14. And yet fearest thou leste working and deseruing at Gods handes thou shouldest wante nourriture Remembrest thou not that he him selfe in the Ghospell to the reproche of them which be of doubtfull mindes and of litle faith dooth protest saying Beholde the foules of the ayer Matt. 6. for they sowe not they reape not they gather not into the barnes and yet your heauenly father nurrissheth them Are not yee of more value then these God feedeth the foule and euen to the sparrowes dailie foode is geeuen and those thinges which haue no manner sense of thing appertaining to God lacke neither meate nor drincke And doest thou thinke that a Christian man the seruaunt of God geeuen to doo good woorkes and deere vnto his Lord and master shall want any thing
taken out of the power of darknes and brought to the kingdome of Christ Colo. ca. 1. is not onely not appointed paines euerlasting but shall not so much as suffer any purgatory tormentes and paines after death Purgatorie paines For the only spirituall regeneration suffiseth that so much as the carnall generation intermedled with death be not preiudiciall nor doo it any harme By which sayings we see first that infantes haue sinnes to be forgeuen them Nexte that they enioie remission thereof by their baptisme Thirdely that they enioie that benefite in most free manner Nothing being required for that purpose but onely that other Christian men bring them to the Church to be baptized and answere for them And the cause why For that they are gilty only of originall sinne and none other trespasse committed by them selues This is the graciouse and most free Iustification of infantes which they atteyne vnto not onely without any good doing of their owne but also without any consent Yea though they striue against it through the free mercie of him that came to seeke and saue that was loste Luc. 19. And hereby doo we not only see the happie estate of al such as be borne in Christian regions who by and by after their byrth be baptized and thereby iustified but also we perceiue how nedelesse it is to dispute of the beginning and entree of our Iustification which is wrought in vs freely by grace without our selues before we be able to vnderstand how great the benefite is And therefore concerning the Iustification of al men that liue this daie in Christian contries there is nothing so needeful as to vnderstande how such as fall after Baptisme may be reconciled to God and restored to the estate of iustice againe whereof I shall speake hereafter Of the Iustification of suche as were christened being of perfite age and what was required of them THE VIII CHAPTER BVT of such as borne and brought vp in infidelitie and being of perfect age came to be iustified and of wicked made rightuouse bicause they be not onely giltie of originall sinne but also of many actuall sinnes committed by their owne thought worde and deed more is required and an other order appointed vnto them whereby they prepare the way to receiue the iustice of God. It is required of them first to beleue For he that commeth to God Hebr. 11. Marc. 1. must beleue So Christ beganne to preach vnto such Poenitemini credite Euangelio Repent and beleue the Gospel And forasmuch as beleuing the Gospel there is reueled and opened vnto them the anger of God from heauen vppon all wickednes and iniustice Rom. 1. They are stricken with a good and profitable feare of Gods iudgement Act. 2. as they were that heard S. Peter his preaching and of that feare they conceiue and as it were trauaile and bring forth the spirite of health Esai 26. Yet doo they not rest in that feare but learning that Christ came to saue sinners and died for such as were his ennemies 1. Tim. 1. Hearing him also say Confide fili be of good comforte sonne Rom. 6. Matt. 9. thy sinnes be forgeuen They conceiue hope of mercie and thereby beginne to loue him by whose mercie they truste to enioy so greate a benefite And for the loue of him deteste and abhorre their former sinfull life And bicause it is said vnto them Act. 2. Poenitentiā agite baptizetur vnusquisque vestrûm Doo penance and be baptized eche of you they willingly and hartely repente their former sinnes which is al the penance that the Church of God requireth before Baptisme And so disposing them selues they receiue the Sacrament of Baptisme and therewith according to the promise of God made by S. Peter Matt. 28. Act. 2. remission of their sinnes and the gifte of the holy Ghost to keepe Gods commaundements which is their Iustification And this is the order whereby a sinner being of perfect age is iustified that is to say called to the estate of iustice and of wicked made rightuouse The first and principall cause thereof is the loue and mercie of God thorough the merite of Christes death Iustice is wrought in vs by grace and atteined by faith with the feare of Goddes iudgement hope of his mercie loue of his goodnes and by penance thorough the Sacrament of Baptisme All which are so necessarie to the accomplishing of our iustice that where any of them faileth trewe iustice also doth faile Hebr. 11. For as without faith it is vnpossible to please God and he that beleueth not is already iudged So he that is without feare can not be iustified Eccles 1. He that hopeth not despeireth Neither can any man loue that he hopeth not And who so lacketh hope and loue Aug. Enchi ca. 8. can not be iustified by faith Nam Daemones credunt For euen the Diuelles beleue and tremble and yet doo they neither hope nor loue but rather by beleuing are afraied that that shall come which we hope and loue Such as wil be iustified must not only beleue the Gospel but do penance Mar. 1. Luc. 13. Gal. 3. and such as will not do penance are assured al to perish Finally who is not baptized putteth not on Christe and therefore is neither renewed nor iustified This manner of Iustification is not onely testified by the Scriptures but also expressed in th' ancient vsage of the Church by such order as was exercised vppon them that receiued baptisme when they were of perfect age euen from the Apostles time whiche thinge we maie perceiue by the wordes of S. Paule where he saith Intermittentes inchoationis Christi sermonem Hebr. 6. c. Leauing asyde the wordes of our yong beginning in Christ Lette vs drawe to a perfectenes not layinge againe the foundation of penance from deade workes and of faith towarde God of the teaching of Baptisme and also of laying on hands of the resurrection of the dead and iudgement euerlasting al which thinges saith S. Augustine apperteyne to thadministration of Baptisme Aug. in expo ad Ro. incho de fid oper cap. 11. whereby we vnderstande that of such as were baptized in perfect age there was not only required faith in professing tharticles of the Crede but also they were required to doo penance from deade workes of sinne And to shewe some outwarde token thereof there was appointed vnto them before theire baptisme a time to faste and praie As is testified by such as liued nigh vnto the Apostles time Iustinus Martyr saith Apolo 2. pro Christian After what sorte we haue offred and dedicated our selues vnto God being newe made throughe Christe we will declare As many as be persuaded and beleue that the thinges are trewe whiche be taught and saied by vs and promise that they be able so to liue they be taught to praie and by fasting to aske at Goddes handes forgiuenes of former
sinnes committed by them Tertullian expressing the same custome saith further that they made also a confession of their former sinnes Ingressuros baptismum c. Tertullia De Bapti Suche as wil come to Baptisme must by often petitions fastinges kneelinges and watching and with confession of all their former sinnes vse praier S. Augustine declaring the order of his time saith De fide oper ca. 6. that such as intended to take baptisme certeine daies before gaue their names in writing and were purged and cleansed by abstinence fasting exorcismes forbearing the companie of their laweful wiues And by these doo we vnderstande that suche as were christened being of perfect age were not only instructed in faith but also taught to doo penance to faste to praie to promise that they would liue according to Christ his teaching to feare God to loue him and to hope in him al which thinges were conteined in their instruction and doctrine of Baptisme whereof S. Paule maketh mention Hebr. 6. And being in this wise prepared they receiued that Sacrament and therewith their Iustificacion If any would not professe amendemente of life but continewe in damnable vice or in any vngodlie kinde of liuing beleued they neuer so wel they were not admitted to be christened as S. Augustine saieth Meretrices c. Common harlottes and stage plaiers De fide oper ca. 18 and other what so euer occupiers of common lewde doinges vnlesse they vndoe and breake suche bandes be not suffered to come to the Sacramentes of Christ But this the Reader maie see at large in the booke it selfe of S. Augustine intituled of faith and workes which is translated into englishe and sette furthe herewith The cheefe argumente whereof is to declare that it suffiseth not him that wil be baptised and iustified to beleue vnlesse he haue faith that worketh by charitie and vnlesse his life be agreable to that holy Sacrament Cap. 2◠Cap. 15. Cap 16. For where any of bothe faileth saith he there neither ought nor can any promise be made of life euerlasting And thus haue we seene how they receiued their Iustificacion who came to be christened and iustified when they were of perfecte age That our Iustification and the vertues whereby we receiue it be the giftes of God and come of grace THE IX CHAP. Of Grace BVT as a sinner is brought to the state of iustice by faith through feare of God hope loue penance and the Sacrament of Baptisme so is it trewely to be said and faithfully to be acknowleged that it is the free grace of God that worketh al these vertues in him without the whiche he is not able of him selfe to atteine not only to the state of iustice but not so muche as to right faith and loue of God or any other gifte perteining to his saluation Cùm sine gratia Dei. Concil Arausica Cap. 19. c. For seeing that mannes nature was not able to keepe saluation whiche it receiued without the grace of God how can it be able to repaire that it hath loste without the grace of God As many then as are made members of Christe by the Sacrament of Baptisme or falling afterward be restored by penance are moued and stirred therevnto not by their owne desertes but by the free mercie and grace of God whose gifte both trew penance and also Iustification is And therefore although it be said to sinners Acto 2. Zacha. 1. Exposi Episto ad Ro. incho Agite poenitentiam doo penance And Conuertimini ad me Turne yee to me Yet as S. Augustine saith Poenitentiae meritum gratia praecedit quòd neminem peccati sui paeniteret nisi admonitione aliqua vocationis Dei. Grace goeth before the merite of penance For no man would repent him of his sinne were it not by some admonition of Gods calling The wastefull sonne said Surgam ibo ad patrem meum I will rise and go to my Father Aug. Epistola 106. Quam cogitationem bonam quando haberet nisi ipsam illi in occulto pater misericordissimus inspirasset Whiche good thought when should he haue had vnlesse his most merciful Father had inspired it into him As many as sinne seuer them selues and straie from God and sure we are it can not be false that trewth said Nemo venit ad me nisi fuerit ei datum à patre meo Ioan. 6. no man cōmeth to me vnlesse it be geuē him of my Father What thing so euer man thinketh heareth or seeth whereby he is moued to good that motion commeth of God. Visorum suasionibus agit Deus God worketh in vs De spiri Lit. Cap 34. 2. Cor. 3. saith S. Austine by persuasion of suche thinges as we see not only to will but also to beleue he worketh it either outwardely by exhortacions of the gospel or inwardly For that no man can chuse what shal come into his mind The Churches sound doctrine of Gods grace De spirit Lit. Cap. 7. but it is in his owne wil to consent or disagree Without this helpe of grace no man is able so much as to thinke any thing that maie please God. As this commendacion of grace is plainely sette forth in the Scriptures so hath it ben in all ages faithfully tought by the Church Bicause as S. Augustine saith Hac cogitatio sancta c. This holy thinking keepeth the children of men vnder the defence of Goddes winges this thought bringeth no pride The Church commendeth good workes but it setteth grace before them Concil Arausi cap. 8. saying Debetur merces c. Rewarde is due to good workes if they be done but grace that is not due goeth before that they maie be done It teacheth that mannes Iustificacion is the effecte of grace Per ipsam gratiam iustificatur De spiri et lit c. 10. c. By grace man is iustified freely that is to saie no merites of his workes going before Otherwise grace is not grace It teacheth that no man dothe good workes before he haue receiued grace thereby to deserue Gods grace but that God geueth his grace first whereby man doth good workes afterwarde whiche thing S. Augustine declareth by two apte similitudes Non vt ferueat Li. 1. ad Simplicia Quaest. 2. calefacit ignis The fier doth not heate to be made hote it selfe but bicause it is hote Neither doth the whele runne well thereby to be made rounde but bicause it is rounde Euen so no man worketh well that he maie thereby receiue grace but bicause he hath receiued it For how can he liue iustely that is not iustified but grace doth iustifie that a iustified man maie liue iustely And further to shewe how necessary Gods helpe and grace is to euerie man and at all times the Church teacheth that God doth not giue his grace onely once and then leaue man to him selfe Aug. Epistola 106. de Cōcil Palest but assisteth
in Gen. God hath deliuered his Sonne for our sinnes he hath graunted the gyftes of Baptisme he hath geuen remission of our former sinnes he hath opened vnto vs the waie of Penance By this remedie such as fall into sinne after Baptisme may be restored againe to the state of iustice For to such as do penance God hath promised grace and reconciliation Ezech. 18. saying by the Prophete Si impius egerit c. If the wicked man doo penance for all his sinnes that he hath committed he shall assuredly liue and not die The like promise he hath made in the newe Testament by S. Peter Acto 3. Poenitemini conuertimini vt deleantur peccata vestra Doo penance and turne that your sinnes maie be blotted owt But vnto suche as falle and will not doo penance God threateneth damnation Ezech. 33. Si impius nō fuerit conuersus à via sua c. Ipse in iniquitate sua morietur If the wicked be not turned from his waie in his wickednes shall he die And in the newe Testamente Christe him selfe saith Luca. 13. Nisi poenitentiam egeritis omnes similiter peribitis Vnlesse ye doo penance ye shall perish all after like sorte By which wordes putte together we vnderstande that as penance is the sure and vndoubted waie to restore a sinner againe so without the same there is no hope of his reconciliation As this order is commanded by the Scriptures so hath it in all ages ben practised by the Churche of Christ that sinners should be reconciled and iustified by penance Clem. lib. 2. ca. 45. Constitu Apost Tit. 3. Clement S. Peters scholer and successor compareth penance with the Sacrament of Baptisme saying to the Bishoppe Quemadmodum gentilem per lauacrum c. As thou receiuest the heathen by Baptisme after that he is instructed so shalt thou restore this man that is the penitent to his olde estate when he is cleansed by laying handes on him as by penance all men praying for him and the laying of handes shal be in steade of Baptisme He saith that penance standeth in steade of Baptisme bicause as by Baptisme the sinner is saued euen so by penance his sinnes be forgeuen for Christe hath saide Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur illis Ioan. 20. Whose sinnes you forgeue they be forgeuen them S. Augustine making the same comparison saith Quae autem Baptismatis eadem reconciliationis est causa De adulter cōiug li. 1. ca. 28 The like respecte is to be had of reconciliation and absolution as of Baptisme if it happen the penitent to fall in daunger of death for the Churche our mother ought not by her will to suffer them passe cut of this life without the pleadge of their peace He calleth absolution the pleadge of our peace as whereby our sinnes be forgeuen and conscience quieted He maketh penance as necessary to a sinner after Baptisme as Baptisme it selfe to him that is heathen S. Leo saith Peccata Baptismi aquis et poenitentiae lachrymus abluūtur Ser. 11. de quadrag ser 9. de Pasch Sinnes are wasshed away by the water of Baptisme and by the teares of penance And as men entre into the Church and be made members of Christe by Baptisme so if they fal away againe by sinne they may returne saith S. Cyprian by penance Cypria li. 4. epist 2. Nam cùm scriptum sit c. For sith it is written God made not death neither is delited to haue the liuing cast away vndoubtedly he that willeth none to perish desyreth that sinners should doo penance and by penance returne to life againe Pacianus faith that God hath prouided this remedie for men And in the same sentence Idem stantibus praemia qui iacentibus remedia largitus est Pacia epi. 1. ad Sym pronia Euen he hath giuen rewardes to them that stand who hath graunted remedies to such as lie and are fallen And thus we see it proued by authoritie of Scriptures and auncient Fathers that the right and assured remedy to heale a sinner after Baptisme is penance And that the Sacrament of penance by the promise of Christe hath vertue to reconcile and iustifie a sinner For which cause it is compared with the Sacrament of Baptisme and called by S. Cyprian a returning to life by S. Clement a restoring and cleansing By S. Augustine a pleadge of our peace and quiete of conscience by S. Leo a wasshing away of sinne by Pacianus the remedy of such as are fallen And to make vppe the matter S. Chrysostome calleth it the cure of our woundes and by the plaine terme Iustification Contritionem vult cordis Chrysost ho. 20. in Genes God will haue saith he contrition of harte remorse of minde confession of the fall a continuall care and diligence and geueth not onely the curinge of woundes and cleanseth from sinne but euen him that was before laden with innumerable burdens of sinnes he maketh a iust man. And hereby also may the Reader perceiue how good cause the auncient Bishop Pacianus Pacia epi. 1. ad Symproniae Hiero. ad Pamma Ocea and S. Ierome had to cal penance a borde to saue him that had suffred wreack or a seconde borde after wreack that is to say a second refuge when the firste helpe is loste And also he may see how litle ground they haue who against authoritie trewth and reason mislyke that manner of speache seeinge that by penance a sinner may be reconciled and saued which without the same should perish as hath ben proued How a sinner commeth to trewe penance and by what meanes he receiueth his Iustification I haue declared before Cap. 8. and shall for the Readers remembrance onely repete the same here It is grace first that moueth him to amendement and to say Surgam ibo ad patrem meum Luc. 15. I will rise and go to my father through which grace faith being stirred to beleeue the Scriptures and the threatninges of God vttered therein against sinners striketh into him a feare of Goddes iust iudgement and further bicause he should not dispaire moueth him to conceiue hope of mercie for that God is full of compassion and mercie Psal 102. 1. Tim. 1. Aug. in Psal 114. and came to saue sinners and that hope being once entred engendreth a loue of God as S. Augustine saith Quia credidisti sperasti quia sperasti iam dilexisti Bicause thou hast beleued thou haste hoped bicause thou haste hoped nowe hast thou loued Charitie taking roote in the harte bringeth forth a louing feare and care loth to offende God and such as maketh all penance be it neuer so sharpe to seeme easy and light And these be the fiue pointes apperteining to trewe penance faith a dreadfull feare of God hope Charitie and a louinge feare or carefull loue which thing may not onely be noted in the Niniuites in Marie Magdalene Zacheus and suche as the
saith I take them all as hinderance and losse and accompte them as durte so that I may gaine Christ. Leauing then aside these twoo kindes of workes whereof th' one is damnable and the other vnprofitable there remaine the workes which the Iewes called the workes of God Ioan. 6. saying to Christ Quid faciemus vt operemur opera Dei what shal we doo to worke the workes of God These workes be such as be done by the motion and inspiration of God. Christ saith Ioan. 3. Qui facit veritatem He that doth vprightely and trewly commeth to the light that his workes may be shewed bicause they are done in God that is by the inspiration and helpe of God. These workes S. Paul calleth the fruites of the holy Ghost bicause the holy Ghost bringeth them forth Gala. 5. Such are charitie ioy patience gentlenes sufferaÌ„ce mâ—â—â—nes faith modestie continence chastitie These workes as al Christian men are willed to doo so no man doth them without the grace of God preuenting him and mouing his wil to mind them and folowing and working with him to doo them Neither doth the Scripture and the Church of God teach vs that faith is Gods gifte Aug. epist 105. and charitie with good workes our owne as of our selues Al are the giftes of God of al and singuler it is said Sine me nihil potestis facere Ioan. 15. 1. Cor. 4. Rom. 8. Aug. epist 105. 2. Cor. 8. without me ye can doo nothing What haste thou that thou receiuedst not We knowe not what to pray as we ought to doo but the holy Ghost doth aske for vs that is to say doth teach vs and make vs to aske S. Paule calleth almose the grace of God. And briefly of all good workes he saith we be made and framed in Chriiste Iesu to doo good workes Quae praeparauit Deus vt in illis ambulemus Ephes 2. which God hath prepared for vs to walke in Whereuppon S. Augustine saith fingimur ergo c. we be made and fashioned that is De grat lib. arbit cap. 8. we are fourmed and shaped in good workes which we haue not bene the preparers of but God hath prepared them for vs to worke in By this rule S. Augustine saith our good life is nothing els but the gifte of God. Quisquis tibi enumerat vera merita sua Aug. confess lib. 9. cap. 13. quid tibi enumerat nisi munera tua Whosoeuer reckeneth vppe vnto thee o Lorde his trewe merites what doth he recken vp Hovve good vvorkes are called outes Aug. in Ioan. tractat 72. 1. Cor. 3. Bernar. de grat lib. arbit but thy giftes Here it may be said what parte haue we then in our good workes and why be they called ours if they be the giftes of God I answere God worketh all that is good in vs but as S. Augustine saith not without vs. And therfore as they be the workes of God who inspireth them so be they the workes of man that doth them Dei adiutores sumus we be the helpers and workers with God. Dei sunt proculdubio munera tam nostra opera quà m eius praemia ad quae tamen condenda merita dignatur sibi adhibere creaturarum ministeria without doubt they are Gods giftes as wel our workes as his rewardes and yet to make them merites he vouchesafeth to vse the seruice of his creatures And bicause he vseth mannes seruice in the doing of good workes he calleth them in the Scripture our workes Retract li. 1. ca. 23 So doth S. Augustine say of faith and good life vtrunque ipsius est Eche of bothe is his bicause he prepareth our will and either of bothe is ours bicause it is not done but by our will. Although much might be said in this place yet I shall take one place of S. Augustine in stede of many Psal 55. who expounding the wordes of Dauid saith in this manner In Deo laudabo sermones meos In God will I praise my wordes Aug. in Psa 55. ib. Si in Deo quomodo meos c. If in God how mine Both in God and yet mine in God bicause they come from him mine bicause I haue receiued them He that gaue them would haue them mine bicause I loue him whose they are bicause they comme to me from him they are made mine Matt. 6. for whence coÌ„meth this Geue vs this day our daily bread How call we it ours and how say we geue If thou cal it not thine thou hast not receiued it againe if thou call it thine after that sorte as though it came of thy selfe when thou callest it thine owne thou losest that thou haddest receiued bicause thou arte vnkinde to him at whose hande thou haddest receiued it There needeth no more to be said Good workes if we doo them be ours bicause we haue receiued them They be Gods bicause he giueth them They be not ours as of our selues they be not ours to be prowd of for then we lose them bicause we be vnkinde to the giuer But they be ours when meekely we doo them and acknowlege the geuer of them They be ours to shine before men Matth. 5. that they maie see them and glorifie our Father that is in heauen Finally they be ours bicause God so calleth them S. Paule knewe that faith charitie praier Colos 1. 1. Thes 1. 2. Thes 1. Rom. 15. 2. Tim. 1. and good workes were the giftes of God and yet writing to the Colossians and Thessalonians he commendeth their faith and their charitie desired the Romaines to remember him in their praiers and praied for Timothee in his owne He saith to the Hebrues 1. Cor. 15. God is not vniuste to forgette your worke He was not ignorant that it was the grace of God that wrought with him and yet he saith I haue wrasteled well for the game I haue finished my race 2. Tim. 4. I haue kepte my faith As he that hath an hundred pounde landes giuen him by the Prince hath landes and yet hath none of him selfe but of the Princes gifte and were well worthy to lose them if he would bragge of his possession againste the giuer and saie he gaue him none euen so the godly and faithfull haue good woorkes not of them selues but of Goddes geuing not to be prowde and vante them selues but humbly to serue him that gaue them to doo good to them selues and others by them Aug. in Psal 85. Arguens superbiam Apostolus The Apostle rebuking pride doth not saie thou haste not but he saith what haste thou that thou receiuedst not These be the workes that we commende and sette forth in Christian men not the workes of the lawe not suche as men doo of them selues or through vaine glorie to please men but the workes of God the fruites of the holy Ghost done onely for Gods sake suche as God by his inspiration and helpe worketh in men wherein
Gods mercy and to doe no good workes Fol. 33. b. Chap. 2 VVhence the opinion came that onely Faith iustifieth And of diuers kindes of mainteining the same Fol. 34. b. Chap. 3 That Faith excludeth not Charity in our Iustification 36. a Chap. 4 An Aunswere to Obiections that be made to proue that Faith alone iustifieth without Charitie Fol. 40. a. Chap. 5 That Faith excludeth not Hope in the acte of our Iustification Fol. 41. b. Chap. 6 That Faith excludeth not the working of Sacramentes in our Iustification Fol. 43. b. Chap. 7 VVhat is the true meaning of these woordes in the Scripture VVe are iustified by Faith or saued by Faith. Fol. 47. a. Chap. 8 That S. Paule teacheth not Iustification by onely Faith excluding Charitie And in what sense the Fathers sometime saie Faith alone iustifieth Fol. 51. a. Chap. 9 How Abraham was iustified VVhat his Faith was and who be the true children of Abraham Fol. 56. a. Cha. 10 That there is no contrarietie betwene S. Paul and S. Iames concerning the Doctrine of Iustification Fol. 60. a. Cha. 11 That Faith alone without good workes saueth not And what it is to be iustified freely by Grace Fol. 62. b. Cha. 12 VVhat they were who in sundrie ages haue taught that men should be saued without good vvorkes Fol. 65. b. Cha. 13 The cause why good works are don and that they are rewarded in this life with increase of grace and in the world to come with life euerlasting and why thei be so rewarded 67. a Cha. 14 An Answere to certaine Obiections made against the reward of good workes Fol. 72. a. Cha. 15 VVhat assurance of his Iustification and saluation a Christian man may haue in this life Fol. 75. b. Cha. 16 Of the fruites and ende of our Iustification and what strength in wel doing God geueth thereby where it is truely receiued and effectually put in vre and the waie to come to it Fol. 80. a. FINIS CERTAINE TREATIES OF THE AVNCIENT HOLY FATHERS TOVCHING THE DOCTRINE OF good woorkes Namely A Treatie of S. Augustine whiche he Intituled Of Faith and VVorkes Item a Sermon of S. Chrysostome of Praying vnto God. Item a Sermon of S. Basil of Fasting Item certaine Sermons of S. Leo the Great of the same matter Last of al a notable Sermon of S. Cyprian of Almes dedes Al newly translated into English by Thomas Coppley esquier Tobia 12. Bona est Oratio cum Ieiunio Eleemosyna magis quà m Thesauros auri recondere Quoniam Eleemosyna à morte liberat ipsa est quae purgat peccata facit inuenire vitam aeternam Prayer is good with Fasting and Almes better then to hide vppe treasures of golde For Almes deliuereth from death and shee it is which purgeth sinnes and maketh to finde life euerlasting LOVANII Apud Ioannem Foulerum Anno. 1569. CVM PRIVILEGIO The Translatour to the Reader THE loue that naturally men beare to peace and quiet is so great that there can fall no controuersie emong such as be of the better sorte but they seeke meanes euer to compounde and pacifie it Either they referre the decision of it to the Iudge ordinarie of the lawe or if they mistruste th' execution thereof either bicause the iudge doth not fullie vnderstande the matter or els for that they thinke him partiall of either side they seeke the arbitrement and sentence of some good man whome they thinke bothe to vnderstande perfitely right and iustice and take him to be affectionate of neither parte In which doing they flee not from the lawe but seeke the true and right vnderstanding thereof without affection at his handes I considering this order Christian Reader and moued with the Charitie that should binde vs all 2. Cor. 5. waying with my selfe the great controuersie that hath benne in this age about sundrie pointes of Religion namely in the article of our Iustification seing also that the matter tendeth not to the losse of patrimonie or landes but to the plaine disherison of life euerlasting and that emong vs who all professe to be the children of peace I haue bene desirouse to propounde some meane of Pacification And bicause I see the trauaile that sundrie men haue taken as it were pleading in this cause hath not ended the controuersie either bicause the doers were thoughte to be parties of the one side and thereby affectionat either bicause being borne in this age and liuing in the time of the controuersie they had not the autoritie and credite of Iudges I haue thought good to moue all such as finde in them selues either controuersie or doubt concerning that matter to putte their owne opinion in arbitrement and compromisse Not calling them hereby from the holy Scriptures which as a Soueraine lawe the diuine wisedome hath lefte vnto vs but leading them to the true vnderstanding of the holy Scriptures vttered by such as God hath placed in his Churche Ephe. 4. Danie 12. to be Pastor us and teachers to instructe manie to rightuousnes I offer for Arbitrators not men of this age such as may be thought any waie partiall or suspected but such as in all mens iudgementes and for all respectes be or should be without exception For the principall pointe of Iustification I offer S. Augustine a reuerend and most lerned Bishop in the Catholike Churche not onely in high estimation in all Christian Regions emong all estates and degrees during his life but also for his excellent vertue worthely after his death taken for a Saincte and for his singuler learning and knowledge in holy Scriptures taken for one of the foure Doctours and that the principallest of the Latin Churche as one meete whome all learned menne should followe as a lanterne and light in decision of matters of greatest weight Who also in expounding of the holy Scriptures may be the more safely trusted for that he had in all his writinges a speciall care not to seeke his priuate and singular opinion in the vnderstanding of them Lib. Confess 12. cap. 25. as appereth by his owne woordes saying that God hath terribly geuen vs warning that wee should not drawe his truthe to our owne priuate construction leste wee were depriued of it Luther in Sermone Germa ad mulieres partus Infelicita afflictas Phi. Melanc in decla de S. Augustino Caluinus Institut cap. 18. And therefore hauing his opinion thou arte sure to haue the opinion of that moste learned age that he liued in Againe bicause that time framed vnto it selfe no newe doctrine thou knowest also by him what was the opinion of the Church before his time euen from the Apostles vnto his age And bicause he hath not ben contraried in that matter of any godly and learned before this oure age yea and in this our age is highly commended of suche as haue bene of greatest credite euen of the contrary side thou knowest by him what hath bene the opinion of the Churche in all times
by certaine of the Fathers sayinges gathered together with their owne deuise and industry Nowe thou hearest the Fathers them selues to tell their owne tales Thou seest the maner of their writing Thou learnest by their owne talke what their faith was Onely I haue made them to speake in English as faithefully as truly and as familiarly as I coulde possibly doo not swaruing one iote from their wordes and meaning Accepte my poore labour in good parte which I haue taken to edifie many to offend none And our Lorde of his mercy geue bothe to thee gentle Reader and to me of his holy Grace that we may folow and practise in woorkes that which these holy Fathers do teache vs in woordes That as sinne hath bene the cause of this horrible schisme and manifolde heresies that nowe raigne so amendement of life maie be a meane to stay the raging course thereof and to call vs home to vnite againe to the honour of God and peace of his Church Amen A TREATISE MADE BY THAT BLESSED AVNCIENT FATHER S. AVGVSTINE BISshoppe of Hippo in Afrike in the yeare of our Lord 380. Which he intituled Of Faith and Woorkes Against them that did admitte all men to Baptisme without any difference THE FIRST CHAPTER SOME be of opinion that all persons An olde errour without any difference should be admitted to the fonte of regeneration which is in our Lorde Iesu Christe although they haue no will to chaunge their lewde and filthie life being infamouse with notoriouse crimes yea and though by open protestation they professe that they meane to continewe therein As for example If a man kepe a harlot he should not be commaunded first to departe from her and then to come vnto Baptisme but that euen remaining with her and meaning stil so to doe he should notwithstanding that his presumption be admitted and baptised and should not be staied from being a member of Christ though he continew the member of an harlot but should afterward be taught how euil a thing that is and so being baptised should be instructed to amende his manners For these men thinke it a peruerse and preposterouse thinge first to teache them howe a Christian should liue and after to baptise them But in their iudgement the Sacrament of Baptisme should rather goe before that the doctrine of life and manners may after folowe Which if the baptised wil kepe and obserue he shal doe it with profit If not but retaining the Christian faith without the which he shuld perish euerlastingly he perseuer in al wicked and sinneful liuing yet shall he be saued as by fier euen as he whiche vpon the foundation which is Christe buildeth not golde 1. Cor. 3. siluer or pretiouse stones but wood haie and stooble that is to saie not iust and chaste conuersation but wicked and vncleane The cause of this their imagination and opinion is that that they see such are not admitted to baptisme who being menne and putting awaie their wiues marrie others Or being wemen and forsaking their husbandes marrie others And that bicause our Lord Christ doth testifie these to be without al doubt adulteries and not marriages For these men when they could not denie that to be adulterie Matt. 5. which the truth it selfe doth without al question pronounce and confirme to be adultery and yet had a desire to helpe them to the receiuing of baptisme whom they sawe so intangled in that snare that if they were not admitted to Baptisme thei had rather liue yea and die to without any Sacrament at al then to be deliuered of that snare with breaking their bond of adulterie they were moued with a certaine humaine pittie and compassion so to consider of their cause that they thought meete to admitte vnto baptisme not them onely but also all maner of lewde and shameful liuers though they were neyther rebuked with any prohibition nor corrected with instruction nor amended by any penaunce as thinking except that were done they should perish euerlastingly but if it were done though they stil continewed in those euils yet should they be saued through fier That the Church indureth the Commixtion of euil persons togeather with the good and yet doth not omitte the seueritie of discipline THE SECOND CHAPTER TO whiche sorte of men for answere first this I say Let no man so take those testimonies of Scriptures which either declare a commixtion of bothe good and euill in the Church presently or foretell it to come assuredly let no manne I saie being not taught by those Scriptures but deceiued by his owne opinion so take them as to thinke therefore either seueritie of discipline or diligence in noting and punishing of vice is to be omitted or taken awaie Num. 23. For al be it Moyses the seruaunt of God most paciently suffered that commixtion in the first people yet so was it that he punished also diuers with the sworde And Phinees the Priest did with the reuenging sworde thrust through both the adulterers being found together Degradations Which thing verely was signified should be also done by degradations and excommunications in this time when in the discipline of the Churche the visible sworde should cease Neither the blessed Apostle 2. Cor. 11. Ad Phil. 1 albeit he moste paciently lamented emongest false brethren 1. Cor. 1. yea and suffered some being driuen forwarde with diuelish prickes of enuie to preache Christe did yet thinke meete to spare him which toke his Fathers wife whome he commaunded the Churche being assembled to be geauen ouer to the Diuell 1. Tim. 1. into the destruction of his bodie that his sowle might be saued in the daie of our Lorde Iesu Christe or did him selfe therefore lette to deliuer vppe others to Sathan 1. Cor. 5. that they should learne not to blaspheme Neither did he in vaine saie I haue written to you in mine Epistle that you shoulde not keepe companie with fornicators I meane not with fornicators of this worlde or couetouse persons or extorcioners or suche as serue Idolles for then you should haue gone out of this worlde but nowe I haue written to you not to keepe companie with any suche of your brethren as is knowen and named to be a fornicator a seruer of idolles a couetouse man a slaunderour a dronkerd or an extorcioner no not so muche as to take meate with suche for as of them which be without howe can I iudge But of them whiche be within doe not your selues iudge Of them whiche be without God shall iudge Take awaie the euill from emong your selues Whiche wordes from emong your selues some doe vnderstande that eche man should take awaie and remoue the euil out of him selfe that is to saie that he him selfe should be good But how so euer it be vnderstanded eyther that lewd persons should by seueritie of the Church be rebuked and throwen out by excommunications or els that euery man by taking vp and correcting him selfe should remoue the
holy Scripture to take a moderate and middle waye As thus That both to keepe peace in the Churche we suffer dogges within the Churche Math. 7. and yet when the peace of the Churche may otherwise be kept not to geue that which is holy vnto dogges When therefore we find euill persons in the Churche either through negligence of the Prelates or by some excusable necessitie or by close and couert surreption crept in whome we can not correct or brydle by Ecclesiastical Discipline then lest that wicked and daungerouse presumption might arise in our mindes whereby we should thinke it needeful to separate our selues from such sinneful persons thinking that otherwise we should be defiled with their sinnes and so goe about to drawe after vs a company as it were of cleane and vnspotted Disciples broken of from the knot of vnitie vnder colour of auoyding euil company let vs cal to remembrance those parables those diuine oracles and most euident examples out of the Scriptures by which it is shewed and forespoken that euil persons shal be mingled in the Churche with the good euen to the ende of the world and day of last Iudgement and yet shal not therefore in the vnitie and participation of the Sacramentes hurt the good which do not consent vnto their doinges But when the Pastours and Prelates of the Churche are able without the breache of common peace to exercise and execute dewe discipline against lewde and wicked persons then agayne lest through dulnes and slowth we fall a sleepe we are to be waked and stirred vppe with other spurres of preceptes whiche perteyne to seueritie of correction That so by bothe manner of testimonies and sayinges of holy Scripture directing our steppes in the waye of our Lorde he being our guyde and helper wee neyther waxe dull vnder the name of patience nor yet cruell vnder the pretence of diligence VVhen and to what personnes Baptisme is to be geuen THE VI. CHAPTER THIS moderation then according to sound doctrine being kept let vs looke to that whereof wee nowe intreate That is Whether men are so to be receaued to Baptisme as that no care or regarde be had therein least that whiche is holy be geeuen vnto dogges so farre forthe that not so muche as open committers of adulterie yea and professing a continuance therein should seeme meete to be kept from a Sacrament of so great holinesse Whereunto without doubt they should not be admitted abstinēce fasting and exorcismes preparatories to receiue baptisme if during those very dayes in the whiche after theyr names geeuen and preparing them selues to receyue that grace they are with abstinence fastinge and Exorcismes purified and purged they should professe to lye with theyr true and lawefull wyues and woulde of this one thinge being at anye other tyme lawefull for those fewe solemne dayes denie the forbearing Whiche being so howe should an aduouterer refusing amendement be admitted to those holy thinges whereunto euen a lawefull married man refusing but a litle abstinence is not admitted But saye they let hym be firste baptised Obiectiō and afterwarde taught what apperteyneth to good lyfe and manners So is it donne Ansvver when it happeneth any man to be nere his end and at the point of death when at the pronouncing of those few wordes wherein yet al other thinges are conteyned he beleeueth and so receaueth that Sacrament to the ende that if he happe to goe out of this life he maye departe free from gilte of all his sinnes past But whereas such a man recouering agayne desireth space and tyme to learne those thinges whiche are to be learned what other tyme may be founde more conuenient wherein a man maye learne howe to becomme faithfull and howe he ought to lyue then that tyme wherein with a minde very attentiue Catechising and holden in suspense of very religion he requireth to haue the Sacrament of saluation Are we so farre alienated from our senses that eyther wee remembre not our selues howe diligent and howe attent we were to that whiche was commaunded vnto vs by them whiche first entred and instructed vs in the faith at what time we required the Sacramentes of that font and were also therefore called * Competentes are they that stand to be baptised together and cause their names to be taken for that purpose Competentes or elles that wee marke not others which euery yeare runne to this font of regeneration how they behaue them selues for the time of those dayes wherin they be instructed exorcised and examined howe carefully and diligently they come together with what a desire they burne and in what greate expectation they depend If that be not a tyme to learne what lyfe most agreeth with so worthy a Sacrament as they then desire to take what tyme will there be for it What when they haue receaued it remayning yet in so many and great crimes and being euen after baptisme not new men but old offendours so as with strange preposterousnes it should be first saied vnto them put on the newe man and when thei haue put him on it should then after be said vnto them Colos 3. put of the olde Not so the Apostel Who keeping right order of speache saith first put of the olde and then put on the newe Math. 9. Yea our Lorde him selfe crieth No man soweth new clothe to an olde garment ne doth any man put newe wine into olde bottelles And what elles I praye you doo they all that tyme when they stande in rewe and beare the names of Cathecumenes but harken what should be the faith and life of a Christian man That when they haue prooued them selues 1. Cor. 11. The blessed Sacrament ministred together vvith Baptisme then they may eate of our Lordes table and drinke of his cuppe Bicause he that eateth vnworthely eateth and drinketh iudgement vnto him selfe But that thing whiche is done in all that meane tyme in the whiche by right good order of the Church they which come to professe Christes name do first take the degrees of Cathecumenes the same is much more diligentely and more instantly donne in those dayes wherein they are called Competentes when I saye they haue already geuen in their names to receaue Baptisme That suche as are to receiue Baptisme must be taught as well the woorkes of Faith as Faith. THE VII CHAPTER WHAT saie they if a maide vnwitting An obiection marrie her selfe vnto the husband of an other woman Forsooth if shee neuer knowe it Ansvvere shee shall neuer be thereof an adulteresse But if shee knowe it shee shal from thence forth beginne to be an adulteresse after that shee shall wittingly lye with an other womans husband Euen as in the right of landes so long is a man rightly termed a lawful possessour without any fraude as he is ignorante that he possesseth an other mannes lande but when he shall knowe it to be an other mannes possession and dothe not then departe from
steale no more and so foorth where more at large he prosecuteth the same matter teaching what it is to put of the olde manne and to put on the newe Ephes 4. And yet if they woulde haue marked but these very woordes of S. Peter whiche they alleage they might haue had good cause better to consider of the matter For when he had said Doe ye penance Actor 2. and be ye baptised euery one of you in the name of our Lorde Iesu Christe into remission of your sinnes and ye shall receiue the gifte of the holy Ghoste For to vs is this promise made and to our children and to all as many as it shall please our Lorde God to call be they neuer so farre of He that wrote the booke immediately added these woordes And he testified this in many other woordes saying Withdrawe your selues from this wicked worlde And they moste greedily receiuinge and embracing his woordes beleeued and were baptised and three thowsande sowles gained and wonne in that one daie Nowe who seeth not here that in those many other woordes whiche the writer of the Actes S. Luke for length omitteth S. Peter earnestly laboured that they should withdraw them selues from this wicked worlde For euen the sentence it selfe is briefly shewed for the inforcing and perswading whereof S. Peter vsed those many other woordes For the summe and effecte of his whole perswasion is plainely sette downe when it is sayed Withdrawe your selues from this wicked worlde But howe this thinge shoulde be donne Peter gaue proofe in many other woordes In whiche woordes no doubt was comprised the condemnation of deadde woorkes which the louers of this worlde wickedly doe committe and the commendation of good lyfe whiche they should obserue and followe that withdrawe them selues from this wicked worlde Nowe therefore if they thinke good lette them perswade vs that he withdraweth him selfe from this wicked worlde whoe beleeueth onely in Christe yea though he purpose to perseuer in suche vices as he liketh euen to the very open profession of adulterie Whiche if it be abhominable to saie then lette them whiche are to be baptised not onely heare what they oughte to beleeue but also howe they may withdrawe them selues from the woorkes of this wicked worlde For at that time and place muste they learne howe they oughte to liue after they dooe beleeue VVhat it is to preache Christe And of the Baptisme of the Eunuche THE IX CHAPTER THE Eunuche saie they whome Philip baptised An Obiection Act. 8. Ansvvere saied nothing els but I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the Sonne of God. And in this profession he was presently baptised What Will you therefore that menne shoulde onely make that aunswere and so be baptised foorthwith Is there nothing to be asked by the instructor or to be professed by the beleeuer touching the holy Ghoste Nothing touching the holy Churche The holy Churche professed in the Creede by the Catecumenes Nothing touchinge the remission of sinnes Nothing touching the resurrection of the dead Lastly nothing touchinge Ihesus Christe him selfe but that he is the Sonne of God Is there nothing to be learned or professed touching his incarnation of the Virgin His Passion his death on the Crosse his buriall Resurrection the thirde daie or of his Ascension and sitting on the righte hande of his Father For if when the Eunuche had answered I beleeue that Iesus Christe is the Sonne of God it seemed he had done that whiche was sufficiente to be presently baptised and so to goe his waie then why doe we not followe that onely and let passe those other thinges whiche we must needes expresse euen when the streightnesse of time dothe vrge present Baptisme by asking questions wherevnto he that is to be baptised must in al pointes aunswere yea though he haue not ben able to knowe them without the booke But if the Scripture forbare the reporting and left to our supposing and vnderstanding those other thinges which Philip did with the Eunuche then to be baptised and in that it saith Philip baptised the Eunuche would vs to vnderstand that all other thinges requisite therevnto were firste complete and finished whiche although for shortnesse sake they be not in the Scripture spoken of yet by the course of the tradition Traditiō vvher Scripture faileth we know they were to be fulfilled then in like sorte also where it is written that Philip preached the Gospell and our Lorde vnto the Eunuche We can not doubt but in that instruction al was said vnto him that perteine vnto the life and maners of him that beleueth in our Lord Iesu For to preache Christ is not onely to tell what is to be beleeued concerning Christ but also what things are to be obserued of him who commeth to the vnitie of his mystical body yea and throughly to open al things which are to be beleued of Christ not onely whose Sonne he is of whome he was begotten as touching his Diuinitie and of whom as touching his humanitie what he suffered and wherefore what is the vertue of his resurrection what gift of the holy Ghost he promised and gaue vnto the faithfull but also what manner of members he seeketh to be head vnto to teach to loue to deliuer and bring to euerlasting lyfe and glorie When these thinges are opened at some tyme briefely and in fewe woordes at an other tyme largely and amplely then Christ is preached And yet not only that which perteineth to faith but also that which concerneth the manners and woorkes of the beleeuers is declared VVhat it is to knowe Christe crucified and who loueth God and his neighbour THE X. CHAPTER IN this sense also is that to be taken An other Obiectiō which they alleage out of S. Paule saying I saied among you 1. Cor. 2. I knowe nothing but Iesu Christ and him crucified Which wordes they thinke to haue ben so spoken as though nothing els had ben taught them but that they should firste beleeue and afterward being baptised should learne al such things as appertayne to lyfe and manners This say they did at the ful suffise the Apostle who sayed vnto them that although they had many schoolemasters in Christe 1. Cor. 4. yet had they not many Fathers for he had by the Ghospell begotten them in Iesu Christe If then he which begat them thorough the Ghospell Ansvver allthough he thanked God that he had baptised none of them but Crispus Gaius and the familie of Stephana taught them no more but Christe crucified what if some man should also say they had neuer heard of Christe his Resurrection when they were begotte thorough the Ghospell 1. Cor. 1. Which if these men wil not sticke to graunte to then let them remembre what he saied in an other place to the very same his scholers Thus he saieth I haue firste opened vnto you that Iesus died according to the Scriptures was buried and rose againe the thirde daye according to
them which are all ready baptised and so let them no more saie that to them whiche are to receiue Baptisme the faith onely which is to be had in God is to be preached and after the receiuing of that Sacrament they are to be instructed of good life as of a second precepte teaching that whiche belongeth to the looue of their neighbour For the lawe whiche the people receiued after the passage of the read sea as it were after Baptisme conteineth bothe Neither was the distribution of the commaundementes so made that before the passing of the readde sea the people was taught to beware of Idolatrie and after they were passed were taught that their Father and Moother were to be honored that they should not committe adulterie not kill and suche leeke orders of a good and innocent conuersation emong men That suche as will not change and amende their wicked life are not to be receiued to Baptisme THE XII CHAPTER IF therefore any man so come to the requiring of holy Baptisme that he professe he will not departe from the sacrifices of Idols except it be perchaunce after when he list him selfe and yet doth presently requier Baptisme and earnestly praie that he maie be made the temple of the liuing God being not onely an Idolater but also a continuer in most wicked sacrilege I aske of those menne whither they woulde thinke him so muche as to be allowed for a Cathecumene No doubt they will crie he ought not For we can not iudge otherwise of their meaning Let them therefore render a reason by the testimonie of the Scriptures whiche they thinke so to be vnderstanded howe they dare repell any from receiuing Baptisme whiche will protest and saie thus I haue learned and I woorshippe Christe Crucified I beleeue Iesu Christe to be the Sonne of God Differre me no longer Acto 8. Requier no more of me The Apostle woulde not them whome he did begette through the Ghospell to knowe any thing els for that time but Christe Crucified And Philippe after that the Eunuche had pronounced that he beleeued Iesus Christe to be the Sonne of God did not delaie the baptising of him Why then doo you forbidde me the woorshipping of Idols And why refuse you to admitte me to the Sacrament of Christe except I doo first departe from Idols I haue learned to worshippe Idols from my childhood I am rooted in it by a longe custome I will leaue then when I am able and when it shall be conuenient but though I doo not let me not yet ende my life without the Sacrament of Christe lest perhappes God aske my soule at their handes What thinke we woulde they answere to suche a man. Would they haue him admitted God forbidde I doo not beleeue them to be so farre gonne What then will they answer to him that shall so saie Yea and that shal adde farther that nothing ought to be saied vnto him at the least before baptisme of forsaking Idolatry no more then that former people heard thereof before their passage through the redde sea bicause the lawe whiche they receiued after their deliuery out of Egypte taught them that Truly they would saie to that man Thou shalt become the temple of God when thou hast receiued Baptisme But the Apostle saieth 2. Cor. 6. what hath the temple of God to doo with Idolles But why then doo they not see that it is leekewise to be saied Thou shalt become the member of Christe when thou hast receiued Baptisme The members of Christ can not be the members of an harlot For thus saieth the Apostle also in an other place 1. Cor. 6. Erre not for neither fornicators nor seruers of Idolls nor diuers others which he there reckeneth vp shall inherite the kingdome of heauen How then is it that wee exclude from baptisme Idolaters and thinke meete to admit fornicators When both to these and to other euil liuers the Apostle saieth And truely suche haue you bene but now you are wasshed sanctified and iustified in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ and in the spirite of our God What is then the cause that when it appeareth wee haue power to repell both sortes yet I permit the fornicatour cōming to baptisme to remaine in his lewdnes and doo not permitte the Idolater Especially when I heare it spoken both to the one and to the other this haue you been but nowe are you wasshed But the grounde of these mens errour is that they thinke all such which beleue in Christe The errour vvhich S. augustin in this vvorke cōfuteth and haue receiued the Sacrament of Baptisme are sure to be saued but yet through fire though they be so negligent in correcting their manners that they liue extreme wickedly Whereof I shall by and by see by Gods helpe what is to be thought and iudged according to the Scriptures VVoorkes of faith should go before Baptisme THE XIII CHAPTER BVT as yet I will stande a while vpon this question wherein they holde that such as are baptized should be instructed in good life and suche as come to be baptized onely to be instructed in the faith Which if it were so besides so many thinges which we haue saied already Iohn Baptist woulde not haue saied to them that came to his baptisme Generation of Vipers Matt. 3. who shewed you to flie from the wrathe to come Doo ye therefore woorthy frute of penaunce c. In whiche words he warneth them not of faith but of good workes In like manner to the souldiars saying what shall we doo He said not beleeue first and be baptised and afterward ye shal know what you must doo Luca. 3. but he foretolde them and forewarned them that in dede like a forerunner he might prepare and cleanse their life against our Lordes comming into their harte saying Vexe no man sclaunder no man content your selues with your wages Likewise to the Publicans asking what they should doo exact saith he no more then that which is appointed to you Th'euangelist thus briefly reporting these thinges for he needed not at large to put in the whole Catechismes gaue sufficiently to vnderstande The holy Scripture reporteth not all thinges that it apperteineth to his dutie who instructeth the person to be baptised to teache him and instruct him in good life Now in case these men had aunswered Iohn flatly wee wil not doo worthy frutes of penance wee will slaunder we will vexe we will exact those thinges which are not dewe vnto vs and yet notwithstanding after this their protestation Iohn had baptised them yet could it not therfore be said in this matter whereof now our question is that when a man cometh to be baptised he should not be instructed to leade a good life But to passe ouer other thinges let them remember and marke what our Lord him selfe answered when the riche man asked of him what good he might doo to attaine the life euerlasting Matt. 19. if thou wilt
saith he comme vnto life keepe the commaundementes When he had asked what commaundementes our Lord rehearsed to him the preceptes of the Lawe Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not cōmitte aduoultrie and so foorth Whereunto when he had aunswered that all these thinges he had done from his youth then did our Lord adde farther the precept also of perfection that selling all that he had and bestowing in almes on the poore he should haue treasure in heauen and follow the same Lord. Let them behold therfore and marke that it was not said vnto him he should beleeue and be baptised by which only helpe these men thinke a man may come to life but the preceptes of manners and workes were geuen vnto him which yet can not be kept or obserued without faith Neither bicause our Lord seemeth here to haue omitted the insinuacion of faith do we therfore prescribe and content our selues that only preceptes of manners should be opened to them that desire to come to life For both be mutually knit together as I said before bicause neither the loue of God can be in a man that loueth not his neighbour neither the loue of his neighbour in him which loueth not God. Therfore do we find that the Scripture doth somtime mention the one without the other now faith now workes eche for a ful and perfite doctrine to the end we may thereby vnderstand that one of them can not be without the other For why He that beleeueth God ought to doo that which God commaundeth and he that therefore doth bicause God commaundeth must of necessitie beleue God. That onely faith doth not suffice to saluation without good workes THE XIIII CHAPTER LET vs now therfore looke vnto that point The principall point of this Treatie and vvel to be marked which is to be beaten forth of all religious hartes least by a lewde securite they lose their saluatiō if they thinke onely faith to suffise to the obteining hereof and be negligent to liue wel and to kepe on in the way of God by good workes For euen in th'Apostles time some not vnderstanding certaine darke sentences of the Apostle Paul thought him to saie Let vs doo euil that good may come because he had saied the lawe entred Rom. 5. that offence might abound but where offence abounded there was grace the more abundant Which saying of S. Paule is true in this sense that menne receauing the lawe and most proudly presuming of theire owne strengthe and abilitie to kepe it not by right faith calling vpon the grace of God to ouercome their euil concupiscenses and lustes against the lawe were iustely burdened beside the transgressing of the lawe with moe yea and more greuous offences And so extreme gilt compelling them they fled to faith Psal 120. Rom. 5. Whereby they might deserue the mercie of pardone and helpe of our Lorde which made heauen and earth that charitie being thorough the holy Ghost powred in their hartes they might doo with loue those thinges which were commanded against the concupiscenses and lustes of this worlde Psal 15. Rom. 7. Hovv s Paule is to be vnderstanded according to that which was foresaid in the psalme their infirmities were multiplied and then they made hast Therefore where the Apostle saith He thinketh man to be iustified by faith without the workes of the Lawe he meaneth not that after faith receiued and professed the workes of iustice should be contemned but that euery man may knowe that he may be iustified by faith This is meant of the first Iustification See the Treatie before though the workes of the Lawe haue not gonne before For they doo followe him that is iustified they go not before him that is to be iustified Of which matter I neede not farther to dispute in this present woorke Namely since I haue vppon this question alreadie sette forth a large booke which is intituled Of the letter and the spirit Note hovv olde the heresy is of only Faithe Bicause therefore this opinion was then euen in the Apostles time spronge vp the other Apostolical Epistles of Peter Iohn Iames and Iuda doo chiefly direct their intention and purpose against the same opinion so farre that they plainely * Therfore Luther thought good vtterly to reiect the Epistle of S Iames in his vvritinges against kinge henry the viij Galat. 5. 1. Cor. 13. Rom. 13. affirme faith without workes to profite nothing as Paule him selfe also defineth not euerie faith whereby a man may beleeue in God but that to be the healthfull and Euangelicall faith whose workes procede of Charitie that faith saith he which worketh thorough loue or Charitie For which cause also he sheweth the same faith which some men thinke to suffise vnto saluation to be so farre from profiting any whit that he saith If I haue all faith so as I may remoue mountaines and yet haue not Charitie I am nothing But where this faithfull Charitie woorketh there without doubt is good life For the fulnes of the Lawe is Charitie Wheruppon to make the matter plaine Peter in his second epistle where he exorteth vnto holinesse of life and woorkes and foreshewed that this world should passe away but new heauens and new earth was to be loked for which shall be geuen to be inhabited of the iust that they might hereby take good hede how they liued to become mete and worthy of that habitation knowing that out of certaine darke sentences of S. Paull some lewde personnes had taken occasiō to be carelesse of wel liuing Note as being sure of their saluation which is in faith said that certeine thinges there were in S. Paules Epistle most hard to be vnderstanded which men did peruert euē as they did other scriptures to their owne destruction whereas yet the same Apostle Paul thought no doubt of the euerlasting saluatiō which is not geauen but to good liuers euen in suche sorte as the other Apostles did Peter I say knowing this 2. Pet. 3. saieth as foloweth All these thinges then perishing of what sorte ought ye to be in holy conuersations and woorkes of pietie expecting and hastening to the presence of the day of our Lorde by the which the heauens burning shal be losed and the elementes by the heate of fier dissolued But we looke for according to his promisses newe heauens and a newe earth wherein iustice inhabiteth VVherefore most deerly beloued sins you looke for these thinges labour that ye may be found before him sounde and without spot in peace and thinke the patient expecting of our Lorde to be healthful vnto you euen as our deerest beloued brother Paul wrote vnto you according to that wisedome which was geuen vnto him speaking of these thinges in manner in all his Epistles wherein are some thinges harde to be vnderstanded which vnlearned and wauering persons doo peruert euen as the rest of the Scriptures to their owne destruction You therefore deerly beloued now foreknowing these thinges be
How may this be Except thou wilt thinke that he which feedeth Christe shall him selfe not be fed by Christe Or that earthly thinges shall want to them to whome diuine and heauenly thinges are geeuen Whence commeth this mistrustfull thought Whence groweth this wicked and sacrilegious Imagination What dooth suche a faithlesse hart in the house of faith Why is he called and named a Christian whiche dooth not altogether beleeue Christe The name of a Pharisee is more meeter for thee For when our Lord in the Ghospell disputed of almose deedes faithfully and holesomely forewarning vs that by prouident woorkyng wee should of our earthly gaines make vnto our selues frendes that might afterward receiue vs vppe into euerlasting tabernacles He is no Christian but a pharisee that vvill geue no almose for feare he shal lacke after these thinges spoken the Scripture addeth these wordes But the Pharisees whoo were moste coouetous menne hard all these thinges and mocked thereat Soome suche menne doo wee see at this daie in the Churche whose stopped eares and blinded hartes doo receiue no light of spirituall and holesome admonitions At whome wee must not marueill if they contemne a seruaunt treating of these thinges Lucae 16. when wee see that our Lord him selfe was of suche menne despised What doest thou please thy selfe with these fond and foolish thoughtes A vehement exhortation against the peuish feare of vvorldlinges As though with feare and carefulnes of thinges to come thou shouldst be kept backe from doing of good workes Why doest thou pretende such coulours toies and delusions of vaine excuse Confesse that rather which is true And bicause thou canst not deceiue them that knowe lay foorth the secret and hidden conceptes of thy mind No no. The darcknes of vnfrutefulnes hath benummed thy mind and the light of truth being thence departed the deepe and thicke mist of couetousnes hath blinded thy carnall hart Thou art a slaue and bondman to thy monie Thou art bound with the bondes and cheines of auarice and thou whome Christe had once losed art now againe come in bondes Thou kepest thy money which being kept doth not keepe thee Thou heapest thy patrimony whiche with the waight thereof dooth burden thee Thou doest not remēber what God aunswered to the riche man that with fond reioising boasted the great plenty of his abundant store Thou foole said he this night is thy soule called for from thee Luk. 12. Therefore whose shall those thinges be which thou hast gathered Why doest thou studie and trauaile to gette riches for thy selfe alone Why doest thou to thine owne paine increase the waight of thy patrimonie whereby how much the richer thou art to the world so much the poorer thou art made toward God. Diuide thy rentes with thy Lorde God. Parte thy frutes with Christ Make Christ a partaker with thee of the reuenue of thy earthly possessions that he may also make thee with him a ioyn theire of the heauenly kingdoomes Thou errest and art deceiued who so euer beleeuest thy selfe to be riche in the world Heare in the Apocalips the voice of thy Lord with iust rebukes rating suche men Apocal. 3. Thou saiest I am riche saieth he I am increased in wealth I want nothing And thou knowest not that thou art in deede a wretche miserable poore blinde and naked I aduise thee to bye of mee golde tried and burnisshed in the fier that thou maist be riche and maist put on the white garment that the filth of thy nakednes doo not appere in thee Annoint thine eyes with a medicine that thou maiest see Thou therefore that art welthy and riche bye vnto thy selfe of Christe gold burnished and tried with fier that thy filthines being purged as it were with fier thou maist be pure golde being purged by almose deedes and good woorkes Bye vnto thy selfe a white garment that thou whiche by Adam were before naked quaking and defourmed maist be clothed with the white garment of Christe And thou whiche art a riche and welthy Gentlewoman annoint thine eyes not with the Diuels Alabaster but with Christes Medicine that thou maist attaine to see God with good woorkes and iust desert meriting well at thy Lordes handes But thou which art suche a one canst not woorke in the Churche For thine eies being ouercast with a darke dimnesse and blinded as it were in the night haue not beheld the needy and the poore Thou being welthy and riche beleeuest that thou celebratest our Lord his Temple yet doest thou not one whit behold or regard the treasure huche thereof Thou commest into the Temple without sacrifice yea thou takest part of the sacrifice which the poore hath offered Behold in the Gospel the widow who being mindeful of the heauenly preceptes did woorke euen in the middest of her owne miserie and penurie putting into the treasury euen those two mites which onely remained vnto her Whom when our Lord had marked and seene waying and esteeming her woorke not by her liuelyhood but by her hart and minde and considering not how muche but out of how muche shee had geeuen he aunsweared and saied Verely I saie vnto you Lucae 21. this widow hath geuen more into Gods treasure then all these For all these haue geuen vnto God his treasure of that whiche abounded vnto them but this widow euen out of her pouertie hath put in all shee had to liue by O very happy and glorious woman that euen before the daie of iudgement deserued to be praysed by the mouth of the iudge Let them that be riche be ashamed of there owne barreinnes and miserable niggishnes A widow and a poore widow dyd deale liberally And whereas all that is geuen is bestowed on the succourlesse and widowes shee geueth who should haue receiued that wee maie know what punishment remaineth to the vnfrutfull riche man when by this doctrine euen the poore them selues owght also to woorke And that wee maie vnderstand that al suche thinges are geuen to God and that in doing these thinges wee deserue and merite at Gods hande Christe calleth them Gods treasuer and sheweth that the widowe had put her two mites into Goddes stoare that it might be made the more manifest vnto vs that he which hath compassion on the poore doth lende to God vpon vsurie The Care of children ought not to staie from geuing of almose Neither lette any Christian man deerely beloued bretherne thinke him selfe excused from dooing good woorkes vppon respecte to doo for his children For wee ought in our spirituall expences haue an eye to Christe who hath professed that it is he that receiueth our almose And so in doing almose to the poore we preferre not the poore before our children but we preferre Christe before our children He him selfe so teaching and admonishing vs Matt. 10. Who so loueth saith he his father or mother aboue mee is not woorthy of mee and who so loueth his Sonne or daughter aboue mee is not
woorthy of mee Also in Deuteronomy the like thinges are written to the strengthning of our faith and loue toward God Deute 33. in these woordes They which saie vnto their Father or Mother I knowe thee not and haue not knowen their children these haue obserued thy commaundementes and haue kept thy testament For if wee loue God with all our hart wee ought not to preferre either parentes or children before God. Which thing S. Iohn also sheweth in his Epistle saying that Charitie and the looue of God is not in them whome we see to haue no regarde to doo good vnto the poore Hee that hath saith he worldly substance 1. Iohn 3. and hath seene his brother want and hath shut vp his compassion from him how doth the loue of God dwel in him For if God geue vsurie for the almes that is geuen to the poore and that whiche is geuen to the least of them is geuen to Christe there is no cause why a man shoulde preferre earthly thinges before heauenly or esteeme man more then God. So did that widowe 3. Reg. 17 mentioned in the thirde booke of the Kinges when after all her goodes consumed A notable example in the greate drought and famine she had made her of a litell branne and oyle that was yet lefte a lofe baked vnder the ashes to eate with her children and so to dye Helias came sodaynlie vnto her and desired some parte thereof to be first geuen him to eate and then shee and her children to feede on the reste For she neuer sticked to fulfill his requeste neither did shee though she were the naturall mother any iote preferre her children in that great hunger and penury before Helias But that she did in the sight of God which might please God. Readily and willingly was that offered whiche was required Neither of aboundance a porcion but of a litell the whole was geuen And an other man was first fedde before her owne hungrie and steruing children Neither did shee in that penury and famine thinke firste of her meate and then of the woorkes of mercy but contrary To the ende that while in a healthfull woorke the carnall life was contemned the sowle might spiritually be reserued and saued Helias vvas a figure of Christ Helias therefore bearing the figure of Christ and shewing that he rendreth to eche one for mercy bestowed a retorne of the like answered and said This saith our Lorde thy pot of meale shall not faile thee neither shall the oile in the cruse be diminisshed vntill the daie wherein our Lorde wil sende raine vppon the earthe And according to the truthe of Goddes promise the thinges whiche the widowe gaue were encreased and multiplied vnto her And for her merites and good woorkes of mercy receiuing increase and abondance her vessels of meale and oile were filled ful Neither did the mother in this case take from her children that whiche she gaue to Helias but much more profited her children by doing suche woorke of pitie and mercy Yet did not she know Christ neither had she heard his Commaundementes She was not redemed by his Crosse and passion that she might for the shedding of his bloud render him meate and drinke Whereby it maie appeare how much he whiche is of Christes Churche sinneth who preferring him selfe and his children before Christe doth keepe his riches and doth not communicate his plentiful patrimony with the pouertie of the needy A commō and daily Obiectiō soluted But thou wilt saie thou hast a great many children in thy house and the number of thy children perhaps doth hold thee backe from plentifull yelding of good workes Verely I saie that for this selfe same cause thou shouldest woorke the more bountifully Note vvel The moe children thou art the father of the more hast thou to entreat for at Gods hande The sinnes of many are to be redeemed the consciences of many to be praied for the sowles of many to be raunsomed As in this secular life the moe children thou hast to feede and to susteyne the greater is thy coste and charge so in the spirituall and heauenlie life the more stoare of children thou hast the more plentifull ought to be thy expence in good woorkes An Example So dyd Iob offer many Sacrifices for his children and according to the number of the children in his howse was the number of offeringes whiche he sacrificed vnto God. And bicause there coulde not want synne that dayly offendeth the sight of God dayly Sacrifices did not want whereby synnes might be wiped awaye This doth the Diuine Scripture prooue saying Iob a true and a iuste man had seuen sonnes Iob. 1. and three daughters and he cleansed them offering for them Sacrifices vnto God according to the number of them and for their sinnes one caulfe If therefore thou doo truely looue thy children if thou wilt yeelde vnto them abundant and fatherly sweetnesse of looue and charitie thou oughtest the more to woorke to the entent that with thy iuste and good woorke thou mayst commende thy children vnto God. Thinke not hym to be thy chyldrens chiefe Father who is but weake and feeble and to continue but for a tyme. Winne rather vnto them the fauour of that Father who is the firme sure and euerlasting Father of spirituall children Assigne vnto hym thy gooddes whiche thou keepest for thine heyres Let hym be the Tutor of thy chyldren Let hym be theyr Craynsire Let hym by his Diuine Maiestie be theyr Protector against all the iniuries of this woorlde We shold cōmit our patrimonye to God. The patrimonie that is committed to God neyther dothe the common wealth take awaye nor confiscation breake into nor false accusation or quarrell picte in lawe ouerthrowe In saftie is the inheritance layd vp whereof God is made the keeper This it is to prouide for our deere children in time to comme This it is by fatherly pietie to prouide for our heyres that shall be as the holy Scripture truelye testifieth saying Psal 36. I haue benne yonger and nowe anie wexen olde Yet did I neuer see the iust forsaken or his seed wanting bread All day is he mercifull and lendeth and his seed shal be blessed And againe He whose conuersation is without blame Prou. 20. and in righteousnes leaueth his sonnes blessed behinde him Hovv Fathers ought to prouide for their childrne Therefore thou art a deceiuer and a traiterous Father except thou doo faithfully prouide for thy children except with true and religious pietie thou doo in this sorte forsee to the preseruation of them Thou which laborest by earthly inheritance rather to betake thy children to the diuell then by treasure layed vp in heauen to commend then vnto Christe doost twise offende and committest a double fault Both in that thou doost not procure vnto thy children the healpe of God the Father and also bicause thou teachest them more to looue their patrimonie then Christe Be rather
the Scriptures Nowe if they will say that this point of Christes Resurrection is contayned in the Doctrine of of Christe crucified then let them also knowe that in Christe crucified men doo in deede learne many other thinges Rom. 6. Namely this also that our olde man is crucified with Christe that the body of sinne be brought to naught and that we be no longer slaues vnto sinne Galat. 6. And therefore thus saith he of him selfe but God forbid I should glory but in the Crosse of our Lorde Iesu Christe thorough whome the worlde is crucified vnto me and I vnto the worlde Hovv vve learne Christ crucified Let them then marke and consider howe Christ crucified is taught and learned and let them vnderstande that this is one pointe of our lesson when wee learne Christe crucified that we in his bodie be crucified vnto the worlde In whiche phrase is vnderstanded all manner brideling of our euil concupiscences Hereof it foloweth that to such as haue learned Christe crucified open aduouteries can in no wise be permitted For the Apostle Peter doth also admonishe vs of the Mysterie of Christes Crosse that is of his Passion that they whiche are consecrated therewith should cease to sinne saying thus 1. Pet. 4. Christe therefore hauing suffered in the fleshe arme ye also your selues with the same minde for hee whiche is deade in the fleshe hath ceased to sinne that he may nowe liue the rest of his tyme in the fleshe not after the lustes of menne but after the will of God c. And so forthe Where consequently he sheweth that he truly appertayneth to Christe crucified that is to saye hath suffered in his fleshe who beyng crucified in his bodye to all carnall lustes lyueth well according to the Ghospell But what a thinge is this Obiection that they thinke also those twoo commaundementes whereon oure Lorde saieth that all the lawe and the Prophetes doo depende Math. 22. doo confirme this their opinion reasoning thus God vttered firste this commaundement Deuter. 6. Thowe shalt loue thy Lorde God with all thy harte with all thy sowle and with all thy minde Leuit. 19. And after thys he vttered the seconde lyke vnto this Thowe shalt loue thy neyghhour as thy selfe Ergo the firste perteyneth to hym that is to be baptised where the loue of God is commaunded and the seconde perteineth to them that are already baptised where the order of conuersation with menne seemeth to be taught Ansvvere 1. Ioan. 4. For here they forgette cleane that which ys other where written If thow looue not thy brother whome thowe seeste howe canste thow looue God whome thowe seeste not And an other sayinge also in the same Epistle of S. Iohn If a man looue the worlde the loue of the Father is not in him For whereunto belongeth all the wickednesse of euill life but vnto the looue of this worlde And hereof yt followeth that the firste commaundement whiche they thinke belongeth to them that are to be baptised can by no meanes be obserued without good woorkes I will not stande any longer herein For if wee marke well wee shall finde these twoo preceptes so to depende the one of the other that neyther the looue of God can be in man if he loue not his neighbour nor the loue of his neighbour if he loue not God. But to the matter nowe in hande this whiche we haue said of these twoo preceptes suffiseth VVhat is signified and meant by the comming of the Israelites out of Egypt THE XI CHAPTER An other Obiectiō Exod. 14. Exod. 20. Ansvver BVT the people of Israell say they was firste ledde through the red sea wherby baptisme is signified and afterward receaued the lawe wherein they shoulde learne how to liue If this example helpeth them then why do we deliuer so much as the Crede to such as are to be baptised and make them to rendre it vs againe For no such thing you wote was done to them when God through the red sea deliuered them from the Egyptians But againe if they wil haue this their opinion to be signified by the Mysteries that went before Exod. 12. as by the postes sprinckled with the sheeps bloode and by the sweet breade of sinceritie and truth why doo they not also consequently vnderstand that their departing from the Egyptians signifieth a departure from sinne which they that are to be baptised do professe For hereunto agreeth wel that which was said by S. Peter Act. 2. Do ye penance and be ye baptised euery one of you in the name of our Lord Iesu Christ as though he should say Depart ye from Egypt and passe through the red sea And therefore in the Epistle writen to the Hebrues when mention is made of the firste beginning and rudimentes of them which are baptised there is plainely expressed repentaunce from dead workes For thus he saieth Hebr. 6. Wherfore letting passe the beginninges and rudimentes whereby wee were entred into the knowledge of Christe let vs looke and haue regard to the ende and consummation not laying againe the foundation of penaunce from dead workes and of the Faith whiche wee ought to haue in God the doctrine of the water of regeneration of the imposition of handes of resurrection of the dead and of the last and eternall Iudgement All whiche thinges the Scripture there doth sufficiently and clerely witnesse to apperteine to the entrie of the nouices in the faithe But what other thing is penance from dead woorkes then a renouncing of such thinges whiche must be mortified in vs that wee maie liue Of whiche kinde if adulteries and fornication be not what is to be named emong dead woorkes But yet the profession of renouncing suche workes doth not so suffice except also al sinnes past which doo as it were followe and pursue vs be taken awaie and destroied by the foont of regeneration no more then it suffised the Israelites to departe from Egypt except the multitude of ennemies whiche followed them had perished in the same waues of the sea which opened them selues to the passage and deliuerie of Gods people He therefore that professeth he will not forsake his adulterie how may he be ledde through the redde see when he yet refuseth to departe out of Egypte Againe they doo not marke that in that Lawe which after the passing of the redde sea was geauen vnto that people the first commaundement is Thou shalt haue none other Goddes but me thou shalt not make to thy selfe any Idolles Exod. 20. nor the leeknesse of any thinges whiche are in heauen aboue or in the earth beneth or in the water or vnder the earth thow shalt not adore nor serue them with the rest pertaining to that commaundement Let these men then affirme if it leeke them against their owne assertion that euen the woorshipping of one God and fleeing of Idolatry is not to be preached to them which are yet to be baptised but to