chaunge dothe shewe that beyng compelled by heauenly authoritie he nowe maynteyneth that doctrine whiche before he had fought agaynst Nowe lette these dogges denye that the holy ghoste came downe vpon the Apostles or lette theym discredite the hystorie yet styll the truthe it selfe openly crieth out that they were taughte by the holye ghoste whyche beynge before tyme despised men amonge the raskall people sodeynly began so gloriousely to entreate of heauenly mysteries There bee yet also furthermore many very good reasons why the consente of the churche shoulde not be esteemed without weyght For it is to be accompted no smalle matter that syns the scripture was first publyshed the wylles of so many ages haue constantly agreed to obey it And that howe soeuer Sathan with all the worlde hath trauayled by meruaylous meanes eyther to oppresse it or ouerthrowe it or vtterly to blotte and deface it oute of mennes remembraunce yet euer styl like a palme tree it hath rysen vp aboue and remayned inuincible For there hath not lyghtly ben in olde tyme any sophister or Rhetorician that had any more excellent witte than other but he hath bente his force agaynst this scripture yet they all haue nothyng preuayled The whole power of the earthe hath armed it selfe to destroye it and yet all their enterprises are vanished away as in smoke Nowe coulde it haue resysted beyng so myghtyly on eche syde assayled yf it hadde had none other defence but mannes Yea rather it is hereby proued that it came from God hymselfe that all the trauayles of men stryuynge againste it yet it hath of her owne power styll rysen vp Besyde that not one citie alone nor one onely nation hathe agreed to receiue and embrace it but so farre as the worlde extendethe in lengthe and breadth the scripture hath atteyned her credite by one holye conspiracie of diuers nations whiche otherwyse were in nothynge agreable one with an other And forasmuche as suche agreement of myndes so dyuers and disagreyng in maner in all thynges elles ought muche to moue vs because it appeareth that the same is brought about none other way but by woorkyng of the heauenly maiestie no smalle estimation groweth vnto it when we beholde theyr godlynesse that doo so agree I meane not of them all but onely of those with whom as with lyghtes it pleased God to haue his churche to shyne Nowe with what assurednesse of myde ought we to submitte vs to that doctrine whiche we see stablished and witnessed with the bloude of so mayne holye menne They when they hadde but ones receaued it sticked not boldely without feare yea and with greate cherefulnesse to dye for it howe shoulde it then come to passe that wee hauynge it conueyed to vs with suche an assured pledge shoulde not with certayn and vnmouable persuasion take holde of it It is therfore no small confirmation of the scripture ▪ that it hath ben sealed with the bloud so many witnesses specially when we consider that they suffred deth to beare witnesse of their faith and not of a frentike distemperance of brayne as somtyme the erronious spirites are wont to do but with a firme and constant and yet sobre zeale of God There be other reasons and those not fewe nor weake whereby the Scripture hath her dignitie and maiestie not onely ascertayned vnto godly hartes but also honourably defended agaynst the subtilties of cauillers yet be they suche as be not of them selues sufficiently auaylable to bryng stedfast credite vnto it vntyll the heauenly father disclosyng therin his maiestie doothe bryng the reuerence therof out of all controuersie Wherfore then only the scripture shall suffise to that knowledge of God that bryngeth saluation when the certayntie therof shall be grounded vpon the inwarde persuasion of the holy ghoste So those testimonies of men that serue to confirme it shall not be vaine if as seconde healpes of our weaknesse they folowe that chiefe and hyest testimonie But they doo fondly that will haue it perswaded by proofe to the unfaithfull that the scripture is the woorde of God whiche can not be knowen but by faith For good reason therfore dooth Augustine geue warnyng that godlynesse and peace of mynde ought to go before to make a man vnderstande somwhat of so greate matters ¶ The .ix. Chapter ¶ That those fanaticall men which forsakyng scripture resort vnto reuelation doo ouerthrowe all the principles of godlynesse NOwe they that forsaking the Scripture doo imagine I wote not what waie to attayne vnto God are to bee thought not so muche to be holden with errour as to be caried with rage For there haue arisen of late certain giddy brained men whiche moste presumptuously pretendyng a schoole of the spirite bothe them selues doo forsake all readyng and also doo scorne their simplicitie whiche still folowe the dead and slaying letter as they call it But I would fayne knowe of these men what spirite that is by whose inspiration they are caried vp so hye that they dare despise the doctrine of the scripture as chyldishe and base For yf they answere that it is the spirite of Christ then suche carelesnesse is woorthye to bee laughed at For I thynke they will graunte that the Apostles of Christe and other faithfull in the primitiue churche were lightned with none other spirite But none of them dyd learne of that spirite to despise the worde of God but rather euery one was moued more to reuerence it as their writynges doo most playnly witnesse And surely so was it foretold by the mouthe of Esaie For where he saythe My spirite that is vppon thee and my woordes whyche I haue putte in thy mouthe shall not departe oute of thy mouthe nor oute of the mouthe of thy seede for euer he dooth not bynde the olde people to the outwarde doctrine as thoughe they were sette to learne to spelle but rather he teacheth that this shal be the true and perfecte felicitie of the newe churche vnder the reigne of Christe that it shall no lesse be ledde by the voyce of God than by the spirite of god Wherby we gather that these lewde menne with wycked sacrilege dooe seuer asunder those thynges that the Prophete hathe ioyned with an inuiolable knotte Moreouer Paule beeynge rauysshed vp into the thyrde heauen yet ceassed not to goe forwarde in the doctrine of the law and the Prophetes euen so as he exhorteth Timothe a doctour of singular excellence to apply readyng And worthie is that commendation to be remembred wherwith he setteth foorthe the scripture sayeng that it is profytable to teache to admonysshe and to reproue that the seruantes of God maye bee made perfecte Howe dyuelyshe a madnesse is it to fayne that the vse of scripture is but transitorye and lasteth but for a whyle whiche in dede guydeth the chyldren of God euen to the laste ende Agayne I woulde haue them answere me this whether they haue tasted of an other spirite than that whiche the Lord promysed to his
disciples â–ª Althoughe they be vexed with extreme madnesse yet I thynke they are not caryed with suche gyddinesse that they dare so boast But what maner of spirite dyd he speake of in his promise euen that spirite whiche shoulde not speake of it selfe but shulde mynister and inspire into their myndes those thynges whyche he the Lorde hymselfe hadde taught by his woorde It is not therfore the office of the spirite whyche is promised vs to fayne newe and vnhearde of reuelations or to coyne a newe kynde of doctrine wherby we shuld be led from the receiued doctrine of the gospell but to seale in our mindes the selfe same doctrine that is commended vnto vs by the gospell Wherby we playnly vnderstand that we ought right studiously to apply the redyng hearyng of the scripture if we list to take any vse and fruite of the spirite of God As also Peter praiseth their diligence that are hedefull to the doctrine of the Prophetes which yet myght seme to haue geuen place after the risyng of the light of the gospell On the other syde yf any spirite leauynge the wysedome of the worde of God doth thrust vnto vs an other doctrine that the same spirite ought rightfully to be suspected of vanitie and lyenge For what when Sathan transformeth hymselfe into â—n aungell of lyght what credite shall the holy ghoste haue among vs if it be not seuerally knowen by some assured marke And truely it hath been playnly poynted oute vnto vs by the woorde of the Lorde but that these miserable men doo wyllyngly couete to erre to their owne destruction while thei seeke a spirite rather from them selues than from him But say they it is dishonorable that the spirite of God whom all thynges ought to obey should be subiect to the scripture As if this were a dishonour to the holy ghost to be euery where egall and lyke to it selfe to agree with it self in all thynges and no where to varye In deede if it were to be tried by the rule either of men or of angels or any others rule whatsoeuer then it myght well be thought that it were brought into obedience or if ye lyst so to terme it into bondage But when it is compared with it selfe when it is consydered in it selfe who canne therfore say that there is any wrong doone vnto it But thus it is brought to tryall I graunte but suche a triall wherewith it was his owne pleasure to haue his maiestie established It ought to content vs so soone as he entreth into vs. But lest vnder his name the spirite of Sathan shoulde creepe in he wylle haue vs to knowe hym by that image of hym selfe whyche he hathe printed in the scriptures He is the authour of the scriptures he can not be dyuers and vnlyke hym selfe Therefore it muste needes bee that he contynually remayne suche as he hathe shewed hym selfe therein This is no dishonor vnto him vnlesse perhappe we count it honorable to swarue and goe out of kinde from himselfe Wheras they cauil that we rest vpon the letter that sleieth herein they suffer punishment for despising of the Scripture For it is plain enough that Paule there contendeth against the false Apostles which commending the law without Christ did cal away the people from the benefite of the new testament wherin the Lord doth couenant that he will graue his law within the bowels of the faithful and write it in their hartes The letter therfore is dead and the law of the Lord killeth the readers of it when it is seuered from the grace of Christ and not touching the heart only soundeth in the eares But if it be effectually printed in our hartes by the holy gost if it present Christ vnto vs then is it the worde of life conuerting soules geuing wisedome to little ones c. Also in the same place the Apostle calleth his preaching the ministerie of the holy ghost meaning that the holy ghost doth so sticke fast in his truth which he hath expressed in the scriptures that then only he putteth forth and displaieth his force when the Scripture hath her due reuerence and dignitie And it disagreeth not here with which I before said that the woorde it selfe is not much assured vnto vs vnlesse it be coÌ„firmed by the witnesse of the holy ghost For with a certain mutuall knot the Lorde hath coupled together the assuraunce of his worde and of his spirite so that perfecte reuerence to the worde doth then settle in our mindes when the holy ghost shineth vpon vs to make vs therin beholde the face of God and on the other side without al feare of being deceiued we do embrace the holy ghost when we reknowledge him in his own image that is in his worde Thus it is vndoutedly God brought not abrode his worde among men for a sodeine shewe meaning at the comming of his spirit by and by to take it away againe but he after sent the same spirite with whose power he had distributed his word to make an end of his worke with effectual confirmacion of his worde In this sorte Christe opened the mindes of the two disciples not that they shold cast away the Scriptures and waxe wise of themselues but that they should vnderstand the Scriptures Likewise Paule when he exhorteth the ThessaloniaÌ„s not to extinguishe the spirite doth not carry them vp on hie to vaine speculations without the worde but by and by saith further that prophecies are not to be despised wherby without dout is meant that the lighte of the spirite is choked vp so sone as prophecies come to be despised What say these proudely swelling meÌ„ rauished with the spirit to these things which recken this onely to be an excellent illumination when carelesly forsaking and saying farewel to the word of God they both boldly and rashly do take holde of al that they haue coÌ„ceiued in their slepe Truely a farre other sobrietie becommeth the children of God whiche as they see that without the spirite of God they are voide of al light of trueth so do they knowe that the worde is the instrumente wherwith the Lorde distributeth to the faithfull the light of his spirite For they know none other spirite but that which dwelte and spake in the Apostles by whose oracles they are continually called to the hearyng of the worde The .x. Chapter That the Scripture to correct all supersticion doth in comparison set the true God against al the Gods of the gentiles reckening hym for none of them BUt because we haue shewed that the knowledge of God which in the frame of the world and al the creatures is somwhat plainly set forth is yet more familiarly and plainly declared in the worde now is it good to consider whether the Lord shew himselfe suche in the Scripture as it pleased him first to be represented in his workes But I shall at this time be contented only to point vnto it wherby the godly mindes
maÌ„ that hath a takyng of profit in a pece of ground by an other mans liberall graunt do also claime to himselfe the title of propretie doth he not by such vnthankfulnesse deserue to lose the very self possession whiche he had Likewise if a bondslaue beyng made free of his Lord do hide the basenesse of the estate of a Libertine boaste himself to be a freeman borne is he not worthy to be brought back into his former bondage For this is the right vse of enioyeng a benefite if we neyther clayme to our selues more thaÌ„ is geueÌ„ nor do defraude the author of the benefite of his praise but rather do so behaue our selues that that which he hath geuen froÌ„ himself to vs may seme after a certaine maÌ„ner to remaine with him If this moderation be to be kept toward men let all men loke and consider what manner of moderation is due to God I know that the Sophisters do abuse certain places to proue therby that the name of Merit toward God is fouÌ„d in the Scriptures They allege a senteÌ„ce out of Ecclesiasticus Mercie shall make place to euery man accordyng to the Merit of his workes And out of the Epistle to the Hebrues Forget not doyng good and communicating for with such sacrifices men merite of God As for my right in resistyng the authoritie of Ecclesiasticus I doe now release it Yet I denye that they faithfully allege that which Ecclesiasticus whatsoeuer writer he were hath written For the Greke copie is thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shal make place to euery mercie and euery man shall finde accordyng to his workes And that this is the true text which is corrupted in the Latine translation appereth both by the framing of these wordes by a loÌ„ger ioyning together of the sentence goyng before In the Epistle to the Hebrues there is no cause why they should snare vs in one litle word when in the Greke wordes of the Apostle is nothing els but that such sacrifices do please are acceptable to God This alone ought largely to suffice to subdue beate downe the outragiousnesse of our pride that we faine not any worthinesse to workes beyoÌ„d the rule of Scripture Now the doctrine of the Scripture is that all our good workes are continually be sprinkled with many filthy spottes wherewith God may be worthily offended and be angry with vs so far is it of that they be able to winne him to vs or to prouoke his liberalitie toward vs Yet bicause he of his teÌ„der kindenesse doth not examine them by extremitie of law he taketh theÌ„ as if they were most pure and therfore though without merite he rewardeth them with infinite benefites bothe of this present life and of the life to come For I do not allow the distinctioÌ„ set by meÌ„ otherwise learned godly that good workes deserue the graces that are geuen vs in this life that eternal life is the reward of faith alone For the Lord doth coÌ„monly alway set in heauen the reward of labors and the crowne of battell Agayne to geue it so to the merit of workes that it be taken away from grace that the Lord heapeth vs with graces vpon graces is against the doctrine of the Scripture For though Christ sayth that to him that hath shal be geuen that the faithful and good seruant which hath shewed himself faithful in few thinges shal be set ouer many yet he also sheweth in an other place that the encreases of the faithful are the giftes of his free goodnesse All ye that thirst sayth he come to the waters ye that haue not monie come and bye milke and honye without monie and without any exchange What so euer therfore is now geuen to the faithfull for help of saluation yea blessedneâ—â—e it selfe is the mere liberalitie of God yet bothe in this and in those he testifieth that he hath consideration of workes bicause to testifie the greatnesse of his loue toward vs he vouchsaueth to graunt such honor not only to vs but also to the giftes which he hath geueÌ„ vs. If these things had in the ages past ben handled disposed in such order as thei ought to haue beÌ„ there had neuer arisen so many trobles dissensions Paul sayth that in the bulding of Christian doctrine we must kepe stil that fundation which he had layed amoÌ„g the CorinthiaÌ„s biside which no other can be layed that the same fundation is Iesus Christ. What maÌ„ner of fundatioÌ„ haue we in Christ is it that he was to vs the beginning of saluatioÌ„ that the fulfillyng therof shold follow of our selues hath he but only opened the way by which we should goe forward of our own streÌ„gth Not so but as he sayd a litle before when we acknowlege him he is geueÌ„ to vs for righteousnesse No maÌ„ therfore is wel founded in Christ but he that hath full righteousnesse in him for asmuch as the Apostle sayth not that he was sent to help vs to obteine righteousnesse but that he himself might be our righteousnesse Namely that we are chosen in him froÌ„ eternitie before the making of the world by no deseruyng of oures but accordyng to the purpose of the good pleasure of God that by his death we are redemed froÌ„ the daÌ„nation of death deliuered froÌ„ destruction that in him we are adopted of the heauenly father into children heires that by his bloud we are recoÌ„ciled to the Father that beyng geuen to him to be kept we are deliuered from peril of perishyng of beyng lost that beyng so engraffed in him we are alredy after a certaine manner partakers of eternall life beyng entred into the kingdome of God by hope and yet more that hauing obteined such partaking of him how so euer we be yet fooles in our selues he is wisdom for vs before God howsoeuer we be sinners he is righteousnesse for vs howsoeuer we be vncleane he is cleannesse for vs howsoeuer we be weake howsoeuer vnarmed lieng open in danger of Satan yet oures is the power which is geueÌ„ him in heaueÌ„ earth whereby he may treade downe SataÌ„ for vs breake the gates of helles howsoeuer we stil cary about with vs the body of death yet he is life for vs brefely that al his things are oures we in him haue all things in our selues nothing vpoÌ„ this foundation I say it behoueth that we be bulded if we wil encrease into a holy temple to the Lord. But the world hath a long time beÌ„ otherwise taught For there haue ben fouÌ„d out I wote not what moral good workes by which meÌ„ may be made acceptable to God before that thei be graffed in christ As though the Scripture lieth wheÌ„ it sayth that they are al in death which haue not possessed the Sonne If they be in death how shold thei bring forth matter of life As
though it were of no more force that whatsoeuer is done without faith is sinne as though there may be good frutes of an euell tree But what haue these moste pestilent Sophisters left to Christ wherein he may shewe forth his power They saye that he hath deserued for vs the first grace namely the occasion of deseruyng that it is nowe our part not to faile the occasion offred O desperate shamelesnesse of vngodlinesse Whoe would haue thought that men professing the name of Christ durst so strippe him naked of his power in a manner treade him vnder foote This testimonie is eche where spoken of him that all they are iustified that beleue in him these felowes teache that there coÌ„meth from him no other benefit but this that the way is opened to euery man to iustifie himselfe But I would to God they tasted what these sayenges meane that all they haue life that haue the Sonne of God that whosoeuer beleueth is already passed from death into life that we are iustified by his grace that we might be made heires of eternal life that the faithful haue Christ abidyng in them by whome they cleaue fast to God that they whiche are partakers of his life do sit with him in heaueÌ„ly places that they are transplanted into the kingdome of God haue obteined saluatioÌ„ innumerable other such For they do not declare that there coÌ„meth by the fayth of Christ nothing but the power to obteine righteousnesse or saluatioÌ„ but that they are bothe geuen to vs. Therfore so sone as thou art by fayth engraffed into Christ thou art already made the sonne of God the heire of heauÌ„e partaker of righteousnesse possessor of life and that their lies may be better coÌ„futed thou hast not obteyned the fit abilitie to deserue but euen all the deseruinges of Christ for they are coÌ„municated to thee So the Sorbonical schooles the mothers of al errors haue takeÌ„ froÌ„ vs the iustificatioÌ„ of faith which is the suÌ„me of al godlinesse They grauÌ„t verily in word that maÌ„ is iustified by formed faith but this they afterward expound bicause good workes haue of faith this that they auayle to righteousnesse that thei seme in a manner to name faith in mockage sithe wtout great enuiousnesse it could not be passed ouer in silence seyng it is so oft repeted of the Scripture And not yet coÌ„teÌ„ted they do in the prayse of good workes priuilie steale froÌ„ God somwhat to geue away to maÌ„ Bicause thei see that good workes litle auaile to aduauÌ„ce maÌ„ that they can not be properly called Merites if they be accompted the frutes of the grace of God they picke them out of the strength of free will oyle forsothe out of a stone And they denye not in deede that the principal cause of theÌ„ is in grace but they affirme that thereby is not excluded free will by whiche is all merit And this not only the later Sopisters do teach but also their Pythagoras LoÌ„bard whom if you coÌ„pare with these men you may say to be sound witted and sobre It was truely a point of maruelous blindenesse that wheÌ„ they had Augustine so oft in their mouth thei saw not with how great carefulnesse that maÌ„ prouided that no pece of the glorie of good workes were it neuer so litle shold be coÌ„ueyed to men Here before whe we entreated of free will we recited certaine testimonies of his to his purspose of whiche sort there are often times found many like in his writinges as wheÌ„ he forbiddeth vs that we should no where boste of our merites bicause eueÌ„ thei also are the giftes of God And when he writeth that all our merit is only of grace that it is not gotten by our sufficience but is al made by grace c. It is no maruell that Lombard was blinde at the light of the Scripture in which it appereth that he was not so wel practised Yet nothing could be desired more plaine against him his disciples than this word of the Apostle For wheÌ„ he forbiddeth ChristiaÌ„s al glorieng he adioyneth a reason why it is not lawfull to glorie bicause we are the handyworke of God created to al good workes that we should walk in theÌ„ Sithe therfore there coÌ„meth out of vs no good thing but in so much as we be regenerate our regeneratioÌ„ is whole of God without exceptioÌ„ there is no right why we shold claime to our selues one ounce in good workes Finally whereas they coÌ„tinually call vpoÌ„ good workes in the meane time they so instruct coÌ„sciences that they neuer dare haue affiaÌ„ce that they haue God wel pleased fauorable to their workes But coÌ„trarywise we without makyng any meÌ„tion of Merit do yet by our doctrine raise vp the courages of the faithful with singular coÌ„fort wheÌ„ we teach them that in their workes they please God are vndoutedly accepted vnto him Yea also here we require that no maÌ„ atteÌ„pt or goe about any worke without faith that is to say vnlesse he do first with assured confidence of minde determine that he shall please God Wherfore let vs not suffer our selues to be led so much as one heare bredth away froÌ„ this only fundatioÌ„ which beyng layed wise bulders do afterward wel orderly bulde vpon it For if there be neede of doctrine exhortatioÌ„ thei put men in minde that the Sonne of God hath appered to this end that he may destroy the workes of the deuel that they should not sinne which are of God that the time past is enough for the fulfilling of the desires of the Gentiles that the elect of God are velleis of mercie chosen out vnto honour whiche ought to be made cleane from al filthinesse But al is spoken at ones when it is shewed that Christ wil haue such disciples which forsaking themselues taking vp their crosse do follow him He that hath forsakeÌ„ himself hath cut of the roote of al euels that he maye no more seke those thinges yâ— are his owne He that hath taken vp his crosse hath framed himself to all patience mildenesse But the example of Christ conieâ—neth both these and al other duties of godlinesse holinesse He shewed himself obedieÌ„t to his father euen to the death he was wholly occupied in doyng the workes of God he with his whole heart breathed out the glorie of his father he gaue his soule for his brethren he bothe did good wished good to his enemies If there be neede of coÌ„fort these wil bryng maruelous comfort that we be in affliction but we are not made careful that we labour but we are not forsaken we are brought lowe but we are not coÌ„founded we are throweÌ„ downe but we do not perish alway bearing about with vs in our body the mortifieng of Iesus Christ that the life of Iesus may be manifestly shewed in vs that if we be dead with him we shall also liue together with him if
which hath not walked in the councell of the wicked which beareth temptation Blessed are they which kepe iudgement the vndefiled the poore in Spirit the meeke the mercifull c. they shall not make but that it shall bee true which Paul saith For bicause those thinges that ar ther coÌ„mended are neuer so in man that he is therfore allowed of God it foloweth the man is alwai miserable vnlesse he be deliuered from misery by forgeuenesse of sinnes For asmuch as therfore all the kindes of blessednes which ar extolled in the scriptures do fal down void so the man receiueth frute of none of theÌ„ til he haue obteined blessedness by forgeuenes of sins which mai afterward make place for theÌ„ it foloweth that this is not only the hiest the chefe but also the only blessednes vnlesse paraduenture you will haue that it be weakned of those which consist in it alone Now ther is much lesse reason why the calling of meÌ„ righteous shoulde trouble vs which is coÌ„monli geueÌ„ to the faithful I grauÌ„t verili that thei ar called righteous of the holines of liâ— but for asmuch as thei rather endeuor to the folowiÌ„g of righteousnes than do fulfil righteousnes it self it is mete that this righteousnes suche as it is giue place to the iustification of faith from whence it hath that which it is But thei say that we haue yet more busines with Iames namelye which with opeÌ„ voice fighteth against vs. For he teacheth both that AbrahaÌ„ was iustified by works and also that al we are iustified by workes not by faith only What then wil thei draw Paul to fight with Iames If thei hold Iames for a minister of Christ his saying must be so takeÌ„ that it disagre not froÌ„ Christ speakiÌ„g by the mouth of Paul The holy ghost affirmeth by the mouth of Paul that AbrahaÌ„ obteined righteousnesse by faith not by workes we also do teach that all are iustified by faith without the works of the law The same holy ghost teacheth by Iames that both Abrahams righteousnes and ours consisteth of workes not of only faith It is certain that the holy ghost fighteth not with himselfe What agrement shall ther be therfore of these two It is enough for the aduersaries if thei pluck vp the righteousnes of faith which we wolde haue to be fastened with most depe rootes but to render to consciences their quietnesse thei haue no great care Whereby verily you may see that thei gnaw the iustificatioÌ„ of faith but in the meane tim do apoint no mark of righteousnes wher coÌ„sciences may stay Therfore let them triumph as thei list so that thei may boaste of no other victorie than that thei haue taken away all certainetie of righteousnesse And this wretched victorie thei shal obteine where the light of truth being quenched the lord shal suffer theÌ„ to ouerspred the darknes of lies But whersoeuer the truth of God shal stand thei shall nothing preuaile I deny therefore that the saieng of Iames which thei still coÌ„tinually hold vp against vs as it wer the shelde of Achilles doth any thing at al make for theÌ„ That this may be made plaine first we must loke at the mark that the apostle shooteth at then we must note wher thei be deceiued Bicause there were theÌ„ many whiche mischefe is wont to be continual in the Church which openly bewraied their infidelitie in neglecting omitting al the propre works of the faithful yet cessed not to boaste of the false name of faith Iames doth here mock the folish boldnes of such meÌ„ Therfore it is not his purpose in any point to diminish the force of true faith but to shew how â—ondly those trifles did chalenge so much the vaine image of it that being contented herw t thei carelesly ranne dissolutely abroade into all licentiousnesse of vices This ground being coÌ„ceiued it shal be easy to perceaue where oure aduersaries do misse For thei fal into two deceites in the word the one in the name of faith that other in the word of iustifieng Whereas the Apostle nameth faith a vaine opinion farr distant from the truth of faith it is spokeÌ„ by waie of graunting which is no derogation to the matter whych he sheweth at the beginning in these words What profiteth it my brothreÌ„ If any man say that he hath faith hath no works He doth not say if any haue faith wtout workes but If any man boast More plainely also he speaketh a little after where he in mockerie maketh yt worse than the deuills knowledg last of al when he calleth it dead But by the definition you maye sufficiently perceaue what hee meaneth Thou beleuest saith he that there is a God Truely if nothing be conteined in thys faith but to beleue that there is a God it is now no maruel if it do not iustifie And when this is taken from it let vs not think that any thing is a bared from the Christian faith the nature whereof ys farre otherwise For after what manner doth true faith iustifie vs but when it coÌ„ioyneth vs with Christ that being made one with him we may enioy the partakyng of hys righteousnesse It dothe not therefore iustifie vs by this that it conceiueth a knowledge of the beinge of God but by thys that it resteth vpon the assurednesse of the mercy of God We haue not yet the work vnlesse we examine also the other deceite in the word for asmuche as Iames setteth part of iustificatioÌ„ in works If you wil make Iames agreing both with the rest of the Scriptures in himself you must of necessitie take the word of Iustifieng in an other significatioÌ„ thaÌ„ it is takeÌ„ in Paul For Paul saith that we ar iustified wheÌ„ the remeÌ„brance of our vnrighteousnes being blotted out we ar accoÌ„pted righteous If Iames had ment of that takinge he had wrongefully alleged that out of Moses AbrahaÌ„ beleued God c. For he thus frameth it together AbrahaÌ„ bi works obteined righteousnes bycause he sticked not at the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t of God to offer vp his sonne And so the Scriptur was fulfilled whiche saithe that hee beleued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If it be an absurditie that the effect is before hys cause eyther Moses dothe in that place falsely testifie that faythe was imputed to Abraham for righteousnesse or he deserued not righteousnesse by that obedience whiche he shewed in offering vp of Isaac Abraham was iustified by his faith when Ismael was not yet conceiued whych was nowe growen past childehode before that Isaac was borne Now therfore shal we saie that he got to himself righteousnesse by obedience which folowed long afterward Wherefore either Iames did wrongfully misturne the order which it is a wickednesse to thinke or he meant not to say that he was iustified as though he deserued to be accompted righteous How then Truely it appeareth that he speaketh of the declaration of righteousnesse and not the
very same places in which the holy ghoste promiseth to works eternal glorie for reward in expressing the inheritance bi name he sheweth the it coÌ„meth froÌ„ els where So Christ rehearseth works which he recompenseth with the rewarding of heaueÌ„ when he calleth the elect to the possessioÌ„ therof but he therwtal adioyneth that it must be possessed by right of inheritance So Paul biddeth seruantes which do their duetie faithefully to hope for reward of the lord but he addeth of inheritance We see how thei do as it were by expresse wordes proued that we impute not eternall blessednes to works but â—o the adoptioÌ„ of god Why therfore do thei therwtal together make mentioÌ„ of works This questioÌ„ shal be made plaine with one exaÌ„ple of scripture Before the birth of Isaac ther was promised to Abraham a seede in which al the nations of the earth shold be blessed a multiplieng of his sede which shold match the starres of the skie and the sandes of the sea other like In many yeares afterwarde Abraham as he was coÌ„maunded bi the oracle prepared himself to offer vp his soÌ„ne in sacrifice When he had performed this obedience he receyued a promise I haue sworne by my selfe saith the lorde bicause yâ— hast done thys thing hast not spared thine own only begotteÌ„ sonne I wil blesse thee and multiplie thy sede as the starres of the skie the sandes of the sea thy sede shal possesse the gates of their enemies al the nations of the earth shal be blessed in thy seede bicause yâ— hast obeied my voice What heare we Hathe AbrahaÌ„ by his obedience deserued the blessing the promise wherof he had receiued before that the coÌ„maundemeÌ„t was geuen Here verily we haue it wtout circuÌ„stances shewed that the lord rewardeth the workes of the faithful with those benefites which he had already geuen theÌ„ before that the works were thought of hauing yet no cause why he shoulde do good to them but his owne mercie Yet doth the Lord not deceiue nor mocke vs when he saith that he rendreth for rewarde to workes the same thing which he hadde before workes freely geuen For bicause he will haue vs to be exercised wyth good workes to thinke vpoÌ„ the deliuerie or enioyeng as I may so call it of these things which he hath promised and to runne through them to the blessed hope set before vs in heauen the frute of the promises is also rightly assigned to theÌ„ to the ripenesse wherof thei do not bring vs. The Apostle very fittly expressed both these points when he said that the Colossians applie themselues to the duties of charitie for the pope which is laied vp for them in heauen of which thei had before heard by the word of the true speaking Gospel For wheÌ„ he saith that thei knew by the Gospel that there was hope layed vp for them in heauen he declareth that the same is by Christ only not vnderpropped with any works Wherew t accordeth that saieng of Peter that the godly are kept by the power of God through faith vnto the saluatioÌ„ which is ready to be manifestli shewed at the time appointed for it When he sayth that thei labor for it he signifieth that the faithfull must runne all the time of their life that thei may atteine to it But least we shoulde thinke that the rewarde whiche the lorde promiseth vs is not reduced to the measure of merit he did putte forth a parable in which he made himselfe a householder whiche sent al them that he met to the trimming of his vineyarde some at the first houre of the daye some at the second some at the thirde yea some aâ—o at the xi At euening he payed to euery one egall wages The expositioÌ„ of whiche parable that same olde writer what soeuer he was whose booke is carried abroade vnder the name of Ambrose of the callinge of the Gentiles hathe breefely and truely sette oute I wyll vse rather his woordes than myne owne The Lorde saithe hee by the rule of thys comparison hath stablished the dyuersitie of manifolde calling belonging to one grace where without doubt thei whiche beinge lette in into the vineyard at the xi houre are made egal with them that had wrought the whole day do represeÌ„t the estate of theÌ„ whom for the aduanciÌ„g of the excellency of grace the tender kindenes of the lord hath rewarded at the wauing of the day and at the ending of their life not paieng wages for their labore but pouring out the richesse of his goodnes vpoÌ„ theÌ„ whome he hath chosen wtout works that euen thei also which haue swet in great laboure haue receiued no more than the last may vnderstand that they haue receiued a gift of grace not a reward of works Last of al this also is worthy to be noted in these places wher eternal life is called the rewarde of works that it is not simply takeÌ„ for the communicating which we haue with God to blessed immortalitie wheÌ„ hee embraceth vs with fatherly good wil in Christe but for the possessing or enioying as thei cal it of blessednesse as also that very words of Christ do sound In time to come life euerlasting And in an other place Come possesse the kingdome c. After this manner Paul calleth adoptioÌ„ the reueling of the adoptioÌ„ which shal be made in the resurrectioÌ„ afterward expouÌ„deth it the redeÌ„ptioÌ„ of our body Otherwise as estranging froÌ„ God is eternal death so when man is receiued of God into fauour that he may enioye the coÌ„municating of him be made one with him hee is receiued froÌ„ death to life which is done by the beneficiall meane of adoption onely And if as thei are wonte thei stiffely enforce the reward of works we maie tourne against them that saieng of Peter that eternall life is the rewarde of faith Therfore let vs not think that the holy ghoste doth with such promise set forth the worthinesse of our works as if thei deserued such rewarde For the scripture leaueth nothing to vs wherof we may be aduauÌ„ced in the sight of God But rather it wholy endeuoreth to beate down oure arrogance to humble vs to throwe vs downe altogether to breake vs in peces But our weaknes is so succoured which otherwyse wold by by slippe fal down vnlesse it did susteine it self with this expectation mitigate her tedious greues with coÌ„fort First how harde it is for a man to forsake deny not only al his things but also himselfe let euery man consider for himself And yet with this introduction Christ traineth his schollers that is all the godly Then throughout all their life he so instructeth theÌ„ vnder the discipline of the crosse that thei may not set their hearte eyther to the desire or coÌ„fideÌ„ce of present good things Brefely he so handleth them for the most part that which way so euer they tourne their
doutefull and vncertayne they demaunde by what miracles it is confirmed they aske whether it be mete that it should preuayle agaynste the consente of so many holy Fathers and the moste aunciente custome they presse vpon vs to cōfesse it to be schismaticall whiche moueth warr againste the Chirche or that the Chirche hath lyen dead in many ages in whiche no suche thyng hath ben heard of Last of all they saye that there nede no argumentes for say they it may by the frutes be iudged of what sorte it is namely which hath bredde so huge a heape of sectes so many turmoyles of seditions so great licentiousnesse of vices Truely full easy it is for them to triumph vpon a forsaken cause before the lyght beleuing and ignorant multitude But if we might also haue our turne likewise allowed vs to speake verily thys sharpe heate woulde sone be cooled wherewith they doe so with full month and as licentiously as vnpunishedly some agaynst vs. Firste whereas they call it newe they dooe greate wrong to God whoe 's holy worde deserued not to be accused of newenesse To them in dede I nothing dout that it is new to whom Christ is new and hys Gospell is new But they which knewe that preaching of Paule to be olde that Iesus Christ dyed for our synnes and rose agayne for oure iustification shall fynde nothyng newe among vs. Wheras it hath long lyen hidden vnknowen and buried that is the fault of the vngodlynesse of men Nowe sithe it is by the bountifulnesse of God restored to vs it ought at least by ryght of full restitution to receiue agayne the title of auncientie Out of the same fountayne of ignorance springeth thys that they take it for doutful and vncertayne Thys verily is it which the Lorde by hys Prophet complayneth that the oxe knew hys owner and the asse hys masters stall but hys people knewe not hymn But howsoeuer they mocke at the vncertaintie of it if they were dryuen to seale theyr owne doctrine with their owne blood and with losse of their lyfe men mighte see howe much they set by it But farre other is our affiance which dredeth neyther the terrors of death nor yet the very iugement seate of God Wheras they require miracles of vs they deale vnreasonably wyth vs. For we coine no new Gospell but holde fast the selfe same Gospell for confirming of the truth wherof al the miracles do serue that euer Christ and his Apostles haue done But thys thyng they haue speciall aboue vs that they can euen to thys day confirme their faith with cōtinuall miracles Yea but rather they allege miracles which may weakē a minde other wyse wel stablished they are so eyther tryflyng and worthy to be laughed at or vayne and lyeng And yet although they were neuer so monstruous they oughte not to haue ben of any value agaynste the worde of God forasmuche as the name of God oughte both in euery place and euery time to be hallowed whether it be by miracles or by naturall order of thynges Thys false color myght paraduenture haue made the better shew if the Scripture did not informe vs of the lawful ende and vse of miracles For Marke teacheth that the sygnes which folowed the preaching of the Apostles were sett fourth for the confirming of it Likewyse Luke also sayth that the Lord dyd beare wytnesse to the worde of his grace when signes and wonders were shewed by the handes of the Apostles Wherwith wholly agreeth that sayeng of the Apostle that when the Gospell was preached saluation was confirmed by thys that the Lorde did beare witnesse to it with signes and wonders and diuerse powers But those thinges whiche we heare to be the sealinges of the Gospel shal we turne to the destroyeng of the credit of the Gospell those thinges which are appointed onely to stablishe the trueth shal we applye to confirming of lyes Therefore it is mete that the doctrine whiche as the Euangelist sayeth goeth before miracles be firste examined and tryed If that be allowed then it maye lawfully take confirmation of miracles But of a true doctrine as Christe teacheth thys is the marke if it tende not to the seking of the glorie of men but of God Sithe Christe affirmeth thys to be the profe of doctrine miracles are wrongfully estemed whiche are drawen to any other ende than to glorifie the name of God alone And we oughte to remember that Satā hath hys miracles which although they be iuggling deceites rather than true powers yet are suche as may decciue the ignorante and vnskillfull Magicians and enchaunters haue been alwaye famous in miracles wonderfull miracles haue nourished idolatrie whiche yee doe not proue to vs that the superstition of Magicians and idolatrers is lawfull And wyth thys batterynge ramme in olde tyme the Donatistes dyd shake the simplicitie of the common people for that they excelled in miracles Therefore we doe nowe make the same answere to oure aduersaries which Augustine then made to the Donatistes that the Lorde hath made vs ware agaynste suche miracle workers when he foretold that there shold come false Prophetes which with lyeng signes and diuers wonders shold if it were possible bryng the elect into error And Paule hath geuen warning that the kyngdome of Antichrist should be with all power and signes and lyeng wonders But these miracles say they are doon not of idoles not of sorceres not of false prophetes but of the Saintes As though we knewe not that this is the craft of Satan to transfigure himselfe into an Angell of lyght In olde tyme the Egyptians worshipped Ieremie which was buried among them with sacrifices and other diuine honors Did not they abuse the holy Prophet of God to idolatrie And yet by suche worshipping of his tombe they obteined that they thought the healyng of the styngyng of serpentes to be the iust rewarde therof What shall we say but that this hath ben and euer shall be the moste iust vengeance of God to sende strength of illusion to them that haue not receiued the loue of truth that they may beleue lieng Therfore we want not miracles and those certaine and not subiecte to cauillations As for miracles whiche they bring foorth for themselues they are mere illusions of Satan forasmuch as they leade awaye the people from the true worshippyng of their God to vanitie Moreouer they do sclaunderously sett the Fathers agaynst vs I meane the auncient Fathers and the writers of the age as yet more vncorrupted as though they had them for mainteners of their vngodlynesse by whose authoritie if the debate were to be ended the better part of the victorie to speake euen most modestlie wold bend to our side But wheras many thynges haue ben excellentlye well and wisely written of those Fathers and in some thynges that hath happened to them which is wont to happen to mē these good naturall children forsothe accordyng to the rightenesse that they haue bothe
of witt iudgement and mynde doo worship onely their faultes and errors and those thynges which are well spoken they eyther marke not or fayne as if they knew them not or do corrupt them so as a man may say that their care was altogether to gather dong in of the golde of the Fathers Then they oppresse vs with importunate cryeng out agaynst vs as despisers and ennemies of the Fathers But wee doo so not despise them that if it were the mater of my present purpose I could very easily proue by their consentyng voices the greater part of these thynges that we say at this daye But we so reade their writynges that we alway remembre that all thynges are ours to serue vs not to haue dominion ouer vs and that we are Christes alone whome we muste obeye in all thynges withoute exception Who so keepeth not this choise shall haue nothyng certaine in religion forasmuch as those holye men were ignorant of many thynges doo oftentymes striue one with an other yea and sometymes fyghte with themselues Not without cause say they we are warned of Salomō that we passe not the old boundes whiche our Fathers haue sett But there is all not all one rule in the boundyng of fieldes and the obedience of Faith which ought to be so framed that it forget her people and the house of her Father If they haue so great delite to vse allegories why doo they not rather expound the Apostles than any other to be their Fathers whoe 's appointed boundes it is not lawfull to plucke vp for so did Hierome expounde it whoe 's woordes they haue registred among their canons But if they will haue the boundes of the same Fathers whome they meane to be stedfastly kept why doo they so oft as they list so licentiously passe them Of the number of the Fathers were they of whome the one sayd that our God eateth not nor drinketh and that therfore he nedeth neither cuppes nor dyshes the other sayd that the holy thynges require not golde and that those thynges please not with golde whiche are not bought with golde Therefore they passe the bound which are in the holy thynges so muche delited with golde syluer yuory marble precious stones and silkes and thynke that God is not rightly worshypped vnlesse altogether be dissolutely set out with exquisite gorgeousnesse or rather with outragious excesse A Father was he whiche sayde that he therfore dyd freely eate fleshe on the daye in which other absteined because he was a Christian. Therfore they passe the boundes when they accurse the soule that tasteth fleshe in Lent Fathers were they of whom the one sayd that a Monke whiche laboureth not with his handes is iudged as euell as a violent taker or if you will a robber the other sayd that it is not lawful for monkes to lyue of other mens goodes although they be continually busied in contemplations in prayers in studie This bounde also they haue passed when they placed the ydoll and harrell bealies of monkes in stewes and brothelhowses to be fatted with other meanes substance A Father was he which said that it is a horrible abhominatiō to se any image painted eyther of Christ or of any Sainte in the temples of Christians Neither was this pronounced by the mouth of one man alone absteyned from the other and the other Father stoutely mainteyneth that to the Christian people the blood of the Lorde ought not to be denied for the confession wherof they are commaunded to shedde their owne blood These boundes also they haue taken away when they haue by an inuiolable law commaūded the selfe same thyng which the one of these Fathers punished with excommunication and the other reproued with a strong reason A Father was he whiche affirmed it to be rashenesse to determine any thyng of a doutefull mater on the one side or the other without cleere and euident witnessyngs of the Scripture This bound they forgot when they stablished so many constitutions so many canons so many maisterly determinations without any woord of God A Father was he which among other heresies reproched Montanus with this that he was the firste that had charged men with lawes of Fastynges This bounde also they haue farre passed when they commaunded fastyng with moste streyght lawes A Father was he whyche denied that mariage ought to be forbidden to ministers of the Chirch and pronounced a mans lyeng with his owne wyfe to be chastitie and Fathers were they whiche agreed to his authoritie Beyonde these boundes haue they gone when they seuerely enioyned vnmaried life to theyr sacrificers A Father was he which iudged that onelye Christe oughte to be heard of whō it is sayd Heare him that we ought not to haue regard what other mē which wer before us haue sayd or done but what Christ which the first of all hath cōmaunded This bounde neither doo they appoynt to themselues nor doo suffer other to haue it appointed them when they set bothe ouer themselues and other any maisters whatsoeuer they be rather than Christe A Father was he whiche affirmed that the Chirche ought not to sett it self before Christe because he alway iudgeth truely but the iudges of the chirche as men are commonly deceaued They breakyng through this bounde also sticke not to affirme that the whole authoritie of the Scripture hangeth vppon the awardement of the Chirch All the Fathers haue with one harte accursed and with one mouth pronounced it abhominable that the holy woorde of God should be entangled with the suttleties of Sophisters and brawlynges of Logitians Doo they holde themselues within these boundes when they goe about nothyng ells in their whole lyfe but with endlesse striues and more then Sophisticall brablynges to wrappe and encombre the simplicitie of the Scripture so that if the Fathers were nowe raysed to lyfe agayn and shoulde heare suche an arte of brawlyng whiche these men call Speculatiue Diuinitie they woulde beleue that nothyng lesse is doone than any disputation had of God But my talke shoulde sprede it selfe beyonde due boundes yf I woulde recken vp howe boldely these menne shake of the yoke of the Fathers whose obediente chyldren they would seme to be Truly bothe moneths and yeares woulde be to lyttle for me And yet they are of so extreme and desperate shamelesnesse that they dare blame vs for that we sticke not to passe the auncient boundes But nowe wheras they call vs to Custome they nothyng preuayle For we shoulde be moste vniustly dealt with if we should be driuen to yelde to Custome Truely if the iudgementes of men were right Custome should be taken of the good But it oftentymes happeneth that men doo otherwise For that whiche is sene to be done of many by and by obteineth the right of a Custom But the state of men hath scarcely at any time ben in so good case that the better thynges pleased the greater numbre Therefore for the most parte of the priuate vices
lampes lightned doo shyne in the edifice of the worlde to shew forth the glory of the creatour which do so euery way display their beames vpon vs that yet of them selues they can not bryng vs into the right way In deede they raise vp certaine sparkles but suche as be choked vp before that they can spreade abrode anye full brightnesse Therfore the apostle in the same place where he calleth the ages of the worlde images of thynges inuisible sayth further that by faithe is perceyued that they were framed by the worde of God meaning therby that the inuisible godhed is in dede represēted by such shewes but that we haue no eies to see the same throughly vnles they be enlightued by the reuelation of God through faith And Paule where he teacheth that by the creation of the world was disclosed that which was to be knowen concerning god doth not meane such a disclosyng as may be comprehended by the witte of men but rather sheweth that the same procedeth no further but to make them vnexcusable The same Paule also although in one place he sayth that God is not to be sought afarre of as one that dwelleth within vs yet in an other place reacheth to what end that nerenesse auayleth In the ages past sayth he God suffred the nations to walke in their own waies yet he lefte not hym selfe without testimonie doyng good from heauen geuyng showres and fruitefull seasons fillyng the hartes of men with foode and gladnesse Howsoeuer therfore the Lorde bee not withoute testimonie whyle with his greate and manyfolde bountyfulnesse he sweetely allureth men to the knowledge of hym yet for all that they cesse not to folowe their owne waies that is to say their damnable errours But although we want naturall power wherby we can not clymbe vp vnto the pure and cleare knowledge of God yet bycause the faulte of our dulnesse is in our selues therfore all colour of excuse is cutte away from vs. For we can not so pretende ignorance but that euen our conscience dothe stil condemne vs of slouthfulnesse vnthankfulnesse It is a defence forsoothe right woorthy to be receyued if man will alledge that he wanted eares to heare the truth for the publishyng wherof the very dombe creatures haue lowde voyces yf man shall say that he can not see those thynges with his eyes whyche the creatures without eyes doo shewe hym yf man shall laye for his excuse the feblenesse of his witte where all creatures without reason doo instructe hym Wherfore sithe all thynges doo shewe vs the right way we are worthily put from all excuse of our wanderyng and strayeng out of the way But howe soeuer it is to be imputed to the fault of men that they dooe by and by corrupt the sede of the knowledge of God sowē in theyr mindes by meruailous workemanshyp of nature so that it groweth not to good and cleane fruite yet it is moste true that we are not sufficiently instructed by that bare and simple testimonie that the creatures do honourably declare of goodes glory For so soone as we haue taken by the beholdyng of the worlde a smalle taste of the godhead we leauyng the true God doo in steade of hym rayse vp dreames and fansies of oure owne brayne and doo conuey hyther and thyther from the true fountayne the prayse of ryghtousnes wysedom goodnes and power Moreouer we doo so either obscure or by yll estemyng them depraue his daily doynges that we take away bothe from them their glorye and from the authour his due praise ¶ The .vi. Chapter That to atteyne to God the Creatour it is nedefull to haue the scripture to be our guyde and maistresse THerefore althoughe that same brightnesse which both in heauen and earth shineth in the eies of al men doth sufficiently take away al defense frō the wickednesse of mē euen so as God to wrappe al mankind in one giltinesse doeth shewe his diuine maiestie to al withoute excepcion as it wer portraied out in his creatures yet is it necessary that we haue also an other and a better helpe that may rightly direct vs to the very creator of the world Therfore not in vayne he hath added the light of his worde that therby he mought be knowen to saluacion And this prerogatiue he hath vouchesaued to geue to vs whom it pleased him more nerely and more familiarly to draw together to himselfe For because he saw the mindes of al men to be carried aboute with wandering and vnstedfast motion after he had chosē the Iewes to his peculiar flocke he compassed them in as it were with barres that they should not wander out in vanitie as other did And not withoute cause he holdeth vs with the same meane in the true knowledge of himselfe For otherwise euen they should quickly swarue away that seme to stand stedfast in comparison of other For as olde men or poore blind or they whose eies ar dimme sighted if you lay a faire boke before them though they perceiue that there is somewhat written therin yet can they not reade two words together but being holpen with spectacles set betwen them and it they begin to reade distinctlye so the Scripture gathering vp together in our mindes the knowledge of God whiche otherwise is but confused doeth remoue the mist and plainly shewe vs the true god This therefore is a singular gifte that to the instruccion of his church God vseth not onely dumme teachers but also openeth his owne holye mouth not onely publisheth that there is some God to bee worshipped but also there withal pronounceth that he himself is the same God whō we oughte to worship and doeth not onely teache the electe to loke vpō God but also presenteth himselfe vnto them to be loked vppon Thys order hath he kept frō the beginning towarde his churche beside these common instruccions to geue them also hys worde Whiche is the righter and certainer marke to knowe him by And it is not to be douted that Adam Noe Abraham and the rest of the fathers by this help attained to that familiar knowledge which made them as it wer seuerally differente from the vnbeleuers I speake not yet of the proper doctrine of faith wherwith they wer enlightened into the hope of eternall life For that they myght passe from death to life it was nedefull for them to knowe God not only to be the creatoure but also the redemer as doutlesse they obteined both by the worde For that kinde of knowledge wherby was geuen to vnderstande who is the God by whō the worlde was made and is gouerned in order came before the other and thē was that other inwarde knowledge adioined which onely quickeneth dead soules wherby God is knowen not onely to be the maker of the worlde and the onely authour and iudge of all thinges that are done but also to be the redemer in the person of that mediatour But because I am not yet come to the fal of the world
song in the sanctuary because the vnbeleuers are deafe heare not al the voyces of God that resounde in the aire And in lyke manner in an other Psalme after that he had descrybed the terrible waues of the Sea he thus concludeth thy testimonies ar verified the beautie of thy teÌ„ple is holinesse for euer And out of this meaning also proceded that which Chryst said to the woman of Samaria that her nation and the rest did honor that which they knew not and that onely the Iewes did worship the true God For wheras the wit of man by reason of the feblenesse therof caÌ„ by no meane attaine vnto God but being holpen and lifted vp by his holy worde it folowed of necessitie that al men excepte the Iewes dyd wander in vanite and errour because they sought god without hys worde ¶ The .vii. Chapter By what testimony the Scripture oughte to be established that is by the witnesse of the holy gost that the authoritie therof may remaine certaine And that it is a wycked inuention to say that the erâ—â—yt therof doeth hangs vpon the iudgemente of the churche BUt before I go any further it is nedeful to say somwhat of the authoritie of the Scripture not onely to prepare mens mindes to reuerence it but also to take away al dout therof Now when it is a matter confessed that it is the worde of God that is there sette forth there is no maÌ„ of so desperate boldnesse vnlesse he be voide of all common sense and naturall wit of man that dare derogate the credit of him that speaketh it But because there are not daily oracles geuen from heauen and the onelye Scryptures remaine wherin it hath pleased the Lord to preserue his truth to perpetual memory the same Scripture by none other meanes is of ful credit among the faythful but in that they doe beleue that it is as verely come from heauen as if they heard the liuely voyce of God to speake therin This matter in dede is ryght worthy both to bee largely entreated of diligently weyed But the readers shall pardoÌ„ me if herein I rather regarde what the proporcion of the woorke which I haue begon may beare thaÌ„ what the largenesse of the matter requireth Ther is growen vp among the most part of men a moste hurteful erroure that the Scripture hath onely so much authoritie as by common consent of the churche is geuen vnto it as if the eternall and inuiolable trueth of God did rest vpon the pleasure of men For so to the great scorne of the holy gost they aske of vs who caÌ„ assure vs that these Scriptures came from God or who can assertaine vs that they haue continued vnto oâ—r age safe and vncorrupted who can perswade vs that thys one booke ought to be reuerently receiued and that other to be stryken out of the number of Scripture vnlesse the churche did appoint a certaine rule of al these thinges It hangeth therfore say they vpon the determinacioÌ„ of the churche both what reuerence is due to the Scripture and what bokes ar to be reckened in the canon therof So these robbers of gods honor whyle they seke vnder color of the church to bring in an vnbridled tyranny care nothing with what absurdities they snare both themselues and other so that they may enforce thys one thyng to be beleued among the symple that the churche can do al thynges But if it be so what shal become of the poore consciences that seke stedfast assuraunce of eternal lyfe if al the promyses that remayne therof stande and bee stayed onely vpon the iudgement of men â–ª When they receyue such answere shal they cesse to wauer and tremble Agayne to what scornes of the vngodly is our faith made subiect into how great suspicion with al men is it brought if this be beleued that it hath but as it were a borrowed credit by the fauoure of men But such babblers are wel confuâ—ed euen with one worde of the Apostle He testifieth that the churche is builded vpon the foundacion of the Prophetes and Apostles If the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostles be the fundacion of the church then muste it nedes be that the same doctrine stode in stedfast certaintie before that the churche began to be Nether can they wel cauil that although the church take her first beginning therof yet it remaineth doutful what is to be sayed the writinges of the Prophetes and Apostles vnlesse the iudgemente of the church did declare it For if the Chrystian church were at the beginning builded vpon the writinges of the Prophetes and preachyng of the Apostles wheresoeuer that doctrine shal be founde the allowed credyte therof was surely before the churche without which the churche it selfe had neuer ben Therefore it is a vaine forged deuise that the churche hath power to iudge the Scripture so as the certaintie of the scripture should be thought to hange vpon the wil of the churche Wherfore wheÌ„ the churche doth receiue the Scripture and sealeth it with her consenting testimonie she doeth not of a thyng doutefull and that otherwyse should be in controuersy make it autentike and of credit but because she acknowledgeth it to be the trueth of her God accordyng to her dutye of godlinesse without delay she doth honor it Wheras they demaund how shal we be perswaded that it came from god vnlesse we resort to the decree of the churche Thys is al one as if a man should aske howe shall we learne to knowe light from darkenesse white from blacke or swete from sower For the Scripture sheweth in it selfe no lesse apparaunte sense of her trueth than white and blacke thynges do of their color or swete and sower thinges of their tast I knowe that they commonly allege the saying of Augustine wher he sayeth that he would not beleue the gospel saue that the authoritye of the churche moued hym therto But how vntruely and cauillouslye it is alleged for such a meaning by the whole tenor of his writing it is easy to perceiue He had to do with the Manichees whiche required to be beleued without gainesaying when they vaunted that they had the trueth on their side but proued it not And to make their Manicheus to be beleued they preteÌ„ded the gospel Now Augustine asketh them what they would do if they did light vpon a man that would not beeleue the gospel it selfe with what maner of perswasion they would drawe hym to their opinion Afterwarde he sayeth I my self would not beleue the gospel c. saue that the authoritie of the church moued me therto Meaning that he himselfe when he was a straunger from the fayth coulde not otherwise be brought to embrace the gospel for the assured trueth of God but by this that he was ouercome with the authoritie of the church And what maruel is it if a maÌ„ not yet knowing Chryste haue regarde to men Augustine therfore doeth not there teache that the
fayth of the godly is grounded vpon the authoritie of the church nor meaneth that the certaintie of the gospel doth hang therupon but simplye and onely that there should be no assurednesse of the gospel to the infidels wherby they might be wonne to Chryst vnlesse the consent of the church did driue them vnto it And the same meanyng a litle before he doth plainly confirme in this saying When I shall praise that which I beleue and scorne that which thou beleuest what thiÌ„kest thou mete for vs to iudge or do but that we forsake such men as first call vs to come and knowe certaine truethes and after commaunde vs to beeleue thinges vncertaine and that we folowe theÌ„ that require vs first to beleue that which we are not yet able to see that being made strong by beleuing we may atteine to vnderstande the thing that we beleue not menne nowe but God himselfe inwardly strengthning and geuing lighte to oure minde These are the very words of Augustine wherby euery man may easely gather that the holy man had not this meaning to hang the credite that we haue to the Scriptures vpon the wil and awardemente of the churche but onely to shewe this which we our selues also do confesse to be true that they which are not yet lightened with the spirite of god are brought by the reuerence of the churche vnto a willyngnesse to bee taught so as they can finde in their hartes to learne the faith of Christ by the gospel and that thus by this meane the authoritie of the church is an introduction wherby we are prepared to beleue the gospel For as we see his minde is that the assuraunce of the godly be staied vpon a farre other foundacion Otherwise I do not deny but that he often presseth the Manichees with the consent of the whole churche when he seketh to proue the same Scripture which they refused And from hence it came that he so reproched Faustus for that he did not yelde hymselfe to the trueth of the gospel so grounded â–ª so stablished so gloriously renomed from the very time of the Apostles by certaine successions perpetuallye commended But he neuer trauaileth to this ende to teach that the authoritie which we acknowledge to be in the Scripture hangeth vppon the determinacion or decree of men But onely this which made much for him in the mater that he disputed of he bringeth forth the vniuersal iudgemeÌ„t of the church wherein he had the auauÌ„tage of his aduersaries If any desire a fuller proufe herof let him reade his boke concernynge the profit of beleuing Where he shall finde that there is no other redinesse of beliefe commended vnto vs by him but that which only geueth vs an entrie and is vnto vs a conuenient beginning to enquire as he termeth it and yet not that we ought to rest vpon bare opinion but to leane to the certaine and sounde trueth We ought to holde as I before sayd that the credit of this doctrine is not established in vs vntil such time as we be vndoutedly perswaded that God is the author therof Therfore the principal profe of the Scripture is coÌ„monly taken of the person of God the speaker of it The Prophetes and Apostles bost not of their own sharpe wit or any such thigs as procure credit to mâ—n that speake neither stande they vpon proues by reason but they bring forth the holy name of God therby to compell the whole world to obedience Now we haue to see howe not onely by probable opinion but by apparant truth it is euideÌ„t that in this behalfe the name of God is not without cause nor deceitfully preteÌ„ded If then we wil prouide wel for consciences that they be not continually caryed about with vnstedfast douting nor many wauer nor stay at euery small stop this maner of perswasion must be fetched deper then from either the reasons iudgementes or the coniectures of men euen from the secrete testimony of the holy ghoste True in dede it is that if we lysted to worke by way of argumeÌ„tes many thinges might be alleged that may easily proue if there be any God in heauen that the law the prophecies and the gospell came from hym Yea although men learned and of depe iudgemente would stande vp to to the contrary and would employ and shew forth the whole force of their wittes in this disputacion yet if they be not so hardened as to become desperatly shamelesse they woulde be compelled to confesse that there are seen in the Scripture manifest tokens that it is God that speaketh therin wherby it maye appeare that the doctrine therof is froÌ„ heaueÌ„ And shortly hereafter we shal se that al the bokes of the holy Scripture do farre excel al other writinges what soeuer they be Yea if we bring thether pure eies and vncorrupted senses we shal forthwith finde there the maiestie of God which shall subdue al hardnesse of gainesaying and enforce vs to obey him But yet they do disorderly that by disputacion trauaile to establishe the perfecte credit of the Scripture And truely although I am not furnished with great dexteritie nor eloquence yet if I were to contende with the moste luttle despisers of God that haue a desier to shew themselues wytty and plesaunt in febling the authoritie of Scripture I trust it should not be harde for me to put to silence their bablinges And if it 〈◊〉 profitable to spende labor in confuting their cauillations I would with no great businesse shake in sunder the bragges that they mutter in corners But though a man do deliuer the sounde word of God from the reproches of men yet that sufficeth not fourthwith to fasten in theyr hartes that assurednesse that godlynesse requireth Prophane men because they thynke religion standeth onely in opinion to the ende they woulde beleue nothing fondly or lightly do couet and require to haue it proued to them by reason that Moises and the Prophetes spake from God But I answere that the testimonie of the holy ghost is better thaÌ„ all reason For as onely God is a conueniente witnesse of hymselfe in hys owne worde so shal the same worde neuer finde credit in the hartes of men vntil it be sealed vp with the inwarde witnesse of the holy ghost It behoueth therfore of necessitie that the same holy ghost whiche spake by the mouth of the Prophetes do entre into our hartes to perswade vs that they faythfully vttered that which was by God commaunded them And this order is very aptly set fourth by Esay in these words My spirite which is in thee and the wordes that I haue to put in thy mouth and in the mouth of thy sede shal not faile for euer It greueth some good men that they haue not ready at hande some cleare proufe to allege when the wicked do without punishment murmure against the worde of God As though the holy ghost were not for this cause called both a seale and a
being admonished may know what is chefely to be searched in the Scriptures coÌ„cerning God â–ª and be directed to one certain marke in their seking I do not yet touch the peculiar couenaunte wherby God seuered the stocke of Abraham from other nations For euen then he appeared the redemer in receyuing to his children by free adopcion those that before were ennemies But we ar yet about that knowledge that resteth in the creation of the world and ascendeth not to Christ the mediatour And although by and by it shal be good to allege certaine places oute of the newe testament forasmuch as euen out of it both the power of God the creator and his prouidence in preseruing of the first nature is approued yet I warne the readers before what is now my purpose to do to the ende that they passe not the appointed boundes So for this present let it suffice vs to learne how God the maker of heauen and earth doth gouerne the world by him created Euery where is renomed both his fatherly bountie and enclined wil to do good and there are also examples rehearsed of hys seueritie which shew him to be a righteous punisher of wicked doinges specially where his sufferaunce nothing preuaileth with the obstinate In certain places are set forth more plaine descriptions wherin his natural face is as in an image represented to be seen For in the place where Moses descrybeth it it semeth that his meanyng was shortly to comprehende al that was lawful for men to vnderstande of God The lord sayeth he the Lord a mercyfull God gracious paciente and of much mercy and true whych kepest mercy vnto thousandes which takest away iniquitie and wycked doinges beefore whom the innocente shal not be innocent which rendrest the wyckednesse of the fathers to the children and childrens children Where let vs marke that his eternitie and being of himselfe is expressed in the twise repeting of that honorable name and that then his vertues are rehearsed in which is described vnto vs not what he is in respect to hymselfe but what a one he is towarde vs that thys knowledge of hym maye rather stande in a liuely feling than in an empty and supernatural speculation And here we do heare recited those vertues of hys which we noted to shine in the heauen and earth that is to say â—lemeÌ„cie bountie mercy iustice iudgement and truth For myght and power are conteyned vnder this name Elohim God Wyth the same names of addition doe the Prophetes set him forth when they meane fully to paint out his holy name But because I would not heape vp to many examples together at this preseÌ„t let one Psalme suffice vs wherin the summe of al his vertues is so exactly reckened vp that nothing can seme to be omitted And yet is nothing there rehearsed but that which we may beholde in his creatures So plainly do we perceiue God by informacion of experyeÌ„ce to be such as he declareth himselfe in hys worde In Ieremy where he pronounceth what a one he would haue vs knowe hym to be he setteth forth a description not altogether so full but yet comming all to one effecte He that gloryeth saieth he let him glory in this that he knoweth me to bee the Lord that do mercy iustice and iudgemente on the earth Surelye these three thinges are very necessary for vs to knowe mercy in which alone consisteth al our saluacion Iudgement which is dayly executed vpon euil doers and more greuous is prepared for them to eternal destruction Iustice wherby the faithful are preserued and most tenderlye cherished Which thinges when thou hast conceiued the prophecy saith thou hast sufficiently enough wherof thou maiest glory in God And yet here are not omitted either his trueth or his power or his holinesse or goodnesse For how should the knowledge stand sure which is here required of his iustice mercy and iudgement vnlesse it did rest vpon hys vnmouable truth And how should we beleue that he doeth gouerne the earth with iustice and iudgement but vnderstandyng hys power And whense commeth his mercy but of his goodnesse If then all his waies be mercy iudgement and iustice in them must holinesse also nedes bee seen And to none other ende is directed that knowledge of God that is set forth vnto vs in the Scriptures than is that knowledge also which appeareth emprinted in his creatures that is to say it first moueth vs to the feare of God and then to put confidence in hym to the ende we may learne first to honor him with perfect innocency of lyfe and vnfained obedience and then to hang altogether vpon hys goodnesse But here I meane to gather a summe of generall doctrine And first let the readers note that the Scripture to the ende to direct vs to the true God doth expresly exclude and cast away al the gods of the gentiles because commonly in a manner in al ages religion hath ben corrupted True it is in dede that the name of one God was euerye where knowen and renomed For euen they that worshipped a great nomber of gods so oft as they did speake according to the proper sense of nature they simply vsed the singular name of God as if they were contented with one God alone And thys was wisely marked by Iustine the Martyr which for thys purpose made a boke of the Monarchie of god wherby many testimonies he sheweth that thys that there is but one god was engrauen in the hartes of al men The same thyng also doth Tertulliane proue by the common phrase of speche But forasmuche as all without exception are by their own vanitie either drawen or fallen to false forged deuises and so their senses are become vayne therefore all that euer they naturally vnderstode of the beeing but one god auayled no further but to make them inxecusable For eueÌ„ the wisest of them do plainly shewe the wandering error of theyr mynde when they wyshe some god to assist them and so in theyr prayers do cal vpon vncertayne gods Moreouer in this that they imagined god to haue many natures although they thought somwhat lesse absurdely than the rude people did of Iupeter Mercury Uenus Minerua and other yet were they not free from the deceites of Satan and as we haue already sayed els where whatsoeuer wayes of escape the Philosophers haue suttelly inuented they cannot purge themselues of rebellioÌ„ but that they all haue corrupted the trueth of god For thys reson Habacuc after he had condeÌ„ned all idols biddeth to seke God in hys own temple that the faythfull should not admyt hym to be any other than such as he had disclosed him selfe by hys worde The .xi. Chapter That it is vnlawfull to attribute vnto God a visible forme and that generally they forsake God so many as do erect to them selues any images BUt as the Scripture prouiding for the rude grosse wit of man vseth to speake after the common maner so when it
bynd theÌ„ to a certayn rule that euery man should not geue hymselfe leaue to deuise what forme of worshyp he lyst But because it is not expedieÌ„t to loade the readers with heapyng many matters together I will not touche that poynte yet Onely lette it susâ—ise for this tyme to kepe in mynd that euery cariyng away of the dutyefull behauiours of godlynesse to any other than to God alone is not without robbery of God And fyrste superstition deuysed to geue diuine honours to the Sonne or other starres or idols then folowed ambitious pryde whyche garnyshyng mortall men with spoyles taken from God presumed to prophane all that euer was holy And although this principle remayned among theim to honour the soueraigne deitie yet grewe it in vse indifferently to offer sacrifices to spirites lesser gods or dead meÌ„ of honor So slippery is the way to slide into this fault to make common to a number that whiche God seuerely chalengeth to hym selfe alone The .xiii. Chapter That there is taught in the scriptures one offence of God from the very creation whiche essence conteineth in it thre persons THat which is taught in the scriptures concernyng the incomprehensible and spirituall essence of God oughte to suffise not onely to ouerthrowe the foolisshe errours of the common people but also to confute the fine suttelties of prophane philosophie One of the olde writers semed to haue said very wel That God is al that we do see and all that we doo not see But by this meane he hathe imagined the godhead to be powred out into all the partes of the world Although God to the intent to kepe men in sobre mynde speaketh but sparely of his owne essence yet by those twoo names of addition that I haue rehersed he doothe bothe take away all grosse imaginations and also represse the presumptuous boldnesse of mans mynde For surely his immeasurable greatnesse ought to make vs afrayde that we attempt not to measure hym with our sense and his spirituall nature forbiddeth vs to imagine any thyng earthly or fleshely of hym For the same cause he often assigneth his dwellyng place to be in heauen For though as he is incomprehensible he tilleth the earthe also yet because he seeth oure myndes by reason of their dullnesse to lie still in the earthe for good cause he lifteth vs vp aboue the worlde to shake of our slouth and sluggishnesse And here falleth to grounde the errour of the Manichees which in appointyng two originall beginnynges haue made the diuell in a maner egall with god Surely this was as muche as to breake the vnitie of God and restrayne his vnmeasurablenesse For where they haue presumed to abuse certain testimonies that sheweth a fowle ignoraunce as their errour it selfe sheweth a detestable madnesse And the Anthropomorphites are also easily confuted which haue imagined God to consist of a bodye because oftentymes the scripture ascribeth vnto hym a mouthe eares eyes handes and feete For what man yea though he be sclenderly witted dooth not vnderstande that God dooth so with vs speake as it were childishly as nurses doo with their babes Therefore suche maners of speeche doo not so playnely expresse what God is as they do apply the vnderstandyng of him to our sclender capacitie Whiche to do it behoued of necessitie that he descended a great way beneath his owne heyght But he also setteth out hymselfe by an other speciall marke wherby he may be more nerely knowen For he so declareth hymselfe to bee but one that he yet geueth himselfe distinctly to be considered in three persons whiche except we learne a bare and empty name of god without any true God flieth in our braine And that no man should thinke that he is a threfolde God or that the one essence of God is diuided in three persons we must here seke a short and easy definition to deliuer vs froÌ„ all errour But because many doo make muche a doo about this worde Person as a thyng inuented by man howe iustly they doo so it is beste fyrst to see The apostles namyng the sonne the engraued forme of the Hypostasis of his father he vndoubtedly meaneth that the Father hath some beeyng wherin he differeth from the sonne For to take it for Essence as some expositours haue done as if Christ like a piece of waxe printed with a seale didde represent the substaunce of the Father were not onely harde but also an absurditie For sithe the Essence of God is single or one and vndiuisible he that in hym selfe conteineth it all and not by pecemeale or by deriuation but in whole perfection should very vnproprely yea fondly bee called the engraued forme of hym But because the father although he be in his own propretie distinct hath expressed hymselfe wholly in his sonne it is for good cause sayde that he hath geuen his Hypostasis to be seene in hym Wherwith aptely agreeth that which by and by foloweth that he is the brightnesse of his glory Surely by the Apostles wordes we gather â–ª that there is a certayn propre hypostasis in the father that shineth in the sonne whereby also agayne is easily perceiued the Hypostasis of the sonne that distinguisheth him from the Father Like order is in the holy ghost for we shall by and by proue hym to be God and yet he must nedes be other than the father Yet this distinction is not of the essence whiche it is vnlawfull to make manyfolde Therfore if the Apostles testimonie be credited it foloweth that there be in God thre hypostases This terme seyng the Latines haue expressed with the name of Person it were to muche pride and waywardnesse to brawle about so cleere a matter But if we list worde for worde to translate we may call it Subsistence Many in the same sense haue called it substance And the name of Person hath not ben in vse among the Latins onely but also the Grecians perhaps to declare a consente haue taught that there are three prosopa that is to say Persons in God But they whether they be Grekes or Latins that differ one from an other in the worde doo very well agree in the summe of the matter Nowe howesoeuer the heretikes barke at the name of persone or some ouermuch precise men do carpe that thei like not the worde fained by deuise of men sithe they can not get of vs to say that there be three whereof euery one is wholly God nor yet that there be many goddes what vnreasonablenesse is this to myslyke woordes whiche expresse none other thynge but that whiche is testified and approued by the scriptures It were better say they to restraine not only our meanynges but also oure woordes within the boundes of scripture than to deuyse straunge names that may be the begynnynges of disagrement brawlyng so doo we tyer our selues with strife about woordes so the truthe is loste in contending so charitie is broken by odiousely brawlyng together If they call that a straunge
woorde whiche can not be shewed in scripture as it is written in nombre of syllables then they bynde vs to a hard law wherby is condemned all exposition the is not pieâ—ed together with bare laying together of textes of scripture But if they meane that to be straunge whiche beyng curiousely deuised is superstitiousely defended whiche maketh more for contention than edification whiche is either vnaptely or to no profite vsed whiche withdraweth from the simplicitie of the word of God then with all my hart I embrace their sobre minde For I iudge that we ought with no lesse deuout reuerence to talke of God than to thynke of him for as muche as what soeuer we doo of our selues thinke of him is foolishe and what so euer we speake is vnsauorye But there is a certayn measure to be kepte We ought to learne out of the scriptures a rule bothe to thynke and speake wherby to examine all the thoughtes of our mynde and wordes of our mouth But what withstandeth vs but that suche as in scripture are to our capacitie doutfull and entangled we may in plainer woordes expresse theim beynge yet suche wordes as doo reuerently and faithfully serue the truthe of the scripture and be vsed sparely modestly and not without occasion Of whiche sort there are examples enowe And where as it shall by profe appere that the Churche of great necessitie was enforced to vse the names of Trinitie and Persones if any shall then fynde faulte with the newenesse of woordes shall he not be iustly thought to be greeued at the lyght of the truthe as he that blameth onely this that the truthe is made so playne and cleare to discerne Suche newnesse of woordes if it be so to bee called commeth then chiefly in vse when the truthe is to be defended against wranglers that doo mocke it out with cauillations Whiche thyng we haue at this daye to muche in experience who haue great businesse in vanquisshynge the enemies of true and sounde doctrine With suche foldyng and crooked windyng these slippery snakes doo slide away vnlesse they be strongly griped and holden hard when they be taken So the old fathers beyng troubled with contendyng againste false doctrines were compelled to shewe theyr meanynges in exquisite playnnesse least they should leaue any crooked bywayes to the wicked to whom the doutful constructions of woordes were hidyngholes of errours Arrius confessed Christe to be God and the sonne of God because he coulde not agaynsay the euident wordes of God and as if he had ben so sufficiently discharged did fayne a certayne consent with the rest But in the meane while he ceassed not to scatter abroade that Christe was create and had a beginnyng as other creatures But to the ende they myght drawe foorth his windyng sutteltie out of his denne the auncient fathers went further pronouncyng Christ to be the eternall sonne of the father and consubstanciall with the father Hereat wickednesse began to boile when the Arrians began to hate and deteste the name Omoousion consubstanciall But if in the beginnyng they had sincerely and with playn meanynge confessed Christ to be God they would not now haue denyed hym to be consubstantiall with the father Who dare nowe blame these good men as brawlers and contentious bycause for one litle woordes sake they were so whote in disputation and troubled the quiete of the churche But that little worde shewed the difference betwene the true beleuyng Christians and the Arrians that wer robbers of God Afterward rose vp Sabellius whiche accompted in a maner for nothyng the names of the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghost sayeng in disputation that they were not made to shewe any maner of distinction but onely were seuerall additions of God of whiche sorte there are many If he came to disputation he confessed that he beleeued the father God the sonne God the Holy ghost God But afterwarde he would redely slippe away with sayeng that he hadde in no otherwise spoken than as if he had named God a strong God iust God and wise God and so he song another songe that the Father is the Sonne and the Holy ghost is the father without any order without any distinction The good doctours which then had care of godlynesse to subdewe his wickednesse cried oute on the other side that there ought to be acknowleged in one God thre propreties And to the ende to fense themselues againste the crooked writhen suttleties with plaine and simple truthe they affirmed that there did truely subsist in one God or which came all to one effect that there did subsist in the vnitie of God a Trinitie of persons If then the names haue not ben without cause inuented we ought to take hede that in reiectyng them we be not iustly blamed of proude presumptuousnesse I woulde to God they wer buried in dede so that this faith were agreed of all men that the Father and the Sonne and the Holy ghost bee one God and yet that the Father is not the Sonne nor the Holy ghost the SoÌ„ne but distinct by certain propretie Yet am I not so precise that I can fynde in my harte to striue for bare wordes For I note that the olde fathers whiche otherwise spake very religiousely of such matters did not euery wher agree one with an other nor eueryone with himselfe For what formes of speeche vsed by the councels doothe Hilarie excuse â–ª To howe greate libertie doothe Augustine sometyme breake foorth Howe vnlyke are the Grekes to the Latins But of this variance one example shal suffise for this tyme. When the Latins ment to expresse the word Omoousion they called it Consubstancial declaring the substance of the Father and the Sonne to be one so vsyng the word substance for essence Whervpon Hierom to Damasus sayth it is sacrilege to say that there are thre substances in God and yet aboue a hundred tymes you shall fynde in Hilarie that there are three substances in God In the woorde Hypostasis howe is Hierome accombred For he suspecteth that there lurketh poison in namyng thre Hypostases in God And if a man do vse this word in a godly sense yet he plainly saith that is an impropre speeche if he spake vnfainedly and dyd not rather wittyngly and willyngly seeke to charge the bishoppes of the Eastlandes â–ª whome he soughte to charge with an vniuste sclaunder Sure this one thynge he speaketh not very truely that in all prophane schooles ousia essence is nothyng els but hypostasis whyche is proued false by the common and accustomed vse Augustine is more modeste and gentyll whiche although he say that the worde hypostasis in that sense is strange to latine eares yet so farre is it of that he taketh from the Grekes theyr vsuall maner of speakyng that he also gently beareth with the Latins that had folowed the greke phrase And that whiche Socrates writeth in the syxte booke of the Tripartite hystorie tendeth to this ende as though he ment that it hadde
by vnskilfull men bene wrongfullye applied vnto this matter Yea and the same Hilarie hymselfe layethe it for a greate faulte to the heretikes charge that by theyr waywardnesse he is compelled to putte those thynges in perylle of the speche of men whyche oughte to haue beene kepte in the relygiousnesse of myndes playnely confessynge that this is to doo thynges vnlaufull to speake that ought not to bee spoken to attempt thynges not licenced A little after he excuseth himself with many words for that he was so bold to vtter newe names For after he had vsed the natural names Father Sonne and Holy ghost he addeth that what soeuer is sought further is beyōd the compasse of speache beyonde the reache of sense and beyonde the capacitie of vnderstandynge And in an other place he saith the happy ar the bishops of Gallia which neither had nor receiued nor knewe any other confession but that olde and simple one whiche from the time of the Apostles was receyued in all churches And muche like is the excuse of Augustine that this woorde was wroung oute of necessitie by reason of the imperfection of mens language in so greate a matter not to expresse that whiche is but that it shoulde not bee vnspoken howe the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste are three This modestie of the holy menne ought to warne vs that we doo not foorthwith so seuerely lyke Censors note them with infamie that refuse to subscribe and sweare to suche wordes as we propounde them so that they doo it not of pride of frowardnesse or of malicious crafte But let them again consider by how great necessitie we are driuen to speake so that by littell little they may be enured with that profitable maner of speche Let them also learne to beware least sithe we must mete on the one syde with the Arrians on the other syde with Sabellians whyle they be offended that we cutte of occasion from them both to cauill they bryng themselues in suspicion that they be the disciples either of Arrius or of Sabellius Arrius sayth that Christe is God but he muttereth that he was create and had a beginnyng He saith Christe is one with the father but secretely he whispereth in the eares of his disciples that he was made one as the other faithfull be although by singular prerogatiue Say ones that Christ is Consubstanciall with his father then plucke you of his visour from the dissembler and yet you adde nothyng to the scripture Sabellius sayth that the seueral names Father Son and Holy ghost signifie nothyng in God seuerally distincte saye that they are three and he will crye out that you name thre gods Saye that there is in one essence a Trinitie of persons then shal you in one word bothe saye what the scripture speaketh and stop their vayne babblyng Nowe if any be holden with so curious superstition that they can not abide these names yet is there no man though he wold neuer so fayn that can deny but that when we heare of one we must vnderstande an vnitie of substance when we here of thre in one essence that it is ment of the persons in the trinitie Which thyng beyng without fraude confessed we stay no longer vpon wordes But I haue long ago foūd and that often that who soeuer do obstinately quarell about woordes doo keepe within them a secrete poison so that it is better willyngly to prouoke theim than for their pleasure to speake darkly But leauyng disputation of woordes I will nowe begyn to speake of the matter it selfe I call therfore a Persone a subsistence in the essence of God which hauyng relation to the other is distinguished from them with vncōmunicable propretie By the name of Subsistence we meane an other thyng than the essence For if the worde had simply ben God and in the meane tyme had nothynge seuerally propre to it selfe Iohn hadde sayde amysse that it was with god Where he foorthewith addeth that God hymselfe was the same woorde he calleth vs backe agayne to the one single essence But because it could not be with God but that it must rest in the father hereof ariseth that subsistence which though it be ioyned to the essence with an vnseparable knot yet hath it a speciall marke wherby it doth differ from it So of the three subsistences ▪ I say that eche hauyng relation to other is in propretie distinguished Relation is here expressely mencioned For when there is simple and indefinite mencion made of God this name belongeth no lesse to the Sonne and the Holy ghoste than to the Father But when the Father is compared with the Sonne the seuerall propretie of eyther doth discerne hym from the other Thirdely what soeuer is propre vnto euery of them is vncommunicable For that which is geuen to the Father for a marke of difference can not agree with nor be geuen to the Son And I mislyke not the definition of Tertullian so that it be rightly taken That there is in God a certayne disposition or distribution which yet chaungeth nothyng of the vnitie of the essence But before that I go any further it is good that I proue the Godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost Then after we shall see how they differ one from an other Surely when the Worde of God is spoken of in the Scripture it were a very greate absurditie to imagin it only a fadyng and vanishyng voyce whiche sente into the ayre cometh out of God hymselfe of whiche sort were the oracles geuen to the fathers and all the prophecies when rather the woorde is mente to bee the perpetuall wisedome abidyng with the Father from whens all the oracles and prophecies proceded For as Peter testifieth no lesse didde the olde prophetes speake with the spirite of Christ than dyd the Apostles and all they that after them dyd distribute the heauenly doctrine But because Christe was not yet openly shewed we must vnderstande that the Worde was before all worlde 's begotten of the Father And if the Spirite was of the Worde whose instrumentes were the prophetes we do vndoutedly gather that he was true god And this doth Moses teache playnly enough in the creation of the world when he setteth the worde as the meane For why dooth he expressely tell that God in creatyng of all his woorkes sayd Be this doone or that doon but that the vnserchable glory of god may shiningly appere in his images The suttlenosed and babblyng men do easily mock out this with sayeng that the name Woorde is there taken for his byddynge or commaundemente But better expositors are the Apostles whiche teache that the worldes were made by the same and that he susteineth theym all with his mightie Worde For here we see that the Word is taken for the bidding or commaundement of the Sonne which is hymselfe the eternall and essentiall Word to the Father And to the wise and sobre it is not darke that Salomon sayth
with hym and that the Holy Spirite is not a thyng diuers from the Father the Son For in eche Hypostasis is vnderstanded the whole substance with this that euery one hath his own propretie The Father is whole in the Sonne the Sonne is whole in the Father as hymselfe affirmeth I am in the Father and the Father is in me And the Ecclesiasticall writers doo not graunt the one to be seuered from the other by any difference of essence By these names that betoken distinction sayth Augustin that is ment wherby they haue relation one to an other and not the very substance whereby they are all one By whiche meanynge are the sayinges of the olde writers to bee made agree whiche otherwise would seeme not a little to disagree For sometyme they saye that the Father is the beginnyng of the Sonne and somtyme that the Sonne hath bothe godhead and essence of hymselfe and is all one begynnynge with the Father The cause of this diuersitie Augustine doothe in an other place well and planelye declare when he sayeth CHRIST hauynge respect to him selfe is called God and to his Father is called the Sonne And agayne ▪ the Father as to hymselfe is called God as to his Sonne is called the Father where hauynge respecte to the Sonne he is called the Father he is not the Sonne where as to the Father he is called the Son he is not the Father and where he is called as to hym self the Father and as to hymselfe the Sonne it is all one God Therfore when we simply speake of the Sonne without hauyng respect to the Father we do well and proprely say that he is of hym selfe and therfore we call hym but one beginnyng but when we make mention of the relation betweene him and his Father then we rightly make the Father the beginning of the Sonne All the whole fifth boke of Augustine concernyng the Trinitie dooth nothyng but sette foorth this matter And muche safer it is to reste in that relation that he speaketh of than into suttletle pearcyng vnto the hye mysterie to wander abroade by many vayne speculations Let them therfore that are pleased with sobrenesse cōtented with measure of Faith shortly learne so muche as is profitable to bee knowen that is when we professe that we beleue in one God vnder the name of God we vnderstande the one onely and single essence in whiche we comprehende thre Persons or hypostases And therfore so oft as we doo indefinitely speake of the name of God we meane no lesse the Sonne and the Holy ghost than the Father But when the Sonne is ioyned to the Father then commeth in a relation and so we make distinction betwene y◠Persons And because the propreties in the Persons bring an order with them so as the beginnyng and orginall is in the Father so ofte as mencion is made of the Father and the Son or the Holy ghost together the name of God is peculiarly geuen to the Father By this meane is reteined the vnitie of the essence and regarde is hadde to the order whiche yet dothe minishe nothyng of the godhead of the Sonne and of the Holy ghoste And where as we haue already seene that the Apostles doo affirme that the Sonne of God is he whom Moses and the prophetes doo testifie to be Iehouah the Lorde we must of necessitie alwaye come to the vnitie of the essences Wherefore it is a detestable sacrilege for vs to call the Sonne a seuerall God from the Father bycause the symple name of God doothe admytte no relation and God in respecte of hym selfe can not bee saide to be this or that Now that the name of Iehouah the Lorde indefinitely taken is applied to Christe appereth by the wordes of Paul wher he sayth Therfore I haue thryse praied the Lorde because that after he hadde receyued the aunswere of Christ. My grace is sufficient for the he sayeth by and by that the power of Christ may dwell in me It is certayne that the name Lorde is there set for Iehouah and therfore to restraine it to the person of the Mediatour were very fonde and childyshe for somuch as it is an absolute sentence that compareth not the Father with the Sonne And we knowe that after the accustomed maner of the Greekes the Apostles doo commonly sette the worde Kyrios Lord in stede of Iehouah And not to fetche an example farre of Paule dydde in no other sense pray to the Lorde than in the same sense that Peter citethe the place of Ioell who soeuer calleth vppon the name of the Lorde shall be saued But where this name is peculiarly geuen to the Sonne we shall se that there is an other reason therof when we com to a place fitte for it Nowe it is enough to haue in mynde when Paule had absolutely praied to God he by and by bryngeth in the name of Christ. Euen so is the whole God called by Christ hymselfe the Spirite For there is no cause agaynst it but that the whole essence of God may bee spirituall wherin the Father the Sonne and the Holy ghoste be comprehended Whiche is very playne by the Scripture For euen as there we heare God to be made a Spirite so we do here the Holy ghost for so muche as it is an Hypostasis of the whole essence to bee called bothe God and procedyng from God But for as muche as Satan to the ende to roote out our Faith hath alway moued great cōtentions partly concernyng the diuine essence of the Sonne and of the Holy ghost and partly cōcernyng their distinction of Persones And as in a maner in all ages he hath stirred vp wicked spirites to trouble the true teachers in this behalfe so at this day he trauaileth out of the olde embres to kyndle a new fyre therfore here it is good to answere the peruerse foolishe errours of some Hitherto it hath ben our purpose to leade as it were by the hande those that ar willyng to learne and not to striue hande to hande with the obstinate and contentious But nowe the truthe which we haue already peasably shewed must be reskued from the cauillations of the wicked All be it my chiefe trauayle shall yet be applied to this ende that they whyche geue gentill and open eares to the woord of God may haue whervpon stedfastly to rest their foote In this poynt if any where at all in the secrete mysteries of Scripture we ought to dispute sobrely and with greate moderation and to take great hede that neyther oure thought nor oure tongue procede any further than the boundes of Goddes woorde dooe extende For howe may the mynde of man by his capacitie define the immeasurable essence of God whiche neuer yet coulde certainly determine howe great is the body of the Son which yet he daily seeth with his eyes yea howe may she by her owne guidyng atteyn to discusse the substaunce of God that can not
them which in other places the Scripture commonly teacheth Because if we desire to knowe God by his workes so noble and excellente an example is not to be omitted Beside that this pointe of doctryne is very necessary for the confutyng of many errors The excellence of the nature of Angels hath so daselled yâ— myndes of many that they thought the Angels had wrong offred them if they should be made subiect to the authoritie of one God and brought as it were in obedience And herevpon were they fained to be Gods There rose vp also one Manicheus with his secte whiche made themselues two originall beginninges of thinges God and the Deuell and to God he assigned the beginning of good thinges and of thinges of euil nature he determined the Deuil to be the author If our mindes should be entangled with this error God should not kepe whole hys glory in the creacion of the world For wher as nothing is more proper to God than eternitie and a being of hymselfe as I maye so terme it they which geue that vnto the Deuill dooe they not in a maner geue hym the tytle of Godhead Now where is the almightinesse of God become if such authoritie be grauÌ„ted to the deuil that he may put in execucioÌ„ what he wil though God say nay withstaÌ„de it As for the onely fundation that the Manichees haue that it is vnlawfull to ascribe vnto God that is good the creation of any thyng that is euyll that nothyng hurteth the true Faith whiche admitteth not that ther is any thing naturally euil in the whole vniuersalitie of the world because neither the frowardnesse and malice bothe of man and the deuell nor the sinnes that procede therof ar of nature but of the corruption of nature Neyther was there any thyng from the begynnyng wherin God hath not shewed an example bothe of his wisedome and iustice Therfore to answere these peruerse deuises it behoueth vs to lifte vp our myndes hyer than our eyes can atteyne to see For whiche cause it is likely that where in the Nicene crede God is called the creatour of all thynges thinges inuisible are expressed Yet will we be carefull to kepe the measure that the rule of godlynesse appointeth least the readers with searchyng to vnderstande further than is expedient shuld wander abroade beyng ledde away from the simplicitie of Faith And surely for as muche as the Holy ghoste teacheth vs alway for oure profite and suche thynges as are finally auaylable to edifie he doothe eyther leaue wholly vnspoken or but lightly as it were ouerrunningly touche them it shall be also our duetie to be content not to know those thynges that doo not profite vs. That the Angels for as muche as they are the ministers of God ordeyned to execute his coÌ„maundementes are also his creatures it ought to be certainly out of all question To moue doute of the tyme and order that they were created in shoulde it not rather be a busy waywardnesse than diligence Moses declareth that the earthe was made and the heauens were made with all theyr armies to what purpose than is it curiously to search what day the other more secrete armies of heauen beside the starres and planettes fyrst began to be But because I will not be long let vs as in the whole doctrine of religion so here also remembre that we ought to kepe one rule of modestie and sobrietie that of obscure thynges we neither speake nor thynke nor yet desyre to knowe any other thynges than that hath ben taught vs by the woorde of God and an other poynt that in readyng of Scripture we continually rest vpon the searchyng and studying of suche thynges as pertaine to edification and not geue our selues to curiositie or study of thynges vnprofitable And because it was Gods pleasure to instructe vs not in â—riflyng questions but in sounde godlynesse feare of his name true confidence and duties of holynesse let vs rest vpon suche knowledge Wherfore if we wil be rightly wise we must leaue those vanities that ydle men haue taught without warrant of the woorde of God concernyng the nature degrees and multitude of Angels I knowe that suche matters as this are by many more gredily taken holde of and are more pleasant vnto them than suche thynges as lye in dayely vse But if it greue vs not to be the scholers of Christe let it not greue vs to folowe that order of learnyng that he hath appoynted So shall it so come to passe that beyng contented with his scholyng we shall not onely forbeare but also abhorre superfluous speculations from whyche he calleth vs away No man can deny that the same Denyse what soeuer maÌ„ he was hath disputed many thynges bothe subtilly and wittyly in his Hierarchie of heauen but yf a man examine it more neerely he shall fynde that for the moste parte it is but mere babblyng But the dutifull purpose of a diuine is not to delite eares with pratyng but to stablishe consciences with teachyng thynges true certayne and profitable If one should reade that boke he would thinke that the man were slypped downe from heauen did tell of things not that he had lerned by heresay but that he had seen with his eies But Paule whiche was rauished aboue the thirde heauen hath vttered no suche thynge but also protesteth that it is not lawfull for man to speake the secretes that he had sene Therfore bidding farewell to that triflyng wisedome lette vs consider by the simple doctrine of the Scripture what the Lorde wold haue vs knowe concernyng his angels It is commonly red in the Scripture that the Angels are heauenly Spirites whose ministration and seruice God vseth for putting in execution of those thinges that he hath decreed For which reason the name is geuen them because God vseth them as messangers to shewe hym selfe vnto men And vpon like reason are deriued the other names that they are called by They are named armies because they do like a garde enuiron their prince and doo adorne and set forth the honourable shew of his maiestie and like souldiours they are alway attendyng vpon the ensigne of their capitain and are euer so prepared and in readynesse to do his commaundementes that so soone as he doth but becken to them they prepare them selues to worke or rather be at their worke alredy Suche an image of the throne of God to set out his roialtie the other prophetes doo describe but principally Daniel wher he saith that when God sate him downe in his throne of iudgement there stode by a thousande thousande and ten thousand companies of ten thousands of angels And because God doth by theÌ„ meruailously shewe foorth declare the might and streÌ„gth of his hand therfore they are named strengths bicause he exerciseth and vseth his authorite in the world by them therfore they are somtime called Principalities somtime powers somtime DominioÌ„s Finally because in them as it wer sitteth the
stryfe when he sayeth that for a remedy to tame pride the Angel of Satan was geuen to hym by whom he myght be humbled This exercyse therefore is common to all the children of God But because that same promyse of the breakyng of Satans head perteyneth generally to Christ and to all his members therefore I saye that the faithfull can neuer be ouercome nor oppressed by him They are many times stryken down but they are neuer so astonnied withall but that they recouer theÌ„selues They fal down many tymes wyth violence of strokes but they are after raysed vp agayne they are wounded but not deadly Finally they so labor in all course of theyr lyfe that in the ende they obteyne the victorye but I speake not this of euery doing of theyrs For we knowe we that by the iuste vengeaunce of God Dauid was for a time geuen ouer to Satan by his motion to nomber the people and not without cause Paul sayth there is hope of pardon least if any haue been entangled with the snares of the deuil Therfore in an other place the same Paule sayeth that the promise aboue alleged is begon in this lyfe wherin we must wrastle and is performed after our wrastlyng ended when he sayeth the God of peace shall shortly beate downe Satan vnder your fete This victory hath alway fully been in our hed Chryst because the Prince of the world had nothing in him but in vs that are his members it doth now partly appeare and shal be perfited wheÌ„ being vnclothed of our fleshe by whiche we are yet subiecte to weakenesse we shal be ful of the power of the Holy ghoste In thys manner when the kyngdome of Chryst is raysed vp and â—duaunced Satan with his power falleth down as the Lord hymselfe sayeth I saw Satan fall as a lightening down from heauen For by this answere he confirmeth that which the Apostles had reported of the power of his preachyng Agayne When the Prince possesseth his own palace al thinges that he possesseth are in peace but when there coÌ„meth a stronger he is throwen out c. And to this ende Chryst in dying ouercame Satan which had the power of death triuÌ„phed vpoÌ„ al his armies that they shuld not hurt the church for otherwyse they would euery momente a hundred times destroye it For coÌ„sidering what is our weakenesse what is his furious streÌ„gth howe coulde we stande yea neuer so litle time against his manifolde continuall assaultes but being supported by the victory of our captaine Therefore God suffereth not the deuil to reigne ouer the soules of the faythfull but onely deliuereth him the wicked and vnbeleuing to gouerne whom God doth not vouchesaue to haue reckened in hys flocke For it is said that he possesseth thys world without controuersy till he be thrust out by Christ. Againe that he doth blinde all them that beleue not the gospell agayne that he performeth hys worke in the stubborne children and worthily for all the wicked are the vesselles of wrath Therefore to whom should they be rather subiecte than to the minister of Goddes vengeaunce Finally they are saied to be of their Father the deuill because as the faythfull are hereby knowen to be the children of God because they beare his image so they by the image of Satan into which they are gone out of kind ar properly discerned to be his childreÌ„ As we haue before confuted that trifling philosophie concerning the holy Angels which teacheth that they ar nothing els but good inspirations or motioÌ„s which God stirreth vp in the mindes of men so in this place must we confute them that fondly say that deuils ar nothing els but euil affections or perturbations of minde that are thrust into vs by oure fleshe That maye we shortly doe because there be many testimonies of Scripture those playne enough vpon this poynt First where the vncleane Spirites ar called Angels Apostataes which haue swarued out of kind from their beginning the very names do sufficiently expresse that they are not motions or affections of myndes but rather in dede as they be called mindes or Spirites endued with sense and vnderstanding Likewise wheras both Christ and Iohn do compare the children of God with the children of the deuil wer it not an vnfit comparisoÌ„ if the name of the deuil signified nothing els but euil inspirations And Iohn addeth somwhat more plainly that the deuill synneth from the beginning Likewise when Iude bringeth in Michael the archangel fyghtyng with the deuil doutlesse he setteth agaynste the good Angel an euil and rebellious Angel Wherwith agreeth that which is red in the hostory of Iob that Satan appeared with the Holy Angels before God But most plaine of al are those places that make mention of the punishment which they begin to fele by the iudgement of God and specially shal fele at the resurrection Sonne of Dauid why arte thou come before the time to torment vs Againe Go ye cursed into the eternal fyre that is prepared for the deuil his Angels Agayne If he spared not his own Angels that had synned but cast them down into hell and deliuered theÌ„ into cheines of darkenesse to be kept vnto damnacioÌ„ c. How fonde should these speches be that the deuils are ordeined to eternal iudgement that fier is prepared for them that they are now already tormented vexed by the glory of Christ if there were no deuils at all But because this matter nedeth no disputation among them that beleue the word of the Lord. litle good is done with testimonies of Scripture among those vaine studentes of speculation whoÌ„ nothing pleaseth but that which is new I suppose I haue performed the which I purposed that is that the godly mindes should be furnished agaynst such fonde errors wherew t vnquiet men do trouble both theÌ„selues and other that be more simple But it was good to touche this least any entangled with that error while they thinke they haue none to stande againste them should waxe more slowe and vnprouided to resist In the meane time let it not be werisom vnto vs in this so beautiful a stage to take a godly delight of the manifest and ordinary woorkes of God For as I haue els where already said though this be not the chefe yet is it in order the first doctrine of Faith to remember that what way soeuer we turne our eyes al that we see are the workes of God wyth godly consideration to wey for what end God did make theÌ„ Therefore that we may conceiue by Faith so muche as behoueth vs to knowe of God it is good first of al to learne the history of the creation of the world how it is shortly rehearsed by Moses and afterwarde more largely set out by holy men specially by Basile and Ambrose Oute of it we shall learne that God by the power of his worde and Spirite created heaueÌ„ and earth of nothing
studye to loue and honor him withall oure harte ¶ The .xv. Chapter What a one man was created wherin there is entreated of the powers of the soule of the image of God of free wyll and of the first integritie of nature NOw must we speake of the creation of mā not only because he is among all the workes of God the moste noble and most excellente example of his iustice wisdome and goodnesse but also because as we said in the beginning we cannot plainly and perfectly know God vnlesse we haue wtall a mutuall knowledge of our selues Although the same knowledge be of two sortes the one to knowe what we were created at the first beginning the other to know what our estate began to be after the fall of Adam for it were but to smal profit for vs to knowe our creation vnlesse we did also in this lamentable fall knowe what is the corruption and deformitie of our nature yet at this time we wil be contente with descriptiō of our nature when it was pure And before we descende to this miserable estate wherunto man is nowe in thraldome it is good to learne what a one he was created at the beginning For we must take hede that in precisely declaring only the natural euils of man we seme not to impute them to the author of nature For vngodlinesse thinketh her self to haue sufficient defense in this color if it may lay for her selfe that whatsoeuer fault she hath the same did after a certaine maner procede from God sticketh not if she be accused to quarell with God and to lay the fault vpō him wherof she is worthely accused And they that would seme to speake somwhat more reuerently of the maiestie of God yet do willingly seke to excuse their own wickednesse by nature not considering that therin though not openly they blame God also to whoe 's reproche it shoulde fall if it were proued that there is any fault in nature Sith then we see that our fleshe gapeth for all the wayes to escape wherby she thynketh the blame of her own euils may any way be put of frō her we muste diligently trauail to mete with this mischiefe Therefore we must so handle the calamitie of mankinde that we cut of all excuse and deliuer the iustice of God from al accusation Afterwarde in place conueniente we shall see howe far men be nowe from that purenesse that was geuen to Adam And first we must remember that in this that man was taken out of earth and claye a bridle was putte vppon his pride for there is no greater absurditie than for them to glory in their excellencye that do not onely dwell in a cotage of clay but also are themselues in parte but earth and ashes But forasmuche as God did not onely vouchesaue to geue life vnto an earthen vessell but also it was his pleasure that it shoulde be the dwelling house of an immortall Spirite Adam might iustly glory in so great liberalitie of his maker Now it is not to be doubted that man consisteth of soule body and by the name of soule I meane an immortall essence and yet created whiche is the nobler parte of him Sometime it is called the Spirite Albeit whē these two names Soule and Spirite are ioyned together they differ one from the other in signification yet when Spirite is sett by it selfe it meaneth as muche as Soule As when Salomon speaking of death sayeth that then the Spirite returneth to him that gaue it And Chryste commending his Spirite to his father and Stephen his Spirite to Chryst doe both meane none other thing but that when the soule is deliuered from the prison of the fleshe God is the perpetual keper of it As for them that imagine that the Soule is therfore called a Spirite because it is a breath or a power by god inspired or poured into bodyes which yet hath no essence both the thing it selfe and all the Scripture sheweth that they do to much grosly erre True it is that while men are fastened to the earth more than they oughte to bee they waxe dull yea because they are estranged from the Father of lightes they are blinded with darkenesse so that they do not thinke vpon thys that they shal remaine aliue after death And yet is not that lighte so quēched in darkenesse but that they be touched with some feling of immortalitie Surely the conscience which discerning betwene good and euil answereth the iudgement of God is an vndouted signe of an immortal Spirite For how could a motion without essēce atteine to come to the iudgement seate of God and throwe it selfe into feare by finding her own giltinesse For the body is not moued with feare of a Spiritual peine but that falleth only vpō the soule Wherby it foloweth that the soule hath an essence Moreouer the very knowledge of God doth proue that the soules which ascende vp aboue the world are immortal for a vanishing liuelinesse wer not able to atteine to the fountaine of lyfe Finalli forasmuch as so many excellent giftes wherwith mans minde is endowed do cry out that there is some diuine thing engrauen it there are euen so many testimonies of an immortal essence For that sense which is in brute beastes goeth not out of the body or at lest extendeth no further than to thyngs presently set before it But the nimblenesse of the minde of man which veweth the heauen and earth secretes of nature and comprehending all ages in vnderstandyng and memory digesteth euery thyng in order and gathereth thynges to come by thinges past doth playnly shewe that there lyeth hydden in man a certayne thing seuerall from the body We conceiue by vnderstanding the inuisible God and Angelles which the body can not doe We know thynges that be right iuste and honest which are hidden from the bodily senses Therefore it muste nedes be that the Spirite is the seate of thys vnderstandyng Yea and our slepe it selfe which astonieth a man and semeth to take life away frō him is a plaine witnesse of immortalitie forasmuch as it doth not only minister vnto vs thoughtes of those thinges that neuer were done but also foreknowinges of things for time to come I touch these thinges shortly which euen prophane writers do excellently sette oute with more gorgeous garnishment of wordes but with the godly reders a simple putting in minde of them shall be sufficient Nowe if the soule were not a certayne thing by it selfe seuerall from the body the Scripture would not teache that we dwell in houses of clay that by death we remoue out of the Tabernacle of the flesh that we do put of that which is corruptible that finally at the last day we may receiue rewarde euery man as he hathe behaued hymselfe in hys bodye For these places and other that we do eche where cōmonly light vpon do not only manifestly destinguish the soule from the body but also in geuing to the soule the name of
it shold not be all of gods helpe but wee muste also brynge somewhat And thys ys commonly a famylyar woorde with him lette vs brynge that whiche is oures god wil supplie the reste Wherwith agreeth that whiche Hieremye saith that it is oure part to beginne but gods to make an ende oure part to offer what wee canne hys to fullfyll what we canne not Yow see nowe that in these sayinges they gaue to man towarde the studye of vertue more than was meete bycause they thought that they coulde not otherwise awake the dulnesse that was naturally in vs but yf they dyd proue that in it onely we synned With what apt handeling thei haue done the same wee shall after see Surely that the sayinges whyche wee haue rehersed are mooste false shall by and by appeare Nowe althoughe the Grecians more than other and amonge them principally Chrysostome haue passed measure in aduancinge the power of mans will yet all the olde writers except Augustine do in this point so eyther varie or wauer or speake doubtefully that in manner no certaintie canne bee gathered of theyr writynges Therefore we will not tarrye vpon exacte reckenynge of euerye one of theyr sayinges but heare and there wee wyll touche oute of euerye one of them so muche as the playne declaration of the matter shall seeme to require As for them that folowed after whyle euery one for hymselfe soughte prayse of wyttte in defending of mans nature they fel continually by little and litle one after an other into worse and worse till it came so farre that man was commonly thoughte to bee corrupted onely in hys sensuall parte and to haue reason altogether and wil for the more parte vncorrupted In the meane time thys flewe aboute in all mens mouthes that the naturall giftes were corrupted in man and the supernaturall were taken awaye But to what meanynge that tended scarsely the hundredth man did euen slightly vnderstaÌ„d As for my parte if I woulde plainely shewe of what sorte is the corruption of nature I could be easely contented with these wordes But it is muche materiall that it be hedefully weyed what a manne beyng in all partes of his nature corrupted and spoyled of his supernaturall gyftes is able to dooe They therefore whyche boasted them selues to bee the Disciples of Christe spake of thys matter to muche like Phylosophers For the name of Freewill still remayned amonge the Larines as if manne hadde styll abiden in vncorrupted state And the Grecians were not ashamed to vse the worde muche more arrogantly For they called it Autexousion that is to say of her owne power as if man had the power of him selfe Bycause therfore all euen to the commune people hadde receiued this principle that man was endued wyth Free wyll and manye of them that woulde seeme excellente can not tell howe farre it extendeth fyrste lette vs searche out the force of the woorde it self and then lette vs procede on by the simplicitie of the Scripture to shewe what man is able to do of his owne nature towarde good or euell What Free wyll is where as it is a woorde commonly founde in all mens wrytynges yet fewe haue defined yet it semeth that Origen rehersed that thynge where of they were all agreed when he sayde that it is a power of reason to discerâ—e good or euell and a power of will to choose eyther of them And Augustine varyeth not from hym when he teacheth that yt is a power of reason and wyll whereby good is chosen while grace assisteth and euell when grace cesseth Bernarde while hee meaneth to speake more suttlely speaketh more darkely whyche sayeth that it is a consent by reason of the libertie of wyll that canne not be loste and the iudgemente of reason that can be auoyded And the definition of Anselmus is not familiar enoughe whiche sayth that it is a powere to kepe vprightenesse for it selfe Therefore Peter Lombarde and the other Schoolemen haue rather embraced Augustines defynytyon by cause yt bothe was playner and dyd not exclude the grace of God withoute the whyche they sawe that Wyll was not sufficient for yt selfe But they brynge also of theyr owne suche thynges as they thought eyther to be better or to serue for playner declaration Fyrste they agree that the name of Arbitrium that is free choyse is rather to bee referred to reason whose parte is to discerne betwene good and Euell thynges and the adiectiue Free pertayneth properly to wyll whyche may be tourned to eyther of both Wherefore sythe freedome proprely belongeth to wyll Thomas sayeth that it would very well agree yf Free will be called a power of chosyng whyche beinge mixt of vnderstanding and appetite dothe more incline to appetite Nowe haue we in what thinges they reache that the power of Free wyll consysteth that is to saye in reason and wyll Nowe remaineth that we shortly see howe muche they geue to either parte They are commonly wonte to make subiecte to the free determination of man thynges meane that is whyche belonge not to the kingedome of God but they do referre true ryghteousnesse to the speciall grace of God spiritual regeneration Whiche thinge while the author of the booke Of the callynge of the Gentyles meaneth to shewe hee reckeneth vp three sortes of Wylles the fyrste Sensitiue the seconde Naturall the thyrde Spyrytuall of whiche he saith that man hath the fyrste twoo at hys owne lybertye the laste is the woorke of the holly ghoste in man Whyche whether it be true or no shall be entreated in place fytte for it for nowe my purpose is but shortely to reherse the opynyons of other and not to confute them Hereby it commeth to passe that when wryters speake of free wil thei pryncipally seke not what yt is able to doe to ciuile or outewarde doinges but what it can do to the obedience of the lawe of God Whiche latter poynt I thinke so to be the pryncipall that yet I thynke the other is not to bee neglected Of whyche meanynge I truste I shall shewe a good reason There hathe been a distinction receyued in Schooles that reckeneth vp three sortes of freedomes the fyrste from necessytye the seconde from synne the thyrde from mysery Of whiche the fyrste so naturally stycketh faste in man that yt can by no meane be taken awaye the other twoo are loste by synne Thys dystinction I wyllingly receyue sauynge that there necessytye is wrongefully confounded with compulsion betwene whyche twoo howe muche dyfference there ys and howe necessary that dyfference is to be considered shal appeare in an other place If this be receyued then shall it be out of controuersie that man hathe not free will to do good workes vnlesse he be holpen by grace and that by speciall grace whiche is geuen to the onely electe by regeneracioÌ„ For I do not passe vpon these phrenetike men whiche babble that grace is offered generally without difference But this is not yet
we ought bothe to wil and to runne but bicause God worketh bothe in vs. No lesse vnaptly doe some wreste that sayeng of Paule We are the workers with God whiche out of doubt ought to be restrayned only to the ministers and that they are called workers with him not that they bryng any thing of themselues but bycause God vseth their seruice after that he hath made them mete and furnished with necessarie giftes They bring forth Ecclesiasticus whoe as it is not vnknowen is a writer of whose authoritie is doubted But although we refuse it not whiche yet we maye lawfully doe what doth he testifie for freewill He sayeth that man so sone as he was created was lefte in the hande of his owne counsell that commaundementes were geuen him which if he obserued he should agayne be preserued by them that before manne was set life and death good and euell that what so euer he would should be geuen hym Be it that manne receyued from his creation power to obteine eyther life or death What if on the other side we aunswere that he loste it Truely my minde is not to speake agaynst Salomon whiche affirmeth that man at the beginnyng was create vpright and he forged vnto himselfe many inuentions But bycause manne in swaruyng loste as it were by shipwrecke bothe him selfe and all his good thinges it foloweth not by and by that all that is geuen to his firste creation belongeth to his nature beyng corrupted and degenerate Therefore I answere not to them onely but also to Ecclesiasticus him selfe what so euer he be If thou meane to instruct man to seke within him selfe power to atteine saluation thy authoritie is not of so great force with vs that it maye be any preiudice be it neuer so small against the vndoubted worde of God But if thou only studie to restraine the malice of the flesh whiche in layeng the blame of her owne euels vpon God vseth to seke a vayne defense for it selfe and therefore thou answerest that vprightnesse was geuen vnto men whereby it maye appere that him selfe was cause of his owne destruction I willingly agree vnto it so that againe thou agree in this with me that nowe by his owne faulte he is spoyled of those ornamentes wherewith God had clothed him at the beginnyng and that so we confesse together that now he more needeth a Physician than a defender Yet they haue nothing oftener in their mouth than the parable of Christ of the way faryng man whome theues layde abrode half dead in the waye I know that it is common almost with all writers that the calamitie of mankynde is represented vnder the figure of that wayfaryng man ThereupoÌ„ do our aduersaries gather an argumeÌ„t that man is not so maymed with the robberie of sinne and the Deuell but that he kepeth still remayning the leauinges of his former good thinges for asmuch as it is said that he was leâ—t half aliue For where is that half life vnlesse some portion both of right reason and will remayned Firste if I would not geue place to their allegorie I beseche you what wold they do For there is no doubt that it was deuised by the fathers biside the natural sense of the Lordes wordes Allegories ought to goe no further than they haue the rule of Scripture goyng before them so far is it of that they be by theÌ„selues sufficient to ground any doctrines And there want not resons whereby I can if I liste ouerthrow this deuise for the worde of God leaueth not â—o man halfe a life but teacheth that he is vtterly dead for so much as concerneth blessed life And Paule when he speaketh of our redemption doth not say that we were healed when we were half dead and half aliue but that we were raysed vp agayne when we were dead He calleth not vpon them that are halfe aliue to receiue the light of Christ but them that slepe and are buried And in like maner speaketh the Lord him selfe when he sayth that the houre is come when the dead shal rise againe at his voice With what face would they set this light allusioÌ„ against so many playne sentences But let this allegorie haue the force of a certayne testimonie yet what shall they wrynge out of vs thereby Manne is halfe aliue therefore he hath somewhat left safe I graunt he hath a witte capable of vnderstandyng although it pearce not to the heauenly and spirituall wisedome he hath true iudgement of honestie he hath some felyng of the godhed howebeit that he atteine not the true knoweledge of God But to what purpose come all these thinges Truely they bryng not to passe that the same sayeng of Augustine be taken from vs whiche is also approued by coÌ„mon consent of the Scholes that after mans fall the freely geuen good thinges whereupon saluation hangeth are takeÌ„ awaye from him and that his naturall giftes are corrupted and defiled Let therefore this truthe remayne with vs vndoubted which can be shaken by no engines that the minde of man is so estranged from the righteousnesse of God that it conceiueth coueteth and enterpriseth all wickednesse filthinesse vncleanesse and mischiefe that his heart is so throughly soked in poison of sinne that it can breath out nothing but corrupt stinke But if at any time they doe vtter any goodnessâ— in showe yet still the minde remayneth alwaye wrapped in hypocrisie and deceitefull crokednesse and the heart entangled with inwarde peruersnesse The sixte Chapter ¶ That manne beyng loste must seke for redemption in Christ. SIthe all mankinde hath perisshed in the persone of Adam that excellence and nobilitie of beginnyng which we haue spokeÌ„ of would so litle profit vs that it wold rather turne to our greater shame till God appere the redemer in the person of his only begotten Sonne which acknowlegeth not men defiled and corrupted with sinne to be his worke Therefore sithe we are fallen from life into death al that knowledge of God the creatour wherof we haue entreated were vnprofitable vnlesse there folowed also faith setting forth God a father vnto vs in Christ. Truely this was the natural order that the frame of the world should be a Schoole vnto vs to learne godlinesse from whense might be made a passage for vs to eternall life perfect felicite but sins our falling away whether so euer we turne our eyes vpward downeward the curse of God still presenteth it self vnto our sight whiche while it possesseth enwrappeth innocent creatures by our fault muste needes ouerwhelme our owne soules with desperation For although Gods wil is that his fatherly fauor toward vs do stil many wayes appere yet by beholding of the world we caÌ„not gather that he is our Father when our conscience inwardly pricketh vs and sheweth that there is in sinne iuste cause of forsaking why God should not accoÌ„pt or recken vs for his children Byside that there is in vs both slouthfulnesse and
wrathe and hatred the thefte of the soule ys euell desyre and couetousenesse the fornycation of the soule ys luste Butte mans lawes also wyll some man saye haue regarde to ententes and wylles and not to successes of fortune I graunte but yet they are suche ententes and wylles as haue outewardely broken oute They weye wyth what entente euerye outewarde acte hathe been done butte they searche not the secrete thoughtes Therefore they are satysfyed when a manne onely wythholdeth hys handes from offendynge On the other syde bycause the heauenly lawe ys made for oure mindes therfore the restraynte of myndes ys pryncypally needefull to the keepinge thereof Butte the common sorte of menne euen when they mightylie dissemble there contempt of the lawe doe frame theyr eyes their feete their handes and all the partes of their bodye to some obseruation of the lawe in the meane time thei holde their hearte moste farre of from all obidience and thynke them selues well dyscharged yf they keep close from menne that whiche thei do in the sighte of God They heare yt sayde Thou shalte not kyll Thou shalte not committe adulterie Thou shalte not steale they drawe not oute their swerde to kilâ— thei ioyne not their bodyes with harlotes they laye not their handes vpon other menns goodes All thys ys well hytherto Butte in their whole heartes they breathe oute murders they boile in luste thei cast their eyes asyde at all mens goods and deuoure them with couetinge nowe wanteth that whiche was the chiefe pointe of the law Whense I praie you commeth so grosse dullnesse but that leauinge the lawemaker thei rather measure righteousnesse by their own witie Against these doth Paule mightily crie oute affirminge that the lawe is spirituall whereby he meaneth that it not onely demaunndeth an obedieâ—ce of the soule mynde and wyll but also requireth an Angelike purenesse whiche hauinge all the fylthynesse of the fleshe cleane wyped awaye maye sauoure nothinge but of the spirite When we saie that this is the meaninge of the lawe we thruste not in a newe exposition of oure owne but we folowe Christ the best expositoure of the lawe For when the Pharises hadde infected the people with a false opinion that he perfourmeth the lawe that hathe wyth outewarde worke committed nothinge againste the lawe he reproued this moste perilous erroure and pronounced that vnchaste lookinge at a woman ys fornication hee protested that they are mansleyers that hate their brother for he maketh them gyltye of iudgement that haue but conceiued wrathe in their minde them gylty of the counsell that in murmuringe or grudginge haue vttered any token of a displeased minde and them gyltye of Hell fyer that with tauntes and raylynge breake fourth into open anger They that haue not espied these thynges haue famed Christe to be an other Moses the geuer of the lawe of the Gospell whiche supplied the imperfection of the lawe of Moses Wherevpon commeth that common pryncyple of the perfection of the lawe of the Gospell whyche farre passeth the oulde lawe whiche ys a moste pernicious opinion For hereafter wher we shal gather a summe of the commaundementes it shall appeare by Moses himselfe howe reprochefully thei dishonoure the lawe of God Truely it sheweth that all the holynesse of the fathers dyd not muche dyffer from hypocrisye and it leadeth vs awaye frome that onely and perfecte rule of ryghteousnesse But it is very easye to confute that erroure for that they thoughte that Christe did adde vnto the lawe whereas he did but restore the lawe to her integritie whyle hee made it free and cleansed yt beinge obscured with lies and defiled with leuen of the Pharises Let this be oure secounde note that there is alwaye more conteyned in the commaundementes and prohibitions than is by wordes expressed whiche yet is so to be tempered that it bee not like a Lesbion rule whereby licenciously wrestinge the Scriptures we may make of every thing what we lyste For many bringe to passe by this vnmeasured libertie of runninge at large that with some the authoritie of Scripture groweth in contempte and other some despere of vnderstandinge it Therefore yf yt bee possyble wee muste take some suche waye that maye by ryghte and perfecte pathe leade vs to the wyll of God wee muste I saye searche howe farre oure exposition maye exceede the boundes of the woordes that it maye appeare that it is not an addition of mennes gloses knitte to the woorde of God butte rather that the pure and naturall meaninge of the lawe geuer ys faythefully rendred Truely in a manner in all the commaundementes yt ys so manyfest that there are fyguratiue speaches meaninge more in expressinge parte that he maye woorthyly bee laughed at that wyll restraine the meaninge of the lawe to the narrownesse of the wordes It is euident therefore that sober exposition dothe passe beyonde the woordes but howe farre that remaineth harde to iudge vnlesse there be some measure appoynted wherefore I thynke thys to be the best measure that if it be directed to the entente of the commaundemente that is that in euery commaundemente be weyed why it was geuen vs. As for example Euerye commaundemente is either by waye of byddynge or of forbidding the trueth of bothe sortes shall fourthwith be founde if we consider the entent or the ende thereof As the ende of the fifte conmaundement is that honoure is to be geuen to them to whome God appoynteth it This therefore is the summe of the commaundement that it is righte and pleaseth God that wee honoure them to whome he hathe geuen any excellence and that he abhorreth contempte and stabbournnesse againste them The entente of the fyrste commaundemente is that God alone be honored The summe therefore of the commaundement shall be that true godlinesse that is to say true worship of his maiestie pleaseth God and that he abhorreth vngodlynesse So in euery commaundement we muste looke vpon what matter yt treateth then muste we searche oute the ende till we fynde what the lawemaker doth testifie therin proprely to please or displease him and laste of all muste wee drawe an argument from the same to the contrarie after this manner If this pleaseth God then the contrary displeaseth him if this displease hym then the contrarie pleaseth him if hee commaunde this then he forbiddeth the contrarie if he forbid this theÌ„ he commaundeth the contrarye That whiche is now somwhat darkely touched shal in expounding of the commaundementes become very plaine by practise wherfore yt suffyseth to haue touched it sauing that this last pointe is to be shortly confirmed with some profe thereof bicause otherwise either it sholde not bee vnderstanded or beinge vnderstande it might parhappes at the beginninge seeme to sounde lyke an absurditie Thys needeth no profe that when a good thing is commaunded the euell is forbidden that is contrarie to it for ther is no man but he will graunt it me And common iudgemente will not much sticke to admitte that
that leaste religion shoulde fall awaie or waxe faint among vs holy meetinges are to be diligently kept and those outwarde helpes are to be vsed that are profitable for to nourishe the worshippinge of God The fifte Commaundement Honoure thy Father and thy Mother that thou maist liue longe vpon the Lande which the Lorde thy God shall geue thee The ende of this commaundement is that bicause the Lorde delyteth in the preseruation of his ordre therfore he willeth that those degrees of preeminence which he hath ordeined be not broken the summe therfore shal be that we reuerence those whome the Lord hath set ouer vs that we yeld to them honore obedience and thankefullnesse Whervpon foloweth that it is forbidden vs to withdrawe any thynge from their dignitie either by contempt or obstinate or vnthankfulnes For so doth the worde Honoure in the Scripture signifieth very largely as when the Apostle sayth that the elders whiche rule well are worthy of doble honore he meaneth not oneli that reuerence ys due vnto them but also such recompense as their ministerie deserueth And bicause this comaundement of subiection doth most of all disagree with the peruersnesse of mans nature which as it swelleth with greedinesse of climbing hie so it hardly abideth to be broughte lowe therefore he hath set that kinde of superioritie for example which by nature is moste amiable and leste enuious bicause he mighte the easelyer meken and reclaime oâ—re mindes to the vse of submission Therfore the Lord doth by little little traine vs to all lawefull subiection by that which is most easy to beare for asmuch as the rule of all is alike For to whome he geueth any preeminence he doth communicate his own name with them so farre as is necessarie to preserue the same preeminence The name of Father God and Lorde do so belong vnto him alone that so ofte as we heare one of them named our minde muste needes be touched with a feeling of his maiestie Therfore whom he maketh partakers of these things he maketh to glister with a certaine sparke of his brightnesse that thei may be honorable euery one accordinge to his degree Therfore in him that is oure father we haue to consider somewhat of the nature of God bicause he beareth not the name of God without cause He that is our Prince or oure Lorde hath some partakinge of honore with God Wherfore it ought not to be doubted that God doth here set a generall rule that as we knowe any man to be by his ordinaunce set ouer vs so we yelde vnto him reuerence obedience thankfulnesse and suche other dueties as it lieth in vs to do And it maketh no difference whether thei be worthy or vnworthy For of what sorte soeuer thei be thei haue not without the prouidence of God atteyned that place by reasoÌ„ whereof the lawemaker woulde haue them to be honored Yet namely he hathe geuen commaundemente of reuerence to parentes that haue brought vs into this life to whiche reuerence very nature ought in a manner to instructe vs. For they are monsters and not men that breake the authorite of parentes with dishonore or stubbornesse Therfore the Lord commaunded all the disobedient to their parentes to be slaine as men vnworthy to enioye the benefite of lighte that doe not reknowledge by whose meanes thei came into it And by many additions of the lawe it appeareth to bee true that wee haue noted that there are three partes of honoure that he here speaketh of Reuerence Obedience and Thankfullnesse The firste of these the Lorde estabelysheth when he commaundeth him to be killed that curseth his Father or his Mother for there he punisheth the contempte and dishonoure of them The seconde he confirmeth when he appointeth the punishment of death for the disobedient and rebellious children To the thirde belongeth that sayinge of Christe in the fyftene of Matthew that it is the commaundement of God that we do good to oure parentes And so oft as Paule maketh mention of a commaundement he expoundeth that therein obedience is required There is annexed a promise for a commendation whyche dothe the rather putte vs in minde howe acceptable vnto God is the submission that is here commaunded For Paule vseth the same pricke to stirre vp oure dulnesse when he saieth that this is the fyrste commaundemente with promise For the promise that went before in the first Table was not speciall and proprely belonginge to one commaundement but extended to the whole lawe Nowe this is thus to be taken The Lorde spake to the Israelites peculiarly of the lande whiche he had promised them for their inheritance If then the possession of lande was a pledge of Gods bountyfullnesse let vs not meruell if it pleased God to declare his fauoure by geuinge lengthe of lyfe by whiche a man might longe enioye hys benefite The meaninge therefore is thus Honoure thy father and thy Mother that by a longe space of life thou maist enioye that possession of that lande that shal be vnto thee for a testimony of my Father But sith all the earthe is blessed to the faithfull we doe not woorthyly recken this present life amonge the blessinges of God Therefore thys promise dothe likewise belonge vnto vs for asmuche as their continuance of hys life is a profe of Gods good will For it neither is promised to vs nor was promised to the Iewes as thoughe it were contained blessednesse in it selfe but bicause it is wonte to bee to the Godlye a token of Gods tender loue Therfore if it chaunce that an obediente child to his parentes be taken out of this life before his ripe age whyche ys oftentimes seen yet doth God no lesse constantly continue in the perfourmance of his promise than if he shoulde rewarde hym wyth a hundreth Acres of lande to whome he promised but one Acre All consysteth in this that we should consider that long life is so farre promysed vs as it is the blessinge of God and that it is his blessinge so farre as it is a proofe of his fauoure whiche he by death doth muche more plentifully and perfectly witnesse and shewe in effect to his seruauntes Moreouer when the Lorde promiseth the blessinge of this presente life to the children that honoure their parentes with such reuerence as they ought he doth wythall secretly saye that most assured curse hangeth ouer the stubborne and disobedient children And that the same shoulde not wante execution hee pronounceth them by hys lawe subiecte to the iudgemente of deathe and commaundeth them to be putte to execution and if they escape that iudgemente hee hymselfe taketh vengeance on them by one meane or other For we see howe greate a numbre of that sorte of menne are slaine in battailes and in fraies and some other tourmented in strange vnaccustomed fashions and they all in a manner are a proofe that thys threatninge is not vayne Butte yf any escape to olde age syth in this lyfe beynge
he wryteth that he tasted of death for all men For he by dyeng brought to passe that we shoulde not dye or whiche is all one by his death he dyd redeme lyfe for vs. But in this he differed froÌ„ vs that he gaue hymselfe to death as it were to be deuoured not that he shoulde be swallowed vp with the gulfes of it but rather that he shoulde swallowe vp it of whyche we shoulde haue benne presently swallowed that he gaue hymselfe to death to be subdued not that he shoulde be oppressed wyth the power thereof but rather that he shoulde ouerthrowe death whyche approched nere vs yea and had already beaten vs downe and triumphed vpon vs. Finally that by death he mighte destroye hym that had the power of death that is the Deuell and might deliuer them that by feare of death were all their lyfe longe subiecte to bondage This is the fyrste fruite that his death dyd brynge vs. An other is that by enterpartenyng of hymselfe with vs he mortifieth our earthly membres that they should no more hereafter vse their owne workes and killeth our olde manne that it shoulde no more liue and beare frute And to the same purpose perteyneth his buriall that we beyng partakers thereof should also be buried to sinne For when the Apostle teacheth that we are graffed into the lykenesse of the death of Christe and buried with hym to the death of sinne that by his crosse the worlde was crucified to vs and we to the worlde that we are dead together with him he dothe not onely exhorte vs to expresse the example of Christes death but he declareth that there is suche effectualnesse in it as ought to appere in all Christians vnlesse they will make his death vnprofitable and frutelesse Therefore in the death and buriall of Christe there is offred vs a double benefite to be enioyed that is deliuerance from death whereunto we weare become bonde and the mortifieng of our fleshe But it is not meete to ouerpasse his goynge downe to the helles wherein is no small importaunce to the effecte of redemption For although it appeareth by the wrytynges of the olde fathers that that parte whiche is read in the Crede was not in olde time so much vsed in the Churches yet in entreatynge of the summe of our doctrine it is necessarie that it haue a place allowed it as a thyng that conteyneth a very profitable and not to be despised misterie of a right weyghty matter And there are also some of the olde wryters that doe not leaue it out Whereby we maye gesse that it was after a certayne time added and dyd not presently but by little and little growe in vse in the Churches But this certaynely is out of question that it proceded of the common iudgement of all the godly For as muche as there is none of the Fathers that dothe not in his wrytynges make mention of Christes goyng downe to the helles although after dyuerse manner of exposition But by whome or at what tyme it was firste added maketh litle to the purpose But rather in the Crede this is to be takeÌ„ heede vnto that we therein certainely haue a full and in all poyntes perfect summe of our fayth whereinto nothing maye be thrust but that whiche is taken out of the most pure worde of God Nowe yf any will not for precise curiositie admit it into the Crede yet shall it streight waye bee made to appere playnely that it is of so great importaunce to the summe of our redemption that yf it be lefte out there is loste a great parte of the fruite of the death of Christ. There are agayne some that thynke that there is no newe thyng spoken in this article but that in other wordes the same thing is repeted whyche was spoken before of his buriall for asmuche as the worde Infernum hell is in the Scripture oftentimes vsed for the graue I graunt that to be true whyche they allege of the signification of the worde that Hell is oftentymes taken for the graue but there are agaynste their opinion two reasons by whyche I am easilye persuaded to dissent from them For what an idlenesse were it when a thynge not harde to vnderstande hath ones ben set out in playne and easye wordes afterwarde wyth darker implication of wordes rather to pointe toward it than to declare it For when â—wo maners of speakyng that expresse one thynge be ioyned together it behoueth that the later be an exposition of the former But what an exposition were this yf a manne should saye thus Whereas it is sayde that Christ was buried thereby is meante that he went downe to hell Agayne it is not likely that such a superfluous vayne repetitioÌ„ could haue crepte into this abrigemeÌ„t where in the chefe pointes of our faith are summarily noted in as fewe wordes as was possible And I doubte not that so many as shall haue somewhat diligently weyed the matter it selfe will easily agree with me Some expounde it otherwyse and saye that Christ went downe to the soules of the fathers that dyed in the time of the lawe to carry them tidynges that the redemption was performed and to deliuer them out of the pryson wherein they were kepte enclosed and to the profe herof they do wrongfully draw testimonies out of the Psalme that he brake the brasen gates and yron barres Agayne out of Zacharie that he redeemed them that were bounde out of the pit wherin was no water But whereas the Psalme speaketh of theyr deliuerances that in farre countrees are caste captiue into bondes and Zacharie compareth the Babylonicall ouerthrowe wherein the people was oppressed to a drye pit or bottomlesse depth and there withall teacheth that the saluation of the whole Churche is as it were a commynge out of the depe helles I wote not howe it is come to passe that they whiche came after thought that there was a certaine place vnder the earth whereunto they haue fayned the name of Limbus But this fable although they were great authours at this day many do earnestly defende it for a truthe is yet nothing els but a fable For to enclose the soules of dead men as in a pryson is very childish And what neede was it that Christes soule shuld go downe the ther to set theÌ„ at libertie I do in deede willingly coÌ„fesse that Christ shined to them by the power of his spirit that they might know that the grace which thei had only tasted of by hope was then deliuered to the world And to this purpose may the place of Peter be probably applied where he sayeth that Christ came preached to the spirites that were in a doÌ„geon or pryson as it is commonly translated For the very processe of the text leadeth vs to this that the faithfull which were dead before that time were partakers of the same grace that we were bicause he dothe thereby amplifie the force of Christes death for
atteining and climbing vp to perceiue the very will of God and also the hearte of man as it wauereth with perpetuall doubting is farre from resting assured in that persuasion Therefore it behoueth bothe that our witt be lightned and oure heart strengthened by some other meane that the worde of God may be of ful credit with vs. Now we shal haue a perfect definition of fayth if we saie that it is a stedfast assured knowledge of Gods kindnes toward vs which being grounded vpō the trueth of the free promise in Christ is both reueled to our mindes and sealed in our heartes by the holy ghoste But before I procede any further it shal be necessary that I make some preambles to dissolue certain doubts that otherwise might make some stoppe to the readers And first I must confute the distinctiō that flieth about in the scholes betwene faith fourmed and vnformed For thei imagine that such as are touched with no feare of God with no feling of godlinesse do beleue all that is necessarie to saluation As though the holy ghooste in lyghtenyng oure heartes vnto faythe were not a witnesse to vs of oure adoption And yet presumptuously when all the Scripture crieth out againste it they geue the name of faith to suche perswasion voide of the feare of God Wee neede to striue no further with theyr definition but simply to reherse the nature of faith such as it is declared by the worde of God Whereby shall plainely appeare how vnskilfully foolishly thei rather make a noise than speake of it I haue alreadie touched parte the rest I wyll adde hereafter as place shall serue At this present I saie that there can not bee imagined a greater absurditie than this inuention of theires They wyll haue faith to be an assent whereby euery despyser of God maie receiue that whiche is vttered out of the Scripture But fyrste thei should haue seen whether euery manne of hys owne power do brynge faithe to hymselfe or whether the holy ghooste be by it a witnesse of adoption Therefore they do chyldyshly plaie the fooles in demaundinge whether faithe whiche qualitie addeth dothe fourme be the same faithe or an other and a newe faithe Whereby appeareth certainely that in so bablinge they neuer thought of the syngular gyfte of the holy ghooste For the begynning of beleuinge dothe already conteine in it the reconciliation whereby manne approcheth to God But if they dyd weye that sayeng of Paule With the hearte is beleued to righteousnesse thei wold cesse to fayne that same colde qualitie If we hadde but thys one reason it shoulde be sufficient to ende thys contention that the very same assent as I haue already touched and wyll againe more largely repete is rather of the hearte than of the brayne rather of affection than of vnderstandynge For whyche cause it is called the obeydience of faythe whyche is suche as the Lorde preferreth no kynde of obeydience aboue it and that woorthyly forasmuche as nothynge is more precious to hym than hys truthe whyche as Ihon the Baptist wytnesseth the beleuers doe as yt were subscribe and seale vnto Sythe the matter ys not doubtefull we doe in one woorde determinately saie that they speake fondly when they saie that faithe is fourmed by addynge of godly affection vnto assent whereas assent it selfe at least suche assent as ys declared in the Scriptures consisteth of godly affection Butte yet there ys an other playner argument that offereth yt selfe to be alleged For whereas faythe embraceth Christe as hee ys offered vs of the Father and Christe ys offered not onely for ryghteousnesse forgeuenesse of synnes and peace butte also for sanctification and a fountayne of lyuynge water wythoute doubte noe mann ecanne euer truely knowe hym vnlesse he doe therewythall receyue the sanctification of the Spirite Or if any manne desyre to haue it more plainely spoken Faythe consysteth in the knowledge of Christe And Christe canne not bee knowen butte wyth sanctification of hys Spirite therefore it foloweth that fayth can by no meane be seuered from godly affection Whereas they are wonte to laye thys agaynste vs that Paule sayeth If a manne haue all faythe so that hee remoue mountaynes yf he haue not charitie hee ys nothynge whereby they woulde deforme faythe in spoylinge it of charitie they consyder not what the Apostle in that place meaneth by faithe For when in the chapiter next before it he hadde spoken of the diuerse gyftes of the holy ghoste amonge the whyche he had reckened the diuerse kindes of languages power and prophecie and hadde exhorted the Corynthians to folowe the beste of these giftes that is to saie suche gyftes whereby more profit and commoditie myghte come to the whole body of the Churche he streyght waie saide further that he woulde shewe them yet a more excellent waie That all suche gyftes howe excellent soeuer they bee of them selues yet are nothinge to be esteemed vnlesse thei serue charitie For they were geuen to the edyfyeng of the Churche and vnlesse they bee applyed therevnto they loose theyr grace For proofe of thys he particularly reherseth them repetynge the selfe same gyftes that hee hadde spoken of before butte in other names And hee vseth the woordes Powers and Faythe for all one thynge that is for the power to do miracles Sythe therefore thys whether ye call it power or faithe is a particular gyfte of God whyche euery vngodly manne maye boothe haue and abuse as the gyfte of tongnes as prophecie and other gyftes of grace yt ys no maruell yf yt bee seuered from charitie Butte all the erroure of these menne standeth in thys that where thys woorde Faythe hathe dyuerse sygnifcations they not consyderinge the dyuersitie of the thinge sygnifyed dispute as though it were taken for one thynge in all places a lyke The place of Iames whyche they allege for mayntaynance of the same erroure shall bee els where dyscussed Butte althoughe for teachynges sake when wee meane to shewe what manner of knoweledge of God there ys in the wycked wee graunte that there are dyuerse sortes of faythe yet wee acknoweledge and speake of butte one faythe of the godly as the Scripture teacheth Many in deede doe beleue that there ys a God they thynke that the Hystorie of the Gospell and other partes of the Scripture are true as commonly wee are wonte to iudge of suche thynges as eyther are reported beynge done longe agoe or suche as wee oure selues haue beene presente at and seen There bee also some that goe further for bothe they beleue the woorde of God to be a moste assured oracle they do not altogether despyse hys commaundementes and they somewhat after a sorte are moued with hys threatenynges and promyses It is in deede testified that suche haue faythe butte that ys spoken oute by abuse bycause they do not wyth open vngodlynesse fyghte agaynste the woorde of God or refuse or despyse it butte rather pretende a certayne shewe
the lord bicause he hath plucked vs and he will heale vs he hath striken vs and he wil cure vs ▪ bicause the hope of pardō is vsed as a pricke to make thē not to lie dull in their sinnes But their doting erroure is without all coloure of reason whiche to beginne at repentance do apoint certaine daies to their new cōuertes during the which thei must exercise themselues in penance and when those daies are ones past they admit them to the communion of the grace of the Gospell I speake of many of the Anabaptistes specially those that maruelously reioyce to be compted spirituall their cōpanions the Iesuites such other dregges Suche frutes forsoothe the spirit of giddinesse bringeth forth to determine repentance within cōpasse of a fewe daies which a Christian man ought to extende in continuance throughout his whole life But certaine learned men euen long before these times meaning to speake simply syncerely of repentance according to the truth of Scripture haue said that it consisteth of two parts mortification vinificatiō Mortification thei expounde to be a sorrowe of the soule feare cōceiued of the acknowledging of sinne of the feling of the iudgement of God For when a man is ones broughte into true knowledge of synne then he truely begynneth to hate and abhorre synne then he heartyly misliketh hymselfe confesseth himselfe to be miserable and loste and wyssheth himselfe to be an other man Further when he is touched wyth some feelinge of the iudgemente of God for the one immediatly foloweth vpon the other then hee lyeth stryken and ouerthrowen then he trembleth humbled and cast down then he is discouraged and despeireth This is the fyrst parte of repentance whiche thei haue cōmonly called Contrition Uiuification thei expounde to be the comfort that groweth of faithe when a man ouerthrowen with conscience of sinne and striken with feare of God loking afterwarde vnto the goodnesse of God vnto the mercie fauoure in saluation that is throughe Christe raiseth vp himselfe takethe breath againe recouereth courage and returneth as it were from death to life And these woordes if they haue a right exposition do aptly enough expresse the nature of repentance But wher thei take Uiuification for the cherefulnesse whiche the minde receiueth beinge brought into quietnesse from trouble feare therein I agree not with them forasmuche it rather signifieth a desire to liue holyly and godly whiche groweth of regeneration as if it were saide that man dyeth to himselfe to beginne to liue to God Some other bicause thei sawe this word diuersly taken in Scripture haue made twoo sortes of Repentance and bycause they woulde make them differently knowen by some mark the haue called the one Repentance of the Law by which the sinner woūded with the searing iron of sinne and worne awaie with feare of the wrath of God sticketh fast in that trouble can not winde himselfe out of it The other Repentance thei call of the Gospell by whyche the synner is in dede greuously vexed with himselfe but he ryseth vp higher taketh holde of Christ the salue of his sore the comforte of his feare the hauen of his miserie Of the repentance of the law thei putt those examples Cain Saul Iudas Whose repentance when the Scripture reherseth vnto vs it meaneth that they acknowleginge the greuousnesse of theyr sinne were afraide of the wrath of God but in thinking vpon God onely as a reuenger iudge thei fainted in that feeling Therefore their repentance was nothing els but a certain entrie of hel wherinto thei being entred in this present life beganne already to suffer punishment from the face of the wrath of Gods maiestie The repentance of the Gospel we see in al them that being galled with the spurre of sinne in themselues but recōforted refreshed with confidence of the mercie of God are turned vnto the lord Ezechias was striken with feare when he receiued the message of death but he praied weping and loking vnto the goodnesse of God he toke againe good confidence vnto him The Niniuites wer troubled with the horrible threatning of destruction But thei clothed them selues in sakcloth and ashes praied hoping that the Lord might be turned to them turned from the furor of his wrathe Dauid confessed that he had to much sinned in nombring the people but he said further Lord take awaie the wickednesse of thy seruant He acknowledged his offense of adulterie when Nathan rebuked him did cast himselfe downe before the Lorde but therwithal he also loked for pardon Suche was the repentance of them that at the preachinge of Peter were pricked in their heart but trustinge vpon the goodnesse of God thei saide furthermore Ye men or brothren what shall we doe And such was the repentance of Peter himselfe whiche wept in dede bitterly but he cessed not to hope well Although al these thinges be true yet the very name of repentance so farre as I can learne by the Scriptures is other wyse to be taken For wher they comprehend faith vnder repentance it disagreeth with that whiche Paule saith in the Actes that he testified to the Iewes and Gentiles repentance vnto God and faith in Iesus Christe Where he reckeneth repentance and faithe as twoo dyuerse thinges What then Can true repentance stande without faithe No. But thoughe they can not bee seuered yet they muste be distinguished As faithe is not wythout hope and yet faithe and hope are dyuerse thynges so repentance and faith although they hange together with one perpetuall bonde yet thei rather would be conioyned than confounded And truly I am not ignorant that vnder the name of repentance is comprehended the whole tourning vnto God whereof faithe is not the leaste part but in what meaninge it is so comprehended shall moste easyly appeare when the force and nature thereof shal be declared The name of repentance in Hebrue is deriued of cōuerting or returning in Greke of chaunging of the mynde or purpose and the thinge it selfe dothe not ill agree wyth either deriuations whereof the summe is that we departing from oure selues shoulde turne vnto God and puttinge of our olde mynde shoulde putte in a newe Wherefore in my iudgmente repentance maie thus not amysse be defined that it is a true turninge of oure lyfe vnto God proceedinge from a pure and earnest feare of God whiche consisteth in the mortifyeng of the fleshe and of the olde man in the quyckening of the spirite In thys sense are to be taken all the preachinges wherin either the Prophetes in olde time or the Apostles afterwarde exhorted the men of their time to repentance For this only thinge thei trauailed to perswade that confounded with theyr own synnes and pricked wyth feare of the Lordes iudgement they shoulde fall downe and be humbled before hym agaynste whome they had offended and with true amendement returne into his right waie Therfore these wordes To
shal be proued but the worke of all Neither is this my argument but Augustines which so confuteth that expositioÌ„ And whiche is more absurditie he dothe not saye that they shal passe through the fire for all workes but if they haue faithfully buylded the churche they shall receiue reward whan their worke is examined with fier First we see that the Apostle vsed a Metaphore when he called the doctrines inuented by mans braines woed hey and stubble And the Metaphore hath an apparant rescue that as wood so sone as it is put in the fier consumeth and wasteth so can not those doctrines continue when they come to be examined Now no man is ignoraunt that suche tryall cometh of the holy Ghost Therfore to folowe the true cause of his metaphore and match the partes together with iust relatioÌ„ he called the triall of the holy Ghost fier For euen as the nerer that gold and siluer are put to the fier so muche the surer profe they haue of their goodnesse and finenesse so the Lordes truthe the more exactlye it is weyed with spirituall examination so muche the greater confirmation of credit it receiueth As hey wood stubble put to the fier are brought to sudein consuming so the inuentions of men not stablyshed by the worde of God can not beare the triall of the holy Ghost but they by by fall away and perishe Finally if forged doctrines be compared to wood hey stubble because like wood hey and stubble they are burned with fire and destroied but they are not destroied or driuen awaye but by the spirite of the Lorde it foloweth that the holy Ghoste is the fier wherwith they shal be proued whose profe Paul according to the common vse of the Scripture calleth The day of the Lord. For it is called the day of the Lorde whensoeuer he doth any way shew his presence to men But then his face principally shineth when his truthe shineth vpon vs. Now haue we proued that Paul meaneth no other fier but the triall of the holy Ghost But how are they saued by that fier that suffer losse of their worke That shall not be hard to vnderstande if we consider of what kinde of men he speaketh For he toucheth those buylders of the churche that keping the true fundation doe builde disagreing matter vpon it that is to say they that not swaruing from the cheâ—e and necessarie articles of faithe do erre in pointes that be smaler lesse perilous mingling their owne deuises with the worde of God Suche I say must suffer losse of their worke hauing their deuises destroyed But them selues are saued but as by the fier that is to saye not that their ignorance and errour is alowable before the Lorde but because they are cleansed from it by the grace and power of the holy Ghoste Therfore whosoeuer haue defiled the golden finenesse of Gods worde with this dong of purgatorie they must nedes suffer losse of their work But they wyll say it hath ben an auncient vsage of the churche Paul answered this obiection when hee comprehendeth his owne tyme in that sentence where he saith that all they must suffer losse of theyr worke that in the building of the churche do lay any thing vpon the fundation that ageeth not with it Therfore when the aduersaries obiect against me that it hath bene vsed aboue a thousand and thre hundreth yeres to haue priayes made for the dead I aske them againe by what word of God by what ReuelatioÌ„ by what example it was done For here they do not only want testimonies of Scripture but also all the examples of holy men the ther are red do shew no such thing Of the mourning and order of funeralles there are somtimes founde manye long tales but of prayers you can not see one tittle But of the greater weight that the matter is the more it ought to haue ben expressely spoken But the very old fathers them selues that prayed for the dead did see that herein they wanted both coÌ„maundement of God and lawfull example Why then durst thei so do In this I say thei did suffer somewhat as men and therfore I affirme that that whiche they did ought not to be drawen into example For where as the faithfull ought to enterprise the doing of nothing but vpon assured conscience as Paul reacheth this assurednesse is principally required in prayer But it is likely that they were led by some reason vnto it they sought some comfort to releue their sorrowe it semed vnnatural not to shew before God some testimonie of their loue toward the dead How mans wit is enclined to this affection all meÌ„ know by experience Also the receiued custome was like a burning brand to set many mens mindes on fier We know that with all nations in all ages there were funeralles done for the dead their soules yearely purged For though Satan beguiled foolish men with these deceites yet he toke occasion so to beguile by a true principle that death is not a destruction but a passage out of this life into an other And it is no dout but that euen very superstition condemneth the GeÌ„tiles before the iudgement seate of God for neglecting the care of the life to come whiche they professed them selues to beleue Nowe Christians because they would not be worse than Heathen men were ashamed to do nothing for the dead as though thei were vtterly destroyed Hereupon came that ill aduised diligence because if they were slowe in looking to the funeralles in bankettinges offeringes they thoughte that they had put them selues in dauÌ„ger of a great reproche And that whiche first proceded from a wrongful folowyng of the Heathens exaÌ„ple was so multiplied by often newe encreasces that now it is the principall holinesse of Papistrie to helpe the dead in distresse But the Scriture ministreth an other muche better and perfecter comfort when it testifieth that the dead are blessed that die in the Lorde And it addeth a reason because from thenceforth they reste from their labours And we ought not so muche tenderly to folow our own affection of loue to set vp a wrongful manner of praying in the churche Truely he that hathe but meane wysdome dothe sone perceiue that all that is red hereof in the olde wryters was done to beare with the common vsage and the ignorance of the people They them selues also I graunte were caried away into errour euen as vnaduised lightnesse of belefe is wont to rob mens wittes of iudgement But in the meane tyme the very redynge of them doth shew howe doubtyngly they coÌ„mende prayers for the dead Augustine in his boke of coÌ„fessions reporteth that Monica his mother did earnestly desire that she might be remembred in celebrating the misteries at the Altar An old wyues request whiche the sonne neuer examined by the rule of the Scripture but according to his affectioÌ„ of nature wold haue it allowed of other As for the booke that he
desire of glory For shew me a man if thou canst that vnlesse he haue forsaken him selfe according to the commaundement of the Lorde will of his owne free will vse goodnesse among men For all they that haue not ben possessed with this feling if they haue folowed vertue they haue done it at the least for praises sake And all the Phylosophers that euer moste of all affirmed that vertue was to be desired for it selfes sake were puffed vp with so great pride that it appeared that they desired vertue for no other thinge but that they might haue matter to be proude vpon But God is so nothing at all deliâ—ed neither with those gapers for the peoples breath nor with these swelling beastes that he pronouÌ„ceth that thei haue already receiued their rewarde in the world maketh harlottes and Publicanes nerer to the kingdome of heauen than them And yet we haue not throughly declared with how many and how great stoppes maÌ„ is hindreth from that whiche is right so long as he hath not forsaken him selfe For it was truely sayde in tyme past that there is a world of vices hidden in the soule of man And thou canst finde no other remedies but denying thy selfe and leauing regarde of thy selfe to bende thy mynde to seeke those thinges that the Lorde requireth of thee and to seke them therfore only because they please him In an other place the same Paul doth more plainly although shortly goe throughe all the partes of a well ordred life saying The grace of God that bryngeth saluation vnto all men hathe appeared and teacheth vs that we should denie all vngodlynesse and worldly lustes that we should lyue sobre mynded ryghteously and Godly in this present world loking for the blessed hope glorious appearing of the mighty God and of our sauiour Iesus Christ whiche gaue him selfe for vs to redeme vs from all vnryghteousnesse and to purge vs a peculiar people vnto him selfe feruently geueÌ„ vnto good workes For after that he hath set forth the grace of God to encourage them to make redy the waye for vs to worshyppe God he taketh awaye twoo steppes that doe moste hynder vs that is to saye Ungodlinesse wherunto we are naturally to muche enclined and Worldly desires whiche extende further And vnder the name of vngodlinesse he not only meaneth superstitions but also comprehendeth all that disagreeth with the earnest feare of God And worldly lustes are in effect as much as the affections the fleshe Therfore he commaundeth vs in respect of both the tables of the lawe to put of our owne wit to forsake all that our owne reason and wyll informeth vs. And all the doinges of our lyfe he bringeth into thre partes sobrietie righteousnesse and godlinesse of the whiche sobrietie without doubt signifieth as well chastitie and temperaunce as a pure and measurably sparing vse of temporall thinges and a pacient sufferance of pouertie Righteousnesse conteineth al the duties of equitie to geue euery man his owne The thirde is Godlinesse that seuereth vs from the defilinges of the worlde and with true holinesse ioyneth vs to God These thinges when they be knyt together with an vnseparable knot make a full perfection But for as muche as nothing is more hard than forsaking the reason of the fleshe yea subduing and renouncing her desires to geue our selues to God and our brethren to studie for an angelike life in the filthy state of this earth therefore Paul to loose our myndes from all snares calleth vs back to the hope of blessed immortalitie admonishing vs not to stryue in vaine because as Christ hath ones appered the redemer so at his last coÌ„ming he shall shewe the frute of the saluation that he hath purchaced And thus he driueth away the enticementes that blynde vs and make vs not to aspire as we ought to the heauenly glorie yea and he teacheth that we must trauaill as men being from home in this worlde that the heauenly inheritaunce be not lost or fall away from vs. Nowe in these wordes we perceiue that the forsaking of our selues hath partly respect to men and partly yea chiefly to God For where as the scripture biddeth vs so to behaue our selues with men that we preferre them before vs in honour that we faithfully employ our selues wholly to procure their commodities therfore it greueth such commaundementes as our mynde is not able to receiue but first beinge made voide of naturall sense For with suche blyndnesse we runne all into loue of our selues euery man thinketh him self to haue a iust cause to aduaunce him selfe and to despise all other in comparison of him self If God haue geuen vs any good gift by by bearing our selues bolde therof we lift vp our courage and not only swell but in a maner burste with pryde The vices wherwith we abound we do both diligeÌ„tly hyde from other and to our selues we flatteringly faine them light and scleÌ„der and sometime embrace them for vertues And if the same good giftes whiche we prayse in our selues or better doe appere in other least we should be compelled to geue place to them we do with our enuiousnesse deface them and fynde fault with them If there be any faultes in them we are not contented seuerely and sharpely to marke it but we also odiously amplifie it HereupoÌ„ groweth that insolence that euery one of vs as though he were priuileged from the commoÌ„ estate would be hier than the rest and carelesly proudely set light by euery maÌ„ or despise theÌ„ as inferiours The poore yeld to the rich base people to gentlemen seruantes to their maisters vnlearned to the learned but there is no man that doth not nourish within himself some opinioÌ„ of excellencie So euery man in flatteryng himself beareth a certaine kingdome in his brest For presumptuously takyng vpon them somwhat whereby to please themselues they iudge vpon the wittes and manners of other menne But yf they come to contention there bursteth out their poyson For many doe make a shewe of great mekenesse so longe as they finde all thinges gentle and louely but howe many a one is there that kepeth that continuall course of modestie wheÌ„ he is pricked and stirred to anger And there is no remedie hereof â–ª but that the moste hurtfull pestilence of loue of soueraigntie and selfe loue be rooted out of the bottome of their heartes as it is rooted out by the doctrine of the Scripture For there we are so taught that we muste remember that the good giftes that God hath geuen vs are not our owne good thynges but the free giftes of God wherof yf any be proude they bewraye their owne vnthaÌ„kefulnesse Whoe maketh thee to excell Paule sayth yf thou haste receyued al thinges why doest thou boste as yf they were not geuen thee Then that we muste with continuall reknowledgyng of our faulâ—es call our selues â—â—ck to humilitie So shal there remayne in vs nothyng to be proude 〈◊〉 but there shal
remembre that this the chefe stay of vpholding religion that we may be the more carefull and hedefull about it For vnlesse thou first knowe in what state thou art with God and what his iudgement is of thee as thou hast no ground to stablishe thy saluation so hast thou also none to rayse thy reuerent feare toward God But the necessitie of this knoweledge shall better appere by knowledge it selfe But that we stumble not at the first entrie whiche we should doe if we should entre disputation of a thing vnknowen let vs first declare what is meant by these speches Man to be iustified before God To be iustified by fayth or by workes He is sayd to be iustified afore God that is pronounced by the iudgement of God bothe iust and accepted for hys owne righteousnesse sake For as wickednesse is abhominable before God so a sinner can not finde fauour in his eyes in respect that he is a sinner or so long as he is accompted suche a one Therfore wheresoeuer synne is there also appereth the wrath and vengeance of God He is iustifid that is not accompted in place of a sinner but of a iust man and by reason therof he standeth fast before the iudgemēt seate of God when all sinners fal As if an innocent be brought to be arayned before the seate of a righteous iudge when iudgemēt is geuen accordinge to his innocencie he is sayde to be iustified before the iudge so he is iustified before God that being exempt out of the number of sinners hathe God a wytnesse and affirmer of his ryghteousnesse Therfore after the same manner a man shal be said to be iustified by workes in whose lyfe there is founde suche cleannesse and holienesse as may deserue the testimonie of righteousnesse before the throne of God or he that with the vprightnesse of his workes is able to answere and satisfie Gods iudgement Contrariwyse he shal be said to be iustified by faith that being excluded from the righteousnesse of workes doth by fayth take holde of the righteousnesse of Christ wherwith when he is clothed he appereth in the sight of God not as a sinner but as righteous So we simply expound iustification to be an acceptation wherby God receiuing vs into fauour taketh vs for righteous And we say that the same consisteth in forgeuenesse of sinnes and imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ. For confirmation hereof there are many and euident testimonies of Scripture First it can not be denied that this is the proper and moste vsed signification of the word But because it is to long to gather al the places and compare them together it shal be enough to put the reders in mynde of them for they may of them selues easely marke them But I wyll bring fourth some where this iustification that we speake of is expressely entreated of by name First where Luke sayeth that the people when they had heard Christ did iustifie God And where Christ pronounceth that wisdome is iustified by her children he doth not meane there that thei do geue righteousnesse which alway remaineth perfect with God although all the worlde goe about to take it awaye from hym nor in this place also to make the doctrine of saluatiō righteous which hath euer that of it selfe But bothe these speches are as muche in effect as to geue to God and his doctrine the praise that they deserue Againe when Christ reprocheth the Pharisees that they iustifie them selues he doth not meane that they obteine righteousnesse by well doing but do vainegloriously seke for the same of righteousnesse whereof in dede they be voyde They that are skilfull of the Hebrue tongue doe better vnderstande the sense of this phrase in whiche tongue they are not only called wicked doers that are gylty in their conscience of anye wicked doing but also they that come in daunger of iudgement of condemnation For when Bersabe sayeth that she and Solomon shal be wicked doers she doth not therein acknowledge any offense but complayneth that she her son shal be put to shame to be numbred among the reprobate and condemned But by the processe of the text it easelye appeareth that the same worde in Latine also can not otherwyse be taken but by way of relation and not to signifie any qualitie But as cōcerning the matter that we are nowe in hande with where Paul saith that the Scriptur did forsee that God iustifieth the Gentiles by faith what may a man vnderstande thereby but that God doth impute righteousnesse by faith Againe whē he sayth that God iustifieth the wicked man that is of the fayth of Christ what meanyng can be therof but by the benefite of fayth to deliuer them from the damnation whiche their wickednesse deserued And yet he speaketh more playnely in the conclusiō when he cried out thus Who shal accuse Gods elect It is God that iustifieth who shall condemne It is Christe that died yea that rose againe and nowe maketh intercession for vs. It is as muche in effect as if he should say Who shall accuse them whome God acquiteth whoe shall condemne them whose patrone Christ is and defendeth them To iustifie therfore is nothing els than to acquite hym that was accused from gilthynesse as allowyng his innocencie Sithe therfore God doth iustifie vs by the intercessiō of Christ he doth acquite vs not by allowāce of our own innocencie but by imputatiō of righteousnesse that we may be cōpted for righteous in Christ which are not righteous in our selues So in the .xiii. Chapter of the Actes in Paules sermō by him is forgeuenes of sinnes preached vnto you and euery one that beleueth in him is iustified from al those thynges from whiche you could not be iustified in the lawe of Moses You see that after forgeuenesse of sinnes iustification is added in place of an exposition You see playnely that it is taken for absolution you se that it is taken awaye from the workes of the lawe you see that it is the mere beneficial gyft of Christe you see that it is receiued by fayth Finally you see that there is a satisfaction spoken of where he sayeth that we are iustified from sinnes by Christe So when it is sayde that the Publicane came iustified out of the Temple we can not saye that he obteyned righteousnesse by any deseruing of workes This therefore is sayde that after pardon of his sinnes obteyned he was coumpted for ryghteous before God He was therfore ryghteous not by approuinge of workes but by Gods free absolutiō Wherefore Ambrose sayeth very well that calleth the confession of sinnes a lawefull iustification But to leaue striuing about the worde If we loke vpon the thyng it selfe as it is described vnto vs there shall remayne no more doubte For truely Paule doth expresse iustification by the name of acceptatiō when he saith Ephes. i. a. v. we are apointed vnto adoption by Christ accordyng to the good pleasure
boasted concernyng the merites of workes do ouerthrow as well the praise of God in geuing of righteousnesse as also the assurednesse of saluation NOw we haue declared that which is the chefe point in this matter that bycause yf righteousnesse be vpholden with workes it must needes by by fal downe before the sight of God it is conteined in the only mercie of God the only coÌ„municating of Christ therefore in only faith But let vs diligeÌ„tly mark that this is the chefe stay of the matter least we be entangled with that general error not only of the coÌ„mon people but also of learned meÌ„ For so sone as question is moued of the iustificatioÌ„ of faith workes they flee to those places which seme to geue to workes some merit in the sight of God as though the iustification of workes were fully wonne if it be ones proued that they be of any value with God But we haue aboue plainely shewed that the righteousnesse of workes coÌ„sisteth only in the perfect and ful keping of the law Wherupon foloweth that no maÌ„ is iustified by workes but he that hauyng climbed vp to the hiest top of perfection can not be proued gilty of any offense be it neuer so litle Therefore it is an other a seueral questioÌ„ Howsoeuer workes suffice not to iustifie a man whether yet do they not deserue fauour with God First of the name of merit I must needes say this afore hand yâ— whosoeuer first applied it to workes of meÌ„ coÌ„pared to the iugemeÌ„t of God he did very ill prouide for the purenesse of faith Truely I do by my good wil absteine froÌ„ striues about words but I wold with that this sobrietie bad alway beÌ„ vsed amoÌ„g Christian writers that they wold not haue fouÌ„d in their heartes to vse words strange froÌ„ the Scriptures which engeÌ„dred much offense no frute For whereto I beseche you was it needeful to haue the name of Merit brought in when the price of good workes might be fittly expressed by an other name wtout offense But how much offense the word coÌ„teineth in it is euident with the great hurt of the world Surely as it is most proude it caÌ„ do nothing but darkeÌ„ the grace of God and fill meÌ„ with froward pride The old writers of the Church I grauÌ„t haue coÌ„monly vsed it I wold to God they had not with the abusyng of one litle word geueÌ„ to posteritie matter of error Howbeit they theÌ„selues also do in many places testifie how in no case thei meant to geue any preiudice against the truth For thus sayth Augustine in one place Let Merites of men here hold their peace which haue perished by AdaÌ„ let the grace of God reigne by Iesus Christ. Againe The saintes geue nothing to their owne Merites they will geue al to none but to thy mercie O God In an other place WheÌ„ maÌ„ seeth that whatsoeuer good he hath he hath it not froÌ„ himself but froÌ„ his God he seeth that al that which is praised in him is not of his own Merites but of the mercie of God You see how taking froÌ„ men the power of doing wel he also throweth downe the dignitie of Merit And Chrysostome sayth Our workes if there be any which folow the free calling of God are repayment det but the gâ—â—tes of God are grace bouÌ„tifulnesse the greatnesse of liberall geuing But leauing the name let vs rather loke vpoÌ„ the thing I haue verily before alledged a sentence out of Bernard â–ª As it sufficeth to Merit not to presume of Merites so to want Merites sufficeth to iudgemeÌ„t But by adding forth with an expositioÌ„ he sufficieÌ„tly mitigateth the hardinesse of the word where he sayth Therfore care thou to haue Merites wheÌ„ thou hast theÌ„ know yâ— thei are geueÌ„ hope for frute the mercie of God so thou hast escaped al daÌ„ger of pouertie vnthaÌ„kfulnesse presumptioÌ„ Happy is the church which neither waÌ„teth Merites without presumptioÌ„ nor presumptioÌ„ without merites And a litle before he had largely shewed how godly a meaning he vsed For of Merites saith he why shold the Church be careful which hath a stedfaster surer cause to glorie of the purpose of God God caÌ„ not denie himself he wil do that which he hath promised If there be no cause why the shuldest aske by what merites may we hope for good thinges specially sith yâ— hearest it sayd Not for your sakes but for my sake it sufficeth to Merit to know that Merites suffice not What al our workes deserue the scripture sheweth wheÌ„ it saith that thei can not abide the sight of God bicause thei are ful of vncleannesse then what the perfect obseruing of the law if any such could be found shal deserue wheÌ„ it teacheth that we should think ourselues vnprofitable seruaÌ„tes when we haue done al thinges that are coÌ„maunded vs bicause we shal haue geueÌ„ nothing freely to the Lord but only haue performed our due seruices to whiche there is no thanke to be geuen But those good workes which he himself hath geuen vs the Lord both calleth oures testifieth that thei are not only acceptable to him but also that they shal haue reward It is our duetie againe for our part to be encouraged with so great a promise to gather vp our heartes that we be not weried with wel doyng to yeld true thankfulnesse to so great bouÌ„tifulnesse of God It is vndouted that it is the grace of God what soeuer there is in workes that deserueth prayse that there is not one droppe which we ought properly to ascribe to our selues This if we do truely earnestly acknowlege there vanisheth away not only all affiance but also opinion of Merit We I say do not part the prayse of good workes as the Sophisters do betwene god maÌ„ but we reserue it whole perfect vnminished to the lord Only this we assigne to man that eueÌ„ the self same workes that were good he by his vncleannes corrupteth defileth For nothing coÌ„meth out of maÌ„ how perfect so euer he be that is not defiled with some spot Therefore let the Lord cal into iudgement eueÌ„ these things that are best in the workes of meÌ„ he shal verily espie in them his owne righteousnesse but mans dishonestie shame Good workes therfore do please God are not vnprofitable to the doers of them but rather they receiue for reward the most large benefites of God not bicause thei so deserue but bicause the goodnesse of god hath of it self apointed this price vnto theÌ„ But what spitefulnesse is this that men not contented with that liberalitie of God which geueth vndue rewardes to workes that deserue no such thing do with ambitioÌ„ full of sacrilege endeuor further that that which is wholly of the liberalitie of God maye seme to be reÌ„dred to the merites of meÌ„ Here I appelle to the coÌ„mon iudgement of euery man If any
a crooked figure as men sometime speake mingle him selfe with the multitude as one of the people but rather seuerally confesseth his owne gyltinesse humbly fleeth to the sanctuarie of forgeuenesse as he expresly sayth When I coÌ„fessed my sinnes the sinnes of my people And thys humblenesse Dauid also setteth out with his own example when he saith Entre not into iudgement with thy seruant bicause in thy sight euery one that liueth shall nat bee iustified In suche manner Esaie prayeth Loe thou art angry bicause wee haue sinned the worlde is founded in thy waies therefore we shal be saâ—ed And we haue been all filled with vncleannesse al our righteousnesses as a defiled cloth and wee haue al withered away as a leafe our iniquities do scatter vs abroade as the winde and there is none that calleth vpon thy name that rayseth vp himselfe to take holde of thee bycause thou hast hidde thy face froÌ„ vs and hast made vs to pine awaie in the hande of oure wyckednesse Now therfore O Lord thou art our father we are claye thou art our fasshioner we are the worke of thy hand Be not angry O Lord neither remembre wickednes for euer Behold loke vpon vs we ar al thy people Loe how thei stand vpoÌ„ no affiance at al but vpon this onely that thinking vpon this that thei be Gods thei despire not that he wil haue care of them Likewise Ieremie If our iniquities answer against vs do thou for thy names sake For it is bothe most truely most holyly written of whome soeuer it be which being written by an vnknoweÌ„ author is fathered vpon the Prophet Baruch A soule heauy deosolate for the greatnes of euel croked weake a hungrye soule fainting eies geue glorie to thee O Lord. Not according to the righteousnesses of our fathers doe we poure out praiers in thy sight aske mercie before thy face O Lord our God but bicause thou art merciful haue mercie vpon vs bicause we haue sinned before thee Finally the beginning also the preparing of praieng rightly is crauing of pardoÌ„ with an humble plaine confession of fault For neither is it to be hoped that euen the holiest man may obteine any thinge of God vntil hee bee freely reconciled to him neither is it possible that God may be fauourable to any but theÌ„ whom he pardoneth Wherfore it is no maruel if the faithful do with this keie opeÌ„ to theÌ„selues the dore to pray Which we learne out of many places of the Psalmes For Dauid wheÌ„ he asketh an other thing saith Remembre not the sinnes of my youthe remember me according to thy mercie for thy goodnesses sake O lord Again Loke vpoÌ„ my afflictioÌ„ my labore forgeue al my sinnes Wher we also see that it is not enough if we euery seuerall day do cal our selues accoÌ„pt for our new sinnes if we do not also remeÌ„bre those sinnes which might seeme to haue been long agoe forgotten For the same Prophet in an other place hauing coÌ„fessed one haynous offense by this occasioÌ„ returneth eueÌ„ to his mothers wombe wherin he had gathered the infectioÌ„ not to make the faulte seme lesse by the corruptioÌ„ of nature but the heaping together the sinnes of his whole life how much more rigorous he ys in coÌ„demning himself so much more easy he maye finde God to entreate But although the holy ones do not alwaye in expresse woordes aske forgeuenesse of sinnes yet if we diligently weie their praiers whiche the Scripture rehearseth we shal easily finde that which I say that thei gathered a minde to praie of the only mercy of God so alwaye toke their beginning at appeasing him bicause if euery man examine his owne conscience so far is he froÌ„ being bold to open his cares familiarlie with God yâ— he trembleth at euery coÌ„ming toward him except that he standeth vpoÌ„ trust of mercie pardon Ther is also an other special confession wher thei aske release of peines that thei also praie to haue their sinnes forgeuen bicause it weare an absurditie to will that the effecte to be takeÌ„ awaye while the cause abideth For we muste beware that God be fauourable vnto vs before that he testifye hys fauoure wyth outwarde signes bycause boothe hee hymselfe wyll keepe thys ordre and yt should lytle profyte vs to haue hym benefytiall vnlesse oure conscience feelynge hym appeased shoulde througely make hym louelye vnto vs. Whyche wee are also taughte by the aunswere of Christe For when hee hadde decreed to heale the manne sycke of the Palsey hee sayde Thy sinnes are forgeuen thee lifting vp our mindes therby to that which is chefely to be wisshed that God first receiue vs into fauoure and then shew forth the frute of reconciliation in helping vs. But byside that speciall confession of present gyltynesse wherby the faithful make supplication to obteine pardon of euery speciall faulte peine that general preface which procureth fauour to praiers is neuer to be omitted bicause vnlesse thei be grounded vpon the free mercie of God they shall neuer obteine any thing of God Whereunto maye be referred that sayeng of Ihon If we confesse oure sinnes he is faithfull righteous to forgeue vs and cleanse vs from al iniquitie For which cause it behoued praiers in the time of the law to be hallowed with expiatioÌ„ of bloode that they might be acceptable and that so the people sholde be put in minde that thei are vnworthy of so great a prerogotiue of honour til being cleansed from their defilinges thei shold of the onely mercie of God conceiue affiance to praye But wheras the holy ones seme somtime for the entreating of God to allege the helpe of their owne righteousnes as when Dauid saith Kepe my soule bicause I am good Again Ezechias RemeÌ„bre lord I beseche thee that I haue walked before thee in truthe haue done good in thyne eyes by such formes of speaking thei meane nothing els than by their very regeneratioÌ„ to testifie theÌ„selues to be the seruants childreÌ„ of God to whom he himselfe pronounceth that he wil be mercifull He teacheth by that prophet as we haue already seen that his eies are vpon the righteous his cares vnto their praiers Againe by the apostle that we shal obteine whatsoeuer we ask if we kepe his coÌ„maundemeÌ„ts In which sayenges he doth not value praier by the worthines of works but his will is so to stablish their affiance whose own coÌ„scieÌ„ce wel assureth theÌ„ of an unâ—ayned vprightnes inocenci such as al the faithful ought to be For the same is taken out of the very truth of God which the blindeman that had his sight restored saith in Ihon that God heareth not sinners if wee vnderstaÌ„d sinners after the coÌ„moÌ„ vse of the scripture for such as wtout al desire of righteousnesse do altogether slepe rest vpoÌ„ their sinnes forasmuch as no heart can
caried into the sight of God But if thei liste to cōpare holy men departed out of this present life to Angels thei shold proue that thei ar ministring spirits to whom is comitted the ministerie to loke to our safetie to whōe the charg is geuē to kepe vs in al our waies to go about vs to admonish counsel vs to watch for vs al which things are geuē to Angels but not to thē How wrongfully they wrappe vp deade holy mē with Angels appeareth largly by so many diuers offices wherbi the scripture putteth difference betwene some other some No man dare execute the office of an aduocate before an earthely iudge vnlesse he be admitted from whense then haue wormes so great libertie to thruste vnto God those for patrons to whome it is not read that the office is enioyned Gods wil was to appoint the Angels to loke vnto our saftie wherfore thei do both frequēt holy assēbles the Church is a stage to thē wherin thei wander at the diuers manifold wisdom of God Who so cōuey away to other that which is peculiar to thē verily they confounde peruert the ordre set by God which ought to haue ben inuiolable With like hādsomnesse they procede in alleging other testimonies God said to Ieremie If Moses Samuel shold stād before me mi soule is not to this people Now saithe◠coulde hee haue spoken thus of deade men vnlesse he knewe that they made intercession for the liuinge Butte I on the contrarye syde gather thus that sythe yt therby appeareth that neither Moses nor Samuel made intercession for the people of Israel there was then no intercession at al of dead men For which of the Saintes is to be thought to be careful for the safetie of the people whē Moses cesseth which in this behalfe farre passed al other when he liued But if they folowe such flight suttelties to say that the dead make intercessiō for the liuing because the Lord sayd If they shold make intercessiō I will much more colorably reason in thys maner In the extreme necessitie of the people Moses made not intercession of whom it is sayd if he shal make intercession Therfore it is likely that none other maketh intercession sithe they are al so farr from the gentlenesse goodnesse and fatherly carefulnesse of Moses Thys forsoth they get with cauilling that they be woūded with the same weapons wherwith they thought themselues gaylye fensed But it is very fonde that a simple sentence should so be wrested because the Lord pronounceth only that he wil not spare the offenses of the people although they had seen Moses to be their patron or Samuel to whose prayers he had shewed hymselfe so tender Which sense is moste clerely gathered out of a like place of Ezechiel If saith the Lord these three men were in the citie Noe Daniel and Iob they shal not deliuer their sonnes and daughters in their righteousnesse but they shal deliuer only their own soules Where it is no dout that he meant if twoo of thē should happen to reuiue againe for the thirde was then aliue namely Daniell who as it is knowen did in the first flouring of hys youth shewe an incomparable example of godlinesse let vs then leaue them whom the Scripture plainly sheweth to haue ended their course Therfore Paule when he speaketh of Dauid teacheth not that he doth wyth prayers helpe hys posteritie but onely that he serued his own tyme. They answere againe shall we then take from them all prayer of charitie which in the whole course of their lyfe breathed nothing but charitie and mercie Uerily as I wil not curiously searche what they doe or what they muse vpon so it is not likely that they are carried aboute hether and thether with diuerse and particular requestes but rather the they do with a staied and vnmoued wil long for the kingdome of God which standeth no lesse in the destruction of the wicked than in the saluatiō of the godly If this be true it is no dout that their charitie is cōteined in the communion of the body of Christ and extēdeth no further than the nature of that communion beareth But now though I graūt that they pray in thys maner for vs yet they do not therfore depart frō their owne quietnesse to be diuersly drawen into earthly cares and muche lesse muste we therefore by and by call vpon them Neither doth it thereby followe that they muste so doe because men whiche lyue in earth may commende one an other in their prayers For thys doing serueth for nourishing of charitie among them when they do as it were part and mutually take vpon them their necessities amōg themselues And thys they do by the commaundemēt of the Lord and are not without a promise which twoo things haue alway the chefe place in praier All suche considerations are farr from the dead whom when the Lorde hath conueyed from our companye he hath left to vs no enterchange of doinges with them nor to them with vs so farr as we may gather by coniectures But if any man allege the it is impossible but the thei must kepe the same charitie towarde vs as they be ioyned in one Faith with vs yet who hath reueled the they haue so lōg ere 's to reach to our voices ▪ and so pearcing eyes to watch our necessities They prate in their shadowes I wote not what of the brightnesse of the countenance of God extending his beames vpon them in which as in a mirror they maye from on hye beholde the maters of men beneath But to affirme that specially with such boldnesse as thei dare what is it ells but to go about by the dronken dreames of our own braine without his word to pearce and breake into the hidden iugementes of God to treade the Scripture vnder fete which so oft pronounceth that the wisdome of the fleshe is enemie to the wisdome of God which wholly condemneth the vanitie of our naturall witt which willeth al our reason to be throwen downe and the onely wil of God to be loked vnto of vs. The other testimonies of Scripture which they bring to defēde this their lye they most noughtily wrest But Iacob say they prayeth that hys name the name of his fathers Abraham Isaac be called vpon ouer his posteritie Firste let vs see what forme of calling vpon this is amōg the Israelites For they call not vpon their Fathers to helpe them but they beseche God to remember his seruantes Abraham Isaac and Iacob Therfore their example maketh nothing for them that speake to the Saintes themselues But because these blockes such is their dulnesse neither vnderstande what it is to call vpō the name of Iacob nor why it is to be called vpon it is no maruell if in the very forme also they so childishly srumble Thys maner of speche is not seldome founde in the Scriptures For Esaie sayth
he helpeth vs ▪ he sheweth an example and profe of hys goodnesse we nede not to feare that our hope shal be put to shame or disapoint vs. Let thys be the summe Wheras the Scripture setteth out thys vnto vs for the chefe point in the worshipping of God as refusing al sacrifices he requireth of vs thys dutye of godlynesse prayer is not wythout manifeste sacrilege directed to other Wherefore also it is sayed in the Psalme If we stretch fourth our handes to a strange God shall not God require these things Againe wheras God wil not be called vpon but of Fayth and expresly cōmaundeth prayers to be framed according to the rule of hys worde finally whereas Fayth founded vpō the word is the mother of right prayer so sone as we swarue from the worde our prayer must nedes be corrupted But it is alredy shewed that if the whole Scripture be sought thys honor is therin chalenged to God onely As touching the office of intercession we haue also shewed that it is peculiar to Christ and that there is no prayer acceptable to God but whiche that mediator halloweth And though the faythfull do one for an other offer prayers to God for their brethren we haue shewed that thys abaeth nothing from the onely intercession of Christ because they altogether standing vpon it do commende both themselues and other to God Moreouer we haue taught that this is vnfittly drawen to dead men to whom we neuer rede that it hath ben commaunded that they shoulde pray for vs. The Scripture doth oftentimes exhorte vs to mutuall doinges of thys dutie one for an other but of dead mē there is not so much as one syllable yea and Iames ioyning these twoo thinges together that we should confesse our selues among our selues and mutually pray one for an other doth secretly exclude dead men Therfore to condemne thys error thys one reason sufficeth that the beginning of prayeng rightly spryngeth out of Fayth and that Fayth cometh of the hearing of the worde of God where is no mention of the fained intercession because superstition hath rashly gotten to it selfe patrones whiche were not geuen them of God For whereas the Scripture is ful of many formes of prayer there is no example founde of thys patroneshyp ▪ without which in the papacie thei beleue that there is no praier Moreouer it is certaine that this superstition hath growē of distrustfulnesse either because they were not content with Christ to be their intercessor or haue altogether robbed him of this praise And thys later point is easily proued by their shamelessnesse because they haue no other stronger argument to proue that we haue nede of the intercession of Saintes than whē they obiect that we are vnworthy of familiar accesse to God Which we in dede graunt to be most true but therupon we gather that they leaue nothing to Christe whiche esteme his intercession nothing worth vnles there be adioyned George Hyppolite or such other visors But although praier properly signifieth only wishes petitions yet there is so great affinitie betwene petitiō thankesgeuing that they maye be fittly comprehended both vnder one name For the speciall sortes which Paul rehearseth fal vnder the first part of this diuision With asking and crauing we poure fourth our desires before God requiring as wel those thinges that seme to sprede abrode his glorie and set foorth hys name as the benefites that are profitable to our vse With geuing of thankes we do with due prayse magnifie his good doinges towarde vs acknowleging to be receued of his liberalitie whatsoeuer good thinges do come to vs. Therfore Dauid cōprehended these twoo partes together sayeng Cal vpō me in the day of necessitie I wil deliuer thee thou shalte glorifie me The Scripture not in vaine commaundeth vs to vse both For we haue sayd in an other place that our nedinesse is so greate and the experience it selfe cryeth out that we are on euery syde pinched and pressed with so many and so great distresses that all haue cause enough why they shoulde both sighe to God and in humble wyse call vpon hym For though they be free from aduersities yet the gyltynesse of their wicked doinges and their innumerable assaultes of tentations ought to pricke forwarde the most holy to aske remedie But in the sacrifice of prayse and thankesgeuing there can be no interruption without haynous synne forasmuch as God cesseth not to heape vppon diuerse men diuerse benefites to dryue vs though we be slack and slow to thākfulnesse Finally so great and so plentuous largesse of hys benefites doth in a maner ouerwhelme vs there are so many and so greate miracles of hys seen on euery syde which way soeuer thou turne thee that we neuer want grounde and mater of prayse and thankesgeuing And that these things may be somwhat plainlier declared sith al our hopes and wealth stande in God which we haue before sufficiently proued that neither we nor all our things can be in prosperitie but by his blessing we must cōtinually cōmit our selues al our things to him Thē whatsoeuer we purpose speake or do let vs purpose speake doe vnder hys hand wil finally vnder the hope of hys helpe For al are pronoūced accursed of God which deuise or determine any purposes vpō trust of thēselues or of ani other which wtout his wil wtout callig vpō him do enterprise or attēpt to begin any thīg And wheras we haue diuerse times alredy said that he is duely honored when he is acknowleged the author of al good things therupon foloweth that al those things are so to be receiued at his hāde the we yelde cōtinual thāks for them the there is no other right way for vs to vse his benefites which flow and procede frō his liberality to no other end but the we shold be cōtinually busied in cōfessing his prayse geuing of thanks For Paul when he testifieth that they are sanctified by the worde prayer doth therwithal signifie that they are not holy and cleane to vs without the worde and prayer vnderstanding by the worde fayth by figure Therfore Dauid sayth very well when hauing receiued the liberalitie of the Lorde he declareth that there is geuen hym into hys mouth a new song wherby verily he signifieth that it is a malitious silence if we passe ouer any of hys benefites without prayse sithe he so ofte geueth vs mater to say good of hym as he doeth good to vs. As also Esaie setting out the singular grace of God exhorteth the faythfull to a new and vnwonted song In which sense Dauid sayth in an other place Lord opē thou my lippes my mouth shal shew fourth thy prayse Likewise Ezethias and Ionas testifie that thys shal be to them the ende of their deliuerance to celebrate the goodnesse of God with songes in the tēple Thys same Law Dauid prescribeth to al the godly What shal I repay to the
who so dare go further and to aske any thing of God beside these firste they will adde of their owne to the wisdome of God which can not be done without mad blasphemie then they hold not themselues vnder the wil of God but despising it do with gredynesse wander further finally they shal neuer obteine any thyng forasmuche as they pray without faith And there is no doute that all suche praiers are made without faith because here wanteth the woorde of God vpon which vnlesse faith be grounded it can in no wise stande But they which forsaking the maisters rule doo folowe their owne desires are not onely without the worde of God but also so much as they be able with their whole endeuor are against it Therefore Tertullian no lesse fitly thaÌ„ truly hath called this a lawful prayer secretely signifyeng that all other are lawlesse and vnlawfull We woulde not haue these thynges so taken as though we were so bounde with this forme of prayer that we may not change a worde or a sillable For there are echewhere red many prayers in the Scriptures farre differyng from this in woordes yet written by the same Spirite and which are at this day profytable to be vsed of vs. Many are continually put into the mouthes of the faithful by the same Spirite which in lykenesse of wordes do not so muche agree This onely is our meanyng in so teachyng that no man shold seke loke for or aske any other thyng at all than that which is summarily comprehended in this praier and whiche thoughe it moste differ in wordes yet differeth not in sense Like as it is certaine that all the praiers which are found in the Scriptures and which do come out of godly hartes are applied to this so verily none can any where bee founde whiche maye matche muche lesse passe the perfectnesse of this praier Here is nothing left out that might be thought vpon to the praises of God nothyng that ought to come into the mynde of man for his owne profites and the same so fully that all hope is worthily taken away from all men to attempt to make any better In a summe let vs remembre that this is the doctrine of the wisedome of God which hath taught what he willed and willed what was nedefull But although we haue aboue saied that we ought alway to breathe vpwarde with myndes lifted vp to God and pray without ceassyng yet forasmuche as suche is our weakenesse as nedeth to bee vpholden with many helpes suche is our dullnesse as needeth to be pricked forwarde with many spurres it is good that euery one of vs appoynt to hymselfe priuately certaine houres whiche may not passe away without prayer and which may haue the whole affectioÌ„s of our mynd throughly busied to that purpose as when we rise in the mornyng before that we go to our daies worke when we sitt down to meate when we haue ben fedde by the blessyng of God when we take vs to rest Only let this not be a superstitious obseruyng of houres by which as payeng a taske to God we may think our selues discharged for the other houres but a trayning of our weakeâ—s wherby it may so be exercised from time to time stirred vp Specially we ought carefully to loke that so oft as either we our selues are in distresse or we se other to be in distresse with any hardnesse of aduersitie we runne streight waye to hym not with feete but with hartes then that we suffer not any prosperitie of our owne or other mens to passe but that we testifie that we acknowlege it to bee his with praise and thankesgeuyng Finally this is diligentlye to bee obserued in all prayer that we goe not about to bynde God to certaine circumstances nor to appoynt to hym what he shal do at what time in what place and in what maner as by this prayer we ar taught to make to hym no law nor to appoynt to him any condition but to leaue to his will that those thynges which he will do he may do in what maner at what tyme and in what place it pleaseth him Wherfore ere we make any prayer for our selues we first praie that his will be done where we do already submitt our will to his with which when it is restrained as with a bridle put vppon it it maye not presume to bryng God into rule but make hym the iudge and gouernor of all her desyres If we do with myndes framed to this obedience suffer our selues to be ruled with the lawes of Gods Prouidence we shall easily learne to continue in praier and with longyng desires paciently to waite for the Lord beyng assured that although he appeare not yet he is alway present with vs and will when he seeth his tyme declare howe not deaffe eares he gaue to the praiers whiche in the eyes of men semed to be despised And this shal be a most present comfort that we faint not and fall downe by despaire if at any time God do not answere at our firste requestes Like as they are wont to do whiche while they are caried with their sodeyne heate do so call vpon God that if he come not to them at their fyrst bruntes and bryng them present helpe they by and by imagine hym to be angry and hatefully bent agaynst them and castyng away all hope of obteynyng do cesse to call vpon him But rather differâ—yng our hope with a well tempered euennesse of mynde let vs goe forwarde in that perseuerance which is so much coÌ„mended to vs in Scriptures For in the Psalmes we may oftentymes see howe Dauid and other faithfull men when they seme in a maner weried with prayeng did beate the aire because they threwe away their words to God that heard them not and yet they cesse not from prayeng because the word of God hath not his full authoritie manteined vnlesse the credite therof bee set aboue all successes of thynges Moreouer let vs not tempte God and prouoke him against vs beyng weried with oure importunacie whiche many vse to doo which do nothing but indent with God vpon a certain condition and binde him to the lawes of their couenantyng as though he were seruant to their desires which if he doo not presently obey they disdayne they chafe they carpe against hym they murmure they turmoile Therfore to such oftentymes in his furor he beyng angry grauÌ„teth that which to other in his mercie he beyng fauorable denieth An example hereof are the children of Israell for whome it had ben better not to haue ben heard of the Lord than with flesh to eate vp his wrath But if yet at length after long lokyng for it our sense do not perceiue what we haue preuailed with prayeng and feleth no fruite thereof yet our faith shall assure vs of that whiche can not bee perceiued by sense namely that we haue obteined that which was expedient for vs forasmuche as the Lord dothe so ofte and so certainly
it may will leaue to God no secrete which it will not searche and turne ouer Into this boldnesse and importunacie forasmuch as we commonly se many to runne headlong and among those that are otherwise not euell men here is fit occasion to warne them what is in this behalfe the due measure of theyr duetie First therfore let them remembre that when they enquire vpon Predestination they pearce into the secrete closets of the wisedome of God wherinto if any man doo carelesly and boldly breake in he shall bothe not atteyne wherwith to satisfie his curiousnesse and he shal entre into a mase wherof he shall fynde no way to get out again For neither is it mete that man shoulde freely search those thynges which God hath willed to be hidden in himselfe and to turne ouer from very eternitie the height of wisedome which he willed to be honored and not to be conceiued that by it also he mought be meruailous vnto vs. Those secretes of his will whiche he hath determined to be opened vnto vs he hath disclosed in his worde and he hath determined so farre as he forsawe to pertayne to vs and to be profitable for vs. We are come sayth Augustine into the way of Faithe let vs stedfastly holde it It bringeth into the Kynges chamber in whiche all the treasures of knowlege and wisedome are hidden For the Lorde himselfe Christ did not enuie his excellent and moste chosen disciples when he said I haue many thynges to be sayde to you but ye can not beare them nowe We must walke we must profit we must encreasce that our hartes may be able to conceiue those thynges which now we can not coÌ„ceiue If the last day find vs profityng there we shal learne that whiche here we coulde not If this thought be of force with vs that the worde of the Lorde is the onely way that may leade vs to searche whatsoeuer is lawfull to be learned of him that it is the only light which may geue vs light to see whatsoeuer we ought to see of hym it shall easily holde backe and restraine vs from all rashenesse For we shall knowe that so soone as we be gone out of the boundes of the worde we runne oute of the waie and in darkenesse in which race we must needes oftentymes stray slippe and stumble First therfore let this be before our eyes that to couet any other knowlege of Predestination than that whiche is set foorth by the woorde of God is a poynt of no lesse madnesse than if a man haue a will to go by an vnpassable waie or to se in darknesse Neither lett vs be ashamed to be ignorant of somewhat in it wherein there is some learned ignorance But rather lett vs willyngly absteine from the serchyng of that Knowlege wherof the excessyue couetyng is both foolishe and pâ—rillous yea and deadly But if the wantonnesse of witt prouoke vs it shal be profitable alwaye to sett this agaynst it whereby it may be beaten backe that as to much of honey is not good so the serchyng of glorie dothe not turne vnto glorie to the curious For there is good cause why we shoulde be frayed away from that boldnesse whiche can do nothing but throwe vs downe headlong into ruine There be other which when they haue a will to remedy this euell doo commaunde all mention of Predestination to bee in a maner buried at the least they teache men to flee from euery maner of questionyng therof as from a rocke Although the moderation of these men bee herein worthily to be praysed that they iudge that mysteries shoulde be tasted of with suche sobrietie yet because they descende to muche beneath the meane they little preuaile with the witte of manne whiche doothe not lyghtly suffre it selfe to be restrained Therfore that in this behalf also we maie kepe a right ende we must returne to the worde of the Lorde in whiche we haue a sure rule of vnderstanding For the Scripture is the schoole of the Holy ghoste in whiche as nothyng is lefte out which is bothe necessarie profitable to be knowen so nothyng is taught but that whiche is behouefull to learne Whatsoeuer therfore is vttered in the Scripture concernyng Predestination we muste beware that we debarre not the faithfull from it least we should seme either enuiously to defraude them of the benefite of their God or to blame and accuse the Holy ghoste who hath published those thynges whyche it is in any wyse profitable to be suppressed Let vs I say geue leaue to a christian man to open his mynde and his eares to all the sayenges of God whiche are directed to hym so that it be doone with this temperance that so soone as the Lorde hath closed his holy mouth he may also forclose to himselfe all the way to enquire further This shall be the beste bouÌ„de of sobrietie if not only in learnyng we alway follow the Lord goyng before vs but also wheÌ„ he maketh an ende of teaching we ceasse to will to learne Neither is the danger which they feare of so greate importance that we ought therfore to turne awaye our myndes from the oracles of God Notable is the sayeng of Salomon that the glorie of God is to concele a word But sithe bothe godlinesse and common reason teacheth that this is not generally meant of euery thyng we muste seke a difference least brutishe ignorance shoulde please vs vnder color of modestie and sobrietie That difference is in fewe woordes playnly sett out by Moses To the Lord our God sayth he belong his secretes bâ—t to vs and to our children he hath disclosed these thynges For we see how he commendeth to the people the studie of the doctrine of the law onely by reason of the decree of God because it pleased God to publish it â–ª and howe he withholdeth the people within those bouÌ„des by this only reason because it is not lawfull for mortall men to thrust themselues into the secretes of God Prophane men I graunt do in the mater of Predestination sodenly catche hold of somewhat which they may carpe or cauill or barke or scoffe at But if their waywardnesse doo fray vs away from it the chefe articles of the faith must be kept secrete of whiche there is almost none which thei or such as thei be do leaue vntouched with blasphemie A frowarde wytt will no lesse prowdly outrage when he heareth that in the essence of God there are three persones than if he heare that God forsawe what shoulde becomme of man when he created hym Neyther will they absteyne from laughyng when they shall vnderstande that there is lyttell more than fiue thousande yeares passed sins the creation of the worlde for they wyll aske why the power of God was so long idell and asleape Fynally there can be nothyng brought foorthe whych they will not scoffe at For the restrainynge of these sacrileges must we holde our peace of the Godhead of
therfore with mad searchyng to plunge your selues into the bottoÌ„lesse depth which reason it self teacheth you that it shal be to your destruction Why are ye not at the least restrained with some feare of that whiche both the historie of Iob and the bookes of the Prophetes do report of the iâ—comprehensible wisedome terrible power of God If thy minde be vnquieted let it not greue thee to embrace the counsell of Augustine Thou beyng a man lokest for an answer at my hand and I also am a maÌ„ Therfore let vs both heare him that sayth O maÌ„ what art thou â–ª Better is a faithfull ignorance than rash knowledge Seke merites thou shalt finde nothing but peine O depth Peter denieth the theâ—e beleueth O depth Sekest thou a reason I wil treÌ„ble at the depth Reason thou I will wonder dispute thou I will beleue I see depth but I reache not the bottome Paule rested bicause he found wondering He calleth the iudgementes of God vnsearchable art thou come to search them He sayth that his wayes are impossible to be traced ouâ— and doest thou trace them with procedyng further we shall nothyng profit For neyther we shall satisfie their waye wanton curiousnesse neyther doth the Lord neede any other defense than whiche he hath vsed by his Spirit whiche spake by the mouth of Paule we forget to speake well when we cesse to speake with God Their other obiection also ariseth out of vngodlinesse which yet â—oÌ„deth not so directly to the accusing of God as to the excusing of the sinner Howebeit the sinner which is condeÌ„ned of God can not be iustified without dishonor of the iudge Thus therefore prophane tonges do bark agaynst God sayeng why shold God impute those things for sinne to men wherof he hath by his predestinatioÌ„ layed necessitie vpoÌ„ men For what should thei do Should thei wrastle with his decrees â–ª But so should thei do it in vaine sithe they caÌ„ not do it at al. Therfore they are not rightfully punished for those things whereof ytâ—heâ—e cause is in Gods predestinatioÌ„ Here I will absteine froÌ„ that defense wherunto the Ecclesiastical writers do coÌ„monly flee namely that the fore knowlege of God withstaÌ„deth not but the maÌ„ may be accoÌ„pted the sinner bicause God foreseeth the euels of man not his owne For so yâ— cauillatioÌ„ wold not stay here but will rather presse vs further with sayeng that God might if he had would haue prouided remedie for those euels which he foresaw and that sithe he hath not so done he hath of determined purpose created men to that end that he should so behaue himself in earth and if by the prouidence of God man was created to this condition that he should do al those thinges that he doeth theÌ„ he is not to be blamed for that which he can not auoyde which he enterprised by the wil of God Therfore let vs see how this knot ought to be well loosed First of all this ought to be holdeÌ„ certaine among al men whiche SalomoÌ„ sayth yâ— God hath created all thinges for himself the wicked maÌ„ to an euel day Behold when the dispising of al things is in the haÌ„d of God wheÌ„ in his power remaineth the rule of safetie death he so ordereth theÌ„ by his couÌ„sel beck that among men there are borne some adiudged eueÌ„ from their mothers woÌ„be to death which with their destructioÌ„ may glorifie his name If any man answer that there is no necessitie layed vpon them by the prouidence of God but rather that he created them in suche estate bicause he foresaw their peruersnesse to come he neither sayth nothing at al nor altogether The old writers are wont in deede somtimes to vse this solutioÌ„ but as it were doubtingly But the Scholemen rest vpon it as though nothing could be obiected agaynst it In deede I wil willingly graunt that foreknowlege alone bryngeth no necessitie to creatures although al men do not so agree for there be some that wil haue it also to be the cause of things But it semeth to me that Ualla a maÌ„ otherwise not much practised in holy writings saw both more depely and more wisely which shewed that this coÌ„tention is superfluous bicause bothe life death are rather the doynges of Gods will that of his foreknowlege If God did but foresee the successes of meÌ„ did not also dispose order them by his wil theÌ„ this questioÌ„ shold not wtout cause be moued whether his foreseyng any thing auailed to the necessitie of them But sith he doth none otherwise fortee the things that shal come to passe than bicause he hath decreed that they shold so come to passe it is vaine to moue coÌ„trouersie about foreknowlege where it is certaine that al things do happeÌ„ rather by ordinaÌ„ce comaÌ„demeÌ„t Thei say that this is not writteÌ„ in expresse wordes that it was decreed of God that Adam shold perish by his falling away As though the same God whoÌ„ the Scripture reporteth to do whatsoeuer he wil created the noblest of all his creatures to an vncertaine end Thei say he had freewill that he might shape to himself his owne fortune that God decreed nothing but to haÌ„dle him according to his deseruing If so cold a deuise be receyued where shal be that almightinesse of God whereby he gouerneth al thinges according to his secret couÌ„sel which hangeth vpon none other thing than it self But predestination whether they wil or no sheweth himself in Adams posteritie For it came not to passe naturally that all men should lose saluation by the fault of one parent What hindereth them to coÌ„fesse of one man that which agaynst their willes they coÌ„fesse of all maÌ„kinde For why should they lose their labour with dallyeng shiftes The Scripture crieth out yâ— all meÌ„ were in the persone of one man made bonde to eternall death Sithe this can not be imputed to nature it is playne that it proceded from the wonderous couÌ„sell of God But it is to much absurditie that these good Patrones of the righteousnesse of God doe so stumble at a strawe and leape ouer great beames Againe I aske how came it to passe that the fall of Adam did wrappe vp in eternall death so many nations with their children beyng infantes without remedie but bicause it so pleased God Here their tonges whiche are otherwise so pratlyng must of necessitie be duÌ„me It is a terrible decree I graunt yet no man shal be able to denie but that God foreknew what end maÌ„ should haue ere he created him and therefore foreknew it bycause he had so ordeyned by his decree If any man here inuey agaynste the foreknowledge of God he rashly and vndiscretely stuÌ„bleth For what matter is there I beseche you why the heauenly iudge should be accused for that he was not ignorant of that which was to come Therfore if there be any eyther iuste or colorable complaynt it toucheth predestination Neyther ought
women coulde execute no other publike office but to geue themselues to the seruice of the poore If we graunt thys as we must nedes graunt it then there shal be twoo sortes of Deacons of which one sort shall serue in distributing the thinges of the poore the other in loking to the poore of the Chirche themselues But although the very worde Diaconia Deaconrie extendeth further yet the Scripture specially calleth them Deacons to whom the Chirche hath geuen the charge to distribute the almes and to take care of the poore and hath appointed them as it were stewardes of the common treasurie of the poore whoe 's beginning institution and office is described of Luke in the Actes For when a murmuring was raysed by the Grecians for that in the ministerie of the poore their wydowes wer neglected the Apostles excusyng themselues wyth saying that they could not serue both offices both the preachyng of the worde and the ministring at tables required of the multitude that there might be chosen .vii. honest men to whom they mighte committe that doing Loe what manner of Deacons the Apostolike Chirch had and what Deacons it were mete for vs to haue according to their example Now wheras in the holy assemblie all thynges are to be done in order and comly there is nothyng wherin that ought to be more diligeÌ„tly obserued than in stablishing the order of gouernmeÌ„t because there is no where greater peril if any thing be done vnorderly Therfore to the ende that vnquiet and troublesome men which otherwyse woulde happen should rashly thrust in themselues to teache or to rule it is expresly prouyded that no man should without calling take vpon hym a publike office in the Chirche Therfore that a maÌ„ may be iudged a true minister of the Chirche first he must be orderly called then he must answere his vocation that is to say take vpon him and execute the duties enioyned hym This we may oftentymes marke in Paule which wheÌ„ he meaneth to approue hys Apostleship in a manner alway wyth hys faythfulnesse in executing his office he allegeth hys callyng If so great a minister of Christe dare not take vpon himselfe the authoritie that he should be heard in the Chirch but because he both is appointed therunto by the commaundement of the Lord and also faithfully performeth that whych is committed vnto hym how greate shamefulnesse shal it be if any man waÌ„tyng both or either of these shal chalenge such honor to himselfe But because we haue aboue touched the necessitie of executing the office now let vs entreate onely of the callyng The discourse therof standeth in foure poyntes that we shoulde knowe what manner of ministers how and by whom ministers ought to be institute and wyth what vsage or what Ceremonie they are to be admytted I speake of the outwarde and solemne callyng whyche belongeth to publike order of the Chirche as for that secrete callyng wherof euery minister is priuy in hys own conscience before God and hath not the Chirche witnesse of it I omitt it It is a good witnesse of our hart that not by any ambitioÌ„ nor couetousnesse nor any other gredy desire but with pure feare of God and zele to edefye to the Chirche we receiue the office offered vnto vs. That in dede is as I haue sayed necessarye for euery one of vs if we wyll approue oure ministerie allowable before GOD. Neuerthelesse he is ryghtly called in presence of the Chirche that commeth vnto it with an euil conscience so that his wickednesse be not open They are wont also to say that euest priuate men are called to the ministerie whom they see to be meâ—e and able to execute it because verily learning ioined with godlinesse with the other qualities of a good Pastor is a certaine preparation to the very office For whom the Lord hath appointed to so great an office â–ª he first furnisheth them with those armures that are required to fulfill it that they should not come empty and vnprepared vnto it WhereupoÌ„ Paule also to the Corinthians when he meante to dispute of the very offices firste rehearsed the giftes whiche they ought to haue that execute the offices But because this is the firste of those fower poyntes that I haue propounded let vs now goe forwarde vnto it What maner of Bishops it is mete to choose Paule doeth largely declare in two places but the summe commeth to this effect that none are to be chosen but they that are of sounde doctrine and of holy lyfe and not notable in any vice whiche mighte both take awaie credite from them and procure slaunder to their ministery Of Deacons and Elders there is altogether like consideration It is alway to be loked vnto that they be not vnable or vnfit to beare the burden that is layed vppon them that is to say that they may be furnished with those powers that are necessarie to the fulfilling of their office So when Christ was about to sende his Apostles he garnished them with those weapons and instrumentes whiche they could not wante And Paule when he had painted out the image of a good and true Bishop warneth Timothee that he should not defile himselfe with choosing any man that differeth from it I referre this worde How not to the Ceremonie of choosing but to the reuerente feare that is to be kept in the choosing Hereupon come the fastinges and prayers which Luke reciteth that the faithful vsed when they made Priestes For wheras they vnderstode that they meddled with a most earnest matter they durste attempt nothyng but with greate reuerence and carefulnesse But they châ—fely applied theÌ„selues to prayers wherby they myght craue of God the Spirite of counsell and discretion The thirde thing that we haue set in our diuision was by whom ministers are to be chosen Of this thing no certayne rule can be gathered out of the institution of Apostles which had some difference from the coÌ„mon callyng of the rest For because it was an extraordinary ministerie that it might be made discernable by some more notable marke it behoued that they whiche shoulde execute it shoulde be called and appoynted by the Lordes owne mouth They therefore tooke in hande their doyng being furnished by no mans election but by the onely commaundemente of God and of Christe Hereupon commeth that when the Apostles would put an other in the place of Iudas they durst not certainly name any one man but they brought fourth twoo that the LORDE shoulde declare by lotte whether of them he would have to succede After this manner also it is mete to take thys that Paule denyeth that he was create Apostle of men or by man but by Christe and GOD the Father That firste poynte that is to saye of men he had common wyth all the Godly ministers of the woorde For no man could rightly take vppon hym that execution but he that wer called of God But the other point was proper
whom in dede the Lord published new oracles to be added to the law but yet not so new but that they cam out of the law and had respect vnto it For as touchyng doctrine they were only expositors of the law and added nothyng vnto it but prophecies of thyngs to come Those excepted they vttered nothyng els but a pure exposition of the lawe But because it pleased the Lord that there shold be a plainer and larger doctrine that weake consciences might be the better satisfied he cōmaunded that the Prophecies also shold be put in writyng and accompted parte of his worde And hereunto were added the histories whiche are also the workes of the Prophetes but made by the endityng of the Holy ghost I recken the Psalmes among the Prophecies because that which we attribute to the prophecies is also cōmon to the psalmes Therfore that whole body cōpacted of the law prophecies psalmes histories was the word of the Lord to the olde people by the rule whereof the prestes and teachers euen vnto Christes tyme were bounde to examine their doctrine neither was it lawfull for them to swarue either to the right hand or to the left because all their office was enclosed within these boundes that they should answer the people out of the mouth of God Which is gathered of a notable place of Malachie where he biddeth them to be mindful of the law to geue hede to it euē to the preaching of the Gospell For therby he forbiddeth them all new found doctrines and graunteth them no leaue to swarue neuer so little out of the way which Moses had faithfully shewed them And this is the reason why Dauid so honorably setteth out the excellence of the law reherseth so many praises of it that is that the Iewes should couete no forein thyng without it sith within it was all perfection enclosed But when at last the Wisdome of God was openly shewed in the flesh that same Wisdome with ful mouth declared vnto vs al that euer can with mans wit be cōprehēded or ought to be thought cōcerning the heuēly Father Now therefore sins Christ the fōne of rightousnesse hath shined we haue a perfect brightnesse of the truth of God such as the clerenesse is wōt to be a mid day when the light was before but dimme For verily the Prophet meant not to speake of any meane thing whē he wrote the God in old time spake diuersly many waies to the fathers by the prophets but that in these last daies he began to speake to vs by his beloued Sonne For he signifieth yea he openly declareth that God wil not hereafter as he did before speake somtime by some and sometime by other nor wil adde Prophecies to Prophecies or reuelations to reuelations but that he hath so fulfilled al the partes of teaching in the Sonne that they must haue thys of him for the last and eternal testimonie After whiche sort al this time of the new Testament wherein Christe hath appeared to vs with the preaching of his Gospell euen to the daie of iugement is expressed by the last houre the last times the last dayes to the ende verely that contented with the perfection of the doctrine of Christe we should learne neither to fayne vs any new beside it or receiue it fained of other Therfore not without cause the Father hath by singular prerogatiue ordeined the Sonne to be our Teacher commaunding hym not any man to be heard He did in dede in fewe wordes sette oute hys scholemaistership vnto vs when he said heare him but in whiche there is more weight force than men commonly thynke For it is as muche in effect as if leading vs away frō al doctrines of men he should bring vs to him only and commaūde vs to loke for al the doctrine of saluation at him alone to hang vpon him alone to cleaue to hym alone finally as the very wordes do sounde to harkē to the voice of hym alone And truely what ought there now to be either loked for or desyred at the hand of man when the very worde of lyfe hath familiarly and openly disclosed himselfe vnto vs Yea but it is mete that the mouthes of al mē be shut after that he in whom the heauēly Father willed to haue al the treasures of knowledge and wisdome to be hidden hath ones spoken and so spokē as became both the wisdome of God which is in no part vnperfect and Messias at whoe 's hand the reuelation of al thinges is hoped for that is to say that he left nothing afterwarde for other to be spoken Let this therefore be a stedfast principle that there is to be had no other worde of God wherunto place should be geuen in the Chirche than that which is conteined first in the law and the Prophetes and then in the writinges of the Apostles that there is no other manner of teaching rightly but according to the prescription and rule of the word Hereupon also we gather that ther was no other thing graūted to the Apostles but that which the Prophetes had had in olde tyme that is that they should expounde the olde Scripture and shewe that those thinges that are therein taught are fulfilled in Christ and yet that they should not do the same but of the Lorde that is to saye the Spirite of Christe going before them and after a certaine maner enditing wordes vnto them For Christ limited their embassage with this condition when he commaunded them to goe and teache not such thinges as they themselues had rashly forged but al those thynges that he had cōmaunded them And nothing could be more playnly spokē thā that which he saieth in an other place but be not ye called maisters for onely one is your maister Christe Then to emprint this more depely in their minde he repeteth it twise in thesame place And because their rudenesse was such that they could not cōceiue those thynges that they had heard and learned of the mouth of their maister therfore the Spirite of trueth is promised them by whō they should be directed to the true vnderstanding of al thinges For the same restrayning is to be diligētly noted where this office is assigned to the Holy ghost to put them in minde of al those thinges that he before taught them by mouth Therfore Peter who was very wel taught how much he might lawfully do leaueth nothing either to himselfe or other but to distribute the doctrine deliuered of God Let him that speaketh saieth he speake as the wordes of God that is to say not doutingly as they are wont to tremble whoe 's own cōscience misgeueth them but with sure cōfidēce which becōmeth the seruāt of God furnished with assured instructiōs What other thing is this but to forbidde al inuentions of mans minde frō what hed soeuer they haue proceded that the pure word of God may be heard learned in the Chirch
with no distrustfulnesse or doutyng but shall reste with great assurednesse and stedfast constancie So also trusting vpon the largenesse of those promises that she hath she shal haue whereupon aboūdantly to susteine her fayth that she maye nothyng doute that the best guide of the righte way the holy Spirite is alwaye presente with her but therewithall she shall kepe in memorie what vse the Lord would haue vs to receiue of his holy Spirite The Spirite sayth he which I wil send frō my Father shal leade you into al truth But how◠because sayeth he he shal put you in minde of al those thinges that I haue tolde you Therfore he geueth warning that there is nothing more to be loked for of his Spirite but that he should enlightē our mindes to perceiue the truth of his doctrine Therfore Chrisostome saieth excellently well Many sayeth he do boste of the holy Spirite but they which speake their own do falsly pretēde that they haue him As Christ testified that he spake not of himselfe because he spake out of the law the Prophetes so if any thing beside the Gospel be thrust in vnder the title of the Spirite let vs not beleue it because as Christ is the fulfilling of the law the Prophetes so is the Spirite of the Gospel These be his words Now it is esy to gather how wrōgfully our aduersaries do which bost of the Holy ghost to no other ende but to set fourth vnder his name strāge and foreine doctrines from the word of God wheras he wil with vnspeakable knott be conioined with the worde of God thesame doth Christe professe of him when he promiseth him to his Chirch So is it truly What sobrietie the Lord hath ones prescribed to his Chirch the same he wil haue to be perpetually kept But he hath forbidden her that she should not adde any thing to his worde nor take any thing frō it This is the inuiolable decree of God and of the Holy ghost whiche our aduersaries goe about to abrogate when they faine that the Chirche is ruled of the Spirite without the worde Here againe they murmure against vs say that it behoued that the Chirch shold adde some things to the writinges of the Apostles or that they thēselues should afterwarde with liuely voice supply many thinges which they had not clearly enough taught namely sith Christ said vnto them I haue many thinges to be said to you which you can not now beare and that these be the ordinances which wtout the Scripture haue ben receiued only in vse maners But what shamelessenesse is this I graūt the disciples were yet rude in a maner vnapt to learne whē the Lord said this vnto them But wer they then also holdē with such dulnesse whē they did put their doctrine in writing that they afterward neded to supply with liuely voice that which they had by fault of ignorāce omitted in their writinges But if they were already led by the Spirite of trueth into al trueth whē they did set fourth their writinges what hindred that thei haue not therin conteined left written a perfect knowledge of the doctrine of the Gospell But goe to let vs graunt them that which they require Only let them point out what be those thinges that it behoued to be reueled without writing If they dare enterprise that I wil assaile them with Augustines wordes that is When the Lord hath saied nothing of them which of vs dare say these they be or those they be or if any dare say so wherby doeth he proue it But why do I striue about a superfluous mater For a very childe doeth knowe that in the writinges of the Apostles which these men do make in a maner lame and but half perfecte there is the frute of that reuelation which the Lorde did then promise them What say they did not Christ put out of controuersy what soeuer the Chirche teacheth decreeth when the cōmaundeth him to be taken for a heathen man and a Publicane that dare saye against her Firste in that place is no mentiō made of doctrine but only the authoritie of the censures is established for correcting of vices that they which haue ben admonished or rebuked should not resist her iudgement But omitting this it is muche maruell that these losels haue so litle shame that they dare be proude of that place For what shal they get therby but that the consent of the Chirche is neuer to be despised whiche neuer consenteth but vnto the trueth of the worde of God The Chirch is to be heard say they Who denieth it forasmuch as it pronounceth nothing but out of the worde of the Lorde If they require any more let them know that these wordes of Christ do nothing take their part therin Neither oughte I to be thought to muche contentious because I stande so earnestly vpō this point That it is not lawful for the Chirche to make any new doctrine that is to teach and deliuer for an Oracle any more than that which the Lorde hath reueled by hys worde For men of sounde witt doe se how great daūger there is if so great authoritie be ones graūted to mē They se also howe wyde a wyndowe is opened to the mockynges and cauillations of the wicked if we saye that that whiche men haue iudged is to be takē for an Oracle among Christians Beside that Christ speaking according to the cōsideratiō of his own time geueth thys name to the Sinagoge that his disciples should afterwarde learne to reuerence holy assemblies of the Chirche So shoulde it come to passe that euery citie and village should haue egall authoritie in coyning of doctrines The examples which they vse do nothing helpe them They say that the Baptising of infantes proceded not so much from the expresse commaundement of the Scripture as from the decree of the Chirche But it were a very miserable succor if we were compelled to flee to the bare authoritie of the Chirche for defense of the Baptisme of infantes but it shal in an other place sufficiently appeare that it is farre otherwise Likewise whereas they obiecte that that is no where founde in the Scripture which was pronounced in the Nicene Synode that the Sōne is cōsubstantial with the Father therin they do great wrong to the fathers as though they had rashly cōdemned Arrius because he would not sweare to their wordes when he professed al that doctrine which is cōprehended in the writinges of the Prophetes Apostles This word I graūt is not in the scripture but whē therin is so oft affirmed that there is but one God againe Christ is so oft called the true eternall God one with the Father what other thyng do the fathers of the Nicene councell whē they declare that he is of one substance but simply set out the naturall sense of the Scripture But Theodorite reporteth that Constantine vsed this preface in their assemblie
In disputations sayeth he of diuine maters there is a prescribed doctrine of the Holy ghost the bokes of the Gospels and of the Apostles with the Oracles of the Prophetes do fully shewe vs the meanyng of God Therefore layeng away discorde let vs take the discussinges of questions out of the wordes of the Spirite There was at that tyme no man that spake agaynst these holy monitions No man toke exception that the Chirche might adde somwhat of her own that the Spirite reueled not all thynges to the Apostles or at least vttered them not to those that came after or any suche thyng If it be true whiche oure aduersaries would haue fyrste Constantine did euil that toke from the Chirche her authoritie then whereas none of the Bishops at that time rose vp to defend it this was not without breach of their faith for so they were betraiers of the right of the Chirche But sith Theodorite reherseth that they willingly embraced that which the Emperor saied it is certaine that this newe doctrine was then vtterly vnknowen The .ix. Chapter Of Councels and of their authoritie NOw although I graunt them al thinges concerning the Chirch yet they shal therby not much preuaile for their intent For whatsoeuer is said of the Chirch the same they by and by geue to the Councels forasmuche as in their opiniō those represent the Chirch Yea where they so stiffly contend for the power of the Chirche they doe it of no other purpose but to geue all that they can gett to the Bishop of Rome and his gard But ere I begin to discusse this question I must nedes here make protestation of twoo thinges aforehande First that where I shall in thys point be somwhat roughe it is not because I lesse esteme the olde Councels than I ought to doe For I reuerence them from my hart and wishe them to be had in their due honor with all men But herein is some meane that is that there bee nothing withdrawen from Christ. Now this is the right of Christe to be the hed in all Councells and to haue no man felow with him in this dignitie But I say that then only he is the hed when he gouerneth the whole assemblie with his worde and Spirite Secondly whereas I geue lesse to Councells thā the aduersaries require I do it not for this cause that I am afrayed of the Councells as though they dyd make for their side and wer against ours For as we are aboundantly furnished with the worde of the Lord to the full profe of our owne doctrine fully and to the ouerthrowe of the whole Papistrie that we nede not muche to desire any other thing beside it so if the mater require the old Councells do for a great part minister vnto vs so much as may suffice for both Now let vs speake of the thing it selfe If it be soughte of the Scriptures what is the authoritie of Councells there is no playner promise thā in this saying of Christ Where twoo or three shal be gathered together in my name there I am in the middest of them But that doeth no lesse belong to euery particular assemblie than to a generall Councell But the dout of the question standeth not therin but because there is a condition added that God wil so only be in the middest of the Councel if it be gathered together in hys name Therfore although oure aduersaries doe a thousande tymes name Councells of Bishops they shal litle preuail neither shal they make vs to beleue that which they affirme that is that they be gouerned of the Holy ghost vntil they haue proued that they are gathered together in the name of Christ. For it is as possible that wicked and euil Bishops may conspire against Christ as good and honest Bishops may come together in hys name For a very clere profe herof are many decrees that haue proceded from suche Councells But this shal be sene hereafter Nowe I do but aunswer in one worde that Christe promiseth nothing but to them that are gathered to gether in his name Let vs therfore define what that is I denye that they be gathered together in the name of Christ which casting awaye the commaundement of God wherein he forbiddeth any thing to bee added to his worde or taken from it do decree euery thyng after their owne wil which beyng not contented with the Oracles of the Scripture that is to saye the onely rule of perfecte wisedome do imagine some new thing of their owned hed Surelye sithe Christ hath not promised that he wyll be present at all Councels but hath adioyned a peculiar marke wherby to make true and lawfull Councells differente from other it is mete that we should not neglect this difference This is the couenant which in old tyme God made with the Leuitical Priests that they shold teach out of his mouth This he alway required of the Prophetes this lawe also we see to haue ben laid vpon the Apostles Who so breake this couenāt God doeth not vouchsafe to let them haue the honor of Presthode nor any authoritie Lette the aduersaries vndoe me this knotte if they wyl make my fayth bonde to the decrees of men beside the worde of God For wheras they think not that truth remaineth in the Chirch vnlesse it be among the Pastors and that the Chirch it self standeth not vnlesse it appere in generall Councells that is farre from hauyng ben alwaye true if the Prophetes haue left vnto vs true testimonies of their owne tymes There was in the tyme of Esaie a Chirch at Hierusalem which God had not yet forsaken But of the pastors he saith thus The watchmen are all blynde neither knowe they any thyng They are all dumme dogges neither are they able to barke They lye along and slepe and loue sleping and the Pastors themselues knowe nothyng nor do vnderstande and they do altogether loke backe vnto their owne waies After the same maner Osee saieth The watcheman of Ephraim with God the snare of the fouler hatred in the house of God Where ioyning them with God by waye of mockage he teacheth that their pretense of the presthod is vaine The Chirche also endured vnto the tyme of Hieremie Let vs heare what he saieth of the Pastors From the Prophet euen to the preste euery one foloweth lying Agayne The Prophetes doo prophecie a lye in my name when I haue not sent theim nor commaunded them And least we should be to long in recityng his wordes let those thynges be red that he hath written in the whole .xxiii. and .xl. chapiters At that time on the other side Ezechiel did no more gently inueye against the same men The conspiracie saieth he of the Prophetes in the middes of her as a roaryng lyon and that violentlye taketh his praie Her prestes haue broken my lawe and haue defiled my holy thynges and haue made no difference betwene holy and prophane and the
decree of any Councel is brought foorth I would haue it first to be diligently weyed at what tyme it was holden for what cause it was holden what maner of men were present and then the very thyng that is entreated of to be examined by the rule of the Scripture and that in suche sorte as the determination of the Councell may haue his force and be as a foreiudged sentence and yet not hinder the aforesaid examination I wold to God all men did kepe that moderation which Augustine prescribeth in the third boke against Maximinus For when he mynded brefely to put to silence this heretike contendyng about the Decrees of Councels Neither sayeth he ought I to obiect against thee the Synod of Nice nor thou against me the Synode of Ariminum as to the entent to conclude one an other by foreiudged sentēce neither am I bound by the authoritie of the one nor thou of the other By authorities of Scriptures not such as are propre to either one but suche as are common to both let there striue mater with mater cause with cause reason with reason So should it come to passe that Coūcels should haue the maiestie that they ought but in the meane season the Scripture should be alone in the hier place that there might be nothing that shold not be subiect to the rule therof So these old Synods as of Nice of Constantinople the first of Ephesus of Chalcedon and such other which were holdē for confutyng of errors we willyngly embrace and reuerēce as holy so much as belongeth to the doctrines of faith for they conteine nothyng but the pure and naturall exposition of Scripture whiche the holy fathers with spirituall wisdome applied to the subduyng of the enemies of religion that then rose vp In some of the later Councels also we se to appere a true zele of godlinesse and plaine tokens of witt learning and wisdom But as thinges ar wonte commonly to growe to worse we maye se by the later Councells howe muche the Chirch hath nowe and then degenerate from the purenesse of that golden age And I doute not but that in these corrupter ages also Councells haue had some Bishoppes of the better sorte But in these the same happened which the Senators themselues complained to be not well doone in makyng of ordinances of the senate at Rome For while the sentences are numbred not weyed it is of necessitie that oftētimes the better part is ouercom of the greater Truly they brought foorth many wicked sentences Neither is it here nedefull to gather the speciall examples either because it should be to long or because other haue doon it so diligently that there can not muche be added Now what nede I to reherse Councels disagreyng with Councels And it is no cause that any should murmure against me and say that of those Councels that disagree the one is not lawfull For howe shall we iudge that By this if I be not deceiued that we shall iudge by the Scriptures that the decrees thereof are not agreable with true doctrine For this is the onely certaine law to discerne them by It is now about nine hundred yeares agoe sins the Synode of Constantinople gathered together vnder Leo the Emperour iudged that images sette vp in Chirches should be ouerthrowen and broken in pieces A lyttell afterward the Councell of Nice which Irene the Empresse assembled in spite of him decreed that they shoulde bee restored Whether of these two shall we acknowledge for a lawful Counsell The later which gaue images a place in Chirches hath preuailed among the people But Augustine saith that that can not be doone without moste present perill of idolatrie Epiphanius whiche was before in tyme speaketh much more sharply for he saith that it is wickednesse abhomination to haue images seen in a Chirche of Christians Wold they that so speake allowe that Councell if they were aliue at this day But if bothe the hystorians tell truth and the very actes be beleued not only images them selues but also the worshipping of them was there receiued But it is euident that suche a decree came from Satan How say you to this that in deprauing and tearing the Scripture they shew that they made a mocking stocke of it Whiche thyng I haue before sufficiently made open Howsoeuer it be we shall no otherwise be able to discerne betwene contrarye and disagreyng Synodes whiche were many vnlesse we trie them all by that balance of all men and angels that is by the worde of the Lord. So we embrace the Synode of Chalcedon refusyng the seconde Synode of Ephesus because in this latter one the wickednesse of Eutyches was confirmed which the other former condemned This thing holy mē haue iudged none otherwise but by the Scripture whom we so folowe in iudgyng that the woorde of God which gaue light to them doeth also nowe geue light to vs. Nowe let the Romanistes goe and boast as they are wont that the Holy ghost is fastned and bound to their Councells Howbeit there is also somwhat which a man may well thinke to bee wantyng in those auncient and purer Councels either because thei that then were at them beyng otherwise learned and wise men wholly bent to the businesse then in hande did not foresee many other thyngs or for that many thynges of lighter importance escaped them beeyng busied with weightier and more earnest maters or for that simply as beeyng menne they myghte bee deceiued with vnskilfulnesse or for that they were sometyme caried headlong with to muche affection Of this laste point whiche semeth the hardest of all there was a plaine example in the Nicene Synode the dignitie whereof hath by consent of all men as it was worthy ben receiued with most hye reuerence For when the principall article of our faith was there in daunger Arrius the enemie was present in redinesse with whom they must fyght hande to hande and the chief emportance lay in the agrement of them that came prepared to fight againste the error of Arrius this not withstandyng they carelesse of so great daūgers yea as it were hauyng forgotten grauitie modestie all humanitie leauyng the battel that they had in hand as if they had com thether of purpose to do Arrius a pleasure began to woūd themselues with inward dissentions and to tourne against themselues the stile that should haue ben bent against Arrius There were hearde fowle obiectyngs of crimes there were scattered bokes of accusations and there would haue ben no ende made of contentions vntill they had with mutuall woundes one destroied an other vnlesse the Emperor Constantine had preuēted it which professyng that the examinyng of their life was a mater aboue his knowledge and chastised suche intemperance rather with praise than with rebukyng How many waies is it credible that the other Councels also failed whiche folowed afterward Neither doeth this mater nede long profe For if a man reade ouer the actes of the Councels he shall note
therin many infirmities though I speake of nothyng more greuous And Leo bishop of Rome sticketh not to charge with ambition and vnaduised rashnesse the Synode of Chalcedon which yet he confesseth to be sounde in doctrines He doeth in dede not denie that it was a lawfull Synode but he openly affirmeth that it might erre Some man peraduenture will thinke me fonde for that I busy my selfe in shewyng suche errors forasmuche as our aduersaries do confesse that Councels may erre in those thyngs that ar not necessary to saluation But this labor is not yet superfluous For althoughe because they are compelled they do in dede confesse it in worde yet when they thrust vnto vs the determination of al councels in euery mater whatsoeuer it be for an oracle of the Holy ghost they do therein require more than they toke at the beginnyng In so doing what do they affirme but that Coūcels can not erre or if they erre yet it is not lawfull for vs to see the truthe or not to soothe their errors And I intend nothyng ells but that it may therby be gathered that the Holy ghost so gouerned the godly and holy Synodes that in the mean tyme he suffred somwhat to happen to them by the nature of men lest we shold to muche trust to men This is a muche better sentence than that of Gregorie Nazianzene that he neuer sawe a good end of any Councel For he that affirmeth that al without exception ended ill doth not leaue them much authoritie It is now nothyng nedefull to make mention seuerally of prouinciall Councells forasmuche as it is easy to iudge by the general how much authoritie they ought to haue to make newe articles of Faithe and to receiue what kynde of doctrine soeuer it pleaseth them But our Romanistes when they see that in defence of their cause all helpe of reason doth faile them do resort to that extreme and miserable shift that although the men themselues be blockishe in wit and coūsell and moste wicked in mynde and will yet the word of God remaineth whiche cōmaundeth to obey Rulers Is it so what if I denie that they be rulers that ar such For they ought to take vpon themselues no more than Iosua had which was bothe a Prophet of the Lord an excellent pastor But let vs heare with what wordes he is set by the Lorde into his office Let not saieth he the volume of this lawe depart from thy mouth but thou shalt studie vpon it daies nights Thou shalt neither bow to the right hand nor to the left then shalt thou direct thy way vnderstād it They therfore shal be to vs spiritual rulers which shal not bowe frō the law of the Lord neither to the one side nor to the other But if the doctrine of al pastors whatsoeuer they be is to be receiued wtout any douting to what purpose was it that we shold so oft so earnestly be admonished not to harken to the speche of false prophets Heare not saith he by Hieremie the words of the prophets that prophecie to you For they teach you vanitie not out of the mouth of the Lord. Again Beware you of false prophets that come vnto you in shepes clothing but inwardly are rauening wolues And Iohn should in vaine exhort vs that we should proue the Spirits whether they be of God From which iudgement the very Angels are not exēpted much lesse Satan with all his lyes What is to be said of this saying if the blind lead the blind they shal both fall into the diche Doth it not sufficiently declare that it is of great importance what maner of prophets be heard and that not all are rashely to be heard Wherfore there is no reason that they should make vs afraid with their titles therby to draw vs into partakyng of their blyndnesse forasmuche as we see on the other side that the Lorde hadde a singular care to fray vs away from suffring our selues to be led with other mens error vnder what visor of name soeuer it lurketh For if the answer of Christ be true then al blynd guides whether they be called fathers of the Chirch or prelates or bishops can do nothing but draw their partners into the same headlong downfall Wherfore let no names of Councels Pastors Bishops which may as well be falsely pretended as truely vsed hinder vs but that beyng taught by lessons both of words and examples we may examine all spirites of all men by the rule of the word of God that we may proue whether they be of God or no. Forasmuche as we haue proued that there is not geuen to the Chirch a power to set vp a newe doctrine now let vs speake of the power whiche they attribute vnto it in expoundyng of Scripture Truely we doo willingly graunt that if there happen debate about any doctrine there is no better nor surer remedy than if a Synode of true bishops assemble together where the doctrine in controuersie maie be discussed For suche a determination wherunto the Pastors of Chirches shall agree in common together calling vpon the Spirite of Christ shall haue muche greater force than if euery one seuerally should conceiue it at home so teach it to the people or if a few priuate men shold make it Again when bishops are gathered together in one they doo the more cōmodiously take aduise in cōmon what in what forme they ought to teach least diuersitie shold brede offence Thirdely Paule prescribeth this order in discerning of doctrines For wheras he geueth to euery seuerall Chirche a power to discerne he sheweth what is the order of doyng in weightier causes that is that the Chirches shold take vpon them a cōmon tryall of the mater together And so doth the very feeling of godlinesse instructe vs that if any man trouble the Chirch with an vnwonted doctrine the mater procede so farre that there be peril of greater dissention the Chirches shold first mete together and examine the question propounded at last after iuste discussing had bryng foorthe a determination taken out of the Scripture suche as may both take away doutyng out of the people and stoppe the mouthes of wicked and gredy men that they may not bee so hardy to procede any further So when Arrius was risen the Nicene Synode was gathered together whiche with the authoritie therof bothe did breake the wicked endeuors of the vngodly man and restored peace to the Chirches whiche he had vexed and defended the eternall godhead of Christ againste his blasphemous doctrine When afterward Eunonius and Macedonius stirred vp new troubles their madnesse was resisted with like remedie by the Synode of Constantinople In the Coūsel at Ephesus the wickednesse of Nestorius was banished Finally this hath ben from the beginning the ordinarie meane in the Chirch to preserue vnitie so ofte as Satan began to worke any thyng But let vs remembre that not in all ages or in all places
power which they haue at this day and for the obteining or encreasing wherof they haue so troubled Christendome by the space of twoo hundred yeres for they began before that they toke to them the dominion of the citie that they haue almost destroyed it In the olde tyme whē vnder Gregorie the kepers of the goods of the Chirch did take possessiō of the landes which they reckened to belong to the Chirch and after the maner of seising to the vse of the Prince did sett tittles vpon them for token of claime Gregorie assembling a Councell of Bishops inueying sore against that prophane maner asked whether they did not iudge the Clerke accursed which did of his own will by wryting of any title attempt to entre vpon any possession They al pronoūced accursed If to claime a pece to groūde by wryting of a title be in a Clerke an offense worthy of accursing when whole twoo hundred yeres together Popes do practise nothing ells but battells sheding of blood destructions of armies sackinges of some cities racing of other ouerthrowes of natiōs wastinges of kingdomes only they that might catch hold of other mens possessions what cursinges can be enough to punish such examples Truly it is very plaine that they seke nothing lesse that the glory of Christ. For if they of their own wil do wholy resigne al the secular power that they haue therin is no danger to the glory of God no danger to sounde doctrine no danger to the safetie of the Chirch but they are carryed blinde and hedlong with only gredinesse of dominion because they thinke nothing safe vnlesse they may beare rule with rigorousnesse as the Prophete sayth and with power To iurisdictiō is annexed immunitie which the Romish Clergie toke to themselues For they thinke it against their dignitie if they answere in personal causes before a tēporal iudge therin they think both the libertie dignitie of the Chirch to consist if they be exēpt frō cōmō iugemētes and lawes But the old Bishops which otherwise were most rigorous in defēding the right of the Chirch iudged themselues their order to be nothing hurt if they were subiect to them And the godly Emperours wtout gaine saying of any man did alway call Clerkes to their iugemēt seates so oft as nede required For thus saith Constantine in hys Epistle to the Nicomedians If any of the Bishops shall vndiscretly disorder hymselfe his boldnesse shal be restrained by the execution of the minister of God that is by my execution And Valentinian saith good Bishops do not speake againste the power of the Emperor but doe sincerely both kepe the cōmaundemētes of God the great king also obey our lawes At that tyme all men were persuaded of thys without controuersy But ecclesiasticall causes were referred to the iugemente of the Bishop As if any Clerke had offended nothing against the lawes but onely was accused by the Canons he was not cited to the commō iugement seate but in that cause had the Bishop for hys iudge Lykewyse if there were a question of Fayth in controuersie or such a mater as properly perteined to the Chirch the iugement therof was committed to the Chirch So is that to be vnderstanded which Ambrose wryteth to Ualentinian Your father of honorable memory not only answered in worde but also decreed by lawes that in a cause of Fayth he ought to be iudge that is neither vnfit in office nor vnlike in ryght Agayne If we haue regarde to the Scriptures or olde examples who is there that can denye that in a cause of Faith in a cause I say of Fayth Bishops are wonte to iudge of Christian Emperours and not Emperours of Bishops Agayne I would haue come O Emperor to your consistorie if either the Bishops or the people would haue suffred me to goe saying that the cause of Fayth ought to be debated in the Chirch before the people He affirmeth verily that a spiritual cause that is to say the cause of religiō ought not to be drawen into the temporal court where prophane causes are pleaded Worthily do all men prayse hys constance in thys behalfe And yet in a good cause he procedeth but thus farr that if it come to violence and strong hande he sayeth that he wyll geue place Willingly sayth he I will not forsake the place committed vnto me but when I am enforced I knowe not howe to resist for our armure are prayers and teares Let vs note the singular modestie and wisdome of the holy man ioyned with stoutenesse of courage and boldnesse Iustina the Emperours mother because she could not drawe hym to the Arrians side practised to dryue hym from the gouernement of the Chirche And so should it haue come to passe if he had come when he was called to the palace to pleade hys cause Therefore he denyeth the Emperor to be a competent iudge of so great a controuersie Which maner of doing both the necessitie of that tyme and the continual nature of the mater required For he iudged that he ought rather to dye than that suche an example should by his consent be geuen to posteritie and yet if violence be offered he thynketh not of resistance For he denyeth it to be Bishiplike to defende the Fayth and ryght of the Chirch with armes But in other causes he sheweth hymselfe redy to do whatsoeuer the Emperor shall commaunde hym If he demaunde tribute sayth he we denye it not the landes of the Chirch do pay tribute If he aske landes he hath power to claime them none of vs resisteth After the same manner also speaketh Gregorie I am not ignorant sayeth he of the mynde of our most noble soueraigne Lorde that he vseth not to entermeddle in causes perteining to prestes least he should in any thyng be burdened with our synnes He doth not generally exclude the Emperor from iudgyng of Prestes but he sayth that there be certayne causes which he oughte to leaue to the iugement of the Chirch And by thys very exception the holy men soughte nothing ells but that Prynces lesse zelous of religion should not wyth tyrannous violence and wilfulnesse interrupte the Chirch in doyng her offyce For neither did they disallowe if Prynces somtyme dyd vse their authoritie in ecclesiastical maters so that it were done to preserue the order of the Chirch not to trouble it to stablishe discipline not to dissolue it For sith the Chirch hath not the power of compelling nor oughte to require it I speake of ciuile constrayning it is the office of Godly kynges and Princes to mainteine religion with lawes proclemations and iudicial procedinges After thys maner when the Emperor Maurice had commaunded certaine Bishops that they should receiue their fellowe Bishops that were their neighbors and driuen oute by the barbarous nations Gregorie confirmeth that commaundemente and exhorteth them to obeye it And when he himselfe is admonished by the same Emperor to come to atonement with
wine that they nede to be caried away dronken is tolerable It was ordeined to eate but ones in a day thys these good successors haue not abrogate but they gaue leaue to continue their surfettinges from midde day to midde nighte The custome was that men should make an ende of their dayes iourney fasting But it was at libertie and vsedly the custome for auoyding of werinesse to shorten their iourney to twoo houres Whensoeuer the Papistes shall pretende their bastarde rules to shewe themselues to be like to the holy fathers this example shall sufficiently reproue their fonde counterfaiting that no painter can more liuely expresse it In one thing they be to rigorous and vnentreatable that they geue not leaue to Prestes to mary But howe greate libertie there is among them to vse whordome vnpunished is not nedefull to be spoken and bearing them bolde vpon their stinking vnmaried life they haue hardened themselues to all wicked doinges But this forbidding doeth plainly shewe howe pestilente all their traditions are forasmuch as it hath not onely spoiled the Chirch of good and fit Pastors but also hath broughte in a horrible sinke of mischeues and throwen many soules into the gulfe of desperation Truely whereas mariage hath ben forbidden to Prestes that same hath been done by wicked tyrannie not onely againste the woorde of God but also against all equitie Firste to forbidde that whiche the Lorde had lefte at libertie was by no meanes lawfull for men Againe that God hath expressely prouided by hys woorde that this libertie should not be broken is so euidente that it nedeth no long demonstration I speake not how Paule in many places willeth a Bishop to be the husbande of one wyfe But what coulde be more vehemently spoken than where he pronounceth by the Holy ghost that there shal be in the last tymes wicked men that shall forbidde mariage and he calleth them not onely deceiuers but deuells This therefore is a Prophecie thys is a holy Oracle of the Holy ghost wherewith he willed to arme the Chirche aforehande againste dangers that the forbidding of mariage is the doctrine of deuells But they thinke that they haue gaily escaped when they wrest thys sentence to Montanus the Tatrans Eucratites and other olde heretikes They onely saye they condemned mariage but we dooe not condemne it but debarre the Clergie from it for whom we thynke it not to be conuenient As though albeit this prophecy was first fulfilled in those aforesaid meÌ„ it might not also be applied to these or as though this childish fond sutteltie were worth the hearing that they saye that they forbidde it not because they forbid it not to all For it is al one as if a tyrant woâ—ld affirme that it is not an vniust law with vniustice wherof one part 〈◊〉 of the citie is oppressed They obiect that the Prest doth by some marke differ from the people As though the Lorde did not also foresee this with what ornameÌ„ts Prestes oughte to excell So they accuse the Apostle of troubling the order and confounding the comlinesse of the Chirch which when he portrayed out the absolute forme of a good Bishop durste set mariage among the other giftes which he required in hym I knowe howe they expounde this namely that none is to be chosen that hath had a seconde wife And I graunt that this is not a new exposition but that it is a false exposition appeareth by the texte it selfe because he by and by after setteth out of what qualities the wiues of Bishops and Deacons ought to be Paule reckeneth mariage among the vertues of a Bishop these men teache that it is an intollerable faulte in the order of the Clergie And on Gods name not contented with this generall disprayse they call it in their canons vnclennesse and defiling of the fleshe Let euery man thynke with himselfe out of what workshop these things be come Christ vouchesaueth so to honor mariage that he willeth it to be an image of his holy conioyning with the Chirch What coulde be spoken more honorably to set out the dignitie of mariage With what face therefore shall that be called vncleane or defiled wherein shineth a lykenesse of the spirituall grace of Christ But nowe when their forbidding so euidently fighteth with the word of God yet they fynde in the Scriptures wherewith to defende it The Leuiticall Prestes were bounde to lie a sonder from their wiues so oft as it came to their turnes to minister that they might handle the holye thinges pure and vndefiled Therefore it were very vncomly that our holy thinges sithe they be bothe much more noble and daily shoulde be handled of maryed men As though there were all one person of the minister of the Gospell as was of the Leuiticall Presthode For they as figures represented Christ which being the mediator of God and men should with most absolute purenesse reconcile the Father vnto vs. But when sinners could not in euery behalfe expresse the figure of his holinesse yet that they might with certaine grosse draughtes yeld a shadowe of hym they were commaunded to purifie themselues beyond the maner of men wheÌ„ they came to the Sanctuarie namely because they then properly figured Christ for that as pacifiers to recoÌ„cile the people to God they appeared at the tabernacle the image of the heaueÌ„ly iugement seate Forasmuch as the Pastors of the Chirch do not beare this persone at thys day therfore they are vainly coÌ„pared with them Wherfore the Apostle doth without exception boldly pronouÌ„ce that mariage is honorable among all men but that for whoremongers adulterers abideth the iugement of God And the Apostles theÌ„selues did with their own example approue that mariage is not vnmete for the holinesse of any office be it neuer so excellent For Paul witnesseth that they did not only kepe wynes but also carryed them about with them Againe it was a maruelous shamelesnesse that they durst set out this comlinesse of chastitie for a necessarie thing to the great reproche of the old Chirch which when it abouÌ„ded with singular learning of God yet excelled more in holinesse For if they passe not vpoÌ„ the Apostles as they are wont somtime stoutely to despise them what I beseche you wil they do to all the old fathers whome it is certaine to haue not only suffered but also allowed mariage in the order of Bishops They forsooth did nourish a filthy profaning of holy things forasmuch as so the mysteries of the Lord were not rightly reuerenced among them It was moued in dede in the Nicene Sinode to haue vnmaried life commaunded as there alway want not some superstitious men whiche doe euer inuente some new thing to bring themselues in admiration But what was decreed The sentence of Paphuntius was assented to which pronounced that a mans lyeng with his owne wife is chastitie Therefore mariage remained holy among them neither did it turne them to any shame nor was thought
comming diminished or cut short the grace of his Father Which sayeng is not wtout abhominable blasphemie Wherfore as euen the children of the Iewes wer called a holy sede because beyng made heires of the same couenant they were made differing from the children of the vngodly for the same reson euen yet also the children of Christians are accompted holy yea although they be the issue but of one parent faythfull and as the Apostle witnesseth they differ from the vncleane sede of idolatrers Now when the Lord immediatly after the couenant made with Abraham commaunded the same to be sealed in infantes with an outwarde Sacrament what cause will Christians allege why they should not at this day testifie and seale thesame in their children Neither let any maÌ„ obiecte against me that the Lorde commaunded hys couenante to be confirmed with no other signe than of circumcision which is long agoe taken away For we haue in redinesse to answere that for the tyme of the olde testamente he ordeined circumcision to confirme his couenant but circumcision being taken away yet alway remaineth the same maner of confirming whiche we haue common with the Iewes Wherfore we must alway diligently consider what is common to bothe and what they haue seuerall from vs. The couenant is common the cause of confirming it is common Onely the manner of confirming is diuerse because circumcision was that to them in place whereof Baptisme hath succeded among vs. Otherwise if the testimonie whereby the Iewes were assured of the saluation of their sede be taken away from vs it shoulde be broughte to passe by the comming of Christ that the grace of God should be darker and lesse approued by testimonies to vs than it was before to the Iewes If that can not be sayd wtout extreme sclaunder of Christ by whom the infinite goodnesse of the Father hath more clerely and liberally than euer heretofore ben poured fourth vpon the earth and declared to men we must nedes graunt that it is at the least not more pinchingly to be suppressed nor to be sett fourth with lesse testimonie than it was vnder the darke shadowes of the lawe Wherefore the Lorde Iesus mynding to shewe a token whereby the worlde mighte vnderstande that he was come rather to enlarge than to limit the mercy of God gently embraced children offred vnto hym rebuking the disciples which went about to forbid them to come to hym forasmuche as they did leade those to whome the kingdome of heauen belongeth away from him by whome alone the entrie is open into heauen But will some man say what like thing hath Baptisme with this embracing of Christ. For neither is it reported that he Baptized them but that he receiued them embraced them and wished them well Therefore if we lift to folowe his example let vs helpe infantes with prayer but not Baptise them But let vs weye the doinges of Christe somwhat more hedefully than suche kinde of men doe For neither is this to be lightly passed ouer that Christ commaundeth infantes to be brought vnto him adding a reasoÌ„ why because of such is the kingdome of heauen And afterwarde he witnesseth hys wil with dede when embracing them he commendeth them to his Father with his praier and blessing If it be mete that infantes be brought to Christ why is it not also mete that they be receiued to Baptisme the signe of our communion and felowship with Christ If the kingdome of heaueÌ„ be theirs why shall the signe be denied them wherby there is as it were an entrie opened into the Chirch that being admitted into it they may be adnoÌ„bred among the hetres of the heauenly kingdome Howe vninst shall we be if we dryue away them whome Christ calleth vnto hym if we spoyle them whome he garnisheth with his gyftes if we shutt out them whoÌ„ he willingly receiueth But if we will examine howe muche that which Christe there did differeth from Baptisme yet of howe muche greater pryce shall we haue Baptisme whereby we testifie that infantes are conteined in the couenant of God than receiuing embracing layeng on of handes and prayer whereby Christe himselfe being presente declareth that they bothe are hys and are sanctified of hym By the other cauillations whereby they labor to mocke out thys place they doe nothing but bewraye their owne ignorance For they gather an argument of this which Christ sayth Let litle ones come to me that they were in age good bigg ones whiche were allredy able to goe But they are called of the Euangelistes brephe and paidia by which wordes the Grekes doe signifie babes yet hanging on the brestes Therefore thys woorde to come is simply sette for to haue accesse Loe what snares they are compelled to make which are growen hard againste the truthe Nowe where they saye that the kingdome of heauen is not geuen to them but to suche as be lyke them because it is saied to be of suche not of them that is no sounder than the rest For if that be graunted what maner of reason shal the reason of Christ be wherby he meaneth to shewe that infantes in age are not strangers from hym When he commaundeth that infantes be suffered to haue accesse vnto him nothyng is plainer than that very infancie in dede is there spoken of And that this should not seme an absurditie he by and by addeth of suche is the kingdome of heauen But if it muste nedes be that infantes be comprehended herein it muste be plaine that by this worde Suche are meant very infantes themselues and suche as be like them Now there is no man that seeth not that Baptisme of infantes was not framed by man which is vpholden by so great approuyng of Scripture Neither doo they colorably enough play the fooles which obiect that it is no where found that any one infant was baptised by the handes of the Apostles For although it be not expressly by name rehearsed of the Euangelistes yet because agayne they are not excluded so ofte as mention happeneth to be made of the baptisyng of any householde who vnlesse he be madde can reason therupon that they were not baptised If such argumentes were of any force women should be forbidden to partake of the Lordes supper whome we reade not to haue ben receiued vnto it in the tyme of the Apostles But here we bee contente with the rule of faith For when we consider what the institution of the Sâ—pper requireth therby also we maye easily iudge to whom the vse therof ought to be communicated Which we obserue also in Baptisme For when we marke to what ende it was ordeined we euidently espye that it belongeth no lesse to infants than to elder folkes Therefore they can not be depriued of it but that the will of the author muste be manifestly defrauded But wheras they spred abrode among the simple people that there passed a long roawe of yeares after the resurrection of Christ in which the Baptisme of
whole space of heauen and earth shold in so great distance of places not only be conioyned but also vnited that soules may receiue foode of the fleshe of Christe Therfore let waiward men cesse to procure hatred to vs by a filthy sclaunder as though we did enuiously restraine any thyng of the immeasurable power of God For they do either to foolishly erre or to maliciously lye For it is not here in question what God coulde but what he woulde We affirme that to bee done which pleased hym But it pleased hym that Christ shold be made like to his brethren in all thyngs except synne What maner of thyng is our fleshe Is it not suche as consisteth of the certaine measure of it as is conteined in place as is touched as is seen And why say they may not God make that one selfe same fleshe may occupie many and diuers places may be conteined in no place may be without measure forme Thou madde man why requirest thou of the power of God to make fleshe at one selfe tyme to be and not to be fleshe Like as if thou sholdest instantly require hym to make at one self tyme the light to be bothe light darknesse But he willeth light to be light darknesse to be darknesse fleshe to be fleshe He shall in deede when it pleaseth hym turne darknesse into lyght and lyght into darknesse but wen thou requirest that lyght and darknesse may not differ what doest thou els but peruert the order of the wisdome of God Therefore fleshe must be fleshe and Spirite Spirite euery thyng in suche lawe and condition as God hath created it But suche is the condition of fleshe that it muste be in one yea and that a certaine place and consist of her measure and other forme With thys condition Christ toke fleshe vpon him to whiche as Augustine witnesseth he hath geuen in dede vncorruption and glorye but he hath not taken from it nature and truth They answer that they haue the worde whereby the will of God is made playne namely if it be graunted them to banish out of the Chirch the gifte of exposition whiche may bring lighte to the worde I graunt that they haue the worde but suche as in olde tyme the Anthropomorphites had when they made God hauing a body suche as Marcion and the Manichees had when they fayned the body of Christ to be eyther heauenly or fantasticall For they alleged for testimonies The firste Adam was of the earth earthly the seconde Adam is of heauen heauēly Againe Christ abaced himselfe taking vpon him the forme of a seruant and was founde in likenesse as a mā But the grosse eaters think that there is no power of God vnlesse with the monster forged in their braines the whole order of nature be ouerthrowen whiche is rather to limit God when we couet with our fained inuētions to proue what he can do For out of what worde haue they taken that the body of Christe is visible in heauen but lurketh inuisible in earth vnder ▪ innumerable litle peces of bred They wil say that necessitie requireth this that the body of Christe should be geuen in the Supper Uerily because it pleased them to gather a fleshly eating out of the wordes of Christ they being caried away with their owne foreiugement were driuen to necessitie to coine this sutteltie which the whole Scripture crieth out against But that any thing is by vs diminished of the power of God is so false that by our doctrine the prayse of it is very honorably set out But forasmuche as they alway accuse vs that we defraude God of hys honor when we refuse that whiche according to common sense is hard to be beleued although it haue ben promised by the mouth of Christ I make againe the same answere that I made euen nowe that in the mysteries of Fayth we doe not aske counsell of common sense but with quiet willingnesse to learne and with the Spirite of mekenesse whiche Iames commendeth we receiue the doctrine come from heauen But in that when they perniciously erre I deny not that we followe a profitable moderation They hearing the wordes of Christe Thys is my bodye imagine a miracle moste farre from hys mynde But when out of thys fayned inuention aryse fowle absurdities because they haue allready with hedlong hast put snares vpon themselues they plunge themselues into the bottomlesse depthe of the almightinesse of God that by thys meane they may quenche the lyght of truthe Hereupon commeth that proude precisenesse We will not knowe howe Christe lyeth hydde vnder the bred holdyng our selues cōtented with thys saying of hys This is my body But we as we doe in the whole Scripture doe with no lesse obedience than care studye to obteyne a sounde vnderstanding of thys place neither doe we with preposterous heate rashly and without choise catch holde of that which first thrusteth it selfe into our myndes but vsing diligent musing vpon it we embrace the meaning whiche the Spirite of God ministreth and standing thereupon we doe from alofte despise whatsoeuer earthly wisdome is set against it Yea we holde our myndes captiue that they may not be bolde so muche as with one litle worde to carpe against it and do humble them that they maye not dare to rise vp against it Hereupon sprong vp the exposition of the woordes of Christ which to be by the continual vsage of the Scripture common to al Sacramentes al they that haue ben though but meanely exercysed therin do knowe Neither do we after the exāple of the holy virgin thynke it lawful for vs in a hard mater to enquire how it may be done But because nothing shal more auaile to confirme the Fayth of the godly than when they haue learned that the doctrine whiche we haue taughte is taken out of the worde of God and standeth vpon the authoritie thereof I will make this also euident with as greate brefenesse as I can The body of Christ sins the tyme tha◠it rose agayne not Aristotle but the Holy ghost teacheth to be limited and that it is comprehēded in heauen vntill the laste day Neither am I ignorante that they boldly mock out those places that are alleged for thys purpose So oft as Christ sayth that he wil departe leauing the world they answer that that departing is nothing ells but a changing of mortall state But after this manner Christe shoulde not set the Holy ghost in hys place to supplye as they call it the wante of hys absence forasmuche as he doth not succede into his place nor Christ himselfe doth descende again oute of the heauenly glorye to take vppon hym the state of mortall lyfe Truely the commyng of the Holy ghost and the ascending of Christe are thynges set as contrarie therefore it can not be that Christe should according to the fleshe dwel with vs after the same manner that he sendeth his Spirite Moreouer he in playne wordes
and wheras it was necessarie that they which were mingled with prophane men and idolatrers should by some outwarde signe testifie their Fayth the holy man for order and policies sake appoynted that day wherin the whole people of Christians should by partaking of the Lordes Supper vtter a confession of their faith The ordinance of zepherinus being otherwise good hath ben euel wrested of them that came after when a certaine law was made of one communicating yerely wherby it is come to passe that almost al men when they haue ones communicate as though they had gaily discharged themselues for al the rest of the yere slepe soundly on bothe eares It ought to haue ben farr otherwise done Euery weke at the least the Lordes table shoulde be sett before the assemblie of the Christians the promises should be declared which might fede vs spiritually at it none should in dede be compelled by necessitie but all should be exhorted and prycked forwarde the sluggishnesse also of the slouthfull should be rebuked All should by heapes as hungry men come together to such deynties Not without rightfull cause therefore at the beginning I complayned that by the craft of the deuil this custome was thrust in which whē it apointeth one certaine day of the yere maketh men slouthfull for all the reste of the yere We se in dede that this peruerse abuse was crept in euen in the tyme of Chrysostome but we may also therewithall see how muche it displeased hym For he complaineth with greuous wordes in thesame place whiche I euen nowe alleged that there is so great inequalitie of this mater that often in sometimes of the yere they came not euen whē they were cleane but at Easter they came euē whē they were vncleane Then he cryeth out O custome O presumption Then in vaine is the daily offring vsed in vaine we stande at the altar there is none that partaketh together with vs. So farr is it of that he alowed it by his authoritie adioyned to it Out of the same shop proceded also an other ordinance whiche hath stolen away or violently taken away the halfe of the Supper from the better nūber of the people of God namely the signe of the blood which beyng denyed to lay and profane men for with such titles forsothe they set out Gods inheritance became a peculiar possession to shauen anoynted men It is the commaundement of the eternall God that al should drynke which commaundement man dare discontinue and repelle with a new and contrarie law commaunding that not all shoulde drynke And that these law makers should not seme to fight wtout reson against their God they pretende perils that myght happen if this holy cup were commonly geuen to all as though those dangers had not ben foreseen and marked of the eternal wisdome of God And then suttelly forsothe they reson that the one is enough for both For if say they it be the body it is whole Christ which can not now be seuered frō hys body Therfore by Accompanieng the body conteineth the blood Loe how our wit agreeth with God when it hath neuer so litle begon with loose reines to be wanton and wilde The Lord shewing bred saith that it is his body when he sheweth the cup he calleth it his blood The boldnesse of mans reason crieth out contrariwise that the bred is the blood and the wine is the body as though the Lord had for no cause seuered his body from his blood bothe in wordes and in signes or as though it had euer ben heard spoken that the body or blood of Christ is called God man Uerily if he had ment to signifie whole himselfe he might haue sayed it is I as he is wont to speake in the Scriptures and not thys is my body thys is my blood But he willing to helpe our weaknesse did set the cup seuerally from the bred to teache that he sufficeth no lesse for drinke than for meate Nowe let one part be taken away then we shall finde but the one halfe of the nourishmentes in him Therfore although it be true which they pretende that the blood is in the bred by way of Accompanieng and againe the body in the cup yet they defraude godly soules of the confirmation of Fayth whiche Christe deliuereth as necessarie Therefore bidding their suttelties farewell we muste holde faste the profit whiche is by the ordinance of Christe in the twoo earnestes I knowe in dede that the ministers of Satan doe here cauil as it is an ordinarie thing with them to make mockerie of the Scriptures First thei allege that of one bare doing ought not to be gathered a rule wherby the Chirch should be bounde to perpetual obseruing But they lye when they say that it was but a bare doyng for Christ did not only deliuer the cuppe but also did institute that his Apostles should in tyme to come doo the same For they are the wordes of a commaunder drinke ye all of this cuppe And Paule so reherseth that it was a dede that he also commendeth it for a certain rule An other starting hole is that the Apostles alone were receiued of Christ to the partaking of this Supper whome he had already chosen and taken into the order of the sacrificyng prestes But I would haue them answere me to fiue questions from which they shall not be able to escape but that they shall be easily conuinced with their lies Fyrst by what oracle haue they this solution reueled beyng so strange from the worde of God The Scripture reckeneth .xii. that sate with Iesus but it dothe not so obscure the dignitie of Christ that it calleth them sacrificing prestes of which name we will speake hereafter in place fit for it Though he gaue it then to the .xii. yet he commaunded that they should do the same namely that they shold so distribute it among them Secondely why in that better age from the Apostles almost a thousand yeres were al without exception made partakers of bothe the signes was the old Chirche ignorant what gestes Christ had receiued to his Supper It were a point of moste desperate shamelesnesse here to sticke and dally in graūtyng it to bee true There remayne the ecclesiasticall hystories there remayne the bokes of the old writers which minister euident testimonies of this matter The fleshe sayth Tertullian is fed with the body blood of Christ that the soule may be fatted with fedyng vpon God How sayd Ambrose to Theodosius wilt thou receiue with suche handes the holy body of the Lorde With what boldnesse wilte thou with thy mouthe partake of the cup of the precious blood And Hierome sayth The prestes whiche make the Thankesgeuing and do distribute the blood of the Lorde to the people Chrysostome Not as in the olde lawe the prest did eate parte and the people part but one body is set before all and one cuppe Those thynges that perteine to the Thankesgeuing are all cōmon betwene the
reson called a sacrifice but because it is the remēbrance image and witnesse of that singular true and only sacrifice wherwith Christ hath cleansed vs. Also there is a notable place in hys fourth boke of the Trinitie the xxiiii Chapter where after that he hath discoursed of the only sacrifice he thus concludeth because in a sacrifice fower things ar cōsidered to whō it is offred and of whō what is offred for whō The same he himselfe the one and true mediator recōciling vs to God by the sacrifice of peace remaineth one wyth hym to whō he offred maketh them one in hym for whom he offred is one himselfe which offred the thing which he offred To the same effect also speaketh Chrysostome But they so chalenge the honor of sacrificing presthode to Christ that Augustine testifieth it to be the voice of Antichrist if any man make a Bishop intercessor betwene God men Yet do we not deny but that the offring vp of Christ is there so shewed in vs that the spectacle of the crosse is in a maner set before our eyes as the Apostle sayth that Christ was crucified in the eyes of the Galathians whē the preaching of the crosse was set before them But forasmuch as I se that those olde Fathers also wrested thys remembrāce an other waye thā was agreable with the institutiō of the Lord because their Supper cōteined I wote not what repeted or at least renewed forme of sacrificīg the safest way for godly hartes shal be to rest in the pure simple ordināce of God whoe 's also the Supper is therfore called because in it his authoritie alone oughte to be in force Truely sithe I fynde that they haue kepte a Godly and true sense of thys whole mysterie and I doe not perceiue that they meante to abate any thyng were it neuer so litle from the only sacrifice of the Lord I can not condemne them of vngodlinesse yet I thynke that they can not be excused but that they haue offended somwhat in the maner of the celebration For they counterfaited the Iewishe manner of sacrificing more nerely than either Christ had ordeined or the nature of the Gospel did beare Therefore that same ouerthwart appliance to heauenly thynges is the only thing wherin a man may worthily blame them for that beyng not contented with the simple and natural institution of Christe they swarued to the shadowes of the law If a man do diligently wey that this differēce is put by the worde of the Lord betwene the sacrifices of Moses our Thankesgeuing that wheras those did represent to that Iewishe people the same effectualnesse of the death of Christe which is at thys day deliuered to vs in the Supper yet the maner of represēting was diuerse For in those the Leuiticall Prestes were commaunded to figure y◠which Christ should performe there was brought a sacrifice which should be in the stede of Christ himselfe there was an altar wherupon it should be offred Finally al thinges were so done that there was set before their eyes an image of the sacrifice which was to be offred to God for a satisfactorie cleansing But sins the tyme that the sacrifice is ended the Lord hath apointed to vs an other order namely that it should conuey to the faithful people the frute of the sacrifice offred to hym by the Sōne Therfore he hath geuen vs a table wherat we should eate not an altar wherupon sacrifice should be offred he hath not cōsecrated prestes to sacrifice but ministers to distribute the holy bāket How much more hye holy the mysterie is so much more religiously and with greater reuerence it is mete to be handled Therfore there is no way safer than putting away al boldnesse of mans vnderstāding to sticke fast in that alone which the Scripture teacheth And truely if we consider that it is the Supper of the Lord not of men there is no cause why we should suffer our selues to be remoued one heare bredth from it by any authoritie of men or prescription of yeres Therefore when the Apostle mynded to cleanse it from al faultes which had alredy crept into the Chirch of the Corinthiās he vseth the rediest way therunto that is he calleth it backe to the only institution of it frō whense he sheweth that a perpetuall rule ought be fetched Nowe least any wrangler shoulde stirre vs vp strife by reason of the names of sacrifice and sacrificing prest I wil also declare but yet brefely what in the whole discourse I haue meant by a sacrifice and what by a Sacrificing Prest Whoso stretche the woorde sacrifice to all holy Ceremonies and doinges of religion I se not by what reason they doe it We do knowe that by the continuall vse of the Scripture a sacrifice is called that which the Grekes cal somtyme Thusia somtime Prosphora somtyme Telete Which being generally takē cōprehendeth whatsoeuer is in any wise offred to God Wherefore we muste make distinction but yet so that thys distinction may haue a supernall appliance of similitude from the sacrifices of the lawe of Moses vnder the shadowes wherof the Lord willed to represēt to his people the whole truthe of sacrifices Of those although there wer diuerse formes yet they may al be referred to twoo sortes For either there was oblation made for sinne after a certaine maner of satisfaction wherby gyltinesse was redemed before God or it was a signe of the worshipping of God a testifyeng of religiō somtime in stede of supplicatiō to craue the fauor of God sometime in stede of thākesgeuing to testifie thākfulnesse of mynde for benefites receiued somtime only for an exercise of Godlinesse to renewe the stablishing of the couenāt to which later sort perteined burnt offryngs drynke offrynges oblations first frutes peace offringes Wherefore let vs also diuide ours into twoo kyndes and for teachinges sake lette vs cal the one the sacrifice of worship of Godly deuotiō because it consisteth in the honoring worshipping of God which the faythfull bothe owe yelde vnto hym or if you wyl the sacrifice of Thākesgeuing forasmuch as it is geuen to God of none but of them y◠beyng loden with immeasurable benefites do rēder to him them selues with all their doinges The other may be called propitiatorie or of expiation The sacrifice of expiration is that which tendeth to appease the wrath of God to satisfie his iugement so to wash wype away sinnes whereby the siner cleansed from the filthy spottes of them restored into puritie of ryghteousnesse may returne into fauor with God hymselfe So in the lawe those were called sacrifices that were offred for the purging of synnes not for that they were sufficiente to recouer the fauor of God or to put away iniquitie but for that they shadowed out such a true sacrifice which at lēgth was fully done by Christ alone by hym alone because it could be done by none
all ye that are of God the malicious and poysonous deceite of Satan That thyng which was truely geuen in Baptisme he lyengly saith to be geuen in his confirmation that he may by stealth leade you vnware from Baptisme Who now can doute that this is the doctrine of Satan which cuttyng away from Baptisme the promises proprely belongyng to Baptisme doth conuey away and remoue them to an other thyng It is founde I say vpon what maner of fundation this godly annoyntyng standeth The worde of God is that al they whiche are baptised in Christ haue put on Christe with his giftes The worde of the anoynters is that they receiued in Baptisme no promise by which they may be armed in batails That is the voice of the truth therfore this must be the voice of lying Therfore I can more truly define this CoÌ„firmation than they haue hetherto defined it namely that it is a notable sclander of Baptisme whiche darkeneth yea abolysheth the vse therof that it is a false promise of the deuell which draweth vs away from the truthe of God Or if you will it is oyle defiled with the lyeng of the deuill whiche as it were by ouerspreadyng of darkenesse deceiueth the eies of the simple They adde furthermore that al the faithfull ought after Baptisme to receiue the Holy ghost by layeng on of handes that they may be founde full Christians because he shall neuer be a Christian that is not chresmed with the Bishopps Confirmation These be their owne sayinges worde for worde But I had thought that whatsoeuer thyngs perteined to Christianitie were all set forth in writyng and comprehended in Scriptures Nowe as I perceyue the trewe forme of religion is to be soughte and learned from ells where than oute of the the Scriptures Therfore the whole wisedome of God the heauenly truthe the whole doctrine of Christ doth but beginne Christians and oyle maketh them perfect By this sentence ar damned al the Apostles and so many Martyrs whome it is moste certaine to haue neuer ben â—hresmed forasmuche as the oyle was not yet made which beyng poured vpon them they myght fulfill all the partes of christianitie or rather myght be made christians whiche yet were none But thoughe I holde my peace they doo largely confute themselues For howe many of the numbre of their owne people doo they annoynt after Baptisme why therfore do they suffer suche halfe christians in their flocke whoe 's imperfection might easily be holpen Why do they with so carelesse negligence suffer them to omitte that whiche was not lawfull to be omitted without greuous offense Why do they not more seuerely cal vpoÌ„ the keping of a thing so necessarie and without which saluation caÌ„ not be obteined vnlesse peraduenture some be preuented by death Uerily when they so freely suffer it to bee despised they secretly confesse that it is not of so greate value as they boste it Last of all they determine that this holy annoynting is to be had in greater reuerence than Baptisme because this anoynting is peculiarly ministred by the handes of the chefe Bishops but Baptisme is coÌ„monlye distributed by euery prest What maye a man here say but that they are vtterly mad which so flatter their owne inuentions that in comparison of them they carelesly despise the holy ordinaÌ„ces of God O mouth that robbest God darest thou set a fat liquor onely defiled with the stink of thine owne breath and enchaunted with murmuring sounde of wordes against the SacrameÌ„t of Christ and to compare it with water hallowed with the word of God But thy wickednesse accompted this but a smal matter vnlesse thou didst also preferre it aboue the same These be the answers of the Holy see these be the Oracles of the Apostolike trestle But some of them euen in their owne opinion begonne somewhat to qualifie this vnbridled madnesse It is say they to be worshipped with greater reuerence peraduenture not for the greater vertue and profitte that it geueth but bicause it is geuen of the worthier men and is made in the worthier part of the body that is in the forehed or bicause it bringeth a greater encrease of vertues although Baptisme auaile more to forgeuenesse But in the first reason do they not bewraye themselues to be Donatistes whiche measure the force of the Sacramente by the worthinesse of the minister But I will admitte that Confirmation bee called the worthier by reason of the worthinesse of the Bishops hand But if a man aske of them from whense so great prerogatiue hath ben geueÌ„ to Bishops what reason will they bring beside their owne lust The Apostles alone vsed that power which alone distributed the Holye ghost Are the Bishops alone Apostles Yea are they Apostles at all But lette vs also graunt them that why do thei not by the same argumeÌ„t affirme that Bishoppes alone ought to touche the Sacrament of the blood in the Supper of the Lorde which they therfore denye to lay men because the lord gaue it to the Apostles alone If to the Apostles alone why do they not conclude therfore to the Bishops alone But in that place they make the Apostles simple prestes but now the gyddynesse of their hed carrieth them an other way sodeinly to create them Bishops Finallye Ananias was no Apostle to whom yet Paule was sent that he shoulde receiue his sight be baptised and be filled with the Holy ghoste I will adde this also to the heape If by the law of God this was the proper office of Bishops why haue they ben so bolde to geue it away to common prestes as we rede in a certaine epistle of Gregorie As for their other reason howe triflyng fond and foolishe is it to cal their Confirmation worthier than the Baptisme of God because in it the forhead is anoynted with oyle and in Baptisme the hynder part of the hed as though Baptisme were done with the oyle and not with the water I call all the godly to witnesse whether these loselles do not endeuor them selues to this only end to corrupt the purenesse of the Sacraments with their leauen I haue alredy spoken this in an other place that in the SacrameÌ„tes that which is of God scarcely glimmereth through at holes among the rout of the inuentions of men If any man did not beleue me therein let him now at least beleue his owne maisters Loc passing ouer the water and making no accompt of it they hyely esteme the onely oyle in Baptisme We therfore on the contrarye syde doo saye that in Baptisme the forehed also is dipped in water In comparison of this we esteeme not your oyle worth one piece of dong whether it be in Baptisme or in confirmation If any allege that it is sold for more by this adding of price the goodnesse if anye were in it is corrupted so muche lesse may they commend a most filthy deceite by theft In the third reason they bewray their owne vngodlynesse while they
in Gratian betwene publike and priuate reconciliation I iudge that same olde vsage of which Cypriane maketh mention to haue ben holy and healthfull for the Chirch and I would that it were at this day restored As for thys later although I dare not disallow it or at least speake more sharpelye against it yet I thinke it to be lesse necessarie Howsoeuer it be yet we se that the layeng on of hādes in penāce is a ceremonie ordeined of men not of God which is to be set amōg meane things outward exercises and those verily which are not to be despised but which ought to be in a lower degree than those that are cōmēded vnto vs by the word of the Lord. But the Romanistes the scholemē which haue an ordinarie custome to corrupt al things with wrōg expoūding them do here very carefully trauail in fynding out a Sacramēt Neither ought it to seme any maruel for they seke a knot in a rush But where they haue it best they leaue a thing entāgled in suspēse vncertaine cōfounded trobled with diuersity of opiniōs Thei say therfore either that the outward penāce is a Sacramēt and if it be so that it ought to be takē for a signe of the inwarde penance that is of the contrition of hart which shal be the thing of the Sacramēt or that they both together are a Sacrament not twoo Sacramentes but one ful one But that the outwarde penance is only the Sacramēt the inwarde is both the thing the Sacramēt and that the forgeuenesse of synnes is the thing not the Sacrament Let them which kepe in remēbrance the definitiō of a Sacrament which we haue aboue set examine therby that which these mē cal a Sacrament they shal fynd that it is not an outward ceremonie ordeined of the Lord for the cōfirming of our faith If they cauil that my definitiō is not a law which they nede to obey let thē heare Augustine whō they faine that thei esteme as most holy visible Sacraments sayth he were ordeined for carnal mens sakes that by degrees of Sacramētes they may be conueyed frō those things that are seen with eyes to those thinges that are vnderstāded What like thing do either they thēselues see or can they shewe to other in that which they call the Sacramente of Penance The same Augustine sayth in an other place It is therfore called a Sacramēt because in it one thing is seen an other thing is vnderstāded That which is seen hath a bodily forme that which is vnderstanded hath a spiritual frute Neither doe these things in any wise agree with the Sacrament of penance such as they faine it where there is no bodily forme that may represent a spirituall frute And to kil these beasts vpō their own fightīg place if ther be any Sacramēt here to be sought may it not be much more colerably said that the absolutiō of the prest is a Sacramēt thā penāce either inward or outwarde For it might redily be said that it is a ceremony to assure our faith of the forgeuenesse of sines hath a promise of the keyes as thei cal it Whatsoeuer ye shal bide or lose vpō earth shal be boūd or losed in heauen But some mā wold haue obiected that the most part of thē that are absolued of the prestes obteine no such thing by such absolution wheras by their doctrine the Sacramentes of the newe law ought to worke in dede that which they figure This were but to be laughed at For as in the Supper they make a doble eating a Sacramental eating which is egally common to good and to euil a spiritual eating which is only propre to the good why might they not also faine the absolutiō is receiued twoo wayes Yet could I not hetherto vnderstād what thei meant with this their doctrine which we haue alredy taught how farr it disagreeth frō the truth of God whē we purposely entreated of that argument Here my mynde is only to shew the this dout withslādeth not but that they may cal the absolutiō of the Prest a Sacramēt For they might answere by the mouth of Augustine that sanctificatiō is without the visible Sacrament the visible Sacrament without inwarde sanctification Againe that the Sacramentes doe worke in the only elect that which they figure Againe that some do putt on Christ so farr as to the partaking of the Sacramēt other some to sanctificatiō the one the good and euil egally do this other the good only Truly they haue more than childishly erred and be blinde in the clere sunne which trauailing with great hardnesse yet espyed not a thing so playne and open to euery man Yet least they should waxe to proude in what part soeuer they set the Sacrament I deny that it ought rightfully to be taken for a Sacramēt First because there is no special promise to it which is the only substāce of a Sacramēt Againe because whatsoeuer ceremonie is here shewed fourth it is the mere inuention of men wheras we haue alredy proued that the ceremonies of Sacramentes can not be ordeined but of God Therfore it was a lye and a deceite which they haue inuented of the Sacrament of penance Thys fayned Sacrament they haue garnished with a mete commendation calling it a seconde borde after shipwrecke because if a man haue by sinning marred the garmēt of innocence whiche he receiued in Baptisme he may by penance repaire it But it is the sayeng of Hierome Whoe 's soeuer it be it can not be excused but that it is vtterly wicked if it be expoūded after their meaning As though Baptisme be blotted out by sinne and is not rather to be called to remembrāce of euery sinner so oft as he thinketh of the forgeuenesse of sinne that he may therby gather vp himselfe and recouer courage and strengthen hys Fayth that he shal obteine the forgeuenesse of synnes which is promised him in Baptisme But that which Hierome hath spoken hardly vnproperly that by penance Baptisme is repaired frō which they fal away that deserue to be excōmunicate from the Chirch these good expositors drawe to their wickednesse Therefore you shall moste fittly speake if you cal Baptisme the Sacrament of penance sithe it is geuen for a confirmation of grace and seale of confidēce to them that purpose repentance And least you should thinke thys to be our deuise beside this that it agreeth with the words of the Scripture it appeareth that it was in the olde Chirch commonly spoken like a most certaine principle For in the boke of Fayth to Peter which is sayd to be Augustines it is called the Sacrament of Fayth and of penāce And why flee we to vncertaine sayenges As though we could require any thing more plaine thā that which the Euāgelist reciteth that Ihon preached the Baptisme of repentance vnto forgeuenesse of synnes Of extreme vnction as they cal it The thirde fained
fault or defaulte of men maketh that it is safer and more tolerable that many should haue the gouernement that they may mutually one helpe an other one teache and admonish an other and if any aduaunce himselfe â—â—er than is mete there may be ouerseers and maisters to restraine his wilfulnesse Thys both hath alway ben approued by experience and the lord also hath confirmed it with his authoritie when he ordeined among the Israelites a gouernement of the best men very nere vnto common gouernement at such tyme as he mynded to haue them in best estate tyll he brought fourth an image of Christ in Dauid And as I willingly grauÌ„t that no kynde of gouernement is more blessed than thys where libertie is framed to such moderation as it ought to be and is orderly stablished to continuance so I compt them also most blessed that may enioy thys estate and if they stoutely and constantly trauail in preseruing and reteining it â–ª I graunt that they do nothing against their dutie Yea and the magistrates ought with most great diligence to bende theÌ„selues herunto that they suffer not the libertie of the people of which they are appointed gouernors to be in any part minished muche lesse to be dissolued if they be negligent and litle careful therin they are false Faith-breakers in their office and betrayers of their contree But if they would bryng this kinde to themselues to whoÌ„ the Lord hath appointed an other forme of gouernement so that therby they be moued to desire a change the very thinking therof shal not only be foolish and superfluous but also hurtfull But if thou bende not thyne eyes onely to one citie but loke about or beholde the whole world together or at least sprede abrode thy sight into farther distances of contrees without dout thou shalt fynde that this is not vnprofitablye appointed by the prouidence of GOD that diuerse contrees shoulde be ruled by diuerse kyndes of gouernemente For as the elementes hang together but by an vnegall temperature so contrees also are with their certaine inequalitie veri wel kept in order Howbeit al these things also are spoken in vaine to them whom the wil of the Lord shal satisfie For if it be hys pleasure to set kynges ouer kyngdomes Senates or officers ouer free cities whomsoeuer he maketh rulers in the places where we are conuersant it is our dutie to shewe our selues yelding and obedient vnto them Now the office of Magistrates is in this place to be declared by the way of what sort it is described by the word of God in what thinges it consisteth If the Scripture did not teache that it extendeth to both the tables of the law we might learne it out of the prophane writers For none hath entreated of the dutie of magistrates of making of lawes of the publike weale that hath not begon at religion and the worshipping of God And so haue they al confessed that no policie can be happily framed vnlesse the firste care be of godlinesse and that those lawes be preposterous which neglecting the right of God do prouide only for men Sith therfore with al the Philosophers religion hath the firste place sithe thesame hath alway ben obserued by that vniuersal coÌ„sent of al nations Let Christian Princes and magistrates be ashamed of their slouthfulnesse if they endeuor not theÌ„selues to this care And we haue alredy shewed that this dutie is specially enioyned them of God as it is mete that they shoulde employ their trauail to defende maintaine his honor whoe 's vicegerentes they be by whoe 's benefit they gouerne For thys cause also chefely are the holy kinges praysed in Scripture for that they restored the worship of God being corrupted or ouerthrowen or toke care of religion that it might flourishe pure and safe vnder them But contrarywise the holy hystorie reckeneth states wtout gouernors among faultes sayeng that there was no kyng in Israell and that therfore euery man did what pleased hymselfe Wherby their follie is confuted whiche would haue them neglecting the care of God only to apply themselues to be iudges of law among men As though God appointed gouernors in his name to decise controuersies omitted that which was of muche weightier importance that he hymselfe should be worshipped according to the prescribed rule of his law But a desire to innouate al thinges wtout punishment moueth troblesome meÌ„ to this point that they wishe al reuengers of the breache of peace to be takeÌ„ away As for so muche as perteineth to the seconde table Ieremie warneth kinges to do iugemeÌ„t and righteousnesse to deliuer the forceably oppressed froÌ„ the haÌ„d of the false accuser not to greue the straÌ„ger widow not to do wrong and not to shed innocent blood To the same purpose maketh the exhortatioÌ„ which is red in the .82 Psalme that they shuld render right to the poore nedy acquite the poore nedy deliuer the poore nedy froÌ„ the hande of the oppressor And Moses geueth charge to the Princes whom he had set in his stede lett them heare the cause of their brethreÌ„ and iudge betwene a maÌ„ his brother and a stranger not know faces in iugemeÌ„t let them heare as wel the litle as the great be not afraied of any maÌ„ because it is the iugemeÌ„t of God But I speake not of these thinges the kinges shoulde not get to themselues multitudes of horses not cast their minds to couetousnesse not be lifted vp aboue their brethren that they may be coÌ„tinually busied in studieng vpoÌ„ the law of the lord al the dayes of their life the Iudges swarue not to the one side nor receiue giftes because in declaring here the office of magistrates my purpose is not so much to instruct the magistrates themselues as to teache other what Magistrates be and to what ende they are set of God We se therfore that they be ordeined defenders and reuengers of innocence modestie honestie and quietnesse whoe 's only endeuor shoulde be to prouide for the common safetie and peace of all men Of which vertues Dauid professeth that he will be an exemplar when he shall be aduauÌ„ced to the royall seate that is that he will not consent to any euell doynges but abhorre wicked men sclanderers and proude men and get to hymselfe from echewhere honest and faithful men But sithe they can not performe this vnlesse they defend good men from the wronges of the euill let them helpe the good with succor and defense let them also be armed with power whereby thei may seuerely suppresse open euill doers and wicked men by whoe 's lewdnesse the common quiet is trobled or vexed For we throughly fynde thys by experience which Solon sayd the common weales consist of rewarde punishment and that when those be taken away the whole discipline of cities faileth and is dissolued For the care of equitie and iustice waxeth colde in the myndes of many vnlesse
appeareth sufficiently though it were but by this that while we muste liue in warfare vnder the crosse during the whole course of oure life our estate is harde and miserable what then sholde it profite vs to be gathered together vnder the dominion of a heauenly kinge vnlesse we wer certaine to enuy the frute therof out of the state of this earthly life And therefore it is to be knowen that whatsoeuer felicitie is promised vs in Christ it consisteth not in outward coÌ„modities that we shold leade a merry and quiet life florish in wealth be assured from al harmes flowe full of those deliteful thinges that the flesh is wont to desire but that it wholy belongeth to the heauenly lyfe But as in the worlde the prosperous desired state of the people is partly mainteyned by plentie of good thinges and peace at home and partely by strong forceable defenses wherby it maie be safe against outward violence so Christe also dothe enriche his with all thynges necessarie to eternall saluation of soules and fortifieth them with strength by whiche thei mai stande inuincible against al assaultes of spiritual enemies Whereby we gather that he reigneth more for vs than for himself and that both within without that being furnished so farr as God knoweth to be expedient for vs with the gyftes of the spirite wherof we are naturally empty we maie by these fyrste frutes perceaue that we are truely ioyned to God vnto perfect blesednesse And then that bearinge vs bolde vpon the power of the same spirit we may not doubt that we shall alwaie haue the victorie against the Deuell the worlde and euery kinde of hurtfull thinge To thys purpose tendeth the a unswer of Christe to the Pharises that bicause the kingedome of God is with in vs it shal not come with obseruation For it is likely that bicause he professed that hee was the same kinge vnder whome the souereigne blessinge of God was to be hoped for they in scorne requyred hym to shewe fourth his signes But hee bycause thei who otherwise are to muche bent to the earth shoulde not foolishly rest vpon worldly pompes byddeth them to enter into their owne consciences bycause the kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioye in the holy ghosâ—e Hereby we are breefely taughte what the kingedome of Christ auayleth vs. For bycause it is not earthly or fleshly subiecte to corruption but spirituall he lifteth vs vp euen to eternall lyfe that we maie patienth passe ouer this life in miseries hunger cold coÌ„tempt reproches and other greues contented with this one thinge that oure king will neuer leaue vs destitute but succoure vs in oure necessities till hauing ended oure warre we be called to triumph For suche is his manner of reigning to communicate with vs all that he hathe recâ—iued of his father Nowe whereas he armeth and furnisheth vs wyth power and garnisheth vs with beautie magnificens enricheth vs with wealth hereby is ministred vnto vs moste plentyfull matter to glorie vpon also bold courage to fight without feare against the Deuell sinne and death Finally that clothed with hys righteousnes wee may valiantly ouercome al the reproches of the world and as he liberally filleth vs with his giftes so we againe for oure parte may bring forth frute to his glorye Therfore his kingly anointing is set forth vnto vs not done with oyle or ointmeÌ„tes made with spices but he is called the anointed of god bicause vpoÌ„ him hath rested the spirit of wisdome vnderstaÌ„ding couÌ„sel strength and feare of God Thys is the oyle of gladnesse wherewpth the Psalme reporteth that he was annoynted aboue his fellowes bicause if there were not suche excellencie in hym we shoulde be all needy and hungry For as it is already saide hee is not priuately enriched for hym selfe but â—o poure his plentie vpon vs being hungry and drie For as it is sayde that the father gaue the spirite to his sonne not by measure so there is expressed a reason why that all we shoulde receiue of his fulnesse and grace for grace Oute of which fountaine floweth that liberall geuinge whereof Paule maketh mention whereby grace is diuersly distributed to the faithful according to the measure of the gyfte of Christe Hereby is that whiche I saide sufficiently confyrmed that the kyngedome of Christ consisteth in the spirite not in earthly delytes or pompes and therefore we muste forsake the woorlde that we maye be partakers of it A visible signe of this holy anoyntinge was shewed in the baptisme of Christe when the holy ghooste rested vpon him in the lykenesse of a doue That the holy ghooste and hys gyftes are meante by the woorde Anoyntinge oughte to seeme neither noueltie nor absurditie For we are none other waie quickened specially for so muche as concerneth the heauenly lyfe there is no droppe of lyuely force in vs but that whiche the holy ghoste poureth into vs whyche hathe chosen his seate in Christe that from thense the heauenly rychesse mighte largely flowe oute vnto vs whereof wee are so neady And whereas bothe the faythfull stande inuincible by the strengthe of their king also his spiritual richesse plenteously flow out vnto them thei are not vnwoorthyly called Christians But this eternitie wherof we haue spoken is nothynge derogate by that sayeng of Paule Then he shall yelde vp the kyngdome to God and the Father Againe â–ª the sonne hym selfe shall be made subiecte that God maye be all in all thynges for hys meaninge is nothynge els but that in that same perfect glorie the administration of the kyngedome shall not bee suche as it is nowe For the father hathe geuen all power to the sonne that by the sonnes hande he maye gouerne cherishe and susteine vs defende vs vnder hys sauegarde and helpe vs. So whyle for a lyttle time we are waueringe abroade from God Christ is the meane betweene God and vs by lyttle and lyttle to brynge vs to perfect conioyning wyth God And truely whereas he sytteth on the right hande of the father that is as muche in effecte as yf hee were called the fathers deputee vnder whome is the whole power of his dominion bycause it is Gods will to rule and defende hys Churche by a meane as I maie so call it in the person of hys Sonne As also Paule dothe expounde it in the fyrste chapiter to the Ephesians that he was sette at the ryght hande of the father to be the heade of the Churche whyche is his body And to no other meanynge tendeth that whyche hee teacheth in an other place that there is geuen hym a name aboue all names that in the name of Iesus all knees shoulde bowe and all tongues confesse that it is to the glorie of God the Father For euen in the same woordes also hee setteth oute in the kingedome of Christe an ordre necessarye for oure presente weakenesse So Paule gathereth ryghtely that God shall then bee by
hymselfe the onely heade of the churche bycause Christes office in defendynge of the Churche shall be fulfylled For the same reason the Scripture commonly calleth him Lorde bycause hys Father dyd sette hym ouer vs to thys ende to exercise hys owne Lordely power by hym For thoughâ— there bee manye lordeshippes in the worlde yet is there to vs but one God the father of whome are all thynges and we in hym and one Lorde Christ by whome are all thinges and we by him saithe Paule Wherevpon is rightly gathered that he is the selfe same God whyche by the mouthe of Esaie affyrmed him selfe to be the kynge and the lawemaker of the Churche For thoughe he do euery where call all the power that hee hathe the benefite and gifte of the Father yet he meaneth nothynge ells but that he reigneth by power of God bycause hee hathe therefore putte on the personage of the Mediator that descendinge from the bosome and incomprehensible glorie of the father he might approche nye vnto vs. And so muche more rightfull it is that wee bee with all consent prepared to obey and that wyth greate cherefullnesse we directe oure obediences to hys commaundement For as he ioyneth the offices of king and pastor towarde them that willingly yelde them selues obedient so on the other syde we heare that he beareth an yron scepter to breake and broose all the obstinate lyke potters vessells wee heare also that he shall be the iudge of nations to couer the earthe wyth dead corpses and to ouerthrowe the heigth that standeth againste hym Of whiche thinge ther are some examples seen at this daye but the full proofe thereof shal be at the laste iudgement whiche maie also proprely be accompted the laste acte of his kingedome Concerninge his Preesthoode thus it is breefely to be holden that the ende and vse of it is that hee shoulde be a Mediatore pure from all spotte that shoulde by hys holynesse reconcile vs to God But bycause the iuste curse possesseth the entrie and God accordinge to hys office of iudge is â—ente againste vs it is necessarie that some expiation be vsed that hee beinge a preeste maie procure fauoure for vs to appease the wrathe of God Wherfore that Christ might fulfill this office it behoued that hee shoulde come fourth with a sacrifice For in the lawe yt was not lawefull for the preeste to entre into the sanctuarie withoute bloode that the faithful might know that thoughe there were a preeste become meane for vs to make intercession yet God coulde not be made fauourable to vs before that oure sinnes were purged Upon whyche poynte the Apostle discourseth largely in the epistle to the Hebrues from the seuenth chapiter almoste to the ende of the tenth Butte the summe of all commeth to this effect that the honoure of preestehoode can be applied to none but to Christ which by the sacrifice of his death hathe wyped awaie oure gyltynesse and satisfied for oure synnes But howe weightie a mater it is wee are enfourmed by that solemne othe of God whiche was spoken without repentance Thou art a preest for euer according to the ordre of Melchisedech For without doubte hys will was to establishe yâ— principle pointe which he knew to be the chefe ioynte wherevpon oure saluation hanged For as it is saide there ys no waie open for vs or for oure praiers to God vnlesse oure filthynesse being purged the prestes do sanctifie vs and obteine grace for vs from which the vncleannesse of our wicked doinges sinnes doth debarre vs. So do we see that we must beginne at the death of Christ that the efficacie profyte of hys Preesthoode maie come vnto vs. Of thys it foloweth that hee ys an eternall intercessor by whose mediation wee obteyne fauoure where vpon againe ariseth not onely affiance to praye but also quietnesse to godly consciences whyle they safely leane vpon the fatherly tendernesse of God and are certaynely perswaded that it pleaseth him whatsoeuer is dedicated to him by the Mediator But wheras in the time of the lawe God commaunded sacrifices of beastes to be offered to him there was an other and a newe ordre in Christe that one shoulde be bothe the sacrificed hoste and the Prest bicause there neither coulde be founde any other meete satisfaction for synnes nor any was worthy so great honoure to offer vp to God his onely begotten sonne Nowe Christe beareth the person of a preest not onely by eternall meane of reconciliation to make the Father fauourable mercifull vnto vs but also to bryng vs into the felowship of so great â—n honoure For we that are defyled in oure selues yet beinge made Preestes in him do offer vp oure selues and all oures to God and do freely enter into the heauenly sanctuarie that all the sacrifice of prayer and prayse that come from vs may be acceptable and sweete smelling in the sight of God And thus farre dothe that saying of Christe extende For their sakes I sanctifie my selfe bicause hauinge his holynesse poured vpon vs in as muche as he hathe offered vs with himselfe to his father we that otherwise do stincke before him do please him as pure and cleane yea and holy Hervnto serueth the anoynting of the sanctuarie wherof mention is made in Daniell For the comparison of contrarietie is to be noted between this anointing and that shadowish anointing that then was in vse as if the Angell should haue sayd that the shadowes being driuen away there should be a cleere preesthod in the person of Christe And so muche more detestable is their inuention whiche not contented with the sacrifice of Christe haue presumed to thrust in them selues to kil him which is daily enterprised among the Papists where the Masse is reckened a sacrificing of Christe The .xvi. Chapter Howe Christe hathe fulfilled the office of Redeemer to purchace saluacion for vs Wherin is intreated of his Deathe and Resurrection and hys Ascendyng into Heauen AL that we haue hetherto saide of Christe is to be directed to this marke that being damned deade and loste in oure selues we maie seke for rigteousnesse deliuerance life and saluation in him as we be taught by that notable saing of Peter that ther is none other name vnder heauen geuen to men wher in ther must be saued Neither was the name of Iesus giuen him vnaduisedly or at chaunsable aduenture or by that will of men but brought from heauen by the Angell the publysher of Gods decree and wyth a reason also assigned bicause he was sent to saue the people from their sinnes In which wordes that is to be noted whiche we haue touched in an other place that the office of redeemer was appoynted hym that hee shoulde bee oure sauioure butte in the meane time oure redemptioÌ„ shoulde be but vnperfect vnlesse hee should by continuall proceedynges conuey vs forwarde to the vttermoste marke of saluation Therefore so sone as we swarue neuer so lyttle from