euery thinge is fixed and fastened in his place appoynted No conclusioÌ„ is by Luther more stoutly affirmed theÌ„ this â–ª with nailes riueted clenched with meere necessite This is the last conclusion of this teachinge But when I say this nowe I loke they wyll be in the toppe of me with exclamations with fye on me wretche that scorneth predestination and compareth the scriptures with idle reasoninge of the gentiles They vse the word papish to stop euery mans mouth withall And this they wyl aske me Thou papysh bysshop and folysh lawer doest thou denye predestination doest thou denye goddes knoweledge infallible If god knoweth it shall it not be so Be not those scriptures true that thou semest to reherse in scorne do not god indurate whom he wyl haue mercy of whom he wyll Hast any sophistry to auoyd this scripure Be not the wordes playne language and be they not wrytten to vs so playnlye that we may vnderstand them do not God knowe his and be not al our heares numbred To these men I wyll fyrst aunswer or I go any further with you mayster Ioye and say that I acknowledge gods predestination as whereof I am most certeynly assured by scripture and also confesse the textes of scripture by me rehersed to conteyne a moste certeine truth and ought therefore to be worshypped and reuerenced And am sory to se the high mysterye of goddes predestinacion the scriptures lykewise to be abused vnsemely by noughtye men to suche ende and effecte as the Grekes and infidels vsed the false opinion of destinye and that they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thus I lamente to se the truthe so abused by mysvnderstandynge and anye sence to be taken of scrypture vnder the pretence of plainnes that shoulde be contrarye and repugnaunte to other scriptures that be as playne Note this similitude foâ— the vnderstaÌ„ding of scriptures And therefore as two stones that be knocked together put fourthe a sparke of fyer whiche appeared not in anye of the stones alone So two textes of scrypture compared together put fourthe a sparke of knoweledge and vnderstandyng whyche appeared in neyther of the textes alone And therefore all suche textes of scrypture as seeme to attribute to man power faculte of him selfe to do good howe playnely so euer they be I maye gather no sence or vnderstandynge of them but suche as may agre with those textes of scripture that shew how man of him selfe can not do any good thinge not so muche as thynke a good thought but it be by the speciall gyfte and grace of god And howe playne so euer some of the textes of scripture seme so to considre man as to reseÌ„ble him to an earth pot at the pleasure of the potter and onely to do as he is ordeined to do by god yet must we forbeare to make any other sence then such as may agre with other textes of scripture that declare mans fre choise to receiue grace when it is offred hym or to refuse it and continue in synne The sense of scripture is vniforme and plaine when it is founde and gyueth wysedome to them that be meke in spirite and not arrogant in presumption of knowledge Gregory â—zianzene â—â—eth how â— synes faâ—tie hath neâ—gence is ynâ— to them aâ— hardnes dâ—ligence carâ— estimacion but yonge in vnderstandinge knowynge them selfes to haue nede of more Mary the wordes of scripture written by the counsayle of the holye gooste hath many tymes an outward apparaunce of contradiction by occasion whereof to staye and exercise vs in serchynge of the true sence and to haue the more estimation of it when we haue found it And therefore it is a greate cause of temeritie and boldnes to beare men in hande that the wordes of scrypture be so playne and euidente where as in dede when christ opened the scriptures tâ— his disciples they perceâ—ued that before was hiâ—deÌ„ So mucâ— worketh righte openynge beynge the wordes appoynted to conteine so highe mysteries they be so placed and ordered as they do couer and hyde suche precious iewelles and require a conuenieÌ„t opening to shewe fourth that is conteined in them And therefore the wordes of scripture be not so playne and open as men wolde haue them to be estemed â—or want of â—is searche â—uche error taken for â—th but require a serche as Christ sayde Searche the scryptures And saint Peter saith that in saynt Paules epistels be many harde places whiche many haue depraued c. And albeit the true seÌ„se of scripture hath ben by the spirite of god preserued in the churche as certeine and inuiolable â—en may of â—alyce corâ—upt the worâ—es of scripâ—ure howe so euer it hath ben impungned in sundry ages yet haue some wordes of scripture in certayne places ben for a tyme maliciouslye chaunged sometyme left oute neclygently sometyme of ignoraunce peruerted and agayne by goddes goodnes restored but not withoute learnynge and senses exercysed in knowledge as doth appere by suche labours as good men haue emploied by goddes gyft and assistaunce for the clere expoundyng of the scriptures And thus muche I say to the facilite and easy vnderstandyng of scripture which many do arrogaÌ„tly presume to haue by them selfes atteyned As to the misterie of predestination whiche is goddes hyghe secrecye Predestinâ—câ—on scripture enforceth all men to confesse the predestinacyon of God in his sayntes wherof saynte Paule speaketh speciallye in the epystle to the Romaynes also to the Ephesians whiche is also noted and signified in the prophetes and spoken of and touched in euery parte of scrypture For as the tenure of the latter iudgemente conteyneth howe God hathe prepared a kyngedome So hathe he prepared a chosen people to enioye that kyngedome And this hath god wroughte as saynt Paule sayeth accordynge to the purpose of his owne wyll and goodnes in praise of his glory to be communicated vnto man significatiâ— of prâ—deâ—nation And so we may cal predestination the decree of god to helpe and directe men chosen to th ende of their glorification And so whom so euer god choseth he predestinateth Whom he predestinath he calleth Whom he calleth he iustifieth and whom he iustifieth he glorifieth Whereby appeareth howe god is the auctor thayder thassister and continuall helper to bryng man to felicitie And hereof god dothe assure vs that thus he worketh with his electe people comfortaâ— rememâ—ce of â—edestinatiâ—n wherof we shuld conceyue great consolatioÌ„ and comfort beynge perswaded that god is with good men And yf he be with vs what can we feare any man or deuyll And so longe as we remembre goddes election and predestinacion to this effecte it is profitable to vs. And when we enterpryse to vnclaspe the boke oâ—â—lyâ—e and wyll â—sume to deuour the apple of secrete knowledge to be lyke god in vnderstandynge and knoweledge of the good euil men and se howe god ordereth his election and decree of predestinacioÌ„ in
that he hath begotten his sonne the seconde person in trinitie if we shall in that verbe genuit hath begotten coÌ„sider tyme as we do in an other scrypture Abraham genuit Isaac AbrahaÌ„ hath begotton Isaac we shoulde saye whiche were folysshe that god the father was before God the sonne as Abraham was before Isaac but in one place the verbe signifieth the acte without tyme when we speake of god and in the other the acte with tyme. So as when the scripture telleth vs God hath chosen god hath predestinate god hath forseen al god hath knowen all before the begynnynge of the worlde here these verbes hath chosen hathe predestinate hath sene hath knowen do declare these actes in god to be most perfyt but not any such time to passe as man dreameth of for these actes in god be without tyme and aboue tyme and so is sygnified vnto vs by those wordes before the begynnynge of the worlde when was no tyme which wordes neuerthelesse mans curiouse wyt vsed to an other significatioÌ„ to gather of them that those actes be past in god as done before the begynnynge of the world where as in deede albeit those actes of prouydence election and predestinacion were in god most perfytte then before the begynnynge of the world yet they were not in God past then for past signifieth an effluxioÌ„ of tyme whiche is not in god who is eternall The vnlerned arrogant reader wyl here waxe angry that I shuld go about An obiection by sophistry as he wold call it to entangle plaine wordes and to make hym beleue that before the begynnynge of the world is not yet past then he wyll go lustly forth to proue me a foole yf the begynnynge of the worlde be not yet past then the worlde is yet to begyn And then you maister Ioye wil percase extende the matter further and say If I be let alone I wyll proue by sophistrye and iuggelynge that nothinge is past and in dede if the begynning of the worlde be not past nothing to vs is past for in the worlde we be comprehended But I say and affirme the begynnynge of the world is past Then wyll you reason thus That whiche is before that is past that is much more paste As yf noon be past much more the mornynge of that daye is paste But I graunt that the beginning of the worlde is past ergo all that was before it is much more past And then further ye wyl reason thus The electioÌ„ of god was before the beginninge of the world as faynt Paule sayth ergo the election of god is more then past as done before the beginning of the world which is past An aunswer To this I aunswer that wheÌ„ ye go about to measure gods workes with our wordes ye come shorte for oure speache can not expresse ne oure thought coÌ„prehend the ciruÌ„stance of gods worke nether in tyme nor place And Gregory Nazianzene wysely noteth and also deuoutly that if god coulde be throughlye comprehended of man either in his thought or vnderstandyng god were not superior to man For what so euer is comprehended is lesse then that comprehendeth it therefore we must confesse truly that god comprehendeth all and is in no wyse holly comprehended So much as scripture telleth vs of god and his workes wroughte in tyme or aboue all time so much we knowe illuminate by faythe but when we wyll by our consideration after the measure of oure owne vnderstandynge by thinges within the compasse of oure creacion whiche in dede passe in tyme esteme goddes doynges before tyme and call them past also because they be before the beginning of the worlde we deceyue our selfe as muche as if in consyderatyon of place we shoulde speake of god as we speake of men that because God is here he is not there whyche no man is so madde to saye because God is euery where And as man by participation of goddes gyft may in his thoughte and memorye represente thinges paste with them that be presente withoute distaunce of tyme. And a man with his eye withoute dystaunce of place or tyme in the action of seynge conioyne together at ones thynges whyche in them selfe be one farre frome an other as I maye see houses standynge one .v. or .x. myle beyond an other and shyppes saylynge one before and one behynde an other a great dystaunce and yet they be all together at ones in the action of my syghte So god who hath giuen man these giftes beinge of hym selfe in his knowledge and actions most excellent doth with his eye se that is in the worlde before and after wythoute anye before or after in his knowledge and lykewyse worketh wythoute tyme that is to saye choseth and predestinateth without anye before or after paste or to come whiche be onely distinctions of tyme. And yet we maye not gather hereof in goddes workes a confusion â—oddes worâ—s be moost â—derlye but â—e can not â—nceyue the â—der as they all done â—ost iustely â—t we caÌ„not â—scusse hys â—stice but beleue that all his workes haue such ordre in them as we can not atteine And lerne this lesson of humilitie that gods secrete workes excede our capacitie and may not therefore be measured by our language For as the gentile philosopher saied of whome Gregorye Nazianzene speaketh in his worke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It is hard he said to knowe god throughly but impossible to expresse god in language Wherein he noteth the colorable speache of the philosopher to hyde his owne ignoraunce as though he knewe more of god then he could expresse where in god and his workes the tongue and harte be bothe imperfyt and neyther sufficient in that behalfe and specyally the tongue and therefore we maye in no wyse vnderstande the speach in the explycacyon of goddes actes as of men and thynke because it is wrytten God hath chosen and hath predestinate that therefore his choyse and predestination be paste wherevpon to ground our argumentes of before and after past and to come wherewith to deceiue our self Mary when so euer in scripture god knytteth tyme to his workynge that worke muste nedes passe with the time as wheÌ„ we rede howe god hath create the worlde hath destroyed Sodome and Gomor hath ouerwhelmed the worlde with water hath made promysse to Abraham hath cast Adam out of paradyse and suche infinite actes dome in tyme those actes be called past by successe of tyme. But when god putteth no tyme to his workynge but declareth his workynges to be withoute the compasse of tyme it is the faulte of oure curyosytye to compasse suche an acte of God with the termes of past or to come before or after whiche be dystinctions of tyme wherein we should only confesse that god vndoubtedlye doth the acte whiche scrypture affyrmeth god to do and to professe oure ignoraunce of the circumstaunces howe it is done and to be content with the sence of scripture without reasonynge of the wordes The election
â—nd predestiâ—atioÌ„ of god â—o be worshipâ—ed in sileÌ„ce after our capacitie and so to worshyppe the election and predestinacioÌ„ of god in sileÌ„ce as we adde not therunto thimaginacion of an acâ— passed alredy in god by reason wherof we myghte dreame that in our choyse or endeuor when god offreth his gyftes vnto vs we came to late because god in our fansie hath determyned his pleasure alredy that can not be chaunged For the consideration of tyme whiche in our vnderstandynge passeth ouer compared with the acte of god beynge in dede withoute any tyme encombreth our wyttes and vnderstandynges in the conceiuyng of the matter where as the tyme beynge disseuered in our vnderstandynge from gods acte which tyme maketh to vs a thoughte of before after we be deliuered of the repugnaunce Note this that tyme dyd engendre and oure argumentes taken away from naturall wytte which were grouÌ„ded al vpoÌ„ time wherby we be dryuen from reasonynge to a silence meruelynge and worshyppyng as we shuld do alwayes the hyghe mysteries of god farre excedynge our capacite And in this wyse some haue learnedly reuerently entreated this matter not with presumption to discusse it absolutely but with an humble and reuerent meke spirite to note that myght be truely considered in the same and finally to lerne vs that in dede we knowe not ne can not knowe this high matter thoroughly because the meanes of oure knowledge be taken away and so the thynges hidden from vs wherin we may not do as arrogant artificers be accustomed to do who when they perceyue not in dede the counsayle of hym that deuysed fyrst any platte they take vpon theÌ„ neuerthelesse to set the frame together marre some principal postes or cast them out as vaine because they can not tell howe to ioyne theÌ„ with the rest whom such meÌ„ folow who because they can not tell howe to frame gods choise mans choise togither they mangle and denye mans choise and cast it away as vayne beinge a principall parte to be beleued in our religion Thus much as I haue redde and lerned I vtter it wherby to teach you soberly as muche knowledge as I haue that is to say ignoraunce in this matter In this ye mayster Ioye wyll agree with me that I haue toulde you ignoraunce and call it meere ygnoraunce and say I haue shewed my selfe in tossynge and syftynge of wordes to exercyse the crafte of ignoraunce not to teache but to blynd not to giue lyghte but to darken so as albeit ye rude men can not aunswere to the sophistry of the argumentes yet the matter in the vnderstandynge as ye wyll saye remaineth as it dyd for in what so euer wordes we shuld speake it or though we want wordes to speake it the thing is thus in your opinion as foloweth Fyrst god is before man was Anteque Abraham fieret ego sum Christ sayd And whether before signifieth tyme or no tyme whereof your playne scolers wyll say they can no skyll before is before and not after and why call we it the prouidence of god but because it is a foresight and none after syght ne withsight predestination lykewise a former decre prescience a former knowledge And to charge me further you mayster Ioye wyll note to youre scolers that I my self speake somtyme after the same sorte and say god choseth vs fyrst god preueÌ„teth vs with his grace and what is preuenteth but coÌ„meth before and god prepareth mans wil that is to saye maketh ready before And god calleth before he iustifieth and god iustifieth before he glorifieth And when scripture speaketh of this sort I my selfe also then ye wyll saye I make a trouble in the consideration of tyme and cause my tyme in wryting and yours in readynge to passe ouer without fruit For wheÌ„ ye rede me ye fynd your selfe perplexed entangled with wordes but wheÌ„ ye haue wound your self froÌ„ those thorny wordes the thing is in youre mynde as it was before Hereunto I wil say somwhat that if ye like your selfe in youre owne fansy so well as whatsoeuer ye conceiue for truth is euer also to you true in the sorte ye compreheÌ„d it I marueile not though my wordes be not frutefull to you for I go aboute to teache you ignorauÌ„ce you be so asotted and dotyng vpon the false persuasion of knoweledge that ye can not abide to haue your pleasaunt opinion remoued and taken from you As he that in his fransye thought all that he sawe to be his owne was sorye when he was healed of his fransye thinkyng him self to haue loste a greate losse to se hym selfe then so poore For els yf ye lyst to make this foundacion that man seeth no more of God then God hath shewed and reueled by his scriptures and that all the scrypture is so vniforme in sense as it is al but one worde which admitteth no repugnance or contrariete and therewith remeÌ„bre that wordes of scripture althoughe in respecte of the matter they conteine they be in dede be called holly so to be reuerenced and honoured as an ymage representynge gods wyll vnto vs and therefore at the speakinge of them in presence of the multitude do put of our cappe bowe Englysshe speache latelye made by englyssh men as we now speake it placed to expres god or any godly thing may be honored not with godly honor but with reuerent behauiour without daunger of idolatry yet those wordes as wordes be in dede wordes of our common language in Englysshe and suche as disseuered and remoued a part from that hollymatter men put to other prophane vses by reason whereof we may easlye deceiue our selues in them and be daylye deceyued And moreouer yf we coulde considre that it is a more shame coÌ„fusion and rebuke to vs to be noted in an error of blusterynge knowledge then to be accompted in the numbre of symple ignorauntes And finally that in consideration of god and his workes after knowledge by faythe that god certainly is we shuld rather study to knowe howe muche we knowe not of god then to presume to knowe all He that were thus instructed and prepared by gods grace he wolde as diligently lerne to condempne his owne knoweledge with his ignorauÌ„ce as to auauÌ„ce his vnderstanding to that may be atteyned And to suche one yf he considre that is before written I shall be seene not only to haue touched the wordes but also the matter which I specially entended wherin I laboured to declare that scripture whiche reueleth god vnto vs by faith doth not in the wordes alwaies fully signify that we gather of theÌ„ but be written sometime to do vs vnderstand the thing to be in god or wrought by him withoute cyrcumstaunce of the measure of tyme as we conceyue it For when christ sayd Before Abraham was I am the tyme in this speache is not after our measure for the presente Tens in God is placed in the speache before the pretertens
God boldely Da quod iubes as saynt Austen sayth Gyue that thou coÌ„maundeste by reason whereof the yoke of the lawe impossible to be borne is in christe easye throughe the gyfte of God by Christe in whome we maye do all Neyther loue ne fayth can be in man perfit and they nede both continuall encreace but he that knoweth oure infyrmities taketh in good parte oure imperfection for oure sauyoure Chrystes sake vpon whome our saluacion is grounded neyther vpon workes ne fayth workes striue not with faith as Ioye and his suppose with youre diuision wherof ye deceaue the simple people as though workes required of a christen man wherein to vse the gyftes purchased for man by christ â–ª were at contention and stryfe with fayth lyke the workes of Moises lawe And herein ye moch please your self and thinke other grosse that be so madde to grounde their saluacion vpon workes beinge impossible and leaue the saluacion by fayth whiche is sure and certeyne And some talke of fayth wherewith to apprehende goddes mercy as though fayth had haÌ„des to take and holde fast and loue none and they graunt that no man is iustified without charitie but yet properlye they say faith apprehendeth the iustificacion wherof how properly they speake I shall speake hereafter at large Nowe I wyll a litle note your fondenes mayster Ioy so to dally in so great a matter â–ª ye aske me whether I haue fulfylled the condicion of the iustification and yet ye can not tell what condycyon Barnes and I spake of and so ye aske ye wote not what and come in with a free iustificatioÌ„ as though I deuised our iustification to be bonde These be mere fransies I euer affirmed that we be frelye iustified and frely saued yet god in giuinge vs this fredome for christe worketh so in ordre and so wylleth vs to obserue it which I call the condycyon as for wante thereof we shal eyther not atteyne fredome or loose oure fredom wheÌ„ we haue atteyned it For ones made free frome synne we muste walke in the pathe of iustice and lyue in this worlde soberly iustly and godly and also to atteine this fredome do as god hath ordayned in vsynge hys sacramentes worthelye with conuersyon also of our harte and penaunce as god requireth of vs whose wyll our sauiour christ in his workes dedes preachinges hath declared vnto vs whiche you depraue so abhominablye and detestablie as euen in this place god suffereth you to write so vndiscretelye of hym as hath not ben lykely seene or harde For not being coÌ„tente to alledge christes wordes in a sense of your owne imagination ye vtter it thus A licencious speache of Ioye touched Christe so sayde or rather so thought A straunge speache Christe shewed hym selfe god in that he knew the thoughtes of men what do you shewe youre selfe in that ye take vpon you without wordes to leade you to discerne the thought of Christ very god and man and frame the speache so as though christ coulde not vtter his thought for wante of language that is implied in your rather so thought Ioye reade this place ones and ones agayne and considre thyne owne foly in it I will not with other termes engreue the matter but pray God it may ashame the and bringe the to repentaunce For malyce in the treatinge of this matter hath so encreased in the as it hath vtterly confounded thy senses that thou sawest not what thou haste written in this place Chryst sayd or rather thoughte ye say And what thought do you attribute to christâ— that he should bidde men do that he knewe well they wolde neuer do and that were impossible to do whiche were a more cruell thought then any christen harte could attribute to our moost mercyfull sauioure Cursed be he sayth saynt Iherome that sayth gods coÌ„mauÌ„demeÌ„tes be impossible And when ye haue in these fewe wordes sayde so farre amisse ye bydde me saye on Wynchester ones agayne as foloweth Vvin. v. â—rticle Ergo I maye do well by the gyfte of God before I am iustified towardes the atteynement of iustificacion Ioye Nowe declareth he by his well doynge for the attaynement of his iustification to be iustified by workes Here is his condicion declared to be workes Here he sheweth hym selfe to be arrogantlye bolder then Dauyd or iust Iob whiche both feared their workes and desyred god not to entre into iudgement with them for then shoulde there no man be iustified in his sight and again sayeth Dauyd Lorde yf thou shouldes obserue oure inyquytyes who shall stande before the in iudgemente vncondempned But Wynch may do well in the moneth of May before men ere he be iustified before god and so reioyse of his owne ioyly iustificacion ridinge vpon his horse or mule He wolde fayne here wrap in his workes with his faith both together into one bedde to warme and win his iustificatioÌ„ that he myght be sure by both together for the mo the better to be iustified Sed pallium ambos operire non potest sayth Isai but the couerlet is to narowe and to shorte to couer them both one of theÌ„ therefore is lyke to lye bare ars and a colde For god to whome we be maried by faythe and mercye is a ielouse god and wyll not that any of his spouses shulde lye with a nother to diuide their fayth froÌ„ hym to workes to be iustified by them nor to separate forgyuenes of synnes from his bloud Is Christ deuided And therefore if this iusticiarye by his may well doynge before he be iustified towarde thattaynement therof so procede towarde his entent he maye be as the fryers and monkes were wont to saye in via perdicionis perfectionis I wold say but vnto the very iustification shal he neuer come euen men of a corrupte mynde caried awaye of diuers lustes euer lernynge and neuer commen vnto the knoweledge of the truth for suche deceyuers shall goo forthe worse and worse tyll theyr wyckednes be rype leadynge other into errours theyr selues beynge blynde and farre oute of the waye turned vnto vayne speache and false doctrine wyllynge to be seene doctours and yet vnderstonde they not what they saye nor of what thynges they make actes artycles and institutyons VvintonÌ„ AS ye expound my sayenges so haue you expouÌ„ded scripture onely as ye wolde haue it or as ye gesse at it withoute consideration howe one exposition agreeth with a nother ye be like youre self in peruersite throughlye For as ye care not what sense ye make of scripture so it lyketh you no more care ye what ye report of any mans writinges or sayenges so it lyke you whereby ye declare throughly your generation WheÌ„ I hadde proued to Barnes that it was vnaduisedly sayde of hym that man myghte not do well by goddes grace before iustification I dydde fyrst improue that fonde sayenge whereby he confounded the ordre of iustification And wheÌ„ I had declared that as I haue before
realme sowing most pestilēt heresies yea and that wittyngly whiche is the synne agenst the holy gost whiche when all synnes be they right greuous shal be forgeuen yet shall this your vngodlye impiete be neuer forgeuen Vvin. Yet Vvin ix article YOu say that fayth is thassueraunce of the promyse of forgeuenes of sin̄es Ioye If faith be that same certitude and assured persuasion as Paule saith assuring you of your iustification why then adde you your vncertayne condiciō waueryng vpon your sinfull works which as they be vnstable vnperfit sinne so can they neuer make you a quyet trāquyl conscience nor certify you of your iustificatiō God so sayeng Thou labourest in the multitude of thine own wayes and yet thoughteste thou them neuer enoughe Adde no condycyon on your behalfe therfore oh Wyn. into your owne condempnaciō Christ neuer taught you to beleue vpon a condicion but saide symply and playnelye Beleue and thou art saued Adde not to goddes worde lest ye be condempned for a lyer Wynch tolde Martyne Bucere that he and his wolde not receyue the doctours as Wyn. wolde I coulde brynge Austen Hierom Origene and many other autentyk writers agenst hym selfe but let vs see whether he wyll beleue this one doctor saint Ambrose thus writing vppon the first epistle to the Corrinthes saienge This thinge is constituted of god that who so beleue in christe he is saued without any worke only by faith frely receiuinge the remission of hys sinnes What can be spoken more plainlye Nowe make an ende Wyn. and conclude your arrogant articles Vvinton̄ AS for your talke in the lawe it is not worth an hawe for it is besides the matter and before aūswered my sayenges ye can not improue sauynge that ye saye I may not adde to gods word whervnto I wyll aunswer that I adde not but only marke and note what gods worde conteineth And when I se so many tymes yf required of vs I knowe none other englysshe name to signifie what that is A discussio◠what is adding to god◠worde but a condicion And here let vs dyscusse what we shall cal addyng to gods worde If ye cal thinuencion of a newe worde whereby to discerne what is written in scripture as I or you vnderstand it an addicion to gods worde then do you and all your secte offende in deuysynge the wordes office and correlatiue to signify what fayth doth and howe it apprehendeth the promyse whiche I thynke the spirite wold not suffre you to do if it were addynge to goddes worde Moreouer I thynke ye call not addyng to goddes worde thaddynge of an other language wherein to expres gods worde by other syllables thē it was first spokē in For then were the world on both partes in a great offence being gods worde translate into so many tōgues nothing like the original tongues of greke or Hebrue Whereby appeareth that beynge the true sense kepte hole and entier the letters and sillables maye be altered withoute daunger as the language requyreth without any contradiction of this texte for not addynge to goddes worde Furthermore yf thexplayninge and openinge of scripture with mo wordes in the same language with similitudes also to giue more light to the true sense ye meane to declare were adding to gods worde I am sure ye wolde not haue trauailed so much in thexposicions of scriptures as ye haue doone in youre sundrye bokes And speciallye where ye make a drinking of christes holly supper ne haue vsed the similitude ye haue done of the sonne and fier for declaration of the secrete workynge of fayth alone yf ye had taken that for addynge to goddes word When ye rayle of me vncharitablye and deuyse for your purpose that is not true we can not cal that adding to gods word that is all besides it and contrarye to goddes word When I saye to you that it is pitie to see the giftes of learnynge in you and many other so abused and abhominacion most detestable to se the pretēce of gods worde to couer so many deuelyshe and detestable wordes of sclaūder malice myschief and heresy wyll you saye that I adde to goddes word herein bicause it is not there directlye spoken of you ye can not truely For albeit it be not specially wrytten of you yet because of a generall warraunt of scripture that we maye saye and wryte that is truth and edyfieth ye can not say I adde herein vnto gods worde but accordynge to goddes worde saye truthe And so likewise in euery other iuste honest and holy thynge Who then doth adde to goddes worde Only he that calleth scripture whiche is not scripture or reporteth the sence of gods scripture amisse For such one frameth hym selfe an ydol in his own fansy and worshippeth it for gods truth falsely Suche men adde to gods worde and reporte not god truely and therefore as the texte sayth shall be condempned as lyers And this is the true vnderstandynge of this texte broughte in by you Adde not to goddes worde Whyche I haue harde manye tymes vsed lyke a keye to cleue logges and therfore haue discoursed thunderstandynge of it As for the sayeng of saint Ambrose maketh nothing agaynst myne article For in the begynnynge when the contention was betwene christe Moyses lawe by faith was signified hole christ and by workes the lawe of Moyses and in this strife where fayth and workes stoode in contencion one against a nother the speache onely fayth was spoken of that good faith only to exclude Moyses lawe with the receyuynge or not receyuyng wherof christendome was troubled For els onely did neuer exclude the familiar companye of faythe with charitie that stode of the same side that faith doth And so you youre selfe vnderstande it that charitie is there and not excluded And the precyse wordes wtout any worke exclude onelye the workes of the lawe for the workes of receyuynge and vsynge the giftes of fayth loue must nedes be there as is before declared And nowe to the article that foloweth in youre boke whiche article ye call myne and I am very glad so to take it it foloweth thus Vvin. x. article A man beynge in deadly synne maye haue grace to do the workes of penaūce whereby he maye attayne to his iustification Ioye And I say the contrarye That a man beynge in deedly synne maye haue no grace to do the workes of penaunce as I feare me it wyll be verified of Win. hym selfe But the Lorde conuerte him ones so that all men maye se his open frutes of repentaunce for his greuous persecution of Chrystes membres and heare hym openly with teares recanting his false doctrine wherby he hath seduced many a symple soule This is lo his doctrine A man must do the workes of penaunce before he be iustified and so by suche workes merite and deserue his iustification and forgyuenes of synnes Here thou seest christen reader that suche a man hath no nede of Christes death but for such men sayth Paule Christ is
that merite is as muche to saye as worthely fully and holly to deserue none otherwise then a workeman deserueth his wages for his laboure and trauayle the worlde by your preachynge takynge the worde in that sence it were in dede an occasion of offence and sclaunder to suche sort of men and in the fyrst apparaunce conteyned blasphemye agaynst the passyon of christ which in the syght of god is only sufficient sacrifice for the synne of all the worlde so full and perfyt as it nedeth not anye addicion or supplement of any mans deserte to the appeasynge of gods iuste wrath agaynst man for sinne And therfore ye shal not nede to speake of halfe sauiours or patched sauyours or els brynge in your allegations to proue christ a onely redemer It is the fyrste letter of oure crosse rowe It is the foundacion of our faith Only Chryste is oure mediatour Christes onelye passion is our redemption iustice and satisfaction And when Barnes went to scoole with me as his scoolefelowe can report this article was fyrst without any varyaunce agreed on â—s scooleâ—owe is yeâ—â—yue and caÌ„â— I saye â—th with such explication as scriptures do testifie that only Christ is our hope only chryst is our life only christ is our way only christ our sauiour holly throughly perfitly absolutely totally entierly fully and herein no tongue can expresse so much as the matter truly conteyneth ne there was euer any so mad as to bryng this truth in question wher by to shake the fouÌ„dacion of oure faith to bryng in doubt that is so playne and euident as ye wold beare the people in hand men did when lerned men impugne your frantique vnderstandyng of this truth The conteÌ„tion is not of the preciousnes validitie effecte of christes passioÌ„ but of the vse of it And where your doctrine shoulde onelye implye that it is sufficient to thynke talke of christes passion we say it is also necessarye to some to taste and fele of christes passion and also to drynke of it as Chryste sayde Potestis bibere calicem quem ego bibiturus sum Can ye drynke the cuppe that I shall drynke And we wyth the grace of God doynge the workes of penaunce taste and feele the passyon of Christe and as good men haue called it meryting and deseruynge to vse the benefytes of chrystes passyon and by strengthe thereof to do penaunce for synne whyche hathe ben called lykewyse satisfaction as wherein man satisfieth that is to saye contenteth God who sayeth he wylleth not the death of a synner but that he shoulde turne to hym and lyue And in this speach meriting and deseruynge sygnyfyeth the due vsynge of the benefyte offred after whiche sorte we saye also He is worthy loue and fauour that wyll leke for it and do his dutye to atteine it And in this wise the hole churche prayeth OmnipoteÌ„s sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentum ut mereamur assequi quod promit tis fac nos amare quod precipis and in this sence we speake of the merites of our Ladye and other sayntes who vsed the benefites of God to his pleasure and honour And albeit the wordes haue longe continued in this sence and in all tongues yet such as you be haue maliciouslye impugned them and caused them to sounde as though there were ment derogacion to the benefite of christes passion by theÌ„ where in deede they do sette forth thexcellencie of the same as by vertue of whiche passion men in state of grace purchased by christes mediacion doo the workes of iustice and synners be called to grace to do the workes of penauÌ„ce whereby to recouer the fauour of god with remission and forgeuenes of their synne You wyll percase fynde matter of raylyng that I brynge in the wordes of the coÌ„mon prayer of the churche for to shewe the vse of the speache in the worde merite and call it papisticall scripture But I dydde it not for want but vpon that occasion to touche the matter And now I adde this gathered out of scrypture that lyke as in other actions or qualities beynge in God essentiall we be called by participacioÌ„ by the names attributed to god for so muche as we do participate haue also the thynge in dede And therefore as God is goodnes it self we by participacioÌ„ froÌ„ him be good As god is lyght it selfe we by participacioÌ„ froÌ„ hym be light As god is wisedome it selfe we by participacion from him be wyse So as christ merited and deserued throughly we by participacion in vsyng his gyftes merite deserue And as christe satysfied fullye so by participacion we also satisfy And as our goodnes light and wysedome by participacion is no addition or derogacion to goddes goodnes lyght or wysedome in essence or being no more is our merityng deseruyng or satisfaction a derogacion or supplement to the merites of christes passyon but onely a due vsynge of them by the gyfte of his grace Nowe how this participacion is wrought and by goddes goodnes deryued to man herein the worlde is troubled but the speach with this sence hath no absurdite and out of this sence it hathe not ben spoken in the common prayer of the churche But I dydde neuer vtter this proposicion in these termes to saye that man must meryte remyssyon of synne nor I haue not as I remembre redde it spoken in this fourme tyll you haue so termed it onely to make matter to talke of by occasioÌ„ wherof ye tell a longe tale of heresies as foloweth Ioye In Paules tyme there strayed about a certayne ydle sorte and secte of heretykes called Nazares or Minei the most subtyll kynde of men in paynting and perswadynge theyr false doctrine These heretikes troubled and peruerted the churches well instituted of the apostels especyally the Galathiens Antiochens and Romaynes agaynste whose heresyes Paule dyd wryte so myghtely and ernestly coÌ„futyng them These pharisees laboured in the same heresie in which Winchester now teacheth writeth myxing thobseruauÌ„ce of the lawe with the grace of the gospell euen workes with fayth to iustyfye These Nazares confessed Christ to be god man that he dyed rose agayne c. but vnto hym onely through oure fayth they attributed not all our hole iustification but part therof as nowe doth Winchester to the workes of the lawe as vnto our owne merites part to his passyon makynge Christ a sauyour to halues But is Christe deuided sayth Paule These heretiques descended out of the faction of the pharisees as now do oure Iusticiaries out of the PelagiaÌ„s whose ryghtwysenes saith Christ excepte ours excelle more abouÌ„dantly we shall neuer come to heauen These Nazaries were Iues borne but in name they wold be called ChristiaÌ„s and yet nothyng holdynge the benefite of grace by Chryste confoundynge the lawe with the gospell merites myxte with grace free forgyuenes with deseruynge by workes contendynge no man to be saued by Christ except he beynge cyrcumcised
discerninge one man from an other withoute acception of persons and yet leauynge therewith to all men fre choyse and election to vse goddes gyftes or reiecte them We that be thus curiouse shal be eiected and cast out by the aungel of god and thrust into the darknes and blyndnes of our sensuall reasonyng and so confound oure selfes with doubte vppon doubte as we can not tell what to saye Here some wyll percase replye that I haue spoken a meany of good wordes whyche serue rather to wynde vp the matter agayne then to declare it For that I haue said hetherto of predestination â—re myght â—n ende if 〈◊〉 wâ—re â—ent is the sense of a fewe wordes of the wise man saieng Seke not for thynges that be aboue thy capacitie and let gods secrecies alone And after this sorte saynte Paule handled this matter to the Romayns in the .ix. chapiter and continueth in that matter to the xii concluding there with an exclamacion of the height of the wisdome of god and of his counsailes and iudgementes not able to be comprehended by mans vnderstandynge but the proces of that matter well digested shuld muche satisfye all men in consideration of this highe mysterye For when saynt Paule for declaration of his aboundaunce of charitie towardes his nacion of the Iewes with a zeale of the settyng forth of goddes glorye as he wisshed him selfe abiecte from goddes fauour so all the Iewes myght be saued to whome God hadde shewed so manye prerogatyues He aunswered then as it were to the obiectyon of a murmurynge Iewe that wolde impute the falle of the Iewes to the chaunge of goddes pleasure meaninge as it were blasphemouslye that God hadde fayled of his worde and promysse And fyrst saynt Paule sayth The wordâ— of god fayleth not buâ— is sometym noâ— well vnderstanded The worde of god hath not fayled for the promysse was not made of God to all the Iewes but only to the very true Israelites And al the sede of Abraham be not the sonnes of Abraham of whome God mente but onelye in Isaac Abrahams seede shal be estemed And not they that by carnall generation onelye came of Abraham shoulde be the sonnes of God but they alone that were the chyldren of the promysse By openyng whereof saynte Paule mynded to put suche a Iewe to silence with declaracioÌ„ of the Iewes ignoraunce that he vnderstode not the promysse of god as it was made but vnderstode it carnally as though it had ben made to a carnall generatioÌ„ And then saint Paule to declare further to them that wolde fynde out the cause of the Iewes reiection on gods behalfe â—ods iudgeâ—eÌ„tes excede 〈◊〉 capacite how farre gods iudgementes and choyses excede our capacite sheweth howe god without al difference to be atteyned by mans iudgement dyd chose Iacob and reproue Esau hauynge both one father one mother in one tyme begotten neyther of theÌ„ yet borne neither hauyng done any worke why to be preferred the other not onlye hereby hidinge from vs the cause of suche election and preferment of the yonger to the elder but also takynge away all coniecture of causes to the intente all suche wayes of searche and diuinacion of goddes secrete doinges shuld be taken away from the curiosite of mans wyt And where any thinge altereth otherwise theÌ„ man loketh for there for to confesse that god is all truth and all wisedome and we without gods gyftes be all foly and faultie Gods wyl is cause of all causes but not cause immediate of al thynge so as we ought to worshyppe gods wyll as cause of all causes directinge all thinge in equitte and iustice numbre and measure the perticuler discussion whereof Man can nether comprehende god nâ— his workes no mans wyt can perticulerly comprehende For as no man hath sene god as he is so no man can se througly al the secrecie of gods workemanshyp but only so much as is opened vnto vs. Wherefore saynt Paule as he dyd in the first declaration of Abrahams seede and posteritie laye before the murmuringe Iewe his ignoraunce in the vnderstandynge of goddes promysse So doth he in openynge of gods election of Iacob and Esau God hideth his secretes from vs teache by this occasion all the worlde howe goddes determinacions be hydden frome vs and euery wyndowe shyt vp where we myghte pere into them And yet man can not let this matter alone And the more secret it is the more busye we be to knowe And therefore saynte Paule in the personne of a murmurer deuiseth this encountrynge with god What shall we saye Is iniquitie with god mary god forbid And yet I se that god preferreth the yonger to thelder And I can not fysshe out any cause or coÌ„iecture to call the dede equitie in mans reason but rather because the yonger is preferred there appereth to mans reason a cause of iniquitie Wherfore we be lerned by saynte Paule that we must in such wise subdue our vnderstandynge to fayth that beleuyng vndoubtedlye god is all iustice we may not esteme any thinge certainly affirmed to be done by him to be vniuste For as saynte Chrisostome sayeth God seeth with other eyes then we do And as the carpenter choseth a peece of timbre we can not atteyne the reason of goddes woâ—kes to serue his purpose the reason wherof a man vnskylled can not discerne So god to buyld his church choseth after his knowledge wherevnto we can not attaine And therfore we must submytte and humble tharrogancie of oure vnderstandynge to goddes wisedome we must beleue fortrutâ— that we caâ— not deuyse how it shuld be truth beleue that whiche God teacheth and byddeth to be all true although the matter in consideracioÌ„ of our iudgement be impossible to be sette together For so dydde Abraham beleue god in his promysse of the multiplication of his seede by Isaac and beleued god also when he badde him go offre vp Isaac in sacrifice and yet if Abraham vpon the coÌ„maundement of the offrynge of his sonne had debated with him selfe howe the former promysse and the last commaundement myght haue agreed together he should not haue fouÌ„d howe to haue ioyned them in one truth Whiche Abraham dyd not but without stay as the scripture reaporteth the storye went about that he was commaunded to do and leauyng the curiositie of reasonyng beleued in hope agaynste hope And therefore lykewyse where scripture signifieth to me gods prouidence predestinatioÌ„ whiche shoulde seeme to take awaye and be repugnaunt to the free choice of man forasmuche as the scriptures be neuerthelesse in that matter of fre choyce also euident I muste beleue both to be true as Abraham dyd although I can not set them together But lette vs returne to saynte Paule who reiectyng such blasphemy of god as to say that god hath iniquitie doth not go about to proue that god hath no iniquitie for we maye not require the profe therof but as it is most true so must we
not necessitie they say a good man doth frelye and necessarilye good and an euyll man frely and necessaryly euyll And as they do in the wordes of free wyll so they play in the worde necessitie whiche is taken two wayes Necessitie is taken twoo wayes For there is a mere and absolute necessitie that the lerned men call necessitatem consequentis and a condicionall necessitie whiche the lerned men cal necessitatem consequentie As in this example when I tell one he shall dye the corporall death I tell hym a mere necessitie for he shall nedes dye and it dependeth neither of iffes ner andes ne can not be auoided but that necessite of death coÌ„pelleth al meane causes to serue it necessarylye to the accomplyshment of it Therefore I maye say It is merelye and absolutelye necessary that thou shalte dye And this is necessitas consequentis For the thinge is ordered precisly so to be But if I sayâ— thus Forbearyng thy foode thou must necessarily die or it be longe this necessite is no mere necessite but dependeth vpon the condycyon of the forbearyng thy foode marye auoyde not the condicion but lette that stande true then the necessitie foloweth And of this sorte of necessitie the gentyles suche as hadde clearer vnderstanding reputed that they called destine fatum As put thy fynger in the fyer â–ª and it wyll necessarylye burne hauinge the natural cause no leâ— of operacion Nowe if it were asked whether thy fynger shoulde necessarilye burne I must saye no meanynge of a precise absolute and mere necessytye for thou neadeste not put thy fynger in the fyre and so the burnynge shall be auoyded But and yf thou puttesâ— thy fynger in the fyer then of a coÌ„dicionall necessitie it must neades burne Nowe marke the sophistry of this sect The sophistry of such as defende mere necessitie A good man they say doth necessarilye good and that is true in a condicionall necessite For if he be a good man he muste neades do well for as sone as he ceasseth to do good he is no lenger a good man and so in an euyll man he doth necessarylye euyll for yf he dydde well he were no more an euyll man And thys necessytye hathe in deede no compulsyon because the former parte of the speache is at lybertie withoute necessytie or compulsyon and the latter parte is made necessarye by the maynetenaunce of the trueth in the fyrste parte And therfore this speach is true Thomas beynge a good man dothe necessarylye well and IohnÌ„ an euyll man doth necessarylye euyll But this is not true the Thomas speakyng of the same Thomas doth necessarily wel or IohnÌ„ speaking of the same IohnÌ„ doth necessarily euyll For there is no necessitie at al in the matter but vpon vpholdynge the truth of the condicion whiche in these latter speaches is lefte out And thus I haue declared the difference of necessities the one mere and absolute and the other condicionall and I haue shewed howe the symple people not hauinge their senses exercised be deceyued by suche as be the deuyls apostels to seduce the worlde with intricatioÌ„ of speach and like false marchauntes shiftynge the wordes whiche be markes from the signification of one thyng to an other by such colors mainteine discorde disagremente in those thinges wherin it were most expedient men shuld agre This matter of free choice hath muche troubled the church by reason of such as wold presume to haue through knoweledge of all thynge after their discussion and so entangling them selfe with goddes high misteries haue ben authors of suche opinions of mere necessitie as not onlye impugne the hole processe of scripture but also subuerteth al staye of good direction and endeuoure eyther to godlye exercyse or polytyque behauoure It is the extremite of al mischeif to say that man can not chose whether he wyl vse gods giftes or no when they be offered hym whiche is the time of mans choice as afore for we must be persuaded that as god giueth to man his giftes frely without necessitie or compulsion so maÌ„ receiueth them frely without necessitie or compulsion to vse them As for the high diuinite ye speake of mayster Ioye I wyll not enquyre ye further of it but wold wisshe that diuinite were ordered godlye spoken of reuerentlye and semely with feare of errour with humble meke spirites not arrogantly not presuÌ„ptuously not by way of iesting not by way of raylyng not out of season nor amonges other pastimes to supply other communicacion Gregorye Nazianzene a noble clercke of the greke church scolemaster to saynt Ierome in whose tyme there were certayne called Eunomians who affirmed there was no waye to heauen but one to talke of god and dispute of goddes workes This Gregorye Nazianzene noted those meÌ„ Considre 〈…〉 a lessoÌ„â—his is for â—ut â—â—me of their itche in their tonge as he calleth it sheweth how they alledge scripture as meÌ„ do the chaunce of dyce take that commeth fyrst at all aduentures he noteth them how they troubled all good assembles with theyr talkes in scrypture And that talke waxed so common that women also troubled their nourseries therewith and by occasioÌ„ of their talke loste as he sayth the floure of their shamefastnes For whose reformacion at that tyme he sheweth that of God neyther al shuld be disputed that myght be spoken nor all men shulde speake of hym nor to all men nor in all tymes In speakynge of God he wolde mens capacitie shulde be considered For the time he sayth we shulde not mingle the talke of God at the time of other triflinge pleasures As for the audience he wold it were suche as the speakynge of God myght edyfie For them that shuld talke he wolde wysshe them either perfytelye clensed in their lyfe or at the leaste suche as endeuoured them selfe to amende in theyr lyfe lest beinge fylthy and corrupt in liuinge they shulde hurte them selfe as he that hath sore eyes is hurte by sight of the sonne This was the mynde of this good man at that tyme and when he had said thus muche he was afrayde they wolde haue misreported him that he forbad them to thinke of God alwayes For in suche wyse euyll disposed people are wont to make misreport of good aduertisement And therfore he saith I wold they shuld thinke of god as oft as they breath but I speake ê™ he of talkynge reasonynge and disputing of god whiche he calleth in one worde 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And yet I do not ê™ he improue that but the vntymelynes of it and the excesse of it And al thinge ê™ he hathe his tyme as Salamon sayeth And good is not good as Gregorye Nazianzene there sayeth yf it be not well done It is semely ê™ he for a woman to were a mans garment And after in the same worke do not saint Paule saye that all be not apostels ne all prophetes and finally concludeth the matter that yf the ytche of mens tongues can not
inconuenience men haue deuised to say now I beleue not Luther nor Melancton nor Bewcer nor Suinglius nor Ioye nor Turnor And call them for the tyme knaues for Maledictus qui confidâ—t in homine but I beleue ê™ he goddes holy wordes which can not lye as men do And shall I not beleue the wordes of the byble I knowe what edifiethe me thankes be to the lorde of his gyfte my conscyence telleth me what is good and no man shall bringe me from that god teacheth me by his holye spirite Nowe yâ— wyll aske me And is not this well saide Verelye if man were neuer deceyued in the true sence of gods worde and were assured that god in dede taught him by his holye spirite the aunswere were graue but when so many errours are arrisen in the sence of goddes holy worde and the deuyll maye and hath transformed him selfe into the aungell of lyght suche speach in communycacyon is besydes the purpose For men doute not whether goddes holye worde is to be beleued but what is the sence of goddes holye worde And the maner of speache aforesaide beinge so precise serueth rather as ashes to couer fier to kepe an error close then with sobre communication eche man mistrustinge his owne learninge to trye out what other men whose spirite is commeÌ„ded vnto vs haue by one consent lefte written and testified what they vnderstande in the matter Mary you maister Ioye I praye you pardonne me for yf god hath so made you of his secrete counsel that ye can tel what christ thought as ye haue before arrogantly affyrmed ye may speake for so much with more aucthorytie then anye other But let vs considre ones agayne your And I say the contrary for albeit ye saye so in summe yet when ye declare your selfe afterwarde some wolde conster ye sayde otherwyse and that whether ye wyll or no ye agree with me For when ye call penaunce a turnynge to God youre sayenge implyeth that before suche a man as turneth by penaunce dydde by goddes callynge turne that man was out of gods fauour not iustified but turned from God and after that by grace turneth whyche ye call penaunce So as if ye maye be so vnderstanded ye saye that a man beynge a synner maye haue grace to turne The differeÌ„ce yf we vnderstande you thus betwene you and me is that you expresse the worke of penaunce whyche ye call turnynge And I speake of the worke of penaunce in general and yet I haue not contended with you what be the workes of penauÌ„ce And for ought I here of you in the workes of penaunce I shall not contende with you muche but agre with you for all this bablynge that turninge to god is the worke of penaunce so it be a hole turne whereof scripture speaketh with a mannes hole harte in fastinge wepynge and waylynge and as the church hath declared our turnynge shuld be and not halfe a turne as some of your scole teache and amonges all your turnyng Turnor whom god turne into the right waye But afterwarde ye handle your turninge otherwyse wyll so vnderstande your turninge as a synner shulde be iustified before he doth turne wherein you turne the matter so aboute as it is inexplicable for by you a sinner turneth not as your speache purporteth but a man that was a synner now beleuing and iustified hauing his synnes forgeueÌ„ turneth and so he that is turned all ready in iustificacion yet remaynyng thaÌ„ turneth agayn in penaunce and then the seconde turninge shulde be from god yf the turninge in iustificacion were to god as it muste neads be for in remyssyon of synne and iustificacion god turneth man to him And so the playne man whom ye take vpon you to teache playnly wolde vnderstand it For when ye say that a sinner before his turnyng by penaunce beleueth and is iustified that is one turne where he was before from god now to be towardes hym And then if there be yet after a turnynge againe in penaunce that turnynge must nedes be from god For a seconde turne muste nedes be contrarye to the fyrste as a simple man aunswered when one told him the world was turned Then ê™ he all is well for I harde my graundfather saye in his tyme the worlde was turned And then the worlde was nought And therfore by the seconde turne he concludeth it shulde be good For in two turnes one succedinge a nother yf the first be one waye the seconde is a nother And yet you wolde haue a synner fyrst iustified by fayth wherein he is turned to god and then turne by penaunce If ye wolde call me nowe Pelagian bycause I shuld speake as thoughe man myghte turne of him selfe withoute belefe then I wolde saye ye spake as besemethe the person ye mainteyne I haue learned and therafter speake that a sinner can not turne without the grace of god which god dystributeth by degrees as the soÌ„ne sheweth her selfe in the morninge in whom there is encrease by successe tyl the sonne come to the highest at noon Men fall sodenly downe the hyll from god but they be drawen vp the hyll to hym by degrees And the degrees of helth be signified in the miracle of christ of the blynde man to whome christ restored not his perfit syghte at ones but by degrees We preache to meÌ„ to rise in the mornÃng orto iam sole for Vanum est ante lucem surgere and ye bydde men lye styll whyle it be noon that the sonne be at the highest this causeth your fonde stoicall scoole of extremities whiche admytteth no meane I haue bene somewhat mery with you for my owne relefe beinge vexed and weried with your fond talke whiche is suche as maketh onely a coÌ„fusion of that ye speake of without frute or edifienge And yet I can not pretermytte to note somewhat in your iustification which ye declare thus Ioye Now let vs se the order of our iustification before god accordynge to the scriptures Firste sayth Paule we are chosen of god in Chryst before the foundacion of the worlde was layde And when we be borne anewe of the spirite we are called to receyue fayth Ioan. i. and .i. Ioan. v. which gyfte of faith certifyeth vs of our election geuynge vs the knowlege of god the father in and by Christe Whiche knowledge as nothynge can be sayd breiflyer so is there nothynge more excellent sweter more full and perfit holsomer more comfortable and ioyouse For when I knowe god the father in Christe by the holy gost I knowe these .iii. persons to be the onely one God the most hygh goodnes hauynge his beinge of him self and all other creatures to haue their being lyfe and mouynge of hym euen that one alone my very lyuynge God for me and for all sufficient mercyful benygne louyng almyghty to me my delyuerer defender and keper longe suffring iust true my presente sauyoure and forgeuer of my synnes gyuynge me frelye for Christes sake eternall lyfe and beatitude In
the grammer wold somwhat haue holpe to wrangle with al And I wold then haue resorted only to the declaracion of Philippe to the Enuche which Philip was no papiste nor lawer as I wolde haue resorted also to christes wordes Qui crediderit baptizatus fuerit which placeth faith before baptisme the sacrament of byrth of the spirite as ye speake in newe englyssh and of the holly goost as the olde englisshe turned it and of god as the scripture by you broughte in speakethe it And I doubte not but Christ thoughte in these wordes euen as he spake bycause ye meddle with christes thoughtes and accordynge thereunto with the same ordre instructed Philippe to baptise thenuche And yet ones againe to your scripture that alloweth not your reporte of it The scripture is Euerye man that beleueth Iesus is chryste is borne of god This hath the same sence that saint Paule spake in other wordes No man can say or speake our lorde Iesu christe but in the holly ghost when saint Peter also confessed christ to be the sonne of god Christe saide that flesshe and bloude had not reueled that vnto him but his father that is in heauen And so in this place Euerye man that beleueth Iesus to be christ hath that beleue of god which hauing of god is spokeÌ„ in the termes of byrth of god He is borne of god to signifie the sacrameÌ„t of baptisme wherin we be regenerate of water and the holy ghost after christes teachinge whome God badde vs heare and therewith beware of you that teache christe not as ye haue learned in scripture but after your owne ymaginations For when there maye be anye resemblaunce in the rude consyderacyon of the symple man meete to agree with youre peruerse interpretacyon ye do easelye seduce hym to allowe youre fansye As in this text when ye reade he that beleueth Iesus is Chryste is borne of god ye cause the rude man to note fyrste a byrthe of god and then a beleuynge and somewhat lyke therevnto We in common speache saye he that foloweth me is my seruaunte In this speache is a playne vnderstandynge that the man was my seruaunte before he folowed me So as the resemblaunce of thys speache to the other of scrypture In englyâ— speches thâ— seme of oâ— fashion is great diueâ—te of senseâ— causeth symple folke easelye to agree to youre exposicion that by that texte of scrypture it shoulde appeare that a man is firste borne of God before he beleuethe bycause the one speache is lyke the other And when the vnlearned by you be ledde into this errour then the pryde of a presumptuouse knoweledge makethe them obstinatelye to defende it and call all other knoweledge whereby they shoulde be rydde of theyr erroure iugglynge and sophistrye mannes inuentions and suche other peuysshe wordes as men be encombred to heare onlesse they wolde make gods worde the matter of the deuylles stryfe Thinke me not tediouse good reader that I tarye in this matter to open and shewe howe one fashyon of speache in englysshe receyueth diuerse interpretacion by reason of the ordre of the matter that is knytte togither For when I saye he that foloweth me is my seruaunt the speache importeth that he was my seruaunt before he folowed me But in an other matter knytte in the same fasshyon of speache when I saye he that couenaunteth to serue me is my seruaunt this speach signifieth not that he was before my seruaunte and then couenauÌ„ted but that by this couenaunt he is made nowe my seruaunt and was not before In the other speache he was my seruaunte or he folowed me and in this laste speache we must vnderstande that he dydde couenaunte or he were my seruaunte And what reason of dyuersitie in these two Marye in the fyrste speache I ioyne that is oute of all kinde of causes to theffecte as to folowe me is no cause to be my seruaunte but rather ensueth of seruyce But in the seconde I ioyne a kynde of cause with the effecte And then I maye not saye the effecte was before the cause and therefore in asmuche as a couenaunt is of the kind of causes to make hym my seruaunte I maye not by the lyke fasshion of speache deceaue my selfe and say bycause in the one speache it was not true where I sayde he that folowethe me is my seruaunte that he was my seruaunte before he folowed me I muste therefore in this speache he that couenaunteth to serue me is my seruaunte saye also that he was my seruaunte before he couenaunted with me Nowe bycause in the speache of scrypture whiche is Eche man that beleueth Iesus to be christ is borne of god there is ioyned of the kinde of causes that is to saye to beleue with the effecte whyche is to be borne of god I may not saye we be borne of god or we beleue but that we beleue or we be borne of god And this resembleth that englyshe speache before declared He that couenauÌ„teth to serue me is my seruaunte But if the scripture were thus He that shal be saued is borne of god the vnderstandynge muste needes be that we be borne of god or we be saued For this is like the other speache in englysshe he that foloweth me is my seruaunt whiche implieth that he was my seruaunt or he folowed me whiche diuerse consideration arriseth vppon the diuersitie of placynge theffecte before the cause or the cause before the effecte And he that dothe not marke this maye easelye saye an horsemyll for a mylhorse and in the mystakynge of the sence of the scryptures all heresyes be grounded they that be in that darkenes subuerted in theyr iudgement can not abyde the lyghte of the truthe and meanes to dyscerne it but be learned to abhorre that shoulde cleare the matter and call their darkenes lyght and the verye lyght darkenes But good reader consydre agayne and againe what Ioye gathereth of the scrypture howe vntruelye he gathereth it and by what sleyght he conueieth it into the heades of the ignoraunte that take hym for a greate mayster He sayeth we be borne of god and so called to receyue beleefe where in deede we be called to receiue belefe wherwith but not with it alone but with it as foundacion to be borne of god For he that is borne of god we shall not saye he is called to receyue faith but in his byrthe of god hath receyued it all readye wythoute whyche he is not borne of God For fide purificat deus cordaâ— as saynte Paule saith and yet you wolde teache that mens hartes were purified by byrth in god or they receyued faith For if a maÌ„ be borne of god olde Adam is cast away the weight of synne is vnladen mans state is recreate and renued Et quod natum est ex spiritu spiritus est and yet by you man is broughte to this state or he knoweth god for hitherto he is but called to receiue faith by your teachinge whereby