foloweth shew ye what is hope and Paules mynde He had before mightely proued by faith onely man to be absolued from sin treating sin the lawe faith and grace and here he commeth to the worke of hope whiche is exercised shineth in pacience proued by tribulacion wherof he here maketh large mencion setting forth our consolacion in the middes of oure affliccions by the hope of our saluacion to come calling hope the expectation of those thinges which haue bē before conceiued by faith y t is to wete our saluatiō and the redemption of our bodies in the resurrecciō for in this hope saith he we loke and abyde for our saluacion For we must first know y e thing ere we can ether waite and hope for it or loue it and be firste assiewered by our faith apprehendinge the promise therof to haue it ere by expectacion we wait for it wherefore the scripture saith firste we be saued by faith and then in ferme hope we wait for our saluaciō For if y e thing waited and loked for by hope were sene present saith Paule so were it not by hope loked for for wherfore shuld a man hope for the thinge which he seeth For asmuche therefore as we se not the saluacion whiche we hope to haue therfore thorowe pacience we tary and hope for it Hitherto be Paules wordes wherby ye se y t we be first iustifyed and saued by faith as the order and processe before of his pistle declareth it ere we tary and wait for it by hope Is this a Good argument By hop or in hope we abyde in a ferme expectacion for our saluacion conceiued before by faith ergo hope sauethe By faith in hope we be saued that is faith setteth vs in a perfit hope of saluacion For the saluacion is promised and receiued first into faith beleuinge and knowinge it ere it be waited for by hope Men vse now a dayes this blasphemouse sophistry whē thei wil īpugne such deuout saings as haue ben vsed in our chirch whē eche man exhorteth other to saue his own soul or desireth a nother to saue his neighbors soule or els moueth his frende by almos praier fasting good dedes to worke the welth of his soule Al which saluaciōs workts of saluacion good deuout men vnderstand to be done as in dede thei cannot be done otherwise by the merites of christes passion and gifte of god And yet these beastes that put no differēce betwene a key and an batcher diffame the speache If you or any of your scolers shulde come to me with this fonde speche to desier me to saue his soule I oughte to teache you and them accordinge to scriptures that there is but onely one sauiour Iesus Christe god and man and so shewe you the waye to him as testifieth Paule and christe to go to hym by faith into him and to tell you that I am no sauioure of soules no not of my nowne And as for the deedes whiche ye so blasphemousely call saluations and workes of saluacion therby men to saue eche others soules in so detestable a blasphemy ▪ as no godly eares may heare as the scriptures abhorre and detest the speache so oughte nether your mouth to haue vttered it ne w t pen to haue writtē it For the scripture knoweth but y e onely worke of oure saluacion and redemption which only christe Iesus once for euer and also perfitly openly and so plentuouslye wroughte in the myddes of the erthe as witnes the psal when he offered vp to his father in sacrifice his owne blessed innocent body to be crucified on the crosse for our sinnes And as for prayers almos fastynge whyche god commaundeth and not you the scripture calleth them the fruites of our faith and the frutes of the spirite declaringe our obedience to god and his preceptes testifienge our faith iustifieng and our loue to god and to our neighbours Ne call vs not beastes because we will not vse but rather impugne with gods worde those blasphemouse speches of your popishe chirch and deuoute papistes pilers of the rome churche or rather of the courte of rome we be nowe god be praysed vnder a nother head and in a nother chirch Is this a godly vnderstondinge of your deuout papistes To saye that by the merits of christes passion men by their dedes shulde deserue to saue them self ye blaspheme diffame y ◠merets of christes passion and robbe him of his glory with youre speache in so sayenge and of his merits to And euen these lo be youre romyshe craftye kayes and youre owne beastly hatchets ye vse to deceiue the simple christians and to seduce them from their onely and sufficient sauyour Christe into mennes saluacions by workes of your owne inuented popish saluacion After your lende diuiniti ye fal to fond policie askinge whether it be more profitable to take forgeuenes of synnes without a condicion or tary till the condicion were fulfilled whiche question is so fondly conceiued that I wil aunswere merelye to it as the prentis of London did aunswere his maister before the wardens when he asked him why sonne Is not a colde capod good meat yes quod the prentis if I had had it Ye both falsely and truncatelye reherce my question whiche is thus in my booke whether you laden with synne Christe callynge you and promysynge to ease you frelye forgeuynge you for your faith I ask you were it more profitable to you by that onely condicion of faith to set holde of his fre forgeuenes now offred you by Christ that cannot lye or to tary and send him worde ye will first knowe and fulfill your condicions And you answer as did the prentes That his master had spokē of miche good meate if a man coud haue it As thoughe Christes wordes and his promyse to be forgeuen for our faithe were but vayne rehersallis of vayne things neuer offred ne promised ne let before vs as neuer were the colde moton befe ne capons recherced of that vaine lyinge man the prentices master Compare ye Christes almighty infallible promises to vayne menis lyes And matche ye Christes ernest holy wordis with siche a prophane light iest Now I se y e god worthely punisheth in you one syn with a nothere euen your obstinate arrogāt impiete cōtempte of god and his worde with blyndnes hath made folishe your wisdom and hathe casten you vp thorow your own lustes into a forlorn mīd god geue ye grace to know nomo condicions wais into your remission and saluacion but only faithe in Christis moste preciouse blode and shortly to repent And so your maship hath said trwly that a man were beter if any thinge could be beter then god hath ordined it to take remission of sinne without any condicion For then without any endeuore all shuld haue it And your lordeship shuld haue lerned ere this that God hath offred and promised
to vs all remission vppon this onelye condicion that we beleue in Christ and not vpon your condicion of works as I haue iustly by scriptures hytherto proued it Nether therfore folowth it That then with out any endeuer almen shuld haue it Is not faith an harde condicion think ye Shal euery maÌ„ beleue in Christe when he lestethe and haue faith when he wil without the sharp assawtis of hir contrarie enimies as of infidelite desperation sin deuil and dubitacion shal euery man haue it encreased at his idle pleasyre loke vpon Abrahams faith so sore tempted vppon Iob Dauyd and of his that saide lorde I beleue but help my vnbeleif and loke vpon the apostles faith tempted vpoÌ„ the seas and in other places Faith is a rare and mighty gifte geuen not without the merits and intercession of our sauior Christ. And if euer ye shal fele y e batails of sin death hel the deuil the iugement of god and desperacion preassinge agenst the spirit of faith in you and wrestlinge with your spirit and litle faith to dryue you in to vnbeleif and dubitacion of forgeuenes desperacion whilis ye beholde your sinnes only in the lawe in your own conscience and iugemeÌ„t of god your aduersary accusing you not in the death of chryst with a constant and manly saith in him but to be brought into this desperat state to see your self wetingly and willingly of a set malice to haue resisted and thrusted the worde of saluacion from you when it was so benignely offred you to haue closed vp your eyes agenst the light to persecute the gospel to wryte and speke ayenst it to impugne y e trwthe and with your dampnable doctryne to haue seduced so many soulis into hell and with your false enstruccioÌ„s to bringe many into damnable errours and with your cruel vngodly actis and articles to be the autor of somiche innocent bloudshedinge w t infinite moo accusacions ayenste you ye shal fele them to be to laboriouse and hard an endeuer and harder a fre choise of you to assent with your faith to breke thorow and smit of and auoid all these heuye accusacions If this shal be so hard and heuey a batail ayenste the trwe faith loke neuer then that your false faith with your fre choise and assent to it when ye list shal stand sustain and abyde it ye shal fynde it no smal endeuor ne lyght batail to hold faste your faith in Christ if ye hade it as litle as the mustard sede Many an holy man felinge this stryff temptacion haue cryed Lorde geue me faith lorde encreace my faithe Lord strengthen my faith for christis â—ake lord lede me not into this temptacioÌ„ If ye had red the psalmes with faith and the story of Iob and trwly vnderstode them ye shulde haue sene how iuste menis faith hath ben tempted tried and ouerthrowen and how thei be first slayne ere thei be quikened in spirit first drouen down into hell ere thei be reduced into heuen first to tast of desperacion damnacion ere they tast of any strong faith and saluacion This is y e souldyers lyfe and Hercules labor by faith to fele remission and saluacioÌ„ assiewred vs in oure soulis and not so easye a pleasant passetyme as ye yet dreamâ— in your idle worldly welthines anâ— sinful securite Trewe faithe is nâ— idle assent ne acquisite qualite as yâ— list to haue it with your dremed endeuor But as y e course of y e wynd is not knowne so know ye not yet what faith is as your bok is playnly shewe your ignorance But here I omitte y e accusacion brought ayenst you for not doinge your pastorall office accordinge to godis vocacioÌ„ and lyke the successour of any one of the apostles in whiche office if any one of your floke be founde to haue perished for want of the very fode of godis worde purely faithfully and frely not preched of you his bloude shal be required at your haÌ„dis Now say on We muste take godes benefit as it is offered and not as we wold haue it ye saye trw For the benefit of our remission and saluacion is euerye wher offred vs in the scripture For our faith into christ and not as ye wolde haue it for the fulfillinge of your condicioÌ„s shewinge your selfe therin to be wiser then god and to inuent a nother and better way as ye beleue to heauen then by Christe as god hath decreed and ordined ye wolde belyke sette god to scole as ye did take vpon you to teache doctour Barnes better lerned then you Ergo by the gift of god I may do wel before I am iustified your handlynge of this my conclusion declareth plaine that ye vnderstande not what ye saye For ye â—ondely improue a conclusion that mighte stande and be true Ioy. yea after your truth with your â—onde paradox of onelye faith iustifieth onlesse in teachiÌ„g ye wil so haÌ„dle y e mater as Barnes dyd Thaia man is iustified before he beleueth For if beleue goth before iustificacion as a cause dothe theffect then seinge in scripture beleif is called a dede and procedinge from the gift of god must nedes be a good dede it foloweth necessarely ergo I may by gods gift do a good dede before I am iustified A wise argument lo as though to beleue in Christ were the dede of maÌ„ not as christ affirmeth it the work of god Ioa. vi saieng This is the work of god y t ye beleue in him whoÌ„ he hath sent ye shall know that by y e handlyng of your conclusion I vnderstand it better then ye wetesaffe haue iustly confuted it in my former boke as euery reder may se it your self know it if arrogaÌ„ce malice had not blyndned you to not se faith in christ iustifieng to be y e rote fouÌ„tain of al good works and what is not of this faith purifieng the hert to be sin I haue hitherto remoued al your coÌ„dicions as your penance baptism c from the place before iustificacion haue compelled you by scriptures to place them after faith iustifieng And now ye be brought to thê narow shift as to seme to proue beleif to go before iustification which ye say is a good dede ergo But I shal driue you as euery reader shall se it openly from this your last shameles shifte that al meÌ„ shal se you to stand naked of al euasions without any mo sterting holes First ye must graunt that faithe into christ is the gift of god now ye speak of beleif and ye set it confusely tantum as y e sophisters say without any thing into which y e accioÌ„ work of y e verbe shulde passe And if ye wil haue it stand so absolutely nothing added so is it as good a dede as y e deuil doth y e same For as Iames saith The deuils beleue the turkes and Iewes beleue But speake you like a
geueth me ferme faith to beleue it wryting his promise w t his own haÌ„d sealled with Christis death and most preciouse blode yea and geueth me thernest and pledge of this promise euen his own sone Christe and his holy spirit the pledge as Paul saith and ernest of our forgeuenes and saluacion testifyinge vnto my spirit that I am his chosen beloued predestined childe in christe commandinge me to call and beleue him to be my merciful father shuld I not beleue in him be assewered of my saluacioÌ„ forgeuenes perseuerance in hope al dubitacion and dout excluded If I did not beleue constantly hope for it so shuld I dishonor gods vecite which syn be satte fro me wherfore hathe God geuen me the certitude and vndouted assewrance but in hope to abyde paciently waitinge certainly for his performance wyll ye beleue beter men then God And to excercise this owr assewerd faith and hope he sendeth vs continuall crosse and affliccions And we haue the continual reading hearing of his holy scripturs vt permaneamus fide fundati ac stabiles that we perseueringe grounded and faste roted in faith shuld not swarue from the hope of y e gospel And al be it in y e straight and narow path of charite I swarue and fall by y e waye yet haue I gods promyse apprehended by my faithe that I shal not so fall as to hurte me be broken but to ryse agene For y e Lord hath promised to put his hand vnder me to lyft me vp ayen w t an c. lyke counfortable promyses to reduce repentant sinners into the waye which promises humbly with reuerence and fear and thanks I enbrace It is thou oh lorde that assewerest me to perseuer certainly and settest me in assewerance Howe many promises haue we God to be our strength our rok bulwerk castel tower defence helper for Christ our intercessour and reconciler his sake with a thou said lyk confortable excercises of our faith to strengthen and confirme our hope and expectacion in sewerty and perseuerance But your doutful doctryne knoweth nether God ne Chryst ne faith But to confirme ours yet aftir this a fore said obsignacion of the holy spirit God assewerth also his congregacion therof with the visible seals of baptism his holy souper to put vs in mynde of his beneuolence towerd vs of his testameÌ„t couenaÌ„t iÌ„ chrstis blod In baptisme dewli ministred I remeÌ„ber se his deth burial resurreccioÌ„ wherin also I am taught to be mortifyed my sinnes buried in his woundis and to ryse agene into a newe lyf And in the holy souper of the Lorde dewly ministred I remember and see with the eyes of my faith in the breakinge and geuinge of the holy bread his bodi brokeÌ„ crucified geueÌ„ me into the remission of my sinnes And in the holy wyne lykewyse powered forthe and geueÌ„ me I remember and see his most preciouse blode shed for me into the remission of my synnes And euen these be holy sacred adsewerances in my faith and hope of my saluacion thus dayly excercisinge my faith and hope into a perpetuall perseuerance in the same adsewerance while I lyue which asâ—werances ye saye ye cannot tell of A shameles ignorance in a bishop great infidelite and blasphemy is it in you if ye will not know this so manifest a sewerance offered and geuen into euery faithfull Christianes hand herte and mouthe Thus haue I lerned iÌ„ scripturs If we turne when god turneth to vs. If we beleue when god illumineth vs If we loue as god kindleth vs. If we be baptized as god commandeth vs we shall be iustified Ye iugle with your Iffes and half turnes For as there is no man turned to god with frutefull repentance but he first knowe gods merciable forgeuenes in christ by his faith iustifienge him so is there none but thei first knowe God in christe ere thei loue him beleue iÌ„ god thorow Iesu Christ ere thei be baptized into his name For who professeth god y e father the sonne and the holy ghoste and the christen religion onlesse he knowe it It were a backward order and an vpsidowne preposterouse plaÌ„tynge the profession to go before the doctrine and knowledge of the religion as it hath ben a longe season vsed and therefore all suche preposterouse religions as ye see degenered into apostacye and into all the most filthy abominacions and idolatrye be now come to naught as christ prophecied of all such backward plantacions And therfore your Iffes staÌ„d in a wrong place For your baptisme with water is such a condicion that as al thei that be baptized therwith be not therfore saued so were not all they that beleued in christ and al the chosen infantes conteined vnder the promise dyinge before circumcision or baptisme dampned but withoute circumcision and baptisme of water saued by election and their beleif And therefore your doctrine of your Iffes holdeth not And if the quene of Candaces courtman so enstructe of Philip in the wagen â–ª had died in that faithe before his baptisme with water yet had his onelye faith saued him by christes own wordes sainge who so beleue in me hath life eternal It is not y e baptisme with water ne your penaunce y t saueth vs as ye dreame for no element ne creature ne mans work may do that thing It is god only in christ that regenereth with the spirit of faith and by that inuisible baptisme be we saued of god thorowe Iesu christe If you shulde tarye till ye haue fulfilled all your conditions for your saluacion ye shulde come to short of the gates shuttinge And therefore merciablye saith the lorde in Isay. He wyl make short his word of rightwismakinge and finish it in a plenteous abouÌ„daÌ„t rightwisenes euen in christ made of him our rightwisnes holden by faith onely Children by your popish doctrine that dye before baptime and y e infantes in Moses law diyng before the aight day shulde be dampned as ye teache whiche is to harde for you to proue when the scripture is plain agenst you as I am able to proue it and can shewe it plainely The baptisme therfore with water wasshethe onely the body and the minister bringeth the water and wordes onelye no saluacion nether as causes efficientes ne formall So that baptisme with water is but the visible seall instituted of god and ferme token of the former iustification by faythe in the regeneration of the spirit y e seall I say testifienge to the congregation that he is incorpored into them For thus it correspondeth sayth Peter the newe byrth wherby the spottes of the soule be taken awaye And thus is baptisme with water signaculum iustitie fidei the seal and testimony of the rightwisnes of faith as was circumcision and not y e selfe same rightwisnes it selfe as ye teach ye may make it signum iustitie operis
operati siue iustitie baptismi after your scole men that is the sacrament or seall of the rightwisenes of workes or of the rightwisnes of baptism with water and man thereby to be iustified as ye dreame and so Christ in vaine to haue dyed Besydes this it is the fygure of our perpetuall mortificacion and repentance as I haue oâ—ten declared the vse therof before And as touchinge the imperfeccion of faith and charitie in man as ye saye Albeit our faith I saye be as litle as the mustarde sead and as imperfit as was his that saide lorde I beleue but yet helpe my vnbeleif yet god accepteth it for our iustificatioÌ„ for christes sake bidding vs daylye to praye for thencreace therof Then ye saye all our workes be imperfitte ' It is truthe that ye saye And in so sayeng ye haue condempned al your own doctrine of merits satisfaccioÌ„s and condicions of workes to deserue remission For no imperfitte workes may deserue perfit remission ne make perfit satisâ—accioÌ„ as ye well know it And for this cause of our imperfeccion indignitie impossibilite by workes to merit our remission saluacioÌ„ god hath taken it out of our handes and from our workes layd it vpon christ as ye se in the prophete Isaye him by his perfit fulfilling of the law by his so perfit workes to merit to satisfye fully and perfitlye and so to obtaine vs y e remission and saluation for our faith into him And thus is he made of his father ours for vs our iustificacion our rightwisnes redeÌ„ptioÌ„ our holines our wisdom our satisfaccioÌ„ our implecion of y e law whiche all we by faith receiue as our owne for that he is geuen to vs holy with al his that he ether dyd or suffred in his blessed innocent body and soul. And euen these be our elder brothers clothes done vpon vs by faith so swetely sauouring which so delite and please our celestial father as did Iacobs elder brothers fragrant vestures sauor in his father Isaac his nose that he gaue him his brothers blessing as shal our father for y e same doing on by faith not for your participatioÌ„ of our elder brother christe his swete clothes of his rightwisnes merits c. For who so euer be baptized of the spirite by regeneration of faith they haue done christ thus vpoÌ„ them And thus w t Iacob be we made Israelites And thus be we all made y e sonnes of god for that we haue beleued in Iesu christ saith Paul not as ye say for y t ye haue done youre good works fulâ—illed your coÌ„dicioÌ„ Thus ye se how Paul IoaÌ„ Peter christ speke of y e baptism of y e spirite not of y e visible baptism of water to geue remissioÌ„ saluacion ye geue imperâ—eccion to our works to faith to loue it is truth But yet muste ye coÌ„sider y t thimperfeccioÌ„ in our works so minisheth takethe so awaye the goodnes dignite or worthines of theÌ„ that thei may not be called good ne meritoriouse But faith Isaye â— being imperfit as litle as the mustersede or as weke as his y t said help lord my vnbeleif yea or so matched in perel with temptacion w t feare dubitacioÌ„ as was peters faith so boldly leaping into y e sea to mete his maister christe when the sourges arose agenst him so highe that with his litle weake faith he began to sinke yet as litle as it was it was y e good gift of god saued hiÌ„ for christes sake froÌ„ drowninge For it is our perpetuall byshop and onely intercessour in heuen that continually prayeth as he dyd for Peter his felowes lest our faith faile vs euen in the middes of the stormye tempestiouse floudes of the troublous sea of this world For the giftes calling of god be sich as it cannot repent him of them in hys chosen Then ye say Iob sayd I feared al my workes in which faith ye say may be comprehended But it appereth that ye vnderstand not Iobs wordes for he neuer feared his faith but his works only which were euil imperfit And the ebrw or chaldie worde signifieth erumnas and labores meos omnes that is to saye I feared al my miserable workes and laboriouse miseries which he called his own euil workes for it foloweth sciens quod noÌ„ parceres delinquenti knowing that thou woldst not spare the trespasser So that here ye see how that ye manakle and rende oute by patches the textes for youre wicked purpose not consideringe what gothe before ne foloweth nor yet what the wordes properly signifye If ye coulde comprehende faithe in Iobs works so wolde ye make faith no gift of god ne beleif gods worke but Iobs worke so feared of him self And all the scriptures agre w t Iob so speaking of his owne workes only and not of faith For manye holye men fearing y e same desired god not to enter into iugement w t them ne to iuge them after their workes Then ye take in hand to describe the sinfull nature of man as borne out of Adam and Eue sayeng that the powers of our soule properly receiue faith and loue and vpon the occasion of the worlde and the flesh suggestion of the deuil be redy to rebellion c. In whiche saienge ye speke not truelye of maÌ„ in his corrupt nature as borne out of Adam conceiued in synne roted in his soule called altogether in scripture flesh the olde man the body of sinne and deathe inimitie ageÌ„st God naturallye the childe of wrath a contynuall rebellyon agaynste gods spirit For occasion or no occasion geuen sich one is he before he be regenered as god painteth him saienge after the hebrewe verite Euery imaginacion of mannes harte is onlye euyll is sayth the texte and not prone or redye as ye terme it yea and that at all times euen from hys youthe withoute the spirite of God regeneringe hym he is brydeles runnynge into the free felde of all carnall lustes Of the power of this corrupt mans nature ye speake as by his fre choise to receiue faith with loue c. Uerilye this man hathe no suche a Pelagianes power of hym selfe to receiue faithe no more then hadde ADAM him selfe power to come to God when he fled from his voice in paradise so ferefullye with shame sekinge where to hyde him froÌ„ his presence There is no sich proper power properly as ye terme it in maÌ„ to receiue faith or any grace except that naturall proper powr be properly taken a waye and pourged with the spirit of libertie by faithe purifyeng the herte so makinge in him a newe hert prepared to receiue faith makinge a new and free powr from his naturall bondage to synne So that your fre choice to receiue grace may not here be placed withe pelagians errour enimie to grace to set vp your fre choice bonde libertie to syn For
iuglynge castes with apprehending with handes and with al partes of body and soule and apprehendinge with faith nowe the exhibition of the mercye and then the thinge promised and the promise to â—e apprehended who se not laughâ— not at this antichristen apprehender and holy holder of so siyber an ele by the taile Because I receiue my frendes promised money with my hand and his promise w t beleuynge therfore I must receyue my forgeuenes in Christe with a nother instrument and mean then with my faith For I must receiue my ê“mised forgeuenes with faith only and yet the exhibicioÌ„ therof saith he I muste receyue with all the partes of body and soule now go to and tell vs your wyse reason and whether faith in receyuinge the promised forgeuenes receiueth not al so therwith your exhibicion that is in englishe the geuinge or gifte As in the workinge of Christis miracles the promise of helthe in body soul was receiued by faith in the vnderstandinge lightened by god but y e helth was receiued in al the partes healed of body and soul. But if by faith onely the healed persone had not first receyued his promised helthe it had neuer comen into his bodye nor soule wherfore by faith onely is the helth promysed of body and soule receiued and thus be ye confuted confounded with your owne exaÌ„ple contrary to your former apprehending Now say on yet agen Now if ye wyll yet wrangle and saye that the promise of god is mercye and god wyll surely fulfyll his promise so as the apprehender of the promise apprehend also mercy I wyl not vary with you For oure lady said Suscepit Israel pucrum suuÌ„ recordatus misericordie sue God hath takeÌ„ to him Israel his seruaunte remembrynge his mercye that is accordinge to his merciful promise which the next verse declareth Sicut locutus est c. yet ye shal note here a distinction in degree of mercye betwene y e mercy in y e merciful promise when our lady saith recordatê° misericordie sue y e very receiuing of Israel to his seruice which god deth in y e iustificacion of man For theÌ„ he taketh Israel the beleuer that seeth god to his seruaunt which is a further mercy Ioye Are not all mercyes and forgeuenes a lyke nyghe to y e beleuer Paule sayth nygh vnto the is the worde of faithe euen in thy mouth and herte And the very mercye promised So as Israel appreheÌ„deth the merciful promyse by faith But being taken to seruice receiueth the further mercye promised in receiuinge a newe hert a newe spirit which god createth in man with the gifte of charitie and resuscitateth in man lyfe Ioye But tell vs ere ye wynde your selfe any farther into this youre laborouse labyrinth and mysty maze whether when Israell receiued hys mercifull promyse by faythe he was not euen then taken to seruice and receiued a newe herte and new spirit and was euen then ere charitie wroughte resuscited to lyfe yf ye say no. So make ye Israels faith receiuinge the mercyful promyse no lyuely fayth no faith purginge the herte no true faith but a deade faith of no efficacye ne power If ye saye yea so is all youre confuse bablynge fonde vayne lyes But say on Wherefore we maye not properlye saye we apprehende iustificacion by faâ—the whiche is the exhibition of mercye But how happenethe it nowe y t to iustificacion ye geue this new name of exhibition of mercie and cal it not by her wont and playne name as the forgeuenes of synne the absoluinge from synne or your effecte of christis passion or remission as ye were wont to cal it Trwly ther lurketh some deceit in this your new fouÌ„d word Exhibicion but say on agen Which is thexhibicioÌ„ of mercy promised by God to iustify man onlesse we wold call the promise of God and thexhibicion of y â— thynge promised all one Ioye when God of his mercie promiseth me remissioÌ„ of my sinnes euen then I hearing it receiue it by faith onely am I not nowe in that same receiuinge ther of iustifiyed Christ the write affirmeth it as thou beleueste my promise so is it to the. And what then prate ye and bable ye all in vayne of your distincte exhibicion and of so many receytes c. but saye on yet more And here in is the sophistrye of this newe scole slythely to passouer and iugle as this man speketh of vnder the borde Here hast thou good reader a longe coÌ„fuse talke of this bish which as it is all out of his owne brayne dreamed withoute anye scripture so hathe it nether head ne tayle but full of croked cauillacions and diuersely diuised distinccions al to forme and to fashion vnto him selfe some slyber shyftes that y e simple readers might not espye him to be confounded and confuted but that he wold haue euer somewhat to saye for him selfe agenst the plaine veritie whiche saith God hathe of his mercye promysed vs in Christ oure free forgeuenes whiche promysed forgeuenes we by faith only in Christe receyue and in so receiuinge it we be iustifyed This olde breife and playne speche of the scriptures he calleth the new scole and sophistry of y e germans But loke thou vpon these his new rehersed receits one of the merciful promyse by faith an other receite of the further mercye promysed and a nother receite of a newe hert c. and a receite of y e thing promysed and of the exhibition therof and thou shalte see another maner straunge termed nouities bothe of scole papistry and sophistrye yea and euen confuse perplexitie and perplex confusion it selfe in all this said peese and in that as foloweth For here y u haste a promise and the thinge promysed a promyse without the thinge receiued bothe dystincte Here haste thou the exhition of the thinge promised a receiuinge of the mercifull promyse by faith another receauing of the further mercy and another receit of a newe hert And al these must be thinges distinct and yet all knitte together in one bonde one promyse is apprehended by faith the thynge promysed must be receaued with body and soule handes and fete c. Then hath this multiplier made vs a promised mercy an exhibited mercy by exhibicion a mercye receiued one with faith and another with haÌ„des and partes of oure bodye a mere mercye a further mercye and I wene a mercye furthest of all that shall neuer come nigh him Anon he teacheth of a mercy receiued by faith but the exhibitioÌ„ therof with another instrument Then he minceth mercye diuided into degrees betwixt the further mercy in the promise the nierer mercy in the receiuing So as mercy promysed and mercy exhibited and mercy receiued and mercye fled so farre from hym shulde not be all one And here hath this myghty multiplier of mercye created vs two newe hertes one created
sinnes ▪ which is our iustificacion And yet ye saye before ye neuer went about to proue it ' that workes must iustyfye And yet in so sayeng as workes of penaunce to rekouer grace and remission ye bothe wolde proue it and also make grace no grace ne Christes passion of none effecte For a iuste confutation of this your doctrine I shal therfore proue it clerelye by scriptures that man muste be firste iustified by faith ere either he repent holsomely or be baptized with water And because ye haue diffamed true repentaunce and iuggled so longe with your do penaunce makyng the people beleue they haue done it when they haue done or sayde all their penaunce enioyned them by their goostly fathers ye shall know that repētance is a turninge to the lord god wherby we of y e syncere feare of god humbled aknowledge our synnes and all our hole lyfe we make newe So that the hole lyfe of a penitente faitheful is a perpetual mortificacion of his fleshe and a reuiuinge of the spirit euen the perpetuall custodie of his lyfe fygured in baptizme of water wherin the dopinge buriyng signifieth our mortification our synnes buried in Christe his deathe and the lyfting vp oute of the water teacheth oure arysinge wyth Christ reuiued into a newe lyfe Also the hebrewe worde his and the greke Metanoite in latyne Resipiscite signifye to be turned to a better minde or chaunge your lyfe Which worde Ioan and Chryste vsed sayeng Resipiscite in propinquo enim est regnum coelorum Repēt ye or chaunge youre lyfe or be ye turned in mynde for the forgeuenes of synnes is nigh And Chryste beganne his preaching lykewise sayenge Be ye turned or repente ye and beleue the good tydynges of youre remyssyon They preached not onely saienge repente ye as ye dreame and there stopped but they euermore in all their sermons as did his apostles added the cause why they shuld repent whyche cause implyed and conteined therin the promise of remission of their synnes sayenge for the remission of your synnes is at hande For so much signifieth the gospel the kingdome of heauen in those places Which promise apprehended by faith anon the herers prepared them to repentaūce turninge their myndes conuerted to god whome they before knewe by faythe beleuynge hym for hys mercyes sake in Christe to receyue and to forgeue them For who turnethe hym selfe to God whome he nether knowethe ne beleuethe to be mercyfull to hym ne loueth him before he turneth to hym For they preached fyrste the lawe whereby came the knoweledge of theyr synnes and eft sone the gospell of forgeuenes promysed in Chryste whyche by faythe apprehended then beganne the true repentaunce Also we are often commaunded to repent by these wordes of god spoken of the prophetes Conuertimini ad me salui eritis conuertimini ad me ego conuertat ad vos Be ye turned to me and ye shall be salfe and I shall be turned to you Where ye se that God commaundeth vs nothinge but he biddeth vs aske the same of him as Austē confirmeth and declareth it your selfe alledgynge his wordes sayeng Iube quoduis modo des quod iubeas Ergo we muste aske oure repentaunce and conuersion of god saing Conuerte nos deus salutaris noster and Conuerte me domine ego conuertar Conuert me LORDE and I shall be conuerted If thys prayer be of faythe as it muste nedis be if it be made to the father in christis name so must faith go before the conuersion and the peticion and prayer before the thinge obtayned therebye Agayne when I am promised of god to be saued if I turne to him there my faith first apprehendinge the promise procedeth to the precept in turning to him as doth the seruant beleuinge his masters promised couenant addresse him to his seruice and fulfillinge of his masters cōmaundements althoughe his seruice in folowinge his master be placed befor the cause as your self here after gyueth an example saing he that foloweth me is my seruant placinge theffecte before y e cause in your lxxxviii lefe seconde syde of this your boke in the lxxxix lefe ye saye In this speche I ioyne that is out of al kynde of causes to theffect as to folow me is no cause to be my seruant but rather ensueth of seruice and of the couenant which is the cause why that he folowth me importeth that he was my seruant before he folowed me Euen so do the scripture place theffecte of our conuersion before the cause which is faith first apprehending the promise in this lyke speches Be ye turned to me and I shal be turned to you be ye turned and ye shal be salfe Repēt ye for the remission is nighe And thus lo be ye confounded proued to teache false doctryne to peruerte the scripture by your owne wordis by your onwe exāple And that faith iustifyinge muste nedis go before repentance and our conuersion to god as the scriptur teacheth vs contrary to your popishe papistry But I knowe howe falsely ye iugle with youre do penance in your boke of enstructions saing Resipiscite credite euangelio thus englyshing it sayenge Fyrst be contrite knowledge your synnes and then receiue the gladde tidinges of remission c Because theffecte is placed before y e cause therefore ye wolde make foles beleue theffecte to be before the cause cōtrary to your owne wordes in this your booke in the .lxxxix. lefe and by this placinge ye wold proue penace to be before faith iustifyenge But yf ye hadde redde but .ii. lines before in marke ye shoulde haue learned playnely the preachinge of the gospell that is of y e glad tidinges of y e promised remission of synnes which is y e cause of repentaūce as Io. bap affirmeth it Math. iii. to haue gone before theffecte of repentaunce commaunded But this licenciouse libertye to peruert the holy gospell that ye take to your selfe also by your do penaunce as ye do vpon Peters sayenge to Symon Mago Resipisce igitur ab ista tua malitia Englyshīg ab with fore thus sayenge Do penaunce for this thy malyce when the texte is Turne thy mynde from this thy malyce so fayne wolde ye holde styll your popishe sacramente of do penaunce to merite forgeuenes of synnes The true conuersion to god presupposeth the knoweledge of sinnes which commeth by the preachinge of the lawe It presupposethe also the preching of the gospel wherby commeth faythe and knoweledge of the mercy of god promising forgeuenes in Christ. wherfore ye se it necessarilye that repentaunce and the conuersion vnto god muste folowe faith iustifieng cōceiued by hearing the gospell Also faythe iustyfyenge muste goo before baptisme For Christe bodde his Apostles go forth and teache all nacions ere they baptized them And what thinke ye they taughte them Uerelye euen the lawe and gospell as he had commanded them and then as many as beleued they baptized them
al these condicions thereby to haue remissioÌ„ and saluation as ye saye so maye ye be heuey in your harte y t Christ hath died for you in vayn gal ii But let vs see some one of these coÌ„dicioÌ„s containing gods will whiche ye wil fulfyl ye say ere ye obtaine your remission of sinnes your vocacion is to be byshop a diligent superintendente watcher ouer christes flocke to fede them with the pure worde of god frely faithfully and truly preached continually to them to se that none waÌ„t this gostly fode ne perishe for lacke tâ—erof ye must tell them their sinnes what and who so euer thei be Gods will is to helpe socour and releue y e pore hungry naked and destitute ether counsel or any other thing yea althoughe they be youre enemies that with the same affects of loue as Christ had toward vs when he died for vs and lete his lyfe for his shepe But ye persecute preson and burne them for the truth and wil be cruelly auenged of them that resist your deuyllysh doctrine And if thei were he retiques whom the mouth of God their profession their godly lyuynge their constant pacient martirdom declare to be the very chosen childreÌ„ of god yet doth christ coÌ„mande his disciples to permit theuill wedes to growe together with the good corne vntill the haruest be comen leste in pluckyng vp so cruelly the euyll ye pluck vp the good with all If Paul saith Austen had ben roted vp an heretike he had neuer ben so good corne There must be heresies saith Paule amonge you that the proued men maye be made manifeste amonge you Also he byddeth the seruaunt of god in your vocacion to be no brawler no chider ne mocker or rebuker so farre of shuld ye be from so cruel persecution bloud sheding but to be pleasaunt swete and ientle to almen redy to teache the ignorant and sich as be out of the waye sufferinge the euil withe mekenes and to enstructe them that withstand your doctryne albeit it were trwe as it is openly knowne to yourselues and to almen to be false and erroniouse that yet it wolde please God at any tyme to geue them repentance to turne to the knowlege of the trwthe and so to ryse by repentance out of the snares of the deuil But you mistruste your own false doctryne so miche that ye nether dare dispute with them and vs with gods worde ne suffer them to speake ne permitte our answeres to your false bokis to be sene but condempne and banesh them But what speke I to you that yet wil not knowe the gospel from heresye but be so blyndened with blode and mischif that moste blasphemously ye call gods holy worde heresye and the popis antichristn doctryne ye call christis gospell whom god stryketh worthely with this dampnable comminacion sayinge wo be to you that saye Good is euil and that as is euil to be Good cete If ye were trwe bishops and Christ is successours so shulde ye be sent as the father sent Christ and as Christe sent his apostles to preche his worde and not your owne popishe dreames to fede his flok and not to poysyen them to gather in the out strayed and not to persecute the trwe teachers and to hunt them out of y e realme orels to burne theÌ„ for not holdinge your vngodly antichristen doctryne not beleuinge your deuillishe articles ye shuld be sent to edify and not to destroy to plant not to pluk vp by y e rotes to water not to burne to go preache not to ryde about lyke princes hauing but meat drinke sufficient lyuing for you and a minister He bode ye also that in no wyse ye shuld be called lordes And that ye shulde not tangle your selues with worldly seculare businesses Nether by gods will shuld ye haue so great possessions but the stewardes to distribut them according to the firste geuers myndes to the pore to whome ye be bounde to restore that as ye haue so longe holdeÌ„ vniustly from them These be but a fewe of your easiest condicions to be fulfilled or ye attaine your remission as ye say and your saluacion Then is there yet amonge many one litle one and the last condicion called Non concupisces Thou shalt haue no concupiscens in y e that is no lust ne desyer ne any affect contrary to gods will and his holy spirit Paul was a right chosen spirituall vessell and wrestled with this precept all dayes of his lyfe aftir the lawe began to lyue in him and him self ded and yet he confessed it with an out cryeinge that he was ouermatched and all to weake to fulfill it crying to god for helpe sainge Miser homo ego c. Oh wertched man that I am who shall delyuer me out of this body of sinne obliged and gyltye of death Saint Peter argewith also ayenst your condicioÌ„ of an inutilite and impossibilite thus gatheringe his argument The lawe was not geuen to iustifye nether were our fathers iustified by it and therfore shall not we be iustifted by it Wherfore then will ye now tempt god Thei tempt god that will rather folowe their owne imaginacions then gods worde as wolde the Iewes at that counsell and as nowe wold you go to heauen by a nother waye then god hath coÌ„stituted to vs as thoughe ye wolde be sene wiser then god whom by this your pertinate obstinacie as dydde the Iewes ye haue prouoked to caste his heauy wrathe vppon you as dydde the Iewes vppon them selues euen to laye siche a yoke vpon the neckis of your disciples whiche nether our fathers nor we saith peter were able to bere Here ye se peter to call the yoke of your condicions imposible to be borne wherfore he concludeth thus we beleue by the grace of our lorde Iesu christ to be saued as were thei Now if ye list to go a nother waye by other condicions to heuen then went our fathers trwly I tell you ye be lyke neuer to come there As many saith Paule as be vnder the workis of y e lawe which be your condicions that is beleue to be iustifyed by the doing oâ— them ar obliged and whelmed vnder the curse which is contrary to the blyssinge in the blessed promised sead christe he proueth it by Moses sainge Cursed is euery man that standeth not ne continueth in all the preceptes writen in the boke of the law to do them ye said before often That Christe is an hole sauior and hole forgeuer redemer c wholly totally c. so that his sufficient sacrifice of his body nedeth not any addicion or supplement of any manis desertis to the apeacinge of gods wrathe for sinne And why then here do ye patche his absolute and perfit remission with these so many your patched to condicions for thatteinment of your forgeuenes makinge him but a peesed sauior by participacion ye haue rehersed here
before belyke your boke was longe iÌ„ making or els your memory is naught in the xii and xiii leues Sinners be called to grace to do the works of penance to recouer the fauor of God with remission of their sinnes and that Christe is thonely sufficiente sacrifice for sinne so perfit so total so absolute as nedeth not any addicion or supplement of any manis desert and merit cete Did not Christe think ye in that his so sufficient a sacrifice merit for vs and obteyned vs grace well to vse his benefits Do man merit ether in receiuinge faith or in vsinge his faith and loue ye ar an enimye with Pelagiane to Christes meritis and to grace who worketh our will and moueth it to receiue faith Paule saith it is god that worketh it in vs for his owne graciouse good willes sake and not for our merits Haue ye not yet red that as Paule writethe to the Philippians in the second chapiter Deê° est is qui agit in uobis ut uelitis ut efficiatis pro bono animi proposito That is to saye It is god y t worketh in you both that ye may will and also your will to bring it into effect ye y t for his own good propose of mind Paule teacheth vs y t y e fre gift of god our workes and merites be so coÌ„trary y t y e thing whiche is of grace may in nowise be said to be of workes or els grace were no grace ne workes were no workes But you wolde by the vse of the first grace or gifte deserue a better grace or gifte which saing maketh the seconde gift but a very seconde grace that is no grace at al for y t as it so deserued with your abused vse caÌ„ be no fre gift ne grace Giue we therfor al the glory to god and shame confusion to our selues remembringe That we ar not apte ne able of oure selues to think any good thoughte as oute of our selues but al our abilitie and aptnes is of god who be praised and glorified for euer amen For what hath any man good that he hath not receiued And therfore the commaundements of loue with our hole hertes mindes c. is not so extreme as ye make it to a christen man whose faith speketh to god boldly da quod iubes as S Austen saith â–ª Geue that thou commaundest by reason wherof the yoke of the lawe impossible to be borne is in christ easy thorow the gifte of god by christ in whom we may do all I am glad ye haue grauÌ„ted y e thing for which ye rebuke and reuile me so spightfully eueÌ„ y e yoke of y e law iÌ„possible to be borne of man For now be fallen therw t al your merits both in vsing in deseruing youre iustificacion by the workes of the law your satisfactioÌ„s w t hir coÌ„teÌ„taâ—ioÌ„sly flat in y e dust which fal ye wel coÌ„firme w t your first text saing what hath anye maÌ„ good that he hath not receiued here ye bringe in bothe scriptur and austen for the destruccion of al your owne hole doctryne For if we pray god to geue vs y t he commandeth so is it not in our power to get it for noman prayeth for that he hathe or can haue it when he lyst Nether is the commandment of loue so easy as ye wene for ne be ye comen so easely ne so sone into christ to bere the yoke of his lawe so easely y t it be so sweete and his burden so lyght to you we must be firste sharpely whipt and sewery scourged ere we come to this highe lesson of perfeccion Remember ye not what christ said to y e yong riche man If thou wilt be perfit go sell all thou hast geue it to the pore and come and folowe me And who taketh not his crosse folowth nothiÌ„ going to his passioÌ„ when he is called he is not worthei to do him seruice Euery chylde he loueth he chastiseth christ nourtereth vp his childreÌ„ in the scole of his crosse in y e profesion of their baptisme practizinge them in the perpetuall mortificacion of their flesshe to dye with him from synne and to burye them ere thei ryse with him into their neweslate oâ— holy and innocent lyuinge ye speke of Ye say the yoke of the law impossible to be borne is in Chryst easye thorowe the gift of God but ye expresse not y e gift of faith ne loue wherby it is fulfilled and the yoke therof so easy to be borne as the scriptur declareth it when we by faith onely apprehendinge the promise in Christ do vpon vs his rightwysnes his fulfillinge for ours rom iii. viii.x.i cor i. gala iii. Belike ye fansy not faith in hir proper place and office ye haue so great mind to loue The continuall batil betwene the fleshe the spirite in euery iust man is not so easely faughten as ye dreame in your pleasauÌ„t sâ—ombringe securitie and welthines as ye may se in the lyues and examples of them whom ye banishe their natiue countrey persecute at home presonne and burne and in the liues of christ and his apostles Man called fleshe is a perellouse sturdy hydra to be ouercomen of the spirit for when one head sinne is smiten of thre for one arise more fierce And when al perchaunce be somwhat tamed yet will not concupiscence and the loue to our selfe let the spirite be at rest but make businesse against it Subtile and shrewd and vnserchable is mans hart I haue geuen you but a fore tast of this easy coming to Christ to bere your easy yoke so pleasauntly Thei that haue experience of that sharp thorney iourney as Isay hedgeth it in and of that bitter batail as Paule complayned therof when he felt y e lawe aliue working hir offices in him can tell ye more of this But wote ye what watte the herimite in cambridge once said when one saide to him Watte I meruel y â— once being so lustye a rutfler and so and ioyly a courtyer woldst take this straight religion vpon the. Tusshe quod watte It is easy enough as I vse it And so belike the impossible heuy yoke of the lawe and the burden of your pastoral office dilated so wide be lyte and easy enough as ye vse them The loue of god with all your harte mind and soul. c. and to loue your neighbour as your self be all lyte and easye enough to you as ye vse them Nether loue nor faith can be in man perfit and thei nede both coÌ„tinu al encrease It is truth and therfore sith the law is perfitly good iust holy and spiritual it requireth as perfit iuste and holy workes in like degree of perfeccion out of as perfit faith and loue whereby ye se the lawe impossible to be fulfilled of man For which saing lorde howe fiercely runne ye vpon me herafter as though ye
was el shaida that is one alone for al sufficient and almighty And if ye beleue him not to be siche one to helpe you then cal to nicolas runne to George Marye c. saye the moo the beter as do your blynd disciples And if ye beleue that Nicolas his helpe must helpe God to helpe you so make ye God no God or if ye think y t Nicolas his eares be not stopt ne kut of as ye list to lye iest of vs or not to be a slepe wel kry on hard vpon him as did Baals prestes vpon their God tyl Nicolas answer you Cal lykewyse vpoÌ„ George in batail whylis yet God winketh at your false and supersticiouse inuocacions at last for your hardnecked idolatrye and for your persecutinge and shedinge of innocent blode worthely to turne the edges of your sathanik swerdis and there popishe pointes ayenste your selues mooste vnhappely to fight for your false God God neuer bode vs go and call vpoÌ„ any other then on himself onely in cryste and for his sake And if ye beleue not him gete ye to some other helpers sauiors by participation and make them your false gods by adoracion and inuocacion For vnto whom soeuer ye go and cal vpon in your anxt and nede beleuinge the saÌ„e to helpe you whether it be niclas Ian or George the same is your god in whom ye beleue For howe can ye call vppon him saith Paule in whome you beleue not And ye be maried to y t god in a false saith hope and loue committing with him as y e prophets testifye aduouterouse idolatrye Beware god is a ielouse god and loketh to haue our hole faith coÌ„fidence hope and loue with all oure hole hertes And how standeth these together onely to god be honor glory and praise and yet ye geue his honour and diuide it betwixt him and mary and Niclas c. by participacion He is contente that parents and magistrates haue their dewe ciuile honor and reuerence but gods own glorye honour and worship in spirit and veritie by inuocacion of faith I pray ye let him selfe onely enioye it totally entierly absolutely and holy as ye terme it and robbe him not of it ye may aswell by participation impartâ— his godhed and his diuine power from him as his glorye and honoure whiche be hys inseperable essencials Your doctrine is blasphemose to gods holy name and glory Rpent ye And to confirme this damnable doctryne ye peruert christis wordis sainge If any man honor me my father shal honor him in heueÌ„ where the text is Si. quis mihi ministrat pater meus cohonestabit eum that is Whoso ministreth vnto me meaninge in his vocacion by preching or gouerniÌ„g truly in his office my father shal beutifye him in glorie euen the same that Paul saith If we here suffere with christ in his trwe seruice any ignominy we shal be glorifyed w t hiÌ„ iÌ„ heueÌ„ For he setteth ignominie agenste glorye But your wordes sowne naughtely as to saye whoso honoureth me where honor is taken for gods honor and then continently to say My father shall honor him as though ye wold haue honor in bothe places to be taken a lyke makinge God to honour his creature with his diuyne honor Ye muste recite the scriptures as thei stande and alter not christes words for your wiked purpose lest as Salomon saithe ye be reproued as a lier God spendeth not his glory and honor ne hathe the lesse No but you asmiche as in you lyeth wolde robbe him of them and ye coÌ„mitte that excecrable sacrylege that Paule speaketh of Roma ii For as in his adoracion confidence faith inuocation and in thankes geuyng consistethe hys glorye and honour so be they not diuisible from hym But because as ye saye GOD is ryche omnisufficiente and aboundante in glorye yet therefore ought ye not to steale anye from hym as saye theues It is no synne to robbe the ryche that haue enoughe But god so spredeth his honoure abrode and is thereby magnified amonge vs. He spreadeth it not abrode either to be stolen or diuided from hym as ye wold and teach by your participation but to be acknowledged of vs and thanked for it which his glorye and honoure if ye vsurpe or diuide them to anye other so dishonoure ye and blaspheme god and ye honoure the deuyll For god wâ—lbe honoured and magnified after his owne prescripte wordes and not after youre vaine imaginacions as thei leade you thoughe they appeare in youre eyes neuer so gloriouse There is no creature in heauen ne vpon erth excepte it be antichrist but abhorreth putteth it from him when it is offred hiÌ„ But ye wil eat still of the tree of knoweledge of good euell at the perswasion of the serpente decerninge and deuisinge to God what glory and honour ye list and teache it to be good withoute his worde ye saye we cannot abyde that christe suffred for oure example yisse better then you that neuer folowed hys ' example and yet will be called his successors Also ye loue christ but ye diuide him froâ— his seruantes his saints departed vndeâ— a wronge pretence of the preseruacion oâ— his holy honour Christ wil haue his hole honor reserued to him selfe onely as Paule and Isay saye Nether will his saintes departed desire it but refuse it offred them as did the apostels and aungels vtterly thruste it from them as did the aungel in the apo xxii and not christ in the forme of an aungel Christ him selfe ye call lyfe but ye call his seruauntes the saintes departed dead meÌ„ and for spyte cut of their eares Thei be no liuinge men but liuinge spirits and dead bodies nether can men cut of their eares seinge the spirits haue nether eares ne bodies ne heades but as touchinge y t bodely part be resolued into dust â–ª Thei be idle idols eares that haue eares and heare not eyes and cannot se whose eares ye say men cut of and by your own consent their stockish dead bodies cast into the fier because ye coÌ„mit idolatry before them Thus diuide ye christ and make strife betwene his giftes also w t your onely faith to put charitie out of office in iustificatâ—on Onely faith to iustify maketh no strife with charitie which is pacient and enuieth not faith to do hir owne proper office as ye of enuy vncharitablye contende and sâ—riue so falsely But it is your popishe doctrine that maketh the strife scisme diuidinge your selues from all christen faithfull and true religion For as the londe is diuided in situacion frome all other so wold ye forme it to your selues a sondrye faith and religion from all other nations Christ neuer chaunged the heude of any chirche ether in the Iewes or gentiles but he also with the same chaunged the bodye euen the chirche or els it were but a monstrose thinge an antichristen church to haue a
pareÌ„thesis although meÌ„ might by grace be without syn it is so rare a byrde as was ne neuer shal be sene but only christ as the scripture Austen affirme it Nowe haue I shewed it to you clerely by scriptures yours as it were the skar and mater of originall syn to be no skar but sinne it self ne to be none so healed a wounde but that we must be regenered of the spirit and taught by the baptisme of water to mortifie that concupiscence that it is in mortifying neuer mortified tyl at the last breath out of our bodies Paul him selfe al faithfull felt this coÌ„cupiscence dwelling in theÌ„ striuing against the renouacion of y e spirit whiles they lyued It is therefore so blody and so skabby a skar in the soule that it is euer in cure in the wouÌ„ded half dead half a liue whoÌ„ the samaritane committed to the inholder luc â–ª x. and not so cleaue a skar as ye go about to cure it by baptism And so maister Ioye to returne to our mater yf ye wolde for policie fle from the worke of loue to the work of faith because ye wolde be assewred ye be no more assewered in respect by your own worke by faith then ye be by charitie but all oure asseweraunce is in gods promise quia deus verax omnis homo mendar No my lorde I fly not froÌ„ the work of loue to the worke of faith as ye do froÌ„ faith to loue thei both flyinge froÌ„ you But I do enbrace them bothe But in the worke of my iustificacion I obserue the order and doctryne of the scripture onely by faith to be iustified and so to procede to y e workes of loue first assewered by my faithe which assewerance loue can not geue me into Christe that he hath forgeuen me my sinnes Nether speke I of any other asseweraÌ„ce by my nowne works as ye wolde falsely impinge it vnto me but onely by the worke of faith into Christe which is not my worke but gods worke and his gift in me But I spake plainly of faith it self which is the very self certitude vndouted adseweraunce ioined to gods infallible promise sealled with his holy sprit my pledge pant and ernest peny geuen me in Christs promyse with which my faith thus sealed I am assewered of my remission and saluacion thorow hope But all our adsewerance say you is in gods promise Ioye But what asewerance haue ye in gods promise except ye beleue it Euen here haue ye condempned your self and of purpose left out faith the assewered certitude of gods promise and not charite ye wil vtter the trwth and bewraye your self vnwares the infallible prouidence of God so bringinge into light by your selues the same thinge ye contende to kouer and to suppresse For this my former boke ayenst you I dare saye ye wold haue punished him y t shuld haue brought it first into the realme and now haue ye made lawes y t none siche bokis be openly redde ne solde in the realme but haue condempned them And yet hathe God so blindened and infatuated you in your own false tyranye as to make your self to printe the same boke agene and yet agen to to be openly frely redd w t yours and sold in the realme And for one secret C. by your own blynd procurement are there now openly a M. distributed in y e realme into many haÌ„des that neuer had theÌ„ before And therfore how soeuer ye and yours wyll test at it I wyll retourne to my common collet a prayer in the churche Omnipotens sempiterne deus da nobis fidei spei charitatis augmentuÌ„ ut mereamur assequi quod promiâ—tiâ— fac nos amare quod precipis Now I pray ye returne to it againe and into the popes portewes youre versicles litanies matens euensoÌ„g and misse to that yet prayethe in the same to merit to obtayne remission of sinnes and saluacion by their popish workes pardous and pilgrimages For in deed ye be drouen froÌ„ the scriptures and compelled as euerye man seeth to flye to your popysh portews and missale to begge your false and beggarly autorities to coÌ„firme your doutfull doctryne I dare saye yf ye had knowen the scriptures to haue confirmed it ye wolde neuer haue sought suche shiftes Wherfore the some of our helth beginneth continueth and is accomplysshed by gods mercye Quia neque volentis neque currentissed miserentis dei est so the seweraunce of our helth depeÌ„deth vpon gods promyse I am afrayde lest as ye iugled w t your bare beleife so wolde ye do with gods promise ye shuld haue therfore added to it saying playnely The asseweraunce of our helth dependethe vpon goddes promyse of remission saluacion in Christ apprehended by faythe Mary quod you and that is truthe And here you wyll clappe your handes extoll the strength of treuth Ioye yea and of fayth to As though we pharseis as ye saduces call vs wolt oppresse it The promise of god is all Et ideo ex fide say you Ioye And therefore oute of faithe saith Paule is the heretage geuen Geuen he saith and not deserued vt firma sit promissio that by grace and not by Wynchesters workes it be geuen that ferme and sewer myghte be the promise I think there was neuer haithen gentyle or Iewe that so spightfully and so blasphemously mocketh out gods holy word as here do you of a sette proposed malice sinning agenst the holy goste For here because ye shuld not erre of ignorance god hath suâ—fred you to fall into the place of S. Paul which vtterly conuinceth destroieth all your dampnable doctryne Here Paul setting the lawe against the promise of the gospel as one contrary to the tother in the acte of iustificacion maketh .vii. mighty arguments to proue onely faith w tout the workes of the lawe to iustifye because the rightwysnes of workis and of the lawe cannot stand togither For that as cometh to vs by the promise he saith it cannot come to vs out of the lawe but the heretage cometh to vs by the promise ergo not out of the lawe emonge the whiche arguments this is one If our iustificacion shulde depende of the works of the law no man were sewer of his iustificacion bothe for thimperfeccion of his works also for thimpossibilite of the lawe to be performed of maÌ„ And agen the lawe worketh wrath and maketh sinne the more breeme to abounde Onely that thinge iustifyeth which settleth maketh sewer and fast our consciences out of doute but that is the fre promise of God receiued by our faith not the werkis of the lawe wherfore our faith onely staid vpon gods fre and vndouted promise iustifyeth Then he argueth agen thus Euery fre merciable promise of god in christ to forgeue vs our sinnes is receiued by onely fayth our iustificacion is the free merciful promise of God in Christ wherfore it must